Launched in 2014, Chronicle of The New researcher was a professionally refereed journal for pre-collegiate research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The journal was published by Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society.

Online and open access, Chronicle of The New Researcher provided outstanding pre-collegiate students in STEM the opportunity to showcase their research results to the public. The journal recognized the most significant pre-collegiate student research, provided mentor support and feedback during the review process, and ultimately published the best manuscripts on a continual basis in a high quality, polished online publication.

Chronicle of The New Researcher sustained a balance between the high standards of scientific rigor expected of a prestigious accomplishment and the recognition that our authors were students with limited experience and may have been taking their first steps on a path leading to careers in science and engineering.

Estrogen Differentially Regulates Expression of P-38
and Hemeoxygenase-1 in Mouse Cervix

Rema Shah (2014)

View Full Article

Recent research has shown that estrogen stimulates vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in mouse cervix, and that VEGF induces inflammation, as well as proliferation of cervical epithelial cells. However, the pathway that mediates estrogen’s effects on VEGF in the cervix is unknown. P-38 is a signaling molecule that has been shown to mediate estrogen’s up-regulatory effects on VEGF in other tissues. Further, hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been shown to reduce inflammation in the placenta, thus preventing preterm labor. However, estrogen’s role in the cervix and the effects of estrogen on HO-1 expression have not been studied. Here, I examine the effect of estrogen on the expression of P-38 and HO-1 in the mouse cervix using H&E staining, confocal immunofluorescence microscopy, and western blotting. The results of this study show that estrogen up-regulates P-38 protein expression but down-regulates HO-1 protein expression. Based on these findings, I conclude that estrogen up-regulates the P-38 protein expression, which in turn mediates estrogen’s downstream effects, likely including the expression of VEGF, a mediator of cervical inflammation. Also, reduction in HO-1 protein expression in response to high estrogen levels during late pregnancy may lead to increased inflammation, contributing to preterm labor.

A Volatility Based Modified Black Scholes Approach
to Price Options

Auston Li (2014)

View Full Article

The goal of the project was to improve the Black Scholes model accuracy in pricing options at higher values of volatility. The market is constantly overwhelmed with uncertainty, within lies the potential of an asset’s price to rise or fall significantly. This brings about the concept that the market moves stochastically that is randomly. This variability of the market is quantified as the term, volatility. Using the volatility values, stochastic asset models can be formed, which are capable of finding the values of assets in the future. One of the most prominent stochastic asset models is the Black Scholes option pricing model. Formulated by Fischer Black and Merton Scholes, this option pricing model is the most widely utilized model in the market. Through a series of random value testing, the volatility was found to be the most significant factor in the Black Scholes model. In conclusion, a basic computer simulation model was developed, using the Black Scholes model to price options.

Optimization of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)
Through Co-adsorption and Tri-adsorption
of Organic Dyes

Saurin Kantesaria (2014)

View Full Article

Although synthetic dyes are typically used in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), organic dyes provide a less expensive, and simple method of manufacturing such cells. The objective of this project was to produce a relatively low-cost DSSC with optimal conversion efficiency and a wide absorption spectrum through co-adsorption and tri-adsorption of inexpensive organic dyes. Four organic dyes (Pomegranate Juice, Anthocyanin, Rhodamine B, and Thymol Blue) were used as sensitizers on a titanium dioxide semiconductor film. Through measuring the absorption spectrum of varying ratios of these dyes, five cells were assembled through co-adsorption and one through a unique method of tri-adsorption. The photoelectrochemical properties (voltage, current, absorption spectra, fill factor, and conversion efficiency) of each were thereafter measured using appropriate equipment. These values reflected that open circuit voltages varied from 0.232 V to 0.464 V and conversion efficiencies ranged from 0.17% to 2.74%. The tri-adsorption of Pomegranate Juice, Anthocyanin, and Thymol Blue in a ratio of (65:43:2) produced the highest efficiency of 2.74%. This not only demonstrated that methods of cosensitization and tri-sensitization could yield increases in conversion efficiency in organic DSSCs, but also that such cells could eventually become more commercially viable if optimized further using inexpensive approaches.

Producing Electric Power from the Wind:
A Study of Flow Mechanics and Blade Efficiency

Eleanor O. Frost (2014)

View Full Article

Electric power generated from the wind can help our society become less dependent upon the production of foreign oil. Windmills of old were made with blades that had a cross-section of a rectangle. These were inexpensive blades sweeping out small circles by today’s standards. Windmill rotor blades today have airfoil cross-sections, which reduce drag and increase the performance.
My hypothesis is that the symmetrical airfoils will outperform the flat-bottomed airfoil and rectangular blades. This is important since increasing the efficiency of the windmill will increase its affordability and use. To test my hypothesis, I created a wind tunnel and windmill to test the different blades. Twelve inch long blades measuring 2 and 5 inches from front to back were used. The length of the blade was 12 inches. The windmill was made out of PVC pipe [2]. To smooth the airflow, I used an array of pre-cut pipes resembling the same in a 2009 US Department of Energy report on windmills and wind energy.
In each series of experiments, I waited for the wind tunnel and air smoother to reach a steady state flow of air. The airflow speed was 11.2 feet per second and 5.8 feet per second. I set the Static Angle of the blades on the rotor and then put the windmill into the airflow. I waited for the rotors to reach steady state and then recorded power data and measured the rotational speed of the rotor with a strobe light. I averaged the observations and graphed the output results. I calculated the net Dynamic Angle of attack for points along the leading edge of the rotors and graphed the ratio of the coefficients for each calculated net Dynamic Angle.
My hypothesis was correct as the symmetrical airfoils out performed the flat-bottomed airfoils and control blades. At the 11.2 ft/sec wind speed, the 2" symmetrical blade produced 28% more power than the 2" flatbottomed blade at a 5-degree static angle; 56% more power at a 10-degree static angle. The 2" symmetrical blade also produced twice the power of the 5" symmetrical blade.
At the 5.8 ft/sec wind speed, the 2" symmetrical blade produced 11% more power than the 2" flat-bottomed blade at 5-degree static angle; 84% more power than the flat-bottomed blade at a 10-degree static angle. The 2" symmetrical blade power output increased 12.5% at the 10-degree static angle over the 5-degree static angle. The 2" blade produced 23% more power than the 5" symmetrical blade at the 5.8 ft/sec wind speed.

The Generation and Analysis of Waves with
Varying Nonlinearity through a One-Dimensional
Chain of Spheres

Thorsen M. Wehr (2014)

View Full Article

Many waves formed in nature are primarily linear and have a property called dispersion causing different waveforms to separate and lose amplitude. Solitons can retain their pulse form as they propagate and cancel out that dispersion, making nonlinear waves useful for transferring energy. Waves traveling through a chain of spheres would display nonlinear behaviors when struck with enough force causing separation in the chain; the sound would not reflect back through the system disrupting the wave. Also in a chain of spheres, the waves traveling within would display nonlinear behaviors; the stress from the spheres’ masses would cause deformation in the chain and waves traveling through them become nonlinear. The first trials tested wave behaviors with different amounts of striking force. A test sphere was placed atop the chain and struck with various forces. The second trials tested wave behaviors with a consistent force, changing the location of a test sphere in the chain. The third trials tested wave behaviors with a consistent force, changing the location of a test sphere in the chain and applying varying forces to the chain. The fourth trials repeated the methodology of the three previous trials, but extended the chain threefold. This research was considered successful since both hypotheses were accepted and supported by the nonlinearity of higher and lower forces and the nonlinearity of top and bottom test sphere positions being statistically different. Focused solitons provide many innovative practices such as replacing dangerous radiation therapy treatments or High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound, providing various military applications, and creating new communication avenues.

Effects of Process Parameters in Water-in-Oil
Emulsion Method on Diameters of Chitosan
Microspheres

Munir Iskandarani, Jazmine Gladney, Devi Lakhlani, Neha Narang, Heeral Patel, Alejandro Perez and Simon Santurian (2016)

View Full Article

Chitosan microspheres are used for targeted drug delivery and radiomicrosphere therapy; however, control over microsphere diameters is necessary for these treatment modalities to be effective. In this study, the effects of parameters in the water-in-oil emulsion method on the diameters of chitosan microspheres were investigated. Decreasing the volume of glutaraldehyde (crosslinking agent) caused the microspheres to swell more in 200 proof ethanol, whereas increasing the volume inhibited the formation of microspheres. The volume of chitosan solution (2% w/v solution in 2% v/v acetic acid) as well as the volume of tween 80 (surfactant) appeared to have no effect on microsphere diameters. Increasing the size of the round-bottom flask that held the emulsion resulted in the formation of microspheres likely over 1 mm in diameter. In contrast, increasing stir bar length appeared to decrease microsphere diameters. No clear correlation was observed between microsphere diameters and emulsion volume. Despite following the water-in-oil emulsion method of a previous study which had achieved an average microsphere diameter of 30 mm, such an average diameter was not achieved in this study. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that physical parameters such as round-bottom flask size and stir bar length have a considerable effect on the diameters of chitosan microspheres and that the success of the synthesis is operator dependent such that some, as yet, unidentified factor must have a considerable influence on size and size distribution.
This paper is based on work presented at the Summer Research Internship Program Mini-Symposium on August 8th, 2014 at Florida International University.

Effect of Azadirachta Indica Extracts on Oriental
Leafworm, Spodoptera Litura (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae)

Nirupa Gadi (2017)

View Full Article

The tropical neem tree, Azadirachta indica, has many medicinal and pesticidal properties. Virtually every part of the neem tree has been used by indigenous cultures for medicine or pest control for over 2,000 years. Neem extracts are used to treat various infections and to repel insects. In this study, the efficacy of A. indica extracts was evaluated against eggs and second instar larvae of the tropical armyworm Spodoptera litura (also known as the Oriental leafworm). We found that A. indica extracts killed 98.4% of eggs and 100% of larvae, pupae, and adults of S. litura exposed to extracts of neem leaves. Because A. indica extracts are not harmful to plants or humans, these chemicals can be used to control insects in gardens and around dwellings.

The Effect of Tsunami Barrier Texture-Pattern on
Tsunami Wave Amplitude

Claire E. Gilmore (2018)

View Full Article

Recent tsunami-related disasters demonstrate the need for the development and implementation of new, more effective tsunami barrier designs. Rectangular, concrete barriers are often ineffective at stopping tsunami from inundating populated coastal regions; their failure can result in death and destruction. This paper presents the results of laboratory experiments that examined the effect of tsunami wave barrier texture-patterns on tsunami amplitude. Three tsunami barrier texture-patterns (perpendicular, parallel, and diagonal) were tested. Artificial turf strips were used on a rectangular prism-shaped barrier to assess which pattern was most effective in amplitude reduction. The procedure used was to generate a wave, then measure wave amplitude beyond the textured barrier at the end (designated shoreline) of a wave simulation tank. The perpendicular pattern barrier produced the lowest average wave amplitude, whereas the parallel and diagonal pattern barriers produced average amplitudes that were higher than the control amplitude. The wave barrier design concepts presented here could benefit vulnerable coastal areas by improving tsunami barrier performance and reducing tsunami destruction.
This paper is based on work presented at the American Junior Academy of Science, February 13, 2015, San Jose, California.

Passive Removal of Copper Ions and Salts from
Water for Potable Use

Eunbi Go, HyeongSeok Lee, Ng Wen Kai, Lu Jinyao, Chia Hui Peng and Jerome Kemper (2018)

View Full Article

Eleven different organic materials were tested for their ability to remove chloride ions from an artificial seawater solution. The sweet sagewort (Artemesia annua) was found to have the highest absorption capacity and was further tested in order to determine the optimum conditions for chloride removal. Sweet sagewort is from the same Asteraceae family as the Parthenium sp. which has been shown to remove high percentages of chloride ions from artificial seawater, possibly due to its abundance of amine binding sites. An FT-IR test (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) showed that amine groups were also present in the sweet sagewort. The sweet sagewort was able to remove 27.1% of the chloride ions at a ratio of sagewort to artificial seawater of 7 g per liter. Although Korean melon was unsuccessful at removing chloride ions, it removed copper (II) ions from water. The Korean melon was able to achieve 95% removal at a ratio of 2.5 g/L (melon/water) at pH of 7.

Optical Imaging of Diffusive Electrons with Different
Kinetic Energies in a Semiconductor

Sunny Y. Zhang (2018)

View Full Article

In this project, a photoluminescence (PL) imaging technique was developed for probing electron diffusion in a semiconductor thin film. This technique was applied to investigate electron diffusion in GaAs for electrons of different kinetic energies. A tightly focused laser beam at 532 nm was used to generate electrons in an area of about 0.72 μm, and the spatial profile of the PL in an area much larger than that of the laser excitation site was imaged by a digital camera. Analysis of the PL images at different wavelengths indicated that the electrons maintain the same thermal distribution during diffusion and exhibit a common diffusion length of approximately 3.5 ± 0.2 μm.
This paper is based on work presented at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona from Sunday, May 8, 2016 to Friday, May 13, 2016.

CTNR

Estrogen Differentially Regulates Expression of P-38
and Hemeoxygenase-1 in Mouse Cervix

Rema Shah (2014)

View Full Article

A Volatility Based Modified Black Scholes Approach
to Price Options

Auston Li (2014)

View Full Article

Optimization of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)
Through Co-adsorption and Tri-adsorption
of Organic Dyes

Saurin Kantesaria (2014)

View Full Article

Producing Electric Power from the Wind:
A Study of Flow Mechanics and Blade Efficiency

Eleanor O. Frost (2014)

View Full Article

The Generation and Analysis of Waves with
Varying Nonlinearity through a One-Dimensional
Chain of Spheres

Thorsen M. Wehr (2014)

View Full Article

Effects of Process Parameters in Water-in-Oil
Emulsion Method on Diameters of Chitosan
Microspheres

Munir Iskandarani, Jazmine Gladney, Devi Lakhlani, Neha Narang, Heeral Patel, Alejandro Perez and Simon Santurian (2016)

View Full Article

Effect of Azadirachta Indica Extracts on Oriental
Leafworm, Spodoptera Litura (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae)

Nirupa Gadi (2017)

View Full Article

The Effect of Tsunami Barrier Texture-Pattern on
Tsunami Wave Amplitude

Claire E. Gilmore (2018)

View Full Article

Passive Removal of Copper Ions and Salts from
Water for Potable Use

Eunbi Go, HyeongSeok Lee, Ng Wen Kai, Lu Jinyao, Chia Hui Peng and Jerome Kemper (2018)

View Full Article

Optical Imaging of Diffusive Electrons with Different
Kinetic Energies in a Semiconductor

Sunny Y. Zhang (2018)

View Full Article

About

Programs

Chapters

Meetings & Events

Members

News

Publications

CTNR

Estrogen Differentially Regulates Expression of P-38 and Hemeoxygenase-1 in Mouse Cervix

Rema Shah (2014)

A Volatility Based Modified Black Scholes Approach to Price Options

Auston Li (2014)

Optimization of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) Through Co-adsorption and Tri-adsorption of Organic Dyes

Saurin Kantesaria (2014)

Producing Electric Power from the Wind: A Study of Flow Mechanics and Blade Efficiency

Eleanor O. Frost (2014)

The Generation and Analysis of Waves with Varying Nonlinearity through a One-Dimensional Chain of Spheres

Thorsen M. Wehr (2014)

Effects of Process Parameters in Water-in-Oil Emulsion Method on Diameters of Chitosan Microspheres

Munir Iskandarani, Jazmine Gladney, Devi Lakhlani, Neha Narang, Heeral Patel, Alejandro Perez and Simon Santurian (2016)

Effect of Azadirachta Indica Extracts on Oriental Leafworm, Spodoptera Litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Nirupa Gadi (2017)

The Effect of Tsunami Barrier Texture-Pattern on Tsunami Wave Amplitude

Claire E. Gilmore (2018)

Passive Removal of Copper Ions and Salts from Water for Potable Use

Eunbi Go, HyeongSeok Lee, Ng Wen Kai, Lu Jinyao, Chia Hui Peng and Jerome Kemper (2018)

Optical Imaging of Diffusive Electrons with Different Kinetic Energies in a Semiconductor

Sunny Y. Zhang (2018)

About

Programs

Chapters

Meetings & Events

Members

News

Publications

Estrogen Differentially Regulates Expression of P-38
and Hemeoxygenase-1 in Mouse Cervix

A Volatility Based Modified Black Scholes Approach
to Price Options

Optimization of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)
Through Co-adsorption and Tri-adsorption
of Organic Dyes

Producing Electric Power from the Wind:
A Study of Flow Mechanics and Blade Efficiency

The Generation and Analysis of Waves with
Varying Nonlinearity through a One-Dimensional
Chain of Spheres

Effects of Process Parameters in Water-in-Oil
Emulsion Method on Diameters of Chitosan
Microspheres

Effect of Azadirachta Indica Extracts on Oriental
Leafworm, Spodoptera Litura (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae)

The Effect of Tsunami Barrier Texture-Pattern on
Tsunami Wave Amplitude

Passive Removal of Copper Ions and Salts from
Water for Potable Use

Optical Imaging of Diffusive Electrons with Different
Kinetic Energies in a Semiconductor