bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observing effects of resolving leaky gut on sugar, fat, and insulin levels during type 1 diabetes in fruit flies
Authors: Iyer Pranav , Oyarbide Kepa , Joykutty Leya
Published: September 2023

The goal of this project was to analyze one of the causes of type 1 diabetes (T1D), increased intestinal permeability. The microbiota imbalance caused by gut leakiness leads to an autoimmune cascade causing beta cell destruction; the focus of this project was restoring the integrity of the intestinal lining, thus reducing symptoms of T1D. As such, a hypothesis was formed that if solutions of sodium butyrate and casein are administered to Drosophila that display symptoms of T1D, then they will experience decreased symptoms including lower trehalose and triglyceride levels and higher Drosophila insulin-like peptides (DILP) levels over time. After attempting to resolve impaired intestinal barrier function, the changes caused by T1D, specifically trehalose, triglyceride, and Drosophila insulin-like peptide levels, were examined. After testing for intestinal permeability, wild type and T1D mutant flies were administered with diets of sodium butyrate and hydrolyzed casein, both of which strengthen intestinal tight junctions, along with a normal diet to act as a control group. Testing for symptoms of T1D was done over a period of 10 days for each group in order to measure the restoration of function and effectiveness of the treatment. The results indicated that intestinal permeability was resolved through the use of both chemicals and that symptoms of T1D generally decreased. Triglyceride and trehalose levels decreased, while DILP levels remained consistent, indicating the inhibition of beta cell destruction. Drosophila has been shown to work well as a model organism for T1D, so there is a strong reason to look into the effectiveness of applying the same treatment for T1D in mammals.
Comparative screening of dose-dependent and strain-specific antimicrobial efficacy of berberine against a representative library of broad-spectrum antibiotics
Authors: Sun Stephanie , Su Andrew , Sakhrani Simrun , Ashok Bhavesh , Su Sarah , Rajamanickam Sarada , Njoo Edward
Published: September 2023

Widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains, increasing the necessity in research towards the identification of novel antibiotic agents. Berberine, a natural alkaloid that is extracted from the roots and stems of plants in the genus Berberis, has been documented to have medicinal potential since 3000 BC, where it was used as an antibacterial agent in ancient Chinese medicine. Since then, berberine and synthesized analogs have been studied for a wide range of medicinal properties, including antimicrobial activity. Based on berberine’s history, we hypothesize that berberine has broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, along with potency that is comparable to current broad-spectrum antibiotics that are commercially available. Here, we screened berberine against four strains of bacteria and evaluated its antimicrobial activity against five broad-spectrum antibiotics from different classes to better quantify berberine’s antibacterial activity and compare its efficacy as an antibacterial agent to the broad-spectrum antibiotics. Our results indicated that berberine had strain-selective cytotoxic effects and was significantly less potent than most of the broad-spectrum antibiotics. A better understanding of the antimicrobial activity of the berberine may inform the design of future antimicrobial therapies.
Geographic Distribution of Scripps National Spelling Bee Spellers Resembles Geographic Distribution of Child Population in US States upon Implementation of the RSVBee “Wildcard” Program
Authors: Kannankeril Rosy , Kannankeril Prince
Published: September 2023

The Scripps National Spelling Bee (SNSB) is an iconic academic competition for United States (US) schoolchildren, held annually since 1925. Historically, children qualified for the SNSB by winning a sponsored regional spelling bee. However, the sizes and geographic distributions of sponsored regions are uneven. One state may send more than twice as many spellers as another state, despite similar numbers in child population. In 2018, the SNSB introduced a wildcard program known as RSVBee, which allowed students to apply to compete as a national finalist, even if they did not win their regional spelling bee. This allowed more students to compete, but it was unknown how this would affect the geographic distribution of spellers. The purpose of our experiment was to test our hypothesis that the geographic distribution of SNSB national finalists more closely matched the child population of the US after RSVBee was implemented. We compared the number of sponsored (non-RSVBee) national finalists to the US child population from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, for the years 2012–2019 and found a stable, strong correlation in each year, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.741–0.774. With RSVBee in 2018 and 2019, we found the correlations increased significantly, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.916–0.917 for all spellers (p-value = 0.032 by paired t-test). We conclude that the RSVBee program significantly improved the geographic distribution of the SNSB by matching the geographic distribution of SNSB finalists to the child population of the US.
Influence of Infill Parameters on the Tensile Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed Parts
Authors: Guan Rachel , Smith Damon
Published: September 2023

Manufacturers that produce products using fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technologies have control of numerous build parameters. This includes the number of solid layers on the exterior of the product, the percentage of material filling the interior volume, and the many different types of infill patterns used to fill their interior. It is important that manufacturers understand how these choices affect the mechanical properties of the product, the amount of material needed, and how long it will take to print the part. This study tested the hypothesis that as the density of the part increases, the mechanical properties will improve at the expense of build time and the amount of material required. The mechanical strength and stiffness of printed test specimens in this study increased with increasing density. In addition, we found that adding more solid external layers to the specimens increased the strength-to-weight ratio. The ductility was much greater in the specimens with a rectilinear infill pattern possibly due to better pattern alignment of the object and better adhesion to the outer solid layers. This study supported our hypothesis and provides a guide for designers and engineers seeking to optimize tensile mechanical behavior, print time, and material usage for FFF applications through the selection of optimal infill parameters.
OLED Screens Better Exhibit the Color Black than LCD Screens
Authors: Donahue Dylan , Donahue Deanna
Published: September 2023

We performed an experiment to determine the amount of light emitted from screens in order to assess the ability of organic light emitting diode screens (OLED) and liquid crystal display (LCD) screens to display the color black. These two competing screen types dominate the digital market, and the capability to exhibit black is one of many factors that should be considered when determining the better of the options. The better a screen can show black, the stronger the contrast of the screen appears to be. The mechanisms that create light within each suggest that OLED screens should be able to show the color black, while LCD screens may not. Therefore, we hypothesized that the light emitted from the LCD screen in this state would be significantly greater than in the OLED. We conducted thirty trials in an environment that eliminated all external light, allowing an accurate recording of emitted light. The results mostly supported our hypothesis: there was a significant increase in light emitted in the LCD screen compared to the OLED when both displayed identical black images at full brightness, though at minimum brightness the LCD performed with negligible difference than OLED.
Effect of Increasing Concentrations of Cannabidiol (CBD) on Hatching, Survival and Development of Artemia salina
Authors: Rabbani Adib J , Rabbani Riaz R
Published: September 2023

Cannabidiol (CBD) has gained widespread popularity for treatment of a variety of medical conditions in humans. It is readily available from multiple sources without a prescription. Previous studies have documented that the endocannabinoid system, through which cannabidiol exerts its effect on the cellular level, is present in many vertebrates and invertebrates and plays an important role in neural maturation, differentiation, and survival. CBD exposure has the potential to adversely affect the development of the body and brain. We hypothesized that exposure to CBD would have a negative impact on hatching, development and survival in a model organism that develops rapidly, brine shrimp (Artemia salina). To investigate this hypothesis, A. salina eggs were incubated in five solutions with increasing concentration of CBD. The hatching rate, survival, and development were compared with a control group. Our results indicate that CBD at low concentrations (36.25 ng/ml) enhanced survival and accelerated the development of A. salina, while at higher concentrations it decreased survival and slowed development. These findings are relevant to human health in that the typical oral dose of CBD prescribed for anxiety and other conditions results in blood concentrations levels close to the high concentration solutions used in this experiment.
A Quantitative Assessment of Time, Frequency, and Time-frequency Algorithms for Automated Seizure Detection and Monitoring
Authors: Vangal Pratik , Riske Korin
Published: September 2023

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder impacting more than 65 million people worldwide (1% of the population). Its primary symptoms, seizures, can occur without warning and can be deadly. Each year, over 100,000 patients die from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP). A reliable seizure warning system can help patients stay safe. This work presents a comprehensive, comparative analysis of three different signal processing algorithms for automated seizure/ictal detection. The methods perform feature extraction and seizure detection on scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The first optimized mathematical model, Approximate Entropy, performed statistical time domain analysis using a new sliding window protocol. The second algorithm performed seizure-specific spectral energy binning using the Fast Fourier Transform in the frequency domain. The third method applied signal decomposition to extract ictal features by implementing a time-frequency Discrete Wavelet Transform method. Each epileptic seizure detection algorithm was successfully validated using >75 hours of recordings from the Boston Children’s Hospital’s CHB-MIT scalp EEG clinical database. Results indicated that the Discrete Wavelet Transform algorithm performed the best, achieving a seizure detection sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 98%. The experimental results show that the proposed methods can be effective for accurate automated seizure detection and monitoring in clinical care.
The external presence of running water influences the root growth of pea plants (Phaselous vulgaris)
Authors: Shu Jonathan , Allen Philip
Published: September 2023

Each year, invasive tree roots cause large amounts of damage to underground pipes. While this is usually due to leaks and cracks, tree roots can also invade pipes that are structurally sound. We are interested in investigating whether plant roots have an affinity towards flowing water, measured through mass, even when the running water is not in direct contact with soil. We tested this by creating a choice chamber with water running under one end and no stimulus on the other end. We grew the plants in their chambers until their stems reached 10 inches before removing the plants to measure the mass of the roots growing towards either side of the choice chamber. Data from other scientists as well as a previously conducted experiment seemed to show that flowing water attracted plant roots. Therefore, we hypothesized that there would be greater root mass on the side of the chamber exposed to flowing water. Overall, the masses of the roots growing towards flowing water were greater than the masses of the roots growing towards the end with no stimulus, showing that plant roots did have an affinity towards flowing water. The remarkable sensitivities of plants to sound are still being discovered, but the delicacy already shown by experiments such as ours leaves concerns regarding a new facet of the impact of sound pollution on our ecosystems.
Characterization of antibacterial properties of common spices
Authors: Gehad Youssef , Springel Mark
Published: September 2023

Antibiotics have long been trusted by physicians to treat bacterial infections. However, due to their overuse, antibiotic- resistant strains of bacteria now threaten the efficacy of many antibiotic types. We tested if 11 commonly-used spices could inhibit growth of the gram-negative bacteria, E. coli . We chose to test cinnamon, clove, thyme, oregano, cumin, garlic, black pepper, rosemary, basil, and ginger, all which have previously been suggested to have antibiotic properties. When these spices were diluted in LB agar, five spices were effective in inhibiting growth completely: clove, cinnamon, garlic, sage, and thyme. After a second round of experimentation using these spices in liquid LB cultures, the most effective spice at inhibiting growth at a low concentration was clove, with four other spices being nearly as effective. The main takeaway from these experiments is that certain spices and herbs have antibacterial effects that inhibit growth of E.coli , and these spices could show similarly promising activity towards other bacteria.
Methanotrophic bioremediation for the degradation of oceanic methane and chlorinated hydrocarbons
Authors: Lee Mason , Pineo-Cavanaugh Forest , Cerone Jasper , Gonzalez-Serricchio Dr Aidyl S
Published: September 2023

Methane (CH4) has been underrepresented as a contributor to the global warming effect related to carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is about 200 times as abundant in the atmosphere, however volume alone does not give a clear picture of its environmental impact. Methane is much more immediate in the way it damages the earth as a greenhouse gas, with most of its absorbed heat generated in the first 20 years after emission where carbon dioxide has an environmentally damaging “slow burn” over what typically lasts several hundred years. When methane is removed from the atmosphere, we will see the effect much more immediately, and have a chance to help generations in the much less distant future. The objective of this study was to develop a novel, low-cost biotrickling filter able to degrade methane as well as co-metabolize carcinogenic chlorinated hydrocarbons. While methanotrophic bioremediation has been adapted for in situ degradation in freshwater, there has never been an ex situ remediation system tailored for the degradation of methane in marine environments. The dynamic and modular biotrickling filter demonstrates the feasibility of methanotrophic bioremediation for the degradation of oceanic methane and chlorinated hydrocarbons in our waterways and oceans.
Alkaloids Detection in Commonly Found Medicinal Plants with Marquis Reagent
Authors: Ocampo-Bustos Daniel Alejandro , Cano-Ruiz Mara Elena
Published: September 2023

Alkaloids are a class of nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin that may have important physiological actions on humans. They include many drugs and poisons, but some alkaloids in low doses have health benefits as well. Traditional medicinal plants may contain alkaloids as active ingredients, but this is not well-understood. The Marquis reagent exists as a simple qualitative colorimetric method to determine the presence of alkaloids in medicinal plants. The Marquis reagent test was assayed in medicinal plants by first optimizing the formulation of the reagent using poppy seeds and lavender as the positive and negative controls. Then using the optimized formulation of Marquis reagent in the extracts of 11 medicinal plants with known claims of health benefits. Four medicinal plants tested positive for alkaloids, including a relaxing herbal mix (Tilia cordata, Valeriana officinalis, Passiflora incarnata, and Melissa officinalis), Turnera diffusa, Brickellia cavanillesii, and Verbascum thapsus. These findings demonstrate the value of the Marquis reagent test to provide a rapid and simple method for screening for potentially medicinal alkaloids of natural origin.
Optimizing 3D printing parameters: Evaluating infill type and layer height effects on tensile fracture force
Authors: Lin Daniel , Zhang Xieshi , Li Jing
Published: September 2023

While the concept of 3D printing has existed for decades, only recently has it expanded into our homes, workplaces, and everyday lives. In fact, 3D printing is already being used in a variety of important applications, ranging from prosthetics to automobiles. Nowadays, people can purchase a 3D printer and start 3D printing gadgets from their own homes for under $200. As the concept of 3D printing inevitably continues to develop, it is important that products that are 3D printed are strong and durable, especially if these products are designed to be used frequently or are subject to high loads of stress or pressure. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of the infill pattern and layer height on the tensile fracture force of tensile testing specimens. To evaluate strength in the XY-directions, we printed tensile testing specimens in the horizontal orientation with different infill patterns and a constant layer height. We hypothesized that the gyroid infill pattern would have the highest tensile strength because it maintains a constant curvature in all directions, therefore having the longest path of least resistance and the maximum tensile strength in a given volume. In order to evaluate strength in the Z-direction, we printed testing specimens in the vertical orientation with varying layer heights and a constant infill pattern. We hypothesized that the lowest layer height of 0.08 mm would yield the highest fracture force because, in the Z-direction, the lowest layer height allows the shapes of extrusions to resemble elongated rectangles instead of ideal circles, which results in larger contact area between the layers. On average, specimens with the gyroid infill pattern exhibited the highest tensile fracture force (mean = 583.14 N) in the XY-directions, and specimens with a layer height of 0.08 mm showed the highest tensile fracture forces in the Z-direction (mean = 526.49 N). Both sets of data supported the hypotheses, showing that the gyroid pattern and 0.08 mm layer height are most practical in terms of strength when 3D printing objects.
Effect Of SMC On The Growth Of Bean, Cherry Tomato And Roma Tomato Plant
Authors: Rao Nikhith , Rao Srihas , Palffy Christina , Amineni Sudha
Published: September 2023

With a growing demand for organic fruits and vegetables, backyard gardening is becoming increasingly popular. We performed this experiment to determine the effect of Spent Mushroom Compost (SMC) in varying proportions of the soil on optimizing plant growth. We selected bean, cherry tomato, and Roma tomato plants for this study due to their popularity in gardening. Five growth media were prepared with different combinations of soil and SMC such as 0% SMC, 30% SMC, 50% SMC, 70% SMC, and 100% SMC. We hypothesized that the growth media with 30% SMC would optimize plant growth based on evidence from past research showing that moderate amounts of SMC best support the health of the plants. We used the germination rate, plant height, number of leaves, and survival rate as a measurement. We found that SMC increased plant growth of cherry tomato, Roma tomato, and bean plants. We showed that the hypothesized growth media with 30% SMC optimizes seed germination, plant height, number of leaves, and survival rate compared to other combinations of growth media. Our research suggests that SMC is a useful alternative for conventional fertilizers.
A Juxtaposition of Airborne Microplastics and Fiber Contamination in Various Environments
Authors: Truong-Phan Trucy , Rasmus Joe
Published: September 2023

Microplastics can have detrimental effects on various wildlife, as well as pollute aquatic and atmospheric environments. The term microplastics refers to miniscule pieces of plastic that are either deliberately produced at that small size or are broken down from larger pieces of plastic. This study focused on air samples collected from five locations to investigate microplastic concentrations in atmospheric fallout from indoor and outdoor settings, through a process utilizing a hand-held vacuum pump and a rotameter. The samples were collected over a five-month period, and the number, as well as the morphologies, of the microplastics were recorded for each of the five sample locations. The amount of microplastic debris found in the urban setting was larger compared to the amount found in the rural setting. Furthermore, we found that the difference between the average number of microplastic fragments and fibers collected from all locations was not large enough to be statistically significant. Since the amount of published research on airborne microplastics is very minimal, the results collected in this study will help us better understand the prevalence of airborne microplastics.
Spectroscopic Kinetic Monitoring and Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Biocatalytic Ester Hydrolysis in Non-Aqueous Solvent
Authors: Chen Allen , Poosarla Ayeeshi , Mageswaran Karankumar , Rajasekhar Anushka , Fu Brian , Liang Andrew , Tran Kara , Njoo Edward
Published: September 2023

The use of enzymes as catalysts is becoming an increasingly important tool in chemical synthesis, given the mild conditions and high chemoselectivity that can be achieved through enzyme-catalyzed reactions. However, a major limitation in the use of enzymatic biocatalysis is the degradation of enzyme structure and activity in non-aqueous media. Lipases are a subclass of esterases found in most, if not all, living organisms that break ester bonds in lipids. In this study, we explored the effects of various concentrations of non-aqueous organic solvents on pancreatic lipase activity and analyzed the relationships between different properties of solvents and the kinetics of enzymatic hydrolysis through spectroscopic monitoring of a synthetic colorimetric substrate, 4-nitrophenyl acetate. The influence of non-aqueous solvent environments on protein stability was further explored with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on a 1 nanosecond timescale. Our results suggest a general trend of decreasing enzymatic activity with increasing concentrations of non-aqueous solvent; however, lipase activity in low concentrations of methanol, specifically 5% methanol, was 28% higher than lipase activity in water. Lipase activity in methanol also displayed the greatest rate of hydrolysis of the substrate compared to all other non-aqueous solvents. Interestingly, our MD simulations showed that the conformational state and stability of lipase in methanol is similar to that of the enzyme in water. Lipase activity works the best in 5% methanol which can be used in industry for chemical synthesis and enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
The effect of microplastics on the speed, mortality rate, and swimming patterns of Daphnia Magna
Authors: Fabricant Lindsay , Edelstein Owen , Dispigno Joseph , Weseley Allyson
Published: September 2023

Microplastics are a danger to the environment. They are polluting ecosystems, threatening the survival of many species and being ingested by humans. Two common microplastic polymers, polystyrene and polyethylene, contaminate fresh and saltwater ecosystems, thereby affecting life processes of marine organisms, such as Daphnia Magna. While the effects of these plastics have been investigated individually, both plastic polymers have not yet been compared in one study. We sought to compare the effect of both polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics on the speed, mortality rate, and swimming patterns of D. Magna. D. Magna were divided into three groups which were fed either polystyrene microplastics and algae, polyethylene microplastics and algae, or only algae. We recorded the number of living D. Magna and performed phototactic response tests to determine the effect of each condition on D. Magna speed and swimming patterns. Overall, we found that microplastic consumption did not affect D. Magna speed or mortality rate. However, microplastic consumption significantly increased “spinning” swimming patterns, which, based on prior research, suggests that microplastics may have a toxic effect on D. Magna.
The effect of the consumption of the probiotic B. infantis on ethanol withdrawal symptoms in planaria (Dugesia dorotocephala)
Authors: McCandless Marissa , Cupo Janine
Published: September 2023

Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, relapsing disease that affects millions of Americans every day. There are limited treatment options for alcohol dependence and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including depression and anxiety. Previous studies have shown that probiotics can decrease depression in rodents during maternal separation and anxiety in humans. Therefore, we hypothesized that the ethanol-withdrawn planaria who consumed probiotics would have decreased withdrawal symptoms as measured by increased motility compared to the ethanol-withdrawn planaria that were not fed probiotics. The ethanol-withdrawn planaria had a statistically significant decrease in motility compared to the control group, while the planaria that consumed probiotics had no statistically significant change in motility compared to the control group. We determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the ethanol and probiotics-treated group and the control group. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between the ethanol and probiotics-treated group and the ethanol-withdrawn group, confirming our hypothesis. Although the results indicated that the consumption of probiotics were unable to significantly counteract the effects of ethanol withdrawal symptoms in planaria, the probiotics significantly increased the ethanol-withdrawn planaria’s motility as compared to the ethanol-withdrawn group that was not given probiotics. Given these results, probiotics have the potential to reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal in humans.
Developing a Method to Remove Inorganic Arsenic from Rice with Natural Substances
Authors: Mukai Kayla K , Chan Yvonne L
Published: September 2023

Many developing nations struggle with arsenic (As) exposure due to the over-pumping of groundwater wells, which results in higher concentrations of As in agricultural systems. In Bangladesh, there has been an ongoing crisis of As-related health issues, such as heart disease and various cancers, primarily due to the consumption of As-contaminated water and rice. Prior research has mainly focused on removing As from water, but there has been little research on removing As from rice, even though rice contains dangerous amounts of As and Bangladeshis have a heavily rice-based diet. We focus on developing a method to remove inorganic As from rice using natural substances. We developed a method utilizing activated charcoal and bentonite clay to lower levels of As in rice using these natural substances. We adapted a procedure to use the Quick Sensafe Rapid Arsenic Test Kit to measure As before and after treatment while simulating cooking conditions. Activated charcoal was the most effective, as it was able to remove 75% of As when used alone. Therefore, this method could be utilized by countries like Bangladesh to lower As intake and incidences of As-related health issues.
Testing Different Polymers and Boron Nitride Nanotube Properties in Fabrication of Ion-selective Membranes
Authors: Yi Joshua , Shan Jerry W
Published: September 2023

One largely untapped source of clean energy is the use of osmotic gradients where freshwater and saltwater are mixed, for example at estuaries. To harness such energy, charge-selective membranes are needed to separate the anions and cations in saltwater, establishing an electric potential like a battery. The objective of this study was twofold: to investigate the creation of the polymer matrix and test the properties of boron nitride nanotubes, as both are essential in the creation of an ion-selective membrane. The proposed polymer layer has many attractive properties: controllable thickness allowing nanotubes (typically 5-10 microns long) to pass through, being rapidly curable with a UV lamp, easy mounting on other substrates, resistance to O2 and SF6 plasma gas etching, and structural strength to prevent tears. The hypotheses for this study are that the Soltech 704 (SU704) will prove to be the best polymer in terms of both etching and curing results, in addition, the relationship between the magnetic dipole moment and the length of the nanotubes is predicted to be linear. The Soltech 704 is trifunctional, compared to the other difunctional polymers tested, which is why it is predicted to have the highest strength. The dipole moment was hypothesized to be linear with nanotube length, since a longer nanotube allows for more iron oxide particles to attach to it. Out of three polymer samples tested in this study, the mixture known as Soltech 704 showed the best resistance to etching, as well as the highest UV cure rate. These two traits are desirable since they lead to a sturdier membrane and one that is created more quickly. To allow such nanotubes to be aligned, we attached magnetic iron oxide particles and then applied a magnetic field. We then recorded the magnetic dipole moments of nanotubes and compared it to the length of the nanotube. The relationship between dipole moment and length can thus be discovered. Such results can be used to optimize the alignment procedure for the nanotubes, as well as the procedure for curing the polymer.
Ladder Fuel Treatments Effect Burn Area of Forest Fires in Semi-Arid High Elevation Climates
Authors: Schwartz Brian , Polevchak Keri , Eltzroth Noah
Published: September 2023

Forest fires destroy millions of acres, threaten populations, and are becoming increasingly severe. Efforts to reduce the starting of wildfires has led to increasing quantities of ladder fuels. Ladder fuels are any fuels that create a vertical continuity in a forest. When a fire does occur, these ladder fuels promote the spread of fires to the forest crown. We hypothesized that if the density of ladder fuel is reduced, the burn area in a semi-arid high-altitude forest will decrease. To test the hypothesis, a series of computer simulations were run testing 50 random ignition sites in a representative semi-arid high elevation forest with different levels of ladder fuel treatment using the FlameMap wildfire simulator with US Forest Service landscape and weather data. There was a large variation in the extent of the fires based on the ignition location, ranging from 13 to 22,506 acres. The study showed a statistically significant reduction in average total burn area after 10 days when 5% or more of the total acreage had been treated (p < 0.01). There were further reductions in burn area with increasing ladder fuel treatment from a 9% reduction with 5% treatment to a 51% reduction with 20% treatment (p < 0.001). This study supports the effectiveness of ladder fuel treatments in reducing burn area.
A study to determine the anti-cancer and pro-apoptotic properties of Amaranthus spinosus Linn. Extract, AS20
Authors: Sharma Ishir , Kasture Pooja , Umrao Ankita , Rao Jyothsna , Rao Gururaj
Published: September 2023

Complementary approaches to cancer treatment seek methods that integrate into existing therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The most common form of complementary medicine is the usage of external antioxidants, including Ayurvedic herbal extracts, which assist in the mitigation of the side effects of cancer treatment on healthy cells. Herbal extracts are usually evaluated only for their antioxidant properties for complementary use in cancer treatment. Ayurvedic products are rarely evaluated for their anti-cancer properties. In this paper, we hypothesized that AS20, a crude extract of the whole Amaranthus spinosus (AS) plant, would induce higher cell death to the HeLa cancer cell line compared to other extracts of individual parts of the plant. Significantly lower IC50 values were found for both 24 hours (11.56 µg/ml) and 48 hours (1.77 µg/ml) exposure compared to any of the other individual extracts of the plant part for the given exposure duration. Also, apoptosis was observed in HeLa cells treated by the IC50 concentration of AS20 using fluorescent stains such as Hoechst dye, DAPI and dual staining (Acridine Orange and Propidium Iodide). It is thus concluded that AS20 formulation exhibited cytotoxic activity on HeLa cancer cell lines and their action mechanism is via apoptosis.
A Statistical Comparison of the Simultaneous Attack/ Persistent Pursuit Theory Against Current Methods in Counterterrorism Using a Stochastic Model
Authors: Tara Paarth , Tara Preeti
Published: September 2023

Though current strategies in counterterrorism are somewhat effective, various counterinsurgency theorists have raised doubts about the true efficacy of current methods. Established current strategies are fundamentally flawed, with an overemphasis on eliminating leaders and highly connected agents. Colonel Derek Jones, a counterinsurgency theorist, proposed the Simultaneous Attack/Persistent Pursuit (SAPP) Theory as a superior alternative to current methods. In this strategy, attacks are conducted equally across all fronts of a clandestine intelligence network, from which connections are pursued with further attacks. To determine whether current methods are more or less effective in counterterrorism than the method proposed by the SAPP Theory, a stochastic computational model was developed to represent a traditional eastern clandestine network for an isolated sub-cell of a terrorist organization. Attacks were modeled through the loss of agents within specific components of the network. After an analysis of relevant literature discussing the efficacy of current methods in counterterrorism, we hypothesized that the SAPP model would lead to a greater reduction in the number of terrorist attacks than other methods. We simulated five attack strategies, with each strategy being simulated for thirty trials, and the resulting final number of attacks of the terrorist network was recorded. Through four two-sample t-tests comparing each of the four non SAPP strategies to the SAPP model, we concluded that the SAPP model was significantly more effective in reducing the final number of terrorist attacks. This demonstrates the comparative advantage of utilizing the SAPP model, which may prove to be critical in future efforts in counterterrorism.
The effect of floating plant on water purification: Comparison of the water purification capability of Water Hyacinth, Duckweed, and Azolla
Authors: Park Jiwoo , Richard Jonathan
Published: September 2023

Water pollution is a critical issue for human health, aquatic plant and animal biodiversity. While there are several different approaches to resolve this issue, our research investigates one possible solution of using aquatic plants as a natural treatment system. To identify the optimal plant for treating polluted water in India, we selected water from the Mithi river and three types of floating plants: water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), duckweed (Lemna perpusilla), and azolla (Azolla pinnata). We used a total of six measurements (dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, pH, color of water, and the number of colonies grown on the culture media) taken for seven days to compare the effect of each floating plant on the change in water quality. We hypothesized that duckweed would be the best plant to purify water in India since its effect on reducing turbidity or biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was found in past research.

Our results show that all three floating plants are effective at purifying the water. Further, duckweed significantly reduced the turbidity and number of bacteria in the water, suggesting it may be the most optimal water purifier among those three. Based on the results from this experiment, we recommend floating plants as one alternative to resolving water pollution in India, which would effectively purify water as well as require less cost for construction and maintenance.
From Waste to Wealth: Making Millivolts from Microbes!
Authors: Lateef Hamza Arman , Bright Tony Ethan , Peterman Debra
Published: September 2023

Biofuels can reduce our reliance on fossil energy sources while also protecting our environment. A Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a system in which microorganisms produce electricity while performing their normal metabolism. The purpose of this project was to engineer a series of MFCs and manipulate circuit components to optimize voltage production. Each two-chamber MFC was created using creek mud, presumably rich in anaerobic exoelectrogenic bacteria, in the anode chamber and water in the cathode chamber. Four types of MFCs (three in each group) were constructed: 1) Mud in anode and water in cathode chambers; 2) Mud and sucrose in anode and water in cathode chambers; 3) Mud in anode and water and iron filings in cathode chambers; 4) Mud and sucrose in anode and water and iron filings in cathode chambers. Voltage output was recoded over twelve days. MFCs with iron filings (alone or with sucrose) consistently produced more voltage than the MFC with mud alone. Adding iron filings to the cathode chamber increased voltage output by 49%. While sugar alone in the anode chamber did not increase voltage output, the combination of sugar in the anode and iron filings in the cathode chambers did increase voltage output by 69% when compared to the MFC with mud alone. Our experiment demonstrated that MCFs can be optimized by manipulating bacterial substrate and using metal electron acceptors. We must invest in our planet’s future by supporting large scale research on MFCs that can produce clean electric energy and purify environmental waste.
Firearm-purchase laws that limit the number of guns on the market reduce gun homicides in the South Side of Chicago
Authors: Krishnan Anand , Ahn Mark
Published: September 2023

Gun violence and homicide have been pressing issues in the South Side of Chicago for decades, yet little research exists on the relationship between the passage of firearm-purchase laws by the United States Congress and gun homicide rates in the South Side. Firearm-purchase laws define (and usually tighten) the process to buy guns. Our study analyzes firearm-purchase laws passed by Congress between 1993 and 2018 to determine their success in reducing gun homicides in the South Side of Chicago. The hypothesis of this study is that firearm-purchase laws decrease gun homicides in the South Side. We used an interval-analysis method to determine eight firearm-purchase laws’ effectiveness in decreasing gun homicides. The results show that during the first six intervals, when the first five firearm-purchase laws were passed, gun homicides decreased in the South Side. However, gun homicides increased in the next three intervals, with the passages of the next three firearm-purchase laws. Additionally, the passage of firearm-purchase laws that merely extended previous firearm-purchase laws were found to result in higher gun murder rates, suggesting that such laws were ineffective and actually counterproductive.
Determining the Effects of Voice Pitch on Adolescent Perception, Subconscious Bias, and Marketing Success Using Electroencephalography
Authors: Guan Emily , Monroe Katherine , Roche Michael T , Monroe Dawn
Published: September 2023

A company’s success largely depends on marketing; however, implicit biases may impact the perception and potency of advertisements. Voice pitch affects perceived authoritativeness, competency, and leadership capacity. Pitch also correlates with greater popularity in online influencers. This study employed neuromarketing techniques to quantify effects of bias caused by differences in voice pitch using affordable electroencephalogram (EEG). To determine the influence of voice pitch on marketing success, we collected subjective perception ratings (confidence, trustworthiness, and willingness to try) while subjects (n = 26) listened to sets of recordings of male-voiced and female-voiced advertisements with varying pitches. Subjects gave significantly higher ratings for male-voiced advertisements of low pitch and female-voiced advertisements of mid and low pitch. Additionally, we used EEG to measure levels of three brain wave frequency bands: theta, alpha, and beta bands. We found significant correlations between higher ratings and high levels of theta and alpha absolute power. We also found correlations between higher ratings and lower magnitude of frontal asymmetry, which measures difference in activity between the left and right prefrontal cortex. These findings suggest that examining certain measures of brain activity collected using an affordable EEG could predict advertising effectiveness, which may be invaluable in future neuromarketing research. Understanding voice pitch and other factors that cause implicit bias may allow significant advances in marketing, facilitating business success.
The relationship between digit ratio and personality: 4D:5D digit ratio, sex, and the trait of conscientiousness
Authors: Kotireddy Vybhavi , Messer Rachel
Published: September 2023

Sex differences cause differences in hormone levels, impacting many aspects of humans, including the digit ratio and personality. Due to this impact, we decided to investigate the effect of the 4D:5D digit ratio in influencing the personality trait of conscientiousness in female participants. Because research has suggested that a larger 4D:5D digit ratio could indicate more feminine characteristics, we hypothesized that greater conscientiousness would be expressed in females as compared to males. We performed this study by using two methods of data collection, which included quantitative digit ratio measurements and an online survey assessing personality traits. By looking at the relationship between sex and level of conscientiousness through the responses from our survey and the relationship between sex and 4D:5D digit ratio through measurements, we discovered that these findings support our hypothesis that there is a relationship between female sex and increased level of conscientiousness. However, we did not discover a direct relationship between right 4D:5D digit ratio and conscientiousness. Noting that this is an association rather than a causal factor, this suggests that sex-hormone driven differences are influencing the physical attributes of the digit ratio and the personality traits, including conscientiousness.
Impact of Soil Productivity on the Growth of Two Meyer Lemon Trees
Authors: Shen Aniyah , Xu Shiqin
Published: September 2023

Home gardening is one of the most popular activities in the United States. As participation increases, more homeowners are turning to home testing to solve gardening problems. We aimed to apply home soil testing to one such problem: identifying the cause of the growth differences between two lemon trees in our backyard. Since the two lemon trees are of the same species, were planted at the same time side-by-side, and given similar amounts of water and fertilizer, we hypothesized that differences in physical and chemical soil characteristics were influencing differences in soil productivity and plant growth. We tested five factors that affect soil productivity: soil composition, permeability, water-holding capacity (WHC), pH and free ions, and ion exchange capacity. We analyzed five soil samples with three trials each from the root spread perimeter of each tree, then analyzed variance of the results. We found that the soil samples from the lemon tree with higher growth had significantly higher WHC and permeability due to higher humus content and better anion exchange capacity (AEC) due to higher clay content. High sand content and low humus content reduced WHC, permeability, and AEC in the poor soil. All samples had sufficient nutrients and ideal pH, so the two soils did not differ obviously in the tested chemical characteristics. A clay and humus mixture can be added to improve soil productivity for the lowerperforming tree. Overall, our study demonstrated the effectiveness of home soil testing to characterize soils and help homeowners solve common gardening problems.
Artificial Intelligence-Based Smart Solution to Reduce Respiratory Problems Caused by Air Pollution
Authors: Bhardwaj Jyoti , Sharma Pawan
Published: September 2023

Globally, air pollution is a significant concern for human health. Artificial sources of particulate matter (fine dust particles suspended in the air), especially PM2.5, are the significant constituents in indoor air pollution and prominently leads to many lung-related illnesses. Research suggests that around 90% of people spend ~22 hours inside every day, either at a home, office, factory, or restaurant. Plants act as a natural detoxifying agent by taking particulate matter (PM) waste from the atmosphere. Our hypothesis tested whether placing specific plants indoors can reduce levels of PM inside by using principles of biomedical engineering and machine-learning approaches. Our data showed that plants improved the overall quality of the air in the room. Levels of PM2.5 were decreased dramatically in the rooms compared to the average levels measured outside the house. As higher PM exposure in humans is associated with many diseases, our research suggests that plant-based interventions coupled with a sensor and cloud-based application using artificial intelligence may be useful in the long run to reduce indoor air pollution.
The Effect of Wind Mitigation Devices on Gabled Roofs
Authors: Kaufman Sara , Leonard Nadine
Published: September 2023

Hurricanes are dangerous storms that can cost both lives and millions of dollars’ worth of damages each year. Much of the damage from hurricanes comes from winds that cause pressure differences and uplift forces that can make roofs blow off. Methods in place today to mitigate these forces primarily involve the strength and type of attachments of the roof to the walls of the house, but previous studies have shown how mitigation devices can redirect the airflow on a roof to reduce the uplift forces. The purpose of this study was to test devices installed on a gabled roof to see which reduced the actual uplift forces best. A wind tunnel made of PVC pipe, an acrylic sheet, and a leaf blower on a wooden base, simulated the hurricane winds. Three gabled birdhouse roofs were each modified with different mitigation devices: a rounded edge, a barrier shape, or an airfoil. The barrier edge had no significant effect on the time for the roof to blow off. The rounded edge and the airfoil had significant effects, with the airfoil taking the longest time for the roof to blow off. This suggests that the addition of airfoil devices on roofs, specifically in areas that are prone to hurricanes such as Florida, could keep roofs in place during hurricanes, thus reducing insurance bills, overall damage costs, and the loss of lives.