Bulletin of the American Physical Society
2013 Annual Fall Meeting of the APS New England Section
Volume 58, Number 11
Friday–Saturday, October 11–12, 2013; Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Session B1: Poster Session (5:30 - 6:45PM) |
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Chair: Ed Deveney, Bridgewater State University Room: Science and Mathematics Auditorium Auditorium and Park Ave Atriums |
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B1.00001: pHLIP Peptide Targets Nanogold Particles to Tumors Jennifer Daniels, Lan Yao, Anna Moshnikova, Sergey Kuznetsov, Aftab Ahmed, Donald Engelman, Yana Reshetnyak, Oleg Andreev Progress in nanomedicine depends on the development of nanomaterials and targeted delivery methods. In this work, we describe a method for the preferential targeting of gold nanoparticles to a tumor in a mouse model. The method is based on the use of the pH Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP), which targets various imaging agents to acidic tumors. We compare tumor targeting by nonfunctionalized nanogold particles with nanogold--pHLIP conjugates, where nanogold is covalently attached to the N terminus of pHLIP. Our most important finding is that both intratumoral and i.v. administration demonstrated a significant enhancement of tumor uptake of gold nanoparticles conjugated with pHLIP. Statistically significant reduction of gold accumulation was observed in acidic tumors and kidney when pH-insensitive K-pHLIP was used as a vehicle, suggesting an important role of pH in the pHLIP-mediated targeting of gold nanoparticles. The pHLIP technology can substantially improve the delivery of gold nanoparticles to tumors by providing specificity of targeting, enhancing local concentration in tumors, and distributing nanoparticles throughout the entire tumor mass where they remain for an extended period (several days), which is beneficial for radiation oncology and imaging. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00002: pH Measurements Near Cellular Membrane Michael Anderson, Yana Reshetnyak, Oleg Andreev The acidity is associated with development of various pathological states such as solid tumors, ischemic stroke, neurotrauma, epileptic seizure, and others. Normal cell could be distinguished from highly glycolytic cell (e.g. metastatic cancer cell) by transmembrane pH gradient and value of pH at surface of plasma membrane. We are developing novel tool to map pH at the extracellular and intracellular surfaces of cellular membrane \textit{in vivo}. Our strategy is based on use of peptides of pHLIP\textregistered (pH Low Insertion Peptide) family. pHLIPs are water-soluble membrane peptides, which insert and fold in lipid bilayer of membrane only at slightly acidic conditions. Since the equilibrium is strongly shifted toward membrane inserted form at low pH, pHLIP injected into blood, circulates in body and accumulates in acidic tissue of tumors and other acidic tissues. We have developed scheme of conjugation of pHLIP peptides with pH-sensitive fluorophore, SNARF. The main goal of using pHLIPs is to deliver and tether SNARF to the outer or inner leaflet of bilayer of plasma membrane. If SNARF is attached to the N-terminus of pHLIP, it will stay in the extracellular space being tethered to the cell surface. If it would be conjugated with the peptide inserting end (C-terminus), pHLIP would ``flip'' SNARF-1 across the bilayer and expose it to the intracellular space and keep it near the inner leaflet of membrane. Thus, we propose to identify transmembrane pH gradient across the plasma membrane. Experiments on cultures cells will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00003: A Protein-Based, Ion-Mediated Retinal Implant for the Treatment of Retinal Degenerative Diseases Jordan Greco, Nicole Wagner, Robert Birge Impaired vision or loss of sight due to retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, affect over 30 million people worldwide. Because there is no cure for these diseases and treatments only slow the progression, there is a significant need for the development of retinal implants that restore meaningful vision. A number of research groups are creating electrode-based implants to stimulate the damaged retina, however, these implants are low resolution and require external hardware. We describe here a flexible, high-resolution implant that is comprised of the light-activated protein, bacteriorhodopsin. Bacteriorhodopsin is a transmembrane proton pump that converts light energy into chemical energy for its native organism. The protein is a favorable candidate as the photoactive medium in an implant due to a high thermal and photochemical stability and a high quantum efficiency. The implant is fashioned by using layer-by-layer electrostatic adsorption, thereby creating a multilayer film that generates a directional ion gradient. The implant is placed in a subretinal orientation and converts incident light energy into a pH gradient used to activate the bipolar and ganglion cell network. Extracellular recording experiments have revealed that the ion-mediated implant is capable of reproducibly stimulating the degenerated retinas of P23H rats and demonstrate that the relative activation efficiency directly correlates with light intensity. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00004: Family of pH-Low-Insertion-Peptides (pHLIPs) Dhammika Weerakkody, Mak Thakur, Oleg Andreev, Yana Reshetnyak pHLIP (pH (Low) Insertion Peptide) is a novel delivery system for targeting of acidic diseased tissue such as solid tumors, sites of inflammation, arthritis and others pathological states. The molecular mechanism of pHLIP action is based on a pH-dependent insertion and folding of pHLIP in membrane. We performed sequence variation and investigated 16 pHLIP variants with main goals of understanding the main principles of peptide-lipid interactions and tune delivery capability of pHLIP. The biophysical studies including thermodynamics and kinetics of the peptides interaction with a lipid bilayer of liposomes and cellular membranes were carried out. We found that peptides association to membrane at neutral and low pH could be modulated by 3-4 times. The apparent pK of transition from surface bound to membrane-inserted state could be tuned from 6.5 to 4.5. The rate of peptide's insertion across a bilayer could be enhanced 100 times compared to parent pHLIP. As a result, blood clearance and tumor targeting were modulated in a significant degree. The work is supported by NIH grants CA133890 to OAA and YRK. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00005: Membrane-associated folding: Polar cargo translocation across a lipid bilayer Dayanjali Wijesinghe, Oleg Andreev, Yana Reshetnyak Here we present study of the mechanism of cargo translocation across a membrane by the single molecule transporter, pHLIP (pH (Low) Insertion Peptide). The main principle of this drug delivery approach is based on the phenomenon of the pH-dependent insertion and folding of moderately hydrophobic membrane peptides. Several pHLIP variants were used to probe the delivery of cargoes of different polarities attached to the peptide inserting end. While the equilibrium thermodynamics favor the binding and insertion of the pHLIP-cargo constructs, the kinetics was significantly slowed down. The presence of a polar cargo at the peptide's inserting end leads to the appearance of two additional intermediate states on the insertion pathway of the pHLIP-2E, which itself (when no cargo is attached) shows an all-or-none transition from the partially unstructured membrane-surface state to the transmembrane state. Our findings are very valuable for the design of new delivery agents for the direct translocation of polar cargo across a membrane. To facilitate the different delivery needs for different applications the hydrophobicity of the cargo could be modified without affecting the cargo's ability to bind to its cellular target (shown by us previously) and/or various peptides of the pHLIP family could be employed, which show different rates and pKa of a cargo's translocation across cellular membranes. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00006: Directed Evolution of a Photochromic Protein for Long-Term Data Storage Nicole Wagner, Jordan Greco, Robert Birge Bacteriorhodopsin has long been known as a protein with comparative advantages for photonic device applications due to its unique photochemistry, excellent thermal stability, and high quantum efficiency. Our recent work has emphasized the use of the long-lived Q state, which is a stable photoproduct with photochemical properties ideal for optical data storage and processing. The formation of the Q state is minimized in the native organism because it eliminates the biological function of the protein. Thus, mutagenesis is necessary to enhance the ability of bacteriorhodopsin to form this photoproduct. We describe here the use of directed evolution to optimize the photochemical properties of the protein, and implement an automated process to characterize microgram protein quantities. Directed evolution is a process by which proteins are optimized toward a specific characteristic via repeated iterations of genetic mutation, screening and differential selection. The mutants are generated via region specific semi-random mutagenesis and are screened with respect to Q state formation and reversion. Next, the efficient Q state mutants are selected to serve as the parent to the next generation of genetic progeny. This process is iterative and builds upon successive improvements to the protein. After six generations of optimization involving over 10,000 mutants, more than ten new proteins have been discovered with excellent Q formation and reversion efficiency, cyclicities and thermal stabilities. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00007: Targeting of breast tumors by fluorescent pHLIP$^{\textregistered}$s Ramona Adochite, Renato Guerrieri, Anna Moshnikova, Oleg Andreev, Yana Reshetnyak One of the main similarities of all cancer cells, especially metastatic ones, is low pH (pH\textless 6.5) at the surface of their plasma membrane. Low pH triggers protonation of Asp/Glu residues in the moderately-hydrophobic membrane peptides, pHLIP$^{\mathrm{\textregistered}}$s (pH (low) insertion peptide), which leads to the increase of peptides hydrophobicity, followed by partition and folding of the peptides into bilayer to adopt stable transmembrane orientation. Thus, membrane-associated pH-dependent folding of pHLIPs allows targeting acidic cancer cells in tumors. Three pHLIP variants (WT, Var3 and Var7), which show difference in interaction with lipid bilayer of membrane, were conjugated with Alexa546 and IR680 fluorescent dyes and injected into mice bearing tumors. NIR fluorescent imaging was performed to monitor tumor targeting and distribution of fluorescent pHLIPs in mice. We demonstrated much better targeting of small (acidic) 4T1 breast tumors compare to big (less acidic) tumors; showed targeting of spontaneously developed breast tumors in the transgeneic mice model; and investigated co-localization of fluorescent pHLIPs and fluorescent 2deoxy-glucose in transgenic mice. The obtained data clearly demonstrate pHLIP's ability to target breast tumors in different breast cancer models including transgenic. The ability of pHLIPs to distinguish acidic and less acidic tumors may provide a new approach for assessing of cancer invasiveness. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00008: pH dependent transfer of nano-pores into membrane of cancer cells to induce apoptosis Mohan Mallawa Arachchige, Dayanjali Wijesinghe, Andrew Lu, Yana Reshetnyak, Oleg Andreev Proper balance of ions in intracellular and extracellular space is the key for normal cell functioning. Changes in the conductance of membranes for ions will lead to cell death. One of the main differences between normal and cancerous cells is the low extracellular pHe and the reverse pH gradient: intracellular pHi is higher than extracellular pHe. We report here pH-selective transfer of nano-pores to cancer cells for the dis-regulation of balance of monovalent cations to induce cell death at mildly acidic pHe as it is in most solid tumors. Our approach is based on pH-sensitive fusion of cellular membrane with liposomes containing gramicidin A, forming cation-conductive $\beta $-helix in membrane. Fusion is promoted only at low extracellular pH by pH (Low) Insertion Peptide (pHLIP) attached to liposomes. Gramicidin channels inserted into cancer cells open flux of protons into cytoplasm and disrupt balance of other monovalent cations, which induces cell apoptosis. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00009: Biophysical Analysis of the Regurgitant Mitral Valve Peter Yoon, Chan Woo Kim, Kang Woo Kim, Richard Kyung Mitral valve regurgitation is very common type of heart disorder. Mitral regurgitation is a disease in which the heart valve that separates the upper and lower chambers on the left side of the heart does not close properly. Blood flows backward into the atrium from the lower chamber as it contracts when the mitral valve doesn't close fully. This leads to a decrease in blood flow to the rest of the body, and this may lead to congestive heart failure. This paper assumes blood flow forms into a hemispherical shape as it goes from the left ventricle toward the left atrium. The continuity equation is used with the area of the hemisphere of flow convergence and its velocity. The mitral regurgitant volume is obtained after calculating the area of the effective regurgitant orifice area, and degree of mitral regurgitation is determined. This paper presents a systematic method for the analysis of the regurgitant mitral valve. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00010: BFY (Beyond First Year) Labs Help Define BSU Physics Dept. Ed Deveney BSU Physics has always been the place for teachers to get outstanding physics and education backgrounds -- a proud tradition that continues to flourish. Just over a decade ago, however, the physics department looked to emphasize a broader program that reflected the desires and needs of both students and Massachusetts STEM interests by adding focus on preparing majors for graduate research and local Massachusetts high-tech industries. New and/or revitalized BFY Labs have helped to establish this emphasis and include: Modern Physics Lab, Optics Labs, Electronics Lab and Advanced Experimental Physics. All of these new BFY labs are housed in BSU's new Science and Mathematics Complex in dedicated Atomic/Molecular and Optics Laser, Instruments, and Electronics/Robotics Labs plus an academic machine shop. This poster will detail the individual BSU experiments as well as their organization within each of the BFY Lab courses. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00011: Plans to build a VMOT at BSU Ed Deveney The seminal paper for the undergraduate MOT appeared in AJP in 1995 by C. Wieman and G. Flowers; ``Inexpensive laser cooling and trapping experiment for undergraduate laboratories.'' Here they write: ``Because of this visual appeal and the current research excitement in this area, we felt that it was highly desirable to develop an atom trapping apparatus that could be incorporated into the undergraduate laboratory classes.'' In collaboration with colleagues at Yale (Dave DeMille and his group) we present a design for a Visible, Li, MOT (VMOT) to be built in the future here at BSU. The VMOT design incorporates significant simplifications and straightforward techniques to make this undergraduate experiment more ``do-able.'' Moreover, because the VMOT is in the visible we argue that the clarity, ease and educational impact of the experiment are significantly enhanced. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00012: Short Range Cloud Cover Forecasting Jared Buckley The Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) from the University of Oklahoma, a regional/storm scale numerical weather prediction model, was installed and run on a desktop computer and used as the foundation for the prediction of cloud cover conditions over Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Predicted cloud cover conditions of the ARPS were extracted from relative humidity output using a hand based graphing technique developed using data from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalysis. Cloud cover forecasts were developed daily using a subjective blend of output from the ARPS, Bufkit soundings from the National Weather Service (NWS), and numerical weather model output from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). The accuracy of the cloud cover forecasts was assessed using observations from an upward facing all sky camera located on the roof of the Conant Science Building at Bridgewater State University (BSU). [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00013: Construction of BSU first optical trap Tyler Holloway Optical traps (laser tweezers) are precision instruments that use lasers in conjunction with microscopes to measure forces of and control biological samples on the scale of proteins and DNA making them extremely useful tools in biophysics and biochemistry. Our project's goal, which was successfully completed, was to construct the first optical trap at Bridgewater State University. Our design was based on AJP ``Faster, cheaper, safer optical tweezers for the undergraduate laboratory'' Bechhoefer and Wilson 2002. We constructed a microscope from discreet optical components which was able to resolve 1 micrometer diameter fused silica beads in solution. We then used a 35mW 633nm He-Ne laser along with our microscope to successfully trap and control the silica beads in the focus of the laser. Moving forward biological samples will be bonded to the silica beads which can then be controlled using the trap. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00014: High Altitude Solar Radiation Measurements Used in Aerosol Optical Depth Calculation and Sun Photometer Calibration Evan McCarthy, Nimmi Sharma Optical measurements of incoming solar radiation may be used to derive atmospheric characteristics. Sun photometers use multi-wavelength optical measurements to derive aerosol optical depth. Voltages created in the detectors by solar radiation passing through various band-pass filters are measured and calibration procedures are employed to determine the attenuation of the radiation along the path from the top of the atmosphere to the experimental location. These voltages are then related to the aerosol optical depth with a calibration constant that is determined through analysis of calibration measurements recorded with each band-pass filter. To transcend the atmospheric impurities found at lower altitudes, the sun photometer calibration measurements were conducted at a high altitude to measure the intensity of sunlight reaching the ground through various air masses. These measurements can then combined with laser radar and/or nephelometer measurements for further atmospheric research. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00015: Energy Transfer in Pr-doped CaTiO$_{3}$ Powders under UV Excitation Yohannes Tsehay, Shereen Velupillai, John Collins Pr-doped powders are being investigated for use as red phosphors in LED-based solid-state lighting applications because of the strong, red, sharp-line praseodymium emission near 613 nm. In this poster we present data on the luminescence of Pr-doped calcium titanate nanocrystals in the temperature region between 7K and 300K. The crystal sizes ranged from $\sim$80 nm to 250 nm. We monitored the emission in the blue-green region (from the titanate system) and the Pr emission under excitation in the UV. The titanate emission occurs mainly at temperatures below 100K and only when excitation is into the conduction band. Excitation across the bandgap also results in a strong Pr emission, showing that there is energy migration from the conduction band to the Pr ion. The decrease in the titanate emission between 7K and 100K is accompanied by an increase in the intensity of the Pr emission, which continues to increase up to 300K. Lifetime measurements indicate that the final step of the transfer of energy from the conduction band to the Pr ion occurs via the charge transfer state of the Pr-titanate complex. Results of the experiment and models of the energy transfer mechanism will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00016: Original Code for Hydrogen's Radial Equation David Denny This project started with trying to understand the Radial Equation from Schrodinger's solution for the Hydrogen Equation. I worked through the derivation, then chose to include writing original atomic structure code using LabView that would be able to compute the electronic parameters for atoms such as energies, wave-functions, and transition probabilities. Deriving the equation of the Hydrogen atom is so complex that only an overview of it was given during the Quantum Mechanics and Modern Physics courses at BSU. I started writing the original code using LabView 2007 but eventually upgraded to LabView 2011. While writing the code I used the results from Griffiths Quantum Mechanics Textbook to ensure accuracy. The first parts of the code were relatively simple to encode. The difficulty arose when I attempted to encode the Associated Laguerre Polynomials (ALPs). The ALPs required that I determine a recursion relationship based on user input of the initial quantum numbers instead of using fixed tables delaying completion of the code for a few weeks. After verifying the recursion relation with the textbook results, I worked on how to combine it successfully with the existing code I had already written. With the help of Dr. Deveney, I successfully wrote original code to generate these functions symbolically and incorporate them into the full radial solutions. This code allows the user to successfully input different initial quantum numbers and display the full radial probabilities. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00017: Nuclear Spin Dependent Parity Violation in Diatomic Molecules Jeffrey Ammon, Emine Altuntas, Sidney Cahn, Yulia Gurevich, Emil Kirilov, David DeMille, Richard Paolino, Mikhail Kozlov Of the four forces, the weak force is the only one that violates parity. That is, if the particles involved are arranged in a mirror image of the original arrangement, the strength of the weak force between them will be different. We aim to measure the strength of the weak force between electrons and nucleons (protons or neutrons) in order to deduce one of the weak force's charges (analogous to how the electron charge determines the strength of electromagnetism). I will talk about the methods we use to amplify the relatively small weak force, and I will talk about the roles that optics and lasers play in the experiment. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00018: Luminescence and Kinetic Studies of Pr-doped LiNbO3 Shereen Velupillai, Katrina Dauphinais, John Collins, Yohannes Tsehay Lithium Niobate single crystals containing praseodymium (Pr) at nominal concentrations of 1{\%} and 0.2{\%} were studied for their potential use as phosphors for solid-state lighting applications. The interest in this material is due to two reasons: (1) the ability to pump the system efficiently into a charge transfer state, and (2) the fact that the system relaxes directly into the 1D2 level of Pr, which emits strong red luminescence. We examined the steady state emission and the emission following pulsed excitation from these samples at temperatures between 7K and 500K. The intensity of the emission is steady up to about 250K, and rapidly drops as the temperature is increased. The lifetime of the 1D2 level shows a similar behavior; it is relatively constant at lower temperatures, and decreases above 250K. These data indicate the presence of thermally activated non-radiative decay path at higher temperatures. The higher doped system also shows evidence of losses due to cross-relaxation energy transfer among the Pr ions. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00019: Construction and calibration of a Fabry-Perot interferometer Mark Berube This summer for my Adrian Tinsley Summer research grant I constructed and calibrated a Fabry -Perot interferometer. Our major goal was to build an integral piece for the Magneto Optical trap that the Dr. Deveney lab is trying to build. I began my summer research using the design from a recent publication from Fletcher and Orzel$^{\mathrm{1}}$, on low cost construction of an interferometer. In the process of construction I felt I could build a better design using parts from the optics lab. To construct the newly designed Fabry -Perot Interferometer I used a 30mm cage system from Thorlabs, hand polished concave mirrors, and a Thorlabs PDA 36A photodiode detector. I hand polished the back of my mirrors until I was able to get .5 percent and .1 percent light transmission through the back of the mirrors. Using this constructed interferometer I was able to see an increase in intensity as I changed the cavity length. I am currently working on more precise alignment of the mirrors and placement of the piezo stack on the back of the mirror. Once I achieve the ideal alignment I will be able to calculate the finesse for my Fabry-Perot interferometer. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00020: Investigation of Optical Ceramic Materials Nd:PLZT at different Nd Concentrations and Temperatures Linzi Wu, Xuesheng Chen, Gokhan Bilir, Baldassare Di Bartolo This research is to examine optical properties of ceramic materials Nd:PLZT at different Nd doping concentrations and at different temperatures. These transparent ceramic materials doped with rare earth ions such as Nd can have important applications such as in high power or microchip lasers. We focus on absorption and luminescence studies of the transparent ceramic materials PLZT doped with Nd at 0.5{\%}, 1{\%}, and 2.5{\%}, respectively, to study the concentration effect on the optical properties. Absorption spectra of the materials with different Nd concentrations are measured in the range of 250 - 3200nm to study at what Nd concentration and at what wavelengths the material can absorb efficiently. The samples are excited by an infrared diode laser at about 800nm to observe luminescence spectra in the range of 840 - 1140nm at different Nd concentrations. Luminescence spectra of 0.5{\%} and 2.5{\%} Nd doped PLZT are also measured at different temperatures ranging from about 33 to 300K. Detailed results and discussions on how the Nd concentration and the temperature affect the absorption and luminescence will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00021: Stability Analysis of Benzene Hydrogenation Jinpyo Hong, Richard Kyung The Euler method is explicit since the function is evaluated with known information. But it is not clear whether the Euler method is able to provide an accurate approximation to chemical engineering problems. To find answers to this question, this research presented examples which illustrate the properties of the Euler method. As an example, we analyzed the kinetics of benzene hydrogenation on a supported catalyst. In the presence of a large excess of hydrogen, the reaction shows pseudo-first-order at temperatures below a certain temperature. Also energy and material balance in the reactor has been studied under adiabatic process. As a result, formulation of the governing differential equations and evaluation of the stiffness have been carried out using Euler and the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg methods. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00022: PID Controller using an Arduino microcontroller and LabVIEW Sean Costello Many devices and controls in labs make use of control loop feedback systems. A common one called a PID (Proportional, Integral and Derivative), for example, is used on tunable diode laser temperature and current controls to set and maintain constant parameters. Here at BSU, I have been constructing a PID controller using an Arduino and LabVIEW (LV) that gives a clear demonstration of a PID in action: using a computer fan to float a ping-pong ball contained in a clear plastic tube, our system allows the user to select and maintain specified heights of the ball within the tube. The control loop begins from height signals measured by an Ultrasonic Detector that are processed by the Arduino and passed to a LV program (VI) where analog correction signals are computed based on the error signal (actual height compared to set height), P, and the remaining PID control values (I, and D). A second VI produces a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal from the analog correction signal which is then input into the base of a power transistor to modulate a power supply and drive the computer fan at speeds proportional to the PWM signal. In turn, the fan speed changes the height of the ball and then the loop is repeated. The loop feedback finds and maintains the set height of the ball. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00023: Determining the Exoplanetary Research Capabilities of Bridgewater State University Talia Martin Exoplanets are an extremely popular and fast-growing area of research. Understanding exoplanets may help us understand our own solar system -and our own planet - better. As of July 30, 2013, there are 925 confirmed exoplanets in our galaxy and more are being found each day. The goal of my summer research project was to determine if exoplanet data could be collected at Bridgewater State University given our equipment and our location. Using our Celestron 14" EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, we were able to observe three different transits of the known exoplanet HD 189733b. We were able to see a change in brightness as the planet blocked light from the parent star, and were able to model fit these data as well. While further analyses are needed, these successful observations are a strong indicator that in fact we can do exoplanet research at BSU. Based on this summer work, we now have a strong foundation for future students interested in exoplanetary research at BSU. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00024: Variability of Solar Active Regions and other Solar Events Aly Aly Data used came from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). AIA takes images in ten wavelengths, and in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV), almost simultaneously. Images have about a 10 second temporal resolution and .6 arc-sec/pixel spatial resolution. Procedures were written in IDL to analyze the Images. Analysis was done for Active Regions (ARs), Solar Flares (SLFR), and Coronal Holes (CH). Significance in variation was determined using a method from by M. Arndt and S. Habbal in 1993. Results obtained were consistent with those established in that analysis of ARs. We also found significant variation in SLFRs. Significance was localized and for images with a 10 sec temporal resolution. In coronal Holes, no significant variation was found in the Extreme Ultraviolet, except in small and localized regions. CHs were indistinguishable from the surrounding areas in wavelengths outside 335 {\AA}. ARs showed mainly the same results as CHs with a 10 sec temporal resolution. More localized regions of significance were found in ARs than CHs. Analysis was done over 10 minute periods using highest temporal resolution available. Analysis of ARs, with a lower temporal resolution (60 sec and 120 sec), showed very intense variation. In this analysis, the shapes of the ARs were showed more significantly varying emissions. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00025: Approaches to Teaching Introductory Calculus-based Physics at an University with a Health Sciences and Medical Focus-- Part 1 Norma Chase What is the optimal set of objectives for a course intended for students planning careers in the Health Sciences or Medicine? Is it most useful to touch upon a very broad range of phenomena, focusing particularly on ``advanced material'' which directly relates to the Health Sciences and Medicine? Does it make more sense to ``go deep'' and guide students toward a thorough grasp of basic concepts and principles - and the ability to apply this understanding to solve physics problems? This paper argues strongly on the side of ``depth'' rather than breadth and presents an effective approach for ``going deep'' - even in the presence of exceedingly diverse student preparedness within a single class. Included in this work are 1) some interesting challenge problems which require students to gain ease in multi-step reasoning and which also measure the depth of student grasp of physics foundations; 2) approaches to recognizing information processing obstacles and engineering ways around them. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00026: Lecture capturing assisted teaching and learning experience Li Chen Motion {\&} Force, Work {\&} Energy, E{\&}M, Sound, Geometric Optics, Fluids, Thermo, Electronic structure, atomic nucleus -- there is no way that I can cover all these in 2 semesters with depth, but this is what they need in order to take MCAT! The idea of lecture capturing all started from here: the course is running on a fast pace and we cannot sacrifice the depth of the material. However, with the help of videotaping the whole lecture, (a) students can slowly digest the material by watching them over and over, (b) they also have something as a backup to refer to when they have random mistakes and some missing spots on their notes, and (c) the instructor also has a reference of which topic corresponds to the most questions. Advanced technology should work towards teaching and learning, not distracting our students from focusing in class. In this poster, we propose a working scheme that can assist our learning and teaching strategies. [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00027: Global Warming, Climate Change (AGW) --- A Critical Look Laurence I. Gould There continues to be an increasing number of scientists from around the world who are challenging the dominant claim that has been bolstered by so-called ``consensus'' scientific views --- that dangerous ``global warming/climate change'' is caused primarily by human-produced carbon dioxide. This poster will show that scientific evidence contradicts that claim. It will also explain some of the errors that have been introduced from a corruption of the scientific method. (Further information can be found at http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/lgould/ ) \\[4pt] Major Reference:\\[0pt] \textit{Climate Change Reconsidered} --- http://www.nipccreport.org/index.html \\[0pt] Nobel Laureate in Physics, Ivar Giaever, public presentation critiquing AGW (Lindau 2012 conference of Nobel Laureates) --- http://www.mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org/{\#}/Video?id$=$1410 \\[0pt] Articles critical of AGW --- beginning with the Fall 2007 issue of the NES APS Newsletters (http://www.aps.org/units/nes/newsletters ) [Preview Abstract] |
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B1.00028: Reducing Pollutants to Slow Global Warming Paul Carr Black carbon (BC or soot) and ozone contribute to both degraded air quality and increased global warming. BC comes from everything from oil in ship and truck diesel engines to coal. BC is second only to carbon dioxide in forcing global warming [1]. Soot absorbs sunlight and darkens ice and snow. About 400 emission control measures were modeled to calculate that reducing these pollutants would decrease projected global mean warming $\sim$ 0.5$^{\circ}$C by 2050 [2]. This strategy could avoid 0.7 to 4.7 million annual premature deaths from air pollution and increase annual crop yields by 30 to 135 million metric tons due to ozone reductions in 2030. The benefits of methane emission reductions are valued at {\$}700 to {\$}5000 per metric ton, which is well above abatement costs (less than {\$}250).. Implementation substantially reduces the risks of crossing the 2$^{\circ}$C threshold.\\[4pt] [1] T. C. Bond with 31 authors from 9 countries. ``Bounding the role of black carbon in the climate system: A scientific assessment'' January 2013. American Geophysical Union. doi: 10.1002/jgrd.50171\\[0pt] [2] Drew Shindell with 20 co-authors. ``Mitigating Climate Change and Improving Health and Food Security.'' Science vol 335 pg. 183 13 Jan 2012. [Preview Abstract] |
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