Senior Recital: Katie Allen, Clarinet; Lu Witzig, Piano; March 20, 2022

Kemp Recital Hall March 20, 2022 Sunday Afternoon 3:00 p.m

2017: HiMCM International Mathematics Modeling Contest: Finalist Rating

The integration of drones for light shows, alongside modes of delivery, have seen soaring popularity with modernity: both literally and physically. With the employment of drones in events like the Superbowl, and Intel light shows, drones’ uses have widespread implications that are quickly gaining momentum. In an order to implement these drones in light shows, adherence to regulations alongside quantifying and monitoring the path for a set number of drones is crucial. For an outdoor aerial light show that will display a Ferris wheel, a dragon, and another unique image, various factors need to be taken into account including the required airspace, launch site, safety considerations, and flight path. Our objective is to mathematically delineate the flight path for the drones and form the desired figures in the sky. We plan to achieve this goal by quantitatively analyzing the shape of the displays while calculating their path. By investigating these formations, we hope to have an efficient model for drone light shows that adhere to the standards and regulations

Better Ate than Never: Reducing Wasted Food

Food waste in modern society is a problem which is quickly gaining traction. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that more food reaches landfills than any single material in the trash. This wastes food resources, while 42 million Americans are food-insecure and in need. In order to prevent food waste from reaching landfills and incinerators, we must scrutinize the sources of waste and take novel measures to make use of all edible food. In this paper, we examine three main problems using mathematical modeling. First, we created a model to see if food waste could be used to feed the food-insecure demographic of a state, using Texas as a test example. To model this we examined data about food waste percentage in North America and data about food production in Texas. We calculated food need based on the diets of children and adults, and computed the percentage of need that could be met using food waste. We found that between pessimistic and optimistic estimates, an average of 30% and 60% of food need can be met by food waste for demographics above and below the 185% poverty level. After comparing generated food waste to the needs of the food-insecure in Texas, we examined food consumption traits and habits to determine the food waste for specific household types. These included consumer units of both low and high income with varying family dynamics and ages. To address the problem we evaluated the percent of a household\u27s income spent on various types of food prepared at home, such as fruits, meat, and vegetables. Used data about the amount of food wasted at the consumer level by food type, we calculated the percent of a household\u27s income spent on wasted food by income bracket. We then adjusted this model to include out-of-home food waste and household size, creating a cohesive model for all households. Finally, we provided mathematical models of strategies for the repurposing of wasted food in Illinois. We found the value of specific food items and their rate of purchase from farms in Illinois over a one-year period. Our strategies redirected produce deemed physically unappealing to grocery stores, salvaging $2,396,640 of food that otherwise would have gone to waste. Other waste from the grocery stores is then brought to food shelters, or used in composting to provide both an economic and an environmental boon to the state

Implementing automated pCO2 control in small scale cell culture models

High carbon dioxide levels observed during scale up of a mammalian cell culture process were found to impact glycan levels of a monoclonal antibody. Small scale bioreactor and shake flask models were developed to achieve the high pCO2 levels and profiles observed at large scale for process understanding studies. The precise reproduction of pCO2 profiles in small scale models can be challenging, due to use of manual controls and to potential impact of high pCO2 levels on other process parameters and quality attributes. For improved control, automation was applied to bench scale stirred tank bioreactors using an online pCO2 probe and to ambr® 250 disposable bioreactors using an off-gas analyzer. Design of the automated CO2 control strategy in these small scale bioreactor systems will be presented

Changes in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy at different times among residents in Guangzhou, China

BackgroundVaccination as a fundamental pillar of promoting public health and interest is critical to limiting the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many citizens are still hesitant about this epidemic prevention measure. This article aimed to understand the COVID-19 vaccination and hesitancy rates among Guangzhou residents at different points in time as well as to explore the relevant factors that cause vaccination hesitancy.MethodsWe conducted a total of nine cross-sectional surveys by enrolling 12,977 questionnaires among Guangzhou residents through the online survey software called “WenJuanXing” between April 2021 and December 2022, and residents made their choices by judging their willingness to vaccinate. These surveys collected data on the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination status, vaccine hesitancy, and factors influencing this hesitancy. The Chi-squared test was used for univariate analysis and the multivariate logistic regression model was used to further adjust the influence of the confounding factors to evaluate the main factors affecting the hesitancy of the COVID-19 vaccine at different periods.ResultsOver the course of 2021–2022, a total of 12,977 residents in the study area were surveyed. The vaccine hesitancy rates fluctuated over time. From April to June 2021, the vaccine hesitancy rate decreased from 30% to 9.1% and then increased to 13.7% in November. However, from April to December 2022, the hesitancy rate continued to rise from 13.4% to 30.4%. Vaccination rates, the epidemic waves of COVID-19, and changes in policies may all be possible factors that contributed to these fluctuations in vaccine hesitancy rates. We found statistically significant correlations between factors, such as residence, education, and occupation, and vaccine hesitancy at certain points of time. The results of the surveys in April and June 2021 showed that rural residents showed higher vaccine hesitancy rate than urban residents. Their lower education level was associated with higher vaccine hesitancy. Workers and farmers are more likely to have vaccine hesitancy than people with other occupations. The univariate analysis showed that people with underlying medical conditions and lower perceived health status were more likely to experience vaccine hesitation. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the health status of individuals is the most important factor leading to vaccine hesitancy, and residents' underestimation of domestic risks and overconfidence in personal protection measures were also contributing factors. At different stages, vaccine hesitancy among residents was related to vaccine side effects, safety and efficacy, convenience fluctuation, and various factors.ConclusionIn the present study, we found that vaccine hesitancy did not display a consistent downward trend but it fluctuated over time. Higher education, residing in urban areas, lower perceived disease risk, and concerns about the vaccine's safety and side effects were risk factors for vaccine hesitancy. Implementing appropriate interventions and educational programs tailored to address these risk factors may prove to be effective in enhancing public confidence on vaccination

Establishment of molecular genetic approaches to study gene expression and function in an invasive hemipteran, Halyomorpha halys

Hemiptera is a large clade of insects understudied in terms of developmental biology. Halyomorpha halys, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB, referred to throughout as H. halys), is an invasive hemipteran pest of the mid-Atlantic region of the USA that has rapidly spread to other regions in recent years, devastating a wide range of crops using a piercing and sucking mechanism. Its phylogenetic position, polyphagous habits, and rapid spread in the USA suggested that H. halys would be an ideal system to broaden our knowledge of developmental mechanisms in insects. We and others previously generated transcriptome sequences from different life stages of this insect. Here, we describe tools to examine gene expression patterns in whole-mount H. halys embryos and to test the response of H. halys to RNA interference (RNAi). We show that spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression in H. halys can be effectively monitored by both immunostaining and in situ hybridization. We also show that delivery of dsRNA to adult females knocks down gene function in offspring, using the homeotic gene Sex combs reduced (Scr). Knockdown of Hh-Scr resulted in dramatic malformations of the mouthparts, demonstrating for the first time that RNAi is effective in this species. Our results suggest that, despite difficulties with long-term laboratory culture of H. halys, this species shows promise as a developmental system.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13227-017-0078-

Exploring structural and electronic effects in three isomers of tris{bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl}borane: Towards the combined electrochemical-frustrated Lewis pair activation of H2

Three structural isomers of tris{bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl}borane have been studied as the acidic com- ponent of frustrated Lewis pairs. While the 3,5-substituted isomer is already known to heterolytically cleave H2 to generate a bridging-hydride; ortho-substituents in the 2,4- and 2,5-isomers quench such reactivity through electron donation into the vacant boron pz orbital and steric blocking of the boron centre; as shown by electrochemical, structural and computational studies. Electrochemical studies of the corresponding borohydrides identify that the two-electron oxidation of terminal-hydrides occurs at more positive potentials than observed for [HB(C6F5)3]−, while the bridging-hydride oxidizes at a higher poten- tial still, comparable to that of free H2