Over the years, molecular simulations have evolved immensely. Density Functional Theory is one of these methods of molecular simulations, and while it is highly accurate, it is very expensive. In our research, we look for more efficient simulations. Can we use graph theory to model graphene? We compare our graph theory model to experimental data to access the accuracy.
This research project will study electric regeneration's effect on battery life, total run time, and number of times the battery is able to be recharged in electric bicycles. Other factors that will be examined include the stress that electrical braking takes off of the friction brakes and the difference between electric braking with a throttle and electric braking with a switch.
While MediCal was created to benefit low-income residents in California, it has also succeeded in creating new inconveniences and injustices for its recipients. Many doctors do not accept MediCal insurance due to its low reimbursement rates for the doctors, causing access issues for recipients. While there are many great nonprofit health clinics, people may not be aware of this option and will resort to using emergency rooms as their primary source of healthcare or neglecting treatment altogether. My project focused on bringing awareness to the option of nonprofit health care, and which form of media achieved this most effectively. Through a survey given to the general public, I presented several forms of media which convey information about the topic, in order to determine which type of outreach was the most effective. I also determined a correlation between the chosen form of media and personal relationships that participants had to the form of insurance.
Emotional memory is consolidated and recalled much more efficiently than non-emotional memory, leading to clear and vivid recollections. However, different emotions release different chemical signals in the brain, leading to a difference in the efficiency of recalling the memory. Finding the emotion that help high school students remember information best can be further utilized in creating techniques for memorization which could ultimately aid those with memory disorders. My project aims to do this through an experiment which tests the emotions fear, happiness, and sadness and their affect on memory through memory tests.
The problem this project seeks to address is the lack of knowledge on the catalyst to thin film drainage over a curved surface. In certain instances, the drainage of the liquid is interrupted by a unique distribution of surface tension. These flows are called marangoni flows. Surface tension is a measurement of how much a liquid likes to stay in contact with itself. The driving force behind marangoni flows caused by either evaporation and gravity, or evaporation and liquid composition (Fanton & Cazaba, 1997). It is unknown which combination of forces is dominant over the other. Research backing the phenomena that takes place as film drains in marangoni flows is already limited. By adding to the pool of evidence behind film drainage in marangoni flows, a better understanding of how tear film on the human eye drains, would allow doctors to better accommodate contact wearers.
We use the computational chemistry software Quantum Espresso to analyze the effects of doping vertical homonuclear and heteronuclear combinations of cobalt, nickel, and iron in graphene. Our goal is to expand on existing research in the growing field and hopefully affirm past research. We have yet to focus our application--we may focus on topics ranging from anything like water filtration to spintronic applications.
The achievement gap seems impacts more than just academics; for example, extracurricular activities are not accessible to everyone. I will be researching whether there is a disparity between various socioeconomic classes and their participation in club sports. My plan is to develop a scholarship program through the Stanford Soccer Club. I will use the application process to gather research data by including a series of questions on why applicants need the scholarship. This way, I can both gather data and offer support through implementation of the scholarship itself.
I researched the effect of plastic straws as waste in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as well as the effects on human health. Additionally, I studied what has already been done to combat the issue of plastic straw waste by investigating the ban in Seattle and previous environmental policies that have been implemented in Palo Alto. I then held a focus group to assess the best next steps and with this information. I plan on promoting awareness and starting conversation about plastic consumption.
Follicular lymphoma is the most common form of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a disease that takes the lives of thousands each year. It is often treated with a combination of drugs tailored to be the most suitable for each individual patient, but there are dozens of single agents and treatment regimens that makes it confusing for the patient. This project attempts to resolve some confusion by focusing on single agents that are the most effective in killing lymphocytic cells. In order to do this, a lab was set up to test the effects of three front-line single agents: cyclophosphamide, bendamustine, and fludarabine, on lymphocytic cell lines to see which single agent killed the largest amount of cells.
As the need for efficient and safe pharmaceutical protein production grows with the population and number of therapeutics discoveries, the need to develop a more suitable, scalable host for protein production proves vital. The bacterial species Bacillus subtilis has substantial potential to serve as an efficient protein production host. However, transforming B. subtilis with foreign DNA is notoriously difficult compared to transforming E. coli, due to properties like its thick cell wall and innate genetic defense system. Rolling circle amplification, thus, (RCA) presents a novel approach for generating multimers—multiple plasmids (i.e. bacterial DNA) linked together such that Bacillus subtilis can be transformed with greater efficacy. This project will study the viability of DNA multimers amplified through RCA in heightening the efficiency of transforming Bacillus subtilis.
