The Office of Undergraduate Research Presents

6th Annual

Texas STEM Conference

Saturday, November 3, 2018

Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas

2018

ADVISORY COMMITTEE 2018-2019

Dr. Kendrick Aung

College of Engineering

Dr. Tracy Benson College of Engineering

Dr. Bianca Easterly College of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Kaushik Ghosh College of Business

Dr. Monica Harn College of Fine Arts & Communication

Dr. Matthew Hoch College of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Xiangyang Lei College of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Nicki Michalski College of Fine Arts & Communication

Dr. Mamta Singh College of Education & Human Development

Dr. Dorothy Sisk College of Education & Human Development

Dr. Robert Worley College of Arts & Sciences

Dr. Juan Zabala University Advancement

DR. KUMER P. DAS DIRECTOR

DR. CATALINA CASTILLÓN ASST. DIRECTOR

DR. CRISTIAN BAHRIM ASST. DIRECTOR

CONTACT US:

CHEMISTRY, ROOM 115A P: 409-880-8430 E: mfoster9@lamar.edu

November 3, 2018

Dear Students, Colleagues and Guests,

We would like to welcome you to the 6th Annual Texas STEM Conference. We are pleased to include 54 presentations in this conference. Students from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of New Orleans, the University of Texas at Dallas, Harmony Science Academy and Lamar University will be presenting their research work in this conference. We congratulate all the presenters for their scholarly work. We would also like to thank all of our mentors for their dedication and professional service.

We want to thank the keynote speaker Mr. Terry Welch of Sinclair Group. Mr. Welch is a proud graduate of Lamar University. Our special thanks to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. A special thanks to the College of Engineering for sponsoring the monetary awards for students.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge and thank everyone for their participation in making this 6th Annual Texas STEM Conference a success.

Enjoy the Conference!

Regards,

Dr. Kumer P. Das, Director The Office of Undergraduate Research

Dr. Catalina T. Castillon, Assistant Director The Office of Undergraduate Research

Dr. Cristian Bahrim, Assistant Director The Office of Undergraduate Research

Nirmal Gope Program Assistant

Marilyn Foster Administrative Assistant

Mr. Terry Welch has vast experience in upstream and downstream operations, in-depth understanding of business delivery systems, and proven effective engagement of organizational teams. In addition to his role as CEO of Sinclair Group, Mr. Welch is Managing Partner & CEO for Sinclair Group Energy Solutions LLC, Sinclair Group Energy Texas LLC, and Sinclair Belgrave Energy LLC. Background:

Over 35 years in manufacturing and global leadership roles within hydrocarbons, refining, energy, consumer products, and chemicals industries

Chemicals experience includes chlorine, styrene, power generation, and vinyl chloride manufacturing facilities

Areas of expertise include Maintenance and Reliability, EH&S, and technical expertise in vinyl chloride furnaces

Other areas of expertise include vision and strategy development, joint ventures, leadership development, contractor management, processes, and performance

Executive MBA in Leadership, Thunderbird BS in Engineering, Lamar University

Key Engagements/Results:

Previously held roles include: SVP Operations, BP VP Process Safety & Engineering, Refining Director Global Operations, Dow Chemical Maintenance Leader (80 plants) Plant Operations Manager

Known for leading organizational renewal and enterprise value creation for multinational businesses Led various plant operations to first quartile performance As Site Manager for oil and gas operations, improved global operating rates by 15% though work process

improvement and change management

PLENARY SPEAKER

TERRY WELCH President & CEO Sinclair Group

“Strong leaders know the value of speaking the company’s ‘why’ and how to make tough decisions. The most powerful way to address challenges is by understanding

the impact of that ‘why’ on the culture of an organization.”

2018 TEXAS STEM CONFERENCE AGENDA

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD

All events will take place in Archer Building

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM Registration (Continental Breakfast will be served)

9:00 AM – 9:20 AM Dr. James Marquart, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Lamar University

Dr. Kumer P. Das, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, Lamar University

9:20 AM – 9:25 AM Introduction of Speaker

Dr. Cristian Bahrim, Professor of Physics and Assistant Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, Lamar University

9:25 AM – 10:05 AM Keynote Speaker

Mr. Terry Welch President & CEO, Sinclair Group

REGISTRATION

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM POSTER SESSION - I

WELCOME

Archer 108

KEYNOTE SPEECH Archer 108

10:05 AM – 10:15 AM BREAK

Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair 10:15 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. Amanda Warner / Biology / Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi, Lamar University

Fate of a Plastic Debris Microbiome during Simulated Transport from a Maya Mountain River to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Belize

10:35a.m. – 10:55 a.m. Ashley Borel / Biology / Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hoch, Lamar University Co-authors: H. Henslee and M. McNab, Lamar University

The role of plastic waste in causing disease in the coral Porites astreoides: direct pathogen transmission or indirect facilitation?

10:55 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Katelin Catching / Biology / Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hoch, Lamar University Co-authors: E. Smith, A. Borel, H. Henslee, M. McNab and A. Tran, Lamar University

A Parametric Study of Impact of Geometry and Material on Heat Sink Design in Portable Electronic Devices

10:15 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. I H M Shamsuzzoha / Mechanical Engineering / Mentors: Drs. Kendrick Aung and Jenny Zhou, Lamar University

Co-author: Md Arifur Rahman, Lamar University

Studies on the efficiency of solar cells 10:35a.m. – 10:55 a.m. Daniel Quispe / Mechanical Engineering, Physics / Mentor: Dr. Cristian Bahrim Lamar University

Simulation on the Drop Test of Electronic Devices

10:55 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Md Amanullah Kabir / Mechanical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Jiang Zhou Lamar University

Optimal Resources Allocation to Enhance Utility Pole Resilience to Natural Disasters 10:15 a.m. – 10:35 a.m. Md Morshedul Alam / Industrial Engineering / Mentors: Drs. Berna Eren Tokgoz and

Seokyon Hwang, Lamar University

Public and Environmental Risk Identification of Commonly Transported Chemicals at Ports in Gulf of Mexico

10:35a.m. – 10:55 a.m. Dikshant Singh / Chemical Engineering / Mentors: Drs. Berna Eren Tokgoz and Cagatay Tokgoz, Lamar University

Session 1A - Oral Presentation Archer 108

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Chair: Dr. Matthew Hoch, Associate Professor, Department of Biology,

Lamar University

Session 1B - Oral Presentation Archer 107

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Chair: Dr. Cristian Bahrim, Professor, Department of Physics, Lamar University

Session 1C - Oral Presentation Archer 201

10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Chair: Dr. Xiangyang Lei, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry &

Biochemistry, Lamar University

Neural network and its application for autonomous in-flight operations of UAV using python platform

10:55 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Hahnemann Mondal / Electrical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh, Lamar University

A Study of the Aerodynamic Behavior of an Electroactive Membrane 1:05 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. Mohammad Khairul Habib Pulok / Mechanical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Uttam

Chakravarty, University of New Orleans Co-author: Pratik Sarker, University of New Orleans A Study on the Microfluidic Behavior of Paper-based Devices for the Detection of Fentanyl and Related Synthetic Opioids

1:25 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. M. Shafiqur Rahman / Mechanical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Uttam Chakravarty University of New Orleans

Surface Topography Micro-Engineering for Marine Antifouling Applications

1:45 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Anna Clifton / Mechanical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Keivan Davami Lamar University

What Do Network Motifs Tell Us about Robustness and Reliability of Complex Networks

1:45 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Asim Dey / Mathematical Sciences / Mentor: Dr. Yulia R. Gel, University of Texas at Dallas Co-author: Dr. H. Vincent Poor, Princeton University

Session 2A - Oral Presentation Archer 108

1:05 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Chair: Dr. Terrence Chambers, Donald & Janice Mosing BORSF Endowed Chair in

Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Session 2B - Oral Presentation Archer 107

1:05 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Chair: Dr. Jose Vega-Guzman, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics,

Lamar University

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Lunch Break – Archer 110

12:00 PM – 12:10 PM Group Picture

In front of Archer Physics Building in the Parking Lot

12:15 PM – 1:00 PM Poster Session - II

Poisson Image Denoising Based on Fractional-Order Derivatives 1:25 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Md Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury / Mathematical Sciences / Mentor: Dr. Yifei Lou,

University of Texas at Dallas Co-authors: Jun Zhang, Nanchang Institute of Technology, China and Jing Qin, Montana State University Dynamic Response of a Hingeless Helicopter Rotor Blade at Forward Flight

1:45 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Pratik Sarker / Mechanical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Uttam Chakravarty, University of New Orleans

Fabrication of Large Antifouling Patterns via Hot Embossing Methods for Marine Coatings

2:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Isaac A. Angeron / Mechanical Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Keivan Davami Lamar University

Salinity Modeling for Climate Change Associated Hazards like Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge in Bangladesh Coast

2:30 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. Md Mohiuddin Sakib / Earth and Environmental Sciences / Mentor: Dr. Anisul Haque University of New Orleans Co-authors: Tansir Zaman Asik, A.S.M. Alauddin Al Azad , Rabeya Akter, Anisul Haque, and Munsur Rahman, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Characteristics and Travel Behavior Analysis of Vessel Traffic based on AIS Data – A Case Study at Houston Ship Channel

2:50 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Uttara Roy / Civil and Environmental Engineering / Mentor: Dr. Xing Wu, Lamar University

Poster Sessions Chairs:

Dr. Keivan Davami, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lamar University

Dr. Wen Liu, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Lamar University

Dr. T. Thuy Minh Nguyen, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University

Dr. Cengiz Sen, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Lamar University

Dr. Berna Eren Tokgoz, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, Lamar University

Dr. Sujing Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University

3:20 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. AWARD CEREMONY AND CLOSING REMARKS, Archer 108 Dr. C. Jerry Lin University Professor & Scholar of Environmental Engineering Director, Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality, Lamar University

Dr. Stefan Andrei Professor & Chair, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University

Session 3A-Oral Presentation Archer 108

2:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. Chair: Dr. Tracy Benson, Associate Professor, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical

Engineering, Lamar University

1

Antibacterial Effect of Beta-Amyloid: A hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease Hamzah Abedelwahab, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-author: Paityn Warwick Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

2 Hyperconjugation-Assisted Ring Openings of Substituted Acylcyclopropanones Nathan Abshier, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin 3

Environmental impact assessment for high conversion synthesis of <10 nm silver nanoparticles using microwave assisted heating by life cycle techniques

Adarsh Bafana, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering, Lamar University Co-authors: Shishir Kumar,Prasad Pawar, Sila Temizel-Sekeryan, and Si Amar Dahoumane

Mentors: Drs. Liv Haselbach, and Clayton Jeffryes 4

A programming academy to Increase middle school students’ interests and knowledge Madison K Boudreaux, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University

Mentors: Drs. Sujing Wang and Cheng-Hsien Lin 5

Spectroscopic Studies of Ammonia Borane-Polyethylene Oxide Hydrogen Storage Composites Caitlyn Clark, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen 6

Modular DLP SLA system with modular UV light source and tall build volume Jacob Comeaux, Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana Lafayette

Co-authors: Brittany Albarado, Tyler Graves, and John Thomas Frank Mentor: Dr. Charles E. Taylor

7 Recycling Spent Catayst to Recovery Platinum Group Metals using Chelating Sacrificial Thioether Ligands

John Coutee, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Perumalreddy Chandrasekaran

8 Computational Study of the Effect of Substituents on the [2+2] Cycloaddition of Alkylated 3(2H)-furanones

Madison Demel, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin

9 Micro-machining of injector heads for dual-phase blurring applications

Noah Deshotel, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana Lafayette Mentors: Drs. Lulin Jiang and Charles E. Taylor

10 Solar Cell Testing with Lock-In Thermography (LIT)

Lelia Deville, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mentor: Dr. Terrence Chambers

11 Analysis of Noncoding Regions of the Chloroplast Genome for Phylogenetic and

Population Genetic Diversity in Hesperocyparis Macrocarpa Clade (California Cypress; Cupressaceae) Frederick Donahey, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Poster Session I (Time 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM)

Poster Session II (Time 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM)

Mentor: Dr. Terry Randall 12

Microwave assisted synthesis to produce Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles Meghana Faltane, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering, Lamar University

Co-authors: Adarsh Bafana, and Shishir Kumar Mentor: Dr. Clayton Jeffryes

13 The Comorbidity of Epilepsy and Depression: A Review of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Activity

Sakurah Fisher, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: Klara Pilling and Rocio Barragan

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi 14

The Mediterranean Diet's Role in the Prevention of Alzheimer's disease Ehson Ghaboolian-Zare, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-authors: Paityn Warwick and Samantha Marchner Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

15 Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activities of Triazole-Based Fungicides for Control of Rice Sheath Blight Disease

Yawen Han, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Co-authors: Zhifo Guo and Xingen Zhou

Mentor: Dr. Xiangyang Lei 16

Rhomboid gene silencing using synthetic siRNAs in Tritrichomonas foetus Katherine Harmon, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-authors: Kyle Delk, Afsana Islam, Katelyn Meaux, Aziz Shaaban, and Stanley Troung Mentor: Dr. Ashwini Kucknoor

17 Changes of Bacterioplankton Communities along a Transect from River Water Discharge

to the Barrier Reef Ecosystem in Belize Hayden Henslee, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-authors: A. Borel, M. McNab, and A. T. Tran Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hoch

18 Assessing Current Risk for Alzheimer's disease

Mackenzie Hudson, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-author: Kallie Shaiari

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi 19

Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane - Polyvinylpyrrolidone Bulk Composites using Different Catalysts (CaCl2 and MgCl2)

Emily Ingram, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Co-authors: Caitlyn Clark, Weslynn Taylor, Ramanjaneylulu Seemaladinne, and Krishna Karel

Mentor: Dr. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen 20

CFD Analysis and Geometry Optimization of Heat Sink for Cooling of Electronic Devices Mukunda Khanal, Department of Mechanical, Lamar University

Mentors: Drs. Jenny Zhou and Kendrick Aung 21

Efficiency of External Sorting Techniques and Algorithms for Large Data Bilal Mahmood, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Kami Makki

22 Computational Study of H and CH3 Substituted 3-Acyl-2,2-Dimethylcyclopropanones

Miguelina L. Martinez-Perez, Harmony Science Academy, Beaumont Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin

23 Synthesis of Substituted cis and trans 1,2-Dibenzoylethenes

Katelyn Meaux, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Co-authors: Edward Doan and Geoffrey Martin

Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin 24

Stress Testing the Epigenome: an in vitro analysis of HDAC1 levels in monocytes and macrophages in response to stress hormones

David Narvaiz, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-author: Michael Whitman Mentor: Dr. Ashwini Kucknoor

25 Electrospinning chamber for cardiovascular tissue testing

Madison Neill, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Charles E. Taylor

26 Who tweets about autism? An analysis of autism-related tweets in the USA

Jianyuan Ni, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University Mentors: Dr. Jing Zhang and Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah

27 Preliminary Design for Upgraded Speed Control Systems for Automobiles to Save Lives from Traffic Accident

Osanebi Osani, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Tianxing Cai

28 Radiation Pattern of a Non-Conformal Antenna on an Electrically Large Conducting Convex Platform

Babajide Salau, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Cagatay Tokgoz

29 Spatiotemporal Change Detection and Analysis in Remote Sensing imagery Raunak Sarbajna, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Sujing Wang 30

A Comparative Analysis of Parallel Louvain Algorithms for Community Detection Naw Safrin Sattar, Department of Computer Science, University of New Orleans

Mentor: Dr. Shaikh Arifuzzaman 31

Past, Present, and Future Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease Geth Simmons, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-authors: Isaiah Robinson and Omotosho Ameen Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

32 Radar Cross Section Prediction Using Methods Based on Physical Optics Manthan Shah, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Cagatay Tokgoz 33

Cool Rocks; an Apatite (U/Th)/He Study of the Trans-Hudson Orogen's Phanerozoic Thermal History Haley Snyder-May, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Lamar University

and Geological Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder Mentors: Drs. Colin Sturrock and Rebecca Flowers

34 Potential Biomarkers for Early Detection of Parkinson's Disease

Nina Tran, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: Emily Pham, Khang Tong and Ashley Tran

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi 35

Pixel level rice panicles segmentation based on deep learning and morphological image processing Ruobing Zhao, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University

Co-authors: Zanbo Zhu and Jianyuan Ni Mentor: Dr. Jing Zhang

36 Road Scene Image Segmentation and Utility Pole Angle Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Zanbo Zhu, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Jing Zhang

Fabrication of Large Antifouling Patterns via Hot Embossing Methods for Marine Coatings

Isaac Anthony Angeron, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lamar University Mentors: Dr. Keivan Davami and Dr. Maryam Vasefi

In the maritime industry, biofouling concerns the aggregation of aquatic organisms, such as algae, on ships and other maritime vehicles and structures. Biofouling is a detriment to the maritime industry, with the increased surface roughness of a heavily fouled ship which leads to significant power penalties. The structure of placoid scales, such as those of shark skin, were shown to decrease the adhesion of bacteria, and work was done previously to replicate those types of microscale patterns. However, those patterns were restricted to small, millimeter sized areas. This project involved the use of a hot embossing system to achieve the high fidelity replication of large-scale antifouling patterns in a time and cost-effective manner. Fate of a Plastic Debris Microbiome during Simulated Transport from a Maya Mountain River to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Belize.

Optimal Resources Allocation to Enhance Utility Pole Resilience to Natural Disasters Morshedul Alam, Department of Industrial Engineering, Lamar University

Mentors: Dr. Berna Eren Tokgoz and Dr. Seokyon Hwang

Utility poles are facing devastating damages due to natural disasters. Utility companies are greatly concerned with the damage costs and associated costs with the interrupted power supply. Pre-disaster resource allocation can tremendously reduce these costs and enhance the pole resilience. This study represents an optimal resource allocation framework to avoid the potential pole damages and increase resilience of the poles. The pole resilience is measured by the costs incurred due to a pole failure and time required to resume its normal operation. Decreasing the value of any one or both factors by allocating resources prior to the disaster can be measured as a resilience enhancement. The probability of pole failures is determined by the strength factors and pole inclination angles. The strength of the pole is assumed to decay over the lifecycle of the pole. A lifecycle cost assessment approach is used to determine the damage costs to the poles. A decision about resource allocation can be made based on the health condition of the pole.

Abstracts

All Talks are listed alphabetically by last name of the primary presenter

Fate of a Plastic Debris Microbiome during Simulated Transport from Maya Mountain River to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Belize

Ashley Borel, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: H. Henslee and M. McNab

Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hoch Coral reefs are being lost at alarming rates, threatening biodiversity, safety, and economies of tropical coastal nations. Plastic debris pollution from river runoff dramatically increases the incidence of lethal coral diseases in the Indo-Pacific. Bacterial pathogens may be carried to reef corals on plastics in river runoff. Less known is the role of plastic debris in coral loss on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, Belize. This study addressed how members of the microbiome colonizing plastic in river waters change when discharged from watersheds following heavy rains and transported to the coral reef. In the absence of a high river discharge event to collect ambient plastics as they transport from river to reef, instead an experiment was performed to simulate the exposure of river plastic microbiomes to changes in water quality and bacterioplankton microbiomes as river water mixes with seawater. Over a period of four days, water quality was monitored and plastic pieces collected at several intervals. DNA was extracted from the plastic samples and bacterioplankton of river water and seawater and a targeted metagenomic analysis of 16SrDNA was performed. Taxonomy and beta-diversity analysis reveal a progressive change, whereby some river microbes were lost and some marine microbes colonize the plastics. However, many river microbes were able to survive the transition to marine conditions at the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Therefore, plastic pollution discharged from watersheds serves as an abiotic-vector for river microbe transport, including some pathogenic bacteria, where they can play a role in impacting coral health on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

The Role of Plastic Waste in Causing Disease in the Coral Porites Astreoides: Direct Pathogen Transmission or Indirect Facilitation?

Katelin Catching, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: K. E. Smith, A. Borel, H. Henslee, M. McNab, and A. Tran

Mentor: Dr. Mathew Hoch Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world with an estimated global value of 9.9 trillion dollars. However, the resiliency of coral reefs is rapidly declining, in part, due to the prevalence of coral diseases and pollution. Marine environments are increasingly impacted by plastic waste discharged from watersheds and waste disposal at sea. Coral colonies in contact with plastic debris have a forty-fold greater incidence of coral disease, but no one has tested mechanisms of how plastics initiate disease in corals. An experimental approach was designed to test if plastics in contact with coral directly transfer their biofilm microbes, including pathogens, to the coral microbiome, or if plastic contact facilitates conditions for growth of pathogens already present in the seawater or coral mucus. The coral Porites astreoides was incubated with either microbial colonized plastic from a river (direct transmission test) or clean plastic (facilitation test), and the microbiomes of the seawater, coral mucus, and plastics compared to those of coral and seawater controls. Microbiomes of mucus and seawater were similar in coral controls and coral with clean plastic treatments, and the microbiome that colonized the clean plastic was most similar to that of the seawater. In contrast, the mucus microbiomes of corals in contact with colonized plastic changed significantly (ANOSIM, p <0.01). Some change in the river colonized plastic microbiomes occurred, likely due to exposure to seawater salinity. The negative effects of land-derived plastic waste microbiomes on coral mucus microbiomes and health was apparent.

Poisson Image Denoising Based on Fractional-Order Derivatives Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas

Co-authors: Jun Zhang, and Jing Qin Mentor: Dr. Yifei Lou

We propose a Poisson denoising model based on fractional- order derivatives. We consider three types of numerical schemes to find the optimal solution, i.e., the augmented Lagrangian method, the Chambolle's dual algorithm, and the primal-dual algorithm, each with guaranteed con-vergence. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed method over the state-of-the-art in Poisson denoising.

Surface Topography Micro-Engineering for Marine Antifouling Applications Anna Clifton, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Keivan Davami Surface fouling by marine organisms introduces significant performance and/or operational limits to many marine platforms. A potential remedy is to develop nontoxic approaches to antifouling and fouling release coatings. We in NMM Manufacturing Group at Lamar recently introduced novel nature-inspired placoid scale patterns with an engineered height gradient to deter organism settlement. A new approach to antifouling coatings with attributes such as nontoxic or environmentally benign, easy to fabricate, and most importantly, durable was studied. In addition, the proposed coating functions as a barrier against corrosion on metal hulls and demonstrates aerodynamic drag reduction of water flow past the hull of a fishing vessel or high-performance racing yacht. Such a coating material as the outer (outboard) layer of the hull of a ship or boat slows growth and/or facilitates detachment of subaquatic organisms attached to the hull that can negatively affect a vessel's performance and durability. In this proposal we will study the nanomechanical properties (nano/micro indentation and scratch, indentation fatigue, etc.) of these novel structures using a Tribonanoindenter. We will also study how an additional thin film metal coating will enhance their performance.

What Do Network Motifs Tell Us about Robustness and Reliability of Complex Networks? Asim K. Dey, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas

Co-author: Dr. H. Vincent Poor Mentor: Dr. Yulia R. Gel

Network motifs are often called the building blocks of networks. Analysis of motifs has been found to be an indispensable tool for understanding local network structure, in contrast to measures based on node degree distribution and its functions that primarily address a global network topology. As a result, networks that are similar in terms of global topological properties may differ noticeably at a local level. This phenomenon of the impact of local structure has been recently documented in network fragility analysis and classification. At the same time, most studies of networks still tend to focus on global topological measures often failing to unveil hidden mechanisms behind vulnerability of real networks and their dynamic response to malfunctions. In this paper, a study of motif-based analysis of network robustness and reliability under various types of intentional attacks is presented, with the goal of shedding light on local dynamics and vulnerability of networks. These methods are demonstrated on electricity transmission networks of four European countries and the results are compared with commonly used robustness and reliability measures.

Simulation on the Drop Test of Electronic Devices Amanullah Kabir, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Jiang Zhou Hand-held portable electronic devices are vulnerable to mechanical shock and vibrations due to sudden drop or accidental fall of devices on the ground. Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) has standards for semiconductor memory circuits in which manufacturers rely to detect and quantify the cause of failure and key locations of electronic devices during the event of drop. The main purpose of this research is to simulate the experiment of the current (JEDEC2016) standard drop test. A simplified analytical model is setup first, and then block-diagram based Simulink model is built to perform the parametric study. Second, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used to determine the dynamic response and stress distribution of the JEDEC test board. A closed-form theoretical solution is used to validate the analytical and FEA results. The simulation provides the insight of how input conditions such as time duration and magnitude affect the drop tests. Moreover, the test conditions can also be found for the desired no-ring or dominant or peak type of response. The outputs are represented graphically for proper comparison.

Salinity Modeling for Climate Change Associated Hazards like Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge in Bangladesh Coast

Md Mohiuddin Sakib, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New Orleans Co-authors: Tansir Zaman Asik, A.S.M. Alauddin Al Azad, Rabeya Akter, Anisul Haque, and Munsur Rahman

Mentor: Dr. Anisul Haque Salinity intrusion is a growing problem in the coastal areas around the globe, especially in the flat, low-lying countries like Bangladesh. Tropical cyclones (TC) induced storm surge in a sea level rise (SLR) are expected to worsen the current condition of saltwater intrusion. In recent days, moderate intensity cyclones (like the recent cyclone MORA which made landfall in Cox’s Bazar coast on May 2017) are more frequent than high-intensity cyclone (like SIDR which made landfall in the east of Sundarbans coast on November 2007). In some recent studies, the landfall location of cyclone SIDR is found to be a hotspot when cyclone-induced salinity intrusion is considered. Accounting all these, this study considers a MORA-like cyclone as a proxy of moderate intensity cyclone to make its landfall at the SIDR landfall location (keeping the strength of MORA similar to its original strength). A possible future scenario is generated by assuming that MORA-like cyclone will be more frequent in future in a coastal setting which is experiencing sea level rise. In this study, a sea level rise of 0.5m is considered that a likely scenario is by the mid-century. To study this plausible future, scenarios are generated by applying the coupled Delft3D cyclone, flow and salinity models. The results indicate that when the cyclone landfall location is at the eastern border of Sundarbans, a MORA-like cyclone will cause salinity intrusion to increase in the eastern region and will farther propagate towards eastern direction but will be confined at the estuaries experiencing low upstream freshwater discharge.

Neural Network and its Application for Autonomous in-flight Operations of UAV using Python Platform Hahnemann Mondal, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Hassan Zargarzadeh

The neural network is a very powerful method when working with devices which has versatile applications. The reason for this network becoming more and more popular nowadays is because this gives some decision making skill to the devices provided sufficient data is fed to the network. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is such kind of a device. This is being used in almost every technological sector including military and other humanitarian projects. But in most of the time they are controlled remotely and as a result, a human person is always engaged in the time of operation. That is why the goal of this project is to give more control to the device when doing a few operations and thus minimizing human engagement to some level. When designing a neural network, a compatible platform is equally important. The key factors are which one is more efficient and which one is more convenient to design, also which one is more compatible when working with device interfaces. Keeping all in mind, Python provides the best match for the job described above. Our goal is to make the UAV able to self-operation to some level and doing some operations which involve processing images through its camera. It should recognize a few objects on its path and be able to identify different numbers and colors.

Studies on the efficiency of solar cells Daniel Quispe, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Physics, Lamar University

Co-Author: David Quispe Mentor: Dr. Cristian Bahrim

A low cost electric power can be obtained through the conversion of solar energy using the photovoltaic effect in solar cells. Today the photovoltaic modules reached 84% efficiency. We will present the effects of wind, temperature, and clouds coverage on the solar cell’s ability to generate a stable and efficient electric power source. The purpose is keeping the voltage and photo-current at the peak values for ensuring a maximum electric power production in various weather conditions. Solar power plants are typically located in dryer and elevated areas where there is plenty of Sun and stable weather. But is scarcely used in coastal wetlands mainly because of three factors cloudy coverage, greater humidity level, and stronger winds due to our proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. We aim to determine if solar energy could be implemented in the Gulf coastal areas and how effective a sun-tracking methodology could be for compensating the efficiency loss due to adverse weather conditions. Experiments done in a lab-controlled environment for temperatures from 30°C to 40°C (86°F to 104°F) lead to a 4.5% drop in generated voltage. We observe that Cirrostratus-type clouds do not significantly impact the solar cell’s efficiency but when stratocumulus clouds exist, the solar cell experiences a drop of 82% in voltage.

Within 25° of the solar cell’s vertical axis, the voltage saturates at a maximum value. Every 34 minutes the sun rotates 8.43°. This implies that for maximum efficiency of the solar cell we need to re-orient it every 3 hours and 20 minutes. I will present my continuous efforts in building a sun-tracking device for keeping the solar cell’s power production within the optimum range of stability.

Characteristics and Travel Behavior Analysis of Vessel Traffic Based on AIS Data –A Case Study at Houston Ship Channel

Uttara Roy, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Xing Wu

This paper studied characteristics and travel behavior of vessel traffic at the entrance of the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) using AIS data collected for the whole year of 2014. The entrance of the HSC sees the following types of vessels: cargos, tankers, passenger ships, harbor tugs, towing vessels, etc. Among them, cargos and tankers dominate the flow at this section of the HSC. Travel behavior of cargos and tankers, especially cargos and tankers carrying dangerous goods, was analyzed at this section of the HSC, which was divided into two zones with the same length. Based on vessels’ travel direction, trips are categorized into outbound (towards the Gulf of Mexico) and inbound (away from the Gulf). The annual average hourly traffic was calculated for all vessel combined, as well as for major vessel types, for both directions at each zone. Specifically, the traffic speeds of different vessel types were studied. In general, the speed at the entrance of the HSC is found low, and the traffic speeds of each types of vessels (tankers, cargos, as well as tankers and cargos carrying dangerous goods) are found to be normally distributed. Moreover, the relationship between traffic speeds and density was analyzed, and found that the traffic speeds are basically independent form the density of vessels in the waterway. The results of this study will be helpful for various quantitative analysis such as studying the channel capacity, and the risk of vessel collision in the channel.

A Study of the Aerodynamic Behavior of an Electroactive Membrane Mohammad Khairul Habib Pulok, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Orleans

Co-author: Pratik Sarker Mentor: Dr. Uttam Chakravarty

Smart materials are promising for developing the next generation micro air vehicles that can change their flight characteristics by integrating the adaptive materials directly into the structure of the wings. There are several well-known smart materials among which a category of polymers that are electromechanically responsive have been subjected to extensive research for their innovative applications known as electroactive polymers. Electroactive polymers are characterized by a large change in the strain as a response to an electrical stimulation. Electroactive membrane belongs to the group of electroactive polymers which is composed of a thin polymeric layer sandwiched between two compliant electrodes. They have unique mechanical properties such as flexibility, light-weight, and electrical field-induced deformation. The objective of this study is to characterize the aerodynamic behavior of the electroactive membrane exposed to steady airflow for different freestream velocities at different angles of attack. A fluid-structure interaction model is created by coupling a finite element model of electroactive membrane with a computational fluid dynamics model of the external flow to obtain the coefficients of lift and drag. The resonance frequencies and the mode shapes are obtained from the finite element model. Results indicate that the aerodynamic lift coefficient increases with the angle of attack up to the critical value. Conversely, the induced drag coefficient decreases as the angle of attack increases. The natural frequency of vibration of the dielectric elastomer membrane decreases with the increase of the applied voltage.

Dynamic Response of a Hingeless Helicopter Rotor Blade at Forward Flight Pratik Sarker, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Orleans

Mentor: Dr. Uttam Chakravarty Compared to the fixed wing aircraft, the helicopter possesses the unrivaled capacity for vertical takeoff and landing which has made the helicopter suitable for numerous tasks. During the hovering or forward flight of the helicopter, the operating principle and the nature of the aerodynamic environment surrounding it gives rise to significant amount of vibration to the whole body of the helicopter. Compared to different sources of vibrations, the moderate deflections of the main rotor blade subjected to the steady and unsteady aerodynamic environments are the major contributors. When flying, the elastic helicopter rotor blades are subjected to coupled flapping, lead-lag, and torsional deflections. Once these

deflections exceed the maximum safe allowable level, the structural integrity of the helicopter rotor blade is affected leading to the ultimate blade failure. To control that, the maximum deflection that a blade can undergo for a specific operating condition needs to be estimated. Therefore, in this research, the triply coupled forced response of the hingeless, Bo 105 composite helicopter rotor blade is investigated at the forward flight for both the steady-state and unsteady aerodynamic environments. At first, the aerodynamic loadings are estimated from the aerodynamic strip theory for steady and unsteady aerodynamic environments by using the large angle deformations and are implemented into the corresponding mathematical model of the forced response of the Bo 105 helicopter blade. The nonlinear mathematical model is solved numerically and is validated by finite element results.

A Study on the Microfluidic Behavior of Paper-based Devices For the Detection of Fentanyl and Related Synthetic Opioids

M. Shafiqur Rahman, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Orleans Mentor: Dr. Uttam Chakravarty

Fentanyl (C22H28N2O), a synthetic opioid, is a tremendously fast-acting synthetic narcotic analgesic having a high potency of approximately 100 to 200 times that of Morphine. As the synthetic opioid crisis continues to sweep across the world, detection technologies are required to be enhanced to detect, categorize, and identify synthetic opioids effectively. Detection of fentanyl and its analogues can be done by commercially available paper-based immunoassay screens for urine specimens. Simple colorimetric assays, i.e., spot tests with paper strips, offer speed, simplicity of operation, portability, and affordability. The microfluidic behavior of the paper strips along with the properties of chemical reagents play significant role in drug detection methods. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to characterize the chemical properties of fentanyl and its analogues and to conduct microfluidic analysis for design optimization and performance evaluation of the fentanyl test strips. The investigation on the microfluidic properties of urine and fentanyl test strip is done by developing a 3-D multiphase volume of fluid (VOF) model in ANSYS Fluent 18.2. A physical model of a microchannel corresponding to a cellulose trail is configured to run the microfluidics simulation using finite volume method. Numerical results for the flow parameters and geometric effect are presented to facilitate the fundamental concepts behind paper-based drug-detection technology. Analytical study is also conducted to validate the simulation results. Finally, experiments with test-kit samples are conducted for flow analysis and results for the performance parameters are reported showing the room for improvements in the drug detection technology.

A Parametric Study of Impact of Geometry and Material on Heat Sink Design in Portable Electronic Devices I H M Shamsuzzoha, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lamar University

Co-author: Dr. Arifur Rahman Mentors: Dr. Kendrick Aung and Dr. Jenny Zhou

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of various geometry and materials on the efficacy and effectiveness of heatsinks in modern portable electronic devices such as laptops, video game systems, tablets, and smartphones. Thermal and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations based on Finite Element Method (FEM) are used in the present study. The study investigates parametrically the effects of different geometry and materials on the thermal and temperature profiles of heat sinks. Using simulation results, effectiveness of various heat sinks is assessed and the results of the study will be used to improve and optimize heat sink designs in portable electronic devices.

Public and Environmental Risk Identification of Commonly Transported Chemicals at Ports in Gulf of Mexico Dikshant Singh, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering, Lamar University

Mentors: Dr. Berna Eren Tokgoz and Dr. Cagatay Tokgoz Seaports play a key role in international trade. As strong economic drivers in the Gulf of Mexico, ports in this region are predominant in the areas of oil and gas as well as chemical and petrochemical operations worldwide. Because these materials are known for their harmful characteristics, Gulf of Mexico ports are vulnerable to hazardous conditions. To ensure continual and safe operations, minimizing risk in port environments is of imperative importance to governmental authorities. In this study, risk assessment of frequently transported chemicals, both organic and inorganic, was examined for the sixteen Gulf of Mexico ports based on their physiochemical characteristics. In addition, each individual chemical has been assessed to establish an overall risk score based on its public and environmental health effects. A practical risk

assessment framework has been provided to evaluate and prioritize chemicals based on their risk scores to assist governmental authorities, first responders, port workers, and emergency planners in their decision-making process.

Neurodegenerative Disease Research at the John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair Amanda Warner, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, hypokinetic neurodegenerative disease that affects 1-2 percent of people over the

age of 65. Parkinson’s disease can be characterized by the progressive and irreversible loss of dopamine neurons. There

is significant neuronal cell loss within the substantia nigra which connects to the striatum via the nigrostriatal pathway.

Lewy bodies, clumps of alpha-synuclein, are the marker of Parkinson’s disease. Current treatments for Parkinson’s disease

consist of dopamine receptor agonists, monoamine oxidase-b (MAO-B) inhibitors, dopamine precursor therapy, and deep

brain stimulation. Dementia is a major side effect of Parkinson’s disease. It greatly decreases the quality of life of the

patient and their caregivers. The current treatments for Parkinson’s disease are not always effective over long periods of

time and how the cognitive complications progress is not completely understood. In addition to this, a definitive cause of

Parkinson’s disease is yet to be found. Through the 2018 Presidential Summer Fellowship I was able to pre-form research

on Parkinson’s disease at Cambridge University. This involved immunohistochemistry including tyrosine hydroxylase

staining on mouse brains and electrochemiluminescence assays for inflammatory cytokines and antibodies using the

Mesoscale Discovery Platform. The preliminary results of these studies implicate inflammation as a major cause of

Parkinson’s disease. Further conclusions may be drawn; however, this project has yet to be concluded. This work will add

to the body of knowledge of the ways in which Parkinson’s disease is initiated and propagated and may lead to future

treatments.

1 Antibacterial Effect of Beta-Amyloid: A hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease

Hamzah Abedelwahab, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-author: Paityn Warwick Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

Alzheimer’s disease has become a significant health concern as more people are predicted to be in danger over the next years. Alzheimer’s disease is a multifactorial disease causing inflammation in the brain. Inflammation of the brain plays a crucial role in the propagation of Alzheimer’s disease, which leads to the destruction of brain cells. Evidence shows that pathogenesis of chronic infection such as periodontitis is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic infection can propagate the onset of said deadly disease through an increase in production of beta-amyloid plaques. In particular, certain bacteria display the ability to elicit the human immune response, triggering the release and accumulation of the beta-amyloid peptide leading to the release of inflammatory mediators. The goal of this study is to broaden the research of Alzheimer’s disease through acquiring experimental evidence and generating data through creative synthesis. Through experimental approach, a minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) followed by a colony forming unit (CFU) assay is performed to measure the antibacterial effects of beta-amyloid. Results shown from the experiment suggest that the secretion of beta-amyloid possesses a role in the immune defense against bacteria. This project will allow a better understanding of the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease and the contribution of chronic infection in the progression of the disease. Ultimately, this research may help to develop new strategies for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Poster Abstracts

All Posters are listed alphabetically by last name of the primary presenter

2 Hyperconjugation-Assisted Ring Openings of Substituted Acylcyclopropanones

Nathan Abshier, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Mentor: Christopher Martin

Cyclopropanones have long been studied due to their existence as unstable reaction intermediates, and for their potential use in chemical synthesis. However, a special class of these molecules, known as acylcyclopropanones, have received little attention in recent chemical research and subsequently little is known of their chemical behavior. The scarce available chemical literature indicates that acylcylopropanones rearrange via two pathways: ring expansion or decarbonylation. The driving force behind the rearrangement path followed is proposed to be the size of functional groups attached to the parent acylcyclopropanone at R1 and R2. However, our computational research lab has found that an alternate driving force, known as hyperconjugation, plays a larger role in the behavior of these acylcyclopropanones. Modern computational chemistry techniques were used to perform DFT (density functional theory) calculations to determine the most energetically favorable pathway for various substituted acylcyclopropanones. Hyperconjugation was found to pre-orient smaller acylcyclopropanones in an orientation that made ring expansion accessible, while larger substituents blocked hyperconjugation from assisting in rearrangement, forcing these molecules to alternatively decarbonylate. These observations may serve as the basis for a new set of synthetic pathways via hyperconjugation-assisted ring openings.

3 Environmental impact assessment for high conversion synthesis of <10 nm silver nanoparticles using microwave

assisted heating by life cycle techniques Adarsh Bafana, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering, Lamar University

Co-authors: Shishir Kumar, Prasad Pawar, Sila Temizel-Sekeryan, and Si Amar Dahoumane Mentors: Dr. Liv Haselbach, and Dr. Clayton Jeffryes

A microwave reaction to convert 99 ± 1% of Ag+ to silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of size <10 nm within 4.5 min with a specific production rate and energy input of 5.75 mg AgNP L−1 min−1 and 5.45 W mL−1 reaction volume was developed. The glucose reduced, and food grade starch stabilized particles remained colloidally stable with less than a 4% change in the surface plasmon resonance band at 425–430 nm at t > 300 days. TEM determined the size of AgNPs, while TEM-EDS and XRD verified elemental composition. The conversion was determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally, the required silver to starch input mass ratio, 1.0:1.3, to produce colloidally stabilized AgNPs is significantly reduced compared to previous studies. The antibacterial activity of freshly prepared AgNPs and AgNPs aged >300 days was demonstrated against E. coli as determined by agar diffusion assays. This result, corroborated by spectrophotometric and TEM measurements, indicates long-term colloidal stability of the product. We attempted novel synthesis routes that reduce resource requirements and use benign chemicals, while maintaining control over their unique properties. Thus, we evaluated the potential environmental impacts of this method using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) techniques which are used to assess the environmental impacts of a product’s life through all the stages from raw material extraction to disposal/ recycling. GaBi 6.0 software was used to carry out the life cycle impact assessment on a declared unit of 1 kg of 3.0 ± 1.2 nm diameter AgNPs. The results indicate that the impacts are predominantly on acidification (AP), human health particulate air (HHAP) and human toxicity non-cancer (HTNCP) potentials. These impacts are mainly from the production of silver metal and electricity used. The starch and glucose used to produce AgNPs of 3.0 ± 1.2 nm appear to be environmentally benign as they have negligible environmental impacts.

4 A programming academy to Increase middle school students’ interests and knowledge

Madison K Boudreaux, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University Mentors: Dr. Sujing Wang and Dr. Cheng-Hsien Lin

This project investigates whether middle school students’ interest and knowledge in computing can be increased by engaging them in one week hands-on robotic and game programming summer camp. Instructional materials include a set of slides that explain concepts, daily projects that went over concepts taught the day of and the previous day and instruments that measure students’ interest and knowledge in programming before and after the camp. Three summer camps have been successfully conducted in summer 2018 with 150 students total using the questionnaires. The

assessment based on survey questionnaire is done. The preliminary results indicate that the summer camps have the potential to have a significant effect on increasing interest of programming of the participants.

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Spectroscopic Studies of Ammonia Borane-Polyethylene Oxide Hydrogen Storage Composites Caitlyn Clark, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University

Co-authors: Krishna Kharel, Emily Ingram, Riqiang Fu and Ozge Gunaydin-Sen Mentor: Dr. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen

Ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB) is a stable, white crystalline solid at room temperature. It has a lot of prospect for solid state hydrogen storage because it readily decomposes around 110 ℃ giving one mol of hydrogen. Even though, AB has high gravimetric hydrogen density, the practical application of AB to be used as a fuel is limited due to high dehydrogenation temperature, production of impurities and unwanted gases responsible for the poisoning of the fuel cell. Several studies were conducted after modifying AB with different functional materials such as polymers, catalysts, metal organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks to enhance its properties. To understand the dehydrogenation mechanism of AB and polyethylene oxide (PEO) composites we utilized thermal and spectroscopic methods. The results indicated that the 15N and 11B NMR studies showed polymeric composites with higher PEO mass ratio involves the possible breakdown of dative bond and formation of new interaction (H-bonding) between the AB and the polymer. The NMR experiments at 85 ℃ were conducted to investigate the isothermal decomposition during several hours. Results indicated that pristine AB takes longer incubation time, however the polymeric composite readily decomposes at 85 ℃. Moreover, IR studies showed evidence to support the interaction between AB and PEO. Results confirm the evidence for the interaction, possible H-bonding, between PEO and AB which could be the probable reason for the improved properties of dehydrogenation including better kinetics. These findings would also facilitate the understanding of the interaction and the use of possible other novel functional materials.

6 Recycling Spent Catayst to Recovery Platinum Group Metals using

Chelating Sacrificial Thioether Ligands John Coutee, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University

Co-authors: Lakshmi N. Kakarla, Radika Gangineni, and Joel T.Mague Mentor: Dr. Perumalreddy Chandrasekaran

Palladium is perhaps one of the most used platinum group metals (PMGs) as a catalyst for several reactions, and it’s expensive due to low abundance in earth crust. Recovering palladium metal from spent catalyst is an attractive and environmentally and economically clean process. The goal of our project is to develop and assess suitable solvent extract substances for palladium from an acidic aqueous solution. Chealting thioether ligands are promising as they form stable complexes with Pd(II) centers. For this purpose, two chelating tetra-thioether ligands [1,2,4,5-C6H2(SiPr)4] (L1) and [1,2,4,5-C6(Me-p)2(SiPr)4] (L2) have been prepared and their coordination chemistry with palladium(II) ions are examined. Palladium metal extraction efficiency of L1 and L2 in acidic aqueous solution are quantified using ICP. In a typical procedure ligand is dissolved in chloroform and allowed to react with the palladium in acidic aqueous solution and efficiency was determined at multiple time intervals. The palladium (II) was dissolved in an acidic solution with a low pH. Overall, both the thioether ligands trasfers Pd(II) ions from aqueous phase to organic phase in 90 minutes with over 99% efficiency.

7 Modular DLP SLA system with modular UV light source and tall build volume.

Jacob Comeaux, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana Lafayette Co-authors: Brittany Albarado, Tyler Graves, and John Thomas Frank

Mentor: Dr. Charles E. Taylor Stereolithography (SLA) represents an additive manufacturing method that uses light to selectively cure a photoresin for the purpose of creating a 3 dimensional structure. With successively cured layers, large geometry (4” x 6” x 15”) can be achieved with incredibly high resolution (~100 micrometer). Using a digital light projection (DLP) chip, whole layers of the model can be cured in a single step as opposed to laser based methods that require the laser to line scan the model. This approach rapidly accelerates the printing process, while still maintaining a high level of accuracy in the part. The goal of this printer is to produce models of the cardiovascular system for benchtop flow studies; long arterial networks with fine

details. Utilization of UV LED technology enables the cure time per layer to be accelerated, due to the focused emission within the cure region for the photopolymer. Design and implementation of rail-based light source allows for optics and source elements to be optimized for this novel design. This presentation will cover the advances made with the current design and the benefits this technology has for this application.

8 Computational Study of the Effect of Substituents on the [2+2] Cycloaddition of Alkylated 3(2H)-furanones

Madison Victoria Demel, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin

A study of alkylated 3(2H)-furanones will be undertaken to determine if the size of substituents has a significant effect on the ability of the molecules to undergo [2+2] cycloaddition, or if beta cleavage rearrangement is energetically preferred. This will be done using computational methods to construct potential energy hypersurfaces of three separate furanones that will be used to determine the value of an energy threshold for reaction pathway bifurcation. This data will hopefully help lead to the correction of the side effect of photosensitivity in pharmaceuticals containing furanones. Current progress has generated potential results for one of the three variations, but more work must be done to verify these results. Issues regarding a surface crossing between triplet and singlet surfaces must be addressed before work can continue on the other two variations and any results concluded.

9 Micro-machining of injector heads for dual-phase blurring applications

Noah Deshotel, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana Lafayette Co-author: John Thomas Frank

Mentors: Dr. Lulin Jiang and Dr. Charles E. Taylor The purpose of this research is to manufacture novel injector nozzle heads that can be applied to combustion and biomedical applications. To machine the injector heads, a 5-axis CNC, made by Pocket NC©, was utilized. All of the setup and tool paths were carried out on Autodesk's® CAD/CAM software, Fusion360™. All of the tools used to machine the injector heads are manufactured by Harvey Tool™. The small geometry of the injector nozzle heads is what makes this task particularly difficult. The four vane and six vane injector heads both have a vane angle of sixty degrees and an orifice with a diameter of 0.059 in. (1.5 mm). The small vertical holes and swirl grooves on the four-vane nozzle are 0.0197 in (0.5 mm) in diameter. The small vertical holes and swirl grooves on the six-vane nozzle are 0.01575 in. (0.4 mm) in diameter. Being that the geometry of the injector heads is so small, fine-grade tools are used to machine the nozzle heads, with the smallest tools being a 0.0157 in. (0.397 mm) drill bit and a 0.0157 in. (0.397 mm) ball end mill. The order in which the geometries of the injector heads are machined is also critical in the quality of the final part and will be discussed. Photographs of the machined injector heads were taken under a digital microscope, so as to give an accurate view of the machined geometries and will be presented with the methods.

10 Solar Cell Testing with Lock-In Thermography (LIT)

Lelia Deville, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Mentor: Dr Terrence Chambers

Lock-In Thermography is a form of nondestructive testing that allows for testing of electronic devices (such as solar cells) to be reviewed and monitored for defects. In this presentation, the basics of Lock-In Thermography are explained. Examples of images from both defective fully functioning thin film solar cells of various kinds are analyzed. The need for such testing in the Solar Lock-In Thermography lab and the importance of this tool to the Solar Program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is discussed.

11 Analysis of Noncoding Regions of the Chloroplast Genome for Phylogenetic and

Population Genetic Diversity in Hesperocyparis Macrocarpa Clade (California Cypress; Cupressaceae) Frederick Donahey, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Terry Randall Hesperocyparis Macrocarpa clade (California cypresses) are a group of six species endemic to California, four of which have been identified as endangered, threatened, or critically imperiled. The goal of this project is to use DNA sequences from noncoding chloroplast gene regions to study evolutionary relationships and population genetics for three California cypress species. Three chloroplast intergenic spacers trn T- trn D, trn C- trn D, accd 117- rpl 23 were amplified using the Polymerase Chain Reaction and sequenced using dideoxy chain terminators. Genetic variation over 2260 aligned positions was very limited (five point mutations and one one-base pair length mutation) for the 13 in group samples included in the study. Neighbor-joining analyses failed to resolve most relationships and recovered only one (H. macrocarpa ) of the three species monophyletic, although branch support was moderate to weak due to limited character support. Despite the small mutational sample size, we found four of six mutations were intraspecific or intrapopulation, suggesting certain populations (e.g., Point Lobos, H. goveniana) may harbor significant amounts of genetic variation. Implications for phylogenetic relationships and conservation genetics are discussed.

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Microwave assisted synthesis to produce Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles Meghana Faltane, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering, Lamar University Co-authors: Adarsh Bafana, and Shishir Kumar Mentor: Dr. Clayton Jeffryes

The urgency of sustainability has led us towards the synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using benign resources. We will synthesize Au-Ag alloy NPs (Au-AgNPs) using algal based exopolysaccharides (EPS) in a microwave reactor. With the use of algal EPS and microwave energy, we may be able to produce NPs using bio-based reagents and an energy efficient process. Additionally, the use of algal EPS may serve as a lucrative source, because algae are a naturally abundant resource and do not require any arable land for cultivation. Au-AgNPs are formed via a reduction reaction with the EPS being used as both a reducing agent to form NPs and a stabilizing agent to keep the NPs colloidally stable. UV-Spectroscopy (UV-Vis) will help to analyze the formation, X-ray diffraction (XRD) will verify the crystalline structure and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) will lead us to determine the morphology including the size as well as the shape of NPs. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) will be used for elemental analysis where the nanoparticles will be analyzed at extremely high magnification for studying surface structure, general anomalies and areas of contamination if any. The produced Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles will also be investigated for antibacterial, electronic and sensing applications.

13 The Comorbidity of Epilepsy and Depression: A Review of GABAergic and Glutamatergic Activity

Sakurah Fisher, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: Klara Pilling and Rocio Barragan

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi It is a known phenomenon for individuals living with epilepsy to have an increased probability of having coexisting depression. Scientists have discovered similar pathogenic tendencies that contributes to the development of both depression and epilepsy, specifically in GABAergic and glutamatergic activity. These abnormal synaptic activities created by these neurotransmitters produce dysfunctional action potentials and chemical imbalances that influence the pathogenesis of these disorders. In this research, we create a data file of the articles that explain the dysfunctionality of GABAergic and glutamatergic activity in epilepsy and depression. However, research has not been able to conclude the relationship between these neurotransmitter activities to the bi-directional relationship of these pathophysiological mechanisms. This leads to our question, therefore, in that what are the biochemical mechanisms within GABAergic and glutamatergic activities that facilitates the comorbidity between epilepsy and depression. Pinpointing the link between epilepsy and depression can advance pharmacology to the point where drugs may be developed to treat both disorders. Future research regarding the biochemical abnormalities of GABAergic and glutamatergic activities may be able to further identify the link that induces the facilitation of depression in individuals with epilepsy, and vice-versa.

14 The Mediterranean Diet’s Role in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease

Ehson Ghaboolian-Zare, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: Paityn Warwick and Sam Marchner

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the formation of beta-amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. More than 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, which results in about $100 billion in health care costs. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that begins years or decades before symptoms of the disease appear. The disease affects cognitive function as well as memory. Currently, clinical diagnostics of Alzheimer’s disease relies on cognitive decline, at which point, the disease has already damaged the brain. However, evidence suggests that we may prevent Alzheimer’s disease in the early stages of the disease by reducing beta-amyloid plaques. Lifestyle interventions including exercise programs, social engagement, and a healthy diet may positively impact an individual's risk of developing the disease. There are many pathways that have been theorized for the prevention of the disease, one of which is the practice of the Mediterranean diet. Proper nutrition is important in synaptic plasticity and can aid in the prevention and delay of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. A data file is created to analyze Alzheimer’s progression and its association with Mediterranean diet. This project provides mechanisms of the neuroprotective and its association with Mediterranean diet and how they can prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. The lifestyle changes may greatly prevent or delay Alzheimer’s diseases; which could lead to a significant progress in public health.

15 Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activities of Triazole-Based Fungicides for Control of Rice Sheath Blight Disease

Yawen Han, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Co-authors: Zhifo Guo and Xingen Zhou

Mentor: Dr. Xiangyang Lei

Rice, the primary staple food in many countries, is subject to diseases that often place major biological constraints on

production. Rice sheath blight is a fungal disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani. It occurs throughout temperate and

tropical production areas and is an increasing concern for rice production. Fungicides have been the most effective tool

for management of this disease. However, recent emergence of resistant populations of the fungus to strobilurin

fungicides threatens this management option. The objective of this study is to develop new fungicides that have a

different mode of action and a wide spectrum of activities against Rhizoctonia solani and other pathogens. Towards

these goals, a series of molecules have been designed and synthesized. The in-vitro tests indicated that six molecules

showed antifungal activities against Rhizoctonia solani.

16 Rhomboid gene silencing using synthetic siRNAs in Tritrichomonas foetus

Katherine Harmon, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: Kyle Delk, Afsana Islam, Katelyn Meaux, Aziz Shaaban, and Stanley Troung.

Mentor: Dr. Ashwini Kucknoor

Bovine trichomoniasis is caused by the protozoan Tritrichomonas foetus and is a common disease in the beef industry, costing US cattle ranchers an estimated $650 million annually. Rhomboid proteins on the surface of the parasites possibly add to the pathogenicity of these organisms by allowing them to adhere to host cells. By silencing genes responsible for the formation of rhomboid proteins, this makes the organism less successful in proliferating. The genes chosen to be silenced in this research were Rh 2, 5, and 8, with controls of untreated cells for each gene. Each sample was checked to see if the synthetic siRNA treatment was effective in silencing the appropriate genes, then the treated cultures of live cells were used to test pathogenicity on HeLa cells in vitro. The results will be discussed.

17 Changes of Bacterioplankton Communities along a Transect from River

Water Discharge to the Barrier Reef Ecosystem in Belize H. Henslee, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-authors: A. Borel, M. McNab and A. T. Tran Mentor: Dr. Matthew Hoch

Bacterioplankton are important in carbon cycling of freshwater and marine ecosystems. There are few studies on changes in bacterioplankton communities as tropical rivers discharge to coastal barrier reef ecosystems. To address this, physicochemical parameters were measured and surface water was collected for bacterioplankton analysis at eight different sites located along transect from North Stann Creek to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef in Belize. Seawater was filtered, plankton DNA extracted, and then analyzed by 16SrDNA sequencing. Due to low river discharge, salinity increased from zero in the river to 33.4 psu within just one kilometer of the coast, and then remained at 34.5 psu at the other four sites. Total direct counts of bacteria in the river waters and low salinity plume waters averaged 1.7 x 106 cells ml-1 then decreased to 0.5 x 106 cells ml-1 in the lagoon, back reef, and offshore waters. Beta diversity analysis revealed that river samples were distinct from the plume, coastal, and inshore waters, which were also distinct from the back reef and offshore waters. The lagoon surrounded by mangrove cayes was the most distinct of all marine sites. Alpha diversity was lowest at the offshore site and highest at the back reef, river, and plume sites. Dominant orders were Cytophagales, Sphingobacteriales, Actinomycetales, and Burkholderiales in river waters and Pelagibacterales and Flavobacteriales in seawater, except in the lagoon where Rhodobacterales and Rhodospirillales dominated. Changes in bacterioplankton communities were affected by salinity and possibly by specific sources and amounts of organic matter used for growth.

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Assessing Current Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease Mackenzie Hudson, Department of Biology, Lamar University

Co-author: Kallie Shajari Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no cure. Current research suggests that the associated neurodegeneration begins decades before the disease symptoms appear. Thus, a possible way to target modifiable risk in Alzheimer’s disease is to implement lifestyle factors that address specific risk factors in early or middle life. In this work, we use literary analysis and creative synthesis techniques to analyze risk factors related to Alzheimer’s disease. We take an integrative approach and consider information from different hypotheses related to the study of Alzheimer’s etiology. Thus, we integrate pathways and mechanisms from the oxidative/ inflammatory framework, the mitochondria dysregulation framework, and the Aβ/tau framework. Our findings correspond to current thinking about Alzheimer’s risk by suggesting that the majority of risk for Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) that is open to influence by lifestyle factors can be modified by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and the dysregulation of mitochondria. However, our data also suggests that the risk conferred by direct modification of Aβ and tau proteins cannot be ignored. Thus, community programs which focus on reducing risk for Alzheimer’s disease by targeting inflammatory/ mitochondrial pathways in middle aged adults by emphasizing the importance of regular exercise, preventing type two diabetes, maintaining healthy sleep patterns, managing stress, and consuming a healthy diet may reduce the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in later life in the general population. As the world population continues to age, community intervention in middle life will play a vital role in reducing Alzheimer’s disease burden.

19 Dehydrogenation of Ammonia Borane - Polyvinylpyrrolidone Bulk Composites

using Different Catalysts (CaCl2 and MgCl2) Emily Ingram, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University

Co-authors: Caitlyn Clark and Weslynn Taylor, Ramanjaneylulu Seemaladinne, and Krishna Karel Mentor: Dr. Ozge Gunaydin-Sen

A comparison of two catalysts have been explored to determine their efficiency in aiding hydrogen release from Ammonia Borane (NH3BH3, AB), a possible contender for chemical hydrogen storage. AB has been a popular source of research due to its high weight percentage of hydrogen that could be cultivated for uses in alternative fuels. Such environmental

applications of AB are restricted due to the slow hydrogen release and unwanted byproducts. Research shows that addition of polymers improved hydrogen release characteristics, while the catalysts help to lower the activation energies, improving kinetics, and lowering the temperature of the first hydrogen release. Experiments involved thermal and infrared analysis of bulk AB composites with polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) and individually, calcium chloride (CaCl2) and magnesium (MgCl2) added as catalysts. The bulk polymer-catalyst composites were prepared by mixing of AB with PVP in different ratios and vacuum drying. In order to analyze the dehydrogenation kinetics of the bulk composites, a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was utilized. Comparison of the data obtained from composites with the catalysts, MgCl2 was determined to have a better effect on AB, resulting in a lower Ea than pristine AB and bulk ABPVP composites. FTIR data showed an improvement in the AB bulk composites, giving supporting evidence to the interaction of the catalyst and polymer with pure AB. Future studies will include thermogravimetric studies to determine the weight loss in ABPVPCaCl2 compared to pure AB and ABPVPMgCl2 along with observing the electronic structure and functional groups using NMR spectroscopy. 20

CFD Analysis and Geometry Optimization of Heat Sink for Cooling of Electronic Devices Mukunda Khanal, Department of Mechanical, Lamar University

Co-author: Shamsuzzoha Damal

Mentors: Dr. Jenny Jhou and Dr. Kendrick Aung The passive cooling system limits the short term thermal output of a system, and limits the instantaneous performance provided by the requirement of active cooling system. The design of heat sink should be to maximize its surface area in contact with the working cooling medium surrounding it. Shape and Size of the heat sink is the main factor to be considered while designing heat sink. Many people have given different approach to purpose the shape of the heat sink; however an exact solution is hard to estimate. For the same reason, a general solution to propose the shape and size of the heat sink will be required for an individual free and forced convection system so that the results obtained can be used universally in heat sink applications for electronics cooling. In this study and for simulation purposes, steps will be taken to maximize the flow through the heat sink fins, so as to generate optimal heat transfer from the heat sink surface to the relative working fluid. What shape should the geometry be is the major concern of this study. Using CFD analysis and optimization technique, an effective solution for the optimum design geometry of the heat sink will be proposed for free and forced convection under varying heat flux.

21 Efficiency of External Sorting Techniques and Algorithms for Large Data

Bilal Mahmood, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Kami Makki

The amount of corporate and personal data is growing intensely which requires fundamental innovative techniques for processing, sorting, and analyzing data effectively. Since the implementation of efficient external sorting, such large data becomes a necessity for many companies to enhance their businesses. For instance, sorting techniques are used to organize data in a defined order for improving access using the main memory of the computer. However, when the data being sorted is too big and does not fit entirely into the main memory of a computer, the external sorting techniques are needed to be utilized. In this process, the data is being sorted in the external memory (hard disk) of a computer, which is much slower than the main memory sorting. In this research, we investigate the efficiency of different external sorting algorithms as well as testing their speed in sorting massive amount of data to determine the best types of sorting methods that businesses with large amount data require.

22 Computational Study of H and CH3 Substituted 3-Acyl-2,2-Dimethylcyclopropanones

Miguelina L. Martinez-Perez, Harmony Science Academy, Beaumont Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin

The study made on the rotation of the exocyclic-acyl bond are based on the H and CH3 substituents on 3-acyl-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanone through generating theoretical calculations (B3LYP/6-31G*). The full 360 bond rotation of the exocyclic-acyl bond goes by increments of 10o to determine the potential energy and the bond distances. An examination of the R1 group and the exocyclic carbonyl (C=O) displays an overlapping. The behavior of the two substituted R groups caused either an increase in the stability or decrease in the stability. When the outcomes of all the geometries are

thoroughly investigated, they exhibit minima energy roughly around 180o. Hyperconjugation is the effect of shortening or lengthening sigma or pi bonds. The geometries at roughly 180o exhibit shorter exocyclic-acyl bond (C-C) and a longer exocyclic carbonyl bond (C=O). With hyperconjugation being observed as the main affect into leading to either decarbonylation or a new form of a rearrangement. Since structures with R1 as H appear to engage in greater hyperconjugation when exhibiting shorter C-C and longer C=O bond distances should be critical when replacing the R1 group with groups greater than hydrogen may most likely result in decarbonylation.

23 Synthesis of Substituted cis and trans 1,2-Dibenzoylethenes

Katelyn Meaux, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Lamar University Co-Authors: Edward Doan and Geoffrey Martin

Mentor: Dr. Christopher Martin

The purpose of this project is the synthesis of various substituted trans and cis 1,2-Dibenzoylethenes. This synthesis is a significant step toward the study of the unusual photochemical rearrangement that molecules known as furanones undergo. The first step in this process involves performing a Friedel Crafts reaction in the respective aromatic compound using fumaryl chloride and aluminum chloride which is refluxed for varying times based on the R group. This process has been performed successfully for the phenyl group and various substitutions including methyl, chloro, bromo, and tert-butyl. The trans isomer has been successfully isolated for the phenyl (60% yield), methylphenyl (33% yield), chlorophenyl (38% yield), and tert-butylphenyl (42% yield) groups. While some trans product has been isolated for the bromophenyl group (~1% yield), testing for an effective extraction technique is needed. For the conversion of the trans isomer to the cis conformation, a photoisomerization step is performed utilizing 420nm wavelength of light. Testing has been performed for each of the above successfully isolated R groups to determine the most effective solvent. Of these R groups, only the phenyl (80% yield) and methylphenyl (50% yield) groups have produced solid cis crystals using diethyl ether as the preferred solvent. The cis product is present for all other samples but a method of separating the solvent has not been determined. The trans and cis products are being sent off for x-ray crystallography to confirm identity.

24 Stress Testing the Epigenome: an in vitro analysis of HDAC1 levels in monocytes

and macrophages in response to stress hormones David Narvaiz, Department of Biology. Lamar University

Co-author: Michael Whitman Mentor: Dr. Ashwini Kucknoor

The mechanisms underlying the development of schizophrenia is still poorly understood, due in part to its polygenic nature and complicated interplay with the environment. According to the biological embedding model, adversity encountered in early life can alter biological programming in a way that may negatively impact the future health of an organism. Early life stress causes long lasting changes to the normal processes of inflammation, demonstrated as altered anti- and pro-inflammatory responses in macrophages. These same progressions are implicated as antecedents to the onset of schizophrenia and are associated with a higher concentration of the enzyme histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of schizophrenics. In an attempt to connect the biological embedding model of early life stress with the possible epigenetic mechanisms associated with schizophrenia, we hypothesize that U937 human monocyte cell lines exposed to stress hormones may upregulate HDAC1 expression. In order to test this hypothesis, U937 cells were exposed to different concentrations of two hormones associated with stress and schizophrenia – cortisol and aldosterone – for a course of 24, 48, and 72 hours. After exposure cells were harvested and assayed for HDAC1 activity and the expression of three genes associated with synapse refinement - P2RX7, TREM2, and CX3CR1.

25 Electrospinning chamber for cardiovascular tissue replacements

Madison Neill, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Co-authors: Sarah Judice and Guillaume Maurin

Mentor: Dr. Charles E. Taylor Developing effective in vitro models of cardiovascular anatomy for surgical procedure evaluations and medical device performance verification is challenging. This is due to the complex geometry, anisotropic material properties, and spatial variation in material properties. The ability to control these effects enables the production of high fidelity models that can

exhibit the proper normal and disease states of these tissues for robust in vitro analysis of the fluid-structure interactions taking place in this region. Presented in this work is an electrospinning system that yields fabric-type constructs that are woven onto a spinning target. The polymer that is woven is electrostatically drawn from solution to a grounded target that it coats. Utilizing 3D printed targets allows for complex shapes to be realized in the produced material. The subsequent thin walled model is removed from the 3D printed structure either through peeling or dissolution of the underlying mold. These models have potential for use as synthetic heart valves, vascular grafts, or tissue culturing scaffolds. The resulting models will be used for evaluation in this laboratory of corrective surgery procedures and assessment of medical device interactions with a variety of surrounding tissue properties.

26 Who tweets about autism? An analysis of autism-related tweets in the USA

Jianyuan Ni, Department of Computer Science Co-authors: Zanbo Zhu and Ruobing Zhao

Mentors: Dr. Jing Zhang and Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah

Twitter provides a massive amount of information for connecting individuals through Internet-based communication so that they can broadcast their activities and opinions. These data have been employed as a tool to understand a range of social phenomena. One of recently studies focused on utilizing tweets as a means for understanding trends in public health. In this study, the Twitter Archiving Google Sheet TAGS was used to collect twitter data from May 2018 to September 2018 using user-defined keyword of autism. User and Twitter social community metrics were examined including temporal trends, tweet content, user activity, tweet reach and an analysis of tweets’ social network. Sentimental Analysis was also conducted to illustrate the opinions of autism community. This study showed that analyses of social media use can be helpful in discovering issues of interest to the autism community, as well as determining which users and organizations are dominating social network conversations.

27 Preliminary Design for Upgraded Speed Control Systems for Automobiles to Save Lives from Traffic Accident

Osanebi Osani, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Tianxing Cai

Radar guns are very useful when it comes to ascertaining the speed of moving vehicle, but they are not without limitations which I think are enough to dispute its use for vehicles. This abstract is focused on the design and implementation of a device for measuring the speed of a vehicle over a set period and where there is availability of GPS navigation it can give a more detailed and precise description of the vehicle activity in relation to the route taken. This device will help to eradicate the challenges of the radar guns like curves, device being in the wrong mode when needed, radar detectors as well as wrong calibrations of guns. This device will not only eradicate these shortcomings of radar guns but will also alert drivers when they go way above speed limits on roads and highways and all these will be displayed when the device is probed by law enforcement offices. This will help check driving speed and help drivers avoid over speeding. The operation of the device will be based on an IC, Mechanics, Gauge, sensor, and GPS. The vehicle speed will not be determined by GPS due to variation in recorded points over periods, but it will help to a very large extent when it comes to vehicle activity and route taken by driver. The design and implementation of this device will follow all Federal standards, rules and regulations to meet minimum requirements required by law. It is a fact that most of the accidents that occur nowadays can be fatal and life altering for some survivors. The purpose of this device is to help with limiting accidents on roads as well as providing a history of a vehicle’s activity where there has been an accident, and which will go a long way to help officers have a better understanding of what might have caused an accident and other related investigations. It will also provide for a timelier and more precise vehicle speed and activity when a vehicle is pulled over and help with clarity of judgment between law enforcement officers and drivers.

28 Radiation Pattern of a Non-Conformal Antenna on an Electrically Large Conducting Convex Platform

Babajide Salau, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Cagatay Tokgoz

High frequency asymptotic methods in electromagnetics have been used extensively to predict radiation from infinitesimal sources and conformal antennas placed on a perfectly conducting convex platform, because brute-force full-wave techniques become computationally intensive as the platform becomes electrically large. This paper employs an extended

uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (UTD) solution, which allows sources to be slightly raised off the platform and enables to predict radiation pattern of non-conformal antennas that protrude the platform. The results pertaining to this approach will be presented for both azimuth and non-azimuth cases pertaining to canonical shapes in comparison with the results obtained using multilevel fast multi-pole method (MLFMM).

29 Spatiotemporal Change Detection and Analysis in Remote Sensing imagery

Raunak Sarbajna, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University Mentor: Dr. Sujing Wang

The purpose of this study is to accurately detect spatiotemporal changes within sequential maps. Change analysis models are essential in understanding larger patterns and trends in multifaceted, time-series geographic data. Our work focuses on closed and georeferenced polygons rather than raster imagery. Thus, instead of image analysis, we are performing various set theoretic operations (union, intersection and erase) on the georeferenced data. There are two components of this analysis: calculating the percentage of change and then outlining the changed polygon. For this, we examine several different methods: (1) we find features common to either of the layers but not both, essentially performing a symmetrical difference, (2) we erase the larger of the polygons from the smaller, thus retaining only the growth, and do vice-verse for shrinking, (3) we perform simple intersection and then invert selection to get changed regions. All operations are performed using the ArcGIS/ArcPy toolkit. Our sample data for this process were shapefiles of drought intensity and impact from the North American Drought Portal.

30 A Comparative Analysis of Parallel Louvain Algorithms for Community Detection

Naw Safrin Sattar, Department of Computer Science, University of New Orleans Mentor: Dr. Shaikh Arifuzzaman

Community detection is of great importance in graph mining. This computationally difficult task can be solved most efficiently with Louvain Algorithm. Considering large networks, parallel algorithms are necessary in high performance computing platforms. Although there are several sharedmemory based parallel algorithms for Louvain method, those do not scale to a large number of cores and large networks. The existing only distributed-memory parallel implementation of Louvain algorithm has shown scalability to only 16 processors. Our shared-memory based algorithm using Open Multi-Processing (OpenMP) shows 4x speedup but is limited to the physical cores available to system. Our Message Passing Interface (MPI) based distributed-memory parallel algorithm demonstrates scalability to a moderate number of processors. We have also implemented a combination of both shared and distributed memory based Hybrid Louvain Algorithm. Our Hybrid Algorithm strikes a balance between both systems. We present a comparative analysis of these three parallel Louvain Algorithms for several real-world networks.

31 Past, Present, and Future Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Literature Review

Geth Simmons, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-authors: Isaiah Robinson and Omotosho Ameen

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common form of dementia that accounts for 60 to 80 percent of all dementia cases. Symptoms of AD are memory loss and a decline in cognitive function. These symptoms occur in the elderly population and steadily progress over time, eventually leading to the death of those suffering from AD. Although there is no cure for this disease, we will discuss the past, present, and future for the treatment of AD. The most important discovery about the pathology and treatment of AD was when evidence was found that suggested acetylcholine was a neurotransmitter important for memory and thus the creation of drugs to supplement this mechanism. While this is a significant find for those involved with AD, it is still only a symptomatic approach and does not reverse the effects or cure the disease itself. In this study we will gather valuable information from past, present, and future treatments of Alzheimer’s for a better understanding of how we should treat the disease mechanisms and not just the symptoms. In doing so, our goal is to create a new strategy which will help us become more efficient in the treatment of AD and potentially save or enhance the lives of those affected.

32

Radar Cross Section Prediction Using Methods Based on Physical Optics Manthan Shah, Department of Electrical Engineering, Lamar University

Mentor: Dr. Cagatay Tokgoz Radar cross section (RCS) prediction is one of the research areas in computational electromagnetics. It is important to predict RCS of metallic objects accurately to be able to reduce their detectability by radar systems, and to avoid costly and hard-to-conduct measurements. There are various methods in computational electromagnetics including full-wave methods, asymptotic techniques and hybrid approaches that can be used to analyze this problem. However, most of these methods are not sufficiently efficient to analyze RCS of electrically large objects of arbitrary shape. In this research work, a code has been developed based on the application of physical optics (PO) and physical theory of diffraction (PTD) to RCS problems. The major advantage of the code is the fact that it could easily be applied to triangulated mesh surfaces pertaining to electrically large objects of arbitrary shape. Numerical results computed using the code will be presented in comparison with those generated by a full-wave method for validation.

33

Cool Rocks; an Apatite (U/Th)/He Study of the Trans-Hudson Orogen's Phanerozoic Thermal History Haley Snyder-May, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Lamar University and University of Colorado Boulder

Mentors: Dr. Colin Sturrock and Dr. Rebecca Flowers The Trans-Hudson Orogen (THO) in Canada is the most extensively preserved Proterozoic orogenic belt on earth, but much of its post-1.7 Ga history after it became part of the larger Canadian shield remains unknown. Understanding this cryptic history will shed insight into tectonic and geodynamic effects in continental interiors far from plate boundaries. We place important new constraints on the post-orogenic erosional and burial history of the THO using apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe) thermochronology. Single-grain AHe dates from 6 samples in the THO and western Superior Province range from 165.10

22.91 to 657.74 58.76 Ma. When viewed along a northeast trending 730 km transect, sample locations exhibit an

increase in mean AHe date to the northeast from 378.98 158.09 to 513.31 44.02, then a slight decrease to 438.86 25.63 Ma. These data imply cooling, likely via exhumation, from Cambrian through Silurian time in most of the eastern THO. Date-eU patterns suggest that easternmost samples did not experience slow cooling or partial resetting, while increased date dispersion and younger dates in western samples leave open the possibility of a later reheating event at these locations. Future thermal modeling work will utilize other thermochronologic data and geologic constraints from nearby basins to further constrain the THO's Phanerozoic thermal history and will contribute to deciphering the broader history and causes of Canadian Shield burial and erosion during the Phanerozoic.

34 Potential Biomarkers for Early Detection of Parkinson's Disease

Nina Tran, Department of Biology, Lamar University Co-Authors: Emily Pham, Khang Tong, and Ashley Tran

Mentor: Dr. Maryam Vasefi Biomarkers are diagnostic indicators used in earlier detection of multiple diseases including Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting the central nervous system due to the deficiency of dopamine in substantia nigra. Common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are slow and imprecise movement, muscle tremors, and rigidity usually affecting those in their mid-60’s. Parkinson’s disease affects approximately 10 million of our world’s population and typically 1.5 times more likely to impact men than women. Biochemical, clinical, imaging, and possibly genetic biomarkers have been used in combination to diagnose various stages and progression of Parkinson’s disease. As of late, by the time those with Parkinson’s disease are diagnosed, the damage is irreversible due to the delayed expression of symptoms. Currently, there is no single, unique biomarker for detecting Parkinson’s disease. Recent studies leading to a possible biomarker include examinations of micro RNA, alphasynuclein, and orexin and its relation to REM behavior disorders (RBD). The challenge of this research is to uncover underlying molecular mechanisms leading to new potential candidate biomarkers in detecting Parkinson’s disease. The goal of this study is to learn more about biomarkers for early detection of Parkinson’s disease or reveal undiscovered biomarkers. A better understanding of the fundamentals of Parkinson’s disease could present a possible cure or prevention.

35 Pixel level rice panicles segmentation based on deep learning and morphological image processing

Ruobing Zhao, Department of Computer Science, Lamar University Co-authors: Zanbo Zhu and Jianyuan Ni

Mentor: Dr. Jing Zhang The study of rice panicles is important as the panicles directly determine grain yield. Rice panicles segmentation is the first step for assessments of rice panicle phenotypes. We proposed a pixel level method for panicles segmentation which is based on deep learning, image augmentation and morphological image processing. To build and test the model, 48 images are selected. For these 48 images, 35 images are randomly selected for training, 7 images are randomly selected for validation and the rest 6 images are used for testing. Three indicators, including Precision, Recall and F-measure are applied to evaluate the segmentation results. The average segmentation results for the 6 testing images are 0.77, 0.71, and 73.8%, respectively. This method of rice panicle segmentation creates a new opportunity for rice study such as rice breeding estimation and environmental responses understanding.

36

Road Scene Image Segmentation and Utility Pole Angle Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks Zanbo Zhu, Department of Computer Science

Mentor: Dr. Jing Zhang

For the purpose of detecting dangerous tilted utility poles on road, we trained a convolutional neural network to do road scene image segmentation. The training dataset consists of 367 training images and 233 testing images with 4 labels including sky, road, pole and tree. Then we can use the network to test our own images collected with drones. With the objects in the image clearly segmented, we can then calculate the angle of the poles to see if they’re at risk of falling down. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have recently gained attention in image processing research area as image data collection systems. We used DJI Phantom 4 UAV to collect road scene images in different weathers (sunny and cloudy scenes). We then use these images to test on our pre-trained segmentation network. As the results show, we can successfully detect dangerous poles with large tilting angle. This is useful for prevention of road traffic accident caused by falling poles, especially in the areas often affected by hurricanes. The performance of the convolutional neural network for image segmentation plays an important part in this angle detection method, and there’s still room for improvement of the network’s accuracy in the future.

Notes