Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Progress In Developing Laser Tweezers And Control Systems, Gabriel Andres, Karissa Carlson, Emily Grace, Eric Jones

Celebration of Research

Optical tweezers are a Nobel Prize-winning technology capable of trapping microscopic and sub-microscopic particles using a laser beam. They can be used heavily in many different capacities within our organization and the research collaboration of ISLAND CURE. Some possible uses would be making measurements on DNA that we have synthesized. While that one of goals, another main reason for completing this would be to make this technology available at other smaller research institutions that cannot afford prebought systems. This would allow for more undergraduate research and opportunities all around the states. While executing our plan for developing our system while …

Undergraduate Studies To Design And Build Dna Structure To Be Used By Optical Tweezer, Daiki Jonouchi, Tyler Nhan, Karissa Carlson, Emily Grace

Celebration of Research

Our research team, ISLAND CURE, is the team to design and build a biological instrument, optical tweezer (OT), with a limited budget. The optical tweezer is an apparatus that moves micro-objects by using laser light. It allows the user to create and control the pico-newton, which is an essential force to move micro-objects. Our research is to design a target DNA sequence (Fig 4.), which our optical tweezer will control. To apply optical tweezer technology to living organisms, DNA is the essential first step. In this research, our team focus is to calculate the necessary forces to unzip DNA with …

Building The Weather Balloon With The Limited Budget And Observing The State Of Atmosphere Both Visually And Statistically, Aimee Hulstein, Daiki Jonouchi, Tim Kaltenberger, Emily Grace

Celebration of Research

Within the limited budget, we constructed the weather balloon, then launched it into the sky from Orange city to observe the condition of the troposphere and stratosphere. While we could not collect the balloon and the data after launching it, the experiment benefited us by learning and building our own scientific thinking. The materials of the balloon were bought from Germany. The weather balloon's main body, which contained electronic devices for measurement and communication with the ground, was made of typical Styrofoam. And the main body was connected to the balloons, which continued the helium gas. The parachute was attached …

Rev1 Protein Purification, Martha Stein, Karissa Carlson, Emily Grace

Celebration of Research

1 in every 15-30 million nucleotides can be considered a mutation in healthy individuals. Replication of damaged DNA leads to genetic mutations. Genetic mutations lead to disorders and cancer. Rev1, a Y family polymerase, prevents minor mutations, such as abasic sites and exocyclic guanines, in the template strand from shutting down the process of replication. Our mutant Rev1, R324G/L325G, has replaced both the arginine located on nucleotide base number 324 and the leucine on nucleotide base number 325 with glycine. The arginine and leucine have more complex side chains groups with specific hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties. By replacing them with glycine, the …

Building A Bicycle-Powered Centrifuge, Travis Grover, Josh Hardy, Luke Jenness, Blake Johnson, Karissa Carlson, Emily Grace

Celebration of Research

Centrifuges are very common instruments utilized in research and clinical settings. The purpose of a centrifuge is to separate the components of a mixture using centrifugal force. An example of a process that utilizes centrifugation is the acquisition of a hematocrit, where red blood cells are separated from blood plasma and the other cellular components. Industrial centrifuges are expensive and generally employed in academic or clinical contexts. A bicycle centrifuge, on the contrary, may be designed and implemented in more generalized settings. Moreover, a bicycle centrifuge affords the opportunity to relate principles in physics to concepts specific to other scientific …

Transubstantiation And Physics: Validity In Science Vs. Validity In Religion, Martha Stein, Emily Grace

Celebration of Research

Catholics believe Transubstantiation is the process of converting bread and wine into Jesus’ body and blood. There are no physical signs of change, but the substance changes. From a scientific perspective, there is no application of heat or light and no physical sign of change, therefore there is no change. Physics as we understand at an undergraduate level assumes Earth is a closed system. This assumption no longer applies if there can be substance change without physical modification from an energy source. I refuse to believe that science and religion are unrelated entities, yet I accept that this unexplainable phenomenon …

Single-Molecule Dynamics: Fluorescent Tracking And Analysis Techniques, Jacob Mcdowell, David Arnett

Celebration of Research

Scientists studying biological molecules often use single-molecule fluorescence techniques to observe individual molecules in real time. This approach allows researchers to track the movements and interactions of molecules as they behave naturally. To prepare samples for fluorescence measurements, scientists typically immobilize molecules on a cover slip using various techniques. These include purification, labeling the molecules with fluorescent tags, and attaching the molecules to the cover slip. Once the sample is ready, researchers use fluorescence spectrometers to excite the fluorescent tags and detect the emitted light, revealing the individual molecules' locations and behaviors. Software is then used to analyze the fluorescence …

Laser Beam Profiling And Crystallographic Analysis, Jacob Mcdowell, Tim Kaltenberger, Emily Grace, Karissa D. Carlson, Eric Jones

Celebration of Research

Lasers and x-rays are widely used in the modern world for studying biomolecules. For the purposes of the physics department, future research requires certainty that lasers have Gaussian profiles, though the lasers used often deviate from this ideal. In this project, we investigate methods to measure and analyze laser beam profiles. We first reviewed the theory of Gaussian beams and their properties. We then measured our laser’s profile using two techniques: a knife-edge method and a cell phone photography method. The first involved moving a razor edge across the beam to measure transmitted light, while the second involved visualizing the …

Middle School Students: Science Outreach, Math Anxiety, And Resiliency, Teyah Rivers, Karissa Carlson, Emily Grace

Celebration of Research

When students reach Middle School level academics, it is observed that their interest in STEM decreases. There are many theories that have been tested to discover why this shift occurs, however, it is thought that Math anxiety is the main contributor to this decline. Furthermore, there have been indications suggesting that Math anxiety is closely related to Resiliency. In this study, we are interested in looking at the relationship between Math anxiety and Resiliency in Middle School students. In doing so, a science outreach day was designed to both increase Middle school student's interest and attitudes interest towards STEM. The …

A Growth Mindset: Fostering Resilience And Success In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Mary Jicha

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Applied

Incorporation Of Thiophenes And Benzothiophenes Into Novel Pi-Extended Dibenzophosphole Systems, Joshua Kim, Conner Schell

Campus Research Month

Dibenzophospholes are molecules with extended pi conjugation. This project aims to incorporate thiophenes and benzothiophenes into dibenzophosphole systems by using 2-bromothiophene, 2-bromobenzothiophene, and 3-bromobenzothiophene as starting materials. An ethyne intermediate is created via the Sonagashira reaction, which is further reacted to form the novel dibenzophosphole system. The ultimate goal is to fuse the newly incorporated functional groups, creating an even greater degree of conjugation.

An Ab Initio Computation Of The Potential Energy Surfaces Of The Dna Bases, Anjali F. Filinovich, Vola Andrianarijaona

Campus Research Month

The potential energy surfaces of atoms in DNA can be analyzed and compared to show how their bonds break. This DNA potential energy reference data is very useful to understanding how DNA damage occurs, however, a dataset of relevant potential energy surfaces is not available for scientific use. We obtain the potential energy surfaces of various atoms in the four DNA bases adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine, by moving an atom in these molecules in three orthogonal directions using ORCA, an ab initio quantum chemistry software. Density functional theory is
used to compute potential energies as an atom is moved, …

Visualizing Literary Narratives With A Graph-Centered Approach., Meg Ermer

Campus Research Month

The art of storytelling is multifaceted and nonlinear, involving multiple characters, themes, and symbols while often jumping between the present and past. While media forms such as novels can encapsulate these complexities, it is often difficult to visualize a narrative in an easy-to-understand format. Our contribution is a graph-based system to let users organize and visualize those narratives. Events and characters are represented as nodes and their relationships are represented as edges. Neo4J is used as a database management system to store the graph and to run queries on it, and Streamlit and Pyvis are used to represent the database …

Traditional Cattle Feeding Stuffs: Fatty Acid Profile, A. M. Peres, L. Dias, J. Sá Morais, F. Sousa, J. M. Pires

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are perceived to be healthier than saturated fatty acids. Therefore, in order to be able to manipulate the fatty acid profile of meat and/or milk, to respond to the consumer demands, knowledge of the fatty acid profile of feeding stuffs for cattle is of major importance (LeDoux et al., 2002; Petit, 2002). In this work a preliminary study was made of the fatty acid profile of the cow's diet in a traditional farm production system.

Finishing Effect On Fatty Acid Profile Of Intramuscular Fat In Extensively Reared Steers, N. Aldai, B. E. Murray, A. I. Nájera, K. Osoro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Both the amount and the composition of fat depots in beef may be influenced by several factors i.e. feeding system. Related to this factor, extensively reared cattle may produce beef with a more desirable fatty acid (FA) composition in terms of beneficial effect on human health, especially in relation to the content of n-3 type FAs. However, concentrate finishing improves some carcass traits and meat quality. In this sense, the objective of this work was to study the effect of concentrate finishing on intramuscular (IM) FA profile of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle in pasture fed steers.

Effect Of Perennial Ryegrass Cultivars On The Fatty Acid Composition In Milk Of Stall-Fed Cows, Anjo Elgersma, H. J. Smit, G. Ellen, S. Tamminga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Herbage provides bulk feed for ruminants and plant lipids, especially C18:3, are a major source of benefical fatty acids (FA) in milk. There are very few direct comparisons allowing a precise evaluation of the effects of the basal forage diet on milk FA composition. Grass quality differences can affect rumen metabolism and there could be opportunities to change the composition of ruminant products through choice of grass cultivar. To test this hypothesis, six cultivars were fed to dairy cows in a stall-feeding trial with fresh grass to evaluate the effect of grass cultivar on rumen VFA and milk FA composition …

Quantitative And Qualitative Characteristics Of The Loin Of Grazing Lambs From Different Production Systems, Alda L. G. Monteiro, C. H. E. C. Poli, G. J. Bosquetto, T. D. M. Ribeiro, O. R. Prado, Maria Angela M. Fernandes, C. Gasperin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The international sheep market is supplied mainly from New Zealand and Australia, where there are advanced production systems and marketing organisations, and where the product is exported mainly in the form of carcasses and cuts. In Brazil, the farmers should aim to produce a younger animal, with an adequate fat level at an optimum stage of muscle development, in order to gain market share The proportions of muscle, bone and fat largely determine the value of the carcass, and the breed and age of animal, in addition to other factors such as feeding systems, cause variation in the proportions (Purchas …

Processing Quality Of Organic And Conventional Milks From Irish Pasture Based Systems, B. O'Brien, P. Murphy, N. Culleton, P. O'Connor

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The maintenance of white clover in the pasture sward is essential to viable organic farming in Ireland. Thus, the diet of the organically and conventionally managed cow is different. It is well documented that milk composition is affected by cow diet (Kefford et al., 1995). This study addresses the issue of technological quality differences between conventionally and organically produced milks.

Utilizing Forages To Program Steer Growth Patterns To Achieve Consistent Quality Beef, B. G. Warrington, J. W. Holloway, R. K. Miller, H. Lippke

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Many options are available for programming stocker cattle growth patterns through forage selection. In semi-arid south Texas rapid growth rates can be achieved by grazing irrigated small grains (oats, wheat and ryegrass) and slow growth rates are possible grazing native range pastures. Ryegrass (RG) nutrient quality indicates potential gains greater than 1.0 kg/d for steers, while typical winter native range (NR) pasture indicates gains of 0.45 kg/d or less. The purpose of this experiment was to quantify the impact of different programmed growth patterns on beef retail product especially size, marbling and tenderness.

The Effect Of Post-Weaning Management On The Physico-Chemical And Textural Quality Of Beef From Bulls And Steers, M. Oliván, P. García, M. J. Martínez, M. Mocha, A. Martínez, P. Castro, K. Osoro

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

There is an increasing interest for extensification in Europe due to environmental and animal welfare concerns. Furthermore, forage-fed beef may present benefits for human health. However, animals fed at pasture produce in some cases darker and tougher meat. It has been shown that castration or a grain-finishing period before slaughter could improve some sensory traits of beef from pasture. The objective of this work was to study the impact of castration and four feeding systems (grazing, grazing + 70 days concentrate, grazing + 100 days concentrate, 200 days concentrate) on the quality of beef from yearling bulls and steers.

Effects Of Supplementary Concentrate Level And Separate Or Mixed Feeding Of Grass Silage And Concentrates On Carcass Tissue Colour Traits In Steers, J. Caplis, M. G. Keane, A. P. Moloney, F. P. O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The level of supplementary concentrates fed with grass silage and the method of feeding (separate or mixed) may affect carcass tissue colour in steers. The objectives were to determine the effects of (1) supplementary concentrate level with grass silage, and (2) separate or mixed feeding of silage and concentrates, on muscle and fat colour.

Growth Characteristics Of Ecotype Superior Line Of Bermudagrass And Development Of Its Rdna Markers, Y. W. Rim, K. Y. Kim, M. J. Kim, B. R. Sung, Y. C. Lim, E. S. Chung

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Interest in turfgrass has steadily increased in Korea since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup . Use of zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica L.) has been limited due to its slow recovery, low shoot density, short green period and low wear tolerance during dormancy (Lee et. al., 1999). Bermudagrass has high quality and fast recovery, but has low cold tolerance (Richardson et. al., 1978). This research compared the growth characteristics of a superior line of bermudagrass, named as Joyspy with other standard cultivars and to develop its rDNA markers.

Effects Of Supplementary Concentrate Level And Separate Or Mixed Feeding Of Grass Silage And Concentrates On Carcass Tissue Composition In Steers, J. Caplis, M. G. Keane, F. P. O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Supplementary concentrate level may affect carcass composition in steers. Feeder wagons facilitate feeding and management. The objectives were to determine the effects of (1) supplementary concentrate level with grass silage, and (2) separate or mixed feeding of silage and concentrates, on ribs joint composition.

Lipid Oxidation And Sensory Characteristics Of Grass-Fed Beef: Effect Of Duration Of Grazing Prior To Slaughter, A. P. Moloney, F. Noci, F. J. Monahan, G. E. Nute, R. I. Richardson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Beef from cattle produced from grass has a higher concentration of fatty acids considered to be beneficial to human health than beef produced from more intensive production systems and this increase in fatty acid concentration is dependant on the duration at pasture prior to slaughter (Noci et al., 2003). Improvements in the fatty acid composition of beef must not impair other quality characteristics of beef. Little information is available on the pattern of change of quality characteristics in grazing animals. The objective of this study was to determine the shelf-life and eating quality of beef from cattle produced from …

Antioxidative Activities Of Alfalfa And Timothy Varieties, J. K. Lee, H. S. Park, J. G. Kim, B. H. Paek, J. H. Fike

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The term "functional foods" is often used as a generic description for the beneficial effects of ingested foods that go beyond their traditional nutritive value (Bauman et al., 2001). Milk and dairy products are important dietary sources of nutrients, providing energy, high quality protein, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. Recent research has focused on altering the fat and protein content of milk and other dairy products in order to improve their nutrient content to more aptly reflect current dietary recommendations and trends. As a result, additional focus is being given to designing foods that have beneficial effects …

Forage Yield And Nutritive Value Of 30 Cultivars Of Maize For Silage In The Highland Valleys Of Central Mexico, G. Tovar, J. L. Arellano, M. E. Sosa, C. Sánchez, H. P. Pérez, E. Vera, U. M. Vera, J. I. Vázquez

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Mexico, the selection of maize cultivars for forage has mainly been based on dry matter (DM) yields, not considering nutritional quality as an important evaluation parameter. The objective of this study was to assess forage yield and nutritive value of Highland and Subtropical maize cultivars for silage in the Highland Valleys of Central México.

Analysis Of An Seir Model With Non-Constant Population, Kylar Byrd, Tess Tracy, Sunil Giri, Swarup Ghosh

Student Research

Analysis of an SEIR model with Non-Constant Population
by Kylar Byrd and Tess Tracy, with Dr. Sunil Giri and Dr. Swarup Ghosh.

Mathematical modeling can be useful in helping us to understand disease dynamics. Epidemiological models consist of differential equations with variables and parameters defined to portray these dynamics. We will be presenting the mathematics involved in formulating and analyzing a model for a disease such as influenza. We will first explain a simple SIR model, and then we will introduce our model. We will be looking at an SEIR model that incorporates the use of an exposed class as …

Analysis The Role Of The Internet Of Things And Industry 4.0 In Healthcare Supply Chain Using Neutrosophic Sets, Ahmed M. Abdelmouty, Ahmed Abdel-Monem, Samah Ibrahim Abdel Aal, Mahmoud M. Ismail

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In today's global economy, the Healthcare supply chain (HCSC) must be aware of a market that is both complicated and ever-changing. The HCSC in Industry 4.0 aims to give patients the medicine they need as quickly and cheaply as possible. The HCSC can improve operations by automating routine tasks and reducing human error by using new technologies like the "Internet of Things" (IoT); so, there is a need to analyze the role of IoT and Industry 4.0 in the Healthcare Supply Chain. This paper aims to analyze the role of IoT and Industry 4.0 in HCSC. Also, this paper proposes …

Novel Paradigm For Ai-Driven Scientific Research: From Ai4s To Intelligent Science, Feiyue Wang, Qinghai Miao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Effectiveness Of Multilayer Graded-Z Forms Of Radiation Shielding, Brinley Packer

Physics Capstone Projects

This study explored how different forms of radiation shielding were more or less effective than standard single-layer shielding. Beta and gamma radiation sources were used and measured using a Geiger counter to determine how well the various forms of shielding protect against the radiation. The shielding effectiveness of standard homogeneous materials (e.g., graphite, carbon/epoxy composites, aluminum, and lead) of various thicknesses for different radiation sources was measured to provide standards for comparison. Once a basis of effective shielding was established, the study can go into greater depth into how to use shielding materials to be more effective, to better shield …