Technograph: Volume 129, Spring 2014

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%46-0 41 Edward Tufte, data theorist and visualization pioneer, will discuss seeing, reasoning, producing in science and art. Topics include evidence and inference, strategies for identifying excellence, and practical advice for seeing better in the real world and on the glowing flat rectangle of the computer screen. Edward Tufte is a statistician and landscape sculptor, and Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Statistics, and Computer Science at Yale University. He wrote and designed 4 classic books on data visualization: Beautiful Evidence, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Envisioning Information, and Visual Explanations. The New York Times described ET as the “Leonardo da Vinci of Data.� and Business Week as the “Galileo of Graphics.� He is currently constructing a 234-acre sculpture park in northwest Connecticut, Hogpen Hill Farms, which will show his artworks and remain open space in perpetuity. ET’s art exhibit, “The Cognitive Art of Feynman Diagrams,� will be at Fermilab from April 15 to June 26.

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TECHNOSTAFF Editor-in-chief

Darshan Patel Managing editor

Ryan Weber Creative director

Eunie Kim Technograph editor

Brian Yu Design

Bryan Lorenz Copy chief

Lindsey Rolf Assistant copy chief

Audrey Majors

TABLE OF CONTENTS THINK BEFORE YOU TWEET

MCB professor shames his students who cheat via social media. Read about how students’ social media activity reaches larger audiences and may affect their employment. PAGE 5

A BLAZE OF INNOVATION

Is water the best way to put out a fire? Fire departments are developing and fine-tuning a new gel mixture in hopes of putting out fires more safely. PAGE 8

DROP BY DROP

New biochip technology requires only a single drop of blood to test for HIV. That will hopefully encourage more people to get tested and reduce the spread of HIV. PAGE 13

Writers

Aarsh Sachdeva Darshan Patel Jesse Black Publisher

Lilyan Levant Web

readtechnograph.com

Brian Yu Technograph edi tor

Email

technograph@dailyillini.com Mail

Technograph 512 E. Green St., 3rd floor Champaign, IL 61820 Phone

(217) 337-8350

AN ILLINI MEDIA PUBLICATION COPYRIGHT 2014

We are surrounded by things that are constantly growing and expanding. The universe has been expanding ever since its conception by the Big Bang. The world population is projected to reach about 9 billion by the year 2050. And with all sorts of new construction projects ongoing at the University, it is only appropriate that this issue of Technograph’s theme is “Expansion.” In this issue, Technograph writer Jesse Black

talks about the growing influence social media is having on University students both in and beyond the classroom. Aarsh Sachdeva writes about a new HIV detection technology developed by Professor Rashid Bashir. It will hopefully allow the spread of better HIV treatment to high-risk areas. And finally, The Daily Illini editor-in-chief Darshan Patel describes a new way for firefighters to prevent the expansion of fires with less collateral damage, a new gel that could be used to put out fires faster and safer. As always, this issue of Technograph aims to bring you the best of the engineering and science research being done at the University.

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AN EXPANDING UNIVERSE TWITTERVERSE YOUR MESSAGE CAN SPREAD FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE BY JESSE BLACK | TECHNOGRAPH WRITER

As students quietly filed into Foellinger Auditorium for the final molecular and cellular biology 150 lecture of last year’s spring semester, Professor Brad Mehrtens fiddled with the computer at the side of the stage that connected to the projector, apparently trying to solve some technical difficulty. The first minute of class came and went, Mehrtens left the still unruly computer to approach the front of the stage just as students began to settle down. Known for his love of all things theatrical, Mehrtens typically opens Monday lectures with a joke. This lecture, however, would begin with a rather different tone.

Had it not been for the technical difficulties, the professor explained, the official Facebook group for MCB 150 would have been blown up on the screen. Since the start of the semester, Mehrtens continued, he had been monitoring the class’ Facebook group and noticed a large number of students consistently sharing answers to assignments and quizzes intended to be completed individually. Despite the fact that these students involved were cheating, he said he would not be pursuing disciplinary action through the University. Instead, he would send screenshots of the whole page, complete with the

see SOCIAL MEDIA, Page 6

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“It’s just unfortunate that these kids who tweeted awful things are able to bring so much negative attention to the University, when so many students here would consider it disgraceful to tweet racist comments, especially directed at our chancellor. That’s what people are going to think of the students here now, and that’s really upsetting.” — Cynthia Buckley, professor of sociology

SOCIAL MEDIA FROM PAGE 5 names of students involved to all other professors in the MCB faculty, to ensure the cheating parties would be known by their future instructors. The students were getting off easy, he said, but it was easy to notice worried faces and panicked whispering throughout the audience. “Students were definitely worried because something like this could affect their future,” said one MCB student at the lecture. “At the same time, I felt sympathy for the other students because I don’t believe that they all had the intention of cheating.” In this case, academic dishonesty perpetuated through social media may have given the future professors a rather rough fi rst impression of these students caught cheating. Th is is just one example of the increasing interference of sites like Twitter and Facebook into daily life, and how it has exposed students to a whole new realm of opportunities and pitfalls, all made possible by the interconnectivity that social media provides.

Consequences spawned from student use of social media are not limited to the college world. Upon graduation, students seeking employment may find themselves at a disadvantage if their online persona reveals some less-than-favorable characteristics to potential employers come application time. “We hear that most employers will look up applicants on LinkedIn. Checking Facebook or Twitter really depends on the company, but we’ve heard stories of employers looking at these sites as well,” said Emily Wickstrom, assistant director for communications and marketing at the Career Center. It isn’t just pictures of underage drinking that might hurt your chances for future employment, either. If employers “are checking, using offensive language could definitely hurt. Th is is a student’s public persona, and if employers see something they don’t like, obviously this affects a student’s chances at being hired,” Wickstrom explained. She does not necessarily advise job seekers to totally abstain from social media, however. “Just be careful. You can definitely show personality online, but if you’re in the process of applying, assume anything you post will be seen by the company.”

7 As students connect with each other and the rest of the world at an accelerating pace, the outcome is not always constructive. It is difficult not to mention the recent Twitter outburst of the hashtag #fuckphyllis, made popular by a vocal minority of students and alumni embittered by Chancellor Phyllis Wise’s email (and later the backlash to the use of the hashtag) that dispelled all hope of a snow day in the midst of harsh winds and sub-zero temperatures. “It’s just unfortunate that these kids who tweeted awful things are able to bring so much negative attention to the University, when so many students here would consider it disgraceful to tweet racist comments, especially directed at our chancellor,” said Matthew Pfeuffer, a sophomore in Engineering. “That’s what people are going to think of the students here now, and that’s really upsetting.” The trend of spiteful comments also drew the ire of BuzzFeed, as well as alumnus and actor-comedian Nick Offerman, who tweeted in the response to the hashtag: “Illini get your shit together, lest ye be mistaken for Purdue.” Offerman’s apparent frustration at the trend was shared by many students who later tweeted denouncing the racist and hurtful remarks made by fellow students on Twitter.

At the same time, social media can act as a catalyst used by student groups to and draw support across campus and achieve more noble goals. Service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega relies on social media to manage its massive membership base and to draw support for the many events and drives it supports. “With an organization of nearly 700 people, communications are extremely difficult to manage,” spokeswoman for the University chapter of Alpha Phi Omega Stephanie Fessler explained. “Because of that, our Facebook group is vital. It allows us to quickly share information with our members without sending 30 emails a day, and it allows every member of our chapter to interact regularly.” According to the fraternity’s site, 249 new pledges were inducted following the most recent rush process, and Alpha Phi Omega credits this massive increase in members partly to social media. “Social media allows us a lot of growth,” Fessler continued, “it is most valuable to us because our brothers use it to document the fun that they have in our fraternity, which is then shared with their friends, who become interested in joining.

Service fraternities are not the only Greek organizations on campus to benefit from the interaction these sites provide. Kaitlyn Coldiron, sophomore and public relations chair for the University chapter of Chi Omega, runs the sorority’s Twitter account to publicize its many activities and charity drives. “Whether it’s our philanthropy, like hot chocolate sales, our upcoming Pancake Brunch, or our founder’s birthday, (Twitter) helps keep alumni in the loop and our 200-plus active members connected,” Coldiron said. The increasing popularity of social media among University students shows no sign of slowing, as these sites offers students a broad spectrum of opportunities to reach out and interact with the world around them, for better or for worse. Easier than ever, the modern student can ruin their career, digitally yell obscenities at authority figures, band together with others for a charitable cause and connect socially with hundreds of people, all on a small device that fits neatly in your hand. Jesse can be reached at jablack@ readtechno.com.

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AFTER IMPACT UI professor researches properties of gel with firefighting capabilities

9

BY DARSHAN PATEL | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

W

ater is not the only tool some firefighters across the country are using to battle fires. Consider this example: Firefighters who arrive on a scene have traditionally put out fl ames with water, which, after it splatters against trees and bushes, flows down and away from the fire. Until recently, water was the main fl ame retardant used on burning buildings. But new advances in firefighting resources now allow departments to use different types of gels as the fl ame retardant of choice. Gels reduce water use and, subsequently, impose less water damage. When it flows from the fire hose it’s a liquid, but shortly after making contact with a tree or building, it solidifies into a gel, depleting the fire’s oxygen supply. Here’s how it works: Water and a special kind of dry power are mixed into a gel before being pumped through the hose. As this gel is pumped through the hose, the force of the flow results in a solid-to-liquid transition. The mixture remains a liquid until after it makes contact with a tree or building. Because it’s no longer being propelled, the mixture starts to form into a gel. Firefighters and commercial distributors are testing these gels and are seeking the ideal properties — some of them not fully understood. For example, the gel is primarily composed of water because of its ability to absorb heat. However, the gels behave like solids when they’re not agitated, just like jelly or peanut butter behave. After a certain time, these non-Newtonian fluids

see FIRE, Page 11

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FIRE FROM PAGE 9 become gels again. Mechanical science and engineering assistant professor Randy Ewoldt and his team are trying to understand how different mixes vary in the time it takes to change state. Ewoldt said the time scales aren’t zero. In other words, the change between solid and liquid or vice versa doesn’t happen instantaneously. This is crucial because researchers are trying to determine when is it best for the gel to turn back into a solid. For example, they’re trying to learn how much time should elapse before the gel starts to solidify. A longer amount of time between when the mixture hits the surface and solidifies into a gel gives the opportunity for the mixture to thin out or spread across the surface and extend the amount of area covered. The change of state happens whether the mixture is dropped from a specialized aircraft to fight wildfires or deployed from a fire truck. As time scale changes, “you would see how it sticks, spreads or splatters,� Ewoldt said.

This is important because gel or water absorb heat well, said Gavin Horn, who is the research program director at the Illinois Fire Service Institute, which is the state training and research organization for fire fighters. But if that water doesn’t stay on the surface after it spreads, that heat is transferred elsewhere, fueling the fire and making it harder to contain for firefighters. “It (the gel) can help to control exposure of fires, from downtown fires, where buildings are close together, to wild land fires,� Horn said. The gel “absorbs the energy instead of the energy (transferring) to the building.� And containing the energy increases the firefighters’ safety, which has been a point of discussion between Ewoldt and the Illinois Fire Service Institute, which are working with each other to evaluate the practicality of the research.

This is one of the biggest selling points of EarthClean, which is among the leaders in the field for commercially developed firesuppression gels and a research partner of Ewoldt’s. Its TetraKO mixture promises a faster and more effective knockdown of the fire, effective suppression by removing the fuel source and a reduced chance of rekindling. In addition, the company says it’s non-toxic and biodegradable. It has all the properties that make it appealing to fire departments in the near future. But Horn said the IIlinois Fire Service Institute has to have complete confidence in their performance before gels like TetraKO is commonplace in firefighting. Darshan can be reached at patelďœąďœˇďœ´@ readtechno.com.

“It can help to control exposure of fires, from downtown fires, where buildings are close together, to wild land fires.� Gavin Horn, research program director at the Illinois Fire Service Institute

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TARGETING A VIRUS AND ITS STIGMA WITH A SINGLE DROP OF BLOOD, YOU CAN TEST YOURSELF FOR HIV BY AARSH SACHDEVA | TECHNOGRAPH WRITER

Every day, nearly 6,300 people contract HIV — that’s approximately 260 people every hour, reports the American Foundation for AIDS Research. In the United States, about 1 in 5 people with HIV are undiagnosed. To combat this pressing issue, Rashid Bashir, professor of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering, and a group of post-doctoral and graduate students engineered a biochip capable of diagnosing HIV with only one drop of blood. Similar to a blood sugar test, which is used to

see HIV, Page 14

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FROM PAGE 13 detect and monitor diabetes, patients only have to provide a drop of blood on a strip. Unlike previous technology, this innovation is able to count and categorize a variety of white blood cells at once. Recognizing multiple cell types can also open doors to testing for diseases other than HIV, Bashir said. His research group is working toward commercializing this technology into a portable package and expanding its accessibility to people living in underprivileged areas. Bashir believes that HIV diagnostic technology should be available to every individual “regardless of background, education or social status,� he said. Bashir’s endeavor toward improving HIV diagnostic technology began when he co-founded Daktari Diagnostics with Dr. William Rodriguez. Together, they helped create the predecessor to the newer biochip. “We came up with a solution (to a portable diagnosis of HIV) that involved the detection of CD4 T cells, a specific type of white blood cell that is in human blood,� Bashir said. Daktari is close to commercializing this technology. Until now, innovation in HIV diagnostics has failed to address a core issue. Cynthia Buckley, professor of sociology, said high-risk groups in society, such as intravenous drug users and commercial sex workers, aren’t using HIV tests. Instead, she said, pregnant women only get tested when they visit their doctor for other regular checkups, she said.

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15 Why aren’t high-risk groups or everyday people getting tested for HIV? Buckley said much of the answer lies in the social stigma created by the misconception that HIV is still dominant in the homosexual community. “I think we sometimes forget that in many places in the world, it’s still extraordinarily dangerous for your well-being, let alone your social status, to be seen going in and getting an AIDS test. It’s too embarrassing to ask your physician or your primary care person to provide you with an AIDS test,” Buckley said. The new HIV biochip is an innovation that will work toward expanding home health care. “The lab comes to the patient instead of the patient going to the lab,” Bashir said. The portability and ease of use of this new HIV diagnostic chip could allay a patient’s fear of getting tested, and it could make them feel more comfortable about getting tested for HIV. “That’s why I think this innovation is great. Anything that can enhance testing and de-stigmatize testing is incredibly important,” Buckley said. However, she is still concerned about the general awareness of HIV and AIDS in the United States because, Buckley said, “HIV is not a problem of a virus, to a large extent,

HIV is a problem of ignorance.” She believes that with comprehensive awareness of HIV prevention, transmission, testing and treatment, “much of the social stigma about HIV would decrease ... and I think that we would see a decline in HIV illnesses and AIDS-related deaths,” she said. Daktari hopes that the new HIV diagnostic technology will promote an increase in HIV health missions, which work to expand social awareness of HIV and AIDS. To distribute the technology in remote areas of the world, Daktari partners with social groups in those areas. Bashir said Daktari is working to build relationships in clinics in different countries. Without their help, the technology might not find the right hands. His hope is that their technology will have a positive impact in dangerous communities with high HIV rates, including, but not limited to, sub-Saharan Africa, China, India, Ukraine and Russia. “Making a real impact on something that people can use and benefit from, is what matters at the end of the day,” Bashir said. Aarsh can be reached at technograph@ illinimedia.com.

“I think we sometimes forget that in many places in the world, it’s still extraordinarily dangerous for your well-being, let alone your social status, to be seen going in and getting an AIDS test. It’s too embarrassing to ask your physician or your primary care person to provide you with an AIDS test.” — Cynthia Buckley, professor of sociology

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