2015 state nmjas paper competition winner€¦ · web view: there are over 20,000 gas wells in...

2016 State NMJAS Research Paper Competition Winner

Rusty Ludwigsen Passive Reduction of Involuntary Arm/Hand Tremors Phase IIIEarly College Academy, Albuquerque, NM

ABSTRACTIn the U.S., millions suffer from life-impairing involuntary shaking of muscles called tremors. Tremors are caused by a variety of diseases, injuries and conditions, including traumatic brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and medications. Tremors cause difficulty with fine motor control. The objective of this research was to use data gained from the Electromyograph sensors (EMGs) and accelerometers placed on the arm to reveal a direct relationship among a motion damping brace, tremor magnitude, tremor frequencies and muscle activity. The brace, worn between the wrist and elbow, is lined with viscoelastic foam, and constructed with a lightweight ridged plastic outer shell that rests on a writing surface. To test its effectiveness, human volunteers performed fine motor control tasks with and without the brace. Testing was conducted at the UNM Department of Physical Therapy Motion Analysis Lab. The tasks revealed how much the tremor was reduced both numerically, by analyzing the data collected from surface EMGs and accelerometers, and visually, through inspection of the test results. Results showed that the brace is effective at reducing the severity of a tremor and improving fine motor control of six out of the eight subjects. This warrants further research into hand stabilizing equipment.

2015 State NMJAS Paper Competition Winner

Jovan ZhangModeling Gas Flow in Hydraulically Fractured Shale

Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Abstract: Natural gas currently supplies 22% of the energy that the United States consumes annually. As other supplies run low, there is a need to dig deeper in order to access a different resource called shale gas, located miles under the surface of the earth. Each well costs millions of dollars, and uses millions of gallons of water. Predicting the behavior of shale gas has proved challenging, and are especially inaccurate at predicting long term behavior. An accurate prediction is necessary in deciding the fate of shale, a decision that will strongly affect the production of national energy. In this project, a simple rock damage model is developed to better predict the long-term production rate of hydraulically fractured shale wells. The model is combined with a nonlinear-pressure-diffusion equation derived based on mass conservation, Darcy's law, and Peng-Robinson equation of state. To solve the equation, numerical schemes are constructed, and a Java code is built. After ensuring convergence of the numerical schemes, the results are compared to field data available in the literature. Good agreements between production field data and the numerical calculation are observed.


Jeongmin LeeGas Phase Ion Chemistry and Ion Mobility of Pharmaceutical Substances in Counterfeit Formulations

Las Cruces High School, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Abstract: The health and well-being of populations in certain critical regions of the world are threatened today by the presence of counterfeit pharmaceuticals which are often authentic materials diluted to clinically ineffective levels and sold as authentic medicine. Those paying for the medicine are defrauded with little hope of recovery. Relatively inexpensive, portable, and reliable methods are needed to examine pills or formulations for chemical composition within vulnerable communities to eliminate or suppress counterfeit pharmaceutical trade.Measurements and technology based on ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), already proven in military and security venues, may enable fast, on-site inspections although neither gas phase ion chemistry of anti-malarial compounds nor this mobility behavior has been described. In this investigation, gas phase ion chemistry of key anti-malarial medicines was favored over that of inert materials in pills. A laser ionization based method combined with an ion mobility spectrometer showed limits of detection of 2.5 nanograms or better in a false matrix. Methods may favor rapid field screening based on electrospray ionization of counterfeit pharmaceuticals, even in remote locations of the world. The relationship between the concentration of the sample and the intensity of mobility spectra was determined. Findings here may also impact broader issue of national security of pharmaceuticals with misrepresented manufacture or composition.


Amanda MercerTautochromo Time


Problem: The tautochrone problem is one of the earliest to be solved using calculus. The problem is to find a curve down which a point placed anywhere will slide to the bottom in the same amount of time. Christian Huygens, a clockmaker, first solved this problem in 1673, and the curve he discovered is a cycloid. I want to confirm this discovery using modern calculus, numerical methods, and physical measurements of a cycloid-path pendulum.

Hypothesis: The period of a cycloid pendulum is independent of amplitude, so it is a tautochrone.

Procedure: 1) Use modern calculus methods to find the period of a cycloid pendulum and demonstrate that this period is independent of amplitude. 2) Use numerical methods to find a tautochrone shape without prior assumption, then compare to a cycloid. 3) Construct a physical cycloid pendulum and test whether the period is independent of amplitude. Try the same for a simple circular pendulum.

Data/Results: Using only first-semester high school calculus, I was able to recreate the proof that a cycloid is a tautochrone. The numerical method for finding a tautochrone curve also produced a cycloid shape. My physical measurements confirmed my hypothesis: The period of the cycloid pendulum varied by only plus or minus 0.045% over the full range of amplitudes.The period of the circular pendulum varied by plus or minus 2.8% over the same range.

Conclusions: A cycloid pendulum is a tautochrone; unlike the simple circular pendulum, its period is independent of amplitude.


Nikita BogdanovCharacterizing the Effects of Asteroid Belt Perturbations on the Orbits of the Inner Planets

Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Abstract: The planets of the solar system are subject to multiple gravitational perturbations from other solar system bodies including other planets, large asteroids (as discrete point masses), and small asteroids (cumulatively). The largest uncertainty in our knowledge of the orbits of the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) is due to gravitational perturbations from the complicated and uneven mass distribution within the asteroid belt (e.g., masses of asteroids range over many orders of magnitude). The goals of this project are to computationally model the effects of perturbations from the 300 largest asteroids on the orbits of the inner planets; specifically, this project looks to characterize the perturbative effects as a noise problem, which is a novel approach. In order to do this, I have created a numerical integration framework that models Newtonian solar system interactions. Initial integrations show that numerical red noise is orders of magnitude below asteroid gravitational perturbations. I analyze these perturbations by comparing integrations with and without specific subsets of perturbing asteroids. To analyze orbital element residuals I use power spectra. These yield the frequencies and amplitudes of the gravitational perturbation signals and are the first step to characterizing perturbations from a noise perspective. I find that the power spectra can exhibit red noise at low frequencies and reach a noise floor (white noise) at higher frequencies. White noise precludes the knowledge of planetary motion at the sub-meter to meter level, an original result. Tools to discriminate between chaotic and stochastic motion will be employed in future work.


Fiona McCrossinInnovation and Imitation: Learning Processes used by a Juvenile Siamang at the El Paso Zoo

Las Cruces High School, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Abstract: In order to determine whether gibbons (lesser apes) are cognitively more similar to apes or monkeys, I examined processes of learning in a young siamang. If social learning of a customary complex behavior is observed, then siamangs would be interpreted as intellectually more like great apes. Forty-six observation hours were made of the juvenile siamang at the El Paso Zoo over 21 days during a three year period (2008-2011). The customary complex adult behavior I focused on is the use of a particular set of logs over a moat as a latrine. Latrine use is not observed in wild siamangs (not instinctive) and was not taught to them by humans. As a 25 month old the baby siamang expressed great curiosity toward latrine use and toward the water, and would join her mother on the latrine, but did not use it. As a 36 month old she accompanied both parents to the latrine and used it when they do. On one occasion she went to the latrine on her own but could not go, then went to her father who she brought back to the latrine where they used it simultaneously. On another occasion the father pulled the juvenile to the latrine and made her sit on it alone. Such behaviors and others are interpreted as active teaching and learning of a complex family tradition. This is viewed as strong evidence of social learning in siamangs in a manner typical of great apes and humans rather than monkeys. --- A video of Fiona's presentation at the NM Science and Engineering Fair Senior Awards Assembly is available at Innovation and Imitation.


Laura B. LaneFormulating Trends of Nematode Distributions Based on the Modified Baermann Funnel Extractions and Using the Four Corners Nematode from Soil Samples collected in San Juan County of New Mexico: Providing a Guide for Environmental Management during Site Restoration Projects

Aztec High School, Aztec, New Mexico

Abstract: There are over 20,000 gas wells in the Four Corners Area of New Mexico. When a gas well comes to end-of-life, energy companies must reclaim the abandoned well sites and access roads. Reclamation involves re-contouring, restoring topsoil, and re-establishing native vegetation. Reestablishing plant biodiversity quickly is desired and minimizes soil erosion, protects surface water and provides forage for animals. It typically takes two to five years to re- vegetate a site if the soil conditions are favorable. Nematodes have been shown to be an effective indicator of soil ecosystem health. The purpose of this third-year project is to identify the desired nematode distributions that would indicate a healthy soil ecosystem and successful reclamation. Sixty samples were collected from three geographic areas in San Juan County, NM. Status of site disturbance, soil conditions, and plant community were analyzed. A modified Baermann-Funnel extraction method and the Four Corner Nematode Key (Lane, 2008) was used to screen each sample. The data indicates that nematode distributions associated with particular plant communities are dependent on geographic areas. The trends can be used as an effective indicator of soil ecosystem health. A Four Corners guide for reclamation management is in-development. More samples next year will help complete the guide.


Ryan C. EricksonShake, Rattle and Roll: A Three Axis Sensor Based on Diamagnetics


Abstract: As long as seismic sensors have been around, inertial masses connected to springs have been the desired system for acquiring vibration based signals. It is believed however, that a more sensitive three-axis sensor can be built using diamagnetic levitation. By levitating a magnet with a diamagnetic plate, it is possible to obtain a near frictionless state. Then, by using specially designed fiber optic pick-ups, measurements of great sensitivity can be obtained.Using an analysis program, the signals can be plotted to give an accurate reading of vibration strength. By dropping a BB from various heights, it was possible to find the sensitivity difference between this and a commercial geophone. The result was a factor of around seventeen in favor of the diamagnetic sensor. Later tests involved measuring the power spectra for multiple sources. This demonstrated the sensor's ability to distinguish between a range of sources, giving it tremendous potential. This sensor has the ability to be used in a variety of fields due to its large dynamic range. This means that it can be used for large-scale measurements that current sensors cannot. Another advantage of this sensor is its potential to be machined as small as an integrated circuit. This would be helpful to the industrial sector, as the circuit would have the ability to discern when a moving component is loose or out of balance. So, while spring based sensors have sufficed until now, their time is past. A diamagnetic sensor is the geophone of the future.


Megan JohnsonHow We Think, Who We Are: How We Learn? Phase IV

Rio Rancho High School, Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Abstract: Methods of learning are a prevalent topic in psychological research. The object of this study was to determine a method by which learning style can be predicted using the explanatory variables gender, handedness, age, family size, birth order, and cerebral dominance. The learning styles studied were visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. The sample consisted of 432 students between the ages of 8 and 18 and all data were collected using a survey and series of questionnaires. Cerebral dominance was determined to be the only variable of statistical significance although gender did play a minor role in predicting learning style. Though the data were statistically significant, the regression model produced in the multi- variate analysis proved a poor fit for the data. However, there exists a positive correlation of visual and reading/writing learning with left brain dominance and a positive correlation of aural and kinesthetic learning with right brain dominance. Extensions for this project include replacement of the surveys with performance based assessments to test for strengths rather than preference, refinement of the sample, and incorporation of additional variables.


Shandiin C. CopelandStream Channel Dynamics in Largo Canyon, 1882-2005, Northwest New Mexico

Kirtland Central High School, Kirtland, New Mexico

Abstract: In the 1880s, arroyo channels began to intensely erode, widen, and deepen in much of the American Southwest. Different theories about what may have caused this erosion cycle include changes in precipitation, overgrazing, or a combination of both. The Byran-Antevs model argues that arroyo cutting is associated with drought and poor vegetation and arroyo filling with higher rainfall and improved vegetation cover. The Martin-Schoenwatter model states that arroyo cutting is associated with increased summer rainfall when there may actually be greater annual rainfall and increased vegetation cover. Nearly 125 years of Largo Canyon channel size data, precipitation, homesteading, and livestock data are available to examine this question. Using 1882 survey data, 70 years of 20th-21st century aerial photography, GIS, historical records, and statistical analysis, can it be determined what effect precipitation, homesteading, and livestock usage had on the arroyo channel of Largo Canyon? The hypothesis is that there will be an association between channel size and acreage, and the variables of precipitation, homesteading, and livestock numbers in Largo Canyon. As a result of the analysis, the hypothesis is not rejected. There appears to be strong association between livestock numbers, homesteading, and erratic precipitation, including very dry years, with a measurable increase in the channel of Largo Canyon between 1882 and 1935, and as livestock, principally sheep, declined in numbers, a filling in of the channel after 1935.


Anna TrugmanEnvironmental Engineering of Pogonomyrex Harvester Ant Mounds

Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos, New MexicoAbstract: In the area around White Rock Canyon, New Mexico, harvester ants cover their mounds with small quartz crystals. This project addresses the effects of these actions on the temperature and humidity inside the mounds, in an attempt to understand the cause of this behavior. My hypothesis is that the ants cover their mounds with quartz rocks to regulate the temperature and humidity within the mounds. My procedure for studying the effects of covering ant mounds with quartz crystals includes the following. I observe ant behavior outside mound as a function of time during the day, while simultaneously measuring the air temperature, the surface ground temperature, the temperature beneath the ground, and the temperature within the mound for several neighboring mounds. I also directly measure the temperature as a function of time during the day and night of two model mounds, one covered with quartz crystals and one made without quartz crystals. I make simultaneous measurements of the air and ground temperatures. I also studied the retention of water within the two model ant hills, with and without quartz, as a function of time. I find that ant activity (both number of ants and distance from mound) correlates with surface temperature, with activity peaking around T=95 F and no activity for T>115 F. Ant mounds consist of small rocks to dirt in a 2:1 ratio and ants actively carry small rocks to mounds. The ants carry rocks to their mounds from as far away as 50 feet. These rocks make it easier for the ants to rearrange tunnels within their mound. The presence of quartz rocks increases the temperature in the mound by an average of 2.5±0.5 F compared to the mound without quartz, a small but consistent effect. The quartz rocks also increase the amount of moisture retained by -50% and increase the time that moisture is retained by -66%. In summary, harvester ants have successfully controlled their environment by simple quartz engineering.


Keely GoodgameThe Effect of 670 nm LED Photobiomodulation on the Growth of Mitochondrial Mutant Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

San Jon High School, San Jon, New Mexico

Abstract: Therapeutic light-emitting diodes (LED) are a recent form of light therapy. This so called “photobiomodulation” has been shown to accelerate wound healing and to increase cell growth in tissue cultures. Both cell division and growth require energy produced through the cellular respiration occurring in mitochondria. Cytochrome-c oxidase, the terminal enzyme complex of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, creates the electrochemical gradient which provides the force to produce ATP (Capaldi, 1990). The theorized energizing of cytochrome complexes in the electron transport systems by the photobiomodulation have not been documented (Eells, et al., 2002). The purpose of this experiment is to test the effects of a 670nm LED light on a S. cerevisiae strain deficient in mitochondrial DNA and a strain deficient in cytochrome-c oxidase subunit IV, to elucidate the theorized mode of action. S. cerevisiae is a well documented eukaryotic model with available mutant and wild-types to test specific cytochrome-c oxidase complexes. It was hypothesized that the 670nm LED light would improve the growth and longevity of both mutant strains. The wild-type and mutant yeast were photoirradiated with a 670nm LED light at 80seconds/4joules per cm2, 2X and 3X a day, using a Quantum© warp 10 light for a period of 86 hours. Colonies were counted at 12 hours, 24 hours, and 86 hours. The photobiomodulation significantly increased the growth and longevity of cytochrome-c oxidase subunit IV S. cerevisiae at both levels of irradiation, supporting the hypothesis. Further research should include a suitable model for a mitochondrial respiration deficient disease.


Mahlet WoldemariamUtilizing Bacterial Carpets for Bionanotechnology Applications

Deming High School, Deming, New MexicoAbstract: The purpose of this experiment is to see if Serratia marcescens could be utilized to move 10 micrometer (µm) beads and PDMS coated chips (Polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) through a liquid medium. S. marcescens is a pathogenic, opportunistic flagellated gram- negative bacterium best known for producing a red pigment called prodigiosin. S. marcescens is readily available and easily swarms. If this swarming characteristic could be coordinated and directed it might be utilized as a bio-robot. It was hypothesized that the bacterial carpets would move the beads and chips faster than diffusion due to coordination of the S. marcescens flagella. A carpet of swarming S. marcescens were blotted onto 22 mm PDMS covered glass cover slips pre treated with Rain-X ®. The cover slips were inverted and placed on a tunnel slide. 10 µm polystyrene beads (Duke Scientific) were then pipetted into the tunnel slide to quantify movement. The bacterial carpet produced rapid linear movement of the 10 µm beads. The hypothesis was supported as the 10 µm beads next to the bacterial carpets moved at a significantly (p< 0.001) higher velocities than the control beads and the calculated diffusion rate. The bacteria were successful in moving a PDMS chip in a clockwise rotation at an average speed of 4 µm/s. This procedure indicates possible use of S. marcescens as a means to propel automobile chips which could contain biosensors.


Nigel ReuelA Study on Practical Production of Hydrogen Through Efficient Electrolysis

Rio Rancho High School, Rio Rancho, New MexicoAbstract: This experiment's purpose was to see which of the many variables of electrolysis are significant factors to electrical efficiency and under what conditions electrolysis is most efficient. Hydrogen gas was collected off the cathode and measured in moles. By knowing the specific energy per mass ratio of hydrogen and dividing it by the total energy input into the experiment through electricity, electrical efficiency was found. The driving factors of electrolysis were found to be pressure and salt concentration. The optimum conditions for efficient electrolysis are a salt concentration of 0.0672 molar, ambient pressure of 1 x 105 Pascals, and a water temperature of 295 Kelvin. At this point the predicted efficiency is 92%, which means that 92% of the energy inputted into electrolysis can be stored by the hydrogen produced.Some further studies on this question would include: what happens at higher salt concentrations and could this information be applied to a small garage-sized device that could produce cheap hydrogen through Photovoltaic solar panels?


Naveen SinhaBubble-Based Resonance-Doppler Sensor for Liquid Characterization


Abstract: I have developed a novel technique that can monitor all stages of an air bubble's evolution, from its formation and growth at a nozzle, through its detachment and resonance, to its rise toward terminal velocity, in order to derive multiple physical properties of the surrounding liquid. Other methods, such as high-speed photography and laser Doppler anemometry can study only one aspect of the bubble evolution. This technique, on the other hand, uses passive acoustic listening combined with active ultrasonic Doppler observation to study all aspects of the evolution. The setup consists of a metal syringe needle positioned vertically at the bottom of a water- filled tube. A small aquarium pump forces air through the needle, forming a series of evenly spaced, mm-sized air bubbles. A hollow cylindrical transducer is located around the needle and a dual-element transducer is positioned several centimeters above the tip of the needle. To continuously monitor the motion of the bubbles, I constructed a frequency-mixing based Doppler system and used the Short-Time Fourier Transform technique. The cylindrical transducer detects the resonance of the bubble following its detachment. The Doppler setup detects both the growth and rise of the bubble, including shape oscillations and the terminal velocity. All steps in the evolution of the bubble are affected by the presence of contaminants (surfactants, suspended particles, and alcohol). Each measurement agrees well with theory. This technique has a real potential for use as a novel liquid characterization sensor in many industrial applications (e.g. chemical, environmental, food, and medical).


Thomas WidlandThe Effects of Reductions on the Difficulty Topology of the SAT Problem

Albuquerque Academy, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Left to right: David Hsi, NAAS/AAAS/SWARM Delegate; Lynn Brandvold, NMJAS Director; and Tom Widland, 2001 Paper Competition Winner

Abstract: The "difficulty topology" of a problem is the manner in which difficulty varies with changes in the parameters of the problem. For SAT problems of similar structure, we find an exponential relationship between the difficulty before and after our reduction, which introduces a linear increase in the length of the inputs. We show that the reduction reduces the difficulties of formulas relative to others of the same length and make conjectures based on this result.


Naveen SinhaNovel Ultrasonic Techniques for Studying Granular Material


Abstract: Granular materials are large collections of distinct macroscopic particles. They behave very differently than other forms of matter. They are important to many industries, including the pharmaceutical, chemical, and agricultural industries. In this project, two primary ultrasonic techniques (pulse transmission and frequency sweep) were used in a novel way to study such material. The pulse measurements had a resolution of 0.2 µs. The frequency range used was from 10 kHz to 5 MHz. The granular materials used were steel, glass, ceramic spheres, and polystyrene pellets (2-5 mm in size) in liquid. The sound propagation characteristics of such mm-size material appear to be different from the characteristics of dry and µm-sized particles studied by others. The frequency sweep measurements show resonant scattering when the sound wavelength becomes comparable to the grain size. Single grain resonance could also be observed that showed that the sound propagates on the surface of the grains. The pulse measurements are consistent with sound traveling on the surface of the grains. The polystyrene pellet behaved differently than the other materials because its density was close to that of water and the particles were cylindrical. The techniques used in this project help to provide new information about granular material, which is important to many industries.

2015 state nmjas paper competition winner€¦ · web view: there are over 20,000 gas wells in...

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