bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Kindles4Covid Virtual Reading Buddies Program on reading frequency and social connections
Authors: Pandey Shyam , Ashok Navya , Dershimer R Charles
Published: September 2023

The summer reading gap affects children throughout the United States every single year, and with the COVID pandemic, the issue has heightened. As part of the ByKids4Kids organization, we developed the Kindles4Covid Virtual Reading Buddies Program to combat potential reading regression and social isolation in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall and winter of 2020. The program consisted of groups of two or three reading buddies, along with a facilitator (a high school or college student) who coordinated meetings for the buddies and assisted in choosing a piece of literature to read during the meetings. The participants completed pre- and post-program surveys consisting of short-answer and multiple-choice questions that we assessed to determine whether the students achieved the program goals of improved reading frequency and connections with peers. We hypothesized that routine, weekly contact with other youth and increased exposure to reading materials would help achieve these goals. Our data analysis suggests that our program was able to achieve its goals of increasing reading frequency (37.5% vs. 100%, pre vs. post intervention) and forming connections (37.5% vs. 87.5%, pre vs. post intervention). This work indicates that a structured and routine reading buddies program successfully addressed some challenges brought on by isolation during the pandemic.
Novel environmentally friendly approach to wastewater treatment eliminates aluminum sulfate and chlorination
Authors: Soman Neha , McGregor Sarah , Gordon Gwyneth
Published: September 2023

Wastewater treatment uses harmful chemicals, including aluminum sulfate and chlorine. Aluminum sulfate, a common metal-based coagulant, can be toxic to both humans and aquatic life if ingested. Chlorine is used to disinfect wastewater by killing bacteria and other harmful microorganisms, and if ingested, chlorine and its byproducts can lead to respiratory irritation and cancer. The purpose of this research was to find equally efficient, environmentally safe alternatives to aluminum sulfate and chlorine water treatments. We investigated the effectiveness of zeolite, Moringa oleifera seed powder, and activated charcoal for wastewater filtration using common water contaminants and compared to the purification with aluminum sulfate. We tested lemon and orange peels as environmentally safe alternatives to chlorination by measuring the amount of bacterial growth suppression. We used inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), colorimetric analysis (Lachat), bacteria colony counting, and scanning electron microscopy to analyze the effectiveness of these alternatives. For all the tested water contaminants and for analytical techniques used, our data demonstrated zeolite and charcoal were better or comparable to aluminum sulfate at removing the metals and nutrients tested. Lemon peels were very effective in suppressing bacteria growth, although further research is needed to compare chlorine to lemon peels in identical conditions to ensure that lemon peels could be a viable alternative to chlorination.
Anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and apoptotic activities of MAT20, a poly-herbal formulation.
Authors: Kashyap Jha Mukul , Banerjee Rai , V Kasture Pooja , Prasad Shambhavi , Rao Jyothsna , Rao Gururaj
Published: September 2023

Cancer is a disease that can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Although these methods are very effective, they often result in micro-metastasis, drug resistance, and radio resistance. Disease relapse can be treated by escalating drug dosages, but this approach leads to drug resistance and drug toxicity. Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) is a treatment which involves the the simultaneous administration of herbal formulations and chemotherapy, where the herbal formulations could mitigate the negative effects of chemotherapy, resulting in better outcomes. In this study, the efficacy of our formulation MAT20, a crude extract of the moringa, amla, and tulsi leaves, was investigated in terms of its cytotoxic and inflammatory properties. We hypothesized that MAT20, would induce higher HeLa cell death compared to other extracts of individual plants. Significantly lower IC50 values were found in 48 hours of exposure compared to any other individual extracts of the plant part. Also, we investigated the effects of MAT20 on the expression of COX2, a marker for inflammation on HeLa cells. Finally, to understand the mechanism of action, we studied the upregulation of the BAX gene and downregulation of the BCL2 gene by MAT20. Our study demonstrated significant cell cytotoxicity and DNA fragmentation upon the exposure of HeLa cells to the drug, substantiating our hypothesis. Treatment with MAT20 suppressed PMA-mediated induction of the COX2 gene. Our data is important for understanding the anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties of MAT20.
Correlation of socioeconomic status and lead concentration in tap water in Missouri
Authors: Rabbani Adib , Jalali Martha
Published: September 2023

Lead exposure can have devastating health consequences. This effect is especially detrimental to the developing brain of children. Tap water is the most common source of lead in our diet. There is evidence that lower socioeconomic populations are at higher risk of exposure to tap water with a higher concentration of contaminants. We hypothesized that lead concentration is higher in the tap water of communities with lower per capita income and lower median household income. Using publicly available data from the annual water quality reports, we analyzed the 90th percentile lead levels for municipalities in the state of Missouri. Our results demonstrated that cities in the highest per capita income quartile had significantly lower 90th percentile lead levels than those in the lowest per capita income quartile (2.62±0.28 ppb vs. 4.74±0.83 ppb). Similarly, the highest median household income cities had significantly lower 90th percentile lead levels than those in the lowest median household income quartile (2.44±0.29 ppb vs. 4.62±0.88 ppb). In view of the long-lasting and irreversible health consequences of lead exposure, these findings have important implications when it comes to allocation of resources for mitigating effects of lead on health of populations.
Attitudes towards mental health in Indians who practice yoga regularly and those who do not
Authors: Komar Shreya , Komar Shaila
Published: September 2023

Whether it is through implicit association or intentional practice, yoga has been known to help individuals maintain good mental health. However, many communities, such as South Asian communities, often project the stereotype that embodies neglecting topics such as mental health and considering them taboo. As a result, the effects of yoga on Indians and their attitudes towards mental health is a subject that still needs to be closely examined. It is imperative that ongoing research address the possible ways Indian communities can destigmatize and improve mental health. In this online survey-based study, we focused on examining whether yoga would alter individuals’ attitudes toward mental health. We aimed to measure whether a practice rooted in South Asian culture would allow people to value mental health more. Furthermore, we expanded the body of research concerning mental health in South Asian (specifically Indian) communities and determined whether certain practices could be used to improve mental health conditions in the Indian community. We hypothesized that 1) participants who regularly practiced yoga would be more familiar with the term mental health, 2) participants who practiced yoga would value their

mental health more, and 3) participants who practiced yoga regularly would be more open about their mental health and be more likely to reach out for professional help if needed. We did not find a statistical significance for any of our hypotheses which suggests that yoga may not have an effect on perceptions of mental health in yoga-practicing Indian adults.
Examining the relationship between screen time and achievement motivation in an adolescent population
Authors: Choi Jaiyoun , Chen Jason I
Published: September 2023

During these times of unprecedented technological advancement, digital screens and devices have become synonymous with 21st-century life. However, such prevalence comes at a price. Research has shown a multitude of mental and physical health problems linked to excessive screen time. Although the effects of screen time have been extensively studied, one area at the core of mental health among adolescents has had limited examination: motivation, which is the drive to reach personal goals or to improve oneself. The purpose of this project was to identify the association between screen habits and achievement orientation, specifically in the prolific screen-using population of adolescents, by surveying students attending a large, suburban high school in Oregon. The survey contained three sections: one involving the Ray-Lynn Achievement Orientation scale to measure motivation; another asking participants about screen habits (time spent, devices used, and activities completed); and a third asking demographics questions. In total, 217 responses were collected. Using linear multiple regression, both average screen time—excluding work/school-related tasks—and entertainment-oriented screen time were found to be associated with lower achievement orientation. Average smartphone, television, and social media time were found to be smaller predictors of lower achievement motivation. Additionally, the results showed that all significant screen habits had negative associations with achievement motivation for adolescents. Sexual orientation was found to be a significant covariate in the models. Sources of error include the small sample size and the lack of equal grade-level representation. Further research could include experimentally manipulating participants’ screen time to evaluate a causal relationship.
Rubik’s cube: What separates the fastest solvers from the rest?
Authors: Boyce Kepler , Storm Cornelis
Published: September 2023

The Rubik’s Cube is a 3D combination puzzle. Speedcubing is the activity of solving Rubik’s Cubes as fast as possible. In this paper, we identified and quantified key factors that enable some speedcubers to be faster than others. Knowledge of these factors could allow speedcubers to focus their practice deliberately into specific areas, accelerating their improvement. We hypothesized that a low fraction of pause times, low regrip frequency, and low move counts would show the strongest correlations with faster solves. To test this, we analyzed 69 solve videos frame by frame across a wide variety of ability levels, as well as survey data collected from 1,385 speedcubers. To our knowledge this study represents the most comprehensive factor study of speedcubing to date. We discovered that the following factors correlate most strongly with solve times: frequency of regrips and rotations, fraction of time spent pausing, cross move count, number of algorithms known, turn speed, duration of pause in transition between cross and first two layers (F2L) steps, and orientation of the last layer (OLL) and permutation of the last layer (PLL) recognition time. Based on our findings, we generated specific recommendations for how speedcubers of different ability levels might most efficiently improve their solve times.
The role minor and major snowfall events play in New Jersey snowfall over the past 126 years
Authors: Sharma Arnav , Robinson David , Bermel Michael
Published: September 2023

Climate records indicate that there has been a trend of decreasing annual snowfall totals throughout the United States during the peak winter season. However, some states do not fit this trend. For example, New Jersey has seen a significant increase in snowfall over the past 126 years of recorded observations. This snowfall increase does not fit with the trend of increasing temperatures in New Jersey. One reason for this disconnect may be that annual snowfall may not tell the full story. We hypothesize that although annual snowfall has remained the same on average, the frequencies of major and minor snowfall events have noticeably increased. To examine this, we used the New Brunswick, NJ Cooperative Weather Station daily data, which consists of snowfall, precipitation, and temperature observations dating back to 1895. We utilized statistical tests to identify significant trends and predict future trends. In summary, we found that there was no significant evidence for an increase in the frequency of minor events (1.1-inch to 4.0-inch events), but there was evidence for an increase in the frequency of major events (4.1+ inch events). The results imply that a warming climate might be opening up opportunities for more snowfall.
Changing public opinions on genetically modified organisms through access to educational resources
Authors: Klein Matthew , Gordon Christopher
Published: September 2023

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are crops or animals that have been genetically engineered to express a certain physical or biological characteristic. Genetically modified foods have become increasingly popular based on the various benefits that genetically modified crops can provide, such as pest and drought resistance and increased yield and nutritional content. However, the public has had mixed reactions on the use of GMOs, as some believe it is an advancement in technology, while others are skeptical of their safety. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how opinions on genetically modified foods can change from exposure to small amounts of information. The following question guided the study: How do personal opinions on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) change after being exposed to a small amount of educational information on GMOs? We tested the hypothesis that if participants were given educational resources to learn about GMOs, then they would have a more favorable opinion. We collected preliminary opinions via a survey, exposed the participant to a small sample of educational information about GMOs, and then collected opinions again. At the end of the survey, the percentage of participants who agreed with the use of GMOs in the United States increased by 27%. As the agricultural industry becomes increasingly aware of the benefits of GMOs, consumers must also approve of GMOs for them to be implemented. GMOs could be a possible solution to world hunger and climate impacts from agriculture, but they will be useless unless consumers feel confident and are educated in the science behind GMOs.
Assessing grass water use efficiency through smartphone imaging and ImageJ analysis
Authors: Shen Aniyah X , Palomba Francesco , Jia Wanqi , Digman Michelle A
Published: September 2023

Overwatering and underwatering grass are widespread issues with environmental and financial consequences. Current approaches to assessing grass water use efficiency (WUE) are inaccessible to the public. We developed an accessible method to assess grass WUE: combining smartphone imaging with open access color unmixing analysis. Images were converted from the RGB color space to the CIELAB color space using ImageJ—an open access, user-friendly software—to correct for uneven lighting without compromising image detail. We obtained parameters a* (unmixes green-to-red vector) and b* (unmixes blue-to-yellow vector). We hypothesized that WUE can be accurately determined from grass color and growth, which can be analyzed using CIELAB color unmixing. We tested how nine watering levels (100–900 mL every 4–5 days) affected Stenotaphrum secundatum (St. Augustine grass) over one month in Orange County, Southern California. Color was quantified using a*:b* ratios, growth was tracked using grass area, and pigment composition was analyzed using plot profiles. We analyzed whole samples in the uncontrolled real-world environment, individual leaves in a controlled homemade imaging box, and extracted pigments before and after paper chromatography. Results were clustered using Gaussian finite mixture models, implemented by R package ‘mclust’. Overall trends for grass coverage, a*:b* ratios, and pigment composition were consistent with real-world observations. Cluster analyses were consistent across image types, identified an ideal watering range (600–700 mL), and differentiated between underwatered and overwatered grass. Our hypothesis was supported. Our method can be applied in automated irrigation systems or apps, providing grass WUE assessment for regular consumer use.
Antimicrobial properties of common household spices on microbes cultured from two kitchen locations
Authors: Carroll Kingsley , Coleman Trinity , Yousuf Yousuf , Kim Choah , Kelberman Michael
Published: September 2023

The number of bacterial infections in humans is rising, and a major contributor is foodborne illnesses, which affect a large portion of the population and result in many hospitalizations and deaths. Common household cleaners are an effective strategy to combat foodborne illness, but they are often costly and contain harmful chemicals. Thus, we sought to test the antimicrobial effectiveness of readily available, low cost, and relatively harmless spices (clove, nutmeg, astragalus, cinnamon, turmeric, and garlic) on microbes cultured from refrigerator handles and cutting boards. We hypothesized that cutting boards would have microbes that were more resistant to spices given the properties that make them conducive to microbial growth, whereas the microbes cultured from refrigerator handles would be more prone to the antimicrobial effects of the spices. We found that clove, garlic, and nutmeg were able to completely prevent the growth of microbes from cutting boards. Clove and garlic also prevented microbial growth from refrigerator handle samples, but nutmeg only reduced the growth of these microbes over a week. Similarly, turmeric and cinnamon only reduced the growth of microbes over a week from both culture samples. Our results demonstrate long-lasting, antimicrobial effects of multiple spices that support their use as alternatives to common household cleaners.
A novel filtration model for microplastics using natural oils and its application to the environment
Authors: Park Jongsun , Ryu Hoyoun
Published: September 2023

There is an urgent need to extract microplastics from the ocean. Current research aimed toward physical separation of microplastics from water by developing a filter that allows water to pass but captures microplastics. But the physical microplastic filters are too small that they can only filter small amount of water. Our research utilized chemical ideas to devise an effective filtering method that can potentially filter the ocean. We hypothesized that if microplastic contaminated water is mixed with a nonpolar solvent with a freezing point higher than that of water, then the microplastics will be separated from the water. In our experiments, we used two types of nonpolar solvents, palm oil and palm kernel oil, and we evaluated extraction of the three most abundant types of microplastics in the ocean (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene). The highest microplastic extraction percentage was 96.2% when filtering 500 µm polystyrene with palm oil, and the lowest was 94.2% when filtering 13 µm polypropylene with palm kernel oil. In addition to measuring extraction efficiency, we designed and conducted an experiment to find the amount of energy required to liquefy palm oil and palm kernel oil. Our calculations suggest that palm kernel oil is more energy-efficient and produces less environmental concerns. Furthermore, we proposed a real-world application of the system, which sheds light on the viability of attacking the microplastic problem in the ocean. Calculations using the model showed that it would take an estimated 48.7 years to filter microplastics from the Pacific Ocean. Overall, the results of this study yield an elegant solution to a global environmental problem that poses a grave threat not only to humanity but also to the whole ecosystem.
Design and implementation of a cryptographically secure electronic voting infrastructure
Authors: Park Danielle , Satt Moshe
Published: September 2023

Cyber security is the application of technologies, processes, and controls to protect against attacks on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Cryptography maintains confidentiality by securing communications from being intercepted, provides integrity by preventing unauthorized modification of data, and provides availability by allowing data to be transmitted securely. There is currently limited to no application of cryptographic controls at election sites in today's voting environment due to the use of legacy systems and paper systems that do not support the technology required for encryption. This paper proposes an electronic voting solution to mitigate risk through the design and implementation of a secure, electronic voting app and infrastructure. Here, we present evidence, using a thorough National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) risk assessment, that removing human interaction remediates vulnerabilities within today’s infrastructure and mitigates overall risk. We also extract multiple NIST Special Publication 800-53 family controls to analyze the vulnerabilities in today’s voting infrastructure. Using our proposed secure electronic infrastructure, we mitigate the risk inherent in today’s election environment, and we propose a model to secure our democracy and the future prospect of voting electronically.
How visualization influences strength endurance
Authors: Moore Joshua , Graham Danielle
Published: September 2023

This study examines how differing degrees of visualization, the process of mentally conceiving a visual image, could influence strength endurance, which is defined as the strength output over longer durations of muscle tension. It’s worth note, this research isn’t generalizable considering researcher and sole participant are the same in this case study. Instead, the research aims to assess a potential relationship that could call for further exploration in future studies. Thus, this study is exploratory in nature, as it merely investigates a question previously unstudied in depth. We hypothesized that improved visualization of the lifted weight would increase strength endurance. To evaluate this, we performed a sample set of minimally weighted repetitions until failure before completing each set of weighted repetitions, under each condition, until failure. The blind-weight unknown condition would keep visualization inaccurate. The blind-weight known condition would allow for more accurate visualization. The sighted condition would allow for a precise visual. Contrary to our hypothesis, our results suggested that people, when lifting heavy objects, were able to hold out against mental fatigue longer when they were unable to accurately visualize what they lifted compared to when they were able to accurately visualize what they lifted. These preliminary findings serve as a call for future scientific investigations into this very subject.
Reddit v. Wall Street: Why Redditors beat Wall Street at its own game
Authors: Bhakar Nishita , Pearce Logan
Published: September 2023

In January of 2021, users of the internet forum Reddit, known as Redditors, caused a short squeeze of GameStop that led to major loses for short sellers. In our research, we sought to find potential incentives behind the sudden increase in GameStop stock price during the start of 2021. We hypothesized that those who were involved in this event spent large sums of money to purchase stock because they wanted to fight back against Wall Street, who they perceived as the “big guys” who had been controlling the stock market for a long time. Using a combination of methods, we showed that their true motivations may not have been strictly financial. Through qualitative analysis, we found that after the peak in GME stock prices, Redditors generally expressed positive emotions towards the short squeeze. Quantitative analysis revealed that although Redditors initially used neutral language towards the short squeeze, they increasingly used positive language. Thus, our research suggests that Redditors may have initially been financially motivated to short-squeeze GameStop stock, but as time progressed, emotional motivations may have become more important. Our work shows that social phenomena can be dynamic and evolve. It also highlights the value of using a mixed methods approach to study complex processes in the real world. It is important to note that we were only able to learn the motivations of Redditors who posted on the r/WallStreetBets community, and though they had a significant influence on the short squeeze, they were realistically not the only shareholders, meaning our results are not applicable for all the shareholders.
A spatiotemporal analysis of OECD member countries on sugar consumption and labor force participation
Authors: Chiang Yi-Yun , Chen Michael Hao
Published: September 2023

Sugar can be classified into two groups, 1) “natural sugars,” which come from fruits and plants and provides energy for the cells, or 2) “free sugars,” which are any sugars added to food or drinks. Although natural sugars provide an energy supply for workers, free sugars may negatively impact workers' performance. For example, free sugars may contribute to diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. In this study, we examined the impact of sugar consumption on the labor force participation rate. We defined three states of sugar consumption: underconsumption, sufficient consumption, and overconsumption. Underconsumption of sugar decreases productivity; sufficient consumption of sugar makes productivity close to its maximum rate, and overconsumption of sugar worsens productivity. Given these three conditions, we hypothesized that a negative quadratic relationship between sugar consumption and productivity exists. Using data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, we built a random effects model to estimate the effect of sugar consumption on the labor force participation rate (LFPR), accounting for confounders and temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Consistent with our hypothesis, there is a negative quadratic correlation between sugar consumption and LFPR, albeit with a weak R-squared value (0.38685). Potential explanations for the result include the large sample size of the research, the limitation on collected data, and the potential missing confounders. At the policy level, we introduce solutions to mitigate the negative externalities of sugar consumption, such as labeling sugar content on nutrition facts labels, raising health awareness, and enhancing related education.
An efficient approach to automated geometry diagram parsing
Authors: Date Nikhil , Date Sachin
Published: September 2023

An automated geometry problem solver can be a valuable tool in math education as a learning aid. An essential part of such a system is the ability to parse diagrams automatically, and diagram understanding by itself is an interesting research problem because of the rich and complex information that geometry diagrams convey and the many approaches one can take to extract that information. In this paper, we introduce Fast Geometry Diagram Parser (FastGDP), an efficient approach to geometry diagram understanding that uses clustering and corner information. We hypothesized that FastGDP would be significantly faster than the widely used GeoSolver tool at both primitive (line and circle) and point detection, because FastGDP does not require large numbers of computationally expensive pixel-level calculations. We further hypothesized that FastGDP would offer comparable performance to GeoSolver on point detection, due to FastGDP’s use of corner information. We expected FastGDP’s primitive detection performance to be marginally lower than that of GeoSolver due to the latter’s emphasis on over-generation of primitives and subsequent selection of the best detections. Our experiments on three datasets (combined n=169) showed that FastGDP is more than an order of magnitude faster than GeoSolver in most cases. We found that FastGDP reports comparable performance to GeoSolver on primitive detection and slightly lower performance on point detection. We believe that the speed advantage offered by FastGDP will provide greater flexibility when it is incorporated into an automated geometry problem solver, especially if FastGDP is used within the training loop of the solver.
Reactivity-informed design, synthesis, and Michael addition kinetics of C-ring andrographolide analogs
Authors: Zhou Alice , Chang Warren , Wang Tiffany , Wu Jeslyn , Kocalar Selin , Swaminathan Lakshman , Rao Aishi , Athreya Samyukta , Chanda Priya , Njoo Edward
Published: September 2023

Andrographolide, a labdane diterpenoid lactone natural product extracted from Andrographis paniculata, has demonstrated potent biological activity and therapeutic potential against cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Andrographolide is reported to significantly inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway, which is active in immune system function and regulation of inflammatory cells. However, andrographolide use is not optimized for human systems. In order to improve upon these aspects, we designed and semi- synthesized a library of andrographolide analogues with modified electronics of the 12,13 unsaturated lactone to increase cytotoxicity via the addition of electron-withdrawing groups, thereby influencing reactivity of the compound. Reactivity of the top piece butenolide warhead was quantified via a time- resolved colorimetric ex vivo Michael addition assay using Elleman’s Method, wherein reduced-glutathione was the electron donor. The results demonstrate that the installation of an acetate ester at C14 did not result in greater Michael acceptor reactivity, whereas changing the electrophile to C14 with a C11-C12 alkene resulted in a significantly higher rate of reaction with glutathione. Further, computational studies were employed to model the Michael addition energetic pathways of andrographolide and each analog. We found the energetic pathways for all analogs were relatively consistent, suggesting that changes in sterics may play a more significant role in defining Michael addition kinetics. Through understanding the kinetic mechanisms of the Michael acceptor pharmacophore in andrographolide, we hope to further inform directed semisyntheses in order to optimize this incredibly potent natural product for clinical use.
Fractal dimensions of crumpled paper
Authors: Zhou Curtis , Witkov Carey
Published: September 2023

Fractals are infinitely complex shapes that can be split into two types: mathematical fractals and statistical fractals. Mathematical fractals are infinitely complex and self-similar across multiple scales, whereas statistical fractals are not self-similar but can be applied to real life. Crumpling paper is a mathematical fractal process whereby a sheet of paper undergoes deformation via compression. This yields a three- dimensional structure that introduces isotropic and homogenous spaces of varying sizes inside the crumpled paper structure. There is a hierarchy of spaces: a few large, a moderate number of medium, and many small. Consequently, a crumpled paper ball is a fractal object. Fractal dimension is a non- integer measure of an object’s “roughness” and is useful in studying natural objects consisting of many irregular shapes like crumpled paper. In this study, we determined the fractal dimension of a sheet of paper crumpled into a series of spheres of decreasing radii using continuous Χ2 analysis. The result is a tested model relating mass to radius via fractal dimension for crumpled paper, which in this study, yielded a fractal dimension of 2.40. Using Chi-Squared, we were able to test and validate our model and compare it to other experiments’ results to verify consistency, offering advantages over more conventional least squares.
Decreasing heart rate after consuming caffeine
Authors: Albloushi Wadeemah , Alblooshi Ali
Published: September 2023

In this study, we sought to answer the question “how can we decrease heart rate after drinking caffeine?” To find ways to help/boost the heart rate recovery after drinking caffeine. Hypotheses tested are taking a walk (1), deep breathing (2), and drinking water (3). After testing each hypothesis, we found that all methods result in a decrease in heart rate. However, only deep breathing was able to reduce heart rate while also decreasing side effects (dizziness, lightheadedness, etc). People who drank caffeine and faced either heart rate increase or side effects (dizziness/ lightheadedness, etc) could perform the methods on themselves to prevent either heart rate increase or side effects. Results of each method were different, and the recommended method is taking a walk since after applying, it decreased heart rate without side effects.
Reading recall: A comparison of reading comprehension
Authors: Rudins Katie , Gordon Christopher
Published: September 2023

Researchers query whether reading comprehension is the same, worse, or better when using e-books as compared with standard paper texts. This study evaluated this question in the elementary school population. Our hypothesis was that information would be retained equally whether read from paper or from an electronic device. Each participant read four stories, alternating between electronic and paper media types. After each reading, the participants completed a five-question test covering the information read. The study participants correctly answered 167 out of 200 comprehension questions when reading from an electronic device. These same participants correctly answered 145 out of 200 comprehension questions when reading from paper. At a significance level of p < 0.05, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in reading comprehension between the two media, demonstrating better comprehension when using electronic media. The unexpected results of this study demonstrate a shift in children’s performance and desirability of using electronic media as a reading source.
Cocktail therapy to inhibit multispecies biofilm in cystic fibrosis patients
Authors: Bhat Shriya , Tripathi Surya , Gan Emily
Published: September 2023

Bacterial biofilms cause 80% of life-threatening chronic infections such as urinary tract infections, wound infections, indwelling catheter infections, and severe pneumonia in immunocompromised patients such as those with cystic fibrosis (CF). ESKAPE (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter) pathogens are known to form dense biofilms highly resistant to antibacterial treatments. This can lead to antibiotic use at higher concentrations, resulting in antibiotic resistance and toxicity. Furthermore, biofilms exist in a dense multispecies form where they communicate with each other by a mechanism called Quorum Sensing (QS), making them hostile to several antibiotics. The focus of our project was to use a combination treatment consisting of FDA-approved concentrations of three different Quorum Quenching (QQ) agents that specifically target the QS mechanisms between the three major interspecies biofilm-pathways within the CF lung: chlorogenic acid to inhibit Pseudomonas fluorescens-Staphylococcus epidermidis signaling, carvacrol to inhibit P. fluorescens-Burkholderia pyrrociniaP. fluorescens-Candida albicans signaling. Computational analysis of the CF lung microbiome using QIIME2 and PICRUSt2 confirmed the necessity of QS in multispecies biofilm pathways. Docking analysis further supported the binding affinities of each treatment and targeted enzymes. The combination treatment demonstrated a near 80% efficacy in inhibiting P. fluorescens-S. epidermidis-B. pyrrocinia-C. albicans biofilm. Treatment safety was supported by a cytotoxicity assay on human alveolar epithelial cells. These findings can be translated into developing novel adjuvants to deliver the cocktail treatment in vivo, thus reducing morbidity and mortality from chronic biofilm-related infections and saving millions of dollars in product decontamination.
Heat impact to food’s shelf life - An example of milk
Authors: Xu Eric , Sun Laisheng
Published: September 2023

Food spoilage happens when food is not kept in a good storage condition. A common cause of food spoilage is exposure to high temperatures. Heat exposed food will have a shorter shelf life. Qualitatively estimating the shortened shelf life of food could reduce food waste. In this study, we tested the impact of heat on milk shelf life. We estimated the shelf life loss for milk, which is usually stored at 4°C, after high temperature exposure based on the first-order model with Arrhenius equation. Our results showed that an exposure at room temperature (25°C) for 3.2 hours will decrease the shelf life of milk by one day. With the first-order model and results in the study, we wrote a Python program. The program could predict the loss of the shelf life of milk after its exposure to high temperature for a certain period of time.
The effect of adverse childhood experiences on e-cigarette usage in people aged 18–30 in the US
Authors: Bloomer Megan , Toll-Griffin Traci , Stephens Elizabeth
Published: September 2023

Recently, e-cigarette usage has been increasing rapidly. Previous research has found that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are correlated to cigarette usage. However, there is limited data exploring if ACEs affect vaping. Therefore, in this work, we investigated the effects of ACEs on e-cigarette usage. More specifically, we investigated the effects of different types of ACEs, as well as education on vaping risks and exposure to vaping in the household on the likelihood of e-cigarette usage. We hypothesized that witnessing vaping in the household and facing ACEs such as loss of a parent and violence or substance abuse in the household or neighborhood would independently increase e-cigarette usage, and an education on the dangers of vaping would decrease e-cigarette usage. Seventy-four participants of all genders, ages 18–30, from the USA completed a nine question survey. Participants answered questions about basic background information, ACEs, and vaping habits. We found that 92.00% of respondents who never faced an ACE have never used an e-cigarette. 93.33% of respondents who have never been exposed to vaping in the household also have never used an e-cigarette. 61.92% of respondents who have been educated on the dangers of vaping never used e-cigarettes. Our results indicate that being educated on the dangers of vaping had no effect on e-cigarette usage. Experiencing ACEs or witnessing use of e-cigarettes in the household was associated with an increased use of e-cigarettes. As hypothesized, we found that different types of ACEs had different correlations with e-cigarette usage. Further research is recommended to determine the significance of the type of ACE in terms of e-cigarette usage risk.
Effects of spices on rice spoilage
Authors: Govindaraj Maya , Govindaraj Arjun , Rupasinghe Madhumani
Published: September 2023

Spices have been used for centuries because they are thought to have antimicrobial properties that may delay food spoilage and prolong shelf life. Researchers have reported that chemical food preservatives like butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) can cause health hazards to humans, so we prefer organic food with natural preservatives. Rice is perishable once cooked. Hence, the purpose of our science project was to determine which types of commonly available spices would prevent or slow the growth of organisms in cooked rice. We hypothesized, based on the South Indian cultural practice of drinking “rasam” when sick to counteract infections, that some spices used in Indian cooking may have properties that enable them to fight infection and delay food spoilage by microorganisms. Hence for our experiment, we selected five spices in powder form and cooked white rice. We compared the outcome of adding spices to rice samples and measured spoilage rate by observing changes in color, texture and odor and detecting growth of mold on the rice samples and agar plates. According to the changes in smell and appearance of rice samples observed on days one through five, as well as growth detected on agar plates on day five, we can conclude that cinnamon was the most effective in delaying spoilage of cooked white rice, followed by cumin, pepper, garlic, and ginger. Although the tested spices cannot prevent spoilage of food, certain spices like cinnamon may have the ability to slow down the rate of food spoilage.
The influence of purpose-of-use on information overload in online social networking
Authors: Agarkar Anya , Quintero Saul Ivan
Published: September 2023

In recent years, information consumption has accelerated as novel social media networking platforms continue to increasingly permeate daily life. Though these means of communication have been incredibly beneficial in terms of addressing accessibility to information, news, and long-distance social connectivity, they have also brought with them multiple other problems. One such drawback is the risk of increased sensory and information overload. Although previous literature has found evidence of a link between social media use and overload, there is little work exploring the intention-related dimensions of social media use and their relationship with experiences of overload. In this work, we administered a short survey to investigate whether different participant purposes for using social media were related to social media fatigue and/or overload. Using various linear models, we examined whether our hypothesized demographic including age range and/or predictor variables such as purpose of using social media could significantly predict experiences of overload online. Our results surprisingly suggest that certain dimensions of social media assumed to be predictors of overload-like experiences, such as the amount of screen time on social media, may not be related to overload-like experiences. We found that purpose of use does not predict the frequency of reported overload-like experiences. The implications of our work for the broader understanding of information overload is discussed and future directions of research are offered.
The feeling of beauty in music: Relaxing and not confusing
Authors: Jain Akshadha , Kandlikar Isha , Joshi Smriti , Na Yuri , Murphey Avery Jane , Yang Nikita , Krehbiel Dwight
Published: September 2023

Although people throughout the world seek opportunities to participate in music, how and why they experience beauty in music is not well understood. To explore this fundamental aesthetic response, we measured numerous emotional responses to diverse musical excerpts to investigate their intercorrelations. We examined the following hypotheses: 1) that liking or the feeling of beauty (hereafter simply “the feeling of beauty”) is positively predicted by other prototypical aesthetic emotions (e.g., awe or the feeling of being moved); 2) that pleasing emotions (e.g., joy) are also positive predictors; and 3) that negative emotions (e.g., boredom or anger) are negatively correlated with the feeling of beauty. We also hypothesized that the epistemic or knowledge emotions (e.g., interest) are not predictors of prototypical aesthetic emotions. Participants listened to 13 brief musical excerpts. Immediately after listening to each excerpt, the participant rated it using the 42-item Aesthetic Emotions Scale (AESTHEMOS). After summing within related pairs of items to find scores for the 21 subscales, we calculated the means across participants for each song. We found that the means for the feeling of beauty have 1) strong positive correlations with the means of other prototypical aesthetic emotions, 2) positive correlations with some pleasing emotions (notably relaxation), 3) negative correlations with most negative emotions (notably confusion; exception: positive correlation with sadness), and 4) low correlations to epistemic emotions except for a strong negative correlation with surprise. These findings indicate a highly nuanced emotional experience of beauty in music that includes positive, negative, and knowledge-related feelings.
A novel CNN-based machine learning approach to identify skin cancers
Authors: Rao Aditya , Kondabagil Lakshmi
Published: September 2023

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer and includes diagnosis procedures that are costly, time-consuming, inaccurate, and inaccessible to many. The goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of a machine learning algorithm to identify skin cancers and compare the results to the conventional procedures of external visual inspection and biopsies. We used the HAM10000 dataset, a diverse collection of multisource clinical images of cutaneous skin pathologies (based on external appearance) which contained 11,034 unique image files of skin cancers and lesions at the time of this project. We tested and trained a machine learning algorithm with the dataset, and analyzed the accuracy, sensitivity, and runtime of the algorithm for seven skin pathologies, which were either skin cancers or pathologies that could potentially develop into skin cancer. The model was created with AutoKeras to automatically search for and apply the best algorithm. The average accuracy of the model (for each skin pathology type) was 84.05%, which exceeds the accuracy of histopathological diagnoses done by experienced dermatologists by 4.05%. For melanoma, the most fatal form of skin cancer, the model had a 70.63% diagnosis accuracy. Furthermore, the average runtime of the model, 4.9775 seconds, provides a significant advantage when compared to the typical minimum time needed to wait for biopsy results. The increased performance of a machine learning model when compared to conventional methods for identifying skin cancer results makes it a feasible alternative.
Examination of the underlying chemical physics of the Mpemba effect in water and other liquids
Authors: Khan MD Mostakim , Tuly Rafia Akter
Published: September 2023

With all other conditions identical, hot liquid freezes faster than cold liquid, which might seem impossible according to Newton's law of cooling. The primary goal of this paper was to find out the reasons behind this phenomenon, known as the Mpemba effect. We hypothesized that the physical properties and hydrogen bonds of liquids could be the reason behind this phenomenon. In addition to water, four other liquids were tested in this study. Interestingly, liquids with hydrogen bonds showed the Mpemba effect. Apart from hydrogen bonds, physical properties like density, supercooling, and thermal conductivity showed their importance behind the Mpemba effect. These results demonstrated the significance of physical properties and chemical bonds behind this effect, agreeing with our hypothesis. Also, liquids like glycerol and ethanoic acid showed a strong Mpemba effect because of their initial temperature. We believe the findings we predicted in this study can help physicists create a more comprehensive model of how substances emit or absorb heat.