Student Presenters & Abstracts

From basic commercial systems to the research field, vacuum technology and engineering are an essential element of scientific development. For high-precision applications, such as those being applied in the nuclear physics research at Montclair State University, the level of vacuum required is in the high to ultra-high vacuum range, which has pressure values of between 10-3 to 10-5 Pa. In recent years, there has been a migration to so-called “dry” pumping systems, which reduces the risk of oil contamination. However, these dry vacuum systems have the trade-off of producing dust contamination at the pump. If the power switches off and an appropriate isolation valve between the pump and vacuum chamber is not closed, then dust can be sucked back into the vacuum chamber. The primary objection of my research is to mitigate this issue in the case of power failure with an appropriate device using a latching-relay based system. The device is designed so that the isolation valve remains closed even after the power comes back on, and that user intervention is required to reopen the isolation valve only after the experimental environment and pump has reached stability again. We packaged this entire mechanism in a small enclosure that not only prevents any misuse but provides a compact form factor for proper integration into the lab environment. The device has been put through several bench tests.

With all the outbreak of viruses, it is becoming increasingly important to have contact tracing and infection tracing methods. For example, acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has spread across many nations, sending billions of people into lockdown. Due to the nature of contact tracing, there is a public concern on privacy issues that has been a bottleneck to existing solutions. The problem that we are facing is Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing for COVID-19. There are several different solutions that have been proposed over the past few years. For this research, our goal is to find a more effective and secure solution for contact tracing. The key to a privacy-preserving contact tracing system is to protect the location information of not only the patient /user but also along with the ability to check for proximity. In order to achieve these goals, we utilized a homomorphic encryption technique in a discrete grid system to develop a new and secure proximity computation method. We have proposed two different proposed solutions, which are homomorphic based encryption and Grid based solution. Our first solution is more secure but less efficient than the second solution; thereby providing a trade-off to suit different application requirements.

We live in a world full of technology, where a large amount of the population has access to electronic devices, increasing by the day. Most children use such devices for entertainment purposes but due to the broad knowledge containment, they have access to content that may be inappropriate for their age. To address this situation, parental controls can be placed on their devices. Parental controls are software services that allow people to monitor and restrict what another person does online. In this project, the differences and effectiveness of various parental control software systems are investigated. While parental control applications have included a variety of online interactions (such as web browsing, social network activity, etc.) the project focused on controls for video streaming service applications (such as YouTube, Netflix, Prime video and Disney +). The controls were evaluated from two points of view. First, the technology behind the controls and their ease of use were studied. Next, the user’s perception of such controls and their effectiveness was investigated. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is an active area within Computer Science. How easy it is to use features in an interface has significant implications on the success of deploying a new tool. The study seeks to understand both the user’s perception on available parental control technology as well as the ease of use of such technology. By doing so the study contributes to HCI and can inform future parental control interface design.

Trifluoromethyl compounds are widely used in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. As a result, the synthesis of these compounds has become of interest in recent research. In a recent work, Ye and Sanford proposed a mechanism for the trifluoromethylation of boronic acids using both photocatalysis and copper catalysis. The goal of this study is to use computational methods in order to gain a more detailed understanding of the mechanism proposed by Ye and Sanford. Computational chemistry can determine whether the proposed mechanism is thermodynamically reasonable through calculations of the transition state energy barriers. Further analysis on the effects of using various different reactant functional groups can also be performed. Understanding the true nature of this reaction mechanism can be beneficial to the ongoing optimization of the synthesis of trifluoromethyl substituents.

Antibiotic-resistance is one of the major causes of the spread of bacterial infections. Generally, there are two ways that bacteria can develop resistance. One is by having undergone a mutation that is beneficial in that it allows them to survive in the presence of antibiotics and the other is by being equipped with a plasmid that contains an antibiotic-resistant gene. Plasmids are circular pieces of DNA that replicate independently of the genetic material found in bacterial cells. The ability to easily engineer them has made them popular vectors that aid bacteria in surviving harsh environmental conditions, such as exposure to antibiotics that halt the bacterial growth cycle and, thus, prevent them from multiplying. In this study, HB101 competent cells were exposed to the bacteriostatic antibiotic Ampicillin over five consecutive generations with the goal of checking plasmid retention for each generation. Cells were transformed with either PGreen or PGLO plasmids. Both plasmids contain the GFP gene and the Ampicillin-resistance gene and this co-expression was exploited to mark the presence of plasmids in competent cells by measuring the fluorescence in each bacterial generation. The fifth-generation bacteria were plated in LB media with and without Ampicillin and the plates were placed under UV light to determine if the genes in the plasmid were expressed by the bacteria. From the data, we have evidence that there is no clear pattern of plasmid retention over generations among the bacterial samples grown in the presence and in the absence of Ampicillin. Even though some of the samples show a gradual decline in plasmid gene expression over generations, there are outliers that tell a different story. They exhibit a mixture of declines and spikes in gene expression among generations. We suspect that these results can be explained by a combination of several factors including the disruption of promoters in the plasmids, the inhibition of factors that guide the RNA polymerase to the transcription site, the incorporation of the Ampicillin resistance gene in the bacterial genome, and even increased levels of GFP toxicity in the cell.

The next generation of gravitational-wave detectors would be very sensitive to wide-open the window to the Universe’s farthest edge, and let us get a glimpse on the formation of the earliest black holes, and of the Universe itself. Faraday isolators are devices that directly help improve the sensitivity of the gravitational-wave detectors, by protecting them from scatter light that would build noise in the detectors. At the core of Faraday isolators are magneto-optical materials, which rotate the polarization of light when they are immerse in a magnetic field along the beam propagation. One of the very promising materials in the wavelength range of interest of 1-2.4 microns is Bismuth-substituted Yttrium Iron Garnet (BiYIG), which shows extremely high effectiveness of producing Faraday rotation, high transparency around 2 microns wavelength, and good beam quality when magnetically saturated.

When exposed to inhospitable environmental conditions, such as UV radiation, extreme temperatures, and chemical damage certain bacteria will initiate sporulation processes to form endospores as a self-preservation mechanism. Endospores are the dormant form of vegetative cells with a hardy proteinaceous coat that enables survival in harsh environments, until optimal conditions allow for germination. These highly resistant spores pose significant threats in the form of HAI (Hospital-Acquired Infections) such as meningitis, gastroenteritis, food poisoning, and contamination. Our research investigates three such spore-forming, rod-shaped Gram-positive bacteria; Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, and Bacillus subtilis. Previous studies have highlighted that modified EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a polyphenol found in green tea leaves from Camellia sinesis, has antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and now sporicidal properties. EGCG is reported to inhibit the germination of spores from vegetative cells and is believed to be synergistic with antibiotics against bacterial growth, increasing susceptibility. In this study, EGCG-S and P-EGCG containing formulations were used to evaluate their effects on these bacterial vegetative cells and their spores. Vegetative cells were exposed to six various antibiotics alone or in combination with EGCG-S to determine the synergistic effects. The findings suggest that EGCG-S increases some antibiotic activity and improves Bacillus.spp vegetative cell susceptibility. Time course studies on both cells and spores were conducted using two formulations, CF1 and CF2. The results indicated that both formulations can inhibit vegetative cells ranging from 97% to 99% and spores ranging from 74% to 90%. The findings suggest that CF1 and CF2 are promising anti-bacterial and anti-spore agents.

Prosthetic joint implantations have reformed orthopedic medicine and have made it possible for people to regain their physical function. Unfortunately, these implantations are susceptible to post-surgical complications due to bacterial infections. Staphylococcus epidermidis can adhere to the prosthesis and form biofilms thus making it more antibiotic-resistant. The modified green tea polyphenols, Epigallocatechin-3-gallate-stearate (EGCG-S) and palmitoyl-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (P-EGCG) have shown antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, and can enhance antibiotics activities. In this study, the inhibitory effects of EGCG-S and P-EGCG with or without two generally used antibiotics (Bacitracin or Polymyxin B) on Staphylococcus epidermidis were investigated. Colony-forming unit (CFU) assay was used to determine the viability and percent of inhibition. The results indicated that EGCG-S and P-EGCG inhibit 52% and 71% of bacteria, respectively. Time course study was performed using P-EGCG containing formulations CF1 and CF2 to determine the efficacy of the formulations. The results were very promising with a percentage of inhibition up to near 100%. Congo Red assays were used to qualitatively analyze the effect of tea polyphenols on biofilm and the results suggest that P-EGCG, EGCG-S, and all other combination studies can prevent biofilm formation. Crystal Violet assay was done to quantitatively analyze the effects of the polyphenols and antibiotics with a percent inhibition for all treatments ranging from 26% to 98.5%. This study showed that EGCG-S and P-EGCG when used in combination with Bacitracin or Polymyxin B, resulted in the best antibacterial effect and could be used as a treatment against bacteria that cause joint infections. Formulated CF1 and CF2 are promising antimicrobial agents for future commercialization.

In medical microbiology there are constant challenges that are being faced. One of these challenges revolves around prosthetic joint bacterial infections. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a predominant microorganism that is responsible for biofilm formation on the prosthetic joint and has the ability to become antibiotic resistant. An alternative to combat the antibiotic resistance of S. aureus is through polyphenols extracted from the leaves of Camellia sinensis plant. These polyphenols have been reported to have notable anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant polyphenol in this plant that is responsible for the cellular benefits and inhibitory properties of intrusive microorganisms. Modified versions, epigallocatechin-3-gallate-stearate (EGCG-S) and palmitoyl-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (P-EGCG) have shown to be more stable and effective on inhibition of microorganisms. In this study, common antibiotics used to treat S. aureus (Polymyxin B and Bacitracin) for joint infection were tested alone or in combination with the modified polyphenols to compare the efficacy of different treatments. These various tests include a colony-forming unit assay (CFU) and time course studies using P-EGCG containing CF1 and CF2 formulations to test bacterial viability. Congo Red qualitative biofilm assay and Crystal Violet quantitative biofilm assays were carried out to test biofilm formation and percent inhibition. The results indicated that EGCG-S and P-EGCG enhance the antibiotics treatment; CF1 and CF2 can efficiently inhibit the growth of cells to near 100% in 30 seconds. Congo Red and Crystal Violet assays indicated treatments preventing biofilm formation. The studies concluded that EGCG-S and P-EGCG have a promising inhibitory effect on the growth of S. aureus. CF1 and CF2 are promising anti S. aureus agents.

Elucidation of glycans, or oligosaccharides, is a rapidly evolving field of research that seeks extraordinary potential to serve as early biomarkers for diseases involving or including cancer metastases, autoimmune diseases, pathogen-host interactions, inherited diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease, among others. Much attention in recent decades have therefore shifted heavily towards the accurate characterization, discrimination, and highly-sensitive detection of glycans via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). To aid in this endeavor, glycans can be derivatized with reagents that are strategically synthesized with functional groups that significantly improve their analysis. Herein, four different reagents were synthesized with (1) an amino group for covalent attachments at the reducing termini of glycans, (2) a free radical precursor for the induction of systematic, predictable, and efficient fragmentations for glycan characterization and discrimination, and (3) a fluorophore base that allows for highly-sensitive fluorescence-based detection. The capabilities of each reagent were analyzed and compared in terms of their (a) glycan fragmentation quality via mass spectrometry, (b) methylation turnover for fixed charge development to aid in mass spectrometric analysis, (c) glycan coupling efficiency, and (d) detection sensitivity via fluorescence.

In our effort to set up a laboratory for undergraduate students with the tentative title ”Studying enzymatic activity of Carbonic Anhydrase (CA)”, we successfully determined CA activity and demonstrated its inhibition by acetazolamide, a potent CA inhibitor, using the electrometric Wilbur-Anderson assay (WAA).

WAA hinges upon determining the time T (in seconds) required for 4 mL of saturated with carbon dioxide (CO2) water to lower pH from 8.3 to 6.3 of the mixture when added to 6 mL of 0.02M Tris buffer at 0°C without (T0) and with enzyme (TE). Activity (A) is defined as A = 2*(T0/TE-1) assay units (AU). In n = 16 blank trials, T0 = 75.0±10.7s (Mean±Standard deviation), and with 0.001mg of CA in n = 12 trials, TE = 50.2±8.1s, A = 0.99±0.66 AU (p < 0.001). When for a test we used EDTA, a carboxylic high-affinity metal ion chelator, to inactivate this Zn2+-containing enzyme, we unexpectedly encountered that in the presence of the sodium salt of EDTA (Na2EDTA): 1) T was significantly slowed in a concentration-dependent manner: for 5µM, 50µM, and 500µM, T was 84.3±7.9s (n = 10, p < 0.05), 108.5±.6s (n = 7, p < 0.001), and 130.8±22.7s (n = 10, p < 0.001), respectively; and 2) unexpectedly, in the context of the previous finding, Na2EDTA significantly enhanced CA activity (TE = 38.5±4.0s, A = 1.84 AU, n = 10, p < 0.001) in the presence of 5µM Na2EDTA that was abrogated by 10µM Acetazolamide, a potent CA inhibitor (T =138.3±10.4s, n = 7, p < 0.001). TPEN, a pyridinic metal ion chelator, significantly slowed T0 (99.5±15.9s, n = 4) similar to Na2EDTA, and significantly enhance CA activity (TE = 41.1±3.8, n = 4, p < 0.05) with equal potency.

This indicates that principally chemically different metal ion chelators EDTA and TPEN interfere with the determination of CA activity in the context of WAA.

To date, students at Montclair State University have isolated 217 phage using Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Arthrobacter sp. as hosts. Of these 217 phage, 22 have been sequenced and 17 have been deposited in GenBank (with two currently in review). During the spring of 2022, MSU students are working to annotate the genomes of three novel Arthrobacter phage: BenitoAntonio, Hankly, and Inked. BenitoAntonio is a cluster AM phage with approximately 98 coding genes, Hankly is a cluster AM phage with approximately 102 coding genes, and Inked is a cluster AU phage with approximately 91 coding genes. Pairwise alignments between genomes shows a 51% identity between BenitoAntonio and Inked, a 49.7% identity between Hankly and Inked, and an 85.7% identity between BenitoAntonio and Hankly. The results of the pairwise alignments are not surprising given BenitoAntonio and Hankly are both in cluster AM and Inked is in cluster AU. Work on these annotations is ongoing and the students at MSU anticipate their annotations to be complete by May 1, 2022.

We investigate the dynamics of inertial and non-inertial particles in a double-gyre flow model. The underlying structure of the flow field is determined by the Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) which are found by computing finite-time Lyapunov exponents (FTLE). Maximal FTLE ridges correspond to repelling coherent structures in forward time or to attracting coherent structures in backwards time. The behavior of massless non-inertial particles are investigated using the fluid velocity fields from the double-gyre model. For inertial particles with finite size and mass, we use the Maxey-Riley equation to describe the particle’s motion. Within this framework, we explore the preferential aggregation of inertial particles for varying Stokes numbers and density ratios. We show that inertial particles which are heavier than non-inertial passive tracer particles aggregate toward the maximal FTLE ridges, while inertial particles which are lighter than non-inertial passive tracer particles are repelled from the maximal FTLE ridges and instead form clusters in the center of the gyres.

Rising sea water poses a serious threat for many coastal environments. The gradual increase of saltwater moving into coastal soils can negatively impact soil function, leading to reduced seed germination and plant health. Cheesequake State Park, a coastal park located near Raritan Bay in Matawan, NJ, has seen a salt concentration increase within its cedar swamp area since 2012 and further increases in salinity are expected. Previous research at Montclair State University has examined the impact of artificial root exudates on metal contaminated soil. Root exudates are compounds released by plants into soil; they nourish microorganisms and promote healthy soil function. It has been shown that artificial root exudates can revitalize metal contaminated soils, there is no research on how they may influence saline soils. The goal of this experiment is to determine how two factors (salinity and root exudates) can impact soil function, and if artificial root exudates can offset the negative consequences of increasing soil salinity. Soil collected from Cheesequake State Park will be treated with specific artificial root exudate and various salt solutions. An experimental matrix will be constructed in which salt and exudate concentrations will be given to each pot depends on where it fits. This 4×4 matrix will have three salt/exudate concentrations and one Milli-Q control: increasing salt concentration moving right and increasing exudate concentrations moving phosphatase activity, soil salinity, pH, and moisture will be measured in each pot. The results will provide a greater understanding of how salt influx can impact soil, whether the addition of artificial root exudates can offset the negative effects of salinity, and whether there is a ‘threshold’ salinity level for cedar trees to survive. The results of this experiment will help ecologists to protect coastal plant species from rising sea water.

Auxin (indole acetic acid) is a phytohormone with a conserved history going back ~470,000,000 years to the first simple, terrestrial plants, the bryophytes. Auxin is stored in plants conjugated to other molecules such as amino acids and sugars. These inactive auxin conjugates are accumulated in plants and hydrolyzed to recover phytohormone action. The orthologues have been conserved to help regulate auxin homeostatic levels during growth and development. Recent research demonstrated that this hydrolase family could be evolutionarily traced back to liverwort, the most ancient extant land plant lineage. Liverwort’s auxin hydrolase has little activity against auxin conjugate substrates and does not appear to actively regulate auxin. Because of the low concentrations of auxin in liverwort tissue and the lack of hydrolase activity, it was hypothesized that the Marchantia polymorpha enzyme (MpILR) may not be physiologically required by liverwort for auxin regulation. It may be that background degradation of auxin conjugates is sufficient to provide enough phytohormone for the plant to grow normally. In order to test this hypothesis, we have designed a CRISPR-Cas9 expression construct targeted at MpILR mRNA. We have transformed this construct into Agrobacterium tumefaciens. We are presently transforming liverwort tissue with the A. tumefaciens in an attempt to knock-out the MpILR gene activity. Our goal is to test liverwort transformants against untransformed plants to determine if their free auxins and conjugated auxins have altered.

Effects of amines on carbon dioxide (CO2) escape from water to the atmosphere

The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere is at the highest level recorded in history, with a peak of 0.042% at Mauna Loa observatory. These concentrations continue to increase with the historically highest rate due to anthropogenic industrial activity. This atmospheric CO2 is the cause of acid rain that has a pH of 5.6. The atmospheric CO2 equilibrates with aqueous CO2 in open reservoirs of water such as oceans and lakes, this leading to the acidification of these waters. Studying the exchange of CO2 between water and air is important for developing carbon offset systems through CO2 capture and sequestration. Therefore, we set up a system that electrochemically monitors the escape of CO2 from water to the atmosphere. The set-up consists of a data logging pH meter, a magnetic stirring plate, and a 50mL beaker of 3.9mm internal diameter. When the pH electrode (1.2mm external diameter) is placed in 50mL of solution in the beaker, the exposed to the atmosphere aqueous area is p*(3.9 ± 0.05)2 mm2 – p*(1.2 ± 0.05)2 mm2 = 43 ± 3 mm2 ~ 4.3*10-5 m2.

To obtain the control measurements of the rate with which CO2 escapes from pure water at room temperature and atmospheric pressure; 50mL of the saturated with CO2 water was added to the beaker, the pH electrode was placed in the water, and data logging was initiated with the 2 minute resolution. The initial pH was 3.94 ± 0.06 (n = 4), and the dependence of pH on time was linear for about 150 minutes with the slope of 0.0126 ± 0.0004 pH units/min followed by a plateau that leveled at pH = 6.8 ± 0.2.

In the presence of 1 mM of NH4Cl, the initial pH was 3.78 ± 0.04 (n = 7), the rate of the pH increase significantly decreased to 0.0069 ± 0.0004 as compared to the control, and pH plateaued at 5.5 ±0.1.

In the presence of 1mM of Glycine, the initial pH was 3.88 ± 0.04 (n = 6), the rate of the pH increase significantly decreased to 0.0061 ± 0.0003 as compared to the control, and pH plateaued at 4.67 ±0.04.

In the presence of 50µM of Na2EDTA, the initial pH was 3.97 ± 0.02 (n = 6), the rate of the pH increase significantly decreased to 0.0069 ± 0.0003 as compared to the control, and pH plateaued at 6.43 ±0.02.

We conclude that the amino groups slow down the rate at which CO2 escapes from saturated with 100% CO2 water solution to the atmosphere (~0.042% of CO2).

Ponds across a landscape often house unique species, resulting in high species diversity at broad landscape levels. However, biotic homogenization due to flooding can make each pond compositionally similar and reduce the number of species supported at broader landscape scales. The focus of this project is to understand if flooding events alter the long-term taxonomic diversity of zooplankton communities in ponds by homogenizing the egg banks in soils. Homogenized egg banks across a broad landscape could result in reduced species diversity at broad landscape scales for many years, potentially negatively affecting water quality. To investigate these processes, we collected data at Walker Avenue Wetlands, which is an important freshwater wetland in Wayne, NJ. The site consists of one main wetland body and twenty small satellite ponds along the Pompton River. The satellite ponds and wetland are environmentally heterogeneous with highly variable concentrations of important nutrients. Additionally, each pond contained unique zooplankton communities in August, 2021. However, intense storm events in late 2021 caused the Pompton River to overflow and flood the main wetland and satellite ponds. These flooding events have resulted in high rates of sedimentation, which washed in resting eggs of zooplankton taxa, potentially resulting in long-term biotic homogenization of the zooplankton community. Egg banks of most zooplankton species are viable for many years, even if they are in extreme heat or dry conditions. Therefore, homogenized egg banks across the entire wetland complex might result in reduced species turnover among each unique satellite pond, and reduced species diversity in the wetland. In order to understand if the zooplankton egg banks were homogenized by flooding, soil samples were collected from each of the 20 ponds, the main wetland, and the Pompton River (23 sites) at Walker Avenue Wetlands. Additionally, water samples were collected to understand abiotic heterogeneity at each of the 23 sites. We allowed the resting eggs to hatch by adding low-nutrient water to each soil sample. We then quantified the zooplankton taxa from each soil sample, along with the chemistry from each pond. Those data will then be co5mpared to samples from the summer of 2021 to understand how biotic and abiotic homogenization has altered the pond communities following intense flooding events.

Over the years students have been struggling with completing assessments under a specified time. Many students find it difficult to answer assessment questions correctly due to time constraints. Students are put under pressure to quickly recall information that they may not have even retained or understand. Timed math assessments have been popular for years in the United States and with state Common Core Standards pushing for timed tests, teachers are left with no option but to “teach to the test”.

With this research project, we hope to shine some light on the effects of time assessments on individual student development, students’ emotional health, and student learning. For the project, we collected data from one a middle school mathematics classroom in New Jersey. Using surveys, and timed versus. untimed tests, we compared how well different groups of students did on assessments based on overall numerical scores. We also share more qualitative reactions and insights from students regarding timed assessments. This research can help parents and teachers understand the problems students are facing with timed assessments and the anxiety that time constraints can build into students’ math experiences.

DNA photolyases are enzymes that use blue light to repair DNA that is damaged by UV light. Class I photolyases bind two cofactors – flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate polyglutamate (MTHF) – which are important for catalytic and light-harvesting activity, respectively. In our hypothesis, we propose that MTHF provides photoprotection to FAD from photodamage under continuous light-induced stress. After excitation with light to a singlet excited state, flavin molecules can form triplet states from which they can undergo electron transfer and other chemical reactions that can potentially result in photodegradation. The goals of our research include the determination of the possible interactions between MTHF and FAD in solution and the potential involvement of the FAD triplet state in these interactions. To test our hypothesis, we have done long time-scale absorption experiments in solution to investigate whether there is an effect of MTHF on the rate of flavin degradation. The results indicate that the presence of MTHF influences the rate of degradation of oxidized FAD at low concentrations. Additional kinetic photodegradation studies with potassium bromide – a singlet excited state quencher – show that FAD stability is improved by the presence of Br^– Furthermore, purging the FAD solution to remove O₂, a triplet state quencher, accelerates the FAD photodegradation. Our current results support the hypothesis that MTHF may provide photoprotection to FAD in solution and, possibly, in DNA photolyase, and that the triplet states may play a role in the photodegradation of FAD and that deactivation of the FAD triplet state provides photoprotection. Observation of a signal at 632.8 nm during steady-state irradiation suggests the possible formation of a neutral flavin radical. Experimental approaches by mass spectrometry will be taken to determine the photoproducts of FAD and MTHF formed during steady-state irradiation. These experiments will expand our understanding of a possible photoprotective interaction mechanism between MTHF and FAD.

When contaminated areas remain unvegetated, also known as industrial barrens, they cannot provide ecosystem services. Industrial barrens may be non-point pollution sources in severe rain and storm events. Since there are no plant roots to maintain soil structure and trap contaminants, high contamination and low soil nutrients limit plant and soil microbial growth at such sites. A preliminary analysis of the soils from our study site, a brownfield within Liberty State Park (LSP), Jersey City, New Jersey, has shown high peroxidase activity and high metal concentrations in the barren soil. We hypothesized that vegetated soils would display high ligninase activity due to lignin-degrading bacteria and fungi, while barren soils may not. That said, ligninase activities have been reported in soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and studied to assess the degradation of these contaminants. We optimized the enzyme and substrate concentrations to detect ligninase activities in the LSP soils from previously developed kinetic spectroscopy enzyme catalysis protocols. To change the concentration of enzyme molecules, we varied the soil quantity while preparing the soil slurry. We found that 0.1 g soil in a 50 mL buffer solution gave the optimal enzyme concentration to determine phenol oxidase and manganese peroxidase activities in LSP soils. Then, by varying the substrate – 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethyl benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) – concentration, we narrowed it down to that substrate concentration at which half the active sites on the enzyme molecules get filled, confirming the occurrence of significant catalytic activity. Remediation enzymes such as peroxidase and phenol oxidase degrade soil contaminants to nourish the unique contaminant-tolerant soil microbiota. Thus, contaminated soils exhibiting ligninase activities provide a measure of soil quality that can help design bioremediation strategies to restore brownfield soils.

The PETM (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum) is a rapid global warming event that occurred 55.9 Ma (Westerhold et al. 2018) and is notable as the most analogous hyperthermal event to the contemporary climate crisis. While the PETM is well documented, the smaller rapid warming event prior to the PETM, known as the POE (Pre-Onset Excursion) remains poorly documented and understood. Many of the sites studied previously are from deep sea locations, where dissolution, bioturbation and sediment mixing can impact the fidelity of the records. In this study we reconstruct paleoclimate conditions from the eastern Tethys, the precursor to the modern day Mediterranean, a unique site that has not been studied previously. This region was an important source of heat and moisture at a low latitude shallow marine basin during the PETM and the POE, and holds critical information regarding the Earth system feedbacks related to rapid warming and climate recovery. The samples recovered were analyzed for magnetic susceptibility, elemental composition, and stable isotopes. Utilizing the information gathered we have laid the groundwork for filling in a significant research gap, as we make interpretations on the oceans redox state, increased weathering of material, and injection of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These details being among many other under-reported factors related to the event such as vegetation changes, mineral formations and paleoproductivity in shallow waters.

A wide variety of waste biomass feedstocks such as wet, solid, and gaseous waste streams can be used to generate renewable energy. Biologically derived semi-solid and gaseous waste biomass such as food waste and biogas can produce dispatchable energy such as heat, electricity, and transportation fuels. Previous studies have reported several energy conversion methods to reduce waste volume. These methods transform food waste and biogas into usable energy by the processes known as waste-to-energy (WTE). WTE-based electricity production helps reduce waste volume besides reducing energy dependence on fossil fuels that contributes to greenhouse gases (GHGs) and climate change. New Jersey (NJ) State, due to its coastal location and population density, is most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and waste generation. Using food waste and biogas for electricity production could minimize climate change risks and waste volume in NJ. However, the economic feasibility of the collection, conversion, and distribution of WTE-based electricity need to be ascertained. This study will determine the economic competitiveness of WTE technologies using the value-cost ratio of the WTE-based electricity to the electricity available on the grid. Additionally, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses will be conducted to assess the cost parameters. Moreover, the study will synthesize potential drivers and barriers that impact the provision of the recovered energy into the existing distribution system.

Oluwafemi Soetan, Huan Feng*, Jing Nie

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA

* Corresponding author: Huan Feng (Email: fengh@montclair.edu”>”>fengh@montclair.edu)

Remedial sediment dredging involves the removal of sediment, which has been widely used as a means of environmental remediation in order to reduce contaminant concentrations in aquatic systems. Several studies have reported the efficiency of sediment dredging in mitigating heavy metal pollution. However, recent studies have suggested that the long-term impacts of dredging may constitute more harm than good for the aquatic environment. While studies investigating the short-term effects of dredging have addressed the negative immediate impacts and the subsequent positive impacts over a stabilization period, only a few studies have evaluated the long-term impacts on metal concentrations and the subsequent ecological effects. Metal concentration data for sediment and water samples from the LPR were collected for the pre-dredging and post-dredging periods. The data were statistically analyzed to determine the immediate to long-term impact oN metal pollution and also measure the dredging effectiveness. The ecological and environmental status of the river is also evaluated using different indices. The seasonal variations in dredging efficiency reported in long-term studies as reflected in the water samples were further investigated. The broad goal of this study is to contribute to the existing knowledge about the reliability of sediment dredging as a sustainable and effective remedial method.

The emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in late 2019 has led to a global pandemic (COVID-19) which continues to cause enormous public health and economic challenges around the world. It is therefore important to improve our understanding of the outbreak and spread of COVID-19 as well as to investigate how one might contain or stop the spread of COVID-19 via different control measures. We consider a COVID-19 model based on an SEIR compartmental model. The model includes susceptible, vaccinated, exposed, pre-symptomatic, symptomatic infectious, asymptomatic infectious, hospitalized, recovered, and deceased compartments, each of which is sub-divided into 17 age groups. Furthermore, we incorporate contact structure which accounts for the number of contacts between individuals experience at school, work, home, and other environments. The model is parameterized based on New Jersey data, and we consider the effect of a hypothetical vaccine of varying efficacy that is introduced at the start of the epidemic outbreak in New Jersey. The results demonstrate how different control measures, including vaccine and lockdown, interact with each other and lead to different epidemic outcomes.

Conditions of a reaction can have a drastic impact on the rate of a reaction, especially on enzymes. IGPS is an enzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that catalyzes the conversion of 1-(o-carboxyphenylamino)-1-deoxyribulose 5’-phosphate (CdRP) into indole-glycerol-phosphate (IGP). To gain insight on how IGPS interacts with ligands, a variety of mutations were made to amino acid residues in IGPS. These mutants are purified through a nickel column with a His-tag using PBS buffer. The PBS buffer was replaced with Tris buffer to determine if the mutants would have a higher rate of reaction when studied through steady state kinetic experiments. It is hypothesized that PBS buffer might interact with the phosphate group in the active site of IGPS, so a variety of other buffers were tested to determine which one has the highest rate of reaction. After purification, the mutants are studied through steady state kinetic experiments to obtain Km and kcat values using [100 uM] PIPES buffer. [50 mM] Tris, [50 mM] HEPPS, and [100 mM] PIPES were tested with a variety of sodium chloride and EDTA concentrations to determine which set of conditions yield the greatest reaction rates. From these results, it can be determined if different conditions result in different catalytic activity. With these optimized conditions, our group can more efficiently study low activity mutants.

Road salt application is a primary factor leading to the salinization of freshwater rivers and streams throughout the Northeastern United States and globally. Rising salinization within fresh water bodies is problematic because it can modify community structure and detritus processing within freshwater ecosystems, induce mortality among macroinvertebrates and other aquatic life, and mobilize metals that can pose harm to human health. Road salts also threaten surface and underground drinking water supplies, kill riparian vegetation, and corrode infrastructure, such as bridges and roads. This research examines 4 ½ years of continuous water quality monitoring data collected from two sensor stations along the Paulins Kill River in Newton, New Jersey to assess the seasonal impact that road salt is having on the river. Specific conductance and depth were examined during each season. The data showed that if precipitation fell when air temperatures were above freezing, conductivity and depth exhibited an inverse relationship. The additional freshwater from rainwater diluted the concentration of ions in the river, causing conductivity measurements to decrease as the river depth rose. When precipitation occurred when air temperatures were below freezing, however, conductivity levels rose along with the river’s depth because road departments were applying road salt to Newton’s streets. This research provides important implications for winter road management by public works departments and their impacts on local rivers.

The classic N-queens problem in chess posits whether it is possible to place N number of queens on an N x N chessboard such that no queen can kill another. While this is mainly related to the realm of AI in Games, it has wider applications, e.g. in defense strategizing where potential sources of threat can be placed at locations such that they do not attack each other. It has been shown using AI that there are several ways to place N queens on a chessboard greater than size 3 x 3. After building upon existing heuristics regarding how the queens can be placed on the same board, this project finds 4 interesting solutions to the 8-Queens problem without using brute force methods. This is achieved by developing heuristics using the AI concepts of Constraint Satisfaction and Forward Checking. The solutions proposed herewith can be applicable to finding solutions on larger chess boards, indicating the extendibility of the idea. Likewise, in applications such as defense strategizing, scalability can be obtained on similar lines. Other potential applications of this work can be market competition and network routing, in scenarios where forestalling threat is important using appropriate planning.

This study investigated how problem-solving videos can be used in video-mediated professional learning to support secondary preservice mathematics teachers (PMTs) in developing teacher knowledge for noticing student thinking in the context of the derivative concept in calculus. A model of the trajectory of PMTs’ noticing was constructed as six PMTs viewed and analyzed videos of students’ problem solving. At the same time, the nature of video-mediated interactions that were found to be productive in supporting this knowledge development was examined. A design experiment was used as the research methodology. Data was collected from video recordings of eight semi-structured teaching episodes and analyzed through a grounded theory approach. Considering that the knowledge was video-mediated, developed collaboratively, and assessed in action, the study was grounded in situated and sociocultural perspectives, and the conceptual framework of professional teacher noticing guided the analysis. The constructed model that emerged from the experiment is composed of the following processes: describing, interpreting, contrasting, and responding. This model represents an approach to an ambitious professional vision that can support calculus educators in continually and iteratively improving their practice through readily accessible, video-mediated professional learning. These findings contribute to research in calculus education, with implications for the design of learning experiences for mathematics teacher preparation.

Smart grid technologies have numerous benefits like reliability, efficiency, self-monitoring that represents an unprecedented opportunity to move the energy industry into a new era of intelligent power grid system. The focus of our project is the prevention of power outage issue in a smart grid environment. Power outages occur when electricity demand exceeds supply, more specifically consider a utility company which sets a threshold on the total power usage of households in a neighborhood. Whenever total power usage from the neighborhood exceeds the threshold, some of the households must reduce the power consumption to avoid the power outage issue. This problem is referred as Threshold-Based Power Usage Control (TPUC). The two-way communication between the smart grids and meters reflects how we use electricity which is sent to the utility company helping to resolve the power outages issues. However, solving the TPUC problem raises the privacy concerns since the utility company can profile the daily activities of a user based on the energy consumption patterns. We emphasize that the existing privacy- preserving TPUC algorithms are either insecure or inefficient. Therefore, to preserve the privacy of the households in a neighborhood, we proposed a novel secure and distributed threshold-based power usage control protocol. The initial evaluation of the proposed protocol demonstrates that it is very practical.

Brownfield sites are areas that were contaminated by anthropogenic activities. Our study site, an abandoned rail yard, is located within Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. The contaminated section of the park has been closed off and left undisturbed since 1969. Previous studies have reported polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals in high concentrations at the site. While some areas of the park yield natural plant growth despite high contaminant levels, others remain barren. The roots of plants in vegetated areas naturally secrete root exudates into the soil, which include a variety of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids. These compounds nourish microbes within the soil thus promoting their function and improving the health and quality of the soil. In an attempt to revitalize barren, contaminated soils, we used an artificial root exudate solution prepared in our lab. By measuring carbon dioxide emission rates and phosphatase activity–markers of microbial function and soil health–over a period of 150 days, we were able to examine if the effects of a single addition and repeated additions of artificial exudates differ, and if the effects depend on soil type. Both the single addition and repeated additions of artificial root exudates stimulated soil microbes, resulting in higher CO₂ emission values and soil phosphatase activity than the control even after ceasing exudate additions. Studying plant-soil-microbial interactions exclusive to this site may be relevant for the development of “green” remediation strategies to clean up barren brownfield sites.

Tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease, is caused by M. tuberculosis. It is the second leading cause of death globally. Indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGP synthase) catalyzes the conversion of 1-(o-carboxyphenylamino)-1-deoxyribulose 5’-phosphate (CdRP) into indole-glycerol-phosphate (IGP). Research suggested that IGP synthase could be a new potential TB drug target. The goal of our study is to predict the binding conformation and energies of selected ligands to M. tuberculosis IGP synthase. Molecular docking can be used to predict the orientation of a particular ligand binding within the active site of a protein. We used AutoDock Vina 1.5.6 and Chimera 1.16 softwares to perform docking. From the protein data bank (PDB), 3T44 (M. tuberculosis IGP Synthase) was fetched and optimized (determine charge) using Chimera. The ligands (rCdRP, IGP) were optimized and fetched in the same way. Grid box was made around the active site of the protein. Grid box’s coordinate values were entered and AutoDock Vina predicted the conformation and binding affinities of IGP and rCdRP with 3T44. Our docked IGP with 3T44 matches with an experimental structure that was already available. Our results with rCdRP showed nine different conformations with binding affinities ranging from -8.4kcal/mol (1^st pose) to -6.6 kcal/mol (last pose). This result indicated that rCdRP binds to M. tuberculosis IGP synthase and validating M. tuberculosis as a drug target. Now, more ligands will be docked and shortlisted for experimental testing from data provided by docking.

Nepal has been a part of trade liberalization, starting in 1992, and was the first least developed country to join the WTO in 2004. Being an agrarian country with more than 66% of its population directly engaged in farming, agriculture and livestock play a significant role in the nation’s economy. Thus, the main objective of this research is to quantify and analyze the economy wide impact of free trade agreements with 100% tariff and 50% non-tariff measures (NTMs) removal for agricultural sectors. Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) models are extensively used for analyzing the economic impacts of trade barriers and captures the interactions between different policy scenarios in various economic perspectives. As a result, this study had constructed a CGE model using a Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP-10) database for Nepal. For the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), 100% elimination of tariffs and 50% NTMs removal resulted in decreased imports of commodities by $28.15 million (0.31%) and created an increase of exports by $231.21 million (11.92%), when compared to the baseline year 2020. Similarly, for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), 100% tariff and 50% NTMs removal also resulted in a decrease of imports by $28.75 million (0.32%) and an export of the commodities increased by $234.42 million (12.09%) in comparison to the baseline year 2020. The GDP change was positive for all three scenarios with an astonishing average figure of $205.66 million, which is a 1.04% increase in GDP when compared to 2020. These findings prove that Nepal could benefit economically by removing the tariffs and non-tariffs. The findings from this study could provide policy makers with support for understanding strategic issues, revising current tariffs, and imposing appropriate changes so that Nepal can experience greater economic strength.

Indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) catalyzes the indole-forming reaction in the multi-step bacterial tryptophan biosynthetic pathway. This pathway appears to be necessary for bacterial growth and it could represent a target for potential new anti-infective agents in the future. In order to realize this possibility, more detailed information about IGPS enzyme-substrate interactions and its catalytic mechanism would be valuable. Reduction of the natural IGPS substrate results in a compound (rCDRP) that cannot turn over due to loss of a key reactive ketone carbonyl group. This presentation will describe our synthesis, purification, and characterization of rCDRP along with plans for its application to studying the IGPS protein from the M. tuberculosis bacterium.

The current molecular diagnostic methods for detection of deadly pathogens within a population can require various steps of experimentation that are time consuming. When surveying a population for the presence of a disease time is a valuable resource, therefore, the need for a rapid pathogen test to use in the field will allow for faster detection of disease that can lead to determining a course of action for conservation of a species. Ranavirus is a double stranded DNA virus that can cause severe mass mortality events in amphibian, reptile and fish populations. The disease can have the potential to wipe out entire species if not controlled, having a 90-100% mortality rate. Recent methods of development for a rapid pathogen test have involved target detection probes using aptamers, or short single stranded DNA, as molecular probes. Studies have shown that molecular probes are more stable and cost-efficient than antibodies, and are also easier to modify. Using an existing starting library of 10(subscript 14) non-specific aptamers that have been previously enriched to bind to Ranavirus via SELEX, our objective is to determine the binding affinities of the selected aptamers to the major capsid protein (MCP) Ranavirus target using electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). The results of this research will provide a better understanding of the aptamers high affinity and specificity for MCP, and the selected aptamers can therefore be used for the development of a rapid pathogen test that can be used in real-time in the field.

DNA damage is an ongoing issue that living organisms experience on Earth due to ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. When UV radiation comes in contact with DNA in cells, the structure of DNA can change into the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) and the pyrimidine-(6-4)-pyrimidone dimer (6-4 PP). These dimers in DNA are linked to skin cancer. It is vital to understand the mechanism organisms can repair these lesions and ultimately find a way to prevent skin cancer. The class of enzymes that can repair specific DNA lesions, such as CPD and (6-4)-PP are known as photolyases. With that said, photolyase is not present in humans. The goal of this project is to test the mechanism of DNA binding to photolyase using two model systems. The first model proposed is the facilitated diffusion mechanism by which CPD photolyase searches along the damaged DNA site to form an ES complex and initiates monomerization of the lesion. The second mechanism proposed uses diffusion of the enzyme with nonspecific or random binding to DNA to find the specific DNA damage site. This model depends on the CPD flipping in and out of the dsDNA. The rate of DNA binding will be studied closely as a higher or lower rate constant will be affected by the flipping of CPD and affects its recognition by the enzyme. The DNA used for this experiment was an 11-mer that contains 2-AP, a fluorescent base. The 11-mer DNA was damaged with UV radiation to form DNA with the CPD lesion and then purified using HPLC. The fluorescence intensity data for the 11-mer 2-AP and complementary strands with and without CPD were used to give information about the base stacking stability at the CPD lesion by titration experiments and computer analysis to fit the data. This project aims to identify dsDNA strands with different CPD flipping rates to find how CPD photolyase recognizes and binds to specific damaged DNA bases in a sequence.

Multispectral cameras collect image data within specific wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum. Since collecting data in such way allows differentiation of materials with improved accuracy than monochrome or color camera produced data, multispectral cameras have found their way in most of the science and technology fields, including life and health sciences, agriculture, earth and environmental science, food science, industrial quality control, etc. Pre-built multispectral cameras can be very expensive and thus most educational institutions could not afford to purchase them and use them as part of their research and educational programs.

This project describes efforts to develop a low-cost multispectral camera using mostly off the shelf components. The camera is built as a monochrome system with different lighting configurations that emit within specific spectral wavelengths. For this, different Light Emitting Diode (LED) solutions were compared with respect to the wavelengths, ranging from ultraviolet (400nm) to red (680nm), luminosity, and diffusion. In parallel, high definition monochrome cameras and lenses were also evaluated with respect to shutter speed, sensitivity and ultimately price.The proposed solution included diffused LEDs from Jameco Electronics, an Alvium USB 3.1 Allied Vision monochrome camera, an EO Edmund 25mm UC series fixed focal length lens, and a 4PC 400 point solderless breadboard. Once all the parts were in house research was done to properly connect them in order to make a working multispectral camera. This included researching how LEDs work with breadboards, identifying the proper resistors, and the Arduino based software components to activate the LEDs on set intervals. Next, the camera software set up was completed through downloading vimba SDK and drivers to interact with the camera to take pictures. Testing is currently ongoing and will be followed by research on the assembly of the LEDs into a more secure casing. This can be done with a circuit board. The project resulted in a successful prototyping of a multispectral camera at significant cost reduction compared to a pre-built one. To date we are also in the process of sorting out projects to test such as mineral measurements in soil, measuring graphite behind an oil painting, and measuring fluid in petri dishes.

The understanding of cellular communication is the foundation to understanding various disorders and diseases in the human body. Cells communicate with one another by sending and receiving signals; neurons are able to send a signal via the release of a chemical or neurotransmitter when it binds to the receptor of the receiving neuron. Current tools are either able to measure these quick reactions but do not have high spatial resolution or are not fast enough but have a high spatial resolution. Light addressable electrochemical sensors are able to detect low concentrations of neurotransmitters as well as capture these quick reactions. These sensors use light to activate an electrochemical reaction and control where the reaction is taking place. Using metals makes them an even more ideal tool because metals are widely understood reactions, especially the electron transfer that takes place, hence they are ideally used for Schottky junctions for LAES. This is because the reaction takes place on the metal instead of the semiconductor. Previously, this has been tested by depositing gold nanoparticles onto the silicon surfaces of the samples where a Schottky junction has formed, yielding promising results. However, some limitations of gold have been detected which have propelled our group to try depositing another metal, platinum. Here we discover the advantages of using Pt instead and can even possibly apply it to understanding the cell communication among cancer cells and the role hydrogen peroxide may play in it.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a network of automated receivers that uses radio telemetry to track the movements of birds, bats, and insects across vast distances. Radio transmitters were affixed to seven Gray Catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis) and twelve Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in September – October 2021 to track their southern migration from the New Jersey Meadowlands along the east coast of the United States. Twelve of the birds were successfully detected by the Motus network: all seven catbirds and five of the sparrows. Catbirds tagged earlier in the season migrated further with final detections on the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. Catbirds tagged later in the season migrated to Delaware and Maryland. The five sparrows detected also migrated to Delaware and Maryland; there was no difference in migration route or distance based on date tagged. It is likely that the undetected sparrows did not migrate, as many Song Sparrows overwinter in New Jersey. For this reason, future migration studies will focus on another species of sparrow with a stronger migratory character. However, as all catbirds in the study were successfully tracked, this species will continue to be used in future research.

Lead (Pb) can be found in air, soil, leaded gasoline, lead-based paints, and various manufacturing products. Lead toxicity has been a serious issue for the past years, occurring at higher incidence rates in the human population than other heavy metals. In general, lead toxicity has diminished in the United States since the 1970s. More recently, there have been concerns in cities in New Jersey due to old and corroding pipes in our household water supply. Developing bones absorb lead quickly. As a result, young, developing children exposed to toxic lead are more susceptible to stunted skeletal growth and osteoporosis in old age. Moreover, during pregnancy and lactation, lead exposure causes premature births, malformation of bones, neurological and cognitive defects, and soft tissue damage to the kidneys and reproductive organs. In a growing fetus, cartilage is converted to bone. During this process, the osteocytes in the lacunae of long bones deposit calcium. Since lead and calcium compete in the mineralization process, damage from lead is modified by simultaneous exposure to both lead and calcium, and adversely influences proper mineralization. Our ongoing research experiment is testing to identify the effects of different lead concentrations on bone cultures obtained from 9-day old chick embryos. The experimental mechanisms used will determine and reveal the role of the physiological stress of lead exposure on normal bone development. The samples being tested were a control media of MEM with 10% fetal calf serum, 250ppm of lead, and 62.25ppm of lead. Daily monitoring of each experiment for growth, development, differentiation, deterioration, or malformations of bones was done. Bone growth or loss was expressed as a percentage of the total number of millimeters gained or lost throughout the study. Lastly, a parallel study was followed to determine the effects of lead on the growth of chick embryo tissue grown from 4-5 mm. biopsy cultures. The effects of lead on cell proliferation were correlated with bone growth observations.

Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a diagnosis in which multiple symptoms are associated with time spent in a particular building, rather than a specific illness. In some cases, SBS is caused by toxins, (i.e., lead or chemical vapors). Contamination of buildings with molds or fungi may also be an important cause of SBS. While the chemicals emitted from fungi or molds have been biochemically identified, the effects of these chemicals on animals are unknown.

We used C. elegans as an animal model in order to rapidly discover how animals are affected by fungal volatile chemicals, and elucidate their possible roles in SBS. Use of C. elegans provides many benefits for this study due to their short life cycle, simple nervous system, fully sequenced diploid genome and their large population size on a single petri dish after 3-5 days. We exposed C. elegans to four different fungal volatiles to see if there was an effect on their 1) growth and size, 2) viability or reproduction, and 3) locomotion. Our findings indicate that several of the fungal volatiles do in fact have a strong effect on the viability, growth, and size of C. elegans, as well as the rate of reproduction of new worms. In future studies, we will determine the genes involved in the toxicity of the fungal volatiles to better understand the impacts these toxic volatiles have on C. elegans, as well as any potential effects these volatiles can have on humans who suffer from SBS.

Clinical and epidemiological studies have shown a correlation between inflammation and lung cancer. Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has been used for years as a dietary supplement and clinical studies have shown the benefits of MSM as an anti-inflammatory substance also active in the prevention of stress of immune cells. In particular, these studies have shown that MSM potentially induces apoptosis in cancer cell lines and prevents the spread of cancer cells. However, the specific molecular control role that MSM plays has yet to be investigated. Experiments are in progress to determine if specific microRNA (miRNA) can be identified and shown to be significantly altered in the presence of MSM. Identification and observation of miRNA have been of interest to our lab because of its key role in the regulation of gene expression. These small non-coding RNAs are known to post-transcriptionally fine-tune up to 30% of genes and are currently implemented in cancer-based therapy. Specific miRNAs have been found to be up-regulated or down-regulated when cells start metastasis. Our lab is exploring the possible role that MSM plays in cell growth inhibition, apoptosis and MSM regulated molecular pathways in A549 human lung cancer cells. Our preliminary studies show that low doses of MSM (100 – 200 mM) may be effective in apoptosis induction and proliferation inhibition of A549 cells without toxicity. We have also begun to analyze expression patterns of several miRNAs that have been previously shown to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis.

The electrophysiology of nodose ganglia neurons is of great interest in the analysis of cell membrane currents and action potential behavior. This behavior was initially outlined in the Hodgkin-Huxley conductance model using a system of nonlinear differential equations. One significant shortcoming of this original model, however, was that it provided an incomplete description of ion channels involved in neuronal action potential activity. This project extends the Hodgkin-Huxley model to account for additional ion channel dynamics via coupling with a Ca²? fluid compartment model in an effort to integrate more information about the electrical signatures of A-type and C-type nodose neurons. An expanded set of solutions to nonlinear differential equations were numerically computed to match observational data. This updated model successfully characterizes the electrical behavior of A-type and C-type nodose neurons and broadens the predictive range of the Hodgkin-Huxley system.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of vernalization of seeds on the growth of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) compared to native winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum). Purple loosestrife is a wetland plant that is invasive in North American and can have serious impacts on wetland ecosystems. In this study, purple loosestrife from Sussex County, New Jersey and United Kingdom seeds and native North American winged loosestrife seeds were grown in simulated wetland conditions outside on the roof of the Science Building at Montclair State University. Each type of seed was sown in sterilized wetland soil from Sussex County NJ, USA. Seeds to be vernalized were sown in January, while seeds to be non-vernalized were sown in May. There was no significant difference in height and mass between plants grown from vernalized and non-vernalized seeds for purple loosestrife from Sussex County NJ, USA, purple loosestrife from the UK, and winged loosestrife. This indicates that there is the potential for the range of purple loosestrife to expand into areas without the cold winter temperatures required for vernalization.

New Jersey has several different species of mosquito that as larvae live in relatively small bodies of water (“container mosquitoes”). Mosquito larvae are often the largest and most dominant species in these small bodies of water. In New Jersey, it is predicted that the average summer temperatures will continue to increase. Higher temperatures cause the pH of a solution to decrease as water ionizes and forms more hydrogen ions. The pH of aquatic environments is important to the many species that live in them. Because of rising temperatures, the pH levels of the environments in which mosquito larvae live may fluctuate significantly. However, the reciprocal relationships between mosquito density and pH are poorly understood, especially across distinct taxa. Here we test out how pH fluctuates depending on which species of container mosquito live in them, using the mosquito species Aedes albopictus, A. triseriatus, and Culex pipiens. We predict that the presence of mosquito larvae will affect the pH of their habits and that different species of mosquito differ in the degree to which these changes occur.

The discovery of a Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) marine bathyal section on Gorgonilla Island, Pacific of Colombia, has revealed the presence of a virtually unaltered 2-cm-thick spherule-rich bed separating the Maastrichtian from the Danian. This bed represents Chicxulub asteroid impact ejecta deposits based on detailed mineralogical, geochemical, and stratigraphic studies. The Chicxulub impact is thought to be responsible for the mass extinction at the K/Pg boundary. Although there have been many studies of ejecta deposits around the globe, relatively few have focused on spherule morphology. Taking advantage of the exquisite preservation of the spherules (up to 90% of are pure glass) from Gorgonilla Island, a detailed morphological analysis of 1000 individual spherules has been carried out. Our results indicate all spherules correspond to spin or spin-induced forms with no evidence of ablation-form spherules. The spin-induced spherule morphology can be subdivided into four main categories: I) Splash-forms (the most abundant type); II) Fused-forms (that includes any combination of 2 or more splash-forms); III) Deformed-forms (that includes splash-forms with evidence of deformation by rotation or impact), and IV) Irregular forms (undefined morphologies including ground impact effects). Regarding the splash-forms (Category I), we propose a novel classi?cation scheme based on the axial ratios of ellipsoids, which include a diverse array of shapes ranging from spheres, rods, ovoids, ovoid disks, spherical disks, dumbbells, bowties, oval bowls, circular bowls, teardrops, teardrop bars, ovoid teardrops, and teardrop disks. These different shapes are interpreted as a result of spinning while cooling and solidifying, which indicates that surface tension and centrifugal forces associated with the rotation of fluid droplets are the main factors determining the shapes of this type of Chicxulub’s spherules. While a fraction of the spherical shapes may correspond to condensed droplets of the vapor plume, it is also possible that they correspond to advanced stages of other splash forms or to droplets too small to be deformed during spinning. All other shapes clearly correspond to splash forms (fluid – non-condensed droplets).These results represent the first morphological classification of the type of ejecta produced during the Chicxulub asteroid impact and provide direct evidence of glass spherules formation mechanisms during asteroid impacts.