St. Francis Preparatory School SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM
24th Annual
SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Thursday June 2, 2022
St. Francis Preparatory School FOUNDED BY THE FRANCISCAN BROTHERS OF BROOKLYN
ADMINISTRATION Br. Leonard Conway, OSF President Patrick McLaughlin Principal Joseph Castellano Assistant Principal Gerilyn Coccia Assistant Principal Christopher Mendolia Assistant Principal Xenos Novoa Assistant Principal
SFP SCIENCE FACULTY Kimberly Istrico, Chair Sharon Bennett
Adrian Gonzalez
Susan McCabe
Casey Clark
Kimberly Gonzalez
Peter McNamara
Paul Cohen
Clinton Ikioda
Samantha Nathan
Paul Donnelly
Frances Jimenez
Kevin Petry
Eleni Franxhi
James LaRocca
Ann Marie Rich
David Ganci
Nicole May
Joan Sorriero
SENIOR CLASS PRESENTATIONS
SESSION A E015
Nevaeh Cuebas: Neuropsychological Deficits and Levels of Self-control Interaction in Predicting Delinquent Behavior
SESSION B E113
Juliana Wicelinski: The Use of PSR J0007+7303 to Validate the Effectiveness of PINT as Compared to TEMPO
Valerie Franchitti: The Stability Levels of Leandro Couto: The Effect of Comorbid Illnesses Interlocking and Non-Interlocking Two-Torii Systems on Insomnia In Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Krishna Shah: Patient Perception of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Overactive Bladder Adrianna Hendrickson-Slack: Mechanism of Symptoms hypercoagulability in cancer patients treated with Bevacizumab Sydney Giron: Executive Dysfunction and Treatment Response in Post-stroke Depression Gianna Tallini: Increased Mortality in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic Kaylee LoPiccolo: An Analysis of Dog Owners’ Perceptions of their Dog’s Behavior Patterns and Ruth Zhang: A Comparative Transcriptomic Trends Approach towards Evaluating Tricyclic Drugs as a Novel Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease Andrea O’Hara: Determination of the Involvement of M2 Tissue Repair Macrophages in Human Emma Pereira: Analyzing Misinformation About Intraductal Mucinous Neoplasm Climate Change Among Twitter Users Through Misleading Hashtags
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SESSION C E211
Mirabel Bok: Peer Support and Caregiver Support Mitigate the Relationship Between Trauma History and Prodromal Psychosis in Children
Janiya Koger: Environmental Impact on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Using the Flow 2 Device to Measure Air Pollutants in New York
Josephine Lobosco: Cell Phones as a Vector for Secondary Transfer of Gunshot Residue
Evangeline Tsevis: Assessing staff opinions and hesitancy towards the use of mobile telepresence robots in Canadian long-term care homes
Sophia Ribarch: The Impact of Social Media’s COVID-19 Information on Adolescent Anxiety
Stella Haralambou: Polygenic Risk Scores Determine Genetic Overlap between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Parkinson’s Disease
SESSION D The Bro. Ralph Clifford Memorial Auditorium Danial Sherafi: Induction of SATB1 using phenothiazines as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease
Resulting in Bringing Diabetic Glucose Levels and BMI Levels to Prediabetic Levels
Theoni Theofanoupoulos: Left Atrial Appendage Tiffany Ng: Evaluating The Usability of a Healthcare Exclusion Concomitant to Structural Heart Chatbot and How They Interact with Patients Procedures Taylor Zaromatidis: Potential mechanisms for gender differences in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth Ashley Zaromatidis: Functional Status After Recovery From Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Keynote Speakers
Taylor Massias-Acosta: Sleep Quality and Anxiety Symptoms of Youth During COVID-19: Electronic Use As a Beneficial Factor Christian Liszweski: The use of alternative fuels to produce energy in a lead-acid battery model
Winona Baidya: Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery
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Winona Baidya, Class of 2022 College Attending: Fordham University Intended Major: Biological Sciences SFP Activities: Peer Tutoring, Chambers Orchestra, Trial of the Century, Cheerleading, Women in Business Club Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Principal’s list Hobbies & Interests: Swimming & Traveling Long-Term Career Goals: Surgeon
Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery Resulting in Bringing Diabetic Glucose Levels and BMI Levels to Prediabetic Levels Diabetes is a disease that affects around 1 in every 10 people worldwide, about 95% of whom specifically have II two diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Two of the most common and the most effective ways to prevent the progression of T2DM are bariatric surgery and medical therapy. Medical professionals suggest that people with T2DM are considered for bariatric surgery once they have a body mass index of over 30.0. Anti- diabetic medications such as metamorphine are given to people who need aid in lowering blood sugar and HbA1c. With the combination of both, anti-diabetic medication with any form of bariatric surgery has proven to be most effective. Due to the fact that type two diabetes is one of the leading causes of death, finding the most effective therapy for blood sugar and HbA1c. This study was designed to see the impact of bariatric surgery on blood sugar, HbA1c, and BMI levels for type two diabetics. Type two diabetes is highly correlated with the development of other deadly illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, vision loss, kidney disease, liver disease, nerve damage, and many more. To prevent or minimize the severity of the other disease that usually develops in diabetes, learning the impacts of bariatric surgery will benefit the population greatly. The purpose of this study is to determine which effects of sleeve gastrectomy on HbA1c, glucose levels, and BMI levels. The duration of this study was for 11 months. Participants were required to check in every month and document their daily activities as well as their dietary intake, while blood workup was given in. Since T2DM is very common, studying the best combination of bariatric surgery will impact type two diabetics significantly. Future studies should research if specific diet and physical activity along with different bariatric surgeries will reduce the chances or progression of other diseases similar to type II diabetes.
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Mirabel Bok, Class of 2022 College Attending: Fordham University Intended Major: Neuroscience SFP Activities: Tri-M Music Honor Society Vice President, Peer Tutor Awards & Honors: JSHS Regional Finalist, RPI Gold Medalist, Le Grand Concours Gold Medalist, National Science Honor Society, Math Honor Society, English Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, World Language Honor Society Hobbies & Interests: Clarinet, working out, traveling Long-Term Career Goals: Psychiatrist
Peer Support and Caregiver Support Mitigate the Relationship Between Trauma History and Prodromal Psychosis in Children Prodromal psychosis is the period of time before the clinical onset of psychosis and is characterized by positive symptoms, loss of touch with reality, and inhibited cognitive function. Trauma has been associated with increased severity of psychosis. Studying risk factors, such as trauma in children can help better identify high-risk individuals and develop early intervention methods, which are lacking in research. Previous research has also shown an association between decreased quality of peer and caregiver relationship and psychosis in children. The objectives of this study were to examine the association between traumatic experiences and prodromal psychosis in children 9-11 years old, and to assess the moderating effect of peer and caregiver support on the relationship between traumatic experiences and prodromal psychosis in children. Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N=11,878, mean age= 9.9, SD=0.6 ) were used and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between trauma and prodromal psychosis symptoms and distress. The moderating effect of peer support and caregiver support was assessed by conducting a series of regression analyses. This study found that trauma is associated with psychosis. Peer support significantly mitigated the effects of traumatic experiences of prodromal psychosis, while caregiver support did so to a lesser extent. The role of peer support in mitigating effects of trauma should be studied more and intervention methods focused on peer support in children should be developed and tested for efficacy.
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Leandro Couto, Class of 2022 College Attending: Stony Brook University Intended Major: Health Sciences SFP Activities: Seraph, Pura Vida Club, Creative Writing Club Awards & Honors: Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Video games, D&D, hiking, camping, anatomical studies, making people concerned and creative writing Long-Term Career Goals: Medical Doctor (family medicine)
The Effect of Comorbid Illnesses on Insomnia In Patients With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition categorized by extreme fatigue lasting for 6 months or longer with no discernible cause such as lack of sleep or over-exertion. This causes significant disruption in patients’ lives by making it easier for them to become exhausted, thus reducing their productivity. Numerous studies note that CFS often presents with other comorbid conditions such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or sleep disturbance conditions like insomnia which increase the burden of illness. However, there is very little research to show how these conditions interact with each other in a population of CFS patients. Particularly, it has been observed that IBS and fibromyalgia seem to have overlapped in symptomatology, their effect on insomnia, and co-occur frequently. Consequently, this study aims to determine how the presence of multiple comorbid conditions, particularly FM and IBS, adds to a CFS patient’s likelihood of having severe insomnia. Data was taken from sequential patients from the Mount Sinai Pain and Fatigue Department. The comorbidities and symptoms of the patients were compared to see what affected insomnia and CFS. While most data was significant, most correlations found were relatively weak, and there were wide margins of error. However, it was found that overall, the groups that had CFS along with another comorbidity, particularly IBS, had a higher insomnia severity, with the presence of two conditions causing the greatest increase in insomnia severity. It was also found that pain and fatigue had the greatest effect on symptomology in these patients. Given that these conditions may change symptomology and obscure diagnosis, further research would be beneficial. Future studies should also determine how these comorbid conditions interact with each other during the treatment of CFS. Additionally, treatment plans that account for these abnormal symptoms that may require more care should be made. 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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Nevaeh Cuebas, Class of 2022 College Attending: St. John’s University Intended Major: Double Major in Economics / Criminal Justice SFP Activities: Spanish Club & Hand in Hand Club Awards & Honors: Science Honors Society Hobbies & Interests: Makeup Long-Term Career Goals: Criminal Defense Attorney
Neuropsychological Deficits and Levels of Self-control Interaction in Predicting Delinquent Behavior According to the National Juvenile Justice Statistics report, in 2018 there were 744,500 delinquency cases and of those cases, 31% of the crimes committed were violent. Researching the different predictors of delinquent and violent behaviors and finding evidence-based solutions can help prevent these crimes. Self-control and neuropsychological deficits are both predictors of delinquent behavior, but they have not been studied together as a means of predicting delinquent behavior. Prior research examining the effect of neuropsychological defects and self-control suggest both variables may act as strong correlates to crime and delinquency. Additionally, it is suspected that self-control may moderate the association between neuropsychological deficits and low self-control were expected to report greater delinquency. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (ADD Health), the current study investigated neuropsychological deficits and self-control as predictors of delinquent behavior. Furthermore, this study assessed the moderating effects of self-control between neuropsychological deficits and delinquency among adolescents and young adults. Findings indicated that only self-control remained a significant predictor of delinquency among the current sample. Additionally, an interaction between self-control and neuropsychological defects was found. Implications on the effects of neuropsychological defects and self-control are discussed.
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Valerie Franchitti, Class of 2022 College Attending: NYU Intended Major: Philosophy and Mathematics SFP Activities: Debate, The Little Portion, Peer Tutor Awards & Honors: Valedictorian, Topical Winner in American High School Poetry Contest, Recipient of the Roger Scruton Philosophy Prize from the John Locke Institute (2021), George Eastman Young Leaders Award (2021), National Merit Scholar, JSHS semifinalist, Honor Societies: Science, History, Math, English, National Hobbies & Interests: Art and Art History, Poetry, Mathematics, Epistemology & Political Philosophy Long-Term Career Goals: Philosopher (but, if somehow that doesn’t work out, a Policy Analyst at a Think Tank)
The Stability Levels of Interlocking and Non-Interlocking Two-Torii Systems The gravitational N-body problem considers how to model multiple objects which gravitationally interact with one another. This problem is salient for quasi-stable bodies, such as torii. The purpose of this study was to determine the stability of two variations of the two-body problem involving two distinct torii. This was achieved by modifying existing N-body code in Python to allow it to parametrically define toroidal objects. This model was then used to model an interlocking two-torii system and a non-interlocking two-torii system. It was determined that, in both models, the toroidal objects quickly destabilized when placed in a system with one another. In the interlocking two-torii system, the objects collapsed to form a single sphere or ellipsoid, forming a one body system. In the non-interlocking two-torii system, the objects individually collapsed into spherical or ellipsoidal objects, creating a classical two body problem. It was concluded that torii in multi-torii systems are too unstable to remain toroidal when interacting with one another. This precludes the possibility of observing naturally formed multi-torii systems, and potentially the possibility of such systems being engineered.
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Sydney Giron, Class of 2022 College Attending: StonyBrook University Intended Major: Biology SFP Activities: Korean Club, Red Cross Club, The Woolverines, Peer Counselor (Student Ambassador) Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Principal’s List, CAD Design Challenge at SBU Hobbies & Interests: Reading, Crocheting, Drawing, Gardens, Linguistics, Baking Long-Term Career Goals: Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Executive Dysfunction and Treatment Response in Post-stroke Depression Executive dysfunction (ED) in depressed older adults is associated with poor or incomplete response to pharmacotherapy. Psychotherapy has been proposed as a more effective treatment for depression with ED. Stroke survivors are more likely to have cognitive impairment; however, the relationship between ED and treatment response in post-stroke depression (PSD) is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine psychotherapy treatment response in PSD with and without ED and to evaluate whether a form of psychotherapy that supports executive function (Ecosystem Focused Therapy; EFT) reduces depression differentially in participants with PSD and ED compared to a psychoeducation based treatment (Education on Stroke and Depression; ESD). Participants underwent baseline assessments and were randomized to 12-weeks of treatment with EFT or ESD. Repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare mood ratings in patients with and without ED during the course of treatment. A follow up repeated measures ANCOVA evaluated treatment response by psychotherapy modality (EFT vs. ESD) in the subgroup of patients with ED. Participants with PSD and ED had a greater reduction in overall depression compared to patients without ED, when treated with psychotherapy over 12 weeks. However, within the group of patients with PSD and ED, there was no difference in symptom improvement based on whether they received EFT or ESD. The results indicate that psychotherapy is more beneficial to patients with PSD and ED in reducing depression severity over the course of three months of treatment compared to patients without ED. Our work extends prior findings in major depression to patients with PSD.
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Stella Haralambou, Class of 2022 College Attending: Fordham University Intended Major: Psychology SFP Activities: Greek Club, Dessert Club, Student Ambassador Awards & Honors: National Honors Society, Science National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Principal’s list, NYC STEM Finalist Hobbies & Interests: Dance, Baking, Music Long-Term Career Goals: Medical Doctor
Polygenic Risk Scores Determine Genetic Overlap between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease causing tremors, slow movement, speech changes, impaired posture and rigid movement. It has been observed that patients with PD have gastrointestinal symptoms leading to an alteration in the gut microbiome population. This leads to the idea that PD may have origins in the gut. Importantly patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), Crohn’s Disease (CD) , major types of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), have been reportedly at a higher risk of developing PD, which could be explained by shared genetic risks between IBD and and PD. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) have been derived to assess the genetic burden of developing a disease across multiple variants genome-wide. The goal of this study is to correlate PRS for IBD, UC, and CD and UC. In this study, PRS of PD patients were taken and analyzed using an enrichment analysis called Enrichr with association to IBD, UC and CD. Patients with high PRSs exhibited higher markers of intestinal inflammation and correlation with IBD and UC. These results show the genetic link between PRS for IBD and PD and shows the involvement of the immune system pathways with PD.
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Adriana Hendrickson-Slack, Class of 2022 College Attending: New York University Intended Major: Global Public Health-Science SFP Activities: Cofounder of Hand & Hand Club, Varsity Women’s Track Team, Varsity Women’s Swim Team, President of West Indian Culture Club, Spanish Club, Chamber Chorus, Prep Chorus Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Traveling, singing, volunteering, eating, food photography Long-Term Career Goals: OB/GYN, Health Administration
Mechanism of hypercoagulability in cancer patients treated with Bevacizumab Objective: To understand the relationship between proteinuria and venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with gynecologic malignancy undergoing treatment with bevacizumab. Methods: Patients with gynecologic (GYN) malignancies treated at a single institution from 10/2009-10/2020 were identified from an institutional database. Charts and medical records were retrospectively reviewed for clinical characteristics, use of bevacizumab, presence of proteinuria, and episodes of VTE. Appropriate statistics were applied for every aspect. Results: One hundred eighty-five patients were identified as having had a GYN malignancy and having undergone treatment with bevacizumab: 20 (11%) were patients with endometrial carcinoma, 21 (11%) cervical carcinoma, and 144 (77%) ovarian carcinoma. Of these, 17 (9%) were early-stage disease (stage I/II), while 168 were advanced-stage disease (stage III/IV). Bevacizumab was used as primary treatment for 29 (16%) patients and in a recurrent setting for 156 (84%) patients. Nineteen (10%) patients had a VTE event while on treatment. Thirty-three (18%) patients had bevacizumabinduced proteinuria. There were 6 patients that had a VTE event and concomitant proteinuria (p=0.099) Conclusions: Bevacizumab is known to cause proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome in patients. This study notes that there may be a link between bevacizumab-induced proteinuria and VTE events in patients with gynecologic malignancies. Additional research is warranted to elucidate this relationship further. PAGE 12
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Janiya Koger, Class of 2022 College Attending: Morgan State University Intended Major: Biology (BS) SFP Activities: West Indian Club, Peer Tutor, and Hand & Hand Club Awards & Honors: NYS Science Honor Society, Principal’s List, NYSCEF Semi Finalist, and JSHS Semi Finalist Hobbies & Interests: Painting/Drawing and Makeup Long-Term Career Goals: Cardiologists or Oncologist
Environmental Impact on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Using the Flow 2 Device to Measure Air Pollutants in New York Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a serious developmental disorder that impacts the nervous system and causes different levels of behavioral patterns and symptoms. There is no definite cause; however, it is believed air pollution has an impact. Recent research has indicated that exposure to air pollution increases the chances of a child developing the disorder. The impacts of air pollution have also been observed in pregnant women, and it has been found that their child is at a higher risk for the disorder, when exposed to high levels during the third trimester of pregnancy. This study collected air pollution levels with the Flow 2 device, specially nitrogen oxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC), particulate matter 10 (pm10), and particulate matter 2.5 (pm2.5). The study was carried out by observing and collecting the levels from different areas around the NY state and calculating the average levels of the air pollutants. The gh were then compared to the amount of ASD levels found in different areas of the state with where the peak levels in the data occurred. The number of cases was pulled from a state database that included the number of children diagnosed within the past year. Future implications will involve observing if there is correlation between the prevalence of a greater amount of autism cases in the U.S. regions with higher levels of pollution. In the future each air pollutant should be monitored one by one to observe if certain pollutants have an impact on the level of severity.
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Christian Liszewski, Class of 2022 College Attending: University of Connecticut Intended Major: Civil Engineering SFP Activities: Honors Orchestra, and Science Research!! Awards & Honors: Jshs national finalist; Honor roll/ principal’s list Hobbies & Interests: Traveling, Golfing, Exercising, and listening to music. Long-Term Career Goals: Architect
The use of alternative fuels to produce energy in a lead-acid battery model The use of alternative fuels to produce energy in a lead-acid battery model Leading industries are known for manufacturing some of the most energy-intensive productions and are a leading cause of fossil fuel expenditure. As time goes on, the number of natural resources will diminish with the addition of more trash being dumped in our environment. With one resource diminishing and another waste increasing, it may be beneficial to use some of the more abundant wastes to be used in these industries. The study that would potentially solve this issue would be burning these alternative fuels to create electricity. Recyclable wastes such as plastic and rubber materials are used as a power source in the sense of burning the products for electrical outputs. This could also be said for the use as a fuel source. Burning these fuels such as plastics and papers in an industrial furnace to create steam would help run a turbine to create an electrical source for these industries to use instead of using natural resources such as coal. What has been found was that recyclable waste, such as paper and food wastes, are the more common recyclable waste that releases energy. Hopefully in this study, a commonly recyclable waste that is generally available could be proven to produce a much higher electrical output, that could theoretically be found within the study. This study can demonstrate how something may be as useless as a piece of broken glass, which could theoretically hold much more electricity than people thought. The study will find the most effective alternative fuel that could create more electrical output than other fuels to better target electrical performance
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Josephine Lobosco, Class of 2022 College Attending: St John’s University Intended Major: Psychology SFP Activities: Alvernian Drama Society, Retreat Leader, Liturgical Ensemble Member, Prep Chorus, Eucharistic Minister, Peer Tutor Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Music, Reading, Acting, Crocheting Long-Term Career Goals: Psychologist
Cell Phones as a Vector for Secondary Transfer of Gunshot Residue Gunshot residue (GSR) can be transferred at a crime scene, leading to suspects having GSR on their hands even if they didn’t shoot the gun. GSR is used in court to place possible suspects at a crime scene. This study was designed to test the amount of GSR transferred onto phones after a shooting. Up until now, phones were not brought into court as evidence to prove someone as guilty or innocent. Due to the prevalent use of phones, it is necessary to consider the presence of GSR on phones as evidence. This study aims to examine if there is GSR transferred onto phones during a shooting. A control test was conducted, where a shooter (all of which were males) shot six rounds and then touched the screen directly. The shooter wiped his hands on his pants before touching the phone for a second experiment. This study shows that lead was present on only one of the two samples from the wiping experiment and on one of the samples from the no-wiping experiment. The presence of lead on phones can provide, along with other indicators, information about someone’s presence at a crime scene.
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Kaylee LoPiccolo, Class of 2022 College Attending: Binghamton University, First Year Research Immersion Program Intended Major: Health Science SFP Activities: Varsity Bowling, Chamber Orchestra, Irish Club, Peer Tutor, Peer Counselor, Retreat Leader, Eucharistic Minister Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Dancing, Music, Baking, Animals Long-Term Career Goals: Veterinarian
An Analysis of Dog Owners’ Perceptions of their Dog’s Behavior Patterns and Trends In dogs, it is common for the dog to occasionally experience some form of anxiety or aggressiveness. However, if symptoms of anxiety/aggressiveness occur frequently, this can be a sign of a severe behavioral issue or disorder. It is important for owners to be aware of their dogs’ behavioral patterns, and their perceptions of their dog can be different from how the dog actually acts. The present study’s aim was to determine owners’ perceptions of their dogs’ behavior patterns and trends, and to determine the presence or absence of behavioral issues in dogs. 110 owners completed a survey via Google Forms that included 5 sections, three of which all owners would answer: Basic Ownership and Behavior Questions, Behavior Issue Questions and Behavior Diagnosis/Medications. Questions would then be asked depending on whether or not the owner indicated that their dog had been diagnosed with a behavioral disorder. The results of this study indicated that more than half of all owners surveyed said their dog did not exhibit any behavioral issues (n = 32). However, more than half of the respondents (n = 76) indicated that their dog reacted to certain noises with fear. The most common responses were fireworks and gunshots. Questions were also asked about the breed selection process, and 42.5% (n = 47) of owners stated their dog was chosen for a specific reason, the most common being simply liking the way the dog looked (n = 14), hypoallergenic reasons (n = 13) and behavior/ family reasons (n = 11). Only three owners said their dog was diagnosed with a behavioral disorder, all being anxiety. From this study, it can be seen that many owners did not indicate their dog had a disorder but did say their dog suffered from some social anxiety (not wanting to be away from its owner) and commonly feared loud and sudden noises. This can most likely be due to COVID-19’s impact on owners being around their dogs more often.
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Taylor Massias-Acosta, Class of 2022 College Attending: The Catholic University of America, The University Honors Program Intended Major: Nursing SFP Activities: Girls Varsity Tennis Team, Key Club Co-President, Peer Tutor, Peer Counselor, Franciscan Youth Movement, The Seraph Newspaper, Hero Club, Physical Education Leader, Spanish Culture Club Awards & Honors: Highest Honor NYCSEF Finalist, National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, College Board National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, Principal’s List, Varsity Tennis Player’s Award, Varsity Tennis First & Third Year Award Hobbies & Interests: Music, Baking, Tennis, Swimming Long-Term Career Goals: Nurse Practitioner
Sleep Quality and Anxiety Symptoms of Youth During COVID-19: Electronic Use As a Beneficial Factor Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents have experienced noteworthy life changes, including shifts in schedules and isolation as a result of quarantining. These routine disruptions have affected sleep quality and circadian rhythms; increased stress and anxiety; and contributed to an increase in the use of electronic devices. Considering that prior to COVID-19, one out of three teens was likely to experience an anxiety disorder, as well as poor sleep quality, it is not surprising that preliminary data suggests increases to these rates. Previous studies, before the pandemic, looked at poor sleep quality, electronic device usage, and anxiety in adolescents and found that electronic usage has both beneficial and negative effects on adolescent anxiety and sleep quality. However, no studies have examined these relationships during quarantine or examined the different functions of adolescents’ electronic use (e.g., to distract, relax, social engagement, etc.) and how those functions relate to sleep quality and anxiety. The current study measured adolescent sleep quality and anxiety levels during quarantine, as well as electronic usage, specific functions for electronic use, and their relation to anxiety or sleep. Adolescents completed self-report questionnaires assessing their anxiety, using the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED); sleep quality, using the PROMIS® Pediatric Item Bank v1.0 – Sleep Disturbance; and electronic usage, gathering data from their iPhones. The questionnaires were given through Google Classroom and administered through Google Forms. Data were analyzed using correlations and descriptive analyses to examine the relationships between sleep quality, electronic usage, and anxiety levels with SPSS Version 27. Results suggested that sleep problems, anxiety, and electronic use were positively correlated, and that prolonged interest in apps was believed to interfere with sleep. In addition, participants who endorsed using apps primarily for enjoyment (i.e., when bored or to catch up) reported less social anxiety. Future research exploring usage prior to bedtime to see if these functions can serve as prevention or intervention for adolescents’ anxiety and sleep quality is recommended. 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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Tiffany Ng, Class of 2022 College Attending: New York University Intended Major: Economics SFP Activities: Women in Business Club Co-founder & president, Golf Varsity, Spanish Culture Club, Hero Club, Trial of the Century, Franciscan Youth Movement. Awards & Honors: United Nations National Community Service Award, National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, World Language Honor Society, Computer Science Honor Society, National Spanish Examination Honoree, Women Activism Recognition, Honor Roll: Principal’s list Hobbies & Interests: Journaling, Reading, Golfing, Working out, Volunteering, Traveling, listening to music Long-Term Career Goals: Angel Investor
Evaluating The Usability of a Healthcare Chatbot and How They Interact with Patients Chatbots are an artificial intelligence software that can simulate a conversation or a chat with a user through messaging applications, websites, mobile apps, or through the telephone. They are becoming more prevalent as we can now use them to book flights, manage savings, and schedule appointments, and now, the technology is gaining attraction in healthcare. Their role in healthcare involves being virtual medical assistants and providing informational support to patients. Chatbots can also make appointments more convenient to schedule, serve assistance in renewing prescriptions, and help collect patient information for caregivers. These benefits also include reducing professionals’ workload by shortening hospital visits, unnecessary treatments and procedures, and decreasing hospital admissions and readmissions as treatment compliance and knowledge about their symptoms improve. Assessing how easy it is for humans to use healthcare chatbots, however, can be quite challenging. The technology is usually associated with poor adherence by patients due to lack of adaptability to computerized chatbots as opposed to traditional face-to-face interactions with human physicians. The proposed study will be evaluated using a usability test where participants will answer a series of questionnaires regarding their interaction with the Health Chatbot. Participants will be video and audio recorded as they are conversing with the bot (known as the concurrent think aloud protocol). Results will be used to direct future work to better align with the needs of patients. In the near future, Health Chatbots will gradually contain more different personas and be able to hold more complex conversations with patients without human assistance.
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Andrea O’Hara, Class of 2022 College Attending: Tufts University Intended Major: Biomedical Sciences SFP Activities: Girls Varsity Swim Team, Honors Percussion Ensemble, The Little Portion, Franciscan Youth Movement, Korean Club. Awards & Honors: Tri-M Honor Society, National Honor Society, Principal’s List, Optimate’s List Hobbies & Interests: Swimming, Reading, Exercising, Trying New Foods, Napping, and helping my community Long-Term Career Goals: Oncologist
Determination of the Involvement of M2 Tissue Repair Macrophages in Human Intraductal Mucinous Neoplasm Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and it is one of the most aggressive human malignancies. Over the past decade there has been growing interest in understanding the role the immune system plays in PDA development including the role of tumor suppressing M2 macrophages. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a pre-neoplastic ductal lesion that can progress to PDA but the role of immune cells in IPMN development and their role in promoting IPMN-PDAC development is unclear. Using RNA-seq information from a new mouse model of IPMN, it has found that mice expressing oncogenic KRasG12D and nuclear GSK-3β develop low-grade IPMN lesions in the pancreas with a concomitant increase in immune cells, including large numbers of M2 (tissue-repair) macrophages. To determine whether M2 macrophages also accumulate in the pancreas of patients with IPMN, I have stained tissue sections from patients with IPMN and several cores from a tissue microarray. My data shows that like the mouse model, macrophages accumulate in the IPMN tissue around the neoplastic ductal cells. Moreover, it has been shown that in the majority of patient samples there are more M2 tissue-repair macrophages compared to inflammatory macrophages (M1). Altogether, the data demonstrates that macrophages, and primarily those of the M2 phenotype, accumulate in human IPMN. The mechanism of their recruitment and differentiation as well as their role in disease development and progression remain to be defined.
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Emma Periera, Class of 2022 College Attending: Cornell University Intended Major: Environmental and/or Civil Engineering SFP Activities: The Little Portion, Peer Tutor, Chamber Orchestra Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, NYS Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Principal’s List, Franciscan Scholarship, National Spanish Examination Level 3 Bronze Medal, Pinkerton Scholar, National Spanish Honor Society, National Hispanic Recognition Program, AP Scholar with Distinction Hobbies & Interests: Dance, Digital Drawing, kickboxing, too many Videogames, Earth Science and rocks (they rock), making puns, eating Hal’s New York Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips Long-Term Career Goals: To work for a job that aligns with my passion to better the environment around me for my community
Analyzing Misinformation About Climate Change Among Twitter Users Through Misleading Hashtags With the increased use of social media platforms, information now has a greater reach to communities around the world. Twitter, being one of these platforms, allows users to center their tweets around popular issues through hashtags. Past studies have confirmed that misinformation is mainly spread through “echo chambers,” or rather through groups of people sharing similar beliefs and amplifying similar information to one another. However, there has yet to be an analysis of the current state of misinformation about climate change spread on Twitter. In this study, the analysis will be focused on the use of specific misleading hashtags that further the spread of disinformation about climate change. Tweets associated with common search terms under the topic of climate change will be gathered and selected as a subset for manual analysis. Overall, it was found that retweets were the most common tweet format found across all three hashtags analyzed. However, among the original and reply tweets analyzed, the most common type of tweet found under the analyzed hashtags were original tweets that fit the intended purpose of the hashtag and included other hashtags. The most popular content spread among the analyzed tweets was discrediting climate change activists and the most popular type of misinformation spread was stating that man-made climate change is not real. By illustrating what kinds of false information are most popular on Twitter and how they are commonly presented, I hope to address the lack of Twitter’s information monitoring under misleading hashtags and call for stricter restrictions on the platform in order to reduce misinformation overall about climate change. By reducing misinformation about climate change on Twitter, policies that call for mitigating our carbon footprint will garner more public support and more action can be made to reduce our contribution to climate change.
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Sophia Ribarich, Class of 2022 College Attending: University of Delaware Intended Major: Exercise Science SFP Activities: Italian Club, Croatian Club, Eucharistic Ministry, Peer Tutor, Peer Counselor Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta National Math Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, World Language National Honors Society, Principal’s List, National Italian Examination Silver Medal Hobbies & Interests: Baking, Music, Hockey Long-Term Career Goals: Doctor of Physical Therapy
The Impact of Social Media’s COVID-19 Information on Adolescent Anxiety Anxiety disorders consist of persistent feelings of worry and fear that are severe enough to affect daily activities. Among the various factors that can contribute to the onset of anxiety disorders, social media is one of the least researched. Findings have shown that spending more than two hours per day on social networking sites is associated with higher psychological distress, poor self-rated mental health, suicidal ideation, and an unmet need for mental health support. In this study, 261 students from St. Francis Preparatory School, aged fourteen to eighteen years old, participated in a survey to examine the levels of anxiety they experienced in relation to the number of social media platforms they used, whether or not they had been exposed to COVID-19 information, and how many hours a day they spent on social media. Participants filled out the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale which measures recent feelings of anxiety, which were then related to COVID-19 information exposure. Results show that, overall, the more social media platforms participants used, the more likely they were to have COVID-19 related anxiety, however, The more social media platforms participants used did not necessarily increase exposure to COVID-19 information. Future studies should compare the long-term and short-term effects of COVID-19 information exposure.
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Krishna Shah, Class of 2022 College Attending: Rutgers University Intended Major: Business SFP Activities: Indian Club, Women in Business Club, Trial of the Century: Mock Trial, Peer Tutor, Peer Counselor Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, New York State Science Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta National Math Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Traveling, Cooking, Exercising Long-Term Career Goals: Financial Analyst
Patient Perception of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Overactive Bladder Symptoms Overactive bladder (OAB) is a condition in which the bladder releases urine at an unplanned time. Previous studies have shown that a major cause of OAB is stress and tension. Current medication for OAB causes a variety of side-effects, including: dry mouth, constipation, dry or itchy eyes, blurred vision, indigestion, urinary tract infection, urinary retention, and drowsiness. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a healing approach that combines yoga and meditation to target unconscious thoughts that increase stress. Mindfulness is known to help stress in some capacity without any significant side-effects. It is also shown to improve other diseases and disorders such as: depression, anxiety, heart disease, and diabetes. Many rely on MBSR to alleviate and lessen their symptoms while calming their stressful day-to-day lives. This study was designed to identify and assess patient practices and perceptions on how MBSR impacts their OAB related symptoms and the severity of those symptoms. Results of this study should show that patients with high levels of interest or currently practicing MBSR will more likely have less symptom severity.
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Danial Sherafi, Class of 2022 College Attending: Stony Brook University Intended Major: Neuroscience SFP Activities: Chess club, Japanese Culture Club Awards & Honors: Semifinalists JSHS, National Art Honors Society, Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Drawing Long-Term Career Goals: Clinical Neurologist
Induction of SATB1 using phenothiazines as a treatment for Parkinson’s Disease Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the most common progressive motor neurodegenerative disorder in the world, causing gradual impairment of the central nervous system along with several cognitive symptoms such as dementia, depression, and anxiety. PD is thought to be caused by the death of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra. While treatments for PD are available, they can be costly and/or wear off over time. Phenothiazines are a class of antipsychotic drug that interact with the central nervous system (CNS) and dopamine receptors as an antagonist found in a study by Jaszczyszyn (et al. 2012). Here, a compiled list of phenothiazine gene expression expressions was used to see if they affect candidate genes in PD through comparison analysis. One overlapping gene, SATB1, was found to have been downregulated by PD, as well as upregulated by Phts. Downregulation of SATB1 is linked to senescence of dopaminergic neurons. This opens the door to phenothiazine treatment targeting SATB1. Further testing on models such as C. Elegans can determine its effectiveness in stopping age-related DA neuron death.
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Gianna Tallini, Class of 2022 College Attending: Molloy College, Honors Program Intended Major: Nursing SFP Activities: Broadway Club, Italian Club, Greek Club, Peer Counselor, Prep Chorus Awards & Honors: Tri-M Music Honor Society, National Honor Society, Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Reading, Baking, Singing Long-Term Career Goals: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Increased Mortality in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic Following the first reported cases of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019, COVID-19 quickly spread across the globe. The life-threatening virus has been found to be especially dangerous for people living with diabetes mellitus. It is still unknown exactly why the COVID-19 virus affects people with diabetes so seriously and disproportionately. In critical cases, patients develop acute respiratory problems and organ failure. This study examined how COVID-19 impacts glycemia in hospitalized diabetes patients from Stony Brook University Hospital by analyzing data from hospitalized diabetes patients before the pandemic and comparing it to people in the hospital with both diabetes and COVID-19. Specifically, the study evaluated differences in mortality, rates of readmission, case mix index, the percentage of COVID-19 patients with diabetes. The study found increases in mortality, readmission and case mix index. These findings add to a growing understanding of the impact COVID-19 has on people living with diabetes, both individuals infected with the virus as well as individuals without COVID-19 who may have deferred medical care as a result of the pandemic. These findings may guide clinicians in directing therapy for people with diabetes who contract COVID-19 as well as individuals without the virus in need of medical attention. This study may also help to inform the way in which our healthcare system responds to future potential COVID-19 variants.
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Theoni Theofanopoulos, Class of 2022 College Attending: Adelphi University Intended Major: Nursing SFP Activities: Italian Club, Greek Club, Peer Counselor, and Peer tutor Awards & Honors: Principles List and Honor Roll Hobbies & Interests: Writing poetry, Miss Greek Independence 2022 contestant, and traveling. Long-Term Career Goals: Nurse Practitioner in critical care pediatrics
Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion Concomitant to Structural Heart Procedures The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a small ear-like sac in the muscle wall of the left atrium of the heart. When the heart beats, blood is squeezed out of the left atrium and the LAA into the left ventricle. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) can cause irregular heartbeat which then could lead to a blood clot or stroke due to blood filling the LAA. A clip can be implanted into the LAA, closing it and evidently reducing the risk of blood clot in the LAA. The device implantation would undergo a surgical procedure. This clip can help improve post surgery life and can limit anticoagulant intake. This device is new to the cardiovascular field and is smaller and easier to use than other clips. More specifically, the surgeon will be doing either a valve replacement or CABG procedure and will also implant the device onto the LAA.The objective of this study is to see the long term effects in patients undergoing a LAAC with AF and to compare the postoperative AF (POAF) vs. POAF with no surgical LAAC. The main goal of this study is to observe how the LAA improves patients’ life after surgery. Postoperative response will be recorded in comparison to the surgical and nonsurgical AF patients. This is a prospective, multicenter, randomized unblinded studywith up to 400 subjects. The purpose of this study is to observe the long term effects on patients with postoperative left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) vs. patients without postoperative LAAC. Further research in this field could be a less invasive approach to implanting the device with long term effects ending in better life expectancy for AF patients.
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Evangeline Tsevis, Class of 2022 College Attending: Stony Brook University Intended Major: Nursing SFP Activities: Greek Club, Peer Counselor, Student Ambassador Awards & Honors: National Honors society, NHS President, Rho Kappa Social Studies Honors society, Science Honors Society Hobbies & Interests: Dance Long-Term Career Goals: Pediatric nurse
Assessing staff opinions and hesitancy towards the use of mobile telepresence robots in Canadian long-term care homes Social isolation is a common issue in Long-Term Care (LTC) and is associated with adverse outcomes such as reduced well-being and loneliness. This study investigates the attitudes of healthcare workers and staff towards the use of telepresence robots in LTC in Canada. We designed a cross-sectional online survey examining attitudes towards the acceptance, usability, prospected impacts, safety, and costs of using telepresence robots in LTC. 180 staff participated in the survey. They are point of care staff and leaders in two Canadian LTC homes. We applied descriptive and inferential statistical analysis to investigate how healthcare professionals, care staff, and administrators perceive the usability, patient impacts, technology acceptance, safety, and costs of using telepresence robots. The associations between those variables and participants’ demographic characteristics will be explained in this paper. We will discuss how telepresence robots are perceived as feasible and acceptable by staff in LTC settings. Concerns, strategies and recommendations will be examined to inform implementation in LTC homes.
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Juliana Wicelinski, Class of 2022 College Attending: Case Western Reserve University Intended Major: Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering SFP Activities: Peer Counselor, Peer Tutor, Broadway Terriers, Little Portion Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, Computer Science Honor Society, AP Scholar with Distinction, Hobbies & Interests: Baking, art, and anything creative Long-Term Career Goals: Engineer
The Use of PSR J0007+7303 to Validate the Effectiveness of PINT as Compared to TEMPO PINT is a new code that has been developed for use in pulsar timing. It is based in Python, makes use of modern libraries, and is completely independent of TEMPO/ TEMPO2. PINT has been proven to produce residuals from most normal timing models that are within ~10 nanoseconds of those produced by TEMPO and TEMPO2 using PSR J1600-3053, a pulsar proven to be extremely stable. This study uses PINT to create timing residuals for PSR J0007+7303, a younger and less stable pulsar. These residuals were compared to those produced by TEMPO/TEMPO2 for the same pulsar. The PINT and TEMPO residuals produced were consistent with those created for PSR J1600-3053, staying within ~10 nanoseconds. This proves the effectiveness of PINT on the analysis of younger, less stable pulsars.
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Ashley Zaromatidis, Class of 2022 College Attending: St. John’s University Intended Major: Psychology/Pre-Med Track SFP Activities: Dance Team, Seraph, Campus Ministry, Alvernian Drama Society, Italian Club, Greek Club, Fashion Club, Baking Club, Peer Counselor, Senior Leader, School Ambassador Awards & Honors: National Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, Optimate List/Principal’s List Hobbies & Interests: Fitness, traveling, art, dancing, volunteering, and creative writing
Long-Term Career Goals: Cardiothoracic Surgeon
Functional Status After Recovery From Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is an inflammatory condition that is similar to Kawasaki disease. Symptoms of Multisystem inflammatory syndrome are stomach pain, bloodshot eyes, diarrhea, dizziness or lightheadedness, skin rash, and vomiting. MIS-C can only come from COVID-19 because COVID-19 triggers inflammation and patients have only been diagnosed with disease two to six weeks after having COVID-19. MIS-C is treatable to patients through medications of immunoglobulin (IVIG), corticosteroids, and steroids. The treatment side effects can reduce the inflammation of MIS-C and protect the organs. Past studies have conducted a correlation between COVID-19 and MIS-C patients. The objective of this experiment was to show clinical progress of the MIS-C patient’s functional well-being after being discharged from COVID-19. MIS-C patients’ symptoms were predicted to decrease from the two week follow-up to the six month follow-up. The data was taken from a survey with patients under the age of 21 at Northwell Cohen’s Hospital with COVID-19. The second survey compared the the first survey showed that the overall health, self-esteem, social skills with friends and family was increased and a stronger immune system. The six month follow-up had a decrease in MIS-C symptoms. Changing the environment of where the patients take the surveys can change their mental state. Instead of being inside a doctor’s office but in a hospital cafeteria or playroom, it can make the patient become more free-minded and less panicked as they would be in front of a doctor.
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Taylor Zaromatidis, Class of 2022 College Attending: St. John’s University Intended Major: Psychology SFP Activities: Dance Team, Greek Club, Italian Club, Baking Club, Fashion Club, Model UN, Senior Leader, School Ambassador Awards & Honors: Principal’s List, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, NYS Science Honor Society Hobbies & Interests: Volunteering and traveling Long-Term Career Goals: Corporate Lawyer
Potential mechanisms for gender differences in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC) is a rare liver cancer that has no cure and the tumorigenesis is unknown. FLC needs to be diagnosed with fewer steps since this cancer has a low survival rate. Past studies have shown a possibility that sex hormones can play a role in FLC tumor formation. The objective of this study is to find the contributing factor that causes gender differences in FLC patients. From the FLC Registry, I took over 200 consented registered patients data and analyzed their age and survival probability by using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program. The graph proves that as time goes by since a patient’s diagnosis, the survival rate declines. Male FLC patients have lower survival rates than women. According to the graph it supports that estrogen suppresses tumor growth and testosterone aggravates tumor growth. By conducting this experiment it is one step closer to finding the cause of FLC and improving patients survival rates.
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Ruth Zhang, Class of 2022 College Attending: The Honors College at Stony Brook University Intended Major: Biology, English SFP Activities: Tri-M Music Honor Society Secretary, The Little Portion Assistant-Editor-in-Chief, Liturgical Ensemble, Creative Writing Club, Eucharistic Ministry, Peer Tutor, Peer Counselor Awards & Honors: JSHS Semifinalist, NMSQT Commended Title 2021, National Honors Society, 1st place Schoolwide Poetry Out Loud winner 2022, 1st place Schoolwide Poetry Out Loud winner 2021, AP Scholar with Distinction, Canticle of the Sun Award for excellence in poetry 2019 Hobbies & Interests: Writing poetry, Playing guitar, Singing/Songwriting Long-Term Career Goals: Science Journalist
A Comparative Transcriptomic Approach towards Evaluating Tricyclic Drugs as a Novel Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is currently ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. It is a progressive brain disorder that destroys one’s memory and thinking abilities, eventually disrupting their ability to carry out everyday tasks. Though the symptoms of AD vary in severity and over time, it is widely acknowledged that one hallmark of the disease is the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. Amyloid plaques result from the overproduction of β-Amyloid (Aβ), a part of a larger protein involved in the cleavage of other proteins in proximity to the cell membrane. The buildup of amyloid plaques eventually leads to the disruption of function between neurons in the brain, contributing to the physiological and behavioral symptoms observed in AD patients. The recent development of high-throughput transcriptome sequencing has allowed scientists to specifically target molecular pathways of interest with the hope of developing more effective treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. The objective of this study is to examine and characterize the effects of tricyclic drugs, drugs known to inhibit Aβ toxicity, on the cellular transcriptome and use these insights to better inform ongoing in vivo experiments that behaviorally assess the potential of tricyclics as a treatment for AD. In the present study, RNA sequencing libraries were used to compare the gene expression profiles of cells treated with tricyclic drugs and potential molecular intermediates. This resulted in a list of gene candidates likely to be involved in the pathways important for facilitating the therapeutic effects of tricyclic drugs in AD models. Finally, the aforementioned list was compared to the transcription profiles of AD patients, confirming several genes as ideal targets for attenuating Aβ toxicity and more importantly, highlighting particular cell types and biochemical pathways as important research directions in future experiments assessing AD pathology in vivo. PAGE 30
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JUNIORS
CLASS OF 2023 ABSTRACTS Nadia Ahmady
Evaluating Type I Interferon Response in Embryonic Stem Cell-Differentiated Fibroblasts Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be induced to differentiate into specific cell types, with potential to serve as an unlimited source for cell transplantation. However, ESCs also possess an attenuated IFN-I response, meaning they lack a critical player in the cell’s first line of defense against viral infection. If the derivatives of ESCs (ESC-DCs) have a similarly weakened IFN-I response, they would lack the essential immune functions of the cells they’re trying to replace and not be a viable source for cell transplants. A previous study has shown that mouse ESC-derived fibroblasts could induce an IFN-I response that was attenuated compared to naturally differentiated mouse FBs. In another study, human ESC-derived endothelial cells expressed low levels of toll-like receptors (TLRs), molecules that initiate the IFN-I response, suggesting that the mechanism for attenuated immunity specifically targets TLRs. Therefore, the objective of this study is to quantify the IFN-I response in human ESC-differentiated fibroblasts (ESC-FBs) during viral infection and compare it to the IFN-I response in ESCs and naturally differentiated FBs. After ESCs, FBs, and ESC-FBs have been infected, expression levels of key IFN-I stimulated genes (ISGs), TLRs, and IFN-I regulatory factors (IRFs) will be measured. A Student’s t test will determine if there was any significant difference in ISG, TLR, and IRF expression between the three groups. Since different TLRs and IRFs are associated with detection of different pathogens, expression patterns will be examined to determine what type of infections ESC-FBs will be most vulnerable to. Studying the IFN-I response in ESC-derived FBs under live viral infection as well as the potential mechanism for its inhibition will improve understanding of ESC-DC biology and indicate how ESCDCs in tissue grafts might react under viral infection.
Katrina Belczynski
Cystic Fibrosis Covid-19 Patient Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic respiratory disease which negatively impacts many vital organs and systems. CF is caused by a mutation of the CFTR gene located on chromosome 7, which produces a thick, slippery mucus that clogs up the airways of the lungs making it very difficult for CF patients to breathe. The disease causes malnutrition, poor growth, other chronic illnesses and other tract infections that all contribute to development of a weak immune system. It is crucial to find a potential target treatment and minimize the effect of COVID-19 has on CF patients that could improve the lives of chronically ill patients. Based on previous research, it has been clear that patients with CF are more prone to develop severe illnesses when diagnosed with COVID -19 than those who do not have any pre-existing chronic infections. Many were shown to have been admitted to a hospital setting, put on ventilation, prescribed antibiotics/oral biotics, placed on the transplant list or any unstable reactions that could develop during the observation period. The experiment will consist of anywhere from 10 to 15 participants. Each participant will be given two treatment plans and options that strive to 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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minimize SARS-CoV-2 effect on chronically ill patients by professional physicians. I and other medical professionals would be participating in calculating and observing the results over the course of a couple of weeks. Retrospective- statistical analysis will be performed. The statistical analysis would include the mean and deviation, regression, hypothesis testing and sample size determination based on age (years), sex, transplant/ no transplant status, ppFEV1 value, FEV1 value, weight percentage and most importantly the severity of the patients CF case.
Sophia Dimont
Establishing the effect of invasive turtles on water quality at Goose Pond in Captain Tilly Park Following the rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series in the 1990s millions of freshwater turtles were exported from the United States. As owners of these turtles realized the difficulties of turtle husbandry, many of them decided to release their pets into nearby waterways, leading to an invasion of freshwater ecosystems. Turtles have been found to expedite the decomposition of carrion, and reduce the ammonia, phosphate, and turbidity of the water, showing that turtles do help improve water quality after these events. Turtles can also be used as monitors for mercury contamination in different waterways. Additionally, the removal of invasive red-eared sliders led to improved body condition of the native turtles and a change in their basking distribution, showing that they have a detrimental effect on native species, and that more research is needed to understand the effect of their presence. Ponds across the United Kingdom were found to have higher biodiversity in urban environments, reinforcing the importance of conserving and researching urban freshwater ecosystems. Currently, information on the general effect of invasive turtle populations on water quality in urban ponds is limited, and a study evaluating this would enable researchers to have a better understanding of their relationship to freshwater environments, thus enhancing knowledge for conservation efforts. This study aims to fill this gap, and it is hypothesized that turtle populations do have a negative impact on water quality, and population increases over time has expedited this. In close relation with the Natural Resources division of the NYC Parks department, data collected from past years about water quality, harmful algae bloom progress, and invasive turtle population, as well as field data collected for the study on these factors will be analyzed to evaluate these effects. Results should show a decrease in water quality and increase in frequency of harmful algae blooms as the population of turtles increases over time. Having new knowledge about this will establish if invasive turtles are bioindicators of or cause poor water quality, and gather more information on their general role in freshwater ecosystems.
Oliver Dolega
Utilization of Soft Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery Soft robotics is the implementation of soft materials, like silicone and malleable rubber, in modern day robots to minimize the amount of rigid material used. Soft robots tend to be more flexible and have more degrees of freedom compared to conventional hard robotics. Soft robots can be used in the field of modern medicine to replace hard robotic limbs that apply pressure to vital organs during robotic surgery. A study conducted in 2021 developed a prototype robot that acts like an eel, using fluidics, a form of nano hydraulics, to make the robot “slither.” Another 2021 study developed soft actuators that PAGE 32
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act like human muscles, capable of contraction and relaxation, and can be used to make snake-like robots move in precise and accurate ways, allowing it to contort and bend around sharp angles easily. A third study conducted in 2021 developed a two fingered gripping claw system and hypothesized its use in a soft robot for it to precisely target and grip objects. The products of these studies are certainly revolutionary, but no one is actively working on developing a flexible, snake-like soft robot to be used in surgery. By taking the ideas of each study and combining them into one project, a prototype soft robot can be created, especially the two-fingered grip system. The design of the soft claw can be used to facilitate the use of various surgical tools that would be necessary in robotic surgery or alongside the new tool system to assist with the surgery. This new system will pave the way for the first snake-like soft robot to be used in minimally invasive heart surgery, as it is the ideal tool to maneuver around the tight spaces of arteries and aortic chambers.
Vincent Fazio
Using Custom Built Preheaters to Increase FDM 3D Printing Speed 3D printing is a relatively new manufacturing process that has niche applications in industry. FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) 3D printing, a type of 3D printing used to create plastic parts, has mostly seen limited use to commercially produce products due to its slow manufacturing speed. One of the main limiting factors of print time in FDM 3D printing is the maximum flow rate of the hotend, the part that melts the plastic and extrudes it. A study was conducted that discovered the force required to feed more filament into the hotend increases dramatically at the maximum flow rate of a given hotend. However, a study conducted by Andregg and others found that raising the temperature of the hotend could lower the pressure in the hotend and raise the maximum flow rate noticeably. In order to better understand the flow and temperature conditions inside FDM 3D printer nozzles, a simulation was produced by Serdeczny and others showed the limit of a hotend is how fast it can transfer heat into the filament. However, the one variable that was not changed in these studies was the input temperature of the filament. The methods proposed in this study will include building two separate types of preheaters, with the goal of heating the filament before it enters the hotend, without increasing the mass of the hotend. One preheater, V1, works as a normal heat block mounted to the frame of the printer. The second preheater, V2, is a more novel approach, using heating wire to heat the bowden tube and the filament inside it as it travels to the hotend. In either circumstance, the result should theoretically be the same: the filament enters the hotend at an already elevated temperature. If the amount of energy that the hotend has to transfer to the filament is lowered, a higher maximum flow rate can possibly be achieved. This can help FDM 3D printing achieve faster print times easily and help FDM technology compete in mass production cases, since a preheater can be an easy upgrade for many commercially available 3D printers.
Gabriella Goris
Exploring the Use of Vaccines in Cancer Using Tumor and Disease Associated Antigens Antigens are molecules that stimulate an immune response by activating leukocytes that fight against diseases. Antigens may be present on invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites (disease associated antigens- DAAs), or on abnormal cells, such as cancer cells (tumor associated antigens-
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TAAs). The use of vaccines in cancer has the goal to get the immune system to prepare and attack against cancer cells within the body. Recently, similarity has been found between DAAs and TAAs. DAAs located within the influenza virus were shown to help decrease the overall tumor size and reduce toxicity in mice with lung and ovarian tumors. It was also found that 7 DAAs activate pro-inflammatory cytokines; this inflammation led to overall slowing of tumor progression and led to the identification of TAAs before a higher concentration appears, essentially acting as a pre warning before a tumor is shown.A vaccine made of peptides was tested against the DAA mucin 1 (MUC1), and was shown to slow the progression of inflammation in the colon that was caused by colon cancer. There is currently no research on TAA vaccines designed to slow tumor growth. The objective of this study is to see if TAA vaccines are as efficient and successful as the influenza-associated antigen vaccines at fighting tumor growth. Mouse models will be given breast and pancreatic tumor tissue with only female mice receiving breast tissue in order to test the TAA Her-2/neu efficiently. There will be 3 common types of TAAs being explored: MUC1 (found in all types of cancers), cyclin B1 (pancreatic cancer), and Her-2/ neu (breast and ovary cancers), with one given a placebo. The TAAs will be extracted from tumors to be used with lab-created peptides to create a vaccine. One mouse model will be injected with antigens from the influenza strain the same week as being surgically placed with a breast tumor for comparison of this method over a period of 25 days. Tumor sizes in all vaccine conditions will be compared. The future of TAA treatment through these vaccines is to conduct a more in-depth analysis of the tumor microenvironment’s reaction to the vaccine.
Daniel Horowitz
Survey of Concussion Awareness and Behaviors of Student Athletes at Saint Francis Preparatory School Concussions are rapid movements of the brain caused by a major hit or jolt to the head, most common in high contact sports. Concussions can cause brain damage such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) which affect memory, bodily functioning and response times. The possibility of experiencing a concussion is greatly decreased when using the correct safety equipment such as helmets. Players who do not abide by these protocols and equipment requirements are at greater risk for concussions. With the seriousness of concussions, not all are reported, leading to problems in the classroom and later in life. Reporting concussions make it easier to treat the concussion and possibly prevent it in the future. If players know the symptoms and side effects of concussions, they can help prevent them. The objective of this study is to find the prevalence and knowledge of concussions in players involved in high contact sports, such as football and soccer. It is hypothesized that those who are aware of concussions and use the correct safety measurements are less likely to experience a concussion than one who does not engage in these protocols. A questionnaire will be sent out that asks about the student athletes’ own habits of preventative measures, questions asking about their knowledge of concussions, and seeing if the person would report concussions from either themselves or a teammate. This can lead to helpful protocols for students with concussions getting back into school as well as programs being placed in school to help raise awareness of concussions.
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Jacqueline King
Analyzing two different signals with correction equations to see how the equations impact the signal Satellites are an important part of our modern society; they help predict weather conditions, direct the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and assist the military. There are many different types of errors that the GNSS experience, the hardest to predict being atmospheric interferences from ions (in the ionosphere) and water molecules (in the troposphere) deflect the signals which impede the receiver’s ability to translate the signals. Past studies have shown that satellites can be used to map out geographical terrain or manage unmanned air vehicles especially in areas where they are unable to direct themselves. Other studies have attempted to correct blurry images of satellites that can be applied to many different fields like inland and coastal water applications. Although there is a lot of research that attempts to fix GNSS errors, there are still problems with the equation and data depending on specific circumstances of the atmosphere or the weather of that day. My project will use data collected from the Galileo satellite (European Global Navigation Satellite System). First, I will gather data for position, velocity and time for two stations, next correct satellite positions for light travel time, earth rotation and relativistic corrections, then formal errors for the parameters will be computed, and finally the results of each correction will be compared to see which ones yield the most accurate results. Although global navigation systems all around the world are accurate enough to have utility it is worthwhile to improve the accuracy of these signals by reducing interference.
Michelle Liu
Academic Difficulty Experienced by Moderate Menstrual Irregularity The menstrual cycle is an important bodily process that most women go through in their lifetime, with an especially significant effect known as menstruation. However, women can be misinformed about menstruation, and therefore are misguided on important information such as what irregular menstruation is, what causes it, and the symptoms that follow. Previous studies have found that stress is a major factor of menstrual irregularity, causing amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation), dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), and other premenstrual symptoms. For students, this stress can come from school since they spend the most time there. However, a student’s experience with school can vary greatly. For instance, when it comes to school, different labels placed on students may place different types of stress on themselves. In the past, school was considered a single variable by studies without delving into the specifics of how school affects each person, and so, in this project, academic labels such as “gifted student” or “honors student” placed on students will be examined to find whether or not these stressors are a significant cause of menstrual irregularity in teens. Students will take a series of surveys on their medical and menstrual health and their academic labels; they will also use the period tracking app, Clue, to track their symptoms during menstruation. Stressors and menstrual symptoms will be compared and analyzed. The information gathered in this experiment can be used to create programs for schools to aid with menstrual irregularity, and can even be done with other variables such as experiences with race or sexuality to further our knowledge on irregular menstruation. 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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Blair Mulholland
Adolescents’ Establishment of Autonomy Adolescent minds are very impressionable during the stage of psychosocial development in which they are developing autonomy. During this time they are figuring out their own identities. Social media is a new influence and largely unstudied factor on this process. The average amount of time adolescents spend on social media dangerously increases every year; it especially spiked during the pandemic. In one study it was found that the social media program “SoMe” improved adolescents’ body image. Whereas, another study found that social media can lead to a negative perception of body image and even eating disorders due to edited photos others post. With the isolation caused by the quarantine, social media was the primary source of interaction with peers. The isolation alone can be detrimental to adolescents as well because a study done on rodents showed that when they were put in isolation were found to have long-term cognitive and neurological effects. To determine how teens’ establishment of autonomy was affected by the forced isolation and the increase in social media usage during the pandemic, a survey will be given to students aged 14-16. This survey will consist of questions that will ask how involved participants are with social media and who/what influences them. If the outcome of this study shows that the increase in social media usage has affected adolescents’ autonomy negatively, there should be further research to determine if reducing social media usage has the opposite effect.
Annette Murray
Attachment Styles in East Asian American Culture in relation to the development of Eating Disorders in Adolescents Eating disorders (EDs) are mood disorders characterized by severely disturbed eating habits and often troublesome thoughts pertaining to food and self-image. EDs occur most frequently in adolescents and young adults, and Asian Americans (AAs) are more likely to develop EDs than any other minority group. Diagnosis and treatment of EDs rely heavily on the understanding of the background of the individual. Though there are many aspects that can contribute to the development of EDs, cultural pressures – such as pressures to reach “perfection” – are a large factor. Attachment theory states that parent-child relationships are pertinent to a child’s ability to regulate their emotions. Parenting styles in East Asian cultures frequently implement values that could lead to insecure attachment as well as EDs. A past study indicated that most people diagnosed with an ED are insecurely attached. A study found that causes of EDs included Asian culture’s emphasis on thinness, family criticism of weight and comparison to other Asians. Research has found the AAs are less likely to seek professional help due to inadequate treatment. There is currently a gap in the field of EDs for treating AAs because the standards for diagnosis and treatment originated from Caucasian populations living in Western countries. The objective of this study will be to determine whether cultural pressures in Asian parent-child relationships causes insecure attachments, thereby influencing the development of EDs in adolescents.It is predicted that insecure attachments will stem from cultural pressures and that these insecure PAGE 36
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attachments will be positively correlated with the development of EDs.The study will involve the completion of three questionnaires: EMBU-C, EDE-Q, and AAVS-M, by AA adolescents diagnosed with EDs. This research will allow Asian Americans to receive more adequate treatment for EDs based on their background. Future research may delve deeper into cultural impacts outside of familial attachment such as social media.
Gabriel Nieves
Long-Range Untethered Haptic Feedback Data Glove Haptic feedback controllers are a human-computer interface designed to allow hand gestures and movements to be interpreted as controller inputs. There are a variety of controller designs that vary in their functionality and purpose. Previously published articles focused on achieving a greater level of tactile feedback accuracy and precision or application in physical rehabilitation. There is very little literature concerning its application as a controller. In order to help address this issue this article will design and test a haptic feedback controller that has long range capabilities. The distance the controller can reliably control a drone unit will be measured and graphed. The latency signal strength will also be recorded and represented graphically. After determining the effective range of the system it will be compared to already available handheld drone controllers. By comparing the ranges it can be determined if there is a significant difference in their capabilities. The glove itself can be described as a completely untethered haptic glove that will use a finger tracking and gesture recognition system in conjunction with a digital gyroscope to effectively turn a user’s hand into a physical representation of the drone being controlled. This will help develop haptic gloves as effective controllers. By increasing the range, the possibilities of what these devices can be used for greatly increases. Some examples of occupations that can potentially benefit from this technology are police officers, firefighters, EMTs, park rangers, and various civilian occupations.
Theresa O’Connor
Detecting Evidence of Unconscious Learning During Visual Task with Multiple GoalRelevant Stimuli Due to the debate over the existence of unconscious learning, the relationship between unconscious associations and sight-based, or visual, attention is widely unknown. Attention can be indicated by physiological biomarkers - involuntary bodily responses like blinking and pupil dilation - and they reflect active information search. Recent studies found that unconscious associations made between visual stimuli improved performance during decision making and that decision making depended on whether the stimuli were goal or task relevant - how large of an impact the gathered information had, with tasks falling under goal. This study will investigate whether unconscious associations made between multiple goal-relevant stimuli will improve performance, if experience will improve performance, and whether there is a pattern to eye 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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movement related to the stimuli (using eye tracking equipment). Participants will complete a multiple-screen visual array task and be asked to report the amount of observed shapes (circle, square, triangle). Loading screens will contain information that can provide information about the relative magnitudes, which the participants will be uninformed about. They will also complete a post-experiment questionnaire asking about observed total shapes, estimated answer time, thought put into guesses, social media use, and strategies used. Performance will be measured based on answer magnitudes and not exact correctness, and unconscious associations may be present if a majority of participants are steadily correct in magnitude of both answers and guesses consistent with the loading screen information. If gaze allocation patterns are discovered, it should be investigated whether found biases can be overcome, and if unconscious associations could be incorporated into material for classroom learning.
Katie Anne O’Gallagher
Analyzing Twitter Hate Speech as a Predictor for LGBTQ+ Hate Crimes Hate speech is used to describe speech that expresses hate and/or encourages violence against a person or group of people because of their race, sexual orientation, gender, religion and/ or disability. A study found that the digital world has had an increase in hate rhetoric in mainstream media due to unregulated hate speech. Various researchers found that hate speech online can incite violence and lead to hate crimes being committed in the physical world in regards to religious discrimination. Online classifiers have been shown to be the most effective in identifying and removing hate speech. When it comes to research on hate speech generally focuses on racial or religious targets. This study will focus on hate targeting the LGBTQ+ community, specifically using Twitter activity from 2018 to 2019 and LGBTQ+ hate crimes in the United States between the same two years. An algorithm will be created to identify the hate speech data. If a correlation is found, it can show a predictive value for Twitter that can be recognized and tracked which could help law enforcement and non-profit organizations that deal with LGBTQ+ related hate crimes prepare for a surge in hate crimes. Also, it could help social media sites take a stronger stance against hate speech on their platforms which could lead to a lessening in discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community and a reduce in hate speeh.
Michelle Olhoviks
Magnetic Nanostructures as Amplifiers of Transverse Fields in Magnetic Resonance MRIs produce images of tissue by utilizing radio waves and magnets; two important factors that contribute to an MRI’s performance are the overall strength of the magnetic field and electrical resistance, which determines the quality of images produced. Improving these two areas would help with the cost of construction and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of an MRI, which determines image quality. Powerful magnets in an MRI contribute to the magnetic field, and RF coils contribute to radio waves sent out. A previous study constructed a micro-coil setup which PAGE 38
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was designed with two differing micro coils, and it was observed that the coil with nanoparticles amplified the peak signal of the field by about two percent. Another study which built on the previous one showed that the properties of nanostructures lead to transverse flux amplification of the magnetic resonance field, which ultimately means that the nanoparticle-filled core has potential to improve SNR. However, a suitable environment for the testing of the potential of a nanoparticle-filled core couldn’t be appropriately created. The objective of this study is to test magnetic nanostructures as amplifiers of magnetic fields by using nanoparticle film, and it is hypothesized that doing so should amplify the field by 50% when compared to traditional methods. To mimic the function of MRI machines, two empty coil cores will be 3D printed, one of which would be filled with nanoparticle film; both cores would be wound with RF coils in a pattern whose design would maximize magnetic flux pick up. The whole setup would be placed inside a tunable magnetic field environment where performance would be assessed. Hopefully, the results would show around 50% amplification, which would make it worthwhile to apply to actual MRIs. Future studies should experiment with different types of nanoparticle films and change the structure of the cores used, which may have to be done if the cores are too big or small for a strong magnetic field to be applied or if the nanoparticle films aren’t as densely packed with electrons.
Ariana Papadopoulos
The Genetic Influence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder that affects about 1 billion individuals globally. This condition consists of the unconscious cessation of airflow when breathing. Past research indicates that approximately 80% of cases of OSA go undiagnosed. OSA is caused by fat deposits in the body, affecting airway circumference. It has been found that there is a genetic link to this sleep disorder, however the exact gene is not yet known. Research has implied that, if an individual has several relatives that are carriers of OSA then that individual is predisposed and is more susceptible to the infirmity. Current research regarding the investigation of the gene and genetic traits that are passed on among families with OSA lacks sufficient investigation. This study’s objective is to identify the unknown gene that influences the severity of OSA in an individual. If physical traits can influence intensity of and susceptibility to OSA, then with the use of several trials, the specific gene and traits associated with this disorder can be identified. This study will be administered using questionnaires (to assess risk and current severity of OSA), polysomnography, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), and complex segregation analysis (CSA) and Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE). Genetic basis will be measured using tetrachoric correlation, to reflect the degree of relationship between OSA intensity and relation to an individual with this disorder. Future studies should investigate the effectiveness of CSA compared to SAGE when investigating prevalence of OSA in a twin study. Researchers should also separate experimental groups based on the participants’ closeness in relation to a carrier of OSA, identifying how closeness directly affects the intensity of this disorder.
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Arianna Ramlall
PARP inhibition in Mutated Cancerous BRCA cells BRCA is a protein that suppresses growth of breast cancer tumors, but when mutated it no longer has the ability to suppress, increasing the risk of breast cancer. Those with this gene mutation are specifically sensitive to a cancer therapy targeting polymerase inhibitors, called PARP inhibitors (PARPi). These pharmacological anticancer therapeutic inhibitors have the potential to be used as a treatment in advanced solid tumors stemming from BRCA mutated cancers (Curtin, 2013). The inhibitors are able to increase the cytotoxicity ability of tumor treatments through evaluating the synthetic lethality of PARPi specifically in tumor cells (Lord, 2017). Now that PARP inhibition itself has been identified, a focus on the application of the PARPi in cancer cells is needed (Li, 2020). Therefore, a study evaluating exploration of synthetic lethality of PARPi in tumor cells with BRCA mutations should be done to determine most effective dosing sizes. Application of this specifically in BRCA mutations, will allow PARPi treatment to be optimized. This can be done through in vitro tests using a dose titration method to evaluate optimization by testing survival of cells against different dosage sizes. This evaluation will help determine the efficacy of synthetic inhibitors for this specific mutation. In the future inhibitors may be used against various types of mutations utilizing the value of synthetic lethality in different cancer treatments.
Alyssa Ramnauth
Body-Worn Camera Footage and Memory Distortion Memories are susceptible to strong emotions and outside information; they can also be reconstructed to include erroneous information unintentionally. Trauma can thus negatively impact memories. Based on past interactions with police, certain people may experience trauma and hold a negative bias towards police officers. Body-worn camera (BWC) footage can be useful in the legal system as a way to provide objective evidence. BWC footage has appeared to be more reliable and accurate than human memory. Previous research has investigated the reliability of BWC footage and how it can lead to more accurate convictions. BWC footage has also been tested to determine whether or not it improves memory. The objective of this study is to test how interactions with police impact memory distortion. The relationship between police association among participants and memory distortion would be mediated by the amount of trauma experienced, and that context information is hypothesized to reduce memory distortion. Participants will read a police report as a source of misinformation containing incorrect information on the event in the BWC footage, and then they will watch BWC footage. One group of participants will just watch the BWC without the police report (misinformation), and another group that would read the police report, and then watch the BWC footage. The connection between trauma and BWC footage would be revealed using full mediation, which is the correlation of two events using an outside third event. Following the video and report, the participants will fill out questionnaires to assess how much information they retained and whether PAGE 40
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BWC footage and trauma were related. In the future, BWC footage can be used in court cases as a reliable and consistent resource. If there is a relationship between BWC footage and trauma, then race/ethnicity can also be examined as they may have an impact on both trauma with police involvement and ability to perceive BWC footage neutrally.
Victoria Rios
Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a description of tumors that develop within the mouth, sinuses, throat, neck, and other sites in the region. In spite of initial attempts to manage the cancer through other forms of treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or surgery, recurrences are frequent. In recent years, as research has progressed, immunotherapy has been introduced for the treatment of recurrent head and neck cancer. Unlike other forms of treatment such as the use of surgery, radiation, and various chemotherapeutics, immunotherapy is one of the relatively new types of treatment now available for patients. Nevertheless, more research needs to be done in order to determine patient response. In order to do this, different search engines on the internet such as PubMed, Science Direct, and other websites for clinical studies will be observed in order to compare patients who have undergone immunotherapy treatment for recurrent HNC. The data will be analyzed using odds ratio to observe the relationship between patient exposure to the treatment and the outcome, which will ultimately be evaluated in a systematic review to draw a general conclusion about the treatment’s effectiveness for recurrent HNC. Understanding patient response to this particular type of immunotherapy for recurrent head and neck cancer will address the expectations when using the therapy and why it would be a beneficial treatment plan. This would allow for more lives to be saved, considering the thousands of deaths each year just from HNC alone. The use of immunotherapy can open up a patientspecific type of treatment that could, if not completely rid someone of cancer, increase the life expectancy that would not be possible otherwise.
Hailey Sandoval
Examining the Long-Term Effects of GHT on Patients Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) is an endocrine disorder that occurs when the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, does not produce enough growth hormone (GH). Short stature is one of the obvious observable symptoms of GHD in addition to a decline in height velocity during puberty. Daily injections of recombinant human Growth Hormone (rhGH) are adjusted based on how severe a patient’s diagnosis is and how tall they should be at the end of treatment. A current issue is trying to determine possible reactions to Growth Hormone Therapy and how to monitor them. It is important to identify and attempt to alleviate these reactions to prevent adverse events in patients. Identifying the reactions can increase GHT efficacy and prevent reactions that can lead to more dangerous conditions. Additionally, linking adverse 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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events caused by GHT can pave the way for improvements by potentially minimizing the adverse events GHT causes. The objective of this study is to analyze reactions to GHT to determine how it directly affects a person to improve GHT itself and the patient’s long-term health conditions after treatment by learning what health conditions are more likely to occur in patients. The study will consist of data from 100 patients undergoing GHT. Patient data will be collected from different databases and categorized by what percentage of the patients who have certain Adverse Events (AE) such as vision problems, leukemia, and scoliosis. In future studies, it would be ideal to use safety profiles to help recognize future effects of medication to prevent adverse events throughout the medical field. Using the safety profiles, doctors can add medications for patients to take alongside GHT to combat certain side effects that can be detrimental to their health.
Venise Sau
Combinatorial therapy of chemotherapy and targeted therapy to treat EGFR mutations in NSCLC. Lung cancer, one of the most common cancers in the world, exists in two categories: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Non-small cell lung cancer, the less prolific type of the two, makes up the majority of lung cancer diagnoses. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are a type of mutation relatively common in NSCLC cases. Currently, chemotherapy is one of the various NSCLC treatment regimens which is composed of several distinct administration techniques- combinatorial chemotherapy being one of them. Recent studies on combinatorial chemotherapy utilize an array of different antineoplastic agents to maximize efficacy, especially in EGFR-specific mutations. In this realm of research, novelty lies in the diverse pool of drug combinations that may result in the most efficacy when measuring each combination’s effect on factors such as tumor inhibition, cell viability, or cell proliferation. Efficacy can be maximized if combining two drugs produces a synergistic effect. The objective of this study is to establish a synergistic method of treatment with minimal adverse effects by utilizing an EGFR target therapy drug and chemotherapeutic agent in NSCLC patients. In order to achieve this objective, cells from human cell line NCI-H460 will be treated in-vitro with a combination of osimertinib and paclitaxel. Osimertinib, an EGFR target therapy, targets the mutated EGFR while paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug, attacks any rapidly dividing cells. Cell proliferation and cell viability after cell incubation will be determined. Cells with low cell viability and proliferation after the assay will demonstrate the efficacy of this combination of drugs. If so, an official regimen to treat EGFR-specific NSCLC cases may be developed around this pairing of antineoplastic drugs in the hopes of creating an effective treatment for a broad group of patients.
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Marvin Shehu
CRISPR screening identifies if the hydrodynamic delivery method can help CRISPR in curing pancreatic cancer. CRISPR is a genome editing tool developed to alter the disabled functions of certain genes that are maintained in cellular nuclei. A major problem hindering the success of CRISPR right now is the delivery of this tool from the outside environment into the cells. New research being done on the delivery has found that the standard delivery system for CRISPR, the knock in cell line delivery system, isn’t allowing CRISPR to achieve its full potential. One of the reasons that this problem is occurring is that the cells are being damaged as CRISPR is entering the cells, because of its size and negative charge. Another problem that occurs is inaccurate in aiming for the cell, which can lead to off-target genome deliveries. The hydrodynamic delivery system has great potential for successfully delivering CRISPR, because the gene editing cargo is injected increasing the pressure in the bloodstream, which pushes CRISPR through the cell membrane more swiftly. When using the hydrodynamic delivery system, we will be injecting a large volume of CRISPR into the largest blood vessel, which in mice is their tail. After using CRISPR on the mice, we will wait for 2 weeks, and compare the mice that were treated with the standard CRISPR delivery with the mice that were treated with CRISPR delivered by the hydrodynamic delivery system. If the experiment is successful, we will be expecting to see CRISPR with the hydrodynamic delivery system significantly reduce the size of the pancreatic cancer, compared to the knock in cell line delivery system. In the near future, different delivery methods should be studied that can potentially help make CRISPR applicable to actual human bodies so that gene therapy methods could be employed.
Niovi Skarlatos
Efficiency and Safety of Using A Lipid Nanoparticle Cas9 Delivery System Against HIV-1 Virus CRISPR gene editing systems are the most simple to use, and they can be designed for specific use on an organism or virus. CRISPR systems work by guiding an endonuclease to a target section of genetic material to be edited. Delivery methods into cells can result in negative effects such as off-target toxicity. In one study, a Cas9/gRNA system was used to prevent HIV1 infection in cells, and significantly lowered HIV-1 expression and replication in previously infected cells. Another used lipid nanoparticles as a safer delivery method to the target cancer cells, with effective increases of survival in the mice. In yet another, a CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to effectively suppress the hepatitis B virus. In the fourth study, a Cas13a-cRNA system was used to treat viral respiratory infections such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. These show that a well developed gene editing system could make more personalized treatments for a variety of different diseases. Combined with a safer delivery method such as the lipid nanoparticles, it would be much safer for these CRISPR therapies to be used and make using the gene therapies plausible with lower risks. This study aims to determine if the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery method, developed in a multistep process by the researchers as preparatory work, could be used 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
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to determine whether the delivery method could help make genetic engineering safer. The LNP delivery system is made by combining dissolved pH sensitive lipids and an aqueous solution with the HIV-1 specific Cas9 system, and enters the cells through endocytosis. The pH sensitive lipids will then dissolve and release the Cas9 system with the RNA into the cells, allowing for the desired gene editing to occur.
Antoinette Slaughter
Postpartum depression and uninsured women in America Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that occurs in mothers after giving birth. PPD can include a lack of interest, a depressed mood or manner, sadness and anxiety, exhaustion, fatigue, and changes in eating and sleeping. PPD not only negatively affects the mother but also affects the infant because it could limit the critical bonding time needed between the infant and the mother. Postpartum depression can be very expensive to treat, making it difficult for some women to receive help. One reason why it may be difficult for women to receive help is because of poor health insurance or the lack thereof. Studies have reported that the gap in life expectancy between the richest 1% and poorest 1% of individuals was 14.6 years showing that money and health insurance play a large role in treatment and care. There is a lack of knowledge in the medical field about patients of color, specifically women, and lower-income patients. This study’s objective is to point out the key differences in accessibility for uninsured women with postpartum depression. In this study, I will investigate the association between being insured and receiving postpartum depression treatment. I hypothesized that being uninsured would have a direct connection with women struggling with PPD. I will use insurance rates in selected regions, demographic data for these insured vs uninsured women (race, age, income), and Google Trends of these regions using specific search terms. I will differentiate between women who have and receive treatment versus those who don’t by assuming that the women who don’t have insurance and postpartum depression may possibly look up specific search terms. This will help us see if the prevalence is the same for the search terms but insurance rates differ since women may not be receiving the treatment that they need. In the future, this research can benefit women with PPD and other uninsured people with mental disorders by directing policymakers to make changes in healthcare. The prevalence of people who need mental health care yet struggle to gain access to it is another reason why this should be a topic of importance.
Cristina Stanescu
Assessing if Certain Orthodontic Indexes are Risk Factors to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Periodontitis is an infectious and chronic condition that leads to the destruction of the tissues supporting the tooth due to the accumulation of bacterial biofilm. There are variations in the prevalence of periodontitis between different mutans, but the pathogenic microorganisms associated with periodontal disease all elevate the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. PAGE 44
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With that being said, these alterations appear to be the major mechanisms related with the associations between periodontitis and systemic diseases like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a sleep disorder in which the complete (apnea) or partial (hypopnea) obstruction of the upper airway occurs. The relationship between periodontitis and OSA calls into question whether other factors that are associated with periodontitis can be tied to OSA. For instance, certain orthodontic indexes like overjet and overbite can increase the likelihood of developing periodontitis through their varying impacts on the ability to maintain proper oral health, and/ or its ability to cause mouth breathing. These orthodontic influences can be taken into account to test for an association between OSA. Mouth breathing and periodontitis, for example, have a bidirectional relationship with OSA, so confirming a risk factor relationship between these orthodontic indexes and OSA can increase accurate and efficient diagnostic conclusions. These conclusions would be based on the relationship of the responses to the STOP-Bang score and the results from a dental examination. The orthodontic field can take the first step in preventing OSA by understanding how bite patterns could be a risk factor for it; thus proper referrals and diagnoses can be secured.
Tyler Tom
Understanding Patient and Clinical Perspectives on AI Chatbots Chatbots are forms of artificial intelligence that utilize natural language processing to understand and respond to human interaction. Studies have shown that chatbots implemented in healthcare settings were able to support clinicians in diagnosing and treating patients, reduce physician workload, and conduct health therapy. As the role of chatbots in the healthcare field increases, it has intensified debate on the amount of responsibility chatbots should be given in the field. Both patient and healthcare workers’ perspectives play a major part in the implementation of these devices as both groups need to be willing to use them. Past studies have recognized the benefits of AI; however, the distrust of newer technologies from the general public prevented it from being completely incorporated into healthcare. One step to resolve this growing problem would be to understand the perceived risks and benefits from both patients and healthcare workers. A quantitative survey will be distributed to individuals without healthcare work experience, and a qualitative survey will be given to healthcare workers, but both sets of surveys will pertain to questions about comfortability of healthcare. The answers of each question will be compared quantitatively to understand the most common chosen answer to find a correlation between answers. The application of these results can help researchers learn more about what issues need to be addressed and solved before chatbots can be fully implemented into the healthcare field to improve how well chatbots can integrate with both patients and healthcare workers.
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Kai Wang
Exploring Replenishment of Thermally Manipulated Coral Tissue Under Ocean Acidification The ocean is currently undergoing multiple dangerous changes including acidification and warming. Rising ocean temperatures affect marine species and ecosystems, with coral reefs widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable marine ecosystems in the world. Ocean acidification can slow the growth of coral skeletons, and make reefs more brittle and less resistant to stressors such as warming temperatures. In the past, studies have found that the recovery of coral reefs may be impeded by global change even if local stressors are curbed. New possibilities to save coral have been introduced such as coral stress hardening, where corals are pre-exposed to stress in a lab before returning them to the wild. It is critically important to broaden the knowledge of complex ocean processes and ecosystem interactions for future adaptation to climate change for coral reefs. The objective of this study is to explore the replenishment of thermally manipulated coral tissue under ocean acidification. Coral tissue will be removed from colonies and manipulated in a lab so they obtain thermally tolerant algae. The thermally manipulated tissue will be placed back into the original colony and it will be monitored under multiple stressors. The algae however have tradeoffs, one may provide thermal tolerance while another helps the coral grow. Finding the medium so corals can survive into the future and continue to grow is important. This study will help to provide insight into the tradeoffs of manipulated coral symbionts and how to deal with the tradeoffs.
Emily Zhou
Analyzing the nutritional composition of public and private lunch menus in four different countries School lunches should provide a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grain and protein with every lunch. For some students, school lunch is the only meal they will have for the day. Because of this, it is especially important that the lunches are nutritious and provide a healthy balance of the five food groups. There are considerable differences between the lunches served in private and public schools. It is required by law for a nutritionist to evaluate the lunch menu of public schools, though some school lunch compositions that fall under the federal lunch guidelines may contribute to unhealthy body weights among students. Study results have consistently found that students from public schools tended to be more underweight while private school children were more likely to be overweight. Past studies have also found that the overall food composition of public school lunches were healthier compared to those in private schools. This is hypothesized to be a result of the federal guidelines and restriction differences between private and public schools. This study will collect data on lunch menus of public schools and private schools from various countries in order to investigate the effects of different country’s national guidelines on school lunches. It will also determine if there are nutritional differences between public and private school lunches. The nutritional composition of the school lunch menu will be gathered by emailing schools for use in analyzing and comparing the information with other schools. The types of schools would first be grouped and then compared. Percentages of the types of responses through emails would be calculated. If nutritional content information is not readily available, the top five most popular foods for every school would be compared. Improving the food lunch choices available at schools will make it easier for students to make healthier food choices. There is a need for a future study to investigate the impact that nutritionists may have on implementing and managing school meals programs, especially if the results support the hypothesis. PAGE 46
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SOPHOMORES • CLASS OF 2024 Israel Bustos Septic Systems do not entirely prevent contaminations from being released into the environment
Natalia Cardarelli The use of Cognitive Behavior Therapy to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children
Septic systems are important wastewater treatment structures as they are used in homes around the world to treat wastewater so contaminants are not released back into the environment. However, studies have shown that there is the presence of organic wastewater compounds in lakes and rivers where wastewater is released and in groundwater near where septic systems release their treated wastewater. But it isn’t well known how organic compounds may be getting into the environment and if septic systems are a primary source. The first article’s objective is to measure organic wastewater compounds in wells that use septic systems and see if the presence of organic wastewater compounds is because of septic systems. The experiment was then conducted in Massachusetts using 20 domestic wells and looked at 117 organic wastewater compounds to see if they are present in the wells. 27 organic wastewater compounds were detected in high amounts and septic systems were found to be responsible for releasing them in their treated wastewater. The second article’s objective was to see how widespread septic system effluent is in surface waters. 294 samples were collected from 173 different stream sites in Southern Ontario, Canada. The results concluded that 91% of the four artificial sweeteners were detected with acesulfame being the most detected and found that all likely came from septic systems by tracking the artificial sweeteners. These two articles show how there is a limit to how effective septic system wastewater treatment is and the results make it clear that many organic wastewater compounds are being released into the environment. Yet future research needs to see if septic systems with a liner would change the results. The effect of artificial sweeteners and their breakdown effects on aquatic species and finding if other potential sources are the cause of organic wastewater compounds getting into the environment should also be investigated.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children, negatively affecting their everyday lives; including school work and at-home tasks. Treatments range from traditional pharmacological treatments to parasocial treatments such as cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT is a form of talk therapy that is a helpful tool that helps break unhealthy habits using reinforcements. Past research suggests that CBT has alleviated symptoms. However, a further explanation is required to determine if the use of CBT completely resolves all symptoms of ADHD, if this treatment is better used as a standalone or if its results will be more effective if combined with other treatment courses. The objective of the first experiment was to analyze the use of CBT as a treatment alone, alongside a medication, comparing the results to a more pharmacological route. The study concluded that the treatment including CBT alongside medication shows a more significant improvement of peripheral symptoms than the treatment of medication or CBT alone. The objective of the second experiment was to analyze the results of CBT alongside the Token Economy (TE) technique which uses contingency reinforcement to determine if this treatment alleviates the dysfunctional symptoms shown in ADHD. Researchers in this study analyzed children’s routines based on parent reports to moderate how each child was adjusting. The study results showed a positive correlation between CBT and the TE technique in eliminating a child’s disrupting routine. These studies indicate that CBT, alongside outside variables, has a positive effect on a child’s symptoms; future studies should further analyze what outside variable or combination of variables, such as medications and CBT, has the most substantial effect on a positive outcome of reducing ADHD.
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Eshaan Cattry Genomic History of Cannabis Biosynthesis Cannabis is a centuries-old crop with a rapidly growing legal market, particularly for therapeutic applications. Cannabis cultivars are typically classified by “fiber-type” (or hemp) for the production of fiber and/or seed oil or drug-type cultivars for recreational, ritual, or therapeutic usage. Cannabis’ medicinal and psychotropic properties are mediated by terpenophenolic ligands called cannabinoids, which may play a function of reducing inflammation caused by the immune system. In article 1, a study aimed to determine where a unique class of biosynthetic genes in the cannabis genome came from and how they evolved, so we can understand cannabis more. As a result, the cannabis gene was used as a diagnostic marker in crop breeding and forensics to detect how psychoactive the crops/drugs can be. Diagnostic markers include the genetic variations of cannabis’. In article 2, the domestication history of cannabis was explored using whole-genome resequencing. The resequencing method explains how to figure out which gene or genes influence a characteristic. Seeds or leaves were obtained from germplasm collection, commercial stores, and agronomic companies or collected in fields; DNA was extracted from those seeds and leaves. The findings demonstrated that the genes for cannabinoid oxidocyclase, a type of enzyme in cannabis, come from a newly recognized clade; it shows the evolutionary relationships among the cannabis and how their genes evolved. This can show us the genomic history of cannabis. The link between both articles is how phylogenetic analysis is used to classify various clades and subclades and how comprehensive classification is used. The new classification would benefit new research because of how much more it can describe the cannabis gene, going more in depth. Jenny Cho Improving Plant Growth by Moderating Cadmium (Cd) Intake in Plant Biomass Soils contain foreign matter that alter the way plants grow either in a detrimental or beneficial way. Cadmium (Cd) is a reactive oxygen species (ROS),which prevents water from entering a plant, slowing down photosynthesis. Past studies suggest that plants absorb toxins easily, allowing for a higher chance of failed plant growth. However, in the two studies, it was shown that nitrogen (N) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) have been used to alleviate Cd PAGE 48
absorption. The objective of the first article was to see the effect N had on maize roots contaminated with cadmium (Cd), a toxin harmful towards agricultural life. There were two maize genotypes: a smaller root (Shengrui999) and a bigger root (Zhongke11). Both genotypes differed in root system size, but had similar shoot dry weight. The small-rooted genotype was subjected to tolerate Cd better than the large-rooted genotype. Both genotypes benefited from N in maize and plant growth. The objective of the second article was to study the effect zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) have for absorbing Cd, in plant biomass, in drought stressed and normal climates. Drought stress promoted Cd enhancement, while ZnO NPs reduced Cd contamination and helped for better plant growth in both climates. Both studies show us the negative effects Cd has on plant growth and how it can be relieved through more nutrient availability for N and ZnO NPs. Javier Fajardo Uncovering Educational Misconceptions in Astronomy Prospective science teachers and university students face a complex and deep-rooted problem- astronomical misconceptions plague science education. Two studies, one based in the US and the other in Turkey, attempted to benefit those who care for proper education by uncovering underlying misconceptions in astronomical learning. The first article identified prospective science teachers’ conceptions on basic to advanced astronomical phenomena. An open-ended survey was administered with the intention of gauging conceptual knowledge of university students and prospective science teachers. The analysis of the data indicated that the prospective science teachers held varying misconceptions about numerous astronomical phenomena. The second article explains that, due to empirical and metric systems of measurement, there are many misconceptions about astronomical distances that then translate to teachers. The study estimated the true scale of these misconceptions by surveying university students and asking questions, pertaining to concepts such as moon phases, solar & lunar eclipses, and the center of the universe. The participants were also required to answer in an open-ended format. The results showed great variation, and ultimately an overwhelming number of incorrect responses, either by over or under-estimation. The results for both studies indicate that there are many ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
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misconceptions held by both teachers and students. It can therefore be concluded that if the teachers hold misconceptions, then students will as well, and the cycle of incorrect teaching will continue. Moving forward, this problem can be combated by performing conceptual change activities. Another method of combating this problem is to increase communication between teachers on a global level. This congregation of ideas will dispel widespread misconceptions. Gina Frattaroli Treatment and Attempted Eradication of Cancer Stem Cells Cancer stem cells (CSCs) like side population (SP) cells are known for treatment failure and tumor relapse. This is because CSCs are known to be drug resistant. These cancer stem cells have the ability to self-renew, differentiate, show resistance to drugs and apoptosis, and display high tumorigenicity in vivo. A way to successfully treat and eradicate them has not yet been found. To understand the mechanics of tumor recurrence and drug resistance, identification of cancer stem cells is needed. The aim of the first study was to analyze an oral cancer cell line. A group of cells were treated with verapamil, a chemotherapy drug. SP cells were found to be drug resistant. 3.4% of the cell line consisted of SP cells, which was reduced to 0.6% after being treated with verapamil. In the second study, an attempt was made to characterize the cancer cell stem cells by isolation and the use of verapamil. The methods were used to find if SP and nonSP cells expressed stem-like genes. 3.7% of the cell line consisted of SP cells, which was reduced to 0.5% after being treated with verapamil. Stem-like genes are a cause of tumor progression. Together, this information shows that side population cells are resistant to chemotherapy drugs and they are a threat to finding treatment plans for cancer, but their properties need to be better understood. Understanding SP cells can help us understand the development of recurrent progressive disease. Going forward, scientists need to further research the initiation and resistance properties of side population cells. This would be a great step forward for finding new cancer treatment plans.
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Madison Hau Domestic Dogs and Humans Perceive and Categorize Emotional Expressions to Evaluate Social Intentions Domestic dogs and humans possess the ability to perceive and categorize emotional expressions, empathy, and personality to enhance interspecific understanding as well as understanding between the same species. Discrimination of facial expressions help with evaluation of social intention between these species, indicating highlevel cognitive representation. It is currently unknown if dogs are discriminating human facial expressions without recognition of the information being transmitted. It is also unknown if humans are comprehending biological similarities of species other than themselves or if they are using anthropomorphic interpretations on non-human species. In the first experiment, photographs of dogs were perceived by humans. They were asked to rate the valence, arousal, and the six basic emotions which were happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, and fear emotions, in these photographs. Humans perceived these dog expressions similarly to that of other humans. It was found that psychological factors such as empathy, personality, and experience affected the estimation of emotions. In a second experiment, dogs were presented with human or dog faces with emotional valences such as happy, playful, angry, and aggressive, as well as auditory cues. These dogs were found to look significantly longer at the face whose expression was congruent to the valence of vocalization. Domestic dogs can obtain emotional information from both auditory and visual inputs that aid communication and social interaction in both humans and dogs. Both domestic dogs and humans were found to categorize and perceive emotional expressions in a similar way using social cognition machinery. Going forward, studying the emotional recognition between domestic dogs and humans can be used to understand the multimodal cues among non-human mammals. Ava Johnson Analyzing the Potential Applications Bitcoin’s Potential Market and Monetary Value Bitcoin is an emerging form of digital currency that is free of any oversight from banks or governments. Many people buy bitcoin as a form of investment. Due to the fact that this is a new field in terms of technology and investment, there is a lot to be learned about its role PAGE 49
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in the world and its policies. The objective of the first article was to analyze Bitcoin from the Austrian market perspective and compare the qualities of Bitcoin with traditional money, so it can be determined whether Bitcoin can serve as money. The authors examined its monetary properties in addition to the emergence of Bitcoin as a type of exchange that aligns with the ideas of Mises’ regression theorem. It identifies the non-monetary value of Bitcoin based on the economic good that must be possessed for exchange based on a non-monetary function. Additionally, it identifies that there has to be demand for its direct use. It was concluded through theoretical analysis that Bitcoin has the properties that allow it to facilitate the functions of money. The objective of the second article was to investigate the properties of Bitcoin in the financial sector. It investigated the volatility spillover, the transmission of instability from market to market, between Bitcoin and financial markets using multivariate tests. The results show that there are significant returns and volatility spillover between Bitcoin and a set of financial assets. It also shows that hedging strategies that involve gold, oil, developing stocks, and Bitcoin reduce the risk to the investor’s portfolio. Both articles further back up the argument that bitcoin can be used as a form of money. This means that Bitcoin could be used in diverse forms as it will most likely be more prominent in the future. Governments need to identify Bitcoin’s role in the economy and implement new regulations to allow it to have more of an effect on the economy whether as a form of money or investment. Athena Kambouraki The Comparison Between Dance Movement Therapy and Physical Activity on Patients With Cognitive impairment Dementia is the general term for memory loss, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. In spite of the fact that there is currently no cure for dementia as a whole, there are still many treatments to assist the patients with Dementia’ quality of life. These therapies such as dance movement therapy (DMT) and physical activity (PA) help maintain the patient’s independence and current cognitive abilities for as long as possible. These two therapy treatments were shown through studies that they are capable of making the Dementia Patients (DP) quality of life much more comfortable and it will allow these patients to be able to go back to most of PAGE 50
their normal routines that they had been able to do prior to being diagnosed with dementia. In the physical activity study, 30 patients practiced passive motor-assisted or active resistive leg training and changes in direction on a movement trainer in order to combine physical and cognitive stimuli. Clinical symptoms, functional abilities, and caregiver burden was assessed after a 12 and 24 week time span. Overall it was found that PA in a home-based setting might be an effective way to promote PA training in AD patients and modulate caregiver burden (help from others). In comparison the DMT study examined the correlation between specific DMT interventions and the improvement in quality of life, stress management/ reduction. The results indicated that specific DMT interventions were associated with an improvement in well-being, whereas other DMT interventions should be used cautiously until further research demonstrates their effectiveness. The two studies have shown positive results in relieving some of the hardships of cognitive impairment. Although there is still currently no cure, dance movement therapy and physical activity show great benefits for dementia patients and their quality of life. Hanna Kim Neuromodulation of the Brain for Better Bimanual Motor Skill Learning Among Surgeons Basic training in surgical procedures involves learning to work bimanually, which requires repetitive practice for maximum accuracy. However, collecting data on trends in accuracy of surgeons performing surgical procedures is time-consuming and inefficient. Without said data, developing ways to improve accuracy of bimanual surgery is just as difficult. Neuromodulation, a mechanism that acts directly on the nerves to modify nerve activity in specific regions of the brain, can solve this. By changing the signals and neuron organizations, bimanual motor skills can be improved and allow them to be measured more accurately. In the first experiment, advanced functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and multivariate statistical approaches were used to study cortical brain activations in surgeons and medical students. By doing so, misclassification errors (MCEs) were evaluated and parts of the brain that were most active when participants were performing bimanual surgery were determined. This includes the prefrontal cortex (PFC), primary motor cortex (M1), and the supplementary motor area (SMA). In the ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
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second experiment, it was found that neuromodulation can improve neuroplasticity and motor learning for the participating medical students. By focusing the technology on the M1, the researchers found that there was a decrease in performance error. Collectively, the data from the participants who underwent fNIRS processing determined which brain regions contribute to bimanual movements based on varying skill levels. This allows neuromodulation to enhance them and decrease performance error in laparoscopic surgery simulations. Moving forward, improvement of bimanual coordination gained through neuromodulation could lead to developments in patient rehabilitation, such as for those who have lost a mobile skill. In addition, improving surgeons’ skills is now available with new technology, limiting surgical errors during operations.
accurate over the years. Both of these studies are on the people’s understanding of global warming in an area and the results showed that for both studies the majority of people were educated. The respondents’ knowledge also demonstrated that people with higher education levels had a better understanding and people who had access to technology also had a better understanding. There could be an increase in the public’s knowledge because of the media and an increase in access to technology. The data showed that people with access to technology had a better understanding, therefore access to technology needs to be improved.
Sarah Kodra Access to technology and education predict global warming knowledge
Memory formation occurs when connections between a subset of neurons in the hippocampus are strengthened. Hebbian mechanisms occur when neurons that are linked and are minutely temporally separated, coactivate. Changes in gene expression causes this set of linked neurons to more likely fire. However, emotional modification of memories still remains unclear. The first study by Johansen et al. studied to see whether neuromodulatory mechanisms will modify memory formation. When rats were deprived of norepinephrine, a weak memory was formed. The second article by Tambini et al. found that emotional arousal enhances human subjects’ recall on future neutral stimuli. Together, these two articles provide indications that emotion not only participates in the formation of more robust memories, but also shows that it retroactively and prospectively changes the brain structures that underlie stronger memory. These two studies may provide new avenues of research in chronic pain and PTSD which involves memories of aversive events and damage of neural circuits.
Global warming is the heating of the earth’s climate due to the buildup of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Global warming is also anthropogenic which means that it is caused by human activities such as pollution. Global warming is harmful to the health of human beings and the health of Earth’s ecosystems. It is important that scientists get a better understanding of the public’s knowledge of global warming because if scientists get a better knowledge on the public’s understanding then the scientists can properly educate the public and the public can do something to help reduce global warming. The objective of the first study was to examine public knowledge of global warming in Ghana. A survey was sent out that had questions regarding global warming such as how they were informed about global warming and what they think the causes of global warming are. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were educated and understood global warming, but there were still some misconceptions. The objective of the second experiment was to compare the public’s knowledge on global warming from 1992 to 2009. A survey was sent out to 300 Americans that contained questions about global warming. The survey contained questions such as what they think the causes of global warming are. The results showed that there is an increase in the public’s knowledge on climate change from 1992 to 2009. The results also demonstrated that the public’s understanding on global warming has gotten more 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Jayden Li Emotion along with hebbian potentiation strengthens temporally adjacent memories
Moreille Litimco Motivation of Individuals to Undergo a Cosmetic Procedure Knowing why a surgeon’s patient wants to undergo a cosmetic procedure is very important. But an issue for aesthetic surgeons may be if some patients have psychiatric conditions that contraindicate cosmetic procedures. Anxiety, mood, psychotic, personality, eating, and dementia-related disorders are some examples PAGE 51
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of psychiatric conditions that may impact whether aesthetic surgery should be performed. The first study particularly focused on the participants’ experience with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Possible contributors that were part of and active in the American Society for aesthetic plastic surgery were sent an email of a 8-question body image survey. Results of this study show that aesthetic surgeons are well aware that BDD occurs among a small percentage of their expected patients. Participants had believed that only 2% of patients seen for an initial cosmetic surgery consultation suffer from BDD. 84% indicated that they have refused to operate on persons with BDD. 84% also indicated that they had operated on a patient whom they believed was appropriate for surgery, only to realize after the operation that the patient had BDD. In another article it aimed to expand the researchers’ understanding regarding the reasons and thoughts one may have for undergoing cosmetic surgery. 204 British participants and they all completed a questionnaire that assessed their attitude toward cosmetic surgery as well as measures of self esteem, life satisfaction, self-rated physical attractiveness, religiosity and media consumption. A stepwise regression was used to analyze the likelihood to undergo cosmetic surgery and the benefits of undergoing plastic surgery. Having a lower self-esteem and life satisfaction, more media exposure to cosmetic surgery through television shows, and religiosity were all found to be significant outcomes of why someone would undergo a cosmetic surgery. It can be concluded from these two articles that symptoms of someone undergoing a cosmetic can be BDD but there are also other reasons that aren’t focused on a lot like religion. More research could be done to see if this effect exists across all religions. Joanna Michalopoulos Climate change effects on different shark species An increase of temperature has been negatively impacting sharks around the world. Temperature and ocean acidification have been negatively affecting juvenile sharks growth and reproduction. Research showed juvenile sharks’ vulnerability to ocean acidification and warming that lowered their survival rates. Adult and juvenile sharks have been shifting to new locations out of their habitats and to higher latitudes due to these higher temperatures. In the first experiment sixty bamboo shark embryos were taken over a thirty day period and placed in incubation systems temperature levels were PAGE 52
increased and pH levels were lowered. This study found out that as pH levels decrease from the uptake of CO2 levels in the atmosphere, embryonic survival rates and development times decrease. In the second experiment, 115 tiger sharks were tagged along the coast of Australia. All of the sharks were tagged with either acoustic or satellite transmitters. The sea surface temperature was also recorded daily. It was found that over the past decade tiger shark habitats will shift south towards the east coast of Tasmania. Collectivity of the data shows that high temperatures and low pH levels will heavily impact sharks as embryos and as adults. Scientists can utilize these conclusions to support future research on the effect of temperature and low pH levels on even more different shark species and other large marine predators. Going forward this means scientists should test the long term effects of higher temperature on the gender of the embryos instead of only as adults. Lola Olawaiye Family psychosocial risk in the management of sickle cell disease and chronic pain Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in which a single mutation alters the structure of hemoglobin in healthy red blood cells (RBCs), distorting them into crescent-shaped sickles. In a process called vasoocclusion, sickled RBCs catch along the bloodstream, creating blockages that prevent healthy RBCs from flowing throughout the rest of the body. This can cause chronic stabbing pain among other symptoms, adversely affecting quality of life. Managing sickle cell disease and chronic pain creates emotional distress and impacts many levels of family functioning. Research on how pediatric sickle cell disease relates to psychological parental distress is deficient. A study was conducted to assess psychosocial risk and health care utilization in pediatric sickle cell disease using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT). It was concluded that including PAT during clinical care can help healthcare providers identify the families in need of psychosocial or medical support to improve the management of sickle cell disease. Another recent study examined parental psychosocial distress in pediatric sickle cell disease and chronic pain. Both children with sickle cell disease and chronic pain and their primary caregivers completed questionnaires based on the association between sickle cell disease and their quality of life. Results found that managing SCD and chronic pain presents additional challenges for parents and youth ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
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that may limit their psychosocial functioning. To support parents and youth managing sickle cell disease and chronic pain, family-focused support interventions as well as the use of psychosocial assessment tools by health care providers could help optimize health outcomes and help identify families in need of greater psychosocial or medical support to further optimize sickle cell disease management. Jordan Pamposa Rise in serum levels as an potential biomarker for TBI Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often caused by an outside force. Outside forces include blunt force trauma, and penetrating trauma. TBI affects many athletes, and is most prevalent in contact sports. Some symptoms of TBI include convulsions, amnesia, and behavioral changes. It is crucial to understand TBI, because understanding the severity can further help treat and prevent long term effects. The current study of TBI still lacks information on methods of detecting biomarkers. Finding these biomarkers can prove beneficial in the long-term diagnosis of TBI. The first experiment was conducted to find potential biomarkers (e.g, a rise in certain proteins in the brain) in specific areas of the brain after being punched in an amateur boxing bout. It was discovered that there was a rise in serum levels (such as S100-B, and serum cortisol). The second experiment was done to observe if olympic boxing is associated with elevation of brain injury biomarkers in the blood compared to controls. It was discovered that there was an increase in brain injury biomarkers, even in absence of symptoms. Both of these articles display how there was a rise in biomarkers after receiving blows to the head. These biomarkers can help detect TBI in athletes earlier, and work to prevent it from getting worse. Jaeda Pena Caesar The Long-term Effects of Probable PTSD on People who were Impacted by the Events of 9/11 The terrorist attacks that took place on September 11, 2001 caused both physical and mental health reactions among survivors. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health disorder that is prevalent among survivors of 9/11, PTSD is a disorder that occurs as a result of traumatic events and can cause terrible flashbacks and nightmares. The objective of the first study was to find and evaluate the long-term course of probable PTSD 2022 SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
after the World Trade Center attacks. For article one participants were all adult primary care patients who could speak or understand Spanish or English. This was a cohort study where the participants were interviewed by bilingual interviewers. After all the data was collected the participants were divided into four trajectory groups: no PTSD, remitted PTSD, persistent PTSD and late PTSD. The results revealed that there was a decrease in PTSD. For article two was looking to find if there was a connection with re-experiencing 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. This study consisted of 4,220 participants from the WTC health registry who had completed a post Hurricane Sandy survey between March and November, 2013. The study was conducted in three waves. Wave one and two were both conducted before the events of hurricane Sandy and wave three was conducted 12 months after. The results revealed that there is a significant association between Sandy exposure and re-experiencing 9/11 only with those a-symptomatic prior to Sandy. The results of both studies demonstrate that PTSD decreases over time and there is a higher chance of PTSD in individuals who have experienced one or more traumatic events. In addition, both studies show that the people affected by PTSD are likely to be nonwhite, Hispanic, minority and of low income, low education and low social support. Individuals who have experienced past traumatic events especially those similar to 9/11 should seek treatment regardless of current PTSD status. Konstantina Pilarinos CRISPR/Cas9-assisted manipulation of mammalian neural stem cells (NSCs) for treating neurodegenerative diseases Mammalian neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent cells (cells that self-renew by dividing and developing into multiple specialized cell types) originating in the nervous system that contribute to the differentiation of neurons and glial cells. Culturing NSC lines has demonstrated efficiency in exploring the molecular processes controlling self-renewal and differentiation in disease models of the central nervous system (CNS), thus deeming NSCs suitable for genetic manipulations. However, due to the fact that gene targeting has been especially difficult in somatic cells, targeted genetic manipulations directly in mammalian NSC lines have not yet been reported. CRISPR/Cas9, on the other hand, has recently shown efficiency in gene modification. The use of CRISPR/Cas9-assisted gene editing in NSCs can PAGE 53
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provide a manipulatable model for potential therapeutic applications. The objective of one study was to exploit CRISPR/Cas9 to demonstrate genetic manipulations in both mouse and human NSC lines. A CRISPR/Cas9 vector targeting genes encoding neurodevelopmental transcription factors was developed to support a range of genetic manipulations such as gene knockouts, knockins, and disease-relevant mutation delivery. Results found that CRISPR/Cas9 gene targeting in NSCs is highly efficient, implementable, and scalable. Another study hypothesized that gene editing in NSCs (GE-NSCs) using CRISPR/Cas9 could enhance their therapeutic potential. GE-NSCs were transplanted into shivererimmunodeficient mice to highlight NSC characteristics. Results showed that GE-NSCs have the potential for gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders. Collectively, these studies show that the modification of NSCs using complex CRISPR/Cas9-assisted genetic manipulation can increase the therapeutic potency of NSCs to treat CNS disorders. Going forward, these findings could provide future opportunities for CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases such as Krabbe disease, and for the treatment of other CNS disorders using GE-NSCs.
using the probisical response or the antennal response to learn color association. Harnessed bumblebees can be trained using food rewards and color stimuli. After two trials half of the bees exhibited different conditioned responses and then the bee responded indiscriminately to both stimuli given. These two articles are linked by bees learning color association by using cognitive abilities. Both groups use cognition to learn color association in flowers. Using bumble bees as models can help analyze visual learning and memory while also expanding ecological bee research. Madison Polesovsky Micro-RNA is an efficient and effective way to stop the progression of cancer
Cancer is a lethal disease in which abnormal cells reproduce uncontrollably and destroy healthy cells, body tissue, and organs. Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats combined with the Cas9 protein (CRISPR-Cas9) is a relatively new type of gene-editing technology. CRISPR-Cas9 has proved effective in editing miRNAs (micro-RNAs) via insertion and deletion. miRNAs are very small non-protein coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by pairing with their base-target AJ Plioutas mRNA. miR-23b and miR-27b are miRNAs found on the Color Associative Learning in Bumble bees 9th chromosome and were found to have a dichotomous role in cancer progression. CRISPR edited miRNAs may Bees see a different visual range that suits their foraging be the less invasive option for cancer treatment. Currently, needs. Researchers wanted to figure out if bees could there is no fool-proof way to stop the progression of associate colors with pollen or nectar, to test a bees malignant tumors. In the first study, CRISPR-Cas9 was memory capability seeing how multiple reward types are used to knock-out miR-23b and miR-27b from breast learned within a given context has rarely been addressed. cancer tissue both in-vivo and in-vitro. Experiments A study was used to determine whether or not bumble bees were done in mice and a human breast cancer cell line. can form associations between color and both nectar and By knocking out these genes, the tumor’s growth slowed pollen when forging of these resources at the same time. and miR-27b was found to have suppressed the tumors. Three colonies were used in this experiment. Forager In the second study, 8 downregulated and 2 upregulated bees collected both nectar and pollen from flowered miRNAs found in prostate cancer tissue (PCa) were arrays associated with Pollen and Nectar. In training it selected via previous miRNA expression profiling was found that bees preferred blue flowers over others microarray data. After the knockout of several miRNAs, which were associated with pollen, bees that collected the invasive activities increased overall showing that these both pollen and nectar were more likely to search for a miRNAs may have tumor-suppressive abilities in PCa. particular color reward. Another article discussed how Both studies found that certain miRNAs may have tumorbees learn decision making and color association while suppressive abilities which may help to treat cancer. In testing their PER response. Bees were harnessed and the future, miRNAs found in cancer cells, edited via the tested for their Proboscis Extension Response (PER) CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, should be further after being chilled for 30 minutes using a discrimination tested in-vivo in higher order mammals. learning task. There were no differences between either
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Katherine Alice Reshetnikov Inclusive School Clubs Positively Impact Social and Behavioral Development of Autistic Students
Dakota Salzberg Effectiveness of Coping Mechanisms for Burnout in College Students
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder largely characterized by impaired communication, restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviors or interests, and impaired reciprocal social interaction. Although social interaction is by definition bidirectional, research on autistic peer relationships frequently portrays interaction as unidirectional and isolated from the peer setting. Autistic adolescents often struggle to connect with both autistic and non-autistic peers in integrated education; nevertheless, research has tended to focus on individual characteristics rather than interpersonal and environmental factors that influence peer involvement. The first study examined natural peer relationships between six autistic and six non-autistic teenagers in an inclusive school club over the course of five months (14 45-minute sessions in total) to see how the students’ peer preferences changed over time. According to the findings, autistic pupils were more likely to interact with autistic peers than non-autistic peers. The second study was a mixed-methods study that examined longitudinal peer interactions over the course of a school year among 17 teenagers in an inclusive school club. Out of the 17 teenagers, seven were autistic. Four topics emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) student-peer synchronicity, such as shared interests or social style compatibility, was essential to autistic peer engagement; (3) peer engagement can be supported by activities that facilitate joint engagement and exploration of mutual interests; (4) classroom interventions. The findings have implications for greater inclusive practice, such as changing peer situations, activities, and classrooms to enhance autistic social involvement. Collectively, both of these experiments demonstrate a need for autistic students to be more integrated into regular school curriculums with neurotypical students. Going forward this indicates that child psychologists and school guidance counselors should delve deeper into different programs and curricula that can help autistic students adjust to a regular school environment more efficiently.
College is thought to be the most stressful years among a young adults’ life. Fatigue is the overall loss of energy and motivation and commonly appears as a symptom of depression. Depression is a major mood disorder that can negatively change the way someone thinks or acts. Depression and lack of energy are highly prevalent among undergraduate college students particularly. Fatigue affects academic performance, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being. The objective of the first study was to explore whether varying levels of fatigue in college students with significant depressive symptoms were associated with psychiatric symptoms and impaired functioning. After a series of questioning, students with moderate/severe fatigue had significantly greater depressive symptom severity compared with those with mild or no fatigue. Students with high fatigue scores were more likely to score higher on a suicide risk measure than those with mild fatigue. In the second study, the objective was to determine the effectiveness of lifestyle habits and coping strategies on stress tolerance among college students. It was found that certain coping mechanisms, such sleeping enough, having a balanced diet, and exercising, had a correlation with a higher stress tolerance. Negative coping mechanisms, such as isolation and drug reliance, had a correlation to lowstress tolerance. Assessing and treating symptoms of fatigue would be beneficial to students to prevent more serious mental health decline, such as depression or suicide. The results from both of these studies indicate that having positive coping mechanisms helps reduce the effects of burnout. These feelings are extremely common among students, but having healthy lifestyle habits can reduce negative mental health effects. Future research by health educators can explore and focus on how depression caused by social isolation affects fatigue levels in students. Jason Sarafidis Phytoestrogens help prevent osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats Osteoporosis is the leading cause of bone loss in the US with 44 million Americans potentially being in danger of having low bone mineral contents (BMC) and bone mass
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density (BMD). Those affected by the disease are mostly females in their post-menopausal years; this is due to a decrease in estrogen. In a previous study soy products high in phytoestrogen were linked to lowering risk of fracture in women. The first study’s objective was to show the effects of phytoestrogen on bone and uterine tissue in a rat osteoporosis model. Rats were divided into groups, a control and three groups that received different doses of the extract of root of Pachyrhizus erosus Urb (EPE), a phytoestrogen, for 4 weeks. The results showcased that the sham groups experienced the most bone loss while the remaining groups managed to make a full recovery. Phytoestrogen was successful in increasing bone density resulting in enhanced strength. The purpose of the second study was to determine whether or not black tea extract (BTE) can prevent bone loss induced by ovarian hormone deficiency. Eighteen rats were divided in three different groups: sham, bilateral ovariectomized (OVX), and OVX+black tea extract (BCE) for 28 days. Results showed how OVX+BTE had significantly higher bone density than the OVX group supporting that black tea extract was effective in treating osteoporosis. The results for both studies were successful in increasing bone mass density in ovariectomized rat models showing both dietary supplement like black tea and EPE are both phytoestrogens supplements and may be effective in treating osteoporosis in post-menopausal years. Going forward, pharmaceutical companies should start to focus on converting the phytoestrogens and black tea into a very affordable and widely available treatment medication for osteoporosis. Nana Sawyer Brain Cancer Mortality Rates Brain cancer is the overgrowth of cells within the brain that form masses which are called tumors. People lose their lives due to these types of tumors and the death rate continues to spike when things like radiation and the type of genetic history your family may have with this disease. The objective of the first experiment was brain cancer patterns in Canada. They analyzed people in Canada to see if brain cancer patterns increased specifically depending on age and sex. Data was collected from Demographic Statistics of Canada. They found that there was a major increase in the rates of death, incidence and admission to the hospitals because of brain cancer in Canada. The objective of the second study was to see if cell phone use particularly the radiation that emits from PAGE 56
the cellphones increased the chances of you having brain cancer. Study was conducted by using the SEER program and it included white patients with brain cancer. They found that a total of 38,000 brain cancer patients were diagnosed with it over a 30 year period. The incidence of brain cancer changed little over the course of the period even with the use of a cell phone. In the 50-64 age group the trends were downward and flat meaning that the relationship between the cell phones and brain cancer were statistically significant. Radiation does not have an effect on brain cancer that is emitted from your cell phone. Going forward more age periods and locations within different parts of the world should be implemented into the study. Rachel Singh Music therapy: An effective coping strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people both physically and mentally since most people were isolated, if not infected as well. People were lonely from isolation and stressed from working at home, being unemployed, or taking care of a sick relative. Listening to music was a common strategy for coping with stress, but tests had not been done to determine its effectiveness, how it could be used therapeutically, and how it compares to other stress coping strategies. The objective of the first study was to determine how people around the world use music to improve their mood and reduce their sadness from social isolation. An online survey about emotions and music related habits was sent to people in four different countries between March 2020 and April 2020. Statistical analyses, which assessed the data using age, gender, emotions, music listening rates, and stress level, determined a positive relationship between listening to music and positive well-being. The objective of the second experiment was to determine the effectiveness of music therapy during the pandemic compared to other coping strategies using different surveys that identified other coping strategies, well-being, and musical taste and habits. Pearson correlations were used to analyze the variables such as different coping strategies, energy, tempo, and danceability. It was found that music was an effective coping technique, but not the only effective technique since exercise, changing location, and sleeping were also effective. Collectively, the data show that music therapy is an effective coping strategy to use when dealing with emotional situations such as the pandemic. ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
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Going forward, scientists should continue to explore the effect music has on individuals around the world who are going through traumatic experiences and find new ways to utilize music therapy in these individuals’ lives. Rebekah Singh Cognitive impairments impact memory consolidation during sleep in adolescents Sleep plays an important role in the consolidation of procedural (physical skills) and declarative memory (verbal recollection of facts). Declarative and procedural memory are vital in adolescents’ in-school performance as well as their social functioning. Rapid eye movement (REM) and slow-wave sleep are beneficial to the consolidation of the recollection of visual information. This is closely associated with REM behavior disorder (RBD) which is physically acting out movements, vocal sounds and vivid dreams during REM sleep. Consolidation of facts and movements have not been extensively studied in adolescents. The objective of both studies is to see if adolescents with RBD can still maintain their ability to consolidate verbal memory with and without sleep. The first study tested day and night verbal memory consolidation comparing two adolescent groups with and without sleep. The second study tested verbal memory consolidation through sleep talk in RBD patients. The results from these studies showed that adolescents who get more sleep have a higher probability of consolidating declarative and procedural information through memory during the night and the next day. RBD adolescents who sleep talk have a higher probability of repeating verbally memorized facts prior to sleep compared to non-impaired adolescents. Sleep is important for adolescents’ memory development, and those who have a cognitive impairment can still maintain their ability to remember words and facts just as nonimpaired children. Future implications for these studies consist of understanding the specific progressing effects of the lack of sleep, not only on memory. Since the study was mostly focused on RBD, another future implication would be to include patients with other types of cognitive impairment disorders to vary and compare results.
Jianely Taveras Borderline Personality Disorder: How signs of shame, irritability, and hostility can turn into acts of violence Borderline Personality Disorder known (BPD) is a mental disorder that most notably causes the instability of mood, behavior, and relationships. Diagnosis is based on symptoms such as emotional instability, feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, impulsivity, and impaired social relationships. Studies often focus on the development of one emotion, such as shame or worthlessness or hostility, rather than looking at the possibility that these emotions are a part of a cycle, one leading to the next. The first study looks at the roles of shame, irritability, and hostility and the regulation of such feelings. Both BPD patients and controls were assessed using surveys which provided support for shame-specific reactivity in BPD. BPD participants reported higher levels of shame in response to the negative evaluation; it was also found that there were high levels of irritability and hostility after analyzing the data. The second study took a deeper look at the connection between BPD and violence. BPD patients tend to have less patience; they become irritable and hostile much quicker than others, causing them to have more explosive episodes of anger. This article examines how this aggression can be taken out on others. Participants were found by searching through medical records; if a history of violence and crime were found, they were asked to participate in the study. It was found that people with BPD are more impulsive and tend to engage in explosive episodes of physical violence. Together, these show that higher levels of shame, irritability, and hostility can fuel violent behavior, though it is not likely for a person living with BPD to harm another person. Further implications indicate the use of physiological measures of emotional responses and look at the strategies that are used to regulate emotion. Also, further research on the association among personality disorders and misdemeanor types may be useful for both specifically targeted treatment and criminal profiling. Daniel Torres Anticoagulant medications reduce the effects and rate of mortality in patients with ischemic strokes Ischemic strokes are neurological conditions in which there is an obstruction of blood flow in blood vessels due to blood clots or fatty masses. When ischemic strokes
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occur, they are usually treated with statins that effectively reduce the effects and prevent recurrence of stroke. Currently, there are multiple types of anticoagulant treatments, yet there is no clear known effect from the different uses of these different treatments. One study tested the effect of a high dose vs a low-moderate dose of statins (a medication with anticoagulant properties that may prevent ischemic strokes) on mortality in patients with ischemic stroke. The results showed that low to no dose of statins leading to a higher mortality rate compared with a high dose leading to a lower mortality rate. These findings also concluded that the use of statins after and during an ischemic stroke attack is imperative in reducing the effects of strokes. Another study compared oral anticoagulants medications to vitamin K intervention on mortality rates in patients with ischemic strokes throughout a one year period. The results showed that standard doses of oral anticoagulants are more effective in lowering the effects of ischemic strokes compared with the vitamin K antagonists resulting in significantly lower NIHSS scores. Collectively, these studies conclude that a standard to higher doses of anticoagulant medication is imperative in lowering the effects of ischemic strokes. Yet we still have to determine what is the most effective treatment for patients who are allergic to statins and if the use of statins alone is effective without the intervention of other medications combined. Nnenna Udeh The Psychological Burden and Interest To Seek Alternative Therapies for Alopecia Areata in Women Alopecia Areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that attacks hair follicles and halts hair growth. Patchy hair can occur anywhere in the body, but it predominantly exists in the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes or can affect the whole body. AA can happen randomly and affects people of all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Treatments are widely limited. This hair loss is typically devastating to those who suffer from it. In a recent study, it was discussed that AA causes feelings of insecurity and has a detrimental effect on someone’s well-being and quality of life. Many of those who suffer from AA testify that they have felt that the disease negatively impacted their career, and relationships with others, and left them prone to social judgment and stigma. Moreover, women with AA often feel that they have lost their femininity. Another study indicated that dissatisfaction regarding PAGE 58
medical treatment is common as AA is hard to treat and can resurge in an affected area. When combating the psychosocial and physical effects of alopecia, alternative treatments like yoga are pursued. These remedies may be favored over regular medical treatment due to their cost efficiency, however desired results are never guaranteed. Subsequently, women are more likely to seek counseling to ease anxiety. A 2012 study discusses that 29% of women who have experienced hair loss suffer from symptoms of depression. Arguably, women with alopecia are more prone to despair due to stigmas associated with hair loss. We must understand the demographics of those with alopecia areata and aim to ease worry amongst these populations in order to prevent the development of severe social impairments. Emily Urena Autism in Girls Autism (ASD), is a developmental disorder with a range of symptoms that affect social and communication skills and cause repetitive behaviors and other challenges. Although autism may seem to affect males more than females, it became apparent that some females with ASD have the ability to camouflage their symptoms making them less apparent for diagnosis. Girls with ASD can hide their symptoms or may not express common symptoms such as being antisocial as obviously as their male counterparts; many high functioning girls with ASD are actually extroverted and still do well socially. In the first article, the aim was to investigate whether girls with ASD showed fewer ASD related symptoms than boys, and to see whether girls had higher levels of internalizing symptoms. It was determined that girls with ASD were at a greater risk for internalizing problems than boys with ASD and typically developing girls (TYP) due to dramatic social changes in adolescence which could show greater isolation for girls with ASD than TYPs, In the second article, tests for similarities and differences between male and female adults with highfunctioning autism or Asperger syndrome were done. It was shown that females with ASD show more sensory symptoms, less social-communication difficulties, and less self-reported autistic traits. Both studies help explain how females with autism can go unrecognized due to differences in symptoms. Diagnostic manuals should be reevaluated to further help diagnose girls. Those who go without diagnosis or diagnosed later in life have poorer quality of life without the help they need. ST. FRANCIS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
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Bo Yu Wu Feng Climate Dynamics in the Past, Present, and Foreseeable Future Droughts have undoubtedly become more frequent, severe, and persistent. California, for example, still suffers from water scarcity, lack of precipitation and groundwater reserves, declining snow caps, and difficulty in agricultural farming since the beginning of this century. Some aspects are still unclear how climate change, along with human activities, will affect drought dynamics in the future. Though past studies mutually agree that warmth intensifies drought effects–the decline of soil moisture and increase of water demand– more research on how factors such as precipitation and evaporative demand influence drought would provide important data for the subject area. The first study divided precipitation, temperature, vapor pressure, wind, and insolation from a collection of pre-existing climate data in order to identify the contribution of anthropogenic-induced warming during the California Drought of 2012-2014. Results indicated that precipitation was the major contributor to drought duration & severity while human activities were estimated to have contributed possibly a quarter of the drought condition. The second study used tree rings and climate models to answer three questions focusing on future soil conditions, drought duration & duration, and drought reduction in order to better understand drought dynamics. Reconstructed models indicated that drought duration is heavily dependent on precipitation rate. In addition, decadal droughts can be 6 times as likely as extreme single-year droughts. Both studies indicate that precipitation is the variable that contributes the most to droughts, driving droughts to become more frequent and prolonged. As warming mitigation efforts are seen to reduce the drought severity of extreme single-year droughts, climate sustainability and drought resilience should be prioritized in order to alleviate future drought events since precipitation will vary in the future.
caused habitat loss for some snake species. Venomous terrestrial species, such as coral snakes, have been greatly influenced by climate change. The increase in the ground temperatures has resulted in coral snakes and many other terrestrial species migrating to places where humans tend to live. The potential of opening new geographical locations for those species able to migrate to match changing temperatures can help prevent extinction but, if the species have limited capabilities it can cause population declines. The objective of the first study was to examine the influence of climate change on eastern coral snakes. The species distribution modeling program, Maxent, was used to compare both current and future climate conditions. This study indicated that the increase in temperatures in the areas of coral snakes can gradually be affected if they don’t adapt to the fast changing temperatures, which can also affect the population due to the decrease of food. The second study’s objective was to find the relationship between terrestrial venomous species and climate change. A retrospective analysis of environmental, ecological, and medical literature focusing on climate change, toxinology, and future modeling was conducted. It was hypothesized that changes from climatic norms will have a potentially dramatic effect on terrestrial venomous creatures due to temperature change and also found that if the expansion of venomous snakes into new geographic regions and densely populated areas would not only increase incidence rates but may require a redistribution of antivenom as well as training for medical professionals expected to treat such envenomations. Overall, both studies show an association that the increase in temperatures can adversely affect venomous terrestrial species, causing them to migrate to different areas due to the change of environment for the species that are migrating. Going forward the training for medical professionals expected to treat envenomations can help us as a community adapt to the new species that start to move into our environment.
Lenin Yascaribay Global warming outcome the coral snakes and venomous terrestrial species in the wilderness Global warming has caused many species around the world to relocate. The increase of temperature is caused by rapidly increasing emission of greenhouse gasses primarily due to humans burning fossil fuels and has
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24th Annual
SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM Thursday June 2, 2022 Goal of the Science Research Program
PROGRAM FOR THE EVENING
The goal of the Saint Francis Preparatory School Science Research Program is to stimulate independent and original thought through research in the natural and social sciences. Its success is due to the fineworking balance among the dedicated faculty advisors, talented young researchers, and supportive mentors.
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Poster Session Cafeteria
Casey Clark Director
7:10 PM – 8:10 PM Senior Presentations E015, E113, E211, Auditorium
8:15 PM
Keynote Speakers & Awards Auditorium Please join us for Cookies and Photos in the cafeteria following the awards presentation.
James LaRocca Assistant Director
Philosophy of the Science Research Program The Saint Francis Preparatory School Science Research Program is a rigorous three-year course designed to give ambitious students the opportunity to search for truth within the natural world in a scientific manner. Science research is intended for our few highly motivated student possessing the talent, the vision, and the will necessary to make lasting contributions to advanced areas of original research. This program prepares its participants for the uncertainties, challenges, and pressures they will face in the course of their research and in the rest of their lives. By the end of the course, our students are able to understand and write professional level scientific papers, perform extensive college-level bibliographic searches, earn college credit, form useful connections with the scientific community, and effectively communicate their contributions to the scientific world. --Authored by the Science Research Class of 2001