NY, United States of America

Fido: A Universal Robot Control System Using Reinforcement Learning with Limited Feedback

Second Award

A robot control system was developed that could be taught tasks through reinforcement learning. The system, nicknamed “Fido”, was designed to be universal regardless of inputs and outputs, r…

Geospatial Analysis of Cetacean Distribution and Habitat Utilization Related to Prey Density and Sea Surface Temperature off the Long Island, New York Coastline

Biochemistry

A better understanding of cetacean populations in the Long Island coastal waters is greatly needed as environmental management issues emerge for licensing of offshore wind turbines. Data wer…

Going for the Goal: The Effects of Removing Preparatory Information on the Fast and Unconscious Reading of Action Goals in a Computer-Simulated Competitive Interaction

Biomedical and Health Sciences

Humans are able to quickly and accurately determine intent from early motions of other agents in the social environment. Through real-time analysis of biomechanical patterns, the mind uses p…

Golden Ratio Typography: A Novel Approach to Improving Reading Comprension in Nystagmus Patients

Biomedical and Health Sciences

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether scaling typography to the Golden Ratio improves cognitive fluency, and therefore reading comprehension abilities, in nystagmus patie…

Identification and Characterization of Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Using an Antibody-Based Approach

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth-leading cause of cancer related death in the U.S. with a median survival period of less than six months. Better means of detection and m…

IL-2 as a Therapeutic Target for Treatment of Autoimmune Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is a prevalent autoimmune disease caused by T cell mediated destruction of hair follicles. Immune pathways involved in AA are not well understood, restricting developmen…

Incorporation of Platinum and Gold Partially Reduced Graphene Oxide into Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells for Increased Output Power and Carbon Monoxide Tolerance

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) can potentially provide “green” energy but its platinum catalyst’s susceptibility to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning reduces output power. Hig…

Individual Neural Network Activity Patterns Underlie Complex Cognitive Task Performance: An fMRI Study with Clinical Implications

Understanding the neural mechanisms that underlie the ability to flexibly switch between brain states and adapt to fluctuating environments is imperative in addressing cognitive flexibility…

Investigation of HCC Development Following Senescence in UHRF1 Overexpressing Zebrafish Livers

Translational Medical Science

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. UHRF1, a gene essential for DNA methylation, is highly expressed in HCC patients. Transgenic…

Investigation of the Inhibitory Effect of Small Molecules on PLK1 Function in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Translational Medical Science

The overexpression of PLK1 occurs in many types of cancer. Consequently, the misexpression of PLK1 is used as a diagnosis for specific cancers. Small molecule inhibitors can prevent cancerou…

Isolation and Screening of Beneficial Microbes Associated with the Grapevine, Vitis vinifera

?Although the grapevine, Vitis vinifera, is the most commonly cultivated grape species, there is little known regarding the species of microbes found in the surrounding soil or their possibl…

Lidocaine Suppresses TRPM7 Channel Activity: Implications for the Use of Anesthetics as Post-Operative Anti-Tumor Therapeutics

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels constitute a superfamily of ubiquitously expressed voltage and ligand-gated, non-selective cation channels involved in diverse biological processe…

Limiting Pain-Related Nerve Sprouting Using Anti-Growth Factor Receptor Antibodies

Pain is a huge component of both bone cancer and osteoarthritis (OA). With limits to pain treatments in both these diseases, there is a significant need for a medication to treat pain in the…

Microfluidic Analysis of E. coli Thermotaxis

Second Award

Thermotaxis, the directional motion of an organism towards specific temperatures, has been observed in several species of bacteria. Quantitative studies of thermotaxis in bacteria however ha…

mTOR Regulates the Phenotypic Modulation of De-differentiated Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Vascular Disease

Translational Medical Science Fourth Award

Atherosclerosis, a form of cardiovascular disease, accounts for 17.3 million deaths/year(Mozaffarian,2014). Characterized by plaque formation in arteries, it leads to myocardial infarctions…

Next Generation Fatty Acid Binding Protein Inhibitors: Computer-Aided Drug Design and Synthesis of Novel Truxillic Acid Diesters for Chronic Pain Inhibition

Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design Fourth Award

Demand for non-addictive, tissue-specific pain relief has been growing ever since the IOM confirmed that pain afflicts more Americans than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined. In ye…

Optimizing Microbial Fuel Cell Electrical Performance through a Single-Chamber Design and Novel, Natural, Cost-Effective Anodes

With the global energy crisis and pollution issues, like the BP Oil Spill and Flint Water Crisis, there is a major need for clean, accessible energy and sustainable remediation methods. Micr…

Organotypic ex vivo Culture of Liver Tissue for Assessment of HCC Chemoprevention Drug

Fourth Award

There is no curative therapy for liver cancer, the second leading cancer mortality worldwide, therefore cancer chemoprevention is the most impactful strategy to improve the dismal prognosis.…

PGC1-Alpha and Cyclin D1 Synergistically Activate Lipogenesis via Upregulated Oxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway and TCA Cycle Citrate Efflux

Fourth Award

The ability of a cancer cell to alter its metabolic capacity was described by Warburg in the 1930s as an increase in energy production via glycolysis. Today, it is understood that transcript…

Physical Activity and Intranasal Administration of Neuropeptide Y and Y1 Agonists Mitigate the Symptoms of ADHD and PTSD

Biomedical and Health Sciences

ADHD affects more than one in ten adolescents in the United States. Additionally, neuropeptide Y (NPY), a neurotransmitter that regulates stress and emotional behavior, is strongly associate…

Physical and Chemical Warfare between Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis

Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis are two bacteria that compete for limited tooth surface. This study was done to determine which one was stronger. Through experimentation, it…

Plant Tissues that Fail to Regenerate Undergo Early Steps of Remodeling but Fail to Induce a Cytokinin Hormone Response

First Award

Plant roots are susceptible to damage from insects, microbes, and poor soil conditions, but their high capacity for regeneration gives them the ability to recover. Many of the molecular step…

Pricey to Priceless Gel Electrophoresis

Pricey to Priceless Gel Electrophoresis’s purpose was to design a more cheap and effective way for forensic analysists to measure the accuracy of evidence in DNA testing of criminals, along…

Proinflammatory Cytokines and miRNA: Identifying Novel Biomarkers of Immune Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a rather widespread, devastating psychiatric illness without defined causes. Studies have implied an immunological dysfunction hypothesis for SCZ by identifying abnorm…

Putative High-pIC50 SpDHBP Synthase Inhibitors against Multi-Drug Resistant S. pneumoniae

Second Award

Streptococcus pneumoniae (MDRSp) has become multi-drug resistant. WHO lists it as the leading cause of child mortality globally. In developing countries, MDRSp causes 25-30% of child deaths.…

Redefining the Neurological Basis of Fluid Intelligence: Investigating Connection Strength and Network Strength of Resting State Functional Connectivity

Biomedical and Health Sciences

Fluid intelligence (gF) is the basis of innovation, problem solving, and leadership; yet, a consistent theory of the neurological basis of gF is elusive. This study posited a new hypothesis…

Revolutionizing Energy Storage with Supercapacitors and Metal Organic Frameworks

Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design

Although the great porosity of metal organic frameworks (MOF) has been used to achieve excellent gas adsorptive properties, MOFs still largely remain unexplored for electrochemical energy st…

Solar Powered UV-c Treatment for Fecal Coliform and Enterococcus Bacteria in Storm Water Overflow

Second Award

After a heavy rainfall, beaches are closed and swimming is prohibited. Sewers fill to capacity and are unable to handle the combined sanitary and storm water; thereby causing water to overfl…

Structural and Kinetic Analysis of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus MenE, an acyl-CoA Synthetase of the Bacterial Menaquinone Biosynthesis Pathway as a Novel Antibacterial Target

Second Award

The increasing drug resistance among Gram-positive bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a growing threat and thus the necessity for novel antibacter…

The Cytotoxic and Mutagenic Effects of Arsenic on Mammalian Cells and the Countering Antioxidant Effects of Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester and Turmeric

Fourth Award

Arsenic poisoning is extremely severe in regions of Bangladesh, where the arsenic concentration in the drinking water of some tube wells can be as high as 100 times more than the recommended…