The Fengari Captobot is a vaguely scorpion-inspired rover designed for invasive sampling to aid Artemis II lunar colonization efforts. The rover features tank tracks for greater stability while traversing lunar soil, a multi-jointed arm with a self-replaceable tool, and a “wrist” component with a standard connection simplistic box design for easy obtaining and storing invasive lunar samples. The plug-and-play wrist design of the Captobot’s arm allows for the rover to be fully autonomous and does not need to be babysat by an astronaut during lunar excavation. The tank wheels in the design allow the rover to traverse steeper slopes in the soil, as well as the low-to-ground design. Finally, most of the design is 3D printed with PLA filament for cost-effective replication and swarm development.

This study explores the evolution and movement of ozone in the atmosphere in relation to the upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric jets, using MERRA-2 and M2-SCREAM datasets. MERRA-2 and M2-SCREAM are data assimilation systems that provide a best estimate of high-resolution atmospheric fields by constraining comprehensive atmospheric models with data from many sources, such as satellite, weather balloon, and surface data. These datasets are useful for visualizing many features of the atmosphere, such as dynamics or chemical composition. Analysis involves visualizing ozone distributions alongside wind and temperature data to understand ozone transport during various seasons. Visualizations of ozone concentrations are done by various methods, such as by latitude and longitude plots, zonal means, and through animations of ozone evolution through month-long periods. Results show large horizontal gradients of ozone concentrations that coincide with the location of the upper tropospheric jets, and suggest possible correlations between ozone and dynamical tropopauses. This research enhances our understanding of ozone concentrations in the atmosphere and how they vary due to dynamical processes of the atmosphere.

Kaposi’s Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) is a human gammaherpesvirus with oncogenic potential and a lack of antiviral treatments. This makes it important to better understand host cellular antiviral strategies that can block gammaherpesvirus replication. This project investigates how KSHV replication can trigger the cleavage of transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which decode mRNAs during protein translation, into tRNA fragments (tRFs). tRFs have been observed in cells infected by viruses and in cancers, where they can play diverse roles in altering gene expression. Our lab has found that 5’ tRNA halves, such as 5’ tRF Gly-GCC, accumulate during KSHV reactivation. These 5’ halves are cleaved at the anticodon loop by angiogenin, a secreted host protein upregulated in response to KSHV infection and cellular stress. Previous studies have indicated that angiogenin, or the fragments it cleaves, may have an antiviral role in KSHV infection. However, the consequences of tRNA cleavage or how angiogenin tRNA cleavage activity is regulated is not fully understood. We hypothesize that angiogenin restricts KSHV replication and therefore is an antiviral factor. As a result, we predict that when angiogenin is overexpressed, viral gene expression will decrease, correlating to lower viral replication, and tRF levels will increase due to the ribonuclease activity of angiogenin. We will test this using two methods of overexpression: an overexpression plasmid and purified angiogenin protein. This will aid in understanding the role of angiogenin and angiogenin-derived tRFs in response to viral infection. This could lead to novel therapeutics to combat viral infections and virus-induced cancers.

The Covid-19 pandemic sparked notable shifts in the realm of video games, including a surge in interest in Ndemic Creations' Plague Inc: Evolved. Concurrently, there was a marked increase in general video game sales, as prior studies have indicated. Researchers have delved into the implications of this trend, probing whether it constitutes a positive or negative phenomenon for individuals. However, a notable gap in this research pertains to understanding player perspectives on specific games, which could shed light on their motivations for playing. This study aims to address this gap by employing the LIWC program to analyze and compare different categories of game reviews. While existing research has explored the intersection of games and the Covid-19 pandemic, focusing primarily on the games themselves rather than player feedback, there remains limited exploration into the sentiments expressed in player reviews during this period. Given the heightened popularity of Plague Inc: Evolved and video games overall during the pandemic, it could be hypothesized that most reviews exhibit positive language, irrespective of their overall tone. However, it is plausible that positive and negative reviews may align with corresponding language patterns within the reviews. In summary, the analysis of game reviews during the Covid-19 pandemic represents a relatively underexplored area of research, warranting further investigation.

Environmental determinism posits that environmental factors, particularly physical features like landforms and climate, dictate the development of human culture and societal patterns. In Minecraft, players engage in resource gathering and management, while on servers, groups collaborate to establish communities resembling simulated societies. This close reading aims to explore the influence of environmental determinism in Minecraft by examining community structures and builds across various popular public servers and comparing them to the original unaltered map, known as the world seed. By examining these dynamics, insights into how starting conditions impact player behavior and community structure can be gleaned, offering parallels to real-world conditions through the abstraction provided by sandbox worlds like Minecraft.

Concrete is the second most widely consumed material across the globe after water and it is the most utilized construction material as well. Concretes primarily consist of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) along with sand and aggregates. The production of OPC involves a high-temperature process with limestone and clay. This high-temperature cement processing with carbonaceous materials contributes to approximately 8% of global emissions. Hence there is a need to design sustainable concrete with a reduced OPC content. The focus of this study is to design sustainable concrete with polymeric waste and natural materials as a partial replacement for aggregates and cement. The concrete is expected to show antibacterial properties and be suitable a self-cleaning surface.

Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) is a widespread invasive tree in New Mexican riparian areas. This tree’s success compared to native trees is likely related to its symbiosis with bacteria that convert atmospheric N2 to reactive forms. While increased soil N is characteristic of Russian olive invasion, its influence on microbial-ecological processes like rates of N cycling, decomposition, or alterations to soil greenhouse gas emissions have yet to be fully explored. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted an incubation study utilizing soil collected from Rio Grande woodlands dominated by cottonwood (Populus deltoides wislenzii; POP), Russian olive (ROS), or plots where Russian olive was mechanically removed 5 years prior (ROX). Soils from these categories were incubated with/without litter from trees hosted by those soils, and monitored for greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, N2O, NO) production. Samples were analyzed for microbially transformed reactive N (NO3- and NH4+), phosphate (PO43-), a limiting nutrient in most ecosystems, and microbial carbon use profiles. Initial results show the highest emissions of CO2 and N2O from Russian olive-impacted soils with decomposing Russian olive litter. Reactive N pools were consistently higher on Russian olive soils than either the removal plots or native cottonwood. As the study is ongoing, additional results from monitoring will be presented, with statistical relationships between soil chemical characters and gas flux. These results will represent a synthesis of Russian olive influence on Rio Grande riparian biogeochemistry, and critical background information for future Rio Grande vegetation management.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing (AM) is a sought-after process for manufacturing an increasing number of parts for the aerospace and other industry needs. The fatigue life of components is critical in the aerospace industry and therefore the catalyst driving this research. For this research tensile and fatigue bars were printed using LPBF at various print parameters to investigate their effects on tensile strength and fatigue life of AlSi10Mg. The mechanical results, microstructure, and fracture faces of LPBF additive manufactured samples are compared to published experimental data.

Multidrug resistant bacterial infections pose a major problem to the health of immunocompromised patients. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are often the first line of defense against the infection, but this is rapidly becoming less effective as bacterial pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa grow resistant through various mechanisms. One such mechanism P. aeruginosa uses is the ability to enter a dormant state where cells halt growth and can remain in this state long enough to outlast the course of antibiotics. Such persister cells allow for the opportunity of recurrent infections. The use of viruses, called bacteriophages, that selectively target bacterial cells has become a possible alternative treatment when antibiotics fail. Phage therapy may provide an effective treatment that prevents recurrent P. aeruginosa infections. Our lab has isolated several novel bacteriophages from wastewater, including phage SP22, capable of infecting P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. Characterization of SP22 has shown it can infect four different P. aeruginosa strains, which are suspected to be a new species of Pseudomonas called Pseudomonas paraeruginosa. We have also found that SP22 has a suspected DNA genome size of around 15kb. Further characterization of SP22 will elucidate phage life cycle, thermal stability, proteins encoded, and morphology. The effects of phages on persister cells in P. aeruginosa or P. paraeruginosa are currently not fully understood. To better elucidate the infectivity of phages on persister cells, we will isolate persisters from current SP22 hosts using antibiotics and perform a plaque assay to measure levels of phage infection compared to non-persisters.

Comprehensive resources on airship design are limited, prompting the need for a methodical approach. The study proposes a novel design methodology presented in the form of a flowchart, simplifying the complex, dynamic, and nonlinear nature of airship development. The method covers key stages in the airship's lifecycle, offering clear instructions, optimization paths, and decision-making mechanisms. It employs a linear structure, progressing from general concepts to specific solutions, aiding in the synthesis and analysis of multiple design options. The flowchart divides information into logical units and sub-stages, employing a systematic classification system. Six types of logical elements guide users through numerical values, options selection, operations, components, unclassified information, and start/end indicators. Each block within the flowchart is accompanied by supporting information, including formulas, graphs, and tables. The proposed methodology aims to mitigate project costs and time consumption by providing a holistic view of the airship design process.

Metformin is an anti-diabetic drug used worldwide for treating type 2 diabetes, among other diseases. Due to its wide range of use, Metformin and its byproducts have been found in wastewater, yet little is known about their toxicological impacts. In this work, the degradation mechanism of Metformin will be investigated, followed by a comparative toxicological study. Here, the degradation is monitored using custom-built glass reactors. These batch reactor studies simulate various environmental conditions, i.e., in the presence and absence of suspended mineral particles, i.e., titanium dioxide (TiO2), organic matter, and solar radiation. The remaining Metformin is analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Our results highlight that Metformin degrades to secondary products in the presence of anatase and rutile, two crystallographic phases of TiO2, with solar flux. However, no degradation was observed under dark conditions, even in the presence of TiO2. In our future work, the samples will be analyzed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) to identify the structures of the degraded products that lead to the degradation mechanism of Metformin. Further, we will study the toxicity of Metformin degradation products on two human cell lines, the kidney (HEK293) and liver cell line (HepG2). Overall these results highlight the need for proper mitigation methods to remove emerging pollutants from water systems.

The Digital Twin (DT) concept is a modern approach to create a digital representation of the manufacturing process that facilitates comprehensive monitoring throughout the product lifecycle. Using DT technology, manufacturers have access to detailed information about the production process, allowing them to detect potential deviations and anomalies. Its potential in additive manufacturing is particularly great because of the uncertainties associated with the process. This study proposes a prototype of a digital twin specifically designed for the fused deposition modeling method of additive manufacturing. The approach underlying the idea of the proposed digital twin is based on the adjustment of the printing process parameters depending on the control of the elastic properties of the printed material. Parameters such as nozzle temperature, layer thickness and print speed can be used to control elastic properties. The selected parameters are fundamental to the quality of the printed material and can be actively controlled during the printing process. The ultrasonic testing (UT) technique was used for in-situ monitoring of the elastic properties of the printed parts. An interface using LabVIEW has been developed to facilitate communication with the printer, enabling remote control capabilities. Decision-making algorithm is based on a database integrated with LabVIEW, containing information about the dependencies between printing parameters and the final elastic properties of the material. Based on the information about speed of sound within the material, further actions could be taken on adjustment of the printing process parameters in order to get the desirable properties of the printed material.

Plant genomes are partitioned into three separate compartments: the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Nuclear genomes are bi-parentally inherited via sexual reproduction while the two cytoplasmic genomes are inherited uniparentally via the egg. Despite these differences, each genome encodes proteins that interact with one another in highly specific ratios, to assemble multi-subunit enzyme complexes, which contribute to important plant processes like oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and photosynthesis. In order to study these tri-genome interactions, our lab designed crosses and diagnostic restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers between accessions of A. thaliana that exhibit either high or low cytoplasmic genome copy numbers (i.e., high x low; low x high). We confirmed the success of these crosses using RFLP markers on DNA extracted from the first-generation (F1) offspring. Successfully crossed (F1) plants were then allowed to self-fertilize to produce a second generation of offspring (F2). We will employ a common garden experimental design to rear our (F2) progeny and assay photosynthetic activity, after which DNA will be extracted from (F2) leaves and sequenced on an Illumina NovaSeq to 30x read-depth coverage. DNA sequencing data will be used to perform a quantitative trait locus analysis, which allow one to identify and evaluate regions containing candidate genes associated with genome copy number variation. In sum, this project will provide insights into the mechanistic regulation responsible for changes in cytoplasmic genome copy number. More broadly, understanding the effects of cytoplasmic genome copy number variation on photosynthesis represents a key and unsolved mystery in plant biology.

The collaborative research initiative, conducted jointly by Coe College and Seton Hall University's physics departments, delves into the nuanced exploration of low-temperature microplasmas using sodium borate glass disks as dielectric barriers. The study spans the creation of diverse compositions of sodium borate glass, ranging from 10 to nearly 50 molar percent sodium oxide. These glass samples underwent meticulous processing, including heating at 1000°C for 20 minutes, weight loss measurements for composition confirmation, and subsequent remelting at 1000°C for 15 minutes followed by annealing for 2.5 hours. The observed weight loss primarily resulted from the vaporization of water and carbon dioxide from the boric acid and sodium carbonate starting materials, respectively. Simultaneous thermal analysis was employed to determine the glass transition temperature (Tg), with annealing performed 50°C below Tg. Post-annealing, the samples were slowly cooled to 150°C to maintain dryness, followed by polishing to a thickness of 1-2 mm. These glass disks, stored under nitrogen, were meticulously packaged and dispatched to Seton Hall University for application as dielectric barriers in a dielectric barrier discharge device. This project has potential applications for the creation of low-temperature plasmas that may be used in pollution control, medical disinfection and sterilization, crop growth, and hydrogen and syngas fuel production. Specifically, the integration of low-temperature plasma technologies with glass dielectric samples holds promise for enhancing hydrogen production an implication for the petroleum industry.

Cottonwood Cave is an ancient sulfuric acid cave in New Mexico's Guadalupe Mountains. It formed over 12 million years ago and houses a unique microbial ecosystem. Our collaborative study aims to unravel the intricacies of microbial life within Cottonwood Cave, focusing on anaerobic microorganisms as well as sulfur, iron, and nitrite oxidizers. We collected sediment samples from various places in the cave spanning from front to back and employed both culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques to isolate and characterize microbial communities. Streak-plating on organic rich complex media revealed diverse cultured organoheterotrophic bacteria, including species closely related to Bacillus spp., Peribacillus spp., Microbacterium spp., and Janthinobacterium spp.. We are currently using a combination of culturing techniques including fully anaerobic solid media, gradient tubes, and fully aerobic liquid media to enrich for specific chemolithotrophic and anaerobic populations from the cave. We expect organisms that are able to live and thrive in these specific media will be ecologically significant and have unique or uncommon metabolisms, and their apparent presence in the cave will give us a more complete picture of the cave’s microbial biodiversity. We will compare our culture-based analyses to culture independent analyses using DNA extraction and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing in order to provide significant insight into the microbial diversity in cave ecosystems for broader ecological and scientific insights into the fascinating field of geomicrobiology in this unique Southeastern New Mexico cave system.

Topology optimization methods can significantly enhance the design process for 3D-printed components by determining the optimal material distribution within a particular design area to satisfy predefined performance objectives and limits. By employing computational algorithms to iteratively remove unnecessary material, these optimization techniques provide lightweight yet structurally sound designs that maximize stiffness, decrease compliance, or meet special multi-objective functions. Although additive manufacturing methods like 3D printing can subsequently create the necessary topologically optimum geometries, their forms are often complex and counterintuitive. The limitations imposed by conventional production processes can be overcome by combining topology optimization and 3D printing to develop high-performance components that are tailored to match specific applications. Topology optimization, thus, is a powerful computer-aided engineering technique that makes it possible for 3D printing to generate optimal, practical components for a range of industries, including aerospace and biomedical.