2nd Annual Spring Research And Project Showcase

Clarkson University

2nd Annual Spring

Research And

Project Showcase

April 14, 2018

2

Table of Contents

Conference Schedule.…………………..……….….3

Oral Presentation Session 1……….…….………….4

Oral Presentation Session 2…………....….….……11

Oral Presentation Session 3……………….……….18

Poster Presentations……………………………….26

Abstracts (in alphabetical order by presenter).........41

Acknowledgments…………………….….............192

Key

Presenter(s) in bold

Mentors italicized

3

2nd Annual Spring RAPS Schedule Saturday, April 14, 2018

Bertrand H. Snell B10L, B10M, 169, 175, 177, 212,

213, 214 & Cheel Campus Center

7:00-8:15 am Registration – Presenters, Session

Chairs, Judges Bertrand H. Snell Atrium

8:15-8:25 am Opening Remarks

Dr. Anthony Collins, President Bertrand H. Snell Atrium

8:30-9:30 am Oral Presentations – Session 1 Bertrand H. Snell Classrooms

9:40-10:40 am Oral Presentations – Session 2 Bertrand H. Snell Classrooms

10:50-11:50am Oral Presentations – Session 3 Bertrand H. Snell Classrooms

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch

Cheel Commons

12:30-2:00 pm Poster Session

Cheel Arena

2:00-3:00 pm Dessert Reception

Cheel Arena

2:30-3:00 pm Award Ceremony

Dr. Anthony Collins, President

Dr. Gina Lee-Glauser, VP for Research &

Scholarship

Cheel Arena

4

Oral Presentation Session 1

8:30 – 9:30 AM

Snell 169

Section 1 – Metal-Organic Frameworks I

(Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Steven Dunckel; Dr. Mario Wriedt Design and Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks from

Zwitterionic Building Blocks

8:42-8:54 AM

John Hadynski; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Rational Design and Synthesis of Flexible Zwitterionic Ligands to

Access Novel Zwitterionic Metal-Organic Frameworks

8:54-9:06 AM

Alexander Harley; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Nicotinic Acid Based Ditopic Zwitterionic Ligands for Metal-

Organic Framework Synthesis

9:06-9:18 AM

Michael Chirgwin; Dr. Mario Wriedt A New Design Strategy to Access Zwitterionic Metal-Organic

Framework from Isonicotinate Derivatives

Session Chair: Dr. Mario Wreidt

Judge: Dr. Silvana Andreescu

5


8:30 – 9:30 AM Snell 175

Section 2 –Cell & Biomolecular Science

(Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Xulan Deng; Dr. Georgios Koutsidis

Development of a Preparative and Analytical High Performance Liquid

Chromatography Method for the Purification and Quantification of

Lycopene

8:42-8:54 AM

Eric Hillpot; Dr. Craig Woodworth

HPV16-Immortalized Cells from Human Transformation Zone and

Endocervix are More Susceptible to Dysplastic Differentiation and

Invasion in Organotypic Culture

8:54-9:06 AM

Sarah Lilholt; Dr. Devon Shipp

Synthesis of Poly (Vinyl Phosphonic Acid)-Based Polymers and their

Potential Applications

9:06-9:18 AM

Adam Sherwin; Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Dr. Shantanu Sur

Classification of Motile Cells Using the Kalman Filter

9:18-9:30 AM

Ana Witkowski; Dr. Devon Shipp Shape Memory, Self-Healing and Degradable Polyanhydrides

Session Chair: Dr. Devon Shipp

Judge: Dr. Artem Melman

6


8:30 – 9:30 AM Snell 177

Section 3 – Business (Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Aadhilakshmi Balasubramanian; Dr. Mohamed Mekhaimer

Merging Markets vs. Merging Limit Order Books? What Matters

Most to Traded Stocks?

8:42-8:54 AM

Krissy Govertsen; Dr. Erik Backus, Jamey Hoose, Dr. Jon Goss

SMART Start House, LLC: A Business Plan

8:54-9:06 AM

Madison Ranslow; Dr. Cecilia Martinez

Training Within Industry: Pilot Implementation at Amgen Inc.

9:06-9:18 AM

Jordan Smith; Dr. Marc Compeau

Innovating Innovation: A Study of Entrepreneurial Education

9:18-9:30 AM

Corey Williams; Dr. Seyedamirabbas Mousavian

Reexamining the Procurement Management Knowledge Area

Utilizing Applied Data Analytics

Session Chair: Prof. Erik Backus

Judge: Dr. Augustine Lado

7


8:30 – 9:30 AM Snell 212

Section 4 – Efficiency & Optimization

(Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Thomas Couture; Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer

Co-Op Thesis as Lead Engineer: Optimized Energy Storage

Design Software at Electra Vehicles, Inc.

8:42-8:54 AM

Jacob Melite; Dr. Christino Tamon

Corruption Correction Using Variable Order Markov Models

8:54-9:06 AM

Andrew Parkes; Rob Bauer, Dr. Douglas Bohl

Designing, Manufacturing, Assembling and Testing a 1.5 inch

Cryogenic Ball Valve

9:06-9:18 AM

Patrick Perry; Dr. Marcias Martinez

Using CAD and Additive Manufacturing to Improve the Olympic

Luge

9:18-9:30 AM

Joseph Sakr; Dr. Brian Helenbrook

Olympics Luge Computational Fluid Dynamics

Session Chair: Dr. Brian Helenbrook

Judge: Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala

8


8:30-9:30 AM Snell 213

Section 5 – Medicine & Biomedical Engineering

(Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Elizabeth Miele; Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus

Mapping Grip Strength in Three Dimensions

8:42-8:54 AM

Rachel Martin; Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus

Validation of Custom Fit DART Wrist Brace

8:54-9:06 AM

Thomas Conroy; Dr. Jean-Philippe Couderc

Detection of Atrial Fibrillation Using Photoplethysmography

9:06-9:18 AM

Kajol Chaurasia; Dr. Stephen Casper

Exploring Critical Factors for Misdiagnosis of Chronic Obstructive

Pulmonary Disease in a Rural Setting

9:18-9:30 AM

Anthony Bertocchi, et Al.; Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus, Dr. Lisa Tebo

Improving Quality of Life by Increasing Wheelchair Mobility in

Winter Conditions

Session Chair: Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus

Judge: Dr. Charles Robinson

9


8:30 – 9:30 AM Snell 214

Section 6 – “Light” Across the Disciplines

(Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Melanie Cockrell; Dr. William Jemison

Investigation of Far-Field Scattering Behavior of Laguerre-Gaussian

Beams for Underwater Applications

8:42-8:54 AM

Dylan Leigh-Manuell; Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala

Aitken’s Condensation Counter: Bringing History to Life

8:54-9:06 AM

Antonio Pagliaro; Dr. Zijie Yan

Synthesis and Characterization of Tunable Near-Infrared Plasmonic

Nanomaterials

9:06-9:18 AM

Brian Pfeil; Dr. Arthur Michalek

Fluorescent Labeling Alters Osmotic Properties of Musculoskeletal

Tissues

9:18-9:30 AM

Mackenna Wood; Dr. Joshua Thomas

Making Lemonade out of LEMON: Improved Photometry Processing

Software

Session Chair: Dr. William Jemison

Judge: Dylan Young

10


8:30 – 9:30 AM Snell B10L

Section 7 – Security Systems (Undergraduate)

8:30-8:42 AM

Zander Blasingame; Dr. Chen Liu

Towards Principled Methods for Unary Classification Problems

8:42-8:54 AM

James Bruska; Dr. Chen Liu

Encryption Downgrade Attack Detection via Low-Level Hardware

Information

8:54-9:06 AM

Reece Emero; Dr. Daqing Hou

Designing of a Behavioral Biometrics Logger for Web

Applications

9:06-9:18 AM

Lauren McKeen, Katherine Waters; Dr. Adom Giffin

Applying K-Nearest Neighbors to the Position, Velocity, and

Acceleration Profiles of Swipes for Mobile Authentication

9:18-9:30 AM

Lee Taylor; Dr. Daqing Hou

Mouse Dynamic Biometrics for Web Account Protection

Session Chair: Dr. Daqing Hou

Judge: Dr. Charles Thorpe

11


9:40 – 10:40 AM Snell 169

Section 1 – Metal-Organic Frameworks II

(Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Fletcher Dix; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Electrochemically Switchable Zwitterionic Metal-Organic

Frameworks

9:52-10:04 AM

Paul Lawrence; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Design and Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks from Rigid

Zwitterionic Ligands

10:04-10:16 AM

Matthew Sadler; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Design and Synthesis of Cadmium-Based Zwitterionic Metal-

Organic Frameworks

10:16-10:28 AM

Charlene VanLeuven; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Design Strategies for the Synthesis of Zirconium-Based

Zwitterionic Metal Organic Frameworks

Session Chair: Dr. Mario Wriedt


12


9:40 – 10:40 AM Snell 175

Section 2 – Biosciences (Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Sara Cote; Dr. Andrew David

Global Phylogeny of the Honeybee, Apis mellifera and Phylogenetic

Characterization of the Africanized Subspecies, Apis mellifera scutellata:

A Mitochondrial Perspective

9:52-10:04 AM

Thomas Pickett; Dr. Susan Bailey

Investigating Diversifying Selection Rates in American Populations of

Diaphorina citri Using Publically Available Genetic Data

10:04-10:16 AM

Katrina Stevens; Dr. Kenneth Wallace

Inflammation of the Zebrafish Intestine in a Diseased State

10:16-10:28 AM

Katherine Tulowieski; Dr. Susan Bailey

Evolution of Pseudomonas fluorescens in a Spatially Structured

Environment

10:28-10:40 AM

Cassandra Orr; Dr. Kenneth Wallace

Investigating the Effect of the Dead7 Mutation on the Development of

Notch Receiving Secretory Cells

Session Chair: Dr. Susan Bailey

Judge: Matthew Hadfield ‘11

13


9:40 – 10:40 PM Snell 177

Section 3 – Artifice & Perception (Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Emily Campbell; Dr. Sean Banerjee Creating a More Agile Artificial Voice Using Phoneme

Concatenation

9:52-10:04 AM

Nicklas Kenyon; Prof. Steven Pedersen

Making "Dimension" - Lessons Learned Making a Video Game

10:04-10:16 AM

Kristina Kolibab; Dr. Brian Hauser

Adaptation Comparison and Analysis: Relationships and the Weird

10:16-10:28 AM

Kate Wolf; Dr. Robert Dowman

Possible Role of the Locus Coeruleus Phasic Response in Threat

Detection and Reorienting

10:28-10:40 AM

Taylor Dawley; Dr. Andreas Wilke

Spatial Dependency in Developed and Natural Resource

Distributions

Session Chair: Prof. Steven Pedersen

Judge: Dr. Christina Xydias

14


9:40 – 10:40 AM Snell 212

Section 4 – Fluids & Materials (Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Sara Bingham; Dr. S. V. Babu

Effect of Dicarboxylic Acids as Complexing Agents in Slurries for

Chemical Mechanical Polishing of Cobalt Films for Interconnect

Applications

9:52-10:04 AM

Jonathan Brassard; Dr. Parisa Mirbod

Concentration Band Formation of Mono-disperse Particle

Suspensions in Simple Couette Flow

10:04-10:16 AM

Andres Garcia Jimenez; Dr. Ioannis Mastorakos

Strengthening Metallic Nanofoams through Ligaments Scale

Materials Design

Session Chair: Dr. Ming-Cheng Cheng

Judge: Dr. Douglas Bohl

15


9:40 – 10:40 PM Snell 213

Section 5 – Food & Drug Chemistry (Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Kiara Cruickshank; Dr. Richard Partch

Coupling Pi-Pi Interactions with Silica Nanoparticles to Combat Opioid

Overdose

9:52-10:04 AM

Lily Norton; Dr. Silvana Andreescu

Functional Paper Based Sensor for the Authentication of Cosmetic and

Food Products

10:04-10:16 AM

Tara Seigle; Dr. Silvana Andreescu

Designing and Characterizing Chitosan Particles for Drug and Vaccine

Delivery Applications

10:16-10:28 AM

Hanson Zhou; Dr. Shawn Clark

Protein Crystallization Prediction of Lysozyme

10:28-10:40 AM

Maya Duncan-White; Dr. Richard Partch

Pi-Pi Interactions with Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

for Opioid Overdose Remediation

Session Chair: Dr. Shawn Clark

Judge: Dr. Phillip Christiansen

16


9:40 – 10:40 AM Snell 214

Section 6 – Environmental Management & Remediation

(Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Michael Howard; Dr. Thomas Langen

Non-Forested Tree Data Collection, Database, and Future Sustainability

9:52-10:04 AM

Jacob Hunt, Abigail Fleming; Dr. Susan Powers, Dr. Stefan Grimberg

Ammonia Removal During Food Waste Anaerobic Digestion Increasing

Energy Generation and Reactive Nitrogen Recovery

10:04-10:16 AM

Matthew McGuffey; Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard

Gas Input Control in Enhanced Plasma Reactor for Groundwater

Treatment of Surfactants

10:16-10:28 AM

Peter Vargo; Dr. Silvana Andreescu

Development of a Multifunctional Platform for Rapid Detection and

Removal of Phosphate in Environmental Water

10:28-10:40 AM

Anya Byrd; Dr. Thomas Langen

Testing the Efficacy of Environmental DNA(eDNA) in Detecting of the

Blanding’s Turtle

Session Chair: Dr. Thomas Langen

Judge: Dr. Thomas Holsen

17


9:40 – 10:40 AM Snell B10L

Section 7 – Systems & Networks (Undergraduate)

9:40-9:52 AM

Justin Au-Yeung; Dr. Mahesh Banavar

Room Classification Using Acoustical Signals

9:52-10:04 AM

Anthony Dowling; Dr. Yaoqing Liu

NDN-LoRa: A Higher Range Content-Centric Mobile Ad-hoc

Network

10:04-10:16 AM

Benjamin Lannon; Dr. Jeanna Matthews

Clarkson Mirror: An Analysis of Clarkson University’s Open

Source Software Mirror

10:16-10:28 AM

Alison Stuart; Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer

Modeling and Resolving Frequency Variation Issues in Microgrids

10:28-10:40 AM

Daniel Tierney; Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer

The Impact of Distributed Generation on the Power System

Session Chair: Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer

Judge: Dr. Daqing Hou

18


10:50 – 11:50 AM Snell 169

Section 1 – Chemistry (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Shefa Alomari; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Design and Synthesis of Zwitterionic Metal-Organic Frameworks

11:05-11:20 AM

Hubert Bilan; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Zwitterionic Ligands for Metal-Organic Framework Synthesis

11:20-11:35 AM

Ali Othman; Dr. Silvana Andreescu

Functional Platform for Rapid Capture, Detection, and Tracking of

CeO2 Nanoparticles

11:35-11:50 AM

Juby Varghese; Dr. Mario Wriedt

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Platforms for the Nanostructuration

of Single Molecule Magnets: New Insights from HRTEM

Session Chair: Dr. Silvana Andreescu


19


10:50 – 11:50 AM Snell 175

Section 2 – Biology & Biochemistry (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Devin Kapper; Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Dr. Shantanu Sur,

Dr. Sumona Mondal

Developing a Kalman Filter Model to Characterize Tracked Two-

Dimensional Motion of Cells

11:05-11:20 AM

Elham Honarvarfard; Dr. Evgeny Katz

Potential Development and New Approaches in Electrochemically

Controlled Drug Release Systems

11:20-11:35 AM

Kangning Li; Dr. Thomas Lufkin

Identifying Intervertebral Disc Biomarkers via RNA in situ

Hybridization

Session Chair: Dr. Thomas Lufkin

Judge: Lisa Jeffers ‘03

20


10:50 – 11:50 AM

Snell 177

Section 3 – Physics (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Cody Johnson; Dr. Dipankar Roy

Electro-Analytical Examination of Ethyl Methyl Carbonate as an

Electrolyte Solvent for Low-Temperature Operations of Lithium-

Ion Batteries

11:05-11:20 AM

Matthew Southall; Dr. Jan Scrimgeour

Precision Limits for Fast Line Scan Particle Tracking

11:20-11:35 AM

Shen Wei; Dr. Dipankar Roy

Electroanalytical Characterization of the Double Layer and

Pseudo-Capacitive Components of a Manganese Oxide Redox

Supercapacitor

11:35-11:50 AM

Dylan Young; Dr. Jan Scrimgeour

Complex Oscillatory Fluid Flow Driven by a Linear Voice Coil

Actuator for a Microfluidics Platform

Session Chair: Dr. Dipankar Roy

Judge: Dr. Maria Gracheva

21


10:50 – 11:50 AM Snell 212

Section 4 – Plasma Chemistry & Physics (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Xudong Su; Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard, Dr. Shane Rogers,

Dr. Thomas Holsen Inactivation of E. coli by Direct-in-Liquid Electrical Discharge

Plasma: Effect of High Voltage Electrode Material

11:05-11:20 AM

Mikhail Vasilev; Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard

Electrical Discharges Contacting a Liquid: The Role of Bulk

Liquid Mass Transport in the Degradation of Organic Compounds

11:20-11:35 AM

Patrick Conlon; Dr. Douglas Bohl

A Particle Image Velocimetry Study of a Point to Plain Plasma

Reactor

Session Chair: Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard

Judge: Dr. Stefan Grimberg

22


10:50-11:50 AM Snell 213

Section 5 – Health & the Environment (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Chethani Athukorala; Dr. Stephen Bird

A Study on Evaluating the Effectiveness of Federal and State

Level Policies for Residential Solar Adoption in New York

11:05-11:20 AM

Mosun Olorunfemi; Dr. Stephen Bird

Energy Sufficiency Within the Purview of Sustainable

Development Goals: Analysis of World Bank Renewable Energy

Policies in Africa

11:20-11:35 AM

Alison Coates; Dr. Jane Oppenlander

A Measure of Health Care Provider Isolation and its Correlation

with Rurality

11:35-11:50 AM

Adam Point; Dr. Bernard S. Crimmins, Dr. Thomas M. Holsen,

Dr. Sujan Fernando

Perfluoroalkyl Acids: Contemporary Great Lakes Basin-Wide

Temporal Trends and Biomagnification Insights

Session Chair: Dr. Thomas Langen

Judge: Dr. Alan Rossner

23


10:50 – 11:50 AM

Snell 214

Section 6 – Imaging & Analytical Techniques in

Environmental Sciences (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Batsal Pudasaini; Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala Estimating PM2.5 From Photographs Using Physics-Based

Modeling and Machine Learning

11:05-11:20 AM

Aikebaier Renaguli; Dr. Thomas Holsen, Dr. Sujan Fernando,

Dr. Bernard Crimmins Identification of Novel Halogenated Organic Contaminants in the

Great Lakes Fish Using GCxGC-HR-ToF MS

11:20-11:35 AM

Sadjad Fakouri Baygi; Dr. Thomas Holsen

Search for Novel Halogenated Contaminants in the Great Lakes

Trout Using Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatography (APGC)

Coupled to Mass Spectrometry

Session Chair: Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala

Judge: Dr. Michelle Crimi

24


10:50 – 11:50 AM Snell B10L

Section 7 – Security Systems (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Garegin Grigoryan; Dr. Yaoqing Liu

Enabling Cooperative IoT Security via Software Defined Networks

and Programmable Data Planes

11:05-11:20 AM

Xuan Qi; Dr. Stephanie Schuckers

Mitigate Compression Artifacts for Face in Video Recognition

11:20-11:35 AM

Gildo Torres; Dr. Chen Liu

Early Detection of Data-only Malware Attacks Using Low-level

Hardware Features

Session Chair: Dr. Chen Liu

Judge: Dr. Charles Thorpe

25


10:50 – 11:50 AM Snell B10M

Section 8 – Sensors & Signal Processing (Graduate)

10:50-11:05 AM

Derek Kosciolek; Dr. David Crouse

Plasmonic Design and Fabrication for a Handheld, Portable

Biosensor

11:05-11:20 AM

Kevin Mack; Dr. Mahesh Banavar

Room Mapping with Bluetooth Low Energy on Mobile Devices

11:20-11:35 AM

Chinmay Sahu; Dr. Mahesh Banavar

De-noising and Event Extraction From Noisy Wireless Data Using

Matrix Decomposition

11:35-11:50 AM

Tianqi Yang; Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Dr. Jie Sun

Optimal Distributed Sensor Localization with Noisy Distance

Measurements

Session Chair: Dr. David Crouse

Judge: Dr. William Jemison

26

Poster Presentation Session

12:30 – 2:00 PM

Cheel Arena

Section 1 – Cellular & Molecular Biology

(Undergraduate)

1 Adam Sherwin; Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Dr. Shantanu

Sur Classification of Motile Cells Using the Kalman Filter

2 Althea Henderson; Lara Varden; Dr. Thomas Lufkin,

Dr. Shantanu Sur Ki67 Protein or Ki67 mRNA – How to Assess Cell

Proliferation Readiness?

3 Timothy Low-Beer, Gretchen Kraeger; Dr. Cintia

Hongay Localization of Dm Ime4 During Embryogenesis

Supports its Importance in Drosophila melanogaster’s

Development

4 Victoria Olsen; Dr. Petra Kraus, Dr. Thomas Lufkin

A Novel Antisense RNA is a Target of Key Skeletogenic

Transcription Factors in the Developing Annulus Fibrosis

5 Thomas Pickett; Dr. Andrew David

Global Connectivity Patterns of the Notoriously Invasive

Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk Using Archived

CO1 Sequence Data

6 Ariel Delgado, et Al.; Dr. William Reiley

Comparative Efficacy of Influenza Vaccines

7 Lanette Lacomb, et Al.; Dr. William Reiley

Comparative Efficacy of Influenza Vaccine Adjuvants

Judges: Dr. Craig Woodworth

Lisa Jeffers ‘03

27


12:30 – 2:00 PM Cheel Arena

Section 2 – Biometrics (Graduate)

8 Blaine Ayotte; Dr. Mahesh Banavar*

Stress Detection using Speech and Touch Data Collected

from Smart-Devices

9 Keivan Bahmani; Dr. Stephanie Schuckers*

Validation of Biometric Identification of Dairy Cows

Based on Udder Vein Images

10 Priyanka Das; Dr. Stephanie Schuckers Child Biometric Aging

11 Sandip Purnapatra; Dr. Stephanie Schuckers

Use of Cardiac Radar for Biometric Identification

Judge: Dr. Daqing Hou

* Sustainability Poster

28



Section 3 – Chemistry (Undergraduate) 12 Kiara Cruickshank; Dr. Richard Partch*

Coupling Pi-Pi Interactions with Silica Nanoparticles to

Combat Opioid Overdose

13 Lily Norton; Dr. Silvana Andreescu

Functional Paper Based Sensor for the Authentication of

Cosmetic and Food Products

14 Jenna Brockett, Paul Lawrence; Dr. Mario Wriedt Design and Synthesis of Zwitterionic Metal-Organic

Frameworks

15 Michael Chirgwin; Dr. Mario Wriedt* Design and Synthesis of Zwitterionic Metal-Organic

Frameworks for Small-Molecule Adsorption and

Separation Applications

16 Fletcher Dix; Dr. Mario Wriedt*

Electrochemically Switchable Zwitterionic Metal-Organic

Frameworks

17 Maya Duncan-White; Dr. Richard Partch* Pi-Pi Interactions with Functionalized Mesoporous Silica

Nanoparticles for Opioid Overdose Remediation

Judges: Dr. Phillip Christiansen

Dr. Devon Shipp


29



Section 4 – Electrochemistry (Graduate) 18 Farideh Hosseini Narouei; Dr. Silvana Andreescu*

Electrochemical Investigation of Lead Ions Adsorption on

TiO2 Nanoparticles: Effect of Environmental

Composition and Particle Surface

19 Kevin Kirk; Dr. Silvana Andreescu

Conformational Analysis of Polyethyleneimine-Capped

Silver Nanoparticles using Collision Electrochemistry

20 Cody Johnson; Dr. Dipankar Roy

Electro-Analytical Examination of Ethyl Methyl

Carbonate as an Electrolyte Solvent for Low-Temperature

Operations of Lithium-Ion Batteries

21 Shen Wei; Dr. Dipankar Roy*

Electroanalytical Characterization of the Double Layer

and Pseudo-Capacitive Components of a Manganese

Oxide Redox Supercapacitor

Judge: Dr. Elisabeth Podlaha-Murphy


30



Section 5 – Environmental Management &

Remediation (Undergraduate)

22 Brook Zeller, et Al.; Dr. Susan Powers*

Potential Community Composting for Potsdam, NY

23 Michael Howard; Dr. Thomas Langen*

Non-Forested Tree Data Collection, Database, and Future

Sustainability

24 Greg Murray; Dr. Alan Rossner

A Study of Mercury Concentrations in a Local Aquatic

Ecosystem and a Review of Mercury Ecotoxicity

25 Peter Vargo; Dr. Silvana Andreescu* Development of a Multifunctional Platform for Rapid

Detection and Removal of Phosphate in Environmental

Water

Judge: Dr. Michelle Crimi


31



Section 6 – Environment (Graduate)

26 Mikhail Vasilev; Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard*

Electrical Discharges Contacting a Liquid: The Role of

Bulk Liquid Mass Transport in the Degradation of

Organic Compounds

27 Ali Othman; Dr. Silvana Andreescu* Recyclable Nanosorbent for Treatment and Management

of Eutrophication in Environmental Waters

28 Michael Bicknell, Anya Byrd; Dr. Thomas Langen

Environmental DNA (eDNA) Survey for the Rapid

Detection of Habitat Occupancy of Emydoidea blandingii.

29 Sadjad Fakouri Baygi; Dr. Thomas Holsen*

Search for Novel Halogenated Contaminants in the Great

Lakes Trout Using Atmospheric Pressure Gas

Chromatography (APGC) Coupled to Mass Spectrometry

Judge: Dr. Shane Rogers


32



Section 7 – Health (Undergraduate)

30 Abigail Avolio; Dr. Ali Boolani

Impact of Mood After Cognitive Fatigue on Gait in Older

Adults

31 Aurora Goodwin; Dr. Ali Boolani

The Impact of Cognitive Fatigue on Aerobic Output in a 6-

Minute Walk Test Among Older Adults

32 Brian Chrzan; Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus

Simulated Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Vertebrae

33 Emily Rogers; Dr. Ali Boolani

Relationship between Cognitive Function and Gait in Older

Adults

34 Rachael Vaccaro; Dr. Ali Boolani

Relationship Between Motivation to Perform Physical Tasks

and Gait

35 Daniel Fuller; Dr. Sumona Mondal, Dr. Ali Boolani

Influence of Physiological Fatigue on Gait Cycle Variance

in Athletes

Judge: Dr. Shantanu Sur

33



Section 8 – Health (Graduate)

36 Darren Sipes; Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala

Hypoxia: Exploring Early Manifestations and Therapeutic

Possibilities

37 Dustin Brown; Dr. Lisa Tebo, Dr. Victoria Prignac Fall Prevention Educational Sessions: An Occupational

Therapy Perspective

38 Alison Coates; Dr. Jane Oppenlander

A Measure of Health Care Provider Isolation and its

Correlation with Rurality

39 David Josephs; Dr. Ali Boolani, Dr. Sumona Mondal

Acute Effects of Caffeine-containing, Adaptogeic-Rich

Natural Beverages on Sustained Attention, Mood, Heart

Rate, Blood Pressure, and Fine Motor Skills

40 Sai Ma; Dr. Ali Boolani, Dr. Sumona Mondal Predictors of Energy and Fatigue in Graduate Health

Science Students

Judges: Dr. George Fulk

Matthew Hadfield ‘11

34



Section 9 – Signal Processing (Undergraduate)

41 Reece Emero; Dr. Daqing Hou


Applications

42 Bryan Klee, Kristina Kolibab; Dr. Daqing Hou;

Dr. Stephanie Schuckers

Sanitizing the Clarkson Keystroke Dataset for Public

Sharing

43 Jared Heidt; Dr. Daqing Hou

Using Keystroke Dynamics to Protect Online Credit Card

Transactions

44 Lee Taylor; Dr. Daqing Hou

Mouse Dynamic Biometrics for Web Account Protection

45 Justin Au-Yeung; Dr. Mahesh Banavar*


46 Hunter Bashaw; Dr. Mahesh Banavar Mind Controlled Robots

47 Mackenna Wood; Dr. Joshua Thomas

Making Lemonade out of LEMON: Improved Photometry

Processing Software

Judge: Dr. William Jemison


35



Section 10 – Devices & Sensors (Graduate)

48 Kevin Mack; Dr. Mahesh Banavar

Room Mapping with Bluetooth Low Energy on Mobile

Devices

49 Chinmay Sahu; Dr. Mahesh Banavar De-noising and Event Extraction From Noisy Wireless

Data Using Matrix Decomposition

50 Tianqi Yang; Dr. Mahesh Banavar; Dr. Jie Sun

Optimal Distributed Sensor Localization with Noisy

Distance Measurements

51 Fatima Mustafa; Dr. Silvana Andreescu*

Design and Development of a Paper-Based Biosensor for

Food Quality Monitoring

52 Jie Dong; Dr. Steve Wojtkiewicz

Aeroelastic Real-Time Hybrid Simulation (AeroRTHS):

Validation of Vortex Induced Vibration of a Tall Building

Structure

53 Lissette Fernandez; Dr. Steve Wojtkiewicz*

Holistic Vibration Energy Harvesting in Structural

Systems

Judges: Dr. Sean Banerjee

Dr. Stephanie Schuckers


36



Section 11 – Energy and the Environment

(Undergraduate)

54 Alicia Busch, et Al.; Dr. Susan Powers*

Clarkson University Greenhouse Redesign Project

55 Luke D’Aquila, et Al.; Dr. Susan Powers*

Sustainability Analysis for the Full and By Farm

Greenhouse Revitalization

56 Thomas Couture; Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer*

Co-Op Thesis as Lead Engineer: Optimized Energy

Storage Design Software at Electra Vehicles, Inc.

57 Dakota Bragg, et Al.; Dr. Stephen Bird, Dr. Susan

Powers*

Social Media to Motivate Resource Conservation

58 Megan Carhart; Dr. Phillip Christiansen*

Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa) as an Energy Crop for

Northern New York

Judge: Dr. Alan Rossner


37



Section 12 – Materials Science (Graduate)

59 Yaroslav Filipov; Dr. Maria Gamella Carballo; Dr.

Evgeny Katz

Nano-Species Release System Activated by Enzyme-

Based XOR Logic Gate

60 Hossein Nouri; Dr. Ruth Baltus* Investigation of Electrostatic Interactions, Particle Size,

and Pore Size on Rejection by Porous Membrane

61 Andrei Sinitsyn; Dr. Maria Gracheva

Molecular Dynamics Model of a Cerium Dioxide

Nanoparticle

62 Juby Varghese; Dr. Mario Wriedt*

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Platforms for the

Nanostructuration of Single Molecule Magnets: New

Insights from HRTEM

Judge: Dr. Zijie Yan


38



Section 13 – Social Science (Undergraduate)

63 James Clark, Alice Cochran; Dr. Stephen Casper

Potsdam at War: Student and Military Mobilization

64 Nicholas Pascua; Dr. Stephen Casper

The Armistice Celebrated in the North Country, New

York

65 Kendal Sowa; Dr. Lisa Legault

Cognitive and Neurophysiological Markers of

Procrastination

66 Kevin Ho, Laura Perry

Advantages of the Lightboard: An Integration of

Technology & Pedagogy

67 Jevon Benson, JaQuan Vidot; Dr. Robert Dowman

Neural Mechanisms of Reorientation of Attention: Insight

into the Role of the Locus Coeruleus

68 Breanna Johnson; Dr. Jennifer Knack

To Help or Not To Help? Detecting Depression on Mock

Profiles and Forming Impressions of Electronic

Interaction Partners

69 Angela Johnson, Dr. Stephen Casper

Clarkson College of Technology WWI Efforts

Judges: Dr. Brian Hauser

Dr. Christina Xydias

39



Section 14 – Education (Graduate)

70 Kirsten Dunn; Jessica Murray*

Utilizing Online Alternative Platforms in Assessments

71 Ping Huang; Dr. Sherri Duan How Chinese Characters and Grammars Reflect Chinese

Culture

72 Sabine Murphy; Jessica Murray

Metacognitive Strategies in the TESOL Classroom

73 Yunxiao Zhang; Jessica Murray

Digital Storytelling: Promoting the Communicative

Competence in the Project-based Foreign Language

Acquisition

Judge: Dr. Peter Turner


40



Section 15 – Engineering Design & Modeling

(Undergraduate)

74 Andrew Meier; Dr. Steven Wojtkiewicz

Advances in Control of Civil Structures

75 Patrick Karmis, et Al.; Dr. Çetin Çetinkaya

Qualifying the 3D-Printed-Leveling Capability of an

Automated Ultrasonic Pharmaceutical Tablet Testing and

Characterization Instrument

76 Patrick Karmis, et Al.; Dr. Çetin Çetinkaya Non-Invasive Acoustic Monitoring of the Medium Inside a

Chromatography Column

77 Christian Di Marco; Dr. Brian Helenbrook

Stability Analysis of Silicon Wafer Production by Horizontal

Ribbon Growth

78 Corey Tambasco; Dr. Brian Helenbrook

Optimization of a Luge Sled Trajectory Down the Lake Placid

Track

79 Emily Campbell; Dr. Sean Banerjee

Creating a More Agile Artificial Voice Using Phoneme

Concatenation

Judge: Nick Forlenza ‘82


41

Design and Synthesis of Zwitterionic Metal-Organic

Frameworks

Shefa Alomari1, Dr. Mario Wriedt1

1Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a new type of porous

material. Their crystalline structures are composed of metal clusters connected

by polytypic organic linkers. The characteristics of the metal and organic ligand

blocks are important for controlling the resulting topologies, pore environments,

and functionalities and hence affect the characteristics of the MOFs to capture

specific guest molecules. As a new means to introduce charged-polarized

porosity into MOFs we explore zwitterionic (ZW) ligands as MOF building

blocks. These ligands are composed of both cationic and anionic functional

groups resulting in an electrostatic field gradient on their molecular surfaces.

Incorporating them into MOFs leads to polarization effects on guest molecules,

resulting in enhanced adsorption enthalpies and multi-stimulus-responsive

properties. N-substituted pyridines, namely pyridinium and their derivatives are

among the most famous zwitterions; however, the design and synthesis of new

pyridinium-based ligands are challenging. In my research, I explore the

synthesis of new rigid zwitterionic ligands through multi-non-standard organic

protocols. In this talk, I will present on the crystal structures and physical

properties of new ZW MOFs. I will show that these systematic investigations

will pave the way to develop new functional materials with improved adsorption

properties.

Mentor: Dr. Mario Wriedt, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), Zwitterionic ligands, Porous

crystalline materials, Pyridinium derivatives

Session 3, Section 1 Chemistry Snell 169, 10:50AM

mailto:[email protected]

42

A Study on Evaluating the Effectiveness of Federal

and State Level Policies for Residential Solar

Adoption in New York

Chethani Athukorala1, Dr. Stephen Bird2

1Institute for Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University 2Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Solar installations have been growing rapidly in the United States over the past

few years, incentivized by policies from federal, state and local governments.

New York has a monthly average solar irradiance of 4 kWhm-2 per day and has

a target for installed capacity of solar to be 5000MW by 2025. Despite of these

facts, the electricity production accounts only for 1% from solar in the state.

Residential solar adoption, which accounts for 11% of installed capacity could

be improved by financial and non-financial incentives imposed by federal and

state level policies. Since the motive to adopt solar might depend on various

factors, the relationship between solar policies and solar deployment are

questions of importance to policy makers and scholars. This study is focused on

identifying the effect of policies on the decision of solar adoption by residents in

different levels, assessing the effectiveness of the existing policies and providing

recommendations for a better utilization of solar energy in New York.

Mentor: Dr. Stephen Bird, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Residential Solar Adoption, New York Solar Policies

Session 3, Section 5 Health and the Environment Snell 213, 10:50AM

43


Justin Au-Yeung1, Dr. Mahesh Banavar1

1Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The purpose of this study is to classify different types of rooms based on their

acoustic properties. We used the CoSiNe Lab’s Reflection App for data

collection. This application allows a device (Android tablet) to transmit an

acoustic signal, which reflects off objects and walls; these reflections are

received by the device. Several recordings were taken in different rooms with

the recording device pointing in all directions. We then take the cross-

correlation between the transmitted and received signals, finding the structural

similarities between them. Different features such as highest peak and time

between peaks are identified in the cross-correlation data. Using these features,

we use different machine learning algorithms such as random forest and KNN,

to create models that differentiate between different types of rooms and the

different positions within the room. Each feature is weighed within the

algorithms to determine its importance to the model. Through testing different

combinations of features and examining the results, clusters and patterns can be

identified within the data. Based on our results, we use three features for

classification. Results show that the classification accuracy between different

rooms is 88.64%. Including more features in the model didn’t cause a significant

increase in accuracy.

Mentor: Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Room Classification, Acoustic Signal, Cross-Correlation, Random

Forest, KNN

Session 2, Section 7 Systems & Networks Snell B10L, 9:40AM

Poster #45, Signal Processing Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


44

Impact of Mood after Cognitive Fatigue on Gait in

Older Adults

Abigail Avolio1, Aurora Goodwin1, Dr. George Fulk2,

Dr. Rebecca Martin2, Dr. Ali Boolani2

1Department of Biology, Clarkson University 2Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The objective was to determine the relationship between mood (fatigue, vigor,

motivation, trait physical energy (TPE), trait physical fatigue (TPF), trait mental

energy (TME), trait mental fatigue (TMF)) and gait and changes in mood after a

6-minute walk test (6MWT). Subjects (N=12) completed 2 days of a 2-hour

protocol of cognitively fatiguing tasks, after which they were administered the

Profile of Mood Survey (POMS) and Trait Mental and Physical Fatigue and

Energy surveys (TS), tasked to complete a 6MWT at their normal speed, and

then readministered the POMS and TS. Gait speed (GS), step length (SL) and

stride length (StL) were measured using the OptoGaitTM. A bi-variate Pearson

correlation was used to determine the relationship between mood scores and GS,

SL, and StL. There were no relationships between mood and gait variables for

the first 30 seconds of the walk however there was a significant relationship

between fatigue and GS (p=.044, R=-.371); vigor and GS (p=.016, R=.437), SL

(p=.020, R=.422), StL (p=.023, R=.415); TME and GS (p=.029, R=.400), SL

(p=.023, R=.415), StL (p=.024, R=.410) in the last 30 seconds of the 6MWT.

Results indicate that energy and fatigue are related to gait but only towards the

end of the 6MWT.

Mentor: Dr. Ali Boolani, Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

Keywords: Mood, Cognitive Fatigue, Gait, Older Adult

Poster #30, Health Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


45

Stress Detection using Speech and Touch Data

Collected from Smart-Devices

Blaine Ayotte1, Dr. Mahesh Banavar1

1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Today the world is full of smart-devices. While making lives easier, these

devices are continuously recording information about their users. We propose to

use these devices and their recorded data to determine if they can predict when a

user is under stress. In particular, we are focusing on speech data collected from

Google Home, and touch information captured from Android smart-phones. It

has previously been shown that voice stress analysis (VSA) can be used to detect

stress in speech. Swiping information has been shown to be a promising method

for user profiling. In existing studies, users were given specific tasks to perform

on given devices in controlled environments. Our touch and speech data is not

collected through controlled experiments, but rather while a user normally

interacts with their phone and home assistant. This novel data is expected to

enable us to better capture a user’s behavior. The effects of stress should be

measurable both through a user’s speech and their swiping behavior. Using both

types of data gives us another feature space to more robustly detect stress. By

coupling the speech and touch data, we expect to more accurately determine

when a user is under stress.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by the NSF CPS award

1646542 (ASU Prime).

Mentor: Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Department of Electrical and Computer

Engineering, Clarkson University

Keywords: Behavioral Biometric, Stress Detection

Poster #8, Biometrics Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


46

Validation of Biometric Identification of Dairy Cows

Based on Udder Vein Images

Keivan Bahmani1, Ben Schilling1, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers1


University

[email protected]

Isolating sick dairy cows from healthy dairy cows is an extremely important

task. The milk produced by sick dairy cows cannot be allowed to mix with the

milk from healthy dairy cows or it risks contaminating the entire batch. There

are some current methods to identify dairy cows including ear tags or ankle

bands, RFID tags, and even iris patterns. By using NIR (Near-Infrared) camera

images of a cow’s udder, verification of a cow’s identity can be made as well as

any day to day differences. We produced two datasets, the first dataset contains

images of pre-singed cows while the second dataset covers the post-singed

cows. We evaluated both datasets and our highest results were 87.8% for

verification and 53.3% for identification.

Mentor: Dr. Stephanie Schuckers, Department of Electrical and Computer


Keywords: Cow Identification, NIR imaging, Biometrics.



47

Merging Markets vs. Merging Limit Order Books?

What Matters Most to Traded Stocks?

Aadhilakshmi Balasubramanian1 , Dr. Mohamed Mekhaimer1

1Department of Finance, Clarkson University

[email protected]

This paper investigates the impact of launching a single-order book in the

Euronext exchange on traded stocks. A single-order book is an electronic trading

system that lists all the buy and sell orders for a particular exchange. Potential

investors can use the order book to find more information on orders listed to

make more informed trading decisions. By uniting multiple order books, the

merged exchange has consolidated and become a more transparent exchange.

Specifically, this study examines the effect of the staggered introduction of a

single-order book shared among Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris on

fragmentation, volatility, and commonality in return and liquidity of traded

stocks. The study employs a difference-indifference analysis to gauge the effect

of the single-order book on traded stocks. The aim of this paper is to isolate the

effects of consolidating exchanges from consolidating order books on listed

firms. The Euronext single order book presents a perfect setting to test such

impact presents due to the natural control sample Lisbon exchange, which is part

of the merger event but excluded from the single order book. The results of this

study may improves our understanding of the potential results of consolidating

different markets in one single order book.

Mentor: Professor Mohamed Mekhaimer, Department of Finance, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Stock Exchanges, Euronext, Merged Exchange, Limit Order Book,

Consolidation, Fragmentation

Session 1, Section 3 Business Snell 177, 8:30AM

48

Mind Controlled Robots

Hunter Bashaw1, Andy Mahoney1, Dr. Mahesh Banavar2

1Department of Computer Science, Clarkson University


[email protected]

Human-computer interaction has dramatically changed over the last several

years, with advancements such as pen inputs, voice assistants, and robotics. Of

these, robotics is by far the most powerful, and a lot of research is ongoing to

interface computers directly with the body, especially in the area of prosthetic

limbs. In this project, we have set out to use electrical signals generated by the

brain to control a robot. We designed a control scheme where a focused user

enabled the robot to move forward, and any brain activity would make the robot

turn. We used brain waves, recorded using a technique known as

electroencephalography, to determine the focus of the user. The recorded brain

waves are noisy. With the help of noise-removing filters, we can better interpret

the brainwaves. We collected data from dozens of trials, and concluded that the

theta and alpha brainwaves were most significant when determining focus and

activity. The experimental data also allowed to the select thresholds to

differentiate between activity and no activity, with the help of which, we were

able to create a consistent control scheme for a robot. Future work involves the

design of an adaptive control scheme.

Mentor: Mahesh Banavar, Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Robotics, Signals, Electroencephalography, Programming

Poster #46, Signal Processing Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


49

Neural Mechanisms of Reorientation of Attention:

Insight into the Role of the Locus Coeruleus

Jevon Benson1, JaQuan Vidot1, Kate Wolf1, Dr. Robert

Dowman1

1Department of Psychology, Clarkson University

[email protected], [email protected]

Previous work from this laboratory has demonstrated an attentional bias towards

somatic threats (e.g. a painful somatic stimulus and/or non-painful stimulus

presented in a pain context), as evidenced by faster reaction times to unexpected

threatening stimuli. Our previous experimental studies suggest this attentional

bias results from the activation of somatic threat detectors in the dorsal posterior

insula, which then activates brain areas important in reorientation of attention

towards the unexpected threating stimulus. Our computational modeling study

suggest this threat detector activity elicits a phasic response in the locus

coeruleus. The locus coeruleus phasic response results in a phasic facilitation of

the cortical areas involved in decision and responses processes time-locked to

the stimulus. Past studies suggest the late positive potential (LPP), positive

potential occurring 400-700ms post stimulus over the parietal scalp, indexes the

LC phasic response. If the locus coeruleus is playing a role in the attentional bias

towards somatic threats then the LLP evoked by an unexpected threatening

somatic stimulus should be larger than the LPP evoked by a non-threating

somatic stimulus.

Mentor: Dr. Robert Dowman, Psychology Chair, Clarkson University

Keywords: Pain, Attention, Reorientation, Locus Coeruleus, Threat

Poster #67, Social Science Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


50

Improving Quality of Life by Increasing Wheelchair

Mobility in Winter Conditions

Anthony M. Bertocchi1, Brian P. Chrzan2, Brianna N. Doerfler1,

Taylor M. Fenoff2, Gavin J. Hambrose2, Brittany L. Hawley3,

Christopher L. Kudlacik2, Katherine Slocum1

1David D. Reh School of Business, Clarkson University

2Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson

University 3Department of Occupational Therapy, Clarkson University

[email protected], [email protected],

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected]

A conservatively estimated 1.25 million manual wheelchair users in North

America live in areas receiving over 5 inches of snow annually. Snow can

decrease wheelchair user’s quality of life, overall health, and access to

occupations. Common problems include front wheels of wheelchairs (casters)

getting stuck in snow, decreased traction of rear wheels, and increased corrosion

due to salting of sidewalks and roads. Our products, Wheel Treads and Caster

Skis, will enhance mobility for manual wheelchair users in the winter months.

Wheel Treads are a set of continuous tracks that the rear wheels will sit in,

amplifying the user’s manual propulsion to propel the treads and allowing the

wheelchair to move without contacting the snow. This product will increase

traction and protect the wheelchair from corrosion. The Caster Skis will prevent

the casters from getting stuck in snow. They will allow the casters to roll over

pavement and glide over snow. These products will enhance the lives of manual

wheelchair users by increasing their access and participation in winter

conditions.

Acknowledgements: This material is based upon work supported by the National

Science Foundation under Grant No. GARDE-1510367 (Kuxhaus).

Mentors: Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus, Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical

Engineering, Clarkson University, Dr. Lisa Tebo, Department of Occupational

Therapy, Clarkson University

Keywords: Medical Devices, Quality of Life, Skis, Treads, Wheelchair, Winter

Conditions

Session 1, Section 5 Medicine & Biomedical Engineering Snell 212, 9:18 AM







51

Environmental DNA (eDNA) Survey for the Rapid

Detection of Habitat Occupancy of Emydoidea

blandingii

Michael Bicknell1, Anya Byrd2, Maxwell Wilder3, Dr. Tom

Langen1

1Department of Biology, Clarkson University

2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland 3Department of Biology, St. John Fisher College


The detection of Environmental DNA (eDNA) has rapidly become a valuable

conservation tool for the detection of endangered, cryptic and invasive aquatic

species, especially in cases where traditional methods are unreliable. Traditional

species detection methods are often limited by low detection probabilities, high

field costs and frequently are ecologically invasive. However, organisms

naturally release small amounts of DNA into their environment (within feces,

saliva, dead skin cells, etc.), which can be isolated and identified using a species-

specific genetic assay without actually capturing the target species. However,

there still is a great need for the development and implementation of an

appropriate statistical frameworks to evaluate eDNA detection data, determine

optimal spatial-temporal survey design, and compare survey results to traditional

methods. Our current and ongoing research aims to develop and evaluate the

efficacy of an eDNA survey using sediment and water samples from wetlands

sites (N=20 and N=26, respectively) for Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea

blandingii), a Threatened and Species of Greatest Conservation Need in New

York, using an occupancy modeling approach, while simultaneously conducting

traditional hoop-trapping surveys. The results of our study will provide unbiased

method-specific detection probabilities, determine the influence of survey design

on detection, and potentially provide low-cost monitoring tool for Blanding’s

turtle.

Acknowledgements: Support from the St. Lawrence River Research and

Education Fund, the SUNY Walker Fellowship, and SUNY Potsdam is greatly

appreciated for making this research and opportunity possible.

Poster #28, Environment Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


52

Zwitterionic Ligands for Metal-Organic Framework

Synthesis

Hubert Bilan1, Alexander Harley1, Steve Dunckel2, Dr. Mario

Wriedt1


University 2Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Research on the design of zwitterionic metal-organic frameworks (ZW MOFs)

has recently found a niche in solid state materials leading to new fundamental

advancements in this field. ZW MOFs have been found to show photoresponsive

radical formation in the solid state resulting in a switchable gas sorption

behavior [1]. New ZW ligands and their functionalization were explored based

on nicotinates including nicotinic acid, isonicotinic acid, and dinicotinic acid.

Six new pseudo-regioisomeric ligands have been synthesized and screened for

MOF formations. The resulting materials exhibit non-porous topologies

featuring pi-pi interactions for structural stabilization. This presentation is

focused on the materials crystal structures derived from single crystal x-ray

diffraction and powder xray diffraction methods.


Clarkson University

References:

[1] W. An, D. Aulakh, X. Zhang, W. Verdegaal, K. R. Dunbar, and M.

Wriedt, “Switching of Adsorption Properties in a Zwitterionic Metal-

Organic Framework Triggered by Photogenerated Radical Triplets,”

Chem. Mater., vol. 28, no. 21, pp. 7825–7832, 2016.

Session 3, Section 1 Chemistry Snell 169, 10:05AM

53

Effect of Dicarboxylic Acids as Complexing Agents in

Slurries for Chemical Mechanical Polishing of Cobalt

Films for Interconnect Applications

Sara Bingham1, Dr. R. Popuri1, Dr. S.V. Babu1

1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Cobalt (Co) is being evaluated as an alternative to replace copper in the trenches

of interconnects for 10 nm and smaller technology nodes. Recent literature

suggests the use of difference carboxylic acids as complexing agents (CAs) for

polishing Co interconnects. In this work, the effect of chain length of three

dicarboxylic acids, namely oxalic acid, succinic acid, and adipic acid as CAs

polishing electroplated Co films was investigated to develop a fundamental

understanding of the interaction of these CAs with the Co films during

interconnect CMP process. The removal and dissolution rates obtained with

peroxide-based slurries containing colloidal silica abrasives decreased with an

increase in pH for all CAs investigated due to the formation of more passive

cobalt oxide in the alkaline region. Polarization conductance values obtained

from linear polarization resistance analysis of potentiodynamic plots increased

with decrease in pH and increase in chain length of CA at the same pH. This

along with removal rate data suggests that the reactivity of the slurry decreases

with the increase in chain length of the dicarboxylic acid.

Acknowledgments: IBM and Nyacol for providing Co films and silica slurries

respectively.

Mentor: Dr. S. V. Babu, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular


Keywords: interconnect, CMP, cobalt, dicarboxylic acid, removal rate,

dissolution rate

Session 2, Section 4 Fluids & Materials Snell 212, 9:40AM


54

Towards Principled Methods for Unary

Classification Problems

Zander Blasingame1, Dr. Chen Liu1


University

[email protected]

In this work we present a principled approach for training models to solve unary

classification problems. We examine machine learning algorithms to detect data-

oriented exploits using hardware level information. We explore several exploits

as a case study including hearblead and FREAK. The algorithms we discuss are

designed to solve the problem of detecting exploits without prior knowledge of

malicious behaviour. Our approach is specifically designed to solve this

problem. We explore two variants of the GAN model one to generate counterfeit

malicious behaviour for training and the other using the GAN model to train the

discriminator. Additionally, an extension on the k Nearest Neighbour algorithm

to unary classification problems is presented. Additionally, we present our

findings on what techniques were successful in solving this problem. Our

preliminary results indicate detection accuracies of 94% to 99% on the seven

exploits tested. We analyse the limitations of our current machine learning

models and the constraints of the problem itself.

Mentor: Dr. Chen Liu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Keywords: Anomaly detection, GANs, machine learning, malware detection,

deep learning, unary classification

Session 1, Section 7 Security Systems Snell B10L, 8:30AM


55

Social Media to Motivate Resource Conservation

Dakota Bragg1, Leila Nikdel2, Elisha Snow1, Dr. Stephen Bird1,

Dr. Susan Powers2

1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Clarkson

University 2Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University


[email protected]

Depending on the type of behavioral intervention, occupant behavior changes

can save up to 20% of energy consumption in buildings. However, college and

university students living in student housing exemplify a “split incentive

problem” regarding energy and water waste; they are the users of the resource,

but are not paying for it. Clarkson’s Smart Housing Project has been ongoing for

4 years and collecting utility use data through sensors installed in Woodstock

buildings. Different intervention programs conducted used workshops,

motivational email messages, and real-time energy feedbacks. The project’s

overall hypothesis that the combination of intrinsic motivation, educational

action tips, and feedback is the most powerful way to develop a change proves

to be successful, with the only problem arising in the act of engaging and

motivating the residents. This semester, we introduced a new way of

communicating with students through social media (Instagram). We aim to

identify the most effective way to motivate students to change resource

consumption habits. Instagram posts provide a variety of tips and motivations,

accompanied by eye-catching graphics. Immediate feedback from the students is

prompted with each post or email. Later, a focus group is intended to help us

evaluate our different communication methods.

Mentors: Dr. Stephen Bird, Department of Civil and Environmental


Dr. Susan Powers, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University

Keywords: Occupant Behavior, Intrinsic Motivations, Energy Conservation,

Incentive Programs, Social Media

Poster #57, Energy & the Environment Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


56

Concentration Band Formation of Mono-Disperse

Particle Suspensions in Simple Couette Flow

Jonathan Brassard1,2, Dr. Parisa Mirbod3

1Department of Physics, Clarkson University

2Department of Political Science, Clarkson University 3Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Couette flow takes place when two coaxial cylinders form an annulus which

contains a fluid and the inner cylinder is made to rotate. This arrangement can

be seen in the picture to the left. The fluid flows over the surface of the inner

cylinder in a non-uniform way, causing bands, or areas where the fluid flows

faster and higher above the surface of the cylinder, as can be seen in the second

picture. This research focused on trends in banding behavior at high rotational

speeds. Rotational speed, particle concentration, and the filling fraction of the

fluid (0 being empty and 1 being a full chamber), were varied and results such

as band formation time, number of bands produced, and band stability were

observed. Banding in Couette flow has potential applications in well drilling and

micro-fluidic technologies.

Mentor: Dr. Parisa Mirbod, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical


Session 2, Section 4 Fluids & Materials Snell 212, 9:52 AM

57


Frameworks

Jenna Brockett1, Paul Lawrence1, Shefa Alomari2, Dr. Mario

Wriedt2


University


University


Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a new type of porous material.

Their crystalline structures are composed of metal clusters connected by polytypic

organic linkers. The characteristics of the metal and organic ligand blocks are

important for controlling the resulting topologies, pore environments, and

functionalities and hence affect the characteristics of the MOFs to capture specific

guest molecules. As a new means to introduce charged-polarized porosity into MOFs

we explore zwitterionic (ZW) ligands as MOF building blocks. These ligands are

composed of both cationic and anionic functional groups resulting in an electrostatic

field gradient on their molecular surfaces. Incorporating them into MOFs leads to

polarization effects on guest molecules, resulting in enhanced adsorption enthalpies

and multi-stimulus-responsive properties. N-substituted pyridines, namely

pyridinium and their derivatives are among the most famous zwitterions; however,

the design and synthesis of new pyridinium-based ligands are challenging. In our

research, we explore the synthesis of new rigid zwitterionic ligands through multi-

non-standard organic protocols. In this poster presentation, we will present on the

crystal structures and physical properties of new ZW MOFs. We will show that these

systematic investigations will pave the way to develop new functional materials with

improved adsorption properties.

Acknowledgements: Wriedt Laboratory, Collegiate Science and Technology Entry

Program, Community of Underrepresented Professional Opportunities, Arthur O.

Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program, and the Clarkson University Honors

Program for their support.

Mentors: Dr. Mario Wriedt and Shefa Alomari, Department of Chemistry, Clarkson

University.

Keywords: Metal-organic Framework, Zwitterionic Ligand, Porous Material,

Pyridinium Derivatives

Poster #14, Chemistry Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM

58

Fall Prevention Educational Sessions: An

Occupational Therapy Perspective

Dustin Brown1, Dr. Lisa Tebo1, Dr. Victoria Priganc1

1Department of Occupational Therapy, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The poster presentation will provide viewers with an in-depth overview on the

design and implementation of fall prevention educational sessions. Over the

course of the fall 2017 and spring 2018 semesters, the educational sessions were

designed using evidence-based practice and clinical knowledge. The sessions

incorporate an occupational therapy perspective while emphasizing ways in

which the target population can prevent their risk for falling. The sessions were

implemented at a local independent living facility in Canton, NY. After the

sessions were completed, occupational therapy students conducted home

evaluations that provided individuals with recommendations and modifications

to help reduce their risk for falling. A descriptive outline of the sessions will be

provided as well as the outcomes of the sessions and home evaluations.

Mentor(s): Dr. Lisa Tebo, Department of Occupational Therapy, Clarkson

University

Dr. Victoria Priganc, Department of Occupational Therapy, Clarkson University

Key words: Fall Prevention, Occupational Therapy, Independent Living,

Educational Sessions, Home Modifications


59

Encryption Downgrade Attack Detection via Low-

Level Hardware Information

James Bruska1, Zander Blasingame1, Zhiliu Yang1, Dr. Chen

Liu1

1Department of Computer Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Many forms of malware and security breaches exist today. One type of breach

downgrades a cryptographic program by employing a man-in-the-middle attack.

This work explores the utilization of hardware-level information in conjunction

with machine learning algorithms to detect a selection of encryption downgrade

attacks: FREAK, LOGJAM, POODLE. This research demonstrates the ability of

machine learning algorithms to effectively and consistently detect unknown

downgrade attacks using time series data. Results indicate that this detection

method is both feasible and practical. When trained with normal TLS and SSL

data, the echo state network classifier was able to detect the three exploits with

up to 95.852\% accuracy.

Mentor: Dr. Chen Liu, Department of Computer Engineering, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Hardware Performance Counters, Encryption Downgrade Attacks,

Machine Learning, Computer Security, OpenSSL

Session 1, Section 7 Security Systems Snell B10L, 8:42AM


60

Clarkson University Greenhouse Redesign Project

Logan Adams1, Alicia Busch1, Matthew D’Agostino2, Jordan

Davis2, Zachary Fitzgerald2, Oliver Johnson2,3, Kaitlyn Koehler2,

Bradley Malmberg2, Zachary Murray1, Brian Pfeil2, Cody Sargen1,

Kyle Tobin2

1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson

University

2Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson

University


University


The greenhouse on Clarkson University’s campus provides numerous research

and gardening opportunities for the campus community. Unfortunately, current

greenhouse cannot support the evolving needs of the campus and it is no longer

a reliable growing system. The Clarkson Greenhouse Redesign project is

working to design a new greenhouse to meet the overall needs of the university.

The new design will appeal to sustainability goals by reusing parts from original

greenhouse and maximizing solar thermal heating. The proper materials and

systems required to construct the greenhouse will provide an environment for a

wide variety of experiments and activities. Systems considered include heating,

water supply, drainage, ventilation, lighting, and electricity. Additionally, both

hardware and software control systems are needed to monitor various

parameters and maintain proper growing conditions. The facility will need to

withstand our cold climate as well provide an adequate space for its users. These

systems will need to be user friendly, allowing for easy operation and

maintenance by students. Engineering calculations are used to evaluate and

chose structure and system design solutions. The current greenhouse team will

be presenting conceptual design solutions for the rebuilt greenhouse.

Mentors: Dr. Susan Powers, ISE, Clarkson University; Professor Erik Backus,

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University; Professor

Ronald Buckingham, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Greenhouse, Capstone Design, Solar Thermal, Sustainability, Control

Systems




61

Testing the Efficacy of Environmental DNA(eDNA) in

Detecting of the Blanding’s Turtle

Anya Byrd1,2, Michael Bicknell2, Dr. Tom Langen2

1Department of Biology, University of Maryland


[email protected]

Blanding’s turtle populations in New York, due to extensive loss, degradation,

and fragmentation of wetland habitat, are declining. Furthermore, the length of

time to reach sexual mortality (18-22 years), along with long nesting migrations,

makes female Blanding’s turtles particularly susceptible to road related

mortality. Conservation is a necessity, but the lack of reliable distribution data

and a low success rate of (labor intensive and invasive) traditional trapping

surveys are major obstacles. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to test for

habitat occupancy is increasingly being used as a more reliable detection

method. DNA is introduced naturally into the environment and can be detected

using PCR. Our objective was to test the efficacy of Blanding’s eDNA detection

in both water and sediment samples, while simultaneously conducting traditional

trapping surveys. Water and sediment samples were taken from areas with

known Blanding’s populations within the St. Lawrence Valley, alongside

disjunct populations in Central and Southern NY state. From there, we isolate the

DNA from samples, and perform PCR using species-specific primers to test for

Blanding’s occupancy. Our analysis has the potential to help identify a more

reliable and cost-effective detection method for Blanding’s turtles, and possibly

more aquatic species.

Acknowledgements: Support from the ASSETs To Serve Humanity NSF REU, the

St. Lawrence River Research and Education Fund, the SUNY Walker Fellowship,

and SUNY Potsdam is greatly appreciated for making this research and opportunity

possible.

Mentors: Dr. Tom Langen, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Michael Bicknell (graduate mentor), Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Key Words: Environmental DNA (eDNA), Blanding’s turtle, eDNA efficacy,

occupancy, threatened species, conservation

Session 2, Section 6 Environmental Mgmt. & Remediation Snell 214, 10:28AM


62

Creating a More Agile Artificial Voice Using

Phoneme Concatenation

Emily Campbell1, Dr. Sean Banerjee1


University

[email protected]

Artificial voices are becoming ubiquitous as smart assistants like Siri, Alexa, and

Cortana see more widespread use; however, these voices cannot yet match the

flexibility and expressiveness of a human speaker. To reach the level of a human

interlocutor, an artificial voice must possess a vocabulary comparable to that of

a fluent speaker (10,000 – 20,000 words), and be able to pronounce these words

fluidly and with varying emphasis and sentiment. In this research, we use

recorded human speech to determine the average duration of each American

English phoneme; we then record the pronunciation of each phoneme based on

its average duration. To synthesize speech, we generate a sequence of phonemes

for a body of text using the LOGIOS pronunciation tool made by Carnegie

Mellon University, then play the corresponding phoneme recordings

sequentially. We assess the fluidity of the output and adjust the duration and

transition boundaries of phoneme recordings to improve the artificial

pronunciation of the input text. This research aims to produce an artificial voice

capable of smoothly pronouncing 20,000 words using an audio database of 69

phonemes and ~3000 phoneme transitions.

Mentor: Dr. Sean Banerjee, Department of Electrical and Computer


Session 2, Section 3 Artifice & Perception Snell 177, 9:40 AM

Poster #79, Eng. Design & Modeling Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM

63

Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa) as an Energy Crop

for Northern New York

Megan Carhart1, Brie Larose1, Kayla Purdy1, Gianna Valenti1

1Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science, Clarkson

University

[email protected] The accelerated use of wood fuel pellets to replace coal in European power

plants has raised concerns that the rate of carbon release by combustion may

exceed carbon sequestration rates due to forest regrowth. Alternative energy

crops like switchgrass and short rotation willow have much shorter renewal

periods but, they contain high levels of ash, chloride, nitrogen, and silica. These

values are much higher than those for wood, and in the case of willow, have

specialized machinery requirements that make their use uneconomical. Due to

the high fiber yields, industrial hemp has been proposed as an alternative energy

crop, but until 2017, could not be grown legally in New York State. We

recently obtained hemp samples from Marc Privitera, PreProcessInc, and grown

near Ellisburg, NY to evaluate its potential to replace wood pellets for fuel. In

this work, we report initial elemental and proximate analyses for those samples.

Our results suggest that hemp stem fiber is superior to switchgrass and

comparable to short rotation willow as a solid biofuel. It has also been shown to

have a combustion energy comparable to wood.

Acknowledgements: This study was conducted by the CM106 class and all the

data was tabulated by the presenters.

Mentor: Dr. Phillip Christiansen, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular

Science, Clarkson University

Keywords: Alternative Energy, Biofuels


64

Exploring Critical Factors for Misdiagnosis of

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in a Rural

Setting

Kajol Chaurasia1, Dr. Stephen Casper2


2Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third most common

cause of death in the United States. The Global Initiative for Chronic

Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has provided a gold standard for diagnosis of

this lung disease, whose key component is the use of spirometry to characterize

air flow limitation. Despite these international guidelines, studies from various

countries demonstrate COPD to remain highly misdiagnosed. It is hypothesized

that the current underuse of spirometry in clinical practice is a key issue to the

misdiagnosis. The purpose of this project is to explore the factors that may affect

misdiagnosis of COPD in a rural area and understand the attitudes that remain

towards current spirometry use. Interviews with various medical personnel were

conducted to gather their professional opinions on misdiagnosis within their

field and in pulmonary medicine. The aim of this paper is to gather what

overlaps exist across multiple health specialties in regard to misdiagnosis to

understand the issues surrounding COPD diagnostics. This research will help to

clarify the gaps that exist in rural healthcare and reveal potential improvements.

Mentor: Dr. Stephen Casper; Department of Humanities & Social Sciences,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Misdiagnosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Spirometry,

GOLD Standard, Rural, Medical

Session 1, Section 5 Medicine & Biomedical Eng. Snell 212, 9:06AM

65

A New Design Strategy to Access Zwitterionic Metal-

Organic Framework from Isonicotinate Derivatives

Michael Chirgwin1, Shefa Alomari2, Dr. Mario Wriedt2

1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,

Clarkson University 2Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a crystalline porous polymeric material

built from inorganic metal clusters and organic bridging ligands as linkers.

MOFs possess several attractive features such as high porosity, synthetic

tenability, structural flexibility, and large surface area. These unique features

provide a wide range of potential applications, including gas storage and

separation. Interestingly, the framework structures, and pore environment can be

tailored by varying different metal ions and organic linkers. Zwitterionic (ZW)

ligands were used to create a charged surface within the MOFs pores, with

potential to improve host−guest interactions and thus, adsorption enthalpies will

increase. Here we report the challenges facing during synthesis of pyridinium-

based (ZW) ligands and MOF design. Crystal structures and characteristics of

the resulting materials were determined using 1H NMR spectroscopy, single-

crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and

thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA).

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge National Grid for their

generous contribution to this project, as well as the Clarkson University Honors


Mentors: Dr. Mario Wriedt and Shefa Alomari, Department of Chemistry,

Clarkson University.

Keywords: Metal-organic frameworks, Zwitterionic ligands, Porous Crystalline

materials, Pyridinium derivatives

Session 1, Section 1 Metal-Organic Frameworks I Snell 169, 9:06AM

66


Frameworks for Small-Molecule Adsorption and

Separation Applications

Michael Chirgwin1, Shefa Alomari2, Dr. Mario Wriedt2


University 2Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson

University

[email protected] Alternative energy has entered discussions in recent years as concern for climate

change and fossil fuels has steadily increased. Hydrogen gas is a possible

solution as it can be used as an alternative source of energy. Unfortunately,

hydrogen has low ambient temperature density, which results in low energy per

unit volume. One solution to this is to use metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as

a storage material for hydrogen gas. The ability for hydrogen to be adsorbed

depends on the amount of surface area available. MOFs’ large internal surface

area allows for more hydrogen to be adsorbed per unit volume thus, increasing

the amount of energy per unit volume stored. MOFs are crystalline materials

that are porous in nature, have a high surface area, and have tunable pore sizes,

which makes them a great candidate for small molecule storage. Zwitterionic

ligands were used to create a charged surface within the MOF, which increases

the MOF’s ability to adsorb small molecules. The reaction mechanism for the

synthesis of a suitable zwitterionic ligands had to be determined and then the

ligand was used to design new MOF materials, which will be tested for their

crystal structures, BET surface areas, and adsorption properties.

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge National Grid for their

generous contribution to this project, as well as the Clarkson University Honors


Mentors: Dr. Mario Wriedt and Shefa Alomari, Department of Chemistry,

Clarkson University.

Keywords: Metal-organic frameworks, Zwitterionic ligands, Porous crystalline

materials, Pyridinium derivatives


67

Simulated Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and

Vertebrae

Brian P Chrzan1, Nicole L Zaino1, Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus1

1Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Vertebral fractures can be debilitating and can occur due to traumatic injury or

the cumulative effects of repetitive loading. Activities of daily living (ADLs) are

a common source of repetitive loading expected to predispose vertebrae to ring

apophysis fractures. To represent the repetitive nature of ADLs, five-vertebrae

ex-vivo segments of both cervine (n=9) and cadaveric (n=5) specimens were

previously cyclically loaded to 15° flexion [1]. This loading of 20,000 cycles at

0.5 Hz mimics the low-load, low-angle, high-cycle loading that vertebrae

undergo during ADLs. To determine if this loading causes fractures, the

specimens were imaged with a GE Phoenix Nanotom µCT scanner (General

Electric, Boston, MA) and reconstructed with phoenix datos|x. These

reconstructions were visually searched for fracture evidence and compared to

scans taken prior to loading. The goal is to determine if ADLs cause vertebral

fracture evidence not visible in plain x-rays of the specimens. No fracture

evidence has been seen in the µCT scans so far. However, future monotonic

compression of the specimens could show that cyclic loading predisposes

vertebrae to fracture. This finding could lead to improved fracture prevention

and diagnostic techniques.

Mentor: Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical


Keywords: ADLs, Cyclic Loading, Fracture, µCT, Vertebrae

References:

[1] Gale, N.C., PhD Dissertation, Clarkson University, 2017


68

Potsdam at War: Student and Military Mobilization

James Clark1, Alice Cochran2, Jacob Sturgis3, Dr. Stephen

Casper2


University 2Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Clarkson

University 3Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

On April 6th, 1917 the United States was drawn into World War One after

provocation from events such as the sinking of the Lusitania and the

Zimmerman telegram. While most Americans are educated on the causes of the

war and many events that transpired during it, most would be unable to relate an

event of significance from their local area. This was the course of inquiry for our

project; what was the North Country doing to help the war effort? To answer

this question our group began research at the Potsdam Museum, and talked to

local history buffs. We were fortunate enough to come across the photo album

of Lester Walker, a student at Clarkson while it was a military training

institution. Additionally our research produced newspaper articles and letters

from Walter Sisson, who served overseas in the first deployment to France. With

this information in hand, our group sought to represent the different efforts of

the Potsdam people to support the war effort “over there.” On our poster,

Potsdam at war, the efforts of the population to help defeat the Germans is

divided into what the general population was doing, and what the Clarkson

community was doing as well.

Mentor: Dr. Stephen T. Casper, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Clarkson University

Key Words: World War 1; Potsdam; North Country; Clarkson



69

A Measure of Health Care Provider Isolation and its

Correlation with Rurality

Alison M. Coates1, Dr. Jane Oppenlander1

1David D. Reh School of Business, Clarkson University, Capital

Region Campus

[email protected]

Rural populations experience health disparities and access health care differently

than urban populations, but little consensus exists in the definition and

assessment of rurality. In health care, most rural research takes the perspective

of the patient’s access to care. No measure of rurality assesses the isolation

experienced by the health care provider. A factor analysis was performed using

data from 167 acute care hospitals in New York State to determine if variables

selected as potentially indicative of health care provider isolation could be

reduced into a few components to create a composite measure. Two factors

emerged through Principal Component Analysis and Promax rotation which

accounted for 71% of the variance in the data. “Local Area Resources” (LAR)

and “Access to Non-Local Services” (NLR) scores calculated from the factor

loadings for each hospital studied. Relationships with existing measures of

rurality were probed. LAR showed little variance and did not correlate well with

established measures of rurality. NLR was broadly distributed and correlated

strongly with RUCA and RUCC codes, and moderately with UIC codes. If we

accept NLR as a composite variable relating to rural remoteness from higher

level care, then we can further investigate the relationship with existing

measures of rurality.

Acknowledgements: Some of the data used in this project was obtained from

The Dartmouth Atlas, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

and the Dartmouth Clinical and Translational Science Institute, under award

number UL1TR001086 from the National Center for Advancing Translational

Sciences (NCATS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Mentor: Dr. Jane Oppenlander, The David H. Reh School of Business, Clarkson

University, Capital Region Campus

Keywords: healthcare, isolation, rurality, physician, healthcare provider

Session 3, Section 5, Health & the Environment Snell 213, 11:20 AM


70

Investigation of Far-Field Scattering Behavior of

Laguerre-Gaussian Beams for Underwater

Applications

Melanie Cockrell1,2,3, Dr. William Jemison1,2, Dr. Luke

Rumbaugh1,2

1Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University 2Department of Computer Engineering, Clarkson University


[email protected]

As Laguerre-Gaussian beams have attracted attention in the underwater LIDAR

community, there is increased interest in understanding how their behavior

differs from that of beams with no charge when propagating through a volume

of water. Some experimental work has been done to this end, but the near-field

behavior of these beams when interacting with a differentially small volume of

scattering particles remains unexplored. This work uses COMSOL Multiphysics

Modeling Software to model the interaction of Laguerre-Gaussian beams with

scattering particles, to progress toward developing a volume scattering function

for water probed with a Laguerre-Gaussian beam. This will allow for predictions

of how a Laguerre-Gaussian beam will propagate through a volume of water,

and give insight into the potential uses of these beams for optical sensing and

communication. By exploiting symmetry present in the system, computation and

memory costs are drastically reduced. A software tool is developed, capable of

combining the far-field scattering data from multiple particles distributed across

the face of a beam into one angular far-field scattering plot.

Mentor: Dr. William Jemison, Department of Electrical and Computer


Keywords: Scattering, Modeling, LIDAR, Laguerre-Gaussian beam

Session 1, Section 6 “Light” Across the Disciplines Snell 214, 8:30AM


71

A Particle Image Velocimetry Study of a Point to

Plain Plasma Reactor

Patrick Conlon1, Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard2, Dr. Douglas

Bohl1, Mikhail Vasilev2


Clarkson University 2Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Recent advancements in plasma technology have opened the door to many new

applications of plasma such as cancer treatment, wound healing, water

sterilization, and water purification. Despite numerous applications, the exact

physicochemical nature of plasma systems is not well understood. This project

consists of a 12.7x12.7 cm corona discharge plasma reactor with a rail to plane

discharge in argon gas, over 215 ml of an aqueous solution. Particle Image

Velocimetry (PIV) was used to measure the velocity field in the center plane of

the aqueous solution. This technique produces an instantaneous velocity field

that can be characterized by speed and direction over the entire image plane

instantaneously. The goal of the project is to determine the relationship between

the plasma reactor discharge and the resulting flow fields. Experiments are

designed to deduce if the flow is a function of the plasma discharge frequency,

the conductivity of the aqueous solution, and the characteristics of any chemical

mixed into the aqueous solution. The differences in the velocity field and flow

structures resulting from varying the experimental parameters will provide

insight on the dominant flow forces.

Acknowledgments: Selma Mededovic Thagard, Douglas Bohl, Mikhail Vasilev,

Gunnar Stratton, Andrew Bluestein

This research is being funded through the National Science Foundation under its

Plasma Physics Program. Award Number: 16171822

Mentors: Dr. Douglas Bohl, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical


Key Words: Corona Discharge, Particle Image Velocimetry: Rail to Plane

discharge, Marangoni Flow, Ionic Wind,

Velocity field

Session 3, Section 4 Plasma Chemistry & Physics Snell 212, 11:20AM


72

Detection of Atrial Fibrillation Using

Photoplethysmography

Thomas Conroy1, Jairo Hernandez Guzman2, Burr Hall1, Gill

Tsouri2, Dr. Jean-Philippe Couderc1

1 Department of Cardiology, University of Rochester Medical

Center 2 Department of Electrical and Microelectronics Engineering,

Rochester Institute of Technology

[email protected]

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in the world; it is

a frequently asymptomatic disease associated with increased risk of

thromboembolic events and heightened mortality rate. Current AF diagnostic

methods, often including an ECG or implantable loop recorder, are both

expensive and invasive which provides limited access within the general

community. We tested the feasibility of detecting AF using an inexpensive, and

non-invasive earlobe photoplethysmographic sensor. This technology can be

implemented into wearable devices to enable continuous cardiac monitoring,

improving the rate of asymptomatic AF detection. We conducted a clinical study

of patients going through electrical cardioversion for AF treatment.

Photoplethysmographic recordings were taken from these patients before and

after their procedure, along with recordings from a healthy control group. Using

these recordings, cardiac beats were identified and four heart rate variability

parameters were calculated. Using a thresholding approach, the parameter with

the greatest discriminant capability resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of

90.9%. These results are comparable to expensive ECG-based methods and

demonstrate that using an earlobe photoplethysmographic sensor is a viable and

inexpensive alternative to ECG-based methods, and an alternative that could be

invaluable in detecting subclinical AF.

Mentor: Jean-Philippe Couderc, Department of Cardiology, University of

Rochester Medical Center

Keywords: Atrial Fibrillation, Signal Processing, Biomedical Engineering

Session 1, Section 5 Medicine & Biomedical Eng. Snell 212, 8:54AM


73

Global Phylogeny of the Honeybee, Apis mellifera and

Phylogenetic Characterization of the Africanized

Subspecies, Apis mellifera scutellata: A

Mitochondrial Perspective

Sara Cote1, Dr. Andrew A. David1

1Department of Biological Science, Clarkson University

[email protected]

In October of 1957, a population of western honey bees, Apis mellifera, was

cross-bred in quarantine, to increase honey production, before they were

accidentally released. Once these hybrids bred with the native population they

gave rise to Apis mellifera scutellata, the Africanized honeybee. Highly

aggressive and easily swarming, these superior pollinators and honey producers

have been interbreeding with populations around the world. In this study, we

analyze the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I gene, referred to as CO1 gene,

from two extracted genetic sequences of an Africanized population from

Trinidad. The Africanized specimens were verified as Africanized with

morphological identification. We ran multiple population and phylogenetic

analyses on this data to identify connectivity patterns among different

geographical populations. The results showed connectivity patterns concordant

with latitudinal and climatic regimes. We discuss the implications of these

patterns and present potential explanations for the close interrelatedness among

geographically disparate populations.

Mentor: Dr. Andrew A. David, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Apis Mellifera, Honeybee, Phylogeny, Mitochondrial, Africanized,

Trinidad

Session 2, Section 2 Biosciences Snell 175, 9:40AM


74

Co-Op Thesis as Lead Engineer: Optimized Energy

Storage Design Software at Electra Vehicles, Inc.

Thomas Couture1, 2, Fabrizio Martini1, Marco Ferrara1,

Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer3

1Electra Vehicles, Inc., Boston, MA

2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University 3Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Dual-Battery Energy Storage System (DBESS) design has the potential to

dramatically improve nearly all battery system performance characteristics, such

as range, cost, and lifetime, yet remains underutilized in the electric vehicle

(EV) industry for its design and control complications. While on co-op

throughout Fall and Summer 2017 at Boston-based energy storage startup

Electra Vehicles, Inc., I led a team of engineers to develop an application to

optimize the configuration and control algorithm of DBESS for EVs under user-

defined duty cycles, called EVSCADA. EVSCADA would go on to become

Electra’s first commercial product after the company pivoted to prioritize design

software licensing and services, and had a provisional patent filed by year’s end.

This thesis details the project itself, and examines the efficacy of this

professional experience in both informing my decision to work within the field

of electric vehicle technology, and preparing me for a role within that field.

Acknowledgements: The Massachussetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC)

funded the development of EVSCADA through the AccelerateMass Grant

program, intended to assist the growth of Massachusetts-based clean technology

startups as they improve their technology and their business model.

Mentors: Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer, Department of Electrical and Computer


Keywords: Energy Storage, Electric Vehicles, Co-Op, Sustainability,

Professional Experience

Session 1, Section 4 Efficiency & Optimization Snell 212, 8:30AM

Poster #56, Energy & the Environment Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


75

Coupling Pi-Pi Interactions with Silica Nanoparticles

to Combat Opioid Overdose

Kiara Cruickshank1, Maya Duncan-White1, Nathan Pleskach1,

Dr. Richard Partch1


University

[email protected]

Between 1999 and 2011, the number of opioid-related overdose deaths nearly

quadrupled and in 2013, 6,525 men and 1,732 women died of heroin-related

drug-poisoning alone. As opioid abuse and overdose continue to burden the

United States, there is a growing need for novel methods of overdose

remediation. This research focuses on the development of a chemical treatment

for overdose that takes advantage of the pi-donor nature of most opioids. MCM-

41 mesoporous silica nanoparticles are being functionalized with 3-amino-

propyltrimethoxysilane then the pi acceptor 2-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)-

benesulfonyl chloride to produce particles capable of complexing with pi donor

drugs. Whereas the complex will not be able to pass through the blood-brain

barrier, it will be degraded and excreted by the body. In this way, opioids can be

removed from the bloodstream while Naloxone, the current opioid overdose

remedy, blocks receptors in the brain, making overdose reversal more effective.

This project has the potential to save countless lives by transforming how

society handles opioid overdose, and drug abuse in general.

Menor: Dr. Richard Partch, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular


Key Words: Silica Nanoparticles, Pi Pi Interactions, MCM-41,

Functionalization, Overdose Remediation, Opioids

Session 2, Section 5 Food & Drug Chemistry Snell 213, 9:40AM



76

Sustainability Analysis for the Full and By Farm

Greenhouse Revitalization

Luke D’Aquila1, Leonard Kaplan1, Derek Nochisaki1, Joshua

Valentine1


Clarkson University



Farming, especially in all-natural growing practices, requires very specific

timing, made difficult by the harsh North Country winters. The Full and By farm

currently uses a greenhouse in the early and late months of the year, featuring

electric heaters and thin, double-walled polyethylene sheeting. The goal of this

project is to develop a plan to increase the energy efficiency of the system, while

minimizing the environmental impact and overall system cost. The project is

centered on the energy, structure, and ventilation of the greenhouse system. The

options range from the immediate action to reduce impact, to the long-term

minimization of costs and sustainability of the system. The primary focuses of

the system and research are directed towards the technical effectiveness, cost,

and environmental impact, as a way to support the Full and By Farm mission

providing sustainable food practices to the local community of Essex, New

York.

Acknowledgement: Thank you to the Full and By Farm for providing us the

opportunity to develop our design skills and provide them with some legitimate

greenhouse options.

Mentors: Dr. Susan Powers, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Sustainability, Greenhouse, Energy, Heating, CSA

Poster #55, Energy & the Environment Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM





77

Child Biometric Aging

Priyanka Das1, Morgan Johnson1, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers1

1Department of Electrical and Computer Science Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Biometric Recognition, automated recognition of individuals based on

behavioral and biological characteristics, has been rapidly growing in

government and consumer space. Metrics related to human characteristics used

as a biometric include uniqueness, permanence and universality. ‘Permanence’

can be expressed in terms of the change in false non-match ratio over a repeated

sequence of enrolment and verification. This is a gray area for children as there

are few longitudinal studies to date. The research is aimed to determine whether

biometric features of any modality change as a child ages and if so then to

determine a minimum age for biometric collectability. Six different biometric

modalities are focused in this project- fingerprint, iris, face, voice, footprint and

ear. A conclusive outcome of the research requires a large multi-modal

longitudinal biometric database as the child ages. Four collections have occurred

since 2016 and a total of 213 subjects were enrolled till date. The age variation

of the subjects in the study is from 5yrs. to 13yrs. This ongoing project is

expected to carry forward for additional years. Iris data from 3 collections

collected 6 months apart has been analyzed which did not provide any evidence

of iris changes over a period of 1yr.

Acknowledgement: Centre for Identification Technology Research (CITeR)


Science and Engineering, Clarkson University

Keywords: biometrics, child, permanence, multi-modal, aging

Poster #10, Biometrics Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


78

Spatial Dependency in Developed and Natural

Resource Distributions

Taylor Dawley1, Dr. Andreas Wilke1, Dr. Stephen Pedersen2,

Dr. Tom Langen1,3

1Department of Psychology, Clarkson University 2Department of Communications and Media, Clarkson University


[email protected]

The present study investigated spatial patterns of different classes of resources in

a familiar local environment. Past psychological research investigating why

humans are prone to misunderstand random data sets has typically focused on

empirical resource distributions of equal base rates and regular arrangement.

Such methodologies are constraining in various ways and we propose to

incorporate a statistical methodology from the spatial ecology literature to

overcome these limitations. Over recent semesters, we observed and coded

various resources near our university campus from both developed and natural

domains, such as where people choose to sit in a café as well as groupings of

wildlife and patterns of water in the nearby Adirondack Park. Our data

collection included the use of custom-made resource coding sheets, flying of an

aerial drone to obtain video footage of the animal distributions, and extracting

patterns of land use from New York State map data. Our results provide

evidence that natural resource domains indeed show similar, yet more

aggregated distribution patterns than those from developed resource domains.

We discuss our results in light of claims that human cognition evolved in a way

for specific reasoning mechanisms to detect resources that are distributed in

patches in space and time.

Mentor: Dr. Andreas Wilke, Department of Psychology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Perception, Cognition, Foraging, Randomness

Session 2, Section 3 Artifice & Perception Snell 177, 10:28AM


79

Comparative Efficacy of Influenza Vaccines

Ariel Delgado1, Asa Frankowski1, Lanette LaComb1, Lindsey

Norfleet1, Samantha Penman1, Marisa Ruane-Foster1,

Dr. William Reiley2

1Department of Biology, Clarkson University 2Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, NY


[email protected]

Development of new influenza vaccines and strategies are imperative for

protection against seasonal influenza infection. There are several vaccination

methods that generate protection, such as live-attenuated, inactivated and

specialized immunotherapeutic methods. The experiment performed set out to

determine which vaccine strategy could be produced globally to generate the

greatest immunogenic response leading to the development of long-lasting

immunity, without clinical symptomology. In our study, we used three types of

influenza vaccine: heatinactivated A/Puerto Rico/08/34 (H1N1) or A/Cal/04/09

(H1N1), attenuated cold-adapted A/Alaska/01/69 (H3N2), or activated dendritic

cells pulsed with CD4 and/or CD8 peptides from influenza’s nuclear protein to

test their protective efficacy in a mouse model. Vaccination of mice, by these

three strategies, triggers the adaptive immune system, B cells and/or T cells, to

induce long lived enduring immunity. Naive mice were vaccinated and

subsequently boosted 14 days after the initial vaccination. The vaccinated mice

were then infected with a lethal dose of Influenza strain A/Puerto Rico/8. Our

results showed that while all three vaccine types provided significant protection

against a lethal influenza infection, the attenuated vaccine provided the greatest

efficacy. However, it is important to consider the practicality and efficacy of

each vaccination method when used in the human population.

Mentor: Dr. William Reiley, Ph.D, Trudeau Institute

Keywords: Immunology, Vaccines, Influenza

Poster #6, Cell & Molecular Bio Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


80

Development of a Preparative and Analytical High

Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the

Purification and Quantification of Lycopene

Xulan Deng1, Dr. Georgios Koutsidis2


University 2Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University

[email protected]

A simple preparative HPLC method was developed for the purification and

fractionation of all-trans lycopene from red cherry tomato, in order to derive a

relatively inexpensive method for its isolation and subsequent use as an

authentic standard for HPLC analysis. Chromatographic separation of lycopene

and beta carotene was achieved within the first 5 minutes of total 11-minute run

time after optimizing various parameters. The isolated lycopene fraction was

further analyzed by analytical HPLC and found to have 98% all-trans lycopene

with minimal 2% cis lycopene. At the same time, a fast analytical HPLC method

was developed for the identification and quantification of lycopene in tomato.

Highly modified from an existing method, the current method reduced the total

run time from 40 minutes to 15 minutes through adjusting different parameters.

Lycopene standard curve with eight concentrations over the range of 1-100

μg/ml was established with R square value greater than 0.999 which indicated

linearity and sensitivity of the method. The method was selective in lycopene

identification based on the chromatographic comparison between red and yellow

tomato. If the method is successfully validated, it will greatly improve the

efficiency and reduce the cost of tomato lycopene analysis.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank Dr. Koutsidis for his expert advice

throughout this project, as well as Ho Ming Cheng, Julien De Biasi, Matt Knight

for their help in the lab.

Mentor: Dr. Georgios Koutsidis, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria

University

Keywords: Tomato, Lycopene, Chromatography, Analytical, Development,

Validation

Session 1, Section 2 Cell & Biomolecular Science Snell 175, 8:30AM


81

Stability Analysis of Silicon Wafer Production by

Horizontal Ribbon Growth

Christian Di Marco1, Dr. Brian Helenbrook1

1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The Czochralski crystal growth process consists of a small seed of silicon,

slowly grown into a long boule of silicon. Once the boule has been grown it

must be cut into slices to make wafers, which is expensive. Horizontal ribbon

growth, on the other hand, is a process by which single crystal silicon wafers can

be made directly. With this method, the top surface of a pool of molten silicon

is continuously solidified by introducing a heat removal agent to its surface

while the solid is pulled at constant speed. Although this process avoids cutting,

pull rates have been limited by growth instabilities, limiting commercialization.

In this research, the goal is to increase the allowable pull speed of this process

by observing how several variables affect the crystallization of the silicon. This

is done by mathematically modeling/simulating the behavior of silicon during

this crystallization method. These variables include the length along the surface

at which the heat removal agent is applied, the amount of heat being removed,

the amount of heat coming from the bottom of the molten pool, as well as the

pull speed itself. Here the focus is on how the heat from the bottom of the

molten pool affects the crystallization process along the solid-liquid transition

boundary.

Mentor: Dr. Brian Helenbrook, Department of Mechanical Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Heat Transfer, Photovoltaic Cells, Sustainable Energy, Stability

Analysis

Poster #77, Eng. Design & Modeling Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM

82

Electrochemically Switchable Zwitterionic Metal-

Organic Frameworks

Fletcher Dix1, Juby Varghese1, Darpandeep Aulakh1, Kyle

Duell1, Marius Ciobanu2, Dr. Mario Wriedt1


University 2Institute of Chemistry of New Materials, University of Osnabrück

[email protected]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous materials built from

metal clusters or ions connected by polytopic organic linkers. The incorporation

of zwitterionic linkers in MOFs can introduce charged organic surfaces along

their cavities leading to intermolecular electrostatic fields. Polarizable guest-

molecules can be attracted by these fields significantly enhancing hostguest

interactions giving rise to well-defined adsorption properties. In this work, we

induce conductivity in zwitterionic MOFs by their thin film growth on

conductive substrates and their infiltration with electrolytes. This approach

enables using electrochemical stimulus for the reversible generation of

pyridinium radicals - an unprecedented platform to access redox-active sites in

MOFs. The zwitterionic MOF thin film has the potential to switch between the

states of charged and uncharged pore surfaces through radical formation creating

a stimulus-responsive material with switchable adsorption properties. These

electrochemical investigations coupled with thin film growth will open-up new

avenues for the systematic design of novel multifunctional materials with redox-

switchable and multi-stimuli responsive properties, such as smart windows, the

release of active ingredients, and the adsorption of pollutants.


Clarkson University

Session 2, Section 1 Metal-Organic Frameworks II Snell 169, 8:40 AM



83

Aeroelastic Real-Time Hybrid Simulation

(AeroRTHS): Validation of Vortex Induced Vibration

of a Tall Building Structure

Jie Dong1, Dr. Steve Wojtkiewicz1, Dr. Richard Christenson2,

Sergio Lobo-Aguilar2, Yuan Yuan2


University 2Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University

of Connecticut

[email protected]

Due to their large aspect ratios and flexible characteristics, modern structures are

vulnerable to the effects of wind even at moderate levels. A new test method,

called aeroelastic real-time hybrid simulation (aeroRTHS), aims to study

aerodynamic vibrations of a structural building model in a wind tunnel. The

aeroRTHS method captures the dynamic interaction between an aeroelastic

structure and the wind loading to more accurately analyze sophisticated unstable

wind phenomena such as vortex induced vibration and in doing so broadens the

application of RTHS from earthquake engineering applications to wind

engineering. The aero-RTHS testing was performed in the boundary layer wind

tunnel (BLWT) at the University of Florida NHERI EF. The rigid aeroelastic

model is 1m×0.137m×0.137m with 7.3 aspect ratio and 1:300 scaling ratio. The

scaled model is mounted on the single-axis Quanser shake table which converts

translational motions to rotations at the base of the scaled model. 128 pressure

sensors on both cross-wind surfaces of the model were instrumented to measure

the envelope pressure loading. Results from proof-ofconcept testing, conducted

in November of 2017, are discussed.

Acknowledgement: Supported by NSF CMMI-1732223 (Clarkson) and NSF

CMMI-1732213 (UConn)

Mentor: Dr. Steve Wojtkiewicz, Department of Civil and Environmental


Keywords: Aeroelastic, Real-time Hybrid Simulation, Vortex induced Vibration,

Pressure Measurement, Wind Tunnel

Poster #52, Devices & Sensors Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


84

NDN-LoRa: A Higher Range Content-Centric

Mobile Ad-hoc Network

Anthony Dowling1, Dr. Yaoqing Liu1


[email protected]

Mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) are infrastructure-free networks where

devices are connected wirelessly and can move freely. This network type can be

used in a variety of applications, ranging from sensor networks and autonomous

vehicles to battlefield communication and disaster response operations.

However, the current TCP/IP based Internet architecture has many limitations

when used in a MANET, such as a need for end-toend IP address-based

communication, and the lack of security in the network layer. These mechanisms

are costly, but are the only way to enable a MANET with the TCP/IP networking

stack to work efficiently and securely. The emerging Named Data Networking

(NDN) architecture addresses these issues inherently. NDN is an experimental

content-centric networking architecture that features name-based data retrieval,

built-in security, and in-network caching. Our research focuses on leveraging the

NDN architecture and LoRaWAN wireless technology to facilitate a higher-

range ad-hoc network than a conventional Wi-Fi network would be capable of

operating. To achieve this goal, we have been working on creating an

application to act as a layer between the NDN platform and the LoRaWAN

transmission medium, thus enabling the NDN protocol to operate over the much

higher range LoRa wireless communication system.

Mentor: Dr. Yaoqing Liu, Department of Computer Science, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Content-Centric Networking, Named-Data Networking,

Experimental Networking, LoRaWAN, Computer Networking

Session 2, Section 7 Systems & Networks Snell B10L, 9:52 AM


85

Pi-Pi Interactions with Functionalized Mesoporous

Silica Nanoparticles for Opioid Overdose

Remediation

Maya Duncan-White1, Kiara Cruickshank1, Nathan Pleskach1,

Dr. Richard Partch1

1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Misuse of opioid drugs has resulted in a national epidemic that claimed the lives

of 42,249 people in 2016. Current treatment for opioid overdose is limited to

naloxone injection or aerosol spray, which acts as an opioid receptor antagonist

to reverse lethal, adverse side effects. A proposed addition to treatment methods

is a biocompatible, functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN)

capable of binding with opioid drugs in the bloodstream to prevent their entry to

the brain. Because of their size, MSN’s are unable to cross the blood-brain

barrier. Naloxone and MSN’s should work in tandem to clear the brain and

bloodstream of opioid drugs and prevent overdose deaths. Over time, the silica

nanoparticles will be degraded and cleared from the body by the mononuclear

phagocyte system. In this project, spherical, monodisperse MCM-41 type MSN

were synthesized in a one-pot reaction involving cetyltrimethylammonium

bromide (CTAB), tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), ethanol, sodium hydroxide,

and water. The surface was functionalized with aminopropyl triethoxysilane

(APTES) film and then with a strong pi-acceptor compound. Pi-acceptor

compounds should interact with the pi-donor regions of opioid drugs, so that the

drugs will be chemisorbed to the MSN surface and unable to cross the blood-

brain barrier.

Acknowledgements: I’d like to acknowledge Todd Fountain, Dinusha

Siriwardena, and the Center for Advanced Materials Processing at Clarkson

University.

Mentor: Dr. Richard Partch, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular

Sciences, Clarkson University

Keywords: Silica Nanoparticles, Pi-Pi Interactions, Functionalization, Overdose

Remediation, Opioids

Session 2, Section 5 Food & Drug Chemistry Snell 213, 10:28 AM


86

Design and Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks

from Zwitterionic Building Blocks

Steven Dunckel1, Hubert Bilan2, Dr. Mario Wriedt2



University

[email protected]

Rising global concentrations of CO2 are plagued by sufficiently mature

technologies for carbon capture and sequestration. Current techniques rely on

chemisorption techniques via liquid amines which result in a high energy

penalty for the regeneration of the capture material. To lower the heats of

adsorption, solid state porous materials such as metal-organic frameworks

(MOFs) have been proposed as strong candidates for carbon capture. Composed

of interchangeable organic ligands coordinated to metal centers MOFs boast

immeasurable tunability in the form of chemical composition and crystal

structure. Furthermore, zwitterionic ligands have been explored in recent times

for their ability to introduce a charged organic surface into the MOF pore

structure which may overcome the traditional point interactions between ligands

and CO2 molecules resulting in an increased CO2 surface density. The reaction

of o-dibromoxylene with either nicotinic acid or isonicotinic acid results in a

pair of zwitterionic regioisomeric ligands as candidates for MOF synthesis. This

family of ligands was screened for MOF formation and was found to result in a

series of non-porous structures stabilized by pi-pi interactions.


Clarkson University

Session 1, Section 1 Metal-Organic Frameworks I Snell 169, 8:30 AM


87

Utilizing Online Alternative Platforms in Assessments

Kirsten Dunn1, Jessica Murray1

1Department of Education, Clarkson Capital Region Campus

[email protected]

Different online platforms can encourage diverse types of learners to write.

Platforms such as Instagram, blogging and podcasts encourage students to be

more active learners and help build students critical thinking skills (Sweeny

2010; Opertti 2009). Acknowledging students’ interests in alternative learning

platforms inspired this research to incorporate more online platforms into

English curriculum. Research was implemented in an 11th grade, co-taught,

project-based classroom. Throughout the year, students work through six units,

focused on environmental issues. The program is technology based, therefore,

almost every assignment students produce is completed electronically. The

research collected is from activities used in the Energy Audit and KidWind units

using alternative online platforms. When compared to traditional assessments,

online alternative assignments showed an increase in student interest as

demonstrated by post-assessment surveys. Additionally, students demonstrated

increased effort in the form of taking more time to complete assignments and

resubmissions with closer adherence to rubrics. Additionally, the increased

engagement enhanced the overall academic results for each individual. Finally,

these results were consistent across a wide variety of student demographic in

school characteristics. My research shows the benefits of alternative online

platforms in English by comparing a students’ individual growth from traditional

assignments to alternative assignments.

Mentor: Jessica Murray, Department of Education, Clarkson Capital Region

Campus

Keywords: Alternative, online platforms, assessment, active learner, critical

thinking

Poster #70, Education Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


88


Applications

Reece Emero1, Dr. Daqing Hou2



University

[email protected]

The behavioral biometrics logger provides security when logging into an

account on the web. The current user authentication system of “username” and

“password” can be broken in several ways. Someone could look over your

shoulder while typing in a password or a hacker could steal credentials using a

variety of methods such as key logging, brute force, etc. What the logger can do

is provide another layer of security. Even if the hacker successfully logs into the

user’s account, the logger can verify if the person who’s logged in is really the

owner of the account. This process is done through logging the owner’s

biometrics and verifying that behavior with whoever is logged in. In the case of

a hacker logging in, the hacker’s biometric behavior is not the same as the owner

and the account will be frozen and the owner will be notified quickly. The

logger will be an add-on written in JavaScript and run in a web browser. It will

infer the structure and meaning of a web page to log data. Some use cases for

this include providing security for consumers and accounts containing large

amounts of delicate information.

Acknowledgements: NSF CNS-1314792

Mentor: Dr. Daqing Hou, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Web Application, Biometrics, Security, Human Behavior, User

Authentication, Software Engineering

Session 1, Section 7 Security Systems Snell B10L, 8:54 AM



89

Search for Novel Halogenated Contaminants in the

Great Lakes Trout Using Atmospheric Pressure Gas

Chromatography (APGC) Coupled to Mass

Spectrometry

Sadjad Fakouri Baygi1, Dr. Thomas Holsen1

1Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science (CARES),

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Halogenated chemicals are typically the great concern for Great Lakes region as

they tend to exhibit persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties. Legacy

halogenated contaminants have been monitored by the US EPA Great Lakes

Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP) for decades, but the

impact extent of the halogenated chemical burden remains unclear. In an

attempt to characterize the total burden of volatile/semivolatile halogenated

chemicals impacting the Great Lakes, top predator fish (trout) were analyzed

using a state-of-the-art Atmospheric Pressure Gas Chromatographic (APGC)

system coupled to a quadrupole time-of-flight (QToF) high resolution mass

spectrometer. Sample cleanup was minimized and data was acquired in full scan

mode to allow for a comprehensive analysis. The resulting highly complex data

files were screened for halogenated features using a MATLAB based algorithm.

Halogenated features are isolated using a combination of isotopic profile and

accurate mass measurements. On average, approximately 2000 halogenated

features were detected in fish collected from each Great Lake for sampling years

2005, 2006, 2015 and 2016. The majority of compounds detected are not on the

current monitoring program target list. The profiles and levels of the novel

chemicals detected were compared between sites years (2005/2006 vs.

2015/2016) to determine their spatiotemporal impact.

Mentor: Dr. Thomas Holsen, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science,

Clarkson University

Session 3, Section 6 Imaging & Ana. Tech. in Env. Sci. Snell 214, 11:20 AM

Poster #29, Environment Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


90

Holistic Vibration Energy Harvesting in Structural

Systems

Lissette Fernandez1, Dr. Steve Wojtkiewicz1, Erik A. Johnson2,

James M. Gilbert3


University 2Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental

Engineering, USC 3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University

[email protected]

Energy harvesting is the process of transforming energy from the environment

into useful electrical energy which has many practical applications such as in

Net-Zero Commercial Buildings (NZEBs). NZEBs are grid integrated buildings

capable of generating as much energy as they consume. Vibrational energy

harvesting transforms mechanical energy present in structural vibrations into

storable electrical energy. The harvester consists of an auxiliary mass connected

to the main structure through stiffness and damping elements and is separately

connected to electrical system that allows for the conversion and storage of that

energy into an electrical form. When installing these harvesters in a real

structure, such as a building, traditional harvester design parameters are difficult

to determine. Specifically, the ratio of harvester mass to structural mass has been

found to be the most important parameter to consider when determining the

efficiency of these devices, with a larger ratio dictating better performance.

However, as civil structures often possess masses of tens if not hundreds of

thousands of tons, the harvester mass required must be multifunctional as it is

not feasible to just add a huge inert mass to a building or bridge. This research

aims to integrate harvesters into structural systems in a holistic fashion.

Mentor: Dr. Steve Wojtkiewicz, Department of Civil Engineering, Clarkson

University


91

Nano-Species Release System Activated by Enzyme-

Based XOR Logic Gate

Yaroslav Filipov1, Dr. Maria Gamella Carballo1, Dr. Evgeny

Katz1

1Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University

[email protected]

An enzyme-based XOR logic gate was realized at interface of an alginate-

modified electrode. The biocatalytic production of H2O2 inside the alginate film

was controlled by logically processed input signals. The in situ generated H2O2

was decomposed to yield free radicals in a Fenton-type reaction catalyzed by

iron cations, which were present in the alginate film as cross-linkers stabilizing

the hydrogel. The produced free radicals (*OH, *OOH) resulted in

decomposition/dissolution of the alginate film removing it from the electrode

surface and stimulating release process of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs)

functionalized with a fluorescent dye and entrapped in the alginate film. The

release of the MNPs was analyzed by following fluorescence appearing in the

solution. The release process followed the logic features of the XOR gate. The

present system is the first realization of the enzyme-based XOR gate

functionally integrated with the downstream actuation process in the form of the

signal-stimulated release.

Acknowledgements: NSF grant.

Mentors: Dr. Evgeny Katz, Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University

Poster #60, Materials Science Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


92

Influence of Physiological Fatigue on Gait Cycle

Variance in Athletes

Daniel T. Fuller,1,3 Sai Ma1, Dr. Sumona Mondal1,

Dr. Shantanu Sur4, Dr. Ali Boolani2

1Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University 2Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

3Department of Physics, Clarkson University 4Department of Biology, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The purpose of this study is to identify changes in gait pattern with fatigue. Data

was collected on Division I athletes (N = 21, BMI = 26.2179 ± 6.5965, Males =

14, Females = 7) completing a Bruce Protocol VO2Max test on a treadmill with

the Optogaittm gait monitoring system. Statistical methodology is used to find

correlations between the gait data we obtained from the tests; comparisons are

then made between the different subjects in similar sections of their tests, with

emphasis placed on a point of physiological fatigue that occurs for many

subjects shortly before a resultant failure of the test. Finding relationships

between gait data and fatigue will allow us to interpret the movement of athletes

and estimate their state of weariness, while inversely being able to model

increased variances in movement patterns given various states of weariness.

There is strong evidence that suggests an increase in the range of variances of

Double Support Time, Load Response, Pre-Swing Time and other

intercorrelated gait phase variables during the period of extreme exhaustion

preceding the point of physiological failure. We aim to further characterize this

increased inconsistency in variance through the usage of graphical analysis, time

series analysis, and clustering (K Means and Hierarchical).

Acknowledgements: The collection of the data was sponsored by Meharry

Medical College.

Mentors: Dr. Sumona Mondal, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

Dr. Ali Boolani, Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

Keywords: athletes; gait; physiological fatigue; Bruce Protocol; clustering;

association


93

Strengthening Metallic Nanofoams Through

Ligaments Scale Materials Design

Andres Garcia Jimenez1,2, Dr. Ioannis Mastorakos3, Hang Ke3

1Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University 2Department of Physics, Clarkson University

3Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

With the expansion of nanotechnology, there is greater need for nanomaterials

with better mechanical properties, resistance to specific environmental

conditions, and more advanced structures. Among the most prominent

nanomaterials, are nanofoam structures. Nanofoams are strong and versatile with

many potential applications in various fields. However, they exhibit some

weaknesses like low ductility that can limit their applications. To enhance these

properties, a combination of research, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations,

and experimental testing procedures must be used. This presentation aims to

provide a clear understanding of nanometallic coatings used to enhance the

mechanical properties of nanofoams. It includes research objectives, advances

made, and the methodology in use. The tests performed were done using

atomistic MD simulations run through ATOMSK, LAMMPS, LAMMPSFE, and

OVITO. MD simulations are essential tools permitting the explanation and

prediction of nanomaterials behavior during different temperatures and stresses.

These simulations are used to create nanostructures that can simulate the internal

structure of the nanofoam, allowing the researchers to calculate its mechanical

strengths as well as to understand its deformation process. Using MD, the

researchers are able to determine how the strength of the material is affected by

nanometallic coatings and how density and porosity are related to strength.

Acknowledgements: I give my sincere thanks to CUPO for providing me with this

research opportunity and to Dr. Mastorakos and Hang Ke for providing me with

background on nanomaterials and material science, and for instructing and preparing me

for this research.

Mentor: Dr. Ioannis Mastorakos, Department of Materials Science and Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Nanofoams, Materials Science, Molecular Dynamics, Strengthening,

Nanomaterials.

Session 2, Section 4 Fluids & Materials Snell 212, 10:04 AM

94

The Impact of Cognitive Fatigue on Aerobic Output

in a 6-Minute Walk Test Among Older Adults

Aurora Goodwin1, Dr. Ali Boolani2


2Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of cognitive

fatigue on aerobic output during a 6minute walk test (6MWT) in older adults.

Methods: Healthy older adults (N=9, age= 67.39±4.58yrs,

height=168.01±55.82cm, weight=60.80±12.41kg) were involved in 2 days of

testing. One day was a 2-hour protocol of cognitively fatiguing tasks (S3 and S7,

continuous performance task (CPT), rapid visual input processing (RVIP),) after

which they were tasked to complete a 6MWT at their normal speed and VO2

was measured using the Cosmed Fitmate Pro. The other day, a baseline 6MWT

was performed and VO2 were measured. A One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov

Test to determine distribution of peak VO2 scores prior to performing an

independent sample T-test to determine differences between cognitive fatigue

and non-cognitive fatigue days.

Results: Results yielded a normal distribution and T-test analysis yielded no

significant differences (p=.734) between cognitive fatigue and non-cognitive

fatigue days.

Conclusion: Although analysis yielded no difference in peak VO2 scores

between days, it should be noted that 6 out of the 9 subjects had lower peak VO2

on cognitive fatigue days than on non-cognitive fatigue days. Further research

should be conducted to determine whether cognitive fatigue can decrease

aerobic performance in older adults.


Key Words: Cognition, VO2, Gait, Postural sway, Fall risk, Fatigue



95

SMART Start House, LLC: A Business Plan

Krissy Govertsen1

1Department of Civil Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

This project involves determining the plausibility of a start-up consulting firm

entering the market in Glens Falls, New York. The start-up consulting firm is

called SMART Start House, LLC. SMART stands for Sustainable, Manageable,

Affordable, Resilient, and Technological. The purpose of the business is to assist

the average American family in the capitol region of New York state set, meet,

and maintain their sustainability goals. The goal of the research is to show that

there is a growing need for sustainable consulting firms. This has been done by

reviewing market data over the course of the last two decades and attending a

green building conference. The aspects explored are the key characteristics of

this company as well as its projected profitability. Through showing the growing

demand of green buildings is growing in the United States, this research

highlights the importance of the residential market on the overall success of

green building in the United States and how those goals cannot be achieved

without businesses to help achieve them.

Mentors: Dr. Erik Backus, Department of Civil Engineering, Clarkson

University

Jamey Hoose, Shipley Center for Innovation, Clarkson University

Dr. Jon Goss, Honors Program, Clarkson University

Keywords: Business, Sustainability, Consulting, Civil Engineering, Market,

Architecture

Session 1, Section 3 Business Snell 177, 9:42 AM

96

Enabling Cooperative IoT Security via Software

Defined Networks and Programmable Data Planes

Garegin Grigoryan1, Dr. Yaoqing Liu1


[email protected]

Internet of Things (IoT) offers a wide variety of services that facilitate everyday

life. While millions of IoT devices are connected to the global network, they

become an extremely attractive target for cybercriminals. In particular, hackers

exploit the security weaknesses of IoT devices to lure them into a large number

of botnets and thereby launch collusive DDoS attacks against DNS or web

servers. In this work, we introduce a framework that enables cooperative defense

against such attacks. We bridge the gap between the application and network

layers by leveraging Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Programmable

Data Planes. We evaluate our framework in GENI testbed, compare approaches

of SDN and Programmable Data Plane in the Mininet emulator.

Mentor: Dr. Yaoqing Liu, Department of Computer Science, Clarkson

University

Session 3, Section 7 Security Systems Snell B10L, 10:50 AM

97

Rational Design and Synthesis of Flexible

Zwitterionic Ligands to Access Novel Zwitterionic

Metal-Organic Frameworks

John Hadynski1, Juby Varghese1, Dr. Ghodrat Mahmoudi2,

Dr. Mario Wriedt1


University

2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of

Maragheh

[email protected]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous materials composed of

metal clusters or ions connected by polytopic organic linkers. These materials

have high surface areas and large pore volumes and can be fine-tuned to

selectively capture guest molecules. The incorporation of zwitterionic ligands in

MOFs can introduce charged organic surfaces in their cavities leading to

intermolecular electrostatic fields to polarize guest-molecules. This work entails

a reaction route to synthesize two new flexible zwitterionic ligands by

modifying the neutral linker 2-(3pyridinylmethylene)hydrazone. Subsequent

systematic investigations have also been proposed to synthesize novel

zwitterionic MOFs in order to study gas adsorption as well as structure-property

relationships to expand the understanding of materials chemistry in relation to

real-life applications.


Clarkson University

Keywords: MOFs, Zwitterionic, Organic chemistry, Inorganic chemistry,

Materials science, Coordination Polymer

Session 1, Section 1 Metal-Organic Framework I Snell 169, 8:42 AM

98

Nicotinic Acid Based Ditopic Zwitterionic Ligands for

Metal-Organic Framework Synthesis

Alexander Harley 1, Hubert Bilan 1, Dr. Mario Wriedt1


University

[email protected]

As carbon dioxide levels increase in Earth’s atmosphere there is an increasing

need for its removal alongside other greenhouse gasses. Metal-organic

frameworks (MOFs) synthesized with zwitterionic ligands have been identified

as possible candidates for greenhouse gas removal and storage due to their

ability to selectively capture carbon dioxide over nitrogen. This project focuses

on the use of Zincke reactions to synthesize new zwitterionic ditopic ligands for

MOF synthesis and potential use for carbon dioxide capture. The synthesis

provides many challenges, namely the synthesis of the Zincke salt of a highly

deactivated pyridine species as well as coupling the salt to an aromatic primary

amine. The resulting rigid pyridinium-based ligands are systematically explored

for MOF synthesis yielding a new MOF family with potential interesting gas

sorption properties. Their crystal structures, surface areas and photo-responsive

properties will be analyzed in detail.


Clarkson University

Keywords: MOFs, Zwitterions, Pyridinium based ligands

Session 1, Session 1 Metal-Organic Frameworks Snell 169, 8:54 AM


99

Using Keystroke Dynamics to Protect Online Credit

Card Transactions

Jared Heidt1, Dr. Daqing Hou2

1Department of Computer Science, Clarkson University 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

With the increased use of online services and web accounts, data exploits and

fraud are increasing. More advanced user authentication is needed to protect

online transactions and digital infrastructure from such attacks. Declaring a user

an impostor can potentially be performed by comparing one's keystroke

dynamics. The goal of this thesis is to implement a software model which

protects online credit card transactions using behavioral biometrics. A user's

keystroke dynamics can be analyzed in a way such that the true user of an

account can be distinguished from an impostor. Arujo's Manhattan (Scaled)

algorithm will be implemented and analyzed in this thesis. The combination of

keystroke and mouse-moving dynamics will also be explored.


Clarkson University


100

Ki67 Protein or Ki67 mRNA – How to Assess Cell

Proliferation Readiness?

Althea Henderson1, Lara Varden1, Darren Sipes1, Dr. Petra

Kraus1, Dr. Shantanu Sur1, Dr. Thomas Lufkin1



Cell proliferation and growth is a basic criteria of living organisms; uncontrolled

proliferation is a feature of tumor cells and of medical concern. Traditionally,

Ki67, a nuclear protein associated with all active phases of the cell cycle, is used

as a cell proliferation marker and detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), a

method based on the specific interaction of antibodies with epitopes of the target

protein. In a cell, DNA is transcribed into mRNA, which is translated into

protein. RNA in situ hybridization (RISH) detects gene transcription through

nucleic acid hybridization, a method that is less vulnerable to off-target binding

and more flexible in probe design than IHC. Here we investigated if RISH can

be used interchangeably with IHC and if Ki67 mRNA might be a better tool

than Ki67 protein to assess cell proliferative potential. Using cells of the bovine

intervertebral disc (IVD) and comparing RISH with IHC in vivo and in vitro, we

have assessed the potential of Ki67 as a proliferation marker, and used the data

to further characterize cell lines derived from the annulus fibrosus and nucleus

pulposus. We have also started to investigate if Ki67mRNA expression can be

more precisely linked to specific stages within the cell cycle.

Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the Bayard and Virginia

Clarkson Endowment Fund granted to Thomas Lufkin. Althea Henderson was

supported by the Clarkson Honors Program.

Mentors: Dr. Shantanu Sur, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology,

Clarkson University

Dr. Thomas Lufkin, Professor and Bayard and Virginia Clarkson Endowed

Chair in Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Ki67, cell proliferation, RNA in situ hybridization,

immunohistochemistry, cell cycle, intervertebral disc

Poster #2, Cell & Molecular Bio Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM



101

HPV16-Immortalized Cells from Human

Transformation Zone and Endocervix are More

Susceptible to Dysplastic Differentiation and Invasion

in Organotypic Culture

Eric Hillpot1, Han Deng1, Dr. Sumona Mondal2, Dr. Craig D.

Woodworth1


2Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Cervical cancer is a major cause of cancer death in women throughout the world

and persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major

risk factor for this disease. Over 90% of cervical cancers originate from the

cervical transformation zone (CTZ), a small anatomic region located between

the ectocervix and endocervix. It is unclear why the CTZ is highly susceptible to

malignant conversion, and few studies have been performed on cells isolated

from this region. As a first step to understanding why the CTZ cells are so

susceptible, cells from each region of human cervix were cultured on collagen

rafts and characterized by the expression of intermediate filament proteins of the

keratin gene family. Primary and immortalized cells were stained by monoclonal

antibodies for keratin 14 (K14), 18 (K18), Ki67, MMP1 (matrix

metalloproteinase 1), and pAkt using indirect immunofluorescence. A higher

percentage of TZ and endocervical cells stained for Ki67, a marker for cell

proliferation, as these cell types exhibited increased invasion into collagen rafts.

Immortal cells from TZ and endocervix expressed higher levels of phospho Akt

and matrix metalloproteinase 1. We conclude that HPV16immortalized cells

from TZ and endocervix are more susceptible to dysplastic epithelial

differentiation and this might contribute to increased conversion to cervical

cancer.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by an award from the National

Cancer Institute and a gift from U.S. Biomax. Human tissue was obtained from

the Cooperative Human Tissue Network.

Mentors: Craig D. Woodworth, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Session 1, Section 2 Cell & Biomolecular Science Snell 175, 8:42 AM

102

Advantages of the Lightboard: An Integration of

Technology and Pedagogy

Kevin Ho1, Laura Perry1

1 Teaching and Learning Corner, Office of Information

Technology, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The Lightboard is a recently developed integration of technology and pedagogy,

evolving educational technology. The Lightboard is an open source invention

created by Professor Michael Peshkin at Northwestern University. A Lightboard

Studio has recently been built at Clarkson University and is a newly acquired

teaching resource for the university. The Lightboard provides a connection

between the student and instructor for lecturing unlike regular recorded teaching

methods. Multiple studies have shown that the Lightboard is an innovative and

engaging way of teaching especially for online education. This project

demonstrates through research, the utilization of the Lightboard: How it has

been successfully adopted by other universities as a higher education teaching

resource, how the Lightboard provides a more personal, engaging, and

innovative alternative to video lecturing and why the Lightboard should be

utilized.

Mentor: Laura Perry, Teaching & Learning Corner, Office of Information

Technology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Lightboard, Pedagogy, Educational Technology, Online Education,

Higher Education, Open Source

References: Adopting Lightboard for a Chemistry Flipped Classroom To Improve

Technology-Enhanced Videos for Better Learner Engagement Fun Man Fung Journal of Chemical Education 2017 94 (7), 956-959 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00004



103

Potential Development and New Approaches in

Electrochemically Controlled Drug Release Systems

Elham Honarvarfard1, Maria Gamella Carballo1, Dr. Evgeny

Katz1


University

[email protected]

Advanced drug delivery systems present unquestionable advantages for drug

administration. During the past decades, different approaches for the controlled-

release drug have been introduced such as thermally and electrochemically

controlled release systems. Here, new approaches for electrochemically-

controlled drug release system in physiological conditions have been reported.

In one developed system, electrostatic forces have been used to load/unload the

drug from the surface of a modified electrode and multi-loading/unloading is

possible with this system. Electrodes have been modified with trigonelline

(TRIG) and 4-carboxyphenylboronic acid. The TRIG species produced positive

charge on the electrode surface regardless of the pH value, while the boronic

acid species were neutral below pH 8 and negatively charged above pH 9.

Different biomolecules were loaded on the modified electrode at pH 7 due to

their electrostatic attraction to the surface. By applying potential,

electrochemical oxygen reduction resulted in the local pH increase in the

vicinity of the electrode surface and formation of the negative charges on the

boronic acid species and release of the loaded drug. In another system, the

complexation of metal with his-tag protein has been used to load the protein and

by applying potential and reduction of metal, protein has been released from the

electrode.

Acknowledgement: These works was supported by the NSF awards # CBET-

1403208.

Mentor: Dr. Evgeny Katz, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Insulin, DNA, release, graphene electrode, electrochemically-

controlled, modified electrode

Session 3, Section 2 Biology and Biochemistry Snell 175, 11:05 AM


104

Electrochemical Investigation of Lead Ions

Adsorption on TiO2 Nanoparticles: Effect of

Environmental Composition and Particle Surface

Farideh Hosseini Narouei1, Kevin Kirk1, Dr. Silvana

Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

Metal oxide nanoparticles, especially titania (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are

heavily used in consumer products, notably in cosmetics and sunscreens and are

discarded in the environment with little regulation. Although these

nanoparticles are found to be relatively non-toxic, once in the environment they

can undergo transformations and interact with small molecules and metal ions

which drastically change their properties and toxicity profile. This presentation

will discuss electrochemical studies to investigate the interaction of metal oxide

nanoparticles with heavy metals in the environment. Examples of nanoparticle

systems and studies to assess the effect of particle type, surface coatings and

environmental composition will be provided along with the parameters

controlling adsorption/desorption of toxicants, measured using electrochemical

methods and a suite of spectroscopic procedures. We demonstrate the use of

electrochemistry as a powerful tool to quantify heavy metal adsorption and

determining mechanisms to predict the interaction of nanoparticles in the

environment.

Mentor: Dr. Silvana Andreescu, Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular


Poster #18, Electrochemistry Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM

105

Non-Forested Tree Data Collection, Database, and

Future Sustainability

Michael Howard1, Dr. Thomas Langen1


[email protected]

This project highlights the process of creating and implementing a campus wide

database of Clarkson University’s non-forested trees. The project was necessary

for Clarkson University to become certified as a Tree Campus USA and was

used in the development of Clarkson’s Tree Care Plan. An ArcGIS mapping tool

was created through field data collection of each individual non-forested tree on

Clarkson’s campus. The data collection process, type of data fields collected,

trends seen in the data, and the application of the data at Clarkson University

will be focused upon. The creation of the map has a wide range of applications

from academia, grounds management, and input into the sustainable

management of Clarkson’s tree canopy into the indefinite future.

Mentors: Dr. Thomas Langen, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Alex French, Institution for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University

Bill Olsen, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson

University

Key Words: tree, sustainability, care, plan

Session 2, Section 6, Environmental Mgmt. & Remediation Snell 214, 9:40 AM

Poster #23, Envi. Mgmt. & Remediation Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


106

How Chinese Characters and Grammars Reflect

Chinese Culture

Ping Huang1, Jessica Murray1, Richard Lasselle1, Dr. Sherri

Duan1

1Department of Education, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The different concepts of time between English and Chinese is a topic many

researchers focus on. (Boroditsky, 2001, 2008, Fuhrman et al., 2011, Geqi Wu,

2005,) However, the concept of how to teach concepts of time in Chinese

language class has yet to be addressed. In this research-based curriculum,

students will not only know how to address time correctly in the Chinese way

but also understand why Chinese address time the way it is. Instead of directly

teaching, the teacher will focus on using etymology to explain the original

meaning of Chinese characters and providing opportunities for students to

explore in the Chinese calendar and Chinese daily newspaper. Rather than

accept the knowledge passively, students will acquire the concepts of time

through exploration, speculation, and confirmation. Also, assessment such as

What’s the Principal or Defining Features Matrix or The Muddiest Point will

follow at the end of each class. As I design this curriculum, I recognize that

culture is the bridge to connect students to the target language. As Chinese

language teachers, we should not only bring in authentic culture outside the class

but also dig out culture point inside the language itself.

Acknowledgments: I would like to thank Jessica Murray for her expert advice

and encouragement throughout this research process, as well as Richard Lasselle

for his inspiration in the class.

Mentor: Dr. Sherri Duan, Department of Education, Clarkson University

Keywords: Time Concept, Chinese Characters, Grammars, Culture

Poster #71, Education Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM


107

Ammonia Removal During Food Waste Anaerobic

Digestion Increasing Energy Generation and Reactive

Nitrogen Recovery

Jacob Hunt1, Abigail Fleming1, Michael Knapp1, Jennifer

Guo2, Olutooni Ajayi1


University 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Clarkson University


Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the optimal strategies for reducing the

volume of food waste sent to solid waste landfills while simultaneously

transforming the degradable organic compounds into valuable and sustainable

products such as biogas (60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide) and fertilizer.

Ammonia nitrogen, a product of the metabolism of microorganisms involved in

AD, inhibits biogas production, as it is toxic to the microorganisms responsible

for producing the methane. To address this issue, the overall objective of this

project is to design a pilotscale ammonia removal and recovery process for food

waste digestion that will increase the environmental and economic value of the

AD system through greater biogas yields and more valuable fertilizer

production. Water chemistry analysis along with speciation modeling is being

used to determine the optimal chemical makeup of a draw solution. Such

solution will facilitate ammonia removal from the digestate through a cation-

selective membrane. Process engineering and cost-benefit analysis are being

used to determine whether air stripping coupled with volatile ammonia sorption

or biofiltration is the optimal process for recovering ammonia from the draw

solution to be added to the digester effluent to create a valuable ammonia

fertilizer.

Mentors: Dr. Susan Powers, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson

University

Dr. Stefan Grimberg, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Anaerobic digestion, biogas, ammonia nitrogen, fertilizer, food

waste, capstone design

Session 2, Section 6 Environmental Mngt. & Remediation Snell 214, 9:52 AM


108

Clarkson College of Technology WWI Efforts

Jacob Jacques1, Angela Johnson2, Johnathon Mattick1


2Department of Engineering & Management, Clarkson University

[email protected]

For the centenary of the United States entry into World War I, our research

examined Clarkson University’s contribution to the war effort both abroad and

on the home front. Our group went about this project by researching online local

newspapers, as well as online documents that have been scanned and put into

Google. We also searched through the Potsdam Historical Society’s website and

went to the Clarkson Archives for more on this topic. Our findings from these

sources proved to be advantageous to our overall goal of finding out more about

Clarkson’s contributions to WWI. By looking back at the history of the school,

it is astounding to see not only how different the average day of a student was,

but also how much aid Clarkson provided the country that is not recognized at

the University today. Our group hopes to bring these efforts to the attention of

Clarkson University as well as Potsdam community and to help to recognize

what these men and our institution did for our country during the Great War.

Mentor: Dr. Stephen Casper, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences


109

To Help or Not To Help? Detecting Depression on

Mock Profiles and Forming Impressions of Electronic

Interaction Partners

Breanna Johnson1, 2, Meaghan Barker1, Scott Avery1, Dona

Colbert1, Julia Kon1, Dr. Jennifer M. Knack1



[email protected]

Researchers have determined people leave traces of their personalities in their

physical and electronic environment. We expected people also leave traces of

their mental health status on social media. We examined whether (1) college

students detect indicators of depression on mock social media profiles of an

electronic interaction partner (i.e., a confederate) and (2) act on these

impressions. Participants (N = 144) first created their profile and were then

randomly assigned to view a profile contacting either low, mild, or high levels of

depression. Participants completed two electronic tasks with the confederate;

between each task, there was time for participants to interact with the

confederate. We found that participants detected differences in depression and

used this information to make inferences about their interaction partner. For

example, participants who viewed profiles with high levels of depression

inferred the confederate had fewer friends and experienced more challenging

situations than participants who viewed profiles with lower levels of depression.

However, we did not find any evidence that participants acted on this

information to provide help or support. Our findings indicate people detect

information about mental health, but more research is needed to understand

when people offer support to individuals with poor mental health.

Mentor: Dr. Jennifer M. Knack, Department of Psychology, Clarkson University


110

Electro-Analytical Examination of Ethyl Methyl

Carbonate as an Electrolyte Solvent for Low-

Temperature Operations of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Cody A. Johnson1, Dr. Dipankar Roy1


[email protected]

Previous studies have utilized electroanalytical techniques to assess liquid

electrolytes for Li-Ion batteries (LIBs) using various combinations of carbonate

solvents with lithium salts. From the results of these studies, one solvent in

particular, ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), can be identified as a key component

for liquid electrolytes, particularly for use in low-temperature applications. This

work aims to probe the role of EMC concentration in a simple electrolyte

composed of a 1:X ratio of ethylene carbonate (EC) and EMC, with 0.1 M

lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) salt, where X = 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5. A

quantitative evaluation of the role of EMC concertation is obtained by following

a diagnostic approach using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS),

cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic cycling (GC). Temperature-

controlled measurements ranging from 40 °C to -35 °C of two- and three-

electrode EIS, coupled with CV, demonstrate concentration-dependent

electrolyte conductivity and electrochemical stability. Two electrolyte

compositions, 1:3 and 1:3.5 EC:EMC, are examined further for battery

operations at select temperatures by galvanic cycling in a half-cell containing a

lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) anode. Consistent across all measurements,

concentration of EMC is positively correlated with superior performance in half-

cell battery operations.

Acknowledgements: Cody Johnson gratefully acknowledges his graduate

assistantship from the Clarkson Physics Department that made this work

possible. The authors also thank Shen Wei and Michael Turk for technical

assistance through this project.

Mentors: Dr. Dipankar Roy, Department of Physics, Clarkson University

Key Words: Li-Ion Batteries, Liquid Electrolytes, Low-Temperature

Applications, Electroanalysis

Session 3, Section 3, Physics Snell 177, 10:50 AM


111

Acute Effects of Caffeine-Containing, Adaptogeic-

Rich Natural Beverages on Sustained Attention,

Mood, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, and Fine Motor

Skills

David Josephs1,2, Dr. Ali Boolani3, Dr. Sumona Mondal1

1Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University 2Reh School of Business, Clarkson University


[email protected]

Acute effects of a caffeine-containing, adaptogenic-rich (AD) natural energy

beverage, a matched caffeinecontaining beverage (CA), and a placebo were

assessed toward several neurocognitive measures in a doubleblinded, crossover

trial. Thirty participants who were low consumers of caffeine without elevated

feelings of energy were subjected to tests measuring motivation, mood, and

sustained attention (serial subtractions of 3 and 7, the continuous performance

task (CPT), and the Rapid Visual Input Processing task (RVIP)). Both prior to

and after consumption of each beverage. Heart rate, blood pressure and fine

motor skills (9-hole peg test) were also evaluated. ANOVAs of treatment time x

showed that compared to the placebo, CA increased feelings of anger and energy

along with a reduction in fatigue. The AD beverage showed increased number of

responses with serial subtract 3 task, and an ANOVA noted significantly greater

decreases in fatigue for the AD beverage compared to the CA beverage. Models

are validated, and most relevant parameters are inferred with statistical

significance.

Acknowledgements: IsAgenix, Clarkson University

Mentors: Dr. Ali Boolani, Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

Dr. Sumona Mondal, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

Keywords: Beverage, Caffeine, Energy, Fatigue, Mood



112

Developing a Kalman Filter Model to Characterize

Tracked Two-Dimensional Motion of Cells

Devin Kapper1, Dr. Mahesh Banavar2, Dr. Sumona Mondal1,

Dr. Shantanu Sur3

1Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University 2Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University 3Department of Biology, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Recent biological studies have turned their focus to dynamic cellular assays that

capture real-time mechanistic phenomena. In this analysis, we seek to develop a

method of characterizing cells based on detectable behavior observed in kinetic

motion. In the analysis of cell positions and movements, we attempt to apply a

Kalman filter, a technique in signal processing to predict and update a state

model using observed data. Out implementation of a Kalman filter requires the

selection of parameter values to determine how observations update a two-

dimensional model. Using kinematic equations and statistical inferences from

measured data, we refine our initially selected parameters for the state, the

measurements, and their associated noise models. The resultant model is able to

follow data with high accuracy. Exploratory analysis was done on velocities and

accelerations in order to establish characteristic behavior and determine how

estimated parameters behaved relative to model assumptions. Once a suitable

Kalman filter model was obtained, discriminant analysis was applied to velocity

and acceleration parameters to identify cancerous versus non-cancerous cells in

one experiment where they were cultured separately, and another in which they

were co-cultured.

Mentors: Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar, Department of Electrical and Computer


Dr. Shantanu Sur, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Dr. Sumona Mondal, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

Key Words: cell tracking, cell dynamics, Kalman filter, classification,

discriminant analysis

Session 3, Section 2 Biology and Biochemistry Snell 175, 10:50 AM

113

Qualifying the 3D-Printed-Leveling Capability of an

Automated Ultrasonic Pharmaceutical Tablet Testing

and Characterization Instrument

Patrick Karmis1, Matthew Coelho1, Thomas Couture1, Cejingxian

Dong1, Adam Hartnagel2, Patrick Perry1, Samuel Berry1, Gunnar

Sutphen1, Bahman Farzi1, Chaitanya Vallabh1, Xiaochi Xu1


2Department of Engineering and Management, Clarkson University

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Mechanical properties and damage states of pharmaceutical tablets correlate

with their dissolution profile in the human body. Acquiring accurate and

repeatable physical characteristics of a tablet is critical in introducing inspection

technologies and improving the quality of pharmaceutical products. To

understand these physical characteristics, a non-destructive ultrasonic approach

is used to extract the mechanical properties of the tablet using an automated

pharmaceutical testing machine, which must maintain parallelism between the

two testing surfaces for accurate results. To evaluate the performance and

repeatability of the pharmaceutical instrument, large data sets of the tablet’s

material properties are acquired via a custom-built software automation

interface, and compared to the theoretical test values. Using these results, the 3D

Printing Special Interest Group (3DP_SIG) further improved this automated

pharmaceutical testing machine’s ability to create parallelism between the

testing surfaces by utilizing rapid/hybrid 3D prototyping tools and a data-

intensive design approach. The final design produces accurate and repeatable

experimental longitudinal/pressure and transverse/shear wave velocity

measurements within a 5.7° tablet surface offset. The 3DP_SIG team designed

and printed over 50 different components, and using ultrasonic data of the test

tablets as feedback, evaluated the components’ performance, substantially

accelerated the design and development process, and further optimized designs.

Acknowledgements: Authors acknowledge funding from the Wallace H. Coulter

Foundation for the purchase of a 3D printer and hardware/materials utilized in this work,

and Pharmacoustics Technologies, LLC, for equipment and technical support.

Mentor: Dr. Çetin Çetinkaya, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University








114

Non-Invasive Acoustic Monitoring of the Medium

Inside a Chromatography Column

Patrick Karmis1, McKenna LaChapelle1, Matthew Coelho1,

Samuel Berry1, Bahman Farzi1, Cetin Cetinkaya1

1 Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University


[email protected]

New advancements in pharmaceutical medicine require non-invasive monitoring

of mechanical properties and defect states of a cell medium in biological

medicine manufacturing. An experimental setup is designed, 3D printed and

constructed to acoustically monitor chromatography columns using ultrasonic

sensors for irregularities in packing, in a non-invasive manner. In this work we

discuss the acquired preliminary experimental data for detecting and evaluating

irregularities in chromatography columns. Irregularities in the chromatography

are evaluated through analysis of the reflection and transmission properties of

the interfaces of the testing chamber. To evaluate the performance and

repeatability of the testing instrument, the material properties of the medium

were extracted through large data sets and compared to the theoretical values.

The results show the experimental material/physical properties of the medium

and chamber are within 5% of the expected value.

Acknowledgements: Authors acknowledge funding from the Wallace H. Coulter

Foundation for the purchase of a 3D printer and hardware/materials utilized in

this work, and Pharmacoustics Technologies, LLC, for equipment and technical

support.

Mentor: Dr. Çetin Çetinkaya, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical






115

Making "Dimension" - Lessons Learned Making a

Video Game

Nicklas Kenyon1,2, Dr. Steven M. Pedersen1

1Department of Communication and Media, Clarkson University 2Department of Computer Science, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Dimension is a three-dimensional, first-person platformer and puzzle video

game that gives the player the ability to manipulate the direction of gravity to

explore and interact with their environment. Using these game mechanics and

forms of presentation, the player and the game work together to explore game

design tropes, expectations held by video game players, and the constructs of

perception, identity, and reward. The focus of the presentation will be on the

technical and creative challenges faced, and lessons learned, while

independently designing and developing a professional level video game.

Screenshots and gameplay moments will be shown and discussed as case

studies of conceptual and technical issues that were overcome during the game

development process. The larger goal of the presentation will be to share

strategies for other game developers who aspire to design and develop games

that stay true to their artistic goals.

Mentor: Dr. Steven M. Pedersen, Department of Communication and Media,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Video games, Games, Game Design, Game Development



116

Conformational Analysis of Polyethyleneimine-

Capped Silver Nanoparticles using Collision

Electrochemistry

Kevin Kirk1, Anahita Karimi1, Dr. Silvana Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

In recent years, there has been significant research on the use of nanoparticles

(NPs) for a wide variety of applications in the life sciences, energy and

environmental fields. It is known that the characteristics of the surface coating

determine many of NP properties such as stability, solubility and catalytic

activity. This presentation describes the use of collision electrochemistry for

studying the effect of capping agent on the redox behavior and catalytic activity

of polyethyleneimine-capped silver nanoparticles (PEI-AgNPs). We show that

PEI-stabilized AgNPs exhibit significant changes in surface charge, oxidation

and catalytic activity as a function of pH. Chronoamperometric signals respond

rapidly to pH-induced changes of the PEI chains at the AgNP’s surface.

Collision electrochemistry allows for rapid screening and catalytic activity

evaluation of NPs, demonstrated in this work with methylene blue and PEI-

AgNPs. These observations show that NP collision electrochemistry can be used

in addition to spectroscopy and microscopy for studying conformational changes

of capping agents and for evaluating the relationship between the surface

properties and catalytic activity. This study provides fundamental information

about polyethyleneimine’s surface characteristics, and activity in various

environments. The method can be used as a general strategy for correlating

surface properties of capping agents and screen NPs for their redox and catalytic

properties.



Keywords: Nanoparticles, electrochemistry, polymer, redox, fundamental


117

Sanitizing the Clarkson Keystroke Dataset for Public

Sharing

Bryan Klee1, Kristina Kolibab2, Reece Emero2, Dr. Daqing

Hou1, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers3

1Department of Software Engineering, Clarkson University

2Department of Computer Science, Clarkson University 3Center for Identification Technology Research, Clarkson

University


This research focuses on how to accurately identify individuals based on user

keylogging through gathering data from multiple sources and categorizing their

patterns and techniques. Our current focus is backtracking through past data to

identify any personal information that may lead to a compromise in their

confidentiality. Our data was collected from Clarkson University students and

faculty members after ensuring their privacy to the larger public. After filtering

out personal information such as names, passwords, emails, and other such data

we aim to identify each individuals based on their keystroke dynamics and then

share said data with the public. Mentors: Dr. Daqing Hou, Department of Software Engineering, Clarkson

University

Dr. Stephanie Schuckers, Center for Identification Technology Research,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Security, User Authentication, Keystroke Dynamics, Logging,

Privacy, Confidentiality


118

Adaptation Comparison and Analysis: Relationships

and the Weird

Kristina Kolibab1, Dr. Brian Hauser2



University

[email protected]

This research focuses on the comparison between H.P. Lovecraft’s story “The

Dreams in the Witch House” (1933) and Stuart Gordon’s film Dreams in the

Witch House (2005). Through analyzing these two sources I reference

Lovecraft’s definition of cosmic horror in relation to my definition of personal

horror. What I found is that the way in which these two terms are used and

portrayed within the story differ from how they are used and portrayed within

the film. Cosmic horror is stressed very heavily throughout the story with long

descriptions of the monsters whereas the film focuses heavily on personal horror

through the use of character development and interrelationships.

Mentors: Dr. Brian Hauser, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Lovecraft, fiction, analysis, cosmic horror, personal horror


119

Plasmonic Design and Fabrication for a Handheld,

Portable Biosensor

Derek Kosciolek1, Dr. David Crouse1,2, Dr. Lori Lepak2


University 2Phoebus Optoelectronics, LLC

[email protected]

Surface plasmon-based biosensors allow sensitive, label-free monitoring of

biochemical interactions in real time. Current, state-of-the-art sensors are

laboratory based instruments costing thousands of dollars, requiring

meticulously aligned optical trains and specialty hardware. There is currently

great interest in adapting the technology used in these devices to develop

compact, portable versions to improve in situ environmental monitoring, point-

of-care diagnostic capabilities for health care professionals, and aid in food and

drink production and monitoring, as well as other fields. If biochemical

interactions could provide larger refractive index changes, or plasmonic surfaces

could provide greater sensitivities to refractive index changes, the reduction in

optical component size, weight, power, and quality could usher in portable

biosensors fabricated from commerciallyavailable optics and mass-produced

plasmonic chips. We propose that a rationally designed plasmonic surface,

coupled with highly-selective intrinsically disordered proteins, will enable us to

develop an optical train with commercial hardware suitable for a YES/NO

sensor capable of field deployment. Additionally, constraining the plasmonic

design space to feature sizes commensurate with deep UV photolithography

fabrication rules will allow us to keep the final cost of such a device relatively

low.

Mentor: Dr. David Crouse, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Biosensor, Surface Plasmon, Plasmonic Metasurface

Session 3, Section 8, Sensors & Signal Processing Snell B10M, 10:50 AM


120

Comparative Efficacy of Influenza Vaccine Adjuvants

Lanette LaComb1, Lindsey Norfleet1, Marisa Ruane -Foster1,

Ariel Delgado1, Asa Frankowski1, Samantha Penman1,

Dr. William Reiley2

1Department of Biology, Clarkson University 2Trudeau Institute, 154 Algonquin Ave, Saranac Lake, NY 12983


[email protected]

Vaccines stimulate the adaptive immune system, B cell- or T cell-mediated

responses, such that it is poised to provide protection if the vaccinated individual

encounters the pathogen. Vaccines are usually composed of two components 1)

the antigen(s) which are important to stimulate the adaptive immune response,

and 2) some components to stimulate the innate immune response to enhance the

adaptive response. The use of adjuvants in vaccines provides this second

mechanism of action. We compared the efficacy of three adjuvants in a mouse

model to examine the efficacy in providing protection against a lethal influenza

infection. We used TiterMax Gold, Alhydrogel, or DDA/TDB as the adjuvant,

and mixed these with recombinant nuclear protein (NP) from influenza virus as

the antigen to immunize mice. The mice were initially vaccinated and boosted,

and then challenged with a lethal dose of Influenza A strain A/PR/8/34 (H1N1).

We measured the NP-antigen specific antibodies present in the serum of each

mouse prior to challenge as an indication of vaccine-induced protection. We

then measured the weight loss, clinical symptoms and survival after the lethal

challenge. Our results demonstrate that Alhydrogel was the most effective

adjuvant, compared to the more moderate effects of the TiterMax or DDA/TDB.

Mentor: Dr. William Reiley, Ph.D, Trudeau Institute

Key Words: Immunology, influenza, vaccination, adjuvant

Poster #7, Cell & Molec. Bio Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM




121

Clarkson Mirror: An Analysis of Clarkson

University’s Open Source Software Mirror

Benjamin Lannon1, Dr. Jeanna Matthews1


[email protected]

One of the main outfacing projects of the Applied Computer Science Labs at

Clarkson University is a mirror for open source software. Open source mirrors

make a local copy of open source software allowing users to download or get

updates from a location which is closer to their physical location and reducing

load on the original source servers. We provide dozens of mirrors for various

Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, as well as many large

software projects including Blender and VLC. My work has been on examining

the day-to-day statistics on the usage of our mirror. I’ve developed an API to

use data from a SQL database to be visualized on our mirror’s website.

Mentor: Dr. Jeanna Matthews, Department of Computer Science, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Big Data, Data Analytics, Open Source, Data Processing

Session 2, Section 7, Systems & Networks Snell B10l, 10:04 AM


122

Design and Synthesis of Metal-Organic Frameworks

from Rigid Zwitterionic Ligands

Paul Lawrence1, Shefa Alomri2, Dr. Mario Wriedt2



University

[email protected]

Anthropogenic CO2 emissions have significantly increased over the past century

and contribute to global warming. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is

proposed as a new means to mediate these emissions. Metal-organic frameworks

(MOFs) might be one of the key material classes to be involved in this process.

They are crystalline porous materials composed of metal clusters or ions

connected by organic linker molecules. In this context, we explore zwitterionic

(ZW) ligands as new MOF building blocks. Zwitterions have both permanent

positive and negative charges and their charge separations result electrostatic

molecular surfaces. Incorporated into MOFs, the ability to polarize guest

molecules is improved and thus, their adsorption affinities are increased. We

propose that the resulting ZW MOFs are promising materials for selective gas

separation and storage, with the focus on CO2 capture. We developed a new

synthesis scheme to rationally design new MOF materials and to stimulate

crystal growth by the choice of ZW ligand, different metal salts, solvents

involved, and specific temperature-time reaction programs. The resulting MOFs

are thoroughly characterized for their crystal structures and physical properties

using e.g. X-ray diffractions methods.

Acknowledgements: Wriedt Laboratory, Collegiate Science and Technology

Entry Program, Community of

Underrepresented Professional Opportunities, and Arthur O. Eve Higher

Education Opportunity Program.

Mentor: Shefa Alomri Dr. Mario Wriedt, Clarkson University

Keywords: Metal-organic Frameworks, Zwitterionic Ligands, Porous Crystalline

Materials, Pyridinium Derivatives

Session 2, Section 1, MOF II Snell 169, 9:52 AM

123

Aitken’s Condensation Counter: Bringing History to

Life

Dylan Leigh-Manuell1, Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala1

1Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

John Aitken, a late 19th century meteorologist, physicist, and engineer, began his

research into condensation and phase transformations in 1875. In 1890, this

research led to the development of the Aitken dust counters, considered to be the

first condensation nuclei counters. Because of its small size, simplicity, and

ability to generate reproducible measurements, Aitken’s dust counters, the

pocket dust counter in particular, became widely used for the next half a

century. This presentation outlines how John Aitken’s early condensation

nuclei counters were able to optically count particles in the air. We will also

describe the process taken to restore an original Aitken Portable Dust Counter

along to working order. Learning from these past instruments is an important

part of developing current instruments because of the simple, efficient, and

intelligent techniques they use.

Mentor: Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical


Keywords: Aerosols, Instrumentation, Air Quality, John Aitken, Particle

Concentration

Session 1, Section 6, “Light” Snell 214, 8:42 AM


124

Identifying Intervertebral Disc Biomarkers via RNA

in situ Hybridization

Kangning Li1, Devin Kapper2, Dr. Shantanu Sur1, Dr. Petra

Kraus1, Dr. Thomas Lufkin1

1Department of Biology, Clarkson University 2Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Over 75% of the population can be affected by low back pain (LBP) in their life.

In the USA the expenditures related to chronic back pain surpasses $35 billion

per year in terms of medical health care costs and the reduction in productivity

from lost workdays, which imposes an enormous socio-economic burden.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is thought to be a major cause of LBP.

Instead of just alleviating symptoms, the emerging field of regenerative

medicine (RM) aims to restore the normal biological function of compromised

tissues or entire organs like the IVD via cell-based approaches. However, this

first requires a solid understanding of the identity of mature IVD cells and their

developmental origin. For this purpose we validated our previously generated

transcriptome data on murine axial skeleton development in the nucleus

pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) of the mature bovine IVD by RNA

section in situ hybridization. We quantified the percentage of AF and NP cells

expressing potential biomarkers using the Z proportion test. With this strategy

we have identified 2 novel AF and 7 novel NP biomarkers. Our work refines the

molecular identity of AF and NP cells, with implications for future regenerative

medicine and tissue engineering strategies to address IVD degeneration in

humans.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Bayard and Virginia

Clarkson Endowment to Prof. Thomas Lufkin.

Mentor: Dr. Thomas Lufkin, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Low Back Pain, Intervertebral Disc, Nucleus Pulposus, Annulus

Fibrosus, Biomarker, RNA Section in situ Hybridization

Session 3, Section 2, Bio & Biochem Snell 175, 11:20 AM

125

Synthesis of Poly (Vinyl Phosphonic Acid)-Based

Polymers and their Potential Applications

Sarah Lilholt,1,2 Ishah Alshehri2, Dr. Devon Shipp2,3

1Department of Chemical Engineering, Clarkson University 2Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson

University 3Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP), Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Phosphonic acid functionalized (co)polymers have been recently identified as a

potential candidate for use in many biomedical applications such as bone tissue

engineering. Among the many phosphonic acid functionalized monomers,

particular attention has been recently paid to vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA)

which is a low cost industrial monomer. It is hypothesized that VPA

homopolymerization and the potential crosslinking agents of VPA after

polymerization leads to significant changes in polymer solubility and

biocompatibility. Here we report use of radical polymerization to produce VPA-

based polymers. This is achieved using both conventional radical

polymerization (CRP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer

polymerization (RAFT) in homogeneous aqueous conditions. Here we will

describe the synthesis of VPA-based copolymers, and demonstrate that

reversible crosslinking is achievable with these polymers. The polymers were

characterized using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and 1H NMR

spectroscopy.

Acknowledgements: Dr. Devon Shipp, and the Shippmates for their guidance.

Mentor: Dr. Devon Shipp, Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Polymers, Chemistry

Session 1, Section 2, Cell & Biomolec. Sci. Snell 175, 8:54 AM


126

Localization of Dm Ime4 During Embryogenesis

Supports its Importance in Drosophila melanogaster’s

Development

Timothy Low-Beer1, Gretchen Kraeger1, Antonio Rockwell1,

Dr. Cintia Hongay1



Dm Ime4 catalyzes the methylation of N6A residues on RNA and it is

evolutionarily conserved. Dm ime4 is important for fertility and viability of

Drosophila melanogaster. Its homologs have been shown to be essential in other

organisms including Arabidopsis thaliana and Mus musculus, where deletion of

their Dm ime4 homologs results in embryonic arrest and death. In adult fruit

flies, Dm Ime4 is localized in the reproductive and nervous systems, yet its

localization during embryogenesis remains unstudied. Given its adult functions,

Dm Ime4 is expected to be in the gonadal precursors (pole cells), and in the

central nervous system (CNS). Embryos were collected after breeding flies for

4-5 hours in collection cages on grape agar plates with yeast paste to encourage

embryo laying. Collected embryos were dechorionated and devitellinized as

described in Lécuyer et al. Formaldehyde-fixed embryos were stained with α-

Ime4-Alexa555, α-m6A-Alexa-488 or α-Profilin (detected with secondary

antibodies), and DAPI, to determine localization and function of Dm Ime4.

Using confocal microscopy, we show embryonic localization of Dm Ime4 in

pole cells and CNS, as expected, as well as in the midgut, supporting the

important role of Dm ime4 in development.

Acknowledgment: This work has been made possible by NIH GM113180-01 to

Dr. Hongay.

Mentor: Dr. Cintia Hongay, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Drosophila melanogaster, N6 Methylation, Dm Ime4,

Embryogenesis, Pole cells, Development

Poster # 3, Cell & Molecular Bio Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM



127

Predictors of Energy and Fatigue in Graduate Health

Science Students

Sai Ma1, Dr. Ali Boolani2, Dr. Sumona Mondal1



[email protected]

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether energy and fatigue are two

separate unipolar moods or one bipolar mood by determining the factors that

predict energy and fatigue. We collected data from graduate students (N=77,

BMI = 24.81±4.32, Male = 27, Female = 46) at a single data collection point for

the following domains: body composition and fitness level, cognitive function,

nutrition, sleep, mood, mental work performed, and physical activity. The

normality test, correlation test, and backward selection techniques were used to

analyze the 87 variables from the data of 77 participants. Data cleaning, data

integration, and dimensionality reduction methods were adapted to ensure the

quality of the data. The predictors of energy and fatigue when accounting for

them as a single bipolar mood were different. However, these predictors

remained the same when they were treated as two unipolar moods. The

predictors for fatigue included Eriksen Flanker task performance, caffeine

consumption, global PSQI, tension, intensity of mental work on non-work day,

total time spent sitting, and METs of physical activity. The predictors of energy

included (A-V)O2, global PSQI, intensity of mental work on non-work days,

and hours of sleep. Therefore, we may conclude that when predicting energy and

fatigue in graduate health science student population, energy and fatigue are two

distinct moods with different predictors. The final model was diagnosed, and

most relevant parameters were reported with statistical significance.

Mentors: Dr. Sumona Mondal, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

Dr. Ali Boolani, Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University

Key words: energy, fatigue, backward selection, dimension reduction

Poster # 40, Health Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM

128

Room Mapping with Bluetooth Low Energy on

Mobile Devices

Kevin Mack1, Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar1


University

[email protected]

In this work, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on mobile devices is utilized in order

to estimate the shape of the room or immediate surroundings of an enclosed

space. The devices will each be used to collect signal strength data from one

another in order to measure the distances between them. With the use of

Euclidean Distance Matrices (EDM’s) and the image source model, it is possible

not only to perform localization on target devices, but also to infer the position

of a wall or obstruction based on the reflections of the BLE signal. A similar

approach has been used with acoustic instruments in order to accurately and

finely map the dimensions of convex rooms through rank minimization. This

approach is adapted to work with BLE reflections, and faces a new set of

challenges since the output signal cannot be defined to suit our needs (as in the

acoustic application). Using our new method, we overcome these challenges and

successfully use the signal strength values from BLE for room reconstruction

under certain conditions.

Acknowledgement: This work is supported in part by the NSF CRII Award

1464222

Mentor: Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical

and Computer Engineering, Clarkson

University


Poster # 48, Devices & Sensors Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


129

Validation of Custom Fit DART Wrist Brace

Rachel C. Martin1, Margaret Shea2, Brian Davis1, Dr. Laurel

Kuxhaus1


Clarkson University 2Physician’s Assistant Program, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The Daily Advanced Range of motion Therapy (DART) brace is patent pending

(USPTO 62/483,445) and is intended to be used following a scapho-lunate

interosseous ligament (SLIL) surgery. It is a limited motion wrist brace, custom

scaled and 3D printed for each patient, consisting of hand and forearm pieces

connected by two pins. The placement of the pins permits wrist rotation through

the dart throwers plane (DTP). Motion promotes healing of ligaments and joint

mobility, while limited motion in the DTP minimizes risk of re-injury and

allows patients to regain some functional use earlier in their recovery. With IRB

approval, subjects have been tested with a customscaled brace to verify this

limited motion in the DTP and to critique functionality of the brace in activities

of daily living (ADLs). Previous motion capture (4 Qualisys Oqus 500 cameras,

Gothenburg, Sweden) analysis, with 6mm diameter markers collected at 120 Hz

has shown success in that the brace does indeed limit motion to within 15

degrees of the DTP. Further analysis using MATLAB and more subject data is

ongoing to improve the robustness of limited motion function of this brace.

Additionally, functional testing has shown that most ADLs can be completed

with relative ease.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to acknowledge the Biomechanics

Senior Design Team of 2017 and Dr. Victoria Priganc from the Department of

Occupational Therapy, Clarkson University who contributed to initial

development of this project.



Key Words: Biomechanics, Rehabilitation Tech, Product Verification,

MATLAB, 3D Printing

Session 1, Section 5, Medicine & Biomed. Engr. Snell 212, 8:42 AM


130

Gas Input Control in Enhanced Plasma Reactor for

Groundwater Treatment of Surfactants

Matt McGuffey1, Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard1, Gunnar

Stratton1


University

[email protected]

The Plasma Research Laboratory at Clarkson University has developed a

competitive small-scale plasma reactor for treating wastewater. The use of this

technology for removing contaminants makes it desirable to be put into practice

on a large scale. The technology utilizes argon gas to increase the surface area

between the treated solution and the plasma in an effort to maximize treatment

rates of contaminants. Due to the increased demand for the gas in the process

scale-up, finding a more efficient way to utilize the argon in the reactor would

reduce operating costs. Using phenol as a model compound, this study tested the

feasibility and treatment effectiveness of various degrees of gas recirculation.

Results showed that as the ratio of fresh argon to recirculated gas decreases, the

rate of phenol degradation also decreases. The process also partially degrades

phenol to CO2 and H2 which are detected in the process gas. Oxygen introduced

into the reactor contributed to process function, likely through the formation of

ozone.

Mentors: Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard, Department of Chemical Engineering,

Clarkson University

Dr. Jon D Goss, Director of the Honors Program at Clarkson University

Key Words: Water Treatment, Plasma Chemistry, Advanced Oxidative Process,

Gas Composition, Reaction Rate, Reactor Scale-Up

Session 2, Section 6, Envi. Mgmt. & Remediation Snell 214, 10:04 AM

131

Applying K-Nearest Neighbors to the Position,

Velocity, and Acceleration Profiles of Swipes for

Mobile Authentication

Lauren McKeen1, Katherine Waters1, Dr. Adom Giffin1



Current methods of authenticating users of mobile devices with touch screens

are both unsecure and inconvenient. Using continuous authentication methods

can create an additional line of defense, protecting users’ data from potential

hackers, by continuously monitoring users’ interactions with the mobile device.

In order to implement continuous authentication methods, we focus on touch-

based biometrics which monitor the way that users swipe their fingers on the

touchscreen of their device. This study will focus on developing profiles of

swipes, including position, velocity, and acceleration profiles, and then

extracting features according to a study done by M. Frank. Data collected in this

manner can then be classified through k-nearest neighbors. We will then

compare the results of our classification to that of M. Frank. If we see that the

velocity profile has a lower percent error than the study by M. Frank, it will be

clear that the velocity profile of a swipe is a much more identifying biometric

than a swipe itself. Additionally, the velocity profile is more efficient and harder

to fool or "spoof" than finger swipes and even face authentication. Our goal is to

implement a classification framework that can authenticate users based on

swipes.

Mentor: Dr. Adom Giffin, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

Session 1, Section 7, Security Systems Snell B10L, 9:06 AM



132

Advances in Control of Civil Structures

Andrew J. Meier1, Samuel Rosato1, Dr. Steven Wojtkiewicz1

1Department of Civil Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Chebfun is a MATLAB toolbox developed to overload commands for vectors

and matrices to apply to functions and operators. The toolbox utilizes the ability

of approximating smooth functions by Chebyshev polynomials, or

chebfunctions. Represented by Chebyshev points, chebfunctions can

approximate smooth functions with error to numerical precision of 10-16

(Driscoll, Hale, Trefethen, 2014). Chebfun is an unexplored tool with regards to

structural control. Chebfun potentially offers the speed of a numeric solution

with the accuracy of a symbolic solution. This presentation will report analysis

of Chebfun’s advantages and disadvantages when solving complex structural

systems. In addition, it will feature exploration of previous work featuring an

experimental damper and detail an attempt to characterize that damper more

accurately using Chebfun. Ultimately, it is hoped that by utilizing Chebfun

effectively, required processing time can be reduced, and feedback mechanisms

pertaining to structural design can become more efficiently and effectively

designed.

Acknowledgement: Supported by NSF CMMI-1436058

Mentor: Dr. Steven Wojtkiewicz, Department of Civil Engineering, Clarkson

University

References:

1.T. A. Driscoll, N. Hale, and L. N. Trefethen, editors, Chebfun Guide,

Pafnuty Publications, Oxford, 2014.

Poster # 74, Engr. Design & Modeling Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


133

Corruption Correction Using Variable Order Markov

Models

Jacob Melite1,2, Dr. Christino Tamon1

1Department of Computer Science, Clarkson University 2Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

[email protected]

We analyze the use of Variable Order Markov Models (VMMs) to learn variable

memory length Markov processes and correct text corrupted under replacements

and insertions of characters. Prior work has used a type of VMM called

Probabilistic Suffix Automata (PSA) to correct text corrupted with replacements

(Ron et al., 1997) and predicted text using several different VMMs (Begleiter et

al., 2004). However, the use of VMMs in general to correct text corrupted with

symbols inserted or deleted has not been thoroughly studied. This thesis

proposes a way to use VMMs to correct text corrupted with insertions and/or

deletions. When analyzed, it is clear that the correction algorithm makes the text

worse than if it was left alone. Further research must be done to determine how

to refine the methodology to reduce the number of corruptions in the text.

Mentor: Dr. Christino Tamon, Department of Computer Science, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Machine Learning, Markov Models

References: Ron Begleiter, Ran El-Yaniv, and Golan Yona. On prediction using

variable order markov models. Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research,

22:385-421, 2004.

Dana, Ron, Yoram Singer, and Naftali Tishby. The power of amnesia: Learning

probabilistic automata with variable memory length. Machine Learning, 25(2-

3): 117-149, 1997.

Session 1, Section 5, Efficiency & Optimization Snell 212, 8:42 AM


134

Mapping Grip Strength in Three Dimensions

Elizabeth Miele1, Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus1


Clarkson University

[email protected]

Weak grip strength has been a correlating factor in predicting numerous health

issues including heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and osteoporosis. The Jamar

Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer, bulb dynamometers, and pinch dynamometers

are all well-known methods in determining the muscular forces within the hand;

however, these methods output the acting force vectors within the hand as a one-

dimensional magnitude. The long-term goal of this research is to map and

analyze the three-dimensional grip forces created by the hand in the standardized

grip position to ultimately permit a greater specification for predictions of health

ailments and quantify why these relationships exist, particularly in osteoporotic

populations. Towards that long-term goal, the immediate goal is to measure

three-dimensional (3D) hand grip forces and their fatigue rates in healthy

volunteers. Three-dimensional grip strength was measured using a custom

handle attached to an AMTI FS6-500 load cell. The load cell’s 6 degrees of

freedom paired with a LabVIEW program allowed for testing endurance and

maximum force in 8 directions. These results were compared to those previously

published in literature, defending this method as an appropriate collection

method of grip strength.



Key Words: Grip Strength, Osteoporosis, Endurance, Maximum Force,

Dynamometer, Biomechanics

Session 1, Section 5, Medicine & Biomed. Engr. Snell 213, 8:30 AM

135

Metacognitive Strategies in the TESOL Classroom

Sabine Murphy1, Jessica Murray1


[email protected]

Many studies suggest that metacognitive strategies are effective in teaching

English to speakers of other languages. This TESOL unit lesson plan on New

York State history utilized pedagogy including metacognitive strategies,

scaffolding, music, and hands-on projects. Metacognitive learning strategies

increased the success of TESOL students in a variety of grade levels. Students

utilized self-evaluation, planning, and problem solving. Scaffolding and hands-

on projects such as building a paper-mache replica of the Erie Canal, helped

students to achieve their learning goals in an interactive way. A strong tool for

helping students with the metacognitive self-evaluation was the fictional journal.

The journal was helpful as an assessment of the individual student. It

contributed greatly to evaluate the student’s level of comprehension of the

content-based information, and it illustrated if students were able to master

higher levels of learning on Bloom’s taxonomy scale. Music offered

opportunities of engagement on another level; it also helped with pronunciation

and the students' understanding of how to break words pronunciation down and

articulate them. Every language has its own rhythm, melody, and music,

therefore using music helped students to connect their language to English and

to adapt their new language. It puts them in the right mindset for thinking about

language.

Mentor: Jessica Murray, Department of Education, Clarkson University

Keywords: Metacognitive Strategies, Scaffolding, Hands On Project, TESOL,

English as a Second Language, New York State History, Project based

Poster # 72, Education Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


136

A Study of Mercury Concentrations in a Local

Aquatic Ecosystem and a Review of Mercury

Ecotoxicity

Greg Murray1,2, Dr. Alan Rossner1

1Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University


[email protected]

In 2015 a study was initiated to examine the Mercury (Hg) levels in National

Parks across the United States. Use of Hg exploded during the Industrial

Revolution and extensive use of it is still seen today across many different

industries especially from emission from the combustion of coal and petroleum..

In aquatic systems Mercury can exist in elemental, inorganic, and organic form.

The main issue arising with Mercury in aquatic ecosystems is its ability to be

transformed in a methylated form which is extremely toxic. Although this

process is still widely debated, the most supported theory is that Hg is

transformed into Methylmercury (MeHg) by sulfate-reducing bacteria in

sediments. MeHg tends to bioaccumulate within the food chain where top

predators such as Bald Eagles and larger fish species have shown elevated levels

of Hg. The aims of this study was to sample the sediment along different

locations in the Raquette River in Potsdam, New York to assess if local aquatic

ecosystems have increased levels of Hg. In addition a literature review with

respect to the ecotoxicity of Mercury and Methylmercury in aquatic

environments was conducted. While elevated levels of Mercury were not found

in the river sediment, the levels in fish tissue are still an ongoing concern.

Mentors: Dr. Alan Rossner, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson

University

Key Words: Mercury, Methylmercury, Bioaccumulation, Sediments, Toxicity,

Ecotoxicity

Poster # 24, Envi. Mgmt. & Remediation Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM

137

Design and Development of a Paper-Based Biosensor

for Food Quality Monitoring

Fatima Mustafa1, Ali Othman1, Dr. Silvana Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

Food safety monitoring has become necessary as foodborne diseases are

increasing. Work to develop smart sensors and labels to indicate food spoilage

or presence of harmful toxins is growing. This presentation will discuss design,

development and application of a portable biosensor platform that integrates

functional nanoparticles and biomolecules on paper for monitoring food quality

and safety. To fabricate the biosensors, we use nanoparticles that have tunable

redox activity, optical and catalytic properties and can transduce and

catalytically amplify signals in chemical and biological detection schemes

involving biomolecules. The presentation will discuss the assembly of

nanoparticles and target-specific biomolecules in portable sensing platforms and

provide examples of applications for food quality monitoring.

Acknowledgements: This project is funded by NSF, project No. 1561491.



Keywords: Biosensors, Food Safety

Poster # 51, Devices & Sensors Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


138

Functional Paper Based Sensor for the Authentication

of Cosmetic and Food Products

Lily Norton1, Ali Othman1, Dr. Silvana Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

We describe an easy-to-use sensor with applicability for the authentication of

active ingredients in cosmetic and food products. The sensing platform

comprises a responsive nano-engineered surface that reacts specifically and

generates distinct optically detectable signals based on the chemical composition

and concentration of active ingredients in cosmetics and food products. The

platform can be inexpensively produced in large quantities by printing; it can

also be added to packaging and be used as smart labels during manufacturing,

storage and use. The method has enabled quantification of active ingredients in

a large variety of cosmetic products and food samples including beverages and

health products without any sample pre-treatment. The sensors can be used by

consumers or manufacturing companies to check the quality, shelf life and

origin of raw materials or products.

Acknowledgements: This study has been supported in part by NSF Project No. #

156149.



Key words: antioxidants; colorimetric sensor; smart label; cosmetics;

functionalized nanoparticles

Session 2, Section 5, Food & Drug Chem. Snell 213, 9:52 AM

Poster # 13, Chemistry Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


139

Investigation of Electrostatic Interactions, Particle

Size, and Pore Size on Rejection by Porous

Membrane

Hossein Nouri1, Dr. Ruth E. Baltus1, Samantha Wilson2,

Dr. Shankar Chellam2


University 2Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University

[email protected]

Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) membranes are commonly

employed in the food processing, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and

water/wastewater treatment industries. Although integral microfilters achieve

virtually complete removal of protozoa and bacteria, the same cannot be said

for viruses. For this reason, we are investigating mechanisms of colloid

transport across porous microfiltration membranes. In this work, the impacts of

electrostatic interactions between particles and porous membranes, particle

diameter, and the pore diameter have been examined from theoretical

perspective and compared with experimental results. The removal of two

bacterial viruses (MS2 and PRD1) and two spherical silica particles by track-

etched membranes of various pore diameters (0.05 to 1.2 microns) were

measured in the dead-end mode with vigorous stirring to reduce concentration

polarization effects. We also hypothesized that repulsive pore wall-particle

interactions would increase removal. Silica particles were suspended in KCl

solutions at different concentrations to perform filtration. A developed model

has been used to interpret experimental measurements as a means to

characterize membrane filtration process. The results from this study provide

insight into the impact of electrostatic particle-pore wall interactions, particle

shape, flexibility, and deformability on rejection of microorganisms and

synthetic particles by porous membranes.

Mentor: Dr. Ruth E. Baltus, Department of Chemical and Bimolecular


Key Words: Membrane, Water Treatment, Electrostatic Interactions

Poster # 60, Material Science Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


140

Energy Sufficiency within the Purview of Sustainable

Development Goals: Analysis of World Bank

Renewable Energy Policies in Africa

Mosunmola Olorunfemi1

1Institute of Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Access to energy is one of the focuses of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG

7). This is because of the key roles of energy in poverty reduction and climate

change mitigation. At the core of The World Bank’s engagement in the energy

sector is the drive to help countries secure the affordable, reliable and

sustainable energy supply needed to end extreme poverty and promote shared

prosperity. This is pursued within the ambit of sustainable energy options

including solar, wind and other viable low-carbon solutions that reflect every

country’s unique circumstances. In most African countries, electricity provision

is bedeviled by outages, excessive cost, low coverage and grid failure, among

others. The main energy challenge is the need to increase electricity supply to

meet domestic energy demand. This study will examine the challenge of energy

provision in Africa and assess the impacts of World Bank policies on selected

Africa countries energy sector.

Mentor: Dr. Stephen Bird, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Renewable energy, sustainability, poverty reduction, Climate change

mitigation, World Bank policies, Africa


141

A Novel Antisense RNA is a Target of Key

Skeletogenic Transcription Factors in the Developing

Annulus Fibrosis

Victoria Olsen1, Dr. Petra Kraus1, Dr. Thomas Lufkin1


[email protected]

Building on data from microarray transcriptome analysis for key transcription

factors in vertebral column development, namely: Pax1/9, Sox5/6/9 and Bapx1,

we have identified, validated and further investigated the previously unclassified

target 4930426D05Rik as the long non-coding (lnc) antisense (as) RNA

Klhl14as in the vertebral column of midgestation wildtype and relevant mouse

mutant embryos by RNA in situ hybridization. Our data indicates a gradual

decrease in expression of this lncRNA in the inner annulus fibrosus (iAF) of the

nascent murine intervertebral disc (IVD) reflecting our established gene

regulatory network. We are the first to demonstrate an implication of the lnc

RNA Klhl14as in IVD development. Our data further supports our previous

findings, aids in the understanding of molecular mechanisms governing IVD

patterning and contributes further evidence that lnc RNAs are taking part in

transcriptional regulation in eukaryotic cells.

Mentors: Dr. Petra Kraus and Dr. Thomas Lufkin, Department of Biology,

Clarkson University

Keywords: antisense RNA, intervertebral disc, annulus fibrosus, mouse,

embryo, development

Poster # 4, Cell & Molecular Bio. Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM

142

Investigating the Effect of the Dead7 Mutation on the

Development of Notch Receiving Secretory Cells

Cassandra C. Orr1, Dr. Kenneth Wallace2

1Department of Chemical Engineering, Clarkson University


[email protected]

In zebrafish, secretory cells form at the base of the intestinal fold within the

developing stem cell compartment. As in mature adults, secretory cells are likely

to regulate these stem cells. Amongst secretory cells, Notch signaling is utilized

in order to differentiate into one of many subtypes. In this way, secretory cells

with varying functionality develop within the intestine. Four different Notch

receptors have been identified. Mutants exist for two of these receptors. Within

this research, the mutant of interest is Notch1a, or Deadly Seven. Here, we

investigate the effect of Notch1a on the development of Notch Receiving

Secretory Cells (NRSCs).

Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Wallace, Department of Biology

Session 2, Section 2, Biosciences Snell 175, 10:28 AM


143

Functional Platform for Rapid Capture, Detection,

and Tracking of CeO2 Nanoparticles

Ali Othman1, Dr. Silvana Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

Development of systems for capture, sequestration, and tracking of nanoparticles

(NPs) is becoming a significant focus in many aspects of nanotechnology and

environmental research. These systems enable a broad range of applications for

evaluating concentration, distribution, and effects of NPs for environmental,

clinical, epidemiological, and occupational exposure studies. Herein, we

describe the first example of a ligand-graft multifunctional platform for capture

and detection of cerium oxide (CeO2 or ceria) NPs. The approach involves the

use of redox-active ligands containing o-dihydroxy functionality, enabling

multivalent binding, surface retention, and formation of charge transfer

complexes between the grafted ligand and the NPs. Using this strategy, paper-

based and microarray-printed platforms with NP-capture ability involving either

catechol or ascorbic acid as ligands were successfully fabricated. Surface

modification was determined by infrared spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-

ray spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Functionality was

demonstrated for the rapid assessment of NPs in chemical mechanical

planarization (CMP) slurries and CMP wastewaters. This novel approach can

enable further development of devices and separation technologies including

platforms for retention and separation of NPs and measurement tools for

detection of NPs in various environments.



Keywords: Functional Membranes; Metal Oxide; Multivalent Binding;

Environment; Nanoparticle Tracking.

Session 3, Section 1, Chemistry Snell 169, 11:20 AM


144

Recyclable Nanosorbent for Treatment and

Management of Eutrophication in Environmental

Waters

Ali Othman1, Eduard Dumitrescu1, Dr. Silvana Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

The water circuit in the environment has implications in both the availability of

clean water sources for human consumption, as well as for normal functioning

of natural ecosystems. Human activity, such as industrial or agricultural

processes, intervenes in this circuit and can greatly affect the quality of water

resources. Phosphate (PO4-3) is essential for plant and animal nutrition. While

phosphorus resources may be limited in certain regions, excessive presence from

industrial and agricultural uses can cause algal blooms that produce extremely

dangerous toxins, which are a health threat to people or the environment. This

poster will describe the development and optimization of a novel nanosorbent

that can provide rapid measurement control of PO4-3 and can be used as a

decision support system for water resources management. To design our

sorbents we use surface-enhanced oxide nanostructures that have rich surface

functionalities and can form stable complexes with anionic species. The

optimized candidates were investigated to assess their sorption/removal capacity

for PO4-3 in environmental water samples. The high specific surface area and

high affinity for P-binding make them promising matrices for use in technology

for sensing, removal and recovery functions.



Keywords: Phosphate removal; Nanosorbent material, Adsorption; Algae

bloom, Environmental impact.

Poster # 27, Environment Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


145

Synthesis and Characterization of Tunable Near-

Infrared Plasmonic Nanomaterials

Antonio Pagliaro1, Dr. Zijie Yan1


University

[email protected]

Plasmonic materials are optical materials in which free electrons possess the

ability to oscillate in synchronization with electromagnetic radiation received

from light. These oscillations, common in noble metals, are referred to as

“Surface Plasmon Resonances” (SPR) and allow for a strong absorption and

concentration of light. SPR’s can occur from many light wavelengths ranging

from UV to infrared. The most widely studied plasmonic materials such as Ag

and Au exhibit SPR’s in the visible light spectrum (400-700nm). Finding

materials that exhibit this phenomena when exposed to near-infrared light (800-

1200nm) would be greatly beneficial to other areas of research such as solar

energy harvesting and biological sensors. The most promising candidates for

absorption in the near-infrared region, due to their low free electron density, are

metal oxides. Materials such as tungsten trioxide (WO3) and molybdenum

trioxide (MoO3) have been shown to exhibit SPR peaks at around 900nm. The

ability to replicate these results as well as implement procedures to tune these

materials would allow for much broader applications of plasmonic materials.

Current research has yielded both MoO3 and WO3 nanostructures for which

optical properties are currently being measured.

Acknowledgements: I would like to thank the Clarkson University Honors

Program and Corning for funding my research.

Mentor: Dr. Zijie Yan, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,

Clarkson University


146

Designing, Manufacturing, Assembling and Testing a

1.5 inch Cryogenic Ball Valve

Andrew Parkes1, Dr. Douglas Bohl1


Clarkson University

[email protected]

The space industry has evolved over the past ten years and many companies are

attempting to find ways to evolve with the industry. Ball valves have been used

for years on spacecraft launch vehicles and Moog has found an application for

smaller ball valves. The 1.5 inch ball valve is a scaled version from a previously

designed 1 inch ball valve. Many features will be improved to increase the

efficiency of the valve and to decrease the leakage on the new valve. The valve

will be machined, assembled and tested at Moog Space and Defense Group.

Preliminary calculations have shown that the 1.5 inch valve can perform similar

to the customer accepted results with testing to provide verification of the

current predictions. Additionally, after completion of the valve and this thesis,

there will be improvement opportunities identified that fall outside the scope of

the project that are recommended to further improve the functions of the valve.

This thesis will provide a new product for Moog to begin to enter production

and sell to their customers.

Acknowledgements: I would like to express extreme gratitude to Moog Inc.,

especially Rob Bauer, for allowing me to pursue this project during my time as a

coop. The infrastructure and resources they provided allowed me to complete

this project to the fullest of my potential. Without the help and invaluable

knowledge of Rob Bauer and many other employees at Moog Inc., this project

would not have been possible. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Goss and

the honors program for their support and for allowing me to undertake this

project even though it did not follow the typical process of an honors thesis.

Mentors: Rob Bauer, Investigation and Prevention Section Head, Moog Inc.

Space and Defense Group

Dr. Douglas Bohl, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Ball Valve, Cryogenic, Design, Fabrication


147

The Armistice Celebrated in the North Country, New

York

Nicholas Pascua1, Donovan Jojo1, Samantha Langlitz1, Lenoi

Carter1


University

[email protected]

This poster explores published newspapers and documents that reported on the

research of the Armistice in the North Country of New York. The Armistice was

a day of celebration one full of noise, parades and joy. Throughout the North

Country, various towns had similar celebrations. The poster will examine the

history of how the North Country celebrated before, after and following the days

of the Armistice. In this research there will also be accounts of how the war

affected people’s lives and political views on the homefront. Together, these

finding will show how the homefront of North Country New York celebrated the

Armistice.

Acknowledgements: This poster has been developed through the research of

Northern New York in towns such as Potsdam and Canton. We would like to

acknowledge Paul Haggett, Archivist’s Assistant, at St. Lawrence University,

Bonnie Oemcke, Archivist, at Clarkson University and Susanne Longshore

Executive Director at the St. Lawrence Historical Society.

Mentor: Dr. Stephen Casper, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Armistice, New York, North Country, celebration, homefront, World

War I


148

Using CAD and Additive Manufacturing to Improve

the Olympic Luge

Patrick Perry1


[email protected]

The focus of this work is on designing and using additive manufacturing

methods to create an enclosure system that houses a series of electronics for data

gathering on the olympic luge. This system will be vital in understanding the

luge system, and will be instrumental in creating further improvements to the

luge. The data acquisition system is a powerful tool, but currently cannot be used

in the luge application as the environment is too harsh for it. This is an excellent

application for rapid prototyping, so it will be used to create the enclosure

hardware. The goals of the enclosure are to ensure that the electronics in the

device are kept secure and safe, and that the system as a whole operates reliably.

In order to achieve this, elementary FEA is also performed in order to ensure the

system will perform as expected. This, coupled with repeated iterations on the

design leverage the rapid prototyping benefits of additive manufacturing.

Acknowledgements: Dr. Jon Goss, Brett Mazza

Mentor: Dr. Marcias Martinez, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical


Key Words: CAD, FEA, Additive Manufacturing


149

Fluorescent Labeling Alters Osmotic Properties of

Musculoskeletal Tissues

Brian Pfeil1, Dr. Arthur J. Michalek1


[email protected]

Staining with fluorescent dyes is commonly used to visualize microscale

deformations of musculoskeletal tissues under load. However recent studies

showed that staining with fluorescent dyes increases the tensile stiffness of

tendon specimens. Transient deformations in tissues which support compressive

loads are governed by fluid flow through the porous matrix. Since many

fluorescent dyes are electrostatically charged, it was hypothesized that staining

tissue with a hydrophilic dye would result in an apparent compressive stiffening

due to increased osmotic pressure. To measure the effect of fluorescent dyes on

tissue, constant force creep indentation tests were performed on a 20%w/v

gelatin hydrogels prepared with varying concentrations of 5-DTAF, a dye

commonly used to visualize soft tissue deformations. The results showed that

with increasing concentrations of 5-DTAF, creep behavior was altered in a

manner consistent with increasing osmotic pressure, i.e., lower deformation and

longer time constant. The experimental system was simulated using an

axisymmetric, poroelastic finite element model in COMSOL. Application of

osmotic pressure to the model closely recapitulated the experimentally observed

displacement versus time data. Taken together, our findings support the

hypothesis that 5-DTAF alters the osmotic behavior of tissue and suggest that

care should be taken when using it to visualize deformations.

Mentors: Dr. Parissa Mirbod (Clarkson University), Dr. Arthur J. Michalek

(Clarkson University)

Key Words: Finite Elements; Biomechanics; Fluorescent Labeling for Tissue



150

Investigating Diversifying Selection Rates in

American Populations of Diaphorina citri Using

Publically Available Genetic Data

Thomas Pickett1, Dr. Susan Bailey1


[email protected]

Diaphorina citri is a highly destructive and invasive Hemipteran insect.

Commonly named the Asian citrus psyllid, it survives by sucking the sap from

citrus trees and is a vector for huanglongbing (citrus greening disease), making

it a damaging agricultural pest. Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene

sequences sampled from populations throughout the world, have been used to

infer D. citri’s invasion history. In a recent analysis, Luo and Agnarsson (2018)

showed evidence that the CO1 gene is under very strong diversifying selection

in D. citri. This is surprising as most genes (across a range of taxa) are subject to

purifying selection, and CO1, in particular, is usually assumed to be under

purifying selection because it is a key enzyme in metabolism. To explore this

surprising result, we conduct our own analysis using publically available CO1

sequences, estimating and comparing strength of selection across different

regions of the world. We expect the invasive D. citri populations in North and

South America, areas thought to be most recently colonized (Halbert et. al,

2004), to show evidence of strong diversifying selection because they may be

adapting to novel habitats. In contrast, we expect D. citri in their native range of

southeastern China to show evidence of purifying selection.

Mentor: Dr. Susan Bailey. Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: invasive, phylogeography, selection, bioinformatics, genetics, NCBI

References:

Luo, Y., & Agnarsson, I. (2018). Global mtDNA genetic structure and

hypothesized invasion history of a major pest of citrus, Diaphorina citri

(Hemiptera: Liviidae). Ecology and Evolution.

Halbert, S. E., & Núñez, C. A. (2004). Distribution of the Asian citrus psyllid,

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Rhynchota: Psyllidae) in the Caribbean

basin. Florida Entomologist, 87(3), 401-402.


151

Global Connectivity Patterns of the Notoriously

Invasive Mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk Using

Archived CO1 Sequence Data

Thomas Pickett1, Dr. Andrew David1


[email protected]

Understanding the connectivity patterns of marine invasive species is important

since these patterns influence long term persistence of invasive populations. The

marine invader, Mytilus galloprovincialis has established invasive populations

across the globe and in some regions, have completely displaced native mussels

through competitive exclusion. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the

global connectivity patterns of M. galloprovincialis strictly using archived CO1

sequence data obtained from public databases. Through exhaustive mining and

the development of a systematic workflow, we compiled the most

comprehensive global CO1 dataset for M. galloprovincialis thus far, consisting

of 209 sequences from 14 populations. Analyses showed significant genetic

structuring across biogeographic regions with geographic patterning of

haplotypes. In particular, South Korea, South China, Turkey and Australasia

appear to be the most genetically isolated populations. Despite observing

structure, we did not recover a northern and southern hemisphere clade for M.

galloprovincialis as was found in previous studies. These results suggest a

complex dispersal pattern for M. galloprovincialis driven by several contributors

including both natural and anthropogenic dispersal mechanisms along with

potential hybridization events. We also emphasize the importance of sequence

repositories for population and invasion genetics and offer some

recommendations for the improvement of these valuable resources.

Mentor: Dr. Andrew David, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: invasion, genetics, population, dispersal, haplotype, Mytilidae

Poster # 5, Cell & Molecular Bio. Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM

152

Perfluoroalkyl Acids: Contemporary Great Lakes

Basin-Wide Temporal Trends and Biomagnification

Insights

Adam D. Point1, Dr. Bernard S. Crimmins2, Dr. Thomas M.

Holsen2, Dr. Sujan Fernando3

1Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University 2Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University

3Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) have been highly scrutinized since their

identification as global environmental contaminants in 2001. Yet, despite the

passing of nearly two decades of monitoring, up-to-date PFAA temporal trend

data are fairly limited. This data scarcity is especially true regarding the fish of

the Laurentian Great Lakes, with only two temporal trend analyses available,

both of which are limited to Lake Ontario lake trout and terminate in the early

2000s. Therefore, the response of this precious aquatic ecosystem to industrial

phase-outs in 2002 remains largely undefined. Lake trout tissue from EPA’s

GLFMSP archive will be utilized to discern these contemporary PFAA trends.

Furthermore, unusual patterns in these compounds’ bioaccumulation and trophic

transfer (e.g. lower trophic level organisms showing equal or greater

concentrations relative to top predators) suggest incomplete understanding of

these complex processes. PFAAs are essentially fluorine-substituted endogenous

fatty acids, and literature has routinely highlighted the importance of protein-

ligand interactions in PFAA accumulation/elimination. Accordingly, preliminary

results probing the potential impact of interspecies blood protein variability on

biomagnification across multiple fish species will be presented.

Key words: Environmental contaminant, Perfluoroalkyl substances, Great Lakes,

Fish, Bioaccumulation



153

Estimating PM2.5 From Photographs Using Physics-

Based Modeling and Machine Learning

Batsal Pudasaini1, M. Kanaparthi1, Dr. S. Mondal2, Dr. J.

Skufca2, Dr. J. Scrimgeour3, Dr. N. Banerjee4,

Dr. S. Dhaniyala1

1Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson

University 2Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

3Department of Physics, Clarkson University 4Department of Computer Science, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Accurate determination of the impacts of aerosol particles on human health is

made challenging by the lack of high-resolution air quality data. This research

takes a physics-based approach in estimating PM2.5 by analyzing photographs

from different locations. We develop a governing equation that relates camera

signal to the properties of aerosol, the incident light, and the images being

captured. From inversion of this integral equation, we establish an expression for

turbidity and estimate PM2.5 from these measurements. The data being analyzed

contains more than three years of images captured from a camera at a fixed

location. Data mining techniques such as data cleaning, data integration and

dimensionality reduction are applied to ensure the quality of the extracted data.

Regression analysis between the estimated and the actual value of PM2.5 resulted

in a statistically significant regression coefficient, R2, ranging from 0.5 to 0.8

depending on the object orientation, time of the day, season and wavelength

spectrum. Techniques like clustering, analysis of variance and principal

component analysis were used to further analyze and optimize the data. We will

present our theoretical approach, the data analysis techniques that were used and

the details of our prediction capabilities of PM2.5, in our presentation.

Mentor: Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala, Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical


Keywords: aerosol, PM2.5 estimation, camera, air quality, turbidity, visibility

Session 3, Section 6, Imaging & Analytical Techniques… Snell 214, 10:50 AM

154

Use of Cardiac Radar for Biometric Identification

Sandip Purnapatra1, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers1

1Electrical and Computer Science Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Biometric recognition technology, desire for authentication which does not

require a specific gesture and which continually authenticates an individual to

promote further security and reduce risks associated with insider threat. The

purpose of the work is to evaluate the use of radar to capture the cardiac

signature for biometric recognition purposes. The data for this study was

acquired by a combination of 2.4 GHz (monostatic and bistatic) radar system

and a circulator to transmit and receive cardiac signals from the human subjects

over two visits. An IRB-approved collection acquired data from 26 human

subjects and saved using anonymous identification number. After collection,

data was processed with zero-phase Parks-McClellan FIR lowpass filter to

discard the undesired frequencies and to keep the Dc, magnitude and phase part.

Later, it is demodulated by multiplying with a complex exponential. The signal

after filtering shows a cardiac pattern. For clearer view this signal is again

processed with a high-pass filter to clear out the lungs frequency and then the

output is averaged to clear out the noise from the data. The peaks of the

averaged signal are used for feature extraction and to determine any similarities

between the data collected from the subjects.

Acknowledgement: Coulter, CITeR


Science Engineering, Clarkson University

Keywords: Cardiac, Biometrics, Filters, Signal Averaging, RADAR


155

Mitigate Compression Artifacts for Face in Video

Recognition

Xuan Qi1 , Dr. Chen Liu1, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers1

1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Face in video recognition (FiVR) is widely used in video surveillance and video

analytics. Various solutions have been proposed to improve the performance of

face detection, frame selection and face recognition in FiVR systems. But all

these methods have a common inherent “ceiling”, which is defined by the source

video’s quality. One key factor causing face image quality loss is video

compression standards. In facing this challenge, we propose an innovative

solution to mitigate the compression artifacts such as blocky, blurring and

speckling effects, to improve the performance of FiVR system. In this research

project, first, we analysis and quantify the effects of video compression on the

FiVR performance. Compared with existing statistical methods, deep learning

based approaches have shown impressive capability on abstracting both high-

level and low-level features in vision tasks. Hence, in the second stage, we

employ deep learning based algorithms to mitigate artifacts in compressed input

video. Different from existing artifacts reduction approaches which targeting

reduce the loss between ground truth and compressed image/video-frame, we

will compare the loss of HAAR, LBP, HOG, CNN based features which are

directly related to FiVR. We anticipate this project’s outcome will make FiVR

systems more adaptive to application scenarios such as video surveillance, video

analytics with various compression qualities.

Mentor: Dr. Chen Liu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Face in video recognition, Compression Artifacts, Deep Learning



156

Training Within Industry: Pilot Implementation at

Amgen Inc.

Madison Ranslow1, Dr. Cecilia Martinez2

1Department of Biology, Clarkson University, Amgen Inc. 2Engineering & Management, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Training Within Industry (TWI) is a WWII era method to standardize work and

efficiently train the standard. Adapted and extensively used by Toyota, TWI is

now considered part of Lean and used in a variety of industries. TWI ensures

that each employee is being trained on the standardized task and that the training

session provides critical detail on how they perform the task. As part of an

internship, I performed a pilot of the TWI methodology at Amgen, a biotech

pharmaceutical company, as the first stages of implementing TWI into their

training programs. The focus is on the pilot implementation on the task level,

lessons learned from this and how TWI could be scaled up to redefine how

training is done at a company like Amgen.

Acknowledgements: This project was done as in conjunction with an internship

at Amgen Inc. I would like to thank Peter Lessard, Ryan Roof, Rosalyn Cooper,

Cathy Desjarlais, Amanda Phillips, Brigette Houle, Ken Marandola, Destry

Thompson, and Diana Anctil.

Mentor: Dr. Cecilia Martinez, Engineering & Management, Clarkson University

Session 1, Section 3, Business Snell 177, 8:54 AM

157

Identification of Novel Halogenated Organic Contaminants in

the Great Lakes Fish Using GCxGC-HR-ToF MS

Aikebaier Renaguli1, Dr. Sujan Fernando2, Dr. Michael Milligan3, James

Pagano4, Dr. Phillip Hopke5, Dr. Thomas Holsen2,6, Dr. Bernard

Crimmins2,6,7

1 Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University 2 Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science, Clarkson University

3 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY Fredonia 4 Environmental Research Center, SUNY Oswego

5 Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Clarkson University 6Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University

7AEACS, LLC

[email protected]

The Great Lakes are impacted by numerous chemical contaminants by the industries,

agricultural land and urban centers that surround it. Atmospheric deposition of

contaminants from long range transport also has a significant impact on these bodies of

water. As a result, the surveillance for emerging chemicals in top predator fish has

become an important part of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lake Fish

Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP). However, isolation and identification

of halogenated species in fish is a major challenge due to the complexity of the biological

matrix. A non-targeted screening method was developed and applied to lake trout using a

multi-dimensional gas chromatograph coupled to a high resolution time of flight mass

spectrometer (GCxGC-HR-ToF MS). More than 60 novel halogenated species were

identified. The majority of components detected appear to be metabolites or breakdown

products of larger halogenated organics. The most abundant chemical class detected was

halomethoxyphenols and accounted for more than 60% of the total concentration of

halogenated compounds in lake trout from all five Great Lakes. Moreover, around one

third of these novel halogenated compounds were detected in selective archived fish

samples dating back to 1978, indicating their existence in the Great Lakes for decades.

Acknowledgements: Funding for this work was provided by the Great Lakes National

Program Office under the United States Environmental Protection Agency. We wish to

thank the Program Manager Elizabeth Murphy and many people who assisted in sample

collection and processing.

Mentors: Dr. Tom Holsen, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Clarkson

University; Dr. Sujan Fernando, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science,

Clarkson University; Dr. Bernard Crimmins, Department of Civil & Environmental


Keywords: Halogenated Contaminants, Great Lakes Fish, Comprehensive Two-

Dimensional Gas Chromatography, High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Session 3, Section 6, Imaging & Analytical Techniques… Snell 214, 10:50 AM

158

Relationship Between Cognitive Function and Gait in

Older Adults

Emily Rogers1, Dr. Ali Boolani1, Aurora Goodwin2, Abby

Avolio2, Stephanie Grobe1,2, Dr. George Fulk1, Dr. Chris

Towler1

1Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University 2Department of Biology, Clarkson University

[email protected]

This study examined the relationship between cognitive fatigue, by serial

subtract 3 (S3) and 7 (S7) performance after a two-hour protocol, and walking

performance, measured by step length (SL), gait speed (GS), and stride length

(StL), in the first 30-seconds of a 6-minute walk test (6MWT) following a

cognitively fatiguing protocol. Healthy older adults (N=12, age= 75.39±6.67yrs,

height=176.01±51.94cm, weight=61.97±12.61kg) over 2 days of a 2-hour

protocol of cognitively fatiguing tasks completed a 6MWT at their normal

speed. Gait speed, step length and stride length were measured. There was a

positive significant relationship between S3 number correct and SL (R=.512,

p=.018), GS (R=.457, p=.037), and StL (R=.481, p=.027) and S3 number of

attempts and SL (R=.474, p=.030), GS (R=.434, p=.050), StL (R=.450, p=.041).

There was no significant relationship between S3 incorrect and S7 number

correct, incorrect and total attempts and gait parameters (p>.05). After cognitive

fatigue there is a relationship between lower level cognitive tasks and gait. More

challenging cognitive tasks were not related to gait. Lower level executive

function may be involved in walking performance in older adults. Further

research is needed for the relationship between higher and lower level cognitive

tasks and single task gait and involved neural circuitry.

Acknowledgements: Aurora Goodwin, Abby Avolio, Stephanie Grobe, George

Fulk, and Chris Towler


Keywords: cognition, physiology, gait, fatigue



159

Design and Synthesis of Cadmium-Based Zwitterionic

Metal-Organic Frameworks

Matthew Sadler1, Juby Varghese2, Dr. Mario Wriedt2

1Department of Chemical Engineering, Clarkson University 2Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline porous materials built from

metal clusters connected by polytopic organic linkers. The incorporation of

zwitterions in MOFs can introduce charged organic surfaces in their cavities

leading to intermolecular electrostatic fields. Polarizable guest-molecules such

as hydrogen and carbon dioxide can be attracted by these fields yielding to

enhanced guest-framework interactions and thus, to well-defined adsorption

properties. In this work, we are focused on the synthesis and characterization of

new MOF materials based on Naromatic substituted viologen derivatives.

Viologens are the diquaternary derivatives of 4,4’-bipyidyl which can be further

functionalized with various aromatic systems to synthesize new rigid

zwitterionic ligands. A rigid neutral zwitterionic ligand was synthesized and

used to access four novel MOFs and subsequently investigated for their

photochromic behavior to aid in the understanding and development of new

stimulus-responsive materials. This research will open up new avenues for the

rational design of advanced porous materials with enhanced adsorption

properties and further the understanding of their structure-property relationships.

Mentors: Juby Varghese, and Dr. Mario Wriedt, Department of Chemistry &

Biomolecular Science, Clarkson University

Keywords: MOFs, Zwitterionic, Photochromism, Stimuli-responsive, Porous

Framework, Adsorption


160

De-Noising and Event Extraction From Noisy

Wireless Data Using Matrix Decomposition

Chinmay Sahu1, Kevin V. Mack1, Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar1


University

[email protected]

The objective of our work is to estimate the real-time trajectories of mobile

passive agents using a wireless, spatially embedded sensor network. This will

enable tracking users in a mall-like space by setting up ad hoc localization

framework when in-place infrastructure does not exist. As a first step, we need

to perform event detection. Two mobile devices are connected over Bluetooth

and placed at a certain distance from each other. The signal strength level is

captured every second for 30 minutes. There is a drop in signal strength when

there is an obstruction between two devices (event). The captured signal strength

data are noisy due to environmental conditions. The collected signal strength

data over time is represented in a vector and is decomposed using robust

principal component analysis (RPCA) algorithm [1] into a low rank and non-

positive sparse components. In another approach, the data is de-noised using the

discrete wavelet based de-noising before applying RPCA algorithm. Another

approach using the Go Decomposition [2] algorithm is applied to the collected

data to retrieve the low rank and sparse components. The obtained low rank and

sparse component matrices are analyzed and results of event extraction are

shown and compared with each other.

Mentor: Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar, Department of Electrical and Computer


Key Words: De-noising, Matrix decomposition, Event extraction

References:

[1] E.J. Candès, X. Li, Y. Ma, and J. Wright. (2011). Robust principal

component analysis?. Journal of the ACM (JACM). [Online]. Available:

https://doi.org/10.1145/1970392.1970395

[2] T. Zhou, and D. Tao,“Godec: Randomized low-rank & sparse matrix

decomposition in noisy case”.

In International conference on machine learning, Omnipress, 2011.




161

Olympics Luge Computational Fluid Dynamics

Joseph Sakr1, Dr. Brian Helenbrook2


2Paynter-Krigman Endowed Professor in Engineering, Clarkson

University

[email protected]

The presentation will discuss recent research on the aerodynamic optimization of

a Olympic luge rider-sled system. The system was studied under realistic race

speeds; approximately 67 mph, or 30 m/s. The assembly details of the working

model will be illustrated. The model was constructed from a separate sled model

developed by Brian Heckendorf and the human CAD model developed by

Alessandro Lai. The goal is to find the optimal orientation of the rider so that the

drag force on the system is minimized and speed is maximized to gain an edge

on other riders in a race. ANSYS Fluent was used with the RANS- model to

perform simulations on the sled-rider model. The validation for the work will be

presented using the example of boundary layer flow over a flat plate at the same

Reynolds number as the actual rider. The optimal orientation has not been

determined yet, but the work leading to that will be presented, along with the

preliminary results that have been obtained so far.

Mentor: Dr. Brian Helenbrook: professor at Clarkson University



162

Designing and Characterizing Chitosan Particles for

Drug and Vaccine Delivery Applications

Tara Seigle1, James Myrick2, Dr. Sitaraman Krishnan1


University 2Presently at FUJIFILM Dimatix Inc., Lebanon, NH

[email protected]

Chitosan is a nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible natural polymer used

for several biomedical applications. The purpose of this study was to use

electrospraying, a less widely studied technique, for the generation of micro-

and nanoparticles and develop an empirical relationship between the chitosan

particle size and shape and the electrospraying process parameters. The

generation of chitosan micro- and nanoparticles allows for a noninvasive,

controlled method of administering bioactive agents in drug and vaccine

delivery applications. By systematically varying experimental parameters,

including voltage, flow rate, spray nozzle diameter, chitosan molecular weight,

concentrations of cosolvents, solution viscosity and surface tension, the

condition under which each particle shape formed was determined. Collected

particles were quantified using optical microscopy. The microscopy images

serve as visual representations of the effects each parameter has on the

generation of chitosan particles. Results of this study demonstrated how the

electrospraying parameters are dependent upon one another. Using proper

choices of process variables, particles with diameters ranging from the

nanometer to micrometer range were obtained. It is expected that this study

would be helpful in the process design for the production of micro- and

nanoparticles for drug and vaccine delivery systems, especially for

encapsulating protein-based vaccines in polysaccharide carriers.

Mentor: Dr. Sitaraman Krishnan, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular


Keywords: electrospraying, polysaccharide, microparticles, drug delivery

Session 2, Section 5, Food & Drug Chemistry Snell 213, 10:04 AM


163

Classification of Motile Cells Using the Kalman Filter

Adam Sherwin1, Devin Kapper2, Dr. Mahesh Banavar3,

Dr. Shantanu Sur4

1Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University 2Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

3Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson University 4Department of Biology, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Cells in living organisms often demonstrate characteristic dynamic properties.

The purpose of this study is to develop an algorithm to distinguish between

subpopulations of cells from a mixed population through the analysis of their

movement. We have built a predictive model of cell motion using the Kalman

filter to estimate the unknown parameters through the assumption of a certain

level of statistical noise and uncertainty. Using time-lapse images from cultured

cancerous and non-cancerous cervical epithelial cells, we applied a Kalman filter

to the observed positional data of tracked cells, in both Cartesian and polar form.

By appropriately selecting a set of design parameters, we were able to identify

key discriminating factors that can be used to classify these two cell types. It

was observed that the average velocity of cancerous cells is less than that of

healthy cells. Therefore, using velocity as a discriminator, our algorithm

performed with 21% Equal Error Rate (EER). When the Kalman filter was

applied on polar coordinate data, using variance in the estimated change in

radius over time, we achieved 20% EER. Our approach has multiple biological

applications such as cancer diagnostics, toxicological screening, and cell

differentiation studies.

Mentors: Dr. Mahesh Banavar, Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson

University

Dr. Shantanu Sur, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Graduate Mentor: Devin Kapper, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Kalman filter, motile cells, ROC analysis, cell classification


Poster #1, Cell & Molecular Bio. Cheel Arena 12:30-2:00 PM

164

Molecular Dynamics Model of a Cerium Dioxide

Nanoparticle.

Andrei Sinitsyn1, Dr. Maria Gracheva1


[email protected]

Cerium oxide has wide range of applications due to cerium's ability to easily

change oxidation state from 4+ to 3+ and back. In this research molecular

dynamics model of cerium dioxide nanoparticle was constructed, Lennard-Jones

potential parameters were obtained for cerium dioxide. Simulation parameters

were checked by melting and crystallizing a nanoparticle at the appropriate

melting temperature. The crystal structure of CeO2 nanoparticle was found to be

very tolerant to changes in Lennard-Jones parameters, which result in

insignificant differences in radial distribution function, while the overall crystal

structure of the nanoparticle remains the same. By comparing the radial

distribution function to the experimental data for the crystal structure, the nal

nanoparticle was proven to be very close to real nanoparticle.

Mentor: Dr. Maria Gracheva, Department of Physics, Clarkson University

Keywords: Molecular dynamics, Nanoparticle, Ceria, Cerium dioxide


165

Hypoxia: Exploring Early Manifestations and

Therapeutic Possibilities

Darren Sipes1, Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala2, Dr. Shantanu Sur1



Clarkson University

[email protected]

Tissue damage in many acute and chronic diseases is known to stem from

hypoxia where oxygen deficiency and generation of excess reactive oxygen

species (ROS) are two major sources of cell injury. Detecting and understanding

the earliest manifestations of such injury is of prime interest from a therapeutic

standpoint. Toward this direction, we have developed an in vitro model where

hypoxic stress can be monitored at a high temporal resolution through real time

observation of cellular morphodynamic properties. In this model, hypoxia is

chemically induced in highly motile cervical cancer cells via exposure to sodium

sulfite, which elicited a dose-dependent reduction of cell movement within

minutes. This conspicuous change in cell motility is associated with a disruption

of the actin cytoskeleton. Apart from investigating the molecular mechanism

underlying such a change, we are using this model to evaluate novel approaches

aimed to reduce hypoxia and oxidative stress-induced damage. We are currently

exploring the possibility of microparticle-based cellular delivery of enzymes

superoxide dismutase and catalase to reduce the ROS load in cells.

Mentors: Dr. Duresh Dhaniyala, Dr. Shantanu Sur

Keywords: Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biomaterials



166

Innovating Innovation: A Study of Entrepreneurial

Education

Jordan Smith1, Dr. Marc Compeau1

1School of Business, Clarkson University

[email protected]

This presentation covers a study of Clarkson University’s own Innovation and

Entrepreneurship program in comparison to entrepreneurial programs from other

nationally-recognized institutions. Several Innovation and Entrepreneurship

syllabi were coded using the Open Coding technique of Grounded Theory. Each

document was coded for words and phrases, noting the prevalence of key

concepts and terms in comparison to the syllabi of other institutions. Building on

current understanding of the field and the input of Clarkson professors, this work

presents key differences between the Clarkson Entrepreneurial curriculum and

those of other top universities, identifying areas of accord and areas of

difference, with the ultimate goal of suggesting directions for improvement as

the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program undergoes review.

Mentors: Dr. Marc Compeau, School of Business, Clarkson University; Dr.

Sandra Fisher, School of Business, Clarkson University

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Education, Syllabi, Grounded Theory



167

Precision Limits for Fast Line Scan Particle Tracking

Matthew Southall1, Dr. Jan Scrimgeour1


[email protected]

Within the last two decades, super-resolution localization microscopy has

cemented itself as an indispensable tool for biological and biophysical research.

Its ability to accurately visualize and record events occurring on a scale smaller

than 250nm allows researchers to probe dynamics processes in living system in

real time. The spatial resolution of this type of particle tracking is generally

limited by conditions such as signal-to- noise and the performance of the

localization algorithm being applied. The temporal resolution, by contrast, is

hardware limited. Modern CCD cameras can easily reach over 500 frames per

second in a limited pixel region, but for some applications there may be need to

push this limit even further using CMOS camera technology. Here, we examine

the potential for line scan cameras, which are capable of recording images at

frequencies in excess of 100 000 frames per second to provide localized multi-

dimensional particle tracking. We describe the effect of the line scan geometry

on localization precision and discuss potential applications of the technology.

Mentor: Dr. Jan Scrimgeour, Department of Physics, Clarkson University

Keywords: Microscopy, Biophysics, Super-Resolution, Fluorescence

Microscopy, Localization, Maximum Likelihood Estimation



168

Cognitive and Neurophysiological Markers of

Procrastination

Kendal Sowa1, Dr. Lisa Legault1


[email protected]

Procrastination is an action we are all too familiar with, yet we understand little

about the brain mechanisms involved. Previous studies found increasing

procrastination is associated with a decrease in self-reported selfcontrol. We

chose to investigate this relationship further by testing for associations between

procrastination and event related negativity (ERN). The ERN is a brain potential

that arises from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC), the area responsible for

conscious sensitivity to error and it is an important component of self-control.

Participants completed a questionnaire on procrastination habits, and then

completed a common self-control task while the ERN was monitored. A positive

relationship occurred between procrastination and errors on the behavioral task,

an indication of poor self-control. There was a significant relationship between

procrastinators and smaller ERN amplitudes which suggests procrastinators have

decreased brain activity from the ACC, the area responsible for error sensitivity.

Together the relationships procrastination has shown with the self-control task

and the ERN provides evidence that supports procrastination may be mediated

by the same brain mechanisms responsible for selfcontrol.

Mentors: Dr. Lisa Legault, Department of Psychology, Clarkson University. Dr.

Robert Dowman, Department of Psychology, Clarkson University.

Keywords: Procrastination, Self-Control, Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC),

Error Sensitivity, Brain mechanisms, Error Related Negativity (ERN)



169

Inflammation of the Zebrafish Intestine in a Diseased

State

Katrina Stevens1,2, Dr. Kenneth Wallace1


2Department of Chemistry, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Toxicity is typically assayed by exposing healthy animals to increasing

concentrations of a chemical or other material. Toxicity, however, may be

exacerbated if the animal is diseased or injured.. The objective of this research

is to begin with a disease state, expose the animal to toxins, and determine

whether there are synergistic effects. We will first identify damage with

increased infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils in the zebrafish intestine.

Macrophages and neutrophils will be identified using fluorescent transgenics

identified through genotyping. Transgenic embryos will then be exposed to

dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) to induce

Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). The embryos will then be assayed with

increased infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages into the intestine. Embryos

with and without induced IBD will then be exposed to nanoparticles and other

chemicals in order to compare levels of inflammation.

Acknowledgements: Honors Program, Clarkson University

Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Wallace, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Zebrafish, Diseased State, Inflammation, Toxicity



170

Modeling and Resolving Frequency Variation Issues

in Microgrids

Alison Stuart1, Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer1


[email protected]

The proposed microgrid for Potsdam, New York would connect several critical

entities to which power will be supplied in islanded mode in the case of a wide-

scale power outage. However, small electric systems with intermittent power

sources, such as renewables, are susceptible to imbalances between load and

generation. These imbalances can result in frequency variation throughout the

system. Large frequency deviations threaten the quality and reliability of the

power supplied. A microgrid based on Potsdam’s proposed microgrid is

modeled using Simulink’s Simscape Power Systems including synchronous

machine generators and variable loads that replicate the effects of an intermittent

power supply from a PV array. The model is rested for frequency variation

issues in steady-state and under fault conditions. Strategies for resolving these

issues are discussed.

Mentor: Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer, Department of Electrical Engineering, Clarkson

University

Keywords: microgrids, renewable energy, intermittent power, power reliability,

power quality

Session 2, Section 7, Systems & Networks Snell B10L, 10:16 AM


171

Inactivation of E. coli by Direct-in-Liquid Electrical

Discharge Plasma: Effect of High Voltage Electrode

Material

Xudong Su,1 Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard,1 Dr. Shane Rogers,2

Dr. Thomas M. Holsen2

1Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Clarkson

University 2Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of high voltage (HV) electrode

material of a pointplane plasma reactor on inactivation rate of E. coli in both

direct plasma and post-plasma inactivation processes. For direct plasma process,

nickel chromium alloy, iron, copper, and silver were used as HV electrodes. In

comparison with the other two cases, a significantly higher inactivation of E.

coli was achieved with silver or copper as the HV electrode, and was

hypothesized to be associated with toxicity of metallic ions and nanoparticles

(NPs) released from the electrodes during treatment. For post-plasma process,

plasma activated water (PAW) was generated in the reactor without E. coli for

two minutes. Copper, silver, or tungsten (an inert material) were used as HV

electrodes. After treatment, E. coli were added to react with the PAW. Results

suggest that the disinfection efficacy of PAW is significantly enhanced by the

release of copper and silver ions and NPs, in comparison with the tungsten case.

Moreover, the copper concentration of the PAW was lower than the upper limit

of National Primary Drinking Water Regulation of US EPA. This new type of

PAW, which involves fewer chemicals, is a sustainable novel bactericidal

solution.

Acknowledgement: My endless thanks go to Dr. Selma Mededovic-Thagard, Dr.

Shane Rogers and Dr. Thomas Holsen for their kind guidance and enormously

helpful discussions.

Mentors: Dr. Selma Mededovic Thagard, Department of Chemical &

Biomolecular Engineering, Clarkson University; Dr. Shane Rogers, Department

of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University; Dr. Thomas M.

Holsen, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University

Keywords: Inactivation; E. coli; Direct-in-liquid; Plasma; Electrode material;

Sustainable

Session 3, Section 4, Plasma Chemistry & Physics Snell 212, 10:50 AM

172

Optimization of a Luge Sled Trajectory Down the

Lake Placid Track

Corey Tambasco1

1Department of Mechanical Engineering

[email protected]

The goal of this project is to develop three dimensional equations of motion for a

luge sled on the Lake Placid track, and to use those as a means for finding the

optimal trajectory down a track. The forces of gravity, friction, drag and steering

were all considered in the model, with steering being the input to be optimized.

Initial analysis began with a simplified, straight track in MATLAB to gauge an

understanding of how these forces each impact the sled’s trajectory. Steering

was performed through user input of a mouse movement with the mouse

position being linearly proportional to the steering input provided. Current work

is to determine the optimum steering input to minimize the time down the track.

To do this, trajectory optimization algorithms from automobile racing will be

used. This analysis for the simple model will then carried over to the more

complex Lake Placid track with similar procedures.

Mentor: Dr. Brian Helenbrook, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Luge, Optimization, Model, Trajectory

Poster #78, Engineering Design & Modeling Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


173

Mouse Dynamic Biometrics for Web Account

Protection

Lee Taylor1, Dr. Daqing Hou1, Dr. Stephanie Schuckers1


University

[email protected]

The vast majority of websites rely on a credential based authentication system.

However, this system is vulnerable to phishing attacks, database breaches, and

poor password hygiene. Therefore, a method is proposed to protect users even if

their credentials have been compromised. By collecting mouse data during a

user’s web session, various features can be extracted that are unique from person

to person. Although behavioral biometrics such as mouse dynamics are not quite

as accurate as physiological biometrics, physiological biometrics require extra

hardware, which is costly. As such, physiological biometrics may be an

unavailable protection for some users. Additionally, behavioral biometrics are

virtually impossible to imitate, provide continuous authentication any given

session, and offer an efficient, low cost, and unintrusive layer of authentication

that will not present any negative impact on the user’s browsing experience. The

concept of mouse dynamics is not a novel one, and as such, this experiment

focuses on the replicability and optimization of previous methods to improve

accuracy and usability.

Acknowledgments: NSF CNS-1314792


Clarkson University




174

The Impact of Distributed Generation on the Power

System

Daniel Tierney1, Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer1


University

[email protected]

With a recent increase in the number of distributed generation (DG)

installations, it has become necessary to study the effects that these DG

installations have on the power system. These installations can lead to multiple

power quality issues, and can potentially damage protection equipment through

overvoltages and overcurrents. To study these events, a program was used to

model a system and simulate the system under different fault conditions. The

system was varied by changing the location of the DG and of the fault and by

later adding a neutral reactor to the system. As running each of these variations

individually is inefficient and time consuming, a code was developed to

automate the process of changing the locations of the DG and fault. The results

from the simulations showed that without proper planning the use of DGs has

the potential to negatively affect the protection components of a power system.

Mentor: Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer, Department of Electrical and Computer


Keywords: DG, overvoltages, overcurrents, power quality, power system

protection

Session 2, Section 7, Systems & Networks Snell B10L, 10:28 AM


175

Early Detection of Data-Only Malware Attacks Using

Low-Level Hardware Features

Gildo Torres1, Dr. Chen Liu1


University

[email protected]

Computer security is no longer a topic confined to the interest of geeks and tech

companies. With the exception of those who happily live in some remote

location completely isolated from modern society, computers have become a

pervasive aspect of our daily lives. Spanning from mobile phones, to banking, to

our electoral systems, we cannot escape the impact of cybercrime today. In an

article published last year, Cybersecurity Ventures (a leading global information

security advisory firm) predicted that global cybercrime damages will cost $6

trillion annually by 2021. This presentation will describe different types of

malware attacks and some existing defense techniques. It will then describe

Data-only exploits, a recent type of malware attacks that is much harder to

implement and detect. As a solution to defend against this particularly difficult

type of malware, we propose to use low-level hardware information combined

with some machine learning algorithms for the detection of Data-only attacks.

Our proposed scheme creates a model of the regular execution of an application

in order to detect anomalies during its execution due to malware attacks. The

presentation concludes with some experimental data collected from real Data-

only exploits and an analysis of the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.

Mentor: Dr. Chen Liu, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Malware detection, Hardware Performance Counters, Data-only

exploit



176

Evolution of Pseudomonas fluorescens in a Spatially

Structured Environment

Katherine Tulowiecki1, Dr. Susan Bailey1


[email protected]

Evolution in the natural world tends to take place in complex conditions, but

evolution in lab experiments often takes place in very simple conditions. We test

the effects of a type of complexity on the evolution of Pseudomonas fluorescens

populations by adding spatial structure. We evolve P. fluorescens in two

different 1 mL environments contained within the wells of a 24-well plate. 1. a

well-mixed liquid environment (simple) and 2. A semi soft agar environment

(complex). Both types of environment contain xylose as the food resource. Our

expectation is that agar provides spatial structure, requiring the bacterial cells to

move around to obtain food resources, whereas locomotion is not necessary in a

well-mixed liquid environment. In each treatment, 6 replicates were inoculated

with the P. fluorescens wild type and the 6 replications with P. fluorescens

containing a lacZ gene insertion – a selectively neutral marker that turns

colonies blue on agar plates supplemented with X-Gal. a 20 µL sample of each

replicate population was transferred to fresh media daily for approximately 1

month and periodically checked for contamination. We present results showing

how these populations have evolved in response to complex vs simple selection

environment, focusing on evolution of locomotion ability.

Mentor: Dr. Susan Bailey, Department of Biology, Clarkson University

Keywords: Experimental Evolution, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Spatial Structure,

Dispersal Evolution



177

Relationship Between Motivation to Perform

Physical Tasks and Gait

Rachael Vaccaro1, Dr. Ali Boolani1, Aurora Goodwin2, Abby

Avoli2

1Department of Physical Therapy, Clarkson University 2Department of Biology, Clarkson University

[email protected]

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between motivation

to perform physical tasks (MPT) and gait speed (GS), step length (SL) and stride

length (StL) during the first 30 seconds of a 6-minute walk test (6MWT).

Subjects (N=12) completed 2 days of a 2-hour protocol of cognitively fatiguing

tasks, after which they were administered the MPT and MMT survey, using a

100mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), tasked to complete a 6MWT at their

normal speed, and then re-administered the MPT. Gait speed (GS), step length

(SL) and stride length (StL) were measured using the OptoGaitTM. A bi-variate

Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between MPT and

GS, SL, StL. There was no significant (p<.05) relationship between MPT and

GS, SL, StL. These findings suggest that gait is not associated with motivation

and future research should focus on motivation cues rather than just motivation

to perform tasks.


Keywords: gait, motivation, older adults, walking, fatigue



178

Design Strategies for the Synthesis of Zirconium-

Based Zwitterionic Metal-Organic Frameworks

Charlene VanLeuven1, Juby Varghese1, Dr. Mario Wriedt1


University

[email protected]

Zwitterionic metal-organic frameworks (ZW MOFs) are porous crystalline

materials featuring large pore volumes, high surface areas, and tunable pore

sizes rising from the versatility of the ZW organic linker and metal node

components. The zwitterionic nature of organic linkers results in the formation

of charged organic surfaces having potential to selectively polarize guest

molecules. These various properties make MOFs candidates for the capture and

storage of small molecules and the study of their fundamental structure-property

relationships. Extensive research has been conducted in this field to increase the

stability of resulting frameworks using zirconium-based metal nodes due to their

strong Zr-ligand coordination bonds. Although many traditional Zr-MOFs have

been synthesized using traditional ligands, to date, no Zr-based zwitterionic

MOFs have been reported. In this work, we developed three main strategies to

access zwitterionic Zr-MOFs: direct synthesis, coordination modulation using

monodentate ligands, and the incorporation of a pre-formed metal cluster. The

design of ZW Zr-MOFs will provide new materials displaying enhanced

chemical and thermal stability while having the additional feature of charged

organic surfaces to selectively polarize guest molecules.

Mentor: Dr. Mario Wriedt, Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science,

Clarkson University

Keywords: MOFs, Coordination, Adsorption, Zwitterion, Zirconium


179

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Platforms for the

Nanostructuration of Single Molecule Magnets: New

Insights from HRTEM

Juby Varghese1, Darpandeep Aulakh1, Kyle Duell1, Dr. Omar

Farha2, Dr. Kim R. Dunbar3, Dr. Yu Han4, Dr. Mario Wriedt1


University 2Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University 3Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University

4Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center, King Abdullah

University of Science and Technology

[email protected]

Next-generation computer technologies require ultrahigh-density data storage

devices and quantum computing based on isolated spin-carriers, so-called

molecular spintronics. Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) show great potential

for such applications due to their unique magnetic properties. SMMs can be used

in spintronics for switching from total spin up to total spin down on a molecular

level where each molecule serves as a magnetic bit of information. The design

of new SMMs with improved properties is thoroughly investigated; however,

coupling of the nanoscale units to the macroscopic world remains a major

challenge. Practical applications of SMMs require organization in 2D or 3D

networks for read-and-write processes and they are delicate molecules that

easily break down, requiring protection to retain their unique magnetic

properties. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), due to their porous nature and

tunability, are excellent candidates to overcome this challenge. This work is the

first systematic investigation exploring MOFs as platforms for the controlled

nanostructuration of molecular magnets in both bulk powder and thin film

forms. Grafting SMM@MOF composites onto surfaces with subsequent

characterization using HRTEM provides previously inaccessible visual

structural insights into these nanomagnetic composites bringing us one step

closer to the development of spintronic devices combining properties of both

SMMs and MOFs.

Mentor: Dr. Mario Wriedt, Department of Chemistry & Biomolecular Science,

Clarkson University

Key words: Porous Frameworks, MOFs, Nanosturcturation, SMMs, Data

Storage, HRTEM Session 3, Section 1, Chemistry Snell 169, 11:35 AM



180

Development of a Multifunctional Platform for Rapid

Detection and Removal of Phosphate in

Environmental Water

Peter Vargo1, Ali Othman1, Dr. Silvana Andreescu1


University

[email protected]

Excessive amount of nutrients (ex. phosphorus-containing compounds) in the

environment can cause excessive growth of water plants and algal blooms that

produce dangerous toxins and create “dead zones” in the body of water resulting

in changes of habitats and raising costs for the treatment of drinking water.

Managing and controlling the Phosphate cycle is essential for ensuring an

overall nutrient balance and achieving equilibrium between beneficial and

harmful effects. This presentation will describe development and optimization of

an easy-to-use sensor for the determination of phosphorous and nitrogen-

containing compounds in environmental samples. The sensor comprises a

responsive nano-engineered surface that reacts specifically with phosphate

through selective chemical binding reactions at the nanostructured surface. The

binding generates a distinct detectable signal that is representative of the

chemical composition and concentration of these species in the environment.

The platform can be inexpensively produced in large quantities by printing. This

method provides a field-deployable alternative to conventionally used

approaches for detection and real time monitoring of phosphate containing

species in the environment.

Acknowledgements: This study was supported by grants from the New York

State Pollution Prevention Institute and by the National Science Foundation

under Grant # 1561491.



Keywords: Adsorption-Desorption, Phosphate Removal, Water Treatment,

Experimental Design

Session 2, Section 6, Enviro. Mgmt. & Remediation Snell 214, 10:16 AM


181

Electrical Discharges Contacting a Liquid: The Role

of Bulk Liquid Mass Transport in the Degradation of

Organic Compounds

Mikhail Vasilev1, Patrick Conlon1, Dr. Douglas Bohl1, Dr.

Selma Mededovic-Thagard1

1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering,

Clarkson University

[email protected]

Gas plasmas have been shown to be a viable, cost effective process in the

degradation of organic contaminants on the lab scale1. However, the scale up of

this technology requires a profound understanding of the physicochemical

phenomena governing the degradation of the contaminants. The main goal of

this work was to investigate the extent to which mass transport in the bulk

liquid affects a compound’s rate of degradation. To be able to determine this

relationship, apparent degradation rates were measured for two compounds:

rhodamine B dye which is a surfactant and caffeine, a nonsurfactant. To

estimate mass fluxes in the liquid phase, plasma-induced flow in the reactor

was visualized using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Finally, a mathematical

model combining diffusion, convection and chemical reaction was developed to

predict experimentally measured reaction rate constants for both rhodamine B

and caffeine. Experiments revealed that for all concentrations, RhB degradation

rates were higher than those of caffeine. The model revealed that the chemical

reaction rates at which organic compounds are degraded are controlled by the

mass transport of the compound to the plasma-liquid interface.

Acknowledgements: This work is funded by the National

Science Foundation, Division of Physics: Award # 1617822

Mentors: Dr. Selma Mededovic Thagard (Clarkson University),

Dr. Douglas Bohl (Clarkson University).

Keywords: Gas plasma, Contaminant degradation, PIV, Mass

transport.

1. Mededovic Thagard, S. and B.R. Locke, Electrical discharge plasma for water

treatment, in Advanced Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment: Fundamentals

and Applications, M.I. Stefan, Editor. 2017, IWA Publishing: London, England.

Session 3, Section 4, Plasma Chemistry & Physics Snell 212, 11:05 AM

Poster #26, Environment Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


182

Electroanalytical Characterization of the Double

Layer and Pseudo-Capacitive Components of a

Manganese Oxide Redox Supercapacitor

Shen Wei1, Cody Johnson1, Dr. Dipankar Roy1


[email protected]

Electrochemical double-layer- and pseudo-capacitors are characterized by their

high energy densities that are 10-100 times larger than those of conventional

capacitors. These features of electrochemical “supercapacitors” are a

consequence of their large specific capacitances, even their operating voltages

can be lower than those of electrolytic capacitors. However, adequate evaluation

of supercapacitors often becomes a challenging task due to the relatively

complex electroanalytical aspects of these measurements. These complexities

are rooted in the observation that the measured absolute capacitance of a

supercapcitor can be of the differential or the integral form, with notably

different values resulting in the two cases. Such a situation can be particularly

intricate for pseudo-capacitors, where the system’s double layer contribution

adds to its pseudo-capacitance, and makes it difficult to resolve the two

components from the measured (integral or differential) capacitance. The

present study focuses on these detailed electroanalytical aspects of

characterizing supercapacitors by using an aqueous redox pseudo-capacitor of

electrodeposited MnO2 on a graphite substrate. The experiments involve scan

rate dependent cyclic voltammetry, rate controlled galvanostatic charge-

discharge, and state-of-charge dependent impedance spectroscopy. Both

differential and integral capacitances are obtained in these different

measurements. The considerations for resolving the double layer and

pseudocapacitance components are also examined.

Mentor: Dr. Dipankar Roy, Department of Physics, Clarkson University

Keywords: Supercapacitor, EDLC, Pseudo-capacitor, Electrochemistry


Poster #21, Electrochemistry Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


183

Reexamining the Procurement Management

Knowledge Area Utilizing Applied Data Analytics

Corey Williams1, Rebecca Nathanson1, Dr. Seyedamirabbas

Mousavian1

1David D. Reh School of Business, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Procurement management is one of the major knowledge areas identified in the

Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). While project

management is a relatively mature field, data analytics provides a plethora of

opportunities to reexamine existing project management knowledge areas under

a new scope. Given the rise in prevalence of supply chain management and data

analytics, we aim at critically reexamining the procurement management process

from the project management perspective. We specifically examine the notion

and feasibility of blockchain ledger-keeping to track historical transaction data

in a records management system. The goal of this research is to draw upon

supplier historical information to evaluate project considerations such that the

cost and procurement risks shift away from the procurer (or the buyer) to the

supplier (or the seller). Furthermore, we study potential contract structures that

support this concept.

Acknowledgements: Dr. Mousavian for extending Rebecca and I the opportunity

to contribute scholastically to the university while also enriching and bettering

ourselves for our future in industry and furthering our education beyond

undergraduate endeavors.

Mentor: Dr. Seyedamirabbas Mousavian, David D. Reh School of Business,

Clarkson University

Keywords: Blockchain, Smart Contracts, Procurement, PMBOK, Data,

Analytics



184

Shape Memory, Self-Healing and Degradable

Polyanhydrides

Ana Witkowski1, Rebecca Meacham2, Kelly Tillman1,

Dr. Devon Shipp1,3


University 2Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Clarkson

University 3Center for Advanced Materials Processing (CAMP), Clarkson

University

[email protected]

In recent years, shape memory polymers have become increasingly popular, due

to their ease of fabrication, low production cost, and high recovery of a

permanent shape, as compared to shape memory alloys.1 We are looking to

demonstrate the shape memory characteristics of thiol-ene polyanhydrides when

heated above and then cooled below the Tm (crystalline melt temperature) of the

polymer. Preliminary work has shown that polyanhydride-poly( caprolactone)

composites are capable of exhibiting shape memory properties,2 and when the

Tm of the polymer is ~30-40oC, the polyanhydride group’s ability to exchange

and reform a new permanent shape occurs at a slower rate. We are looking to

create an all-anhydride polymer made using a monomer combination that also

has this Tm in order to form a polymer that will successfully exhibit shape

memory behavior. At the same temperatures of 30-40oC, we expect the

anhydride exchange to occur, which will allow for self-healing of the polymer.

Polyanhydrides undergo surface erosion, allowing the mechanical strength of the

material to remain intact. This leads to the possibility of using thiol-ene-made

100% polyanhydrides that have shape memory properties and a predictable

erosion profile that can be tuned to allow use of the material as drug delivery

vessels.

Mentors: Kelly Tillman, Dr. Devon Shipp

Key words: polymer chemistry, shape memory polymers


185

Possible Role of the Locus Coeruleus Phasic Response

in Threat Detection and Reorienting

Kate Wolf1, Jevon Benson2, Jaquan Vidot1, Dr. Robert

Dowman1



[email protected]

Previous work from this laboratory has demonstrated that threatening or

potentially threatening somatic stimuli, such as a painful stimulus or a non-

painful stimulus presented in a pain context, attract attention. This attentional

bias is observed during an intensity discrimination task, where the reaction times

for unexpected somatic threats are faster than reaction times for non-threatening

somatic stimuli. Our electrophysiological data and computational modeling

studies suggest that somatic threats are detected by threat detectors that

ultimately elicit a phasic response in the locus coeruleus. This phasic response is

partly responsible for the attentional bias towards threatening stimuli because it

results in a phasic facilitation of brain areas that mediate decision making and

response processes that are time locked to threatening stimulus. We examined

this hypothesis in the current study by examining the late positive potential

evoked by the somatic stimuli. Previous work suggests that the late positive

potential, a positive event related component occurring between 300 and 700 ms

post stimulus, indexes the locus coeruleus phasic response. We predict that the

late positive potential will be larger for an unexpected somatic threat than an

unexpected nonthreatening somatic stimulus.

Mentor: Dr. Robert Dowman, Department of Psychology, Clarkson University

Session 2, Section 3, Artifice & Perception Snell 177, 10:16 AM


186

Making Lemonade out of LEMON: Improved

Photometry Processing Software

Mackenna Wood1, Dr. Joshua Thomas1


[email protected]

When studying variable stars it is often necessary to view the brightness of the

star over a period of time spanning multiple observations. While there is

software available for the analysis and plotting of photometric data, it is not

capable of combining the data from multiple observation sets. This research

aims to create a program which will work with existing software to combine

multiple observational sets, do long term photometric analysis of stars, and flag

potentially variable stars. By being able to easily view the photometry of stars

over extended periods of time it will be easier to notice changes in brightness

over long periods, or confirm changes over short periods. The additional ability

of the program to remove noisy stars will allow the astronomer to narrow the

number of stars which require personal attention. This will then be used as a tool

to locate and analyze variable stars.

Mentor: Dr. Joshua Thomas, Department of Physics, Clarkson University

Keywords: Astronomy, Physics




187

Optimal Distributed Sensor Localization with Noisy

Distance Measurements

Tianqi Yang1, Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar1, Dr. Jie Sun2


University 2Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

[email protected]

In wireless sensor network applications, sensor nodes are deployed to observe

physical phenomena. In most applications, it is important to know the location

of these sensors to provide context to the collected data. The process that is used

to determine the locations of sensor nodes is known as localization. We consider

a distributed sensor localization problem where the estimates of distances

between anchors (at known locations) and a target node (at an unknown

location) are obtained through noisy measurements. The goal is to use this

information to find the location of the target node. We use a method known as a

metric unfolding, which aims at finding the coordinates of the target that best

reproduces the observed distances. We call this unfolding-based localization

algorithm, “UNLOC”. In order to deal with arbitrary noise models, we weight

the observations appropriately, to best estimate the location of the target node.

Simulation results verify the effectiveness of UNLOC, and show that it

outperforms traditional localization.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part by the NSF CRII Award

1464222.

Mentors: Dr. Mahesh K. Banavar, Department of Electrical and Computer


Dr. Jie Sun, Department of Mathematics, Clarkson University

Keywords: Distributed localization, Wireless Sensor Networks,

multidimensional scaling, Unfolding, MSE




188

Complex Oscillatory Fluid Flow Driven by a Linear

Voice Coil Actuator for a Microfluidics Platform

Dylan C. Young1, Dr. Jan Scrimgeour1


[email protected]

Complex fluid flow forms an important mechanical cue within the

microenvironment of many living systems, with the most notable example being

the blood vessel wall of the human vascular system. While such systems can be

difficult to study in vivo, due to issues like tissue transparency, many aspects of

these systems can be reproduced in vitro using biomimetic models. Here, we

present a microfluidics platform that uses a linear voice coil actuator to

modulate fluid flow and generate complex flow waveforms. This system’s

ability to generate complex flow was measured by particle image velocimetry

performed on data collected using a light sheet fluorescence microscope. Simple

oscillatory flows were generated at frequencies up to 10Hz, while the system’s

ability to reproduce vascular-like pulsatile flow was also demonstrated. The flow

system described will form an integral part of a test and measurement system

that will enable the in situ characterization of both soft material and live cell

responses to physiological fluid flow.

Mentor: Dr. Jan Scrimgeour, Department of Physics, Clarkson University

Keywords: microrheology, fluorescence microscopy, vascular system,

oscillatory flow, microfluidics



189

Potential Community Composting for Potsdam, NY

Brook Zeller1, Anna Guinta2, Jocelyn Martin1, Keena Powell1

1Wallace H. Coulter School of Engineering, Clarkson University

2Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University

[email protected]

Societies’ increasing rates of consumption have resulted in increased waste

production. Currently, food waste from Clarkson University and SUNY

Potsdam is disposed in a landfill. Yard waste from the Village of Potsdam is

dumped on a parcel owned by the Village. These processes are costly, energy

intensive and dispose of materials rich in nutrients. With a pending bill for NYS

fiscal year 2018 that would require all large waste producers to divert their

organic food waste by 2021, many municipalities are feeling the pressure to

introduce a more sustainable option for waste disposal. This project aims to

provide a feasibility study of options for a community composting facility in

Potsdam, NY. This study includes only “Phase 1” waste producers, which

includes food and yard waste from SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University,

and yard waste from the Village of Potsdam. A potential site for the facility that

meets DEC siting requirements has been identified. Preliminary results show

waste streams from phase 1 producers will contain adequate amounts of carbon

and nitrogen to obtain a C:N ratio of 28, within the ideal C:N ratio ranging from

25-30. Turned windrow style and passively aerated style composting options are

being considered.

Mentor: Dr. Susan Powers, Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson

University

Keywords: Composting, Sustainability, Food Waste, Organics Recycling



190

Digital Storytelling: Promoting the Communicative

Competence in the Project-based Foreign Language

Acquisition

Yunxiao Zhang1, Jessica Murray1


[email protected]

Providing an authentic language environment is essentially important for

students to acquire a foreign language. In the case of learning Chinese as a

foreign language, the majority of students in the US have little chance to

practice after class to promote their communicative competence. Digital

storytelling, a new pedagogical tool developed in recent years, has been proved

to be effective in foreign language learning by providing a virtual but authentic

and boundless language environment for students. In the process of sharing,

commenting and revising digital stories, students can practice their language

skills and communicate with each other actively, keeping their enthusiasm with

fun and commitment to hard work. But very few researches have been

implemented to apply digital storytelling in teaching Chinese as a foreign

language. In this article, a series of project-based contents were designed on the

topic of self-introduction with digital storytelling (through VoiceThread) being

adapted from low- to high-level, and from close- to open-pattern. Also, diverse

assessments have been created to measure the effectiveness of digital

storytelling for educators to verify whether it can foster students’

communicative competence and engage them in learning Chinese more and

deeper.

Mentor: Jessica Murray, Department of Education, Clarkson University

Keywords: Digital Storytelling, communicative competence, language acquisition,

project-based, virtual environment

Poster # 73, Education Cheel Arena, 12:30-2:00 PM


191

Protein Crystallization Prediction of Lysozyme

Hanson Zhou1, Dr. Shawn Clark2


2Delta Tm Technologies

[email protected]

The current state of protein and antibody quality control is deplorable, causing

many problems such as the protein reproducibility crisis. This problem stems

from the lack of a standard that all scientists can use to eliminate issues, such as

technician to technician error, on the industrial as well as academic level, which

results in irreproducible data and proteins. Delta Tm Technologies has developed

a proprietary platform, Protein Stability Optimization Platform (PSOP™), which

tests over 1500 independent chemical formulations in a high-throughput fashion.

The platform allows the user the ability to use predictive chemistries to

eliminate the need for resource intensive physical trials. The following study

implements the PSOP to predict the crystallization conditions of lysozyme,

which has long been a standard for understanding the fundamental principles of

protein crystallization. The PSOP has predicted all known crystallization

conditions and has nominated conditions currently untested. This platform

allows the guess work and the time-consuming nature of physical crystallization

trials to be eliminated, with efficient, reproducible data created after one hour

with minimal use of a protein sample. The power of the technology shown here

can then be applied to fields such as drug discovery to become the standard that

protein science requires.

Mentor: Dr. Shawn Clark, Delta Tm Technologies

Session 2, Section 5, Food & Drug Chemistry Snell 213, 10:04 AM


192

Thank You to everyone who participated and attended!

Dr. Anthony Collins, President OIT

Grounds and Maintenance ARAMARK

Faculty/Staff Advisors and Mentors Duplicating

Events Planning Custodial Staff

RAPS Committee

Dr. Stephen Casper Dr. Tom Langen Jennifer Townsend

Dr. Jon Goss Dr. Sue Powers

Session Chairs

Dr. Silvana Andreescu Dr. Brian Helenbrook Dr. Selma Mededovic-

Prof. Erik Backus Dr. Daqing Hou Thagard

Dr. Susan Bailey Dr. William Jemison Dr. Thomas Ortmeyer

Dr. Shawn Clark Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus Prof. Steven Pedersen

Dr. Ming-Cheng Cheng Dr. Tom Langen Dr. Dipankar Roy

Dr. David Crouse Dr. Chen Liu Dr. Devon Shipp

Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala Dr. Thomas Lufkin Dr. Mario Wreidt

Session Judges

Dr. Silvana Andreescu Dr. Brian Hauser Dr. Shane Rogers

Dr. Sean Banerjee Dr. Thomas Holsen Dr. Alan Rossner

Dr. Douglas Bohl Dr. Daqing Hou Dr. Stephanie Schuckers

Dr. Phillip Christiansen Ms. Lisa Jeffers Dr. Devon Shipp

Dr. Michelle Crimi Dr. William Jemison Dr. Shantanu Sur

Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala Dr. Augustine Lado Dr. Charles Thorpe

Mr. Nick Forlenza Dr. Artem Melman Dr. Peter Turner

Dr. George Fulk Prof. Jane Oppenlander Dr. Craig Woodworth

Dr. Stefan Grimberg Dr. Elisabeth Podlaha- Dr. Christina Xydias

Dr. Maria Gracheva Murphy Dr. Zijie Yan

Mr. Matthew Hadfield Dr. Charles Robinson Mr. Dylan Young

2nd Annual Spring Research And Project Showcase

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Transcript of 2nd Annual Spring Research And Project Showcase