AJAS 2018 projects

Acid Extraction of Aluminum from Coal Ash

To efficiently remove aluminum from coal fly ash, a two-step acid leaching method was used. The first leaching residue was acquired through a direct leaching of coal ash with 10 molar sulfur…

A Comparison Between Effectiveness of Operant and Pavlovian Conditioning in Planarian Flatworms

Animal Sciences (inferred)

One of the most well recognized methods of conditioning in planarian flatworms is light-shock therapy, a form of Pavlovian conditioning where the worm is trained to exhibit a negative respon…

All Choked Up

Engineering (inferred)

All Choked Up: The Effect of the Convergent Section Half-Angle on the Thrust of a Cold Gas Rocket continues my investigation of cold gas rocket nozzles. Rockets and Nozzles and Thrusts, OH M…

Alternative Catalyst for the Synthesis of Aspirin

Chemistry (inferred)

Abstract The overall objective of this project was to find if microwaves would be a suitable and sustainable catalytic replacement for the synthesis of Aspirin. This was done by creating thr…

An Analysis of Geometrically Recursive Prime Numbers

Mathematics (inferred)

This project innovates the Ulam Spiral and Klauber Triangle figures through the use of their integer orientation in pentagons. These four figures will be analyzed for geometric alignments ba…

An Analysis of High Redshift Radio Galaxies with Mid-Range Spectral Indices at Z ~ 6

Physics and Astronomy (inferred)

I use existing Very Large Array observations of high redshift radio galaxies (HRRGs) to create a simulated spectral energy distribution (SED) of early radio sources (z~6). I diagnose the pre…

An Evaluation of Thermally Polluted Lakes for the Presence of Naegleria Fowleri via PCR Without Hazardous Cultivation

Microbiology (inferred)

Amoeba are single celled protozoa that are comprised of a nucleus, surrounded by a mass of cytoplasm. The free-living amoeba Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of primary amoebic menin…

An Optimal Fiber Optics Solution for Potentially Detecting Earth-Like Planets Around Nearby Stars

Physics and Astronomy (inferred)

The radial velocity (RV) method, otherwise known as Doppler spectroscopy, is an effective exoplanet detection technique that has been increasingly used in recent years, used to discover arou…

A Novel Approach in Redesigning Microbial Fuel Cells to Increase Practical Applications

With the rapidly increasing population, a stable yet clean energy source is needed. The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), a device that converts organic material into renewable energy using bacteri…

A Novel Approach to Solve Target Mutation-Induced Drug Resistance for HIV-1 Fusion Inhibitors with the Hopfield Neural Network

The formation of a hairpin core structure by the HIV-1 virus transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 is the critical event that triggers viral fusion to the host cell. Fusion inhibitors such as T20,…

A Novel Approach to the Study of Mechanisms in Alzheimer’s Disease

Cellular and Molecular Biology (inferred)

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) currently remains the sixth leading cause of death in the US. Despite decades of research devoted to understanding AD, a cure does not exist. Many researchers have f…

A Novel Technique for Safe and Inexpensive Antibiotic Mechanism of Action Determination

Microbiology (inferred)

Antibiotics are a diverse group of chemicals that successfully inhibit bacterial growth by interrupting one in a series of biochemical steps necessary for successful cellular proliferation.…

Associations of State-Level Rates of Depression and Fatal Opioid Overdose, 2011-2015

Behavioural and Social Sciences (inferred)

As the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids has increased by 200% since the year 2000, the United States is currently faced with an alarming crisis. Despite knowledge of this growing pr…

A Study of NaNO₂ Effects on Caenorhabditis Elegans

Animal Sciences (inferred)

Consumption of Sodium Nitrite (NaNO₂) can cause elevated blood nitrite levels in humans, induce oxidative stress and disturb metabolic pathways, particularly in infant populations. NaNO₂ is…

A Study of the Synergistic Activity of Cdk5 and TGF-Β Inhibitors in Pediatric Solid Tumors.

Biomedical and Health Sciences (inferred)

On average, 15,780 cases of pediatric cancer are diagnosed within the United States annually. Furthermore, pediatric solid tumors account for about 30 percent of all cases of pediatric cance…

AzureWare: A Novel Approach for Quantifying Tremors and Progression of Parkinson's Disease Through an Android App and Bluetooth Low Energy Technology

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurological diseases in modern society. As Parkinson’s disease continues to worsen overtime, severe symptoms, such as Parkinsonian tremors, bec…

Characterization and Testing of Compounds Produced by Aspergillus Turcosus That Target Cancer-Associated Pathways

The Berkeley Pit was once an open pit mine, but today it is a highly acidic and toxic lake. The Berkeley Pit is home to many different species of extremophilic fungi. These fungi have develo…

Comparing the Yield and Cytotoxicity of NK Cells Expanded with Different Feeder Cells.

Cellular and Molecular Biology (inferred)

Natural killer (NK) cells are ideal candidates for new cancer treatment methods. Roughly 1 million NK cells can be recovered from 10 mL of blood from a healthy donor. Treating one cancer pat…

Computer Simulation of Genetically Modified Aedes Aegypti Release Methods

It is hypothesized that variable release methods for genetically modified Aedes aegypti will control wild mosquito populations using the least number of modified mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti mo…

Confocal Imaging of Them1 Localization for Improved Elucidation of Thermogenic Signaling Pathways

Biomedical and Health Sciences (inferred)

The prevalence of obesity has led to increased incidence of diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Biologically, lipids from obesity-inducing foods are stored in…

Constructing Plasmids for “Fluorescent Mice”

The purpose of this project is to insert H2B into pBlueScript/IRES-GFP/BFP to construct pBlueScript/IRES-H2BGFP/BFP plasmids. GFP/BFP stands for green/blue fluorescence protein, and could be…

CordisX: Personalized Cardiac Monitoring Through Low-Cost Sensor Systems and Real-Time Statistical Analysis Algorithms

Biomedical Engineering (inferred)

Heart disease is a prevalent issue in the modern world, with 84 million people in the US alone that require regular checkups with clinicians. CordisX aims to provide a cost­ effective, perso…

Creating a System for Cheap Distributed Landmine Sensing Using GPS and GSM Technologies Coupled with Low Cost Electrical Design¨ Engineering¨ and Manufacturing Techniques

Embedded Systems (inferred)

Millions of undetonated landmines still exist in underdeveloped and developing countries as remnants from past military conflicts which ravage developing and underdeveloped countries due to…

Defying Death: Antibiotic Resistance of E.Coli to Neomycin Sulfate

Microbiology (inferred)

Acquired antibiotic resistance is making human diseases that were once easy to treat very dangerous and deadly. We were interested in whether bacteria exposed to low levels of an antibiotic…

Design and Fabrication of Thin Film Nanowrinkled Strain Sensors for a Finger Flexion Assessment Glove

Biomedical Engineering (inferred)

Strain sensors undergo a piezoresistive effect in which mechanical deformations result in a change in electrical resistance. Recent advances in stretchable strain sensors using deposits of n…

Designing a Thermostable Cellobiohydrolase: A Novel Approach to Sustainable Ethanol Production

Due to depleting oil reserves and the threat of global warming, renewable energy sources, such as the biofuel ethanol, are being explored as alternatives to petroleum. Cellulose, the most co…

Design of a 3D Printed Hand Prosthesis and Linearly Controlled Rotating Mechanism for Wrist Pronation and Supination Actuated by Nylon 6-6 Polymer Artificial Muscles

Biomedical Engineering (inferred)

Several arm amputees throughout the world cannot afford prostheses beyond cosmetic hands with basic motor abilities. The project goal was to design an inexpensive hand prosthesis using a 3D…

Detecting the Adulteration of Non-GMO Corn and Soy with GMO Products

Plant Sciences (inferred)

Consumers concerned about the potential risks of genetically modified (GM) foods have driven up the demand for non-GM foods. Retail olive oil has been adulterated with cheaper canola, soybea…

Development of a Low Cost Ex Vivo Perfusion System for the Elucidation of Flow Modulation Induced Vascular Remodeling

Biomedical Engineering (inferred)

Heart Failure (HF) is the progressive weakening of the heart’s ability to pump blood and a small subset of HF patients have Advanced Heart Failure (AHF), a form that does not respond to trad…

DMD-Associated Cardiomyopathy: A Novel Mode of Cardiac Remodeling

Biomedical and Health Sciences (inferred)

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive neuromuscular disease resulting from mutations in the dystrophin gene and it affects 1 in 5,000 males. In 2017, DMD-ass…