Session I

Session I Project Presentations (10 min. + 5 min. Q & A)

8:50 am - 9:05 am
9:05 am - 9:20 am
9:20 am - 9:35 am
9:35 am - 9:50 am

Schedule

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2022
Wednesday, April 20th
8:50 AM

Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction of Rubisco Activase from Zea Maize to Improve Thermal Stability

Taylor Baugh '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Naveena Mutharasan '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Rising global temperatures due to climate change threaten the productivity of key agricultural staple crops such as maize corn, thus having negative implications for food security and production. Increased heat stress impairs plant function by decreasing the efficiency of rubisco activase (RCA), a critical enzyme responsible for net photosynthesis. To address this issue, we performed Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction (ASR) on ... Read More

Assessing User Feedback to Optimize the FoodSteps Mobile Health Intervention

Annabelle Lu '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Mobile interventions created through research studies often have not focused on user preferences, and consequently, people are less likely to use the app once it enters the real world. FoodSteps is a mobile intervention to help users manage weight and reduce binge eating and was designed with extensive user input through user-centered design methods. In this

study, 30 people with ... Read More

Background and Signal Estimate Calculation for Doubly-charged Higgs Boson Production

Nate Graf '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

The purpose of this project is to automatically generate background and signal estimates for the H++. Drell-Yan is one possible path of Higgs production, but 4 lepton production at 800 GeV is quite rare, meaning the data becomes sparse near 800 due to the low probability of events generating in that range. To calculate background in this case and gain ... Read More

BlockBins Intern Abstract

Ela Gadi '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

BlockBins is a composting company that provides shared compost bins at low prices. The focus of the business project for BlockBins is to compile a detailed composting and recycling guide and to further solidify their brand image through social media presence. These projects have had many positive impacts. The compost guide gives BlockBins' target market important information which makes composting ... Read More

Discovery and Synthesis of Novel Inflammation Reducing Drug for Atopic Dermatitis

Natali Chung '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a non-contagious chronic inflammatory skin disease. AD is associated with allergies such as those that pertain to food or dust, allergic asthma, and anaphylaxis. These reactions start a complex interaction of various pathways involving skin barrier function and immune deviation, developing an itchy inflammation on the contacted skin. Topical treatments such as topical steroids and PDE4 ... Read More

Engineering a Compact Wind Turbine

Kevin Lemus '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Ilan Lunken, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

In the United States, electricity production from fossil fuels accounts for nearly 25% of greenhouse emissions. The impact of this problem inspired us to construct a lightweight, compactable wind turbine that could give users renewable energy wherever they go. Our current design includes an 8.5 x 8.5 x 2-inch plastic base. This houses the electronics which include five small generators ... Read More

Fidget Toys as a Method of Classroom Management

Nathan Brodsky '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Jonah Fisher, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Kaz Isibue, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Rachael Koterba '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Adriana Rodriguez '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Patrick Tenedor, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Our overall goal for this project is to assess the effectiveness of 3D printed fidget toys in the classroom as a method of cost effective classroom attentiveness management. Our goal this school year was to assess which 3D printable fidget toys, among those that are freely available online, were the most effective in terms of cost, material requirement, time to ... Read More

Impact of Common Dietary Supplements on Urine Glucose Levels

Akash Basavaraju, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

The rise of diabetes mellitus, particularly among younger people, has been a cause of public health concern recently. Many scientific studies conducted throughout the pandemic showed diabetes as being a cause for severe complications related to COVID. Current treatment for diabetes primarily consists of lifestyle changes and/or medications. Natural remedies for diabetes have been gaining more traction lately, given the ... Read More

In vitro analysis of an ultraporous synthetic scaffold's ability to promote mesenchymal stem cell survival and chondrogenesis

Shreya Mahesh, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Apurva Reddy, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Articular cartilage is a vital connective tissue in the musculoskeletal system. Because articular cartilage is avascular in nature, effective repair of cartilaginous defects remains a challenge. Dimension Inx (Chicago, IL), recently developed a novel ultraporous scaffold: Fluffy polylactide co-glycolide (FPLG). It is capable of being 3D printed to precisely adhere to irregular contours present in cartilaginous surfaces. This study evaluated ... Read More

Isolation of Extracts of Ginger and their Antimicrobial properties

Jesse Park, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

The intention of this project was to find potential antimicrobial properties within ginger. This was done by isolating gingerol, shogaol, and zingiberene. These compounds are the defining components of ginger. After extraction, each compound was individually tested for antimicrobial properties. The effectiveness of the compounds was observed.

Lepton Selection for the Doubly Charged Higgs

Gautham Anne, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Dean Barrow, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

The decay of the doubly charged Higgs is as follows: two quarks annihilate into a Z boson, which pair produces an H++ and H--, which both then decay into 4 final state leptons. We attempt to find more precise cuts to eliminate the most significant backgrounds – Drell-Yan, ZZ, ttbar, and QCD. We also calculate the significance. By predicting better ... Read More

Performing Hypothesis Testing Involving Candidate Topological Spaces Generated by Polyominoes

Akshat Gupta, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Topological data analysis (TDA) is an approach to the analysis of datasets using techniques from topology. The main tool is persistent homology, an adaptation of homology to point cloud data. Persistent homology has been applied to many types of data across many fields. Until quite recently, the theoretical aspects of TDA and topological inference mostly relied on deterministic approaches. These ... Read More

Phage Discovery: Isolating bacteriophages capable of infecting either Arthrobacter globiformis, Gordonia rubripertincta or Microbacterium foliorum from soil samples collected at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Edwin Alcantara, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Sage Owen, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Makayla Zheng, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Over the last few decades, research has been conducted on bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, and the potential of phage therapy to serve as an alternative to antibiotics. Phage therapy has high specificity, lower chance of resistance, and minimal disturbance to “good” bacteria, making it a worthy alternative. However, more research is needed to identify candidates for phage therapy. This ... Read More

Political, Racial, and Household Income Barriers for Access to Health Care

Kennedy Bray, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Access to health care impacts many people nationwide, as it restricts their ability to solve their health concerns. People who have the highest risk of a lack of access include people who are uninsured, people a part of a specific social class, a minority that lives in a poor state, or a person belonging to a specific political party. The ... Read More

Pollinator Growth Rates in a Changing Climate

Catelyn Rounds, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

While climate change threatens extreme weather events and rising ocean levels, its effects will also impact important pollinators that we rely on for crops and native ecosystems. While the larval stages are considered to be an agricultural pest, in their adult stage, the hawk moths are important pollinators, contributing heavily to healthy, native ecosystems in the Midwest. Temperature-induced changes in ... Read More

Substituent Effects on Phenol

Elizabeth Alcala, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Ramzi Daki '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

This project focuses on how adding various substituents to the already existing phenolmolecule will influence its structure and stability. Phenol is an antiseptic often found in household cleaners and is also used in small amounts as an anesthetic. 11 non-metal substituents are added within the para location to see whether or not the said substituent will affect the molecule. Our ... Read More

Synthesis of Treatments for Mycetoma Disease

James Anterola, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Jeff Duan, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Renaldo Venegas, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Mycetoma is a commonly neglected tropical disease that leads to the development of tumors that may affect underlying bone (CDC, 2020). By carrying on from graduated students’ research from the previous year, we have analyzed a compound, Methyl Ether 6, that they have deemed as potentially fit for the treatment of the disease. Enforcing Lipinski’s rule of 5 in combination ... Read More

The Correlation Between Socioeconomic and Environmental Factors on Life Expectancy in the United States

Kaylee Zhou, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

There are many factors that can impact an individuals’ health, such as proximity to services, access to nature, occupational opportunities, and more. It was hypothesized that factors such as population density, education, civilian labor force, poverty, mortality, public transportation, air quality, and unemployment rates differ between urban and rural areas and influence longevity in humans. However, previous research dove deeper ... Read More

The Impact of CPSF6 on the Innate Immune Response to HIV Infection

Kenith Taukolo, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

With no current vaccine for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), it is crucial to study what factors influence how HIV infects host cells to develop new strategies and therapies to combat this pandemic. Cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 6 (CPSF6) is an HIV host factor known to influence HIV infectivity and trafficking early in the infection. We hypothesize that the overexpression ... Read More

Using agent-based computational modeling to stimulate the mechanic stress responses of specific communities

Elizabeth Nyamwange '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Research shows that people with low incomes and racial/ethnic minority populations experience greater levels of stress than their more affluent, white counterparts. This can lead to significant disparities in both mental and physical health that ultimately affect life expectancy and shows correlation with a reduction in household SES as paired with mental and physical health barriers. To learn more about ... Read More

Using Machine Learning to Recognize CRS in Patients

Irene Liu, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

8:50 AM - 9:05 AM

Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a nasal disease characterized by the inflammation of the mucosa and paranasal sinuses with a duration of at least 12 consecutive weeks. So, to diagnose CRS, one needs to keep a record of their symptoms for ~12 weeks before they are recommended to get a tomography which will allow physicians to classify them as a patient ... Read More

9:10 AM

Alternatives to Animal Leather for Fashion Industry Using Bacterial Cellulose Sheets

Gabriela Georgieva, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Leather production from bacterial cellulose (BC) is one of the many vegan leather options explored through scientific research in response to the animal welfare in, and the environmental impact of, the fashion industry. This study attempted to replicate BC production using Komagataeibacter hansenii and Komagataeibacter xylinus. Groups of BC were then impregnated with differing amounts of Downy softener and either ... Read More

An Investigation of Triboson Decays into Four-Lepton Final States

George Bayliss, Illinois Math and Science Academy
Jesus Fileto, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Dheeran Wiggins, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

The doubly charged Higgs boson (H±±) is a theoretical non-Standard Model scalar boson with both Drell-Yan and vector boson fusion production mechanisms. The dark photon (γd) is a theoretical dark matter non-SM gauge boson in the dark sector with Higgs and SUSY production mechanisms. We present our findings on triboson background events for doubly charged

Higgs bosons and dark photons ... Read More

Approximating the Row-Wise Total Least Squares Linear Regression Solution

Cole Plepel, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Motivated by applications as a kernel of nonlinear regression algorithms, the row-wise weighted total least squares regression problem is examined to find a consistent and accurate estimator. Specifically, the estimator will have a time complexity linear in the number of observations and a space complexity constant in the same value, as the number of observations can be quite large in ... Read More

Assessing the Quality of LGBTQ+ Identity Affirming Care: Developing Recommendations for Identity-Focused Healthcare

Venus Obazuaye '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Recently, the practice of patient-centered health care has emerged as one possible strategy to reduce health disparities experienced by marginalized communities. Despite this trend, limited research has been conducted to measure the impact of patient-centered health care, or identity and gender-affirming care, on members of the LGBTQ+ community and potential improvements.

This study first analyzed differences in participants’ responses to ... Read More

Continuous Temperature Measurements in Donor Hearts during Organ Procurement

Siddu Bangaru, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

In-the-current standard-of-care mechanism for donor heart transport, the organ is immersed in preservation solution inside of a sterile plastic jar, triple-bagged, and placed inside a cooler filled with ice. Literature describing the relationship between transport conditions and post-transplant outcomes is very limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the relationship of donor heart temperature with major elements of post-transplant success.

This ... Read More

Design and Synthesis of COVID-19 Antivirals Using Computer Modeling

Isabella Chen '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Lethzeylee Gutierrez, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

The development of effective antiviral drugs for COVID-19 is ongoing. COVID Moonshot is an initiative that contributes to this goal. We aim to develop easily manufacturable antiviral drugs that can inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, Mpro. Using fragment-based drug discovery, which identifies low-molecular-weight ligands that bind to biologically important macromolecules, leads for the biological target were identified. We designed new ... Read More

Elimination of Background in the Lepton Jet Analysis through the Application of Relative Isolation Cuts

James Tan, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

We look through data generated from a Monte-Carlo simulation in order to analyze exotic interactions, meaning those outside of the standard model. Our analysis is divided into two primary searches, with one focused on the doubly-charged Higgs boson, and the other examining dark photon decay. This project focused primarily on the dark photons, specifically the lepton jets that result from ... Read More

Income and Access to Healthcare’s Impact on Longevity Throughout Illinois Counties

Becca Pae, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Across the United States, there is a twenty-year life expectancy difference between the county with the highest longevity and the county with the lowest longevity (USC). Income is a major factor with wealthier regions having some of the highest longevity. However, there are many more external factors, especially those relating to healthcare, that shorten the longevity of those residing in ... Read More

Information Technology with the Illinois State Treasurers Office

Revanth Poondru, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

AgInvest is a program developed by the Illinois State Treasurers Office that streamlines the process that banks go through to request loans on behalf of farmers. It has been available for Illinois for over 39 years. It provided basic loans with a variety of approved financial institutions to start, expand, or addvalue to farm operations. It has loaned billions of ... Read More

JAG1 Role in the Extravasation of Metastasized TNBC

Bhavya Vegesna, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subclass defined by its lack of hormonal receptors and HER2 amplification. Although TNBC only accounts for 15% of all invasive breast cancers, there are limited therapeutic options for patients with TNBC. Although breast cancer patients have a favorable prognosis if ... Read More

Leishmaniasis: hit to lead synthesis of treatment

Jadesola Suleiman, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that is characterized by fevers, enlarged spleens, weight loss, and swollen glands. It primarily affects the tropical and subtropical regions of Earth, and is also classified as a neglected tropical disease. This study was done in collaboration with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) and the University of Otago. The goal of this project ... Read More

Particle Physics Project

Liam Nelson '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Current models occasionally misinterpret particle charges due to high transverse momentum. To this end, we designed a module that, when implemented, matches generated particles to reconstructed ones and logs the number of incorrect signs in the reconstruction. We further divide these sign flips between high pT and low pT, based off a momentum cut specified in the module. Further, our ... Read More

Postgraduate employment and wage disparities by Race

Temi Ijisesan '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

My SIR project analyzes the ways in which race intersects with and determines postgraduate success of young adults in the U.S. Previously, I studied the ways that Affirmative Action, Affirmative Action Bans, HBCUs and other factors affect the overall percentage of African American Students (Black) attending 4-year public institutions in America. I found that most of these variables had no ... Read More

Semantic Contrastive Multi-Modal Video Transformer

Dev Singh '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

We present an architecture for learning semantic multi-modal video representations to learn semantic representations of videos from unlabeled data with transformer architectures. While multi-modal transformer architectures have been shown to increase accuracy of video classification and feature learning tasks, these techniques do not incorporate semantic information. Our Semantic Contrastive Multi-Modal Video Transformer (SCMMVT) takes raw video, audio, and text data ... Read More

Synthesizing and Cost Evaluating Tiopronin

Ayati Lala, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Miles Massey, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Tiopronin is a prescription thiol drug used as medication to treat severe homozygous cystinuria. Although not an immediate threat it contains the risk of the formation of kidney stones. Tiopronin is used as a second-line therapy to control the rate of cysteine precipitation and excretion. The price of tiopronin has recently exploded from $1.50 to $30 per pill, a 1,900% ... Read More

The Atlas of Knowledge: A look into the capabilities of the IMSA YouTube Channel

Jessica Lyseng '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Gabriella Velazquez '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academyl

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

After noting a lack of engagement and representation on the IMSA YouTube channel and researching existing science content, we produced an educational video segment for the channel about the brain, based on student surveys. After capturing analytics before and after, we analyzed the change in the channel and denoted this change to the topic, format, and production of our content. ... Read More

The Effect of Vitamin D on Glioblastoma Multiforme T98G Cells

Serena Gacek, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Vitamin D has been proven to have anti-proliferative effects on several different types of cancer, including Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The use of supplemental Vitamin D has demonstrated a reduced mortality rate in GBM patients, and the expression of the Vitamin D Receptor may be associated with a better prognosis for GBM patients. To further establish the tumoricidal efficacy of Vitamin ... Read More

The Molecular Interaction Between c-KIT Receptor Protein (STI-571) and Threonine

Aubrey Hall, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Michelle Sun '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

STI-571’s role in the medical field is not as significant as other proteins, so we are interested in the logistics of its interaction with amino acids, such as Threonine. We applied the SPARTAN software to model the STI-571 molecule and Thr. We then made atomic substitutions, including changing a few Nitrogen atoms to Carbon atoms. Despite such changes, the distance ... Read More

The Relationship Between Overlapping Resonances and Chaos in Planetary Systems

Jayant Kumar, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Studies have been conducted to determine the role overlapping resonances have on the chaos within planetary systems, primarily our own. Most studies prove that overlapping resonances are the cause of chaotic orbits, as is evidenced by the Kirkwood gaps, however, it is not understood which resonances are primarily responsible for chaotic orbits. Our project investigates the relationships of overlapping first-order ... Read More

TurnUp Activism Inc. Graphic Design Projects

Esther Im, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

TurnUp Activism Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that strives to foster a new wave of youth voters and activists. In the TurnUp app, users are able to find and post events, scroll through their newsfeed, access resources, and participate in civic engagement. On their social media platforms, TurnUp posts about volunteer opportunities, current news, and other resources, and during my ... Read More

Untitled

Feyikemi Ogunleye, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Using Design Thinking to explore Opportunities, Feasibility, and Experiences

Saanvi Chellikani, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

Design Thinking is a problem solving process used for innovation and when creating something new. A five step iterative process - empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test - it allows designers to make successful products that satisfy user needs. In this project we explore the process of design thinking through different lenses and contexts. The first context was an environmental setting ... Read More

Utilizing SOFTSUSY calculations in dark sector analysis

Hector Ibarra, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:10 AM - 9:25 AM

We are utilizing the program SOFTSUSY (based on the minimal supersymmetric standard model (mssm)) for dark sector analysis of dark photons. We have automated the external program with Python to give us cross-sections of dark photons while also automating the C++ graphing program to plot these data points. The two variables that are changed throughout automation are the m0 (unified ... Read More

9:30 AM

An Analysis of The Exogenous Deaths of Directors During The 1960s and Their Implications

Christo Ekimov '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Eunice Kim, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Deaths in a company’s board of directors, particularly exogenous, have a significant impact on the company’s success; their valuation is often strongly dependent on its leaders. Guided by Dr.Carola Frydman at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, this paper addresses questions such as whether age of death, personal incentive, and expectations impact

the extent to which businesses are affected by ... Read More

Analysis of the Shinnery Oak Shrub Using High Resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Imagery

Lily Song '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Reyna Duffy '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

The Shinnery Oak (Quercus havardii) is a low clonal deciduous shrub native to the Great Plains of North America. Little research has been done on the disappearing specie’s ecology as the Shinnery Oak undesirably dominates the vegetation growing in its environment. Nonetheless, the species’ restoration is vital to biodiversity, the well being of endangered species in the community, and livestock ... Read More

Dark Photon Generation via Higgs Portal

Andy Tang '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

We present quantification of the potential to detect dark photons through Higgs portal decays to dark fermion pairs, as first analyzed in 2016 by ATLAS. The Higgs portal is one of two potential decay patterns under study: through further simulation we can compare it with a theorized supersymmetric (SUSY) portal and determine differences in lepton jets generated through the two ... Read More

Data Analytics: The Relationship Between Race and Disparities in Educational Attainment

Nikita Rudrapati, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

The purpose of this research paper is to identify the role of the racial makeup in American public schools has on educational outcomes. Current literature explains how low socioeconomic and academic resources create a negative compounded effect. Due to systematic disadvantages, minorities are less likely to graduate from high school and attend college. This project hypothesizes that even when controlling ... Read More

Data Augmentation Frameworks in Natural Language Processing

Gloria X. Wang, Illinois Math and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Data augmentation is an important component in the robustness evaluation of models in natural language processing (NLP) and in enhancing the diversity of the data they are trained on. In this paper, we present NL-Augmenter, a new participatory Python-based natural language augmentation framework which supports the creation of both transformations (modifications to

the data) and filters (data splits according to ... Read More

Effects of Digital Tool Types on User Engagement and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Online Learning

Samuel Lee, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Self-determination theory (SDT) is a mega-theory about motivation. Basic Psychological Need Theory (BPNT), a sub-theory of SDT, claims that motivation is fostered when all three basic psychological needs - autonomy, competence, and relatedness - are satisfied. With COVID-19, the search for designing effective online learning tools has become more important than ever. Also, because students in higher education are more ... Read More

Experimentation with Small Molecule Inhibitors

Gabriella Kanallakan, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

In the field of drug discovery, the use of small molecule inhibitors have become a prevalent strategy when developing drugs. In the p53-MDM2 protein-protein interaction, many novel small molecule inhibitors in the past 10 years have entered clinical trials to inhibit this protein interaction. There are many different types of small molecule inhibitors for this inhibitor such as MDMX or ... Read More

File Input System Rework

Alexander Zhang '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Particle physics research involves processing up to millions of simulated particle collision events under a variety of conditions. These events are contained in Root files, and efficiently accessing these files is a crucial first step in the whole IMSA-CMS analysis. In our framework, the locations of the Root files corresponding to a condition are stored in text files, and the ... Read More

Identification of the biomarker IL-23 in Glioblastoma multiforme cell line T98G using ELISA

Katelyn Ingles, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

The prognosis for patients with Glioblastoma multiforme is about 6% within 5 years of diagnosis. However, if caught earlier, the astrocytes that form glioblastoma can be detected in order to treat and prevent the spread of the cancer. This makes the use of biomarkers useful for diagnosis and tracking the progression of Glioblastoma multiforme. ELISA tests were done to test ... Read More

Investigating Plastome Expression of Rubisco Activase in Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii as a Platform for Directed Evolution

Adam Daki '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Kevin Qu, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Rishik Ummareddy, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Our goal is to engineer a system for expressing Rubisco Activase variants from the chloroplast genome in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We can characterize the effects of these variants on assimilation and cell growth at various temperatures. Ultimately, this system will enable directed evolution of RCA isoforms for improved thermotolerance. To do this, we have built plasmids with several different promoters using ... Read More

Monitoring and Correcting HPV Vaccine Misinformation on Social Media

Ava Puchitkanont, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Vaccine misinformation is widely disseminated on social media, and it is often difficult to correct. Social media posts that contain vaccine misinformation have been found to generate high engagement among social media users, and the spread of misinformation can be harmful to society. This project focuses on monitoring and analyzing sources and types of HPV vaccine misinformation on different social ... Read More

New Cuts on Higgs to WW Production

Surya Ninad Bhamidi, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Dean Cianciolo, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

We present results of new selection cuts in doubly charged Higgs to WW events. This search is performed using data generated from Monte Carlo simulations using leading lepton transverse momentum, same-sign invariant mass, opposite-sign invariant mass, and missing transverse energy. Monte Carlo simulations about each of these properties were analyzed for each significant background of the doubly charged Higgs: QCD ... Read More

Quantification of Polyreactive Antibodies in Cardiolipin Using Dinitrophenol

Keira Feliciano, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Vanessa Rodriguez, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Antibodies play a critical role in the immune system to recognize and defend the body from antigens. While most antibodies bind to one unique antigen due to the affinity maturation process, some antibodies bind with low affinity to multiple unrelated antigens, which is termed polyreactivity. In serum, there are many different polyreactive antibodies, of which have different affinities. Thus, using ... Read More

Selection Cuts for Doubly Charged Higgs Bosons Decaying into Tau Particles

Caroline Kowal, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Kevin Zhang, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

We present new selection cuts for doubly charged Higgs bosons decaying into tau particles. The variables of the data include the leading lepton transverse momentum, same-sign invariant mass, opposite-sign invariant mass, and missing transverse energy values of each interaction. We also collect these values from data on each of the significant background events for the doubly charged Higgs decaying into ... Read More

Status of Vitamin D in Children with Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)

Gabriel Delgado, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Numerous studies have indicated an association between vitamin D deficienc and the immune dysregulation and pathogenesis of autoimmunity. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children with PANS, an autoimmune disorder characterized by abrupt-onset neuropsychiatric symptoms. A retrospective chart review of 122 pediatric PANS patients at a single treatment center was performed. Data collected ... Read More

Synthesis of Fenarimol Derivatives as Potential Treatments for Mycetoma

Ethan Brazelton, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Avdhan Kandikattu '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Antifungal therapy against eumycetoma, the fungal form of the infectious disease known as Mycetoma, has shown to be less than 27% effective, leading to the need for amputations and frequent surgeries. To find methods to control the predominant causative agent, Madurella mycetomatis, the crowdsourced MycetOS project was created with the intention of taking advantage of online communication between researchers. In ... Read More

Synthesis of 2-aminothiazole derivatives as potential treatments of Mycetoma

Samuel Go, Illinois Math and Science Academy
Sumedha Surubhotla, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Fungal mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease that destroys skin, subcutaneous, and bone tissues in the limbs, causing deformity and physical disability. The disease spreads after contamination of wounds, typically on the feet or legs of a patient. There are over 70 identified fungal species that can cause fungal mycetoma after infecting humans. The disease is most prevalent in arid, ... Read More

The Effect of Subcutaneous Electrical Stimulation on Hypertonia in Chronic Hemiparetic Stroke

Shreya Chakraborty '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Yina Wang '23, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

After brain injury, increased levels of monoamines in the central nervous system may result in hypertonia, or increased muscle tone on the affected side. The purpose of this project is to determine how low levels of cutaneous electrical stimulation affect hypertonia in patients with chronic hemiparetic stroke.

Electromyography (EMG) data was collected from the biceps, lateral triceps, and brachioradialis muscles ... Read More

The Search for New Antibiotics: Deriving Antimicrobials From Soil

Joyce Li, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Aidan Maddox, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Rachel Selvaraj, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infectious diseases has been on the rise, staging a major threat to the key role antibiotics play a key role in disease management. This global public health problem has reignited many discussions of finding new antibiotic resistance genes, revealing antimicrobial impacts and potential of soil bacteria in fighting these pathogens. Antibiotic residues in soil vary depending ... Read More

Trigger Analysis with the IMSA-CMS Framework

Nathan Kilmer '22, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

In a collider, particle collisions create around 2TB of data every second, with most of this data being useless to the actual study. To help sift through this data on the fly, “triggers” are used to quickly determine what events should be recreated and kept, based on several parameters. In the IMSA-CMS framework we used predetermined triggers alongside our own ... Read More

Using 3D printing to develop a personalized and viable solution for COPD patients and CPAP users

Rushil Sambangi, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Vidhi Shah, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines offer relief to millions of people suffering from sleep apnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, more than a third of CPAP users stop using their equipment due to compliance issues such as discomfort and air leakage. The goal of the business project was to devise a solution that would address these issues ... Read More