Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Judges, please do NOT pre-judge these abstracts. They should only be used to gain a better
understanding of the projects you will see on State Science Day.
Medicine and Health Sciences Subcategories
PHYS—Physiology and Pathophysiology
Alana Smith
Does Eye Color Affect Eyesight?
MED
ANAT
For my project I did, "Does Eye Color Affect Eyesight?" I gathered test subjects, of all ages and eye
colors, and tested each individual. I recorded their results and averaged each color category together to
get my results.
Taylor March
Does Wrist Strength Improve Setting Accuracy?
MED
ANAT
The purpose of this project was to see if simple strength exercises could improve the setting accuracy
for volleyball. To test this hypothesis I selected two groups of high school students. The groups were
divided so that neither group had an athletic advantage over the other. Each student was given a pretest
in which they aim for the basketball hoop, left, right, and center of the foul line. A set was considered a
success if the ball hit the backboard. Each student had fifteen attempts. For a period of six weeks, the
experimental group did wrist strengthening exercises using five pound weight balls. At the end of the
experiment, each group was then tested again using the exact same method as described previously.
The mean number of good sets in the control group was 3.6 for the pretest and 4.5 for the post test. The
mean number of sets for the experimental group was 8.8 for the pretest and 10.7 for the post test.
Statistically the control group did not show significant improvement, however, the test group was a Tscore of 2.17 with the critical value at 1.833(p:0.05). This shows that there was a significant
improvement. The research hypothesis was accepted. The group that improved wrist strength, also
improved their setting accuracy.
SHIVAM GANGAL
GET BACK YOUR BACK
MED
ANAT
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
The purpose of this experiment is to find out if the weight of the backpack affects the time you can carry
it.
In the experiment, the test subjects were asked to time how long they could hold a backpack weighing
10, 15 and 20% of the weight. After all of the data was recorded and analyzed it was determined that
the heavier the weight of the backpack, the less time the subject will be able to hold it. This is because
of the strain on the back thus meaning if they go even higher in backpack weight, this could get to be
hazardous for the back.
Victoria Devore
Vacuum Packaging vs. Other Known ways of Preservation
MED
ANAT
The purpose of this research is to compare a new way to dispose of human remains (vacuum Packaging),
but be able to view the deceased and not have the embalmer have much exposure to the remains. The
alternative hypothesis was that the vacuum packaging will have the best rating and will rank highly
compared to the other pieces of meat on natural appearance and firmness, and the null hypothesis was
that the vacuum packaging will not have the best rating and will rank poorly compared to the other
pieces of meat on natural appearance and firmness. This was tested by taking twenty four samples of
beef and putting them in different types of preservatives. Then after letting them set I rated them on
firmness and natural appearance. I found that the 24 Index had the best natural appearance and the
control had the worst natural appearance and the vacuum packaging and the second worst rating for
natural appearance compared to all of the other ways that the meat was preserved. I also found that the
Nican salt had the best rating for firmness out of all of the samples of meat. The control still had the
lowest test result for firmness and then the vacuum packaging had the second lowest. In conclusion I
found that the vacuum packaging was not a proper way to store the meat. This means I had to accept
my null hypothesis that the vacuum packaging will not have the best rating and will rank poorly
compared to the other pieces of meat on natural appearance and firmness."
Hannah Kardohely
Massage Therapy: The Affects on Blood Pressure
MED
ANAT
The project I have completed is on massage therapy and the affects it has on blood pressure. Many
Americans today have stress in their lives, which can cause stress related conditions. Massage therapy
can help to relieve stress, but I wanted to know how much this solution actually helped the well-being of
others, which can be measured by blood pressure. For my experiment, I did nine different trials, each
time including a different activity. Before every activity, I took the subject’s blood pressure with an
automatic cuff and machine. I also recorded the pulse as well as the blood pressure into a chart. I then
had the subject perform one of the nine activities and took their blood pressure again immediately after
completion. After recording the numbers, I then massaged the subject for five minutes and recorded
their blood pressure a final time to compare the changes. After filling in the rest of the chart, I found
that after the massage, eight out of nine times, the subject’s blood pressure decreased. The only
activity the blood pressure did not decrease was sitting, in which it changed only slightly as an increase.
So in my conclusion, I found that massage therapy can help to relieve stress, as indicated by blood
pressure, from even everyday activities and can indeed be a benefit to those who suffer. This project
has helped to show another option to address and relieve problems caused by stress.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Ana Vazquez
Does Exercise Increase Vital Capacity?
MED
ANAT
The purpose of this experiment was to determine if exercise increases a person’s vital capacity. The
hypothesis was that if a person exercises regularly, their vital capacity will increase. The experiment was
done using balloons and a ruler. Twenty subjects, half that exercised regularly and half that did not, had
their age, height and weight taken. The subjects had their vital capacities tested by breathing in and
exhaling all possible air into the balloon. The diameter of the balloon was taken and recorded. This was
done three times, giving the subjects a full minute in between each breath. Then an expected vital
capacity was calculated using their age, height, and weight. The two vital capacities were compared and
the total results were analyzed. In conclusion, the hypothesis was correct. The subjects that exercised
regularly had greater vital capacities than the ones that did not exercise often.
Michael Saturno
A Continuation of the Analysis of Soccer Headgear Technology and it Efficacy
in Reducing Impact forces to the Brain MED Anatomy
This experiment is designed to determine if wearing soccer headgear aids in reducing impact forces to
the brain. Tests were conducted on three types of headgear: Storelli, Full 90 Premier, and DonJoy. The
procedure was to swing a regulation FIFA soccer ball from a height of 4.572 meters above the ground,
striking the head of a high-fidelity crash test dummy fitted with the soccer headgear. A 3-G
accelerometer was inserted inside the crash test dummy head acting as a simulated brain. The
accelerometer attached to a laptop computer running Logger Pro software. The data captured
measured the acceleration and deceleration of the accelerometer in m/s2. Results show a 30%
difference in the frontal negative g's experienced between the worst performing headgear, Storelli (5.54g's), and the control group (-4.27). When measuring positive frontal impact forces, the worst
performing headgear, Full 90, showed a minimal 1.9% difference in average positive g-forces sustained
when compared to the control group. Alternately, side impact testing negative g's revealed that the
difference between the worst performing headgear, DonJoy (-6.01), and the best performing headgear,
Full 90 Premier (-4.11) headgear was 46%, while there was only a 23% difference between the worst
performing headgear, DonJoy (-6.01), and the control group (-5.07). With respect to positive g's
sustained, the best performing headgear, Storelli (2.35), sustained 27% less average g-forces than the
control group, which performed the worst. Considering the varying results and minimal variation in
impact forces, the results do not fully support the hypothesis that headgear would provide substantial
protection.
Kathryn Montgomery Do Beverages Affect the Dissolution Rate of Ibuprofen? MED CONS
Background: Most ibuprofen packages say to ‘take with a beverage’, but do not specify the beverage
type that would be best to use. It was hypothesized that out of the beverages tested, (water, 2% milk,
Pepsi, apple juice, iced tea, and Gatorade) milk would cause the ibuprofen to dissolve the slowest with
the smallest increase in acidity, and Pepsi would cause it to dissolve the fastest, with the highest
increase in acidity.
Methods: Beakers were filled with 10 mLs imitation stomach acid made with hydrochloric acid. 40 mL of
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
each of the six beverages used for testing was added to each beaker. One ibuprofen tablet was placed in
each solution and then observed in its dissolution process.
Results: Both hypotheses were rejected. The ibuprofen dissolved most quickly and equally in the water
and tea. Although the milk solution had the most mild pH, the ibuprofen did not dissolve the most
slowly in milk; it dissolved slowest in Gatorade. It was hypothesized that Pepsi would yield the most
acidic pH, and cause the ibuprofen to dissolve the most quickly. The ibuprofen dissolved poorly in the
Pepsi, and three other beverages, water, tea, and Gatorade, had more consistently acidic pH levels. The
ending results showed that unless a patient wants to specifically minimize GI symptoms by drinking milk,
water is the best beverage to take. It does not alter the original pH of the stomach fluids, and causes the
ibuprofen to dissolve more effectively than the other beverages tested
Cora Zickel
Do Beverages Affect the Dissolution Rate of Ibuprofen?
MED
CONS
Background:Most ibuprofen packages say to ‘take with a beverage’, but do not specify the beverage
type that would be best to use. It was hypothesized that out of the beverages tested, (water, 2% milk,
Pepsi, apple juice, iced tea, and Gatorade) milk would cause the ibuprofen to dissolve the slowest with
the smallest increase in acidity, and Pepsi would cause it to dissolve the fastest, with the highest
increase in acidity.
Methods: Beakers were filled with 10 mLs imitation stomach acid made with hydrochloric acid. 40 mL of
each of the six beverages used for testing was added to each beaker. One ibuprofen tablet was placed in
each solution and then observed in its dissolution process.
Results: Both hypotheses were rejected. The ibuprofen dissolved most quickly and equally in the water
and tea. Although the milk solution had the most mild pH, the ibuprofen did not dissolve the most
slowly in milk; it dissolved slowest in Gatorade. It was hypothesized that Pepsi would yield the most
acidic pH, and cause the ibuprofen to dissolve the most quickly. The ibuprofen dissolved poorly in the
Pepsi, and three other beverages, water, tea, and Gatorade, had more consistently acidic pH levels. The
ending results showed that unless a patient wants to specifically minimize GI symptoms by drinking milk,
water is the best beverage to take. It does not alter the original pH of the stomach fluids, and causes the
ibuprofen to dissolve more effectively than the other beverages tested.
Caitlyn Kimbell
Which antacid medication works the best?
MED
CONS
The topic question for this project is ‘Which Antacid Medication Works the Best?’ The hypothesis is, if
antacid medicines are added to an acidic solution of lemon juice and distilled water, then the most
expensive brand of antacid medication will neutralize the solution by raising the pH to seven with the
least amount of milliliters. The stomach makes hydrochloric acid to help digest food. Hydrochloric acid
causes pain. Antacids are medicine used to treat stomach acidity by neutralizing stomach acid. To test
the hypothesis, a solution of 10ml of lemon juice and distilled water were added to a graduated cylinder.
Next, 1ml of Pepto Bismol was added to the solution and measured the pH. This was repeated until the
pH reached 7.0. Then each trial was repeated with the different types of medications, Gaviscon,
Walgreens brand, Rolaids ultra-strength, Walgreens Sugar Free Soothe, and Pepto-Bismol Max Strength.
The results were: the Rolaids Ultra-Strength, the third most expensive medication costing $0.60 per
ounce, worked the best by raising the pH to 7.0 with an average of 4ml. The most expensive medication
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Gaviscon, costing $1.00 per ounce, raised the pH to 7.0 in an average of 17ml. Adding the milliliters of
medication were used as the dependent variable. The data didn’t support the hypothesis that the most
expensive brand of antacid medication will raise the pH with the least amount of milliliters. This testing
shows that the most expensive brand of antacid medication doesn’t always work the best.
Jenna Nist
Which Brand of Adhesive Bandage Sticks the Longest in a Cup of Water MED CONS
The project question is ‘Which brand of adhesive bandage sticks the longest in a cup of water?’. The
hypothesis is, if all three brands of bandages are placed in a cup of water then the Up & Up bandage will
adhere the longest. All bandages are plastic and the same size; 19.050 x 76.2 millimeters. Adhesive is a
substance that sticks to the surface of another object joining the two together. Many modern day
adhesives are called synthetic resins. The independent variable is the different brands of adhesive
bandages. The dependent variable is which bandage stays on a plastic cup, filled with water, the longest.
The first trial showed that the bandages stayed on the cups but were starting to peel away around the
pads of the bandages. The Band-Aid bandage was peeling away the most. The second trial showed none
of the bandages fell off but they were peeling away around the pads. The Band-Aid bandage was peeling
off the most. The third trial showed the bandages had not fallen off and were not peeling away from the
pads. The fourth trial showed the bandages had not peeled away anywhere. The fifth and final trial
showed the bandages were still on and none were peeling off. The test showed that it does not matter
which brand of adhesive bandage is used, Curad, Up & Up, or Band-Aid, will all stick for the same
amount of time.
Elizabeth Klein
Is Your Cell Phone Dangerous?
MED
CONS
For our project we decided to question if electromagnetic frequencies affect the human body. We chose
this topic because as our world is evolving technology is advancing, and we wanted to know if it was
helping or hurting us on a health perspective. We believed that the human body would be affected by
electromagnetic frequencies in a negative way. We also hypothesized that the electromagnetic
frequencies would be block if aluminum foil was wrapped around the device.
We tested twenty-four subjects; twelve of each gender. To test our hypothesis, we had a volunteer hold
a textbook (4.6 lbs) on their forearm. We timed the test subject to see how long they could withstand
the weight until they insisted to stop. We then had the volunteer hold the textbook again but placing an
iPhone to their chest. We repeated this again but wrapped the iPhone in aluminum foil. We also tested
the iPod to see if the same effects occurred, we then wrapped the iPhone aluminum foil.
Our test results proved our hypothesis correct. The aluminum foil did block the electromagnetic
frequencies and the electromagnetic frequencies did impact the human body in a negative way. Test
subjects, compared to their time without a device, could not hold the book as long with the iPod and
iPhone. However, they could hold it longer with aluminum foil wrapped around the device. We hope
that our science fair project can teach others to be more cautious with the use of technology.
Avery Lewis
The Effect of Sodium Citrate on Coagulation
MED
CONS
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Blood clotting is the conversion of blood from a liquid to solid state. When blood vessels are exposed to
air, a blot clot will form. This process is also called coagulation. Coagulation has positive effects on the
body when the process take place on the surface of the body. But when coagulation takes place inside
the body it can be deadly. An anticoagulant can be prescribed to help thin out blood and prevent future
blood clots. For this project, the effects of anticoagulants on coagulation were investigated. It was
thought that if the amount of sodium citrate increases, then the amount of alginate solution will liquify,
because the chemicals in the anticoagulant (sodium citrate solution) will break down and thin out the
blood clot (sodium alginate solution). In order for the experiment to occur, sodium citrate, sodium
alginate, and calcium chloride were needed. These chemicals were combined with water and food
coloring to make the solutions to be tested. The sodium alginate solution was dropped into solutions of
zero percent, one percent, and one and a half percent sodium citrate. The blood clots ranged from five
millimeters to around 12.5 millimeters on average. As more sodium citrate was added to the solution,
the more the blood clot thinned out and became larger in diameter. This project can be referenced by
doctors and nurses, explaining to their patients the effects of anticoagulants on blood clots and the
possibilities of advancing the anticoagulant medication by allowing it to thin out already formed blood
clots.
Ricky Villarreal
The Affect of Acidity on the Breakdown of Ibuprofen
MED
CONS
The stomach is an organ that breaks down the food that you eat so the food can continue through the
digestive system. The stomach uses an acidic solution called gastric juice in order to perform this task.
Sometimes the gastric juice becomes too acid. This can cause multiple different health issues. There are
medications that can lower the pH of the stomach. However, that raises the questions, does digestion
get affected by altering the pH of the gastric juices. In my experiment, I tested the chronologic
difference for 3 different types of ibuprofen pills to dissolve in two different environments. The first
environment had a pH of 1, mimicking stomach acid. The less acidic environment had a pH of 4,
mimicking stomach acid after the use of medications that alter the pH of the stomach. I hypothesized
that all 3 pills would dissolve faster in the more acidic environment. My hypothesis was incorrect
however. Only one of the three pills dissolved faster in the more acidic environment.
Josephina Fornara
Doggy Dinner Dilemma: Which brand of dog food transfers the most energy
when combusted in a bomb calorimeter?
MED CONS
The experiment was designed to determine which brand of dog food would transfer the most energy in
a bomb calorimeter. The hypothesis stated that Call of the Wild - Roasted Fowl would transfer the most
energy because it contains the most crude fat. Samples of seventeen different dog food brands were
burned in a bomb calorimeter where the change in temperature of the water in the calorimeter was
monitored from the start of combustion to the end of combustion. The results did not support the
hypothesis. Gravy Train - Beef Flavor had the greatest average temperature change of 10.7 degrees
Celsius and an average 892.5 calories per gram per sample of dog food. Iams Adult (Large Breed), Nutro
Natural Choice - Lamb and Whole Brown Rice, and Taste of the Wild - Roasted Fowl also had high
average temperature changes and calories.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Grant Hawthorne
Composition MED
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis: Which is Most Accurate in Predicting Body
CONS
The purpose of this experiment was to determine which bioelectrical impedance device is most accurate
in determining body fat composition in three different ethnic groups and 2 gender groups. It was
hypothesized there would be no significant difference in body composition between the segmental body
analysis devices and the whole body device when comparing ethnic and gender groups. Previous studies
performed with bioelectrical impedance devices found no significant differences in body fat
composition.
Bioelectrical Impedance is a potentially useful tool for measuring/quantifying
adiposity in multiethnic populations. Body composition methods can be classified into direct, indirect and doubly indirect
methods. Indirect methods rely on rules and constants derived from direct methods. Indirect or
predictive methods rely on statistical relationships between body parameters and components of body
composition. The study data was obtained according to the specified directions for each device. The Bod
Pod was used as a reference point since it is comparable to hydrostatic weighing which is considered the
gold standard for body fat composition measurement.
The results of the study did not support the hypothesis. There was a conclusive difference in the results
obtained from the segmental body analysis devices when compared to the whole body device. The
upper body and the lower body bioelectrical impedance devices produced varying results when
compared to the whole body device when ethnic and gender groups were compared. It was found total
body impedance has higher predictive value than segmental impedance. Weight measurement between
devices showed the portable models were comparable to the lab models. The results may be due to the
variance in electrical conduction in the upper body vs. lower body, differences in adipose body
composition and body build, or differences in manufacturing design. Accuracy of results could also be
influenced by hydration, dietary intake, activity level, medications, environment and testing technique.
Brooke Finch
Testing Ibuprofen Variation
MED
CONS
In the experiment conducted by the researchers, three different ibuprofen types from two different
brands, name brand and off brand, were tested in hydrochloric acid to see which took effect the fastest
by timing the rate of dissolving. The researchers hypothesis was that Brand A Gels would dissolve the
fastest due to the idea that the coating of the pill would break releasing the medicine the fastest. The
setup of the experiment included 300mL of HCl (.1M) for each of the 60 trials. A beaker of the solution
was placed on a magnetic stirrer at a speed of 1, the lowest, and a pill of ibuprofen was placed in the
beaker then timed. The researchers recorded the time of each trial to distinguish which type of
ibuprofen would take the least amount of time to dissolve meaning it would enter the bloodstream the
fastest. After conducting the experiment the researchers discovered that Brand B Tablets dissolved the
fastest with an average time of 1 minute and 19 seconds. The research showed that our hypothesis was
wrong. The average time for the Brand A Gels to dissolve was 16 minutes and 48 seconds. This is
because it took a long time for the casing to break to allow the medicine to release. The benefit of this
experiment is to provide customers with knowledge of which pain killer will relieve pain the fastest.
Alison Chilcott
Ibuprofen Variations
MED
cons
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
In the experiment conducted by the researchers, three different ibuprofen types from two different
brands, name brand and off brand, were tested in hydrochloric acid to see which took effect the fastest
by timing the rate of dissolving. The researchers hypothesis was that Brand A Gels would dissolve the
fastest due to the idea that the coating of the pill would break releasing the medicine the fastest. The
setup of the experiment included 300mL of HCl (.1M) for each of the 60 trials. A beaker of the solution
was placed on a magnetic stirrer at a speed of 1, the lowest, and a pill of ibuprofen was placed in the
beaker then timed. The researchers recorded the time of each trial to distinguish which type of
ibuprofen would take the least amount of time to dissolve meaning it would enter the bloodstream the
fastest. After conducting the experiment the researchers discovered that Brand B Tablets dissolved the
fastest with an average time of 1 minute and 19 seconds. The research showed that our hypothesis was
wrong. The average time for the Brand A Gels to dissolve was 16 minutes and 48 seconds. This is
because it took a long time for the casing to break to allow the medicine to release. The benefit of this
experiment is to provide customers with knowledge of which pain killer will relieve pain the fastest.
Brittany Nanda
Warning - Keep Moist!
MED
CONS
The question of this project was, ""Do humectants, emollients, or occlusive agents work best in a
moisturizer?"" My hypothesis was that, out of the five different skin moisturizers tested, the Burt's Bees
Honey and Grapeseed Oil would be the best skin moisturizer because it contained the most emollients,
humectants, and occlusive agents. For this project, I made a skin model in petri dishes using Jell-O. The
different moisturizers tested were applied to the skin models leaving three skin models with just Jell-O
as controls. Before the moisturizers were applied, the skin models were measured for height and
weight. Then the skin moisturizers were applied and the skin models were measured for weight and
height at certain times during the next two weeks. I then calculated the percent change in height and
weight for each skin model as compared to the initial height and weight.
I found that Aquaphor performed the best and Burt's Bees Honey and Grapeseed Oil performed the
worst. I think this was because Burt's Bees Honey and Grapeseed Oil has too many emollients,
humectants, and occlusive agents and that was harmful to my skin models. I think Aquaphor performed
the best because it contains mostly petroleum jelly which is an occlusive agent and an emollient, and
also contains glycerin and mineral oil. From this project, I concluded that a moisturizer with mostly
petroleum jelly and a few other ingredients may be better at keeping skin moist than other
moisturizers."
Emily Kruse
Candy Confusion
MED
CONS
The purpose of this experiment was to see if young children could see the difference between candy and
medicine. In order to test the young children, a bag of five candies and five medicines, was used. The
researcher pointed to a medicine or candy and asked the test subject ‘Is this candy or medicine?’ Then
the researcher records the results in their lab notebook.
Cal Shrimplin
Feel the Pain?: It's Time for Relief
MED
CONS
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
The purpose of this experiment was to gain a better understanding of how different pain relief pills work
in the body. This lead to the research question of what type of pill will dissolve the fastest in
hydrochloric acid, the active ingredient in our own stomach acid, and the hypothesis that if different
medications are tested in hydrochloric acid then Bayer Back and Body Pills will dissolve the fastest
because the pills are the smallest and have the thinnest coat. This experiment was completed last year,
but vinegar was used as the acid and it was not strong enough to have reliable results, so this year the
experiment was completed by dissolving a variety of caplets, liqui-gels and liqui-caplets three times each
(for reliable results) in two hundred milliliters of hydrochloric acid at a controlled lab setting at Zane
State College in Zanesville, OH. The results show that Bayer Back and Body pills dissolved the fastest and
the Aleve All Day Relief Liqui-Gels dissolved the slowest. Although both caplets and gel-filled capsules
both can give quick relief of pain when needed, gel caps are often expensive, need more digestive
strength to dissolve, and do not really dissolve that much faster than capsules. A medication like Bayer
Back and Body combines quick dissolving time, an easy to swallow capsule, and caffeine that speeds up
the dissolving time even more, so it would seem like a good choice for quick pain relief for the whole
body; from headaches, to muscle pain, and even arthritis.
Bailey Bowman
Sunblock Showdown: Product Efficiency
MED
CONS
Sunblock is an imperative tool for any person in the presence of intense sun rays, called ultraviolet rays.
The purpose of this project was to see which sunblock provided the longest protection against both
ultraviolet rays, A and B. It was hypothesized that if three sunblock brands were tested; Coppertone,
Banana Boat, and Walgreens, Coppertone will block UV rays the longest because it has 14.5% zinc
oxide; a broad spectrum ingredient that blocks both A and B ultraviolet rays. Twelve UV sun meter cards
were placed into four groups. 1/16 tsp. of Banana Boat was applied to each of the three cards. 1/16 tsp.
of both Walgreens and Coppertone was then applied in the same manner. The fourth group did not
contain sunblock and served as the control group. The 12 cards were placed under an Intertek black light
that was suspended from the ceiling by twine. The researcher then recorded changes over a thirty
minute period. The test was finished and the cards remaining after twelve hours were documented. It
was also noted when the cards turned to moderate, for the control group also changed to moderate.
The experimental groups showed slower card changing time than the control group. The data was
analyzed and the conclusion drawn that Walgreens sunblock is more efficient than the other sunblocks
and the control group. The test reflects that Walgreens sunblock could lead to better protection of the
skin in the presence of UV rays, and possibly prevent skin cancers.
Serena Kataria
Medicine Bottle Predicament MED
CONS
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Osteoarthritis (OA) are the two most common types of arthritis that can
affect a patient’s hands and cause them to have difficulty doing things. One of those things is opening
their medicine bottles which may cause patients to skip taking their medications which would be
harmful to their health. So, which medicine bottles are better for the arthritic hand? To answer this
question, 50 RA and 50 OA volunteers were asked to open sample medicine bottles and then rate their
ability to open the bottles on a scale of 1 to 10. The medicine bottles were: (A) narrow with a safety cap,
(B) narrow with a flip-top cap, (C) wide with a safety cap and (D) wide with a flip-top cap. My hypothesis
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
was that the wide medicine bottle with the flip-top cap would be the easiest to open. The results of the
experiment did not support my hypothesis. The narrow medicine bottle with flip-top cap was the
easiest to open. The wide medicine bottle with flip-top cap was the second easiest to open followed by
the narrow bottle with safety cap. The wide medicine bottle with safety cap was the hardest to open.
Results of the study will be sent to doctors in the community so they may prescribe more appropriate
bottles for their arthritis patients. Results will also be sent to local pharmacists so they may inform their
arthritic patients that they themselves can request easier-to-open flip-top bottles without extra cost.
Iulia Barbur A Study on Leading Factors of Type I NRL Hypersensitivity and Contact Dermatitis:
Testing for NRL Antigens and Residual Chemical Accelerators MED CONS
This study employed ASTM standards to test for the presence of Natural Rubber Latex (NRL) allergenic
protein content and residual chemical accelerators in gloves, which can cause various forms of rubberrelated allergic reactions.
Until twenty years ago, Type I Latex Hypersensitivity was the most common glove-related allergy. Due to
public education about the acuity and seriousness of this condition, compounds were developed (such
as nitrile) that do not contain NRL and do not cause such a deadly immune response. However, this led
to an increase in the use of vulcanizing accelerators in the manufacturing process, and the allergic
reactions to both these accelerators and other factors of modern gloves have now reached a serious
level.
The procedures used were ASTM D7558-09 ‘Standard Test Method for Colorimetric/Spectrophotometric
Procedure to Quantify Extractable Chemical Dialkyldithiocarbamate, Thiuram, and
Mercaptobenzothiazole Accelerators in Natural Rubber Latex and Nitrile Gloves,’ and ASTM D6499-12
‘Standard Test Method for Immunological Measurement of Antigenic Protein in Natural Rubber
Products.’ After data collection and analysis, significant levels of both NRL antigenic content and residual
chemical accelerators were detected and quantified.
The significance of this project is clear, to not only those with a family history of latex allergy, but also to
those who are frequently exposed to gloves. Although many experience only slight dermal irritation, in
many cases gradual sensitization impedes professions such as nursing and lab work. The purpose of this
project was not only to detect and quantify residual chemical accelerators and antigenic content, but
also to raise awareness about this important topic.
Yoly Rodriguez
Is Our Food Poisoning Us?
MED
CONS
This project is meant to test the levels of arsenic in common brands of apple juice and drinking water.
Arsenic is an element that is found in both organic and inorganic ways. I will be testing the arsenic levels
using two pre-made testing kits. They will all test for arsenic overall in parts per billion. The first kit is
called Quick Rapid Arsenic Test Kit which will use three different reagents to measure the level of
Arsenic. This test will use a test strip that will not be in contact with the liquid solution but with the
gases produced by it. The second one will also have to do with the gases produced by a liquid solution,
but using a more sensitive test. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking water can cause cancer in the
skin, lungs, bladder and kidney. It can also cause thickening and pigmentation changes to the skin,
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
among other effects such as coma and death. This is known as arsenic poisoning and is called arsenicosis
and is treated with bowel irrigation and blood transfusions. Is our food poisoning us? I believe that the
answer is yes. In the past, arsenic was the preferred form of intentional poison among the wealthy class,
to the point where people like Napoleon Bonaparte, Simon Bolivar, and King George the 3rd died
because of intentional arsenic poisoning. Currently farmers and companies have high levels of arsenic in
their water and apple juice. Scientist’s are working on a medicine called arsenic trioxide, which will use
arsenic to treat cancer by breaking down cancer cells.
In the first two tests Juicy Juice came out with the highest amount of arsenic in parts per billion. In the
last test using the ICP-MS machine, Patterson apple juice was the apple juice with the most arsenic, with
21.11ppb. Juicy Juice was still in the top 4 spots
Justin Schimpf
Sunscreen Safety
MED
CONS
Over 1 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States annually. On top of that,
around 13.5 million people are impaired from cataracts disease. A cataract is a disease that impairs
human’s vision and is commonly triggered by UV rays. The U.S. government reportedly spends $3.5
billion on cataract operations annually. These facts show that more humans should be involved in
learning about sunscreen safety to protect their health and save them money. Three different SPF types
(15, 30, and 50) of two types of brands (Banana Boat and Coppertone) were tested 30 times each. To do
this, sunscreen was coated on a piece of Plexiglass and put under a tanning bed for 2 seconds. The
results of the experiment were unexpected and did not match the original hypothesis of, ‘If two
separate brands of sunscreen for each of three different SPF types are tested, then the SPF with the
highest value (50) will have the highest UV index and therefore be the most reliable.’ After concluding
the experiment, Banana Boat proved to be more protective than Coppertone in 2/3 of the tests and SPF
30 provided the most protection on average. For SPF 15, Coppertone had a base reading of a UV Index
of 3.0 and 75.7 m2 while Banana Boat had an average UV Index of 2.6 and 64.2 m2. For SPF 30,
Coppertone had an average UV Index of 2.1 and 60.6 m2 while Banana Boat had an average UV Index of
1.9 and 44.5 m2. Lastly, for SPF 50 sunscreen, Coppertone had an average UV Index of 2.3 and 55.2 m2
while Banana Boat had an average UV Index of 2.9 and 77.3 m2. The objective of this project was to
alert people about the severity of UV rays and to provide a clear, alternative method of staying safe in
the sun with a specific SPF type (30) and brand (Banana Boat).
Caroline Stollar
Which hand cream provides the most moisture?
MED
CONS
The skin has a naturally occurring process to retain moisture, yet skin dries out. In 15th century, scented
lotions appeared. Putting on lotion may add moisture to skin. Question researched was which hand
cream provides the most moisture. The hypothesis was that brand 5 would provide the most moisture.
The materials used were gelatin, agar, petri dishes, filter paper, brand 1, brand 2, brand 3, brand 4,
brand 5- petroleum jelly based, water, measuring cup, three trays, 60 mL syringe, 10 mL syringe. Label
petri dishes 1-6 according to brand and a-c according to which brand sample. Test 6 and its samples will
be for the control with no hand cream. Prepare gelatin and agar substance. Transfer 60 mL gelatin to
each petri dish. Refrigerate petri dishes. Calculate mass of each petri dish. On gelatin lay a piece of
filter paper. On pieces of filter paper distribute 2 mL water. Transfer 35 grams of each hand cream to
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
according sample. Put lids on the petri dishes and sit for three days. Remove lids and allow to sit three
days. Remove filter paper. Calculate the mass of each petri dish and record results. The brand samples
with the greatest mass increase provided the most moisture for the gelatin. The result was the most
effective hand cream tested was brand 4. The conclusion was brand 4 was the most effective hand
cream and hypothesis was proven incorrect. The results could be used to purchase the best hand cream
product.
Jennifer Courts
The Frequency with which Crib Displays in Baby Supply Stores Comply with the
National Safe Sleep Recommendations MED CONS
When people go to stores to buy things for their baby, they look for ‘Cute,’ but what they don’t realize is
that ‘Cute’ can kill a baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed standards about
what should be in a crib with a baby. Loose, soft items like blankets, stuffed animals, bumper pads,
pillows and quilts are dangerous because they are potential suffocation and choking hazards. Stores may
try to make the crib look cozy and comfy, though, so parents will buy more. For this study, data were
collected on crib displays at 20 different stores that were identified as possibly carrying cribs. A checklist
based on the AAP standards was used to evaluate over 160 full-size cribs. The checklist included
information such as the store; the date; the type of crib; and if it contained quilts, blankets, bumper
pads, pillows, loose sheets or stuffed animals. It was also noted if the crib had a warning sign, as
recommended by the JPMA, and when feasible, if the store had a policy regarding crib displays. Overall,
only 11.8% of the cribs reviewed met the AAP standards. Fifty-nine percent included quilts, 58% used
bumper pads, 15% used rail wraps, 11% contained a stuffed animal and 10% had a blanket. Only one
store out of the 15 with crib displays displayed a warning sign about soft items in cribs. Several
employees expressed interest in providing more education to parents on safe sleep practices.
Brian Courts
MED
How Do Middle School Backpack Weights Comply with National Recommendations?
CONS
The purpose of this study was to see if middle school students’ backpacks followed the guidelines of the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recommend that backpacks be no more than 10% of a
student’s body weight and 15% at most. This was tested by having 22 8th graders load their backpacks
as they normally would at the end of the school day, and then be weighed on an electronic scale with
and without their backpack. Prior to being weighed they completed a short questionnaire about the
contents of their backpacks, how they carried them and any neck or back pain. The data were entered
into a spreadsheet and the backpack weight was calculated as a percentage of body weight for each
subject. The data showed that more than three-quarters (77%) of subjects carried backpacks that
weighed more than 10% of their body weight. The most common items in backpacks were reading
books, notebooks, binders, electronics, textbooks and notebooks. Just under half of the subjects
reported neck or back pain, with twice the number of females as males reporting pain. Students may
benefit from schools changing from heavy textbooks to tablets or other electronic devices that would
reduce the weight of backpacks.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Rachel Ollier The Effect of NSAIDs on the Heart Rate of Daphnia magna
CONS’Consumer Products Testing
MED
The goal of this project was to determine the effect of non-selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs in comparison to selective COX-2 inhibitors on the heart rate of Daphnia magna. This information
would help determine which drugs are best-suited to individual patients. It was hypothesized that
solutions of ibuprofen, naproxen, and celecoxib would all decrease heart rate, and that the difference
between the effects of the three drugs would not be significant. Testing was done using invertebrate
crustaceans, Daphnia magna. The Daphnia were exposed to solutions of 100% water, 100% ibuprofen,
50% ibuprofen, 25% ibuprofen,100% naproxen,50% naproxen, 25% naproxen, 100% celecoxib, 50%
celecoxib, or 25% celecoxib for a total of 40 seconds. The heart rate was counted during the last ten
seconds of this exposure. The Daphnia exposed to each solution experienced drops in heart rate,
especially in trials in which 100% or 50% concentrations were tested. However, the slight variations in
heart rate resulting between the three medications may not be significant. Each drug's mechanism of
action likely plays a greater role in the risk profiles of individual medications.
Sundus Mustapha
product testing
Unacceptable Radio Frequency Levels in Cell Phones
MED
Consumer
Radio Frequency (RF) is a huge problem and can be very harmful to the body. The purpose of this
project is to see if there is an actual concern, and if there is, is there a way to decrease this exposure.
This experiment demonstrated that there are ways to decrease RF exposure, like having your phone just
a few cm away makes a significant difference. And that the most dangerous type of usage is calling
compared to texting and internet. The most important discovery is that having a fully charged phone
makes a significant difference than having a partially charged phone. The RF exposure in a partially
charged phone reaches levels that are considered as an extreme concern by government safety
standards.
Rayanne Mustapha
testing
Dangers of Uneven Heating in a Microwave
MED
Consumer product
I always wondered why after I reheated my food in the microwave it had hot and cold parts. I want to
discover if there's a large difference between the hot and cold parts of the reheated food. Does the
reheated food grow more bacteria in the colder parts of the food? I tested minced meat by reheating it
in the microwave for different times. The different times were 30 seconds, 60 seconds, and 90 seconds.
I then took a sample of the reheated meat at the different times and put it in agar plates. I then
counted the colonies of bacteria at the same time everyday. This project's discovery is that there is a
large difference between the hot and cold parts of the reheated food. The colder parts of the food did
grow more bacteria.
David Ryan
MED
Which Transfers More Bacteria: Cotton-Polyester Blend, Polyester, or Cotton Clothing?
Consumer Product Testing
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
This experiment tested which clothing transferred more bacteria to: cotton-polyester (blend), 100
percent cotton or 100 percent polyester. I created 28 special shirts for the experiment. Fourteen shirts
had blend on the right side with either cotton or polyester on the left. Another fourteen shirts had blend
on the left side with either cotton or polyester on the right. Seven participants received four unique
shirts and wore them on different days. They performed activities that caused them to sweat and
returned the shirts to me. This created a trial of one person performing the same activities, under the
same conditions, wearing a blend shirt with either a polyester or cotton shirt at the same time.
To determine bacteria counts, each shirt was pressed once per side onto agar coated petri dishes. The
cultures incubated for 53.5 hours. I counted the colonies of bacteria on each petri dish and compared
blend samples to the polyester/cotton sample of the same shirt.
In analyzing data, 11 of 13 trials indicated blend transferred more bacteria than polyester. In 8 of 12
trials blend transferred more than cotton, in 2 trials they transferred equal amounts, and 2 trials blend
transferred more. The average ratio of polyester to blend was 1:2.5 and the average ratio of cotton to
blend was 1:3.9. This shows that blend transfers more bacteria than both cotton and polyester. This
does not support my hypothesis that polyester will transfer the most bacteria, then blend, and cotton
would transfer the least.
Mary Siford
Slowing Strawberry Spoilage
MED
Consumer Products Testing
A health benefit of organic fruit is that it is not treated with any chemicals or preservatives. However,
organic fruit tends to spoil quickly. This experiment tested washing strawberries in three substances to
learn how to keep strawberries fresher longer and lessen mold growth. The experimental design
included a control group and three test groups (A, B, and C), each consisting of 500 grams of
strawberries divided into 10 samples. Strawberries in the test groups were washed in the independent
variable: a vinegar solution (A), hot water (B), and a produce wash (C). Control group strawberries
remained unwashed. The hypothesis was if organic fruit was washed in a vinegar solution, it would then
stay fresh longer and have the least mold growth. Mold growth was recorded for 10 days. The
hypothesis was proven correct. Strawberries washed in the vinegar solution grew the least mold with an
average of 23.7 cm3, compared to control group 38.9 cm3 average. The produce wash was the second
effective way to slow spoilage, averaging 28.6 cm3 of mold. Strawberries washed in hot water grew an
average 32.6 cm3 of mold. Samples were also observed for freshness; defined as no browning, shriveling
or change in texture. Group A had 5 samples still fresh day 3 and one day 4. All 10 samples in the
remaining groups had some brown or shriveling by day 3. Data showed that washing organic fruit in a
vinegar solution may be one way for consumers to reduce spoilage, cost and waste.
Natasha Lewandowski
toothbrush? MED Dent
Does a manual toothbrush remove more plaque than an electric
Hi, my name is Natasha Lewandowski and this project is about which toothbrush removes more plaque
while brushing. My research is about who invented the toothbrush and what plaque is. In my
hypothesis, I stated that the electronic toothbrush would work better due to the moving bristles and
vibrating handle. The materials used were plaque disclosing tablets, unglazed tiles and both manual and
electronic toothbrushes. During the procedure, the plaque disclosing tablets were crushed on the
unglazed tile then brushed with either an electronic or manual toothbrush. The color, texture, and visual
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
observations were recorded every 30 seconds for a total of 2 minutes. At the end of the procedure the
tiles brushed with the manual toothbrushes had a dark pink color. This showed that there was more
plaque remaining after brushing. The tiles brushed with the electronic toothbrushes had a pale pink
color, which showed that there was less plaque remaining after brushing. I then concluded that the
electronic toothbrushes worked better due to the amount of color left on the tiles. This research shows
that brushing with an electronic toothbrush preformed better during the 2 minute time trial.
Patrick Bentley
Efficacy of Toothbrush Disinfectants
MED
DENT
In this experiment the efficacy of various disinfectants at killing the bacteria from a toothbrush was
tested. The disinfectants used included a solution of one part bleach and one part tap water, the
Pursonic UV sterilizer, and plain tap water as a control. The test subject ate twenty-five goldfish
crackers, then after thirty-five minutes brushed their teeth. The toothbrush was then swabbed before
being put in one of the three disinfectants. After ten minutes, the toothbrush was removed and
swabbed once more. This was repeated twice more for each disinfectant, combining for a total of nine
tests. After each swabbing, the swab was then taken and put in a petri dish with nutrient agar, which
was then transferred to an incubator for forty-eight hours at thirty-seven degrees Celsius. The results
collected here revealed that both the bleach and the UV sterilizer killed the vast majority of the bacteria,
with the bleach eliminating an average of 96.67% of the bacteria and the UV sterilizer 95.73%. The
control group that was soaked in water showed a 55% decline of bacteria. This data supported the
original hypothesis which stated that bleach would kill more bacteria than a UV sterilizer or water
would.
Nicholas Wheeler
How Sugar Affects Teeth
MED
Dent
The purpose of the experiment is to show how exactly common drinks affect our teeth. If sugar does
affect our teeth then the tooth in the drink with the most sugar will erode the most. Eroding can cause
damage to the teeth. Such damages are the loss of teeth, the wearing away of teeth, and the yellowness
on the teeth. The white outer layer is called the tooth enamel. The layer below it is called dentin which
is the yellow after the tooth enamel wears down. Teeth are also important in making sound and
digestion. The hypothesis for the experiment was supported by the data because the pop, which had the
most sugar per serving, eroded the tooth the most out of the other drinks, which had less sugar per
serving. This shows that people should be very wary of the drinks they drink because even the milk
eroded the tooth some and milk is considered one of the healthiest drinks out there. This proves that
people should be aware of the sugar in the drinks they consume. If they do not this could lead to
potentially costly procedures to undo the damage of the sugars on teeth. If I were to conduct this
experiment again I would change the drinks out for carbonated water, energy drinks, apple juice, as well
as sports drinks because different ages drink these drinks and it will show how what they drink affects
their teeth.
Caleb Tenkman
Do Sports Drinks Cause Tooth Decay? MED
DENT
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Sports drinks are popular. Many kids and young adults will drink sports drinks when exercising or playing
sports to regain lost bodily fluids. Last year, my science fair project focused on seeing whether teeth
decayed in soda, and then finding out what caused the teeth to decay. I found out last year that sugar
was what caused the most damage to the teeth. This year, I tested sports drinks, which contain high
amounts of sugar to see how much sugar affects the teeth. The way I ran the tests was by putting the
teeth in a bottle of a sports drink. Then, I would take it out a day later and weigh it and then put it back
in. The weight and the color of the teeth were recorded, and there were eight teeth used, two for each
drink. There were four different drinks used, one drink was water, and the other three were different
brands of sports drinks. I ran the experiment for one week. The teeth in drink 2 and 3 decayed the most.
The teeth lost .06 grams, which is significant for a tooth. The teeth in the water slightly gained weight,
which is from the tooth absorbing the water. The tooth decays by absorbing the liquid around it and
then having the sugar and other bad ingredients eat away at the tooth. The overall purpose of the
experiment was to see how much sugar decays a tooth and if there are any other ingredients that could
contribute to decaying a tooth.
Madalyn Morman
The Effect of Various Fruits on Tooth Mass
MED
DENT
The purpose of this experiment was to see if the fruit with high acid will decay teeth at a greater risk.
Six fruits were chosen and placed in six different cups. The three other cups were filled with distilled
water. A total nine teeth were cleaned and sterilized for the project. Before placing the teeth in the
cups, the teeth were weighed on a scale. One tooth was placed in each cup. After the three weeks were
up, the teeth were cleaned off, and dried out for three days. Then the teeth were weighed again, then
disposed of. The hypothesis stated that as the amount of acid on the tooth increases, the mass of the
tooth will decrease greatly. The results did indeed support my hypothesis. The results for this
experiment showed that as the amount of acid in the fruit increases, the fruit will decrease the tooth the
most.
Cassie Roberts
The Truth About Whitening
MED
DENT
This science fair project is on the discoloration and the whitening of teeth. This experiment was done to
find out which liquids stain teeth more and which whitening product is the best to use. The hypothesis
of this experiment was that coffee would be the darkest stain and the dentist gel would have the best
whitening result. In this experiment, eggs were used as teeth. The discoloration part of the experiment,
eggs were soaked in three different liquids for ten hours, and were evaluated every two hours. They
were soaked in cola, coffee, and apple juice. The whitening part of the experiment was to use the cola,
coffee, and apple juice stains from the first part of the experiment and see what whitening product did
the best on each stain. In this experiment the whitening products that were used were dentist gel, Crest
strips, and Kroger strips. For the discoloration part of the experiment cola was the darkest liquid, making
the hypothesis for this experiment incorrect. Coffee was the second darkest in the experiment and apple
juice was the lightest color. For the whitening part of the experiment, the hypothesis was correct
because the dentist gel did have the greatest effect. The next best effect was the Crest strips and the
worst effect was the Kroger strips. The reason the dentist gel had the best effect is because it had the
most peroxide in it. That is what this science fair paper is about.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
RYAN BROWN
Toothbrush Disinfection: Which Toothbrush Cleaner Should You Be Using?
MED DENT
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), proper toothbrush care and upkeep are important
considerations for oral hygiene (ada). General recommendations for toothbrush care include: not to
share toothbrushes, thoroughly rinse toothbrushes with tap water after brushing to remove any
remaining toothpaste and debris, not to routinely cover toothbrushes or store them in closed
containers, and replace toothbrushes at least every 3’4 months (ada). This project further explored
which common household toothbrush cleaner is the most efficient at eliminating germs. Five subjects
were used to conduct the experiments: UV Light, salt water, 3 % hydrogen peroxide, hot water, and
antibacterial liquid soap. The UV light toothbrush cleaner was expected to lessen bacteria on a
toothbrush better than other test subjects because UV light has a photon wavelength of 254
nanometers (nm) which is harmful to germs (dentistryiq). For the control reference ten toothbrushes
incubated for at least 4 days and were swabbed before cleaning. The experiment used petri-dishes with
nutrient agar to promote bacterial growth. Data collection occurred every twenty four hours with close
observation on number of colonies and size. During the course of daily data collection, no growth was
noted on 3% hydrogen peroxide’s agar plates, proving 3% hydrogen peroxide to be the most efficient
common house hold cleaner by hindering reproduction of bacteria (ehow).
Bethany Severance
The Effect of Soda on Teeth
MED
DENT
Soda is known to have many damaging effects on a human’s teeth. I was very interested in finding out
whether soda really decays your teeth or not. People hear many myths and facts about your teeth and
how they are affected by damaging drinks such as soda, and this is one of the reasons that I did my
experiment on the damaging effects of soda on teeth. I was figuring out which soda, (out of Coca-Cola,
Diet Coke, Sprite, and Mountain Dew) would decay teeth the most. My hypothesis was: If I soak one
tooth in each type of soda (Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Mountain Dew) then the tooth soaked in
Coca-Cola will have decayed the most. These results could affect daily life for almost anyone if they
know what these drinks can actually harm inside of their mouth-- especially those who drink these
beverages often.
For my experiment, I had five small glass cups filled with 1 ounce (oz.) of Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite,
Mountain Dew, and water (control). I weighed teeth, then put one in each glass cup. I left them in for
three 24 hour periods and weighed them in between those periods, but made sure they were dry before
weighing (to prevent extra weight from liquid). I had three full trials for this experiment. Each full trial
totaled 72 hours of each tooth being immersed in soda. After the experiment, I subtracted the ending
weight of each tooth from the beginning weight to get the total weight loss. I compared the total
weight loss between the different soda to find out which one decayed the most out of all of them.
My results were a little bit different than I was expecting. In trial one, Mountain Dew lost the most
weight, 0.002 grams. In trial two, both Coca-Cola and Mountain Dew lost 0.002 grams, which was the
most weight loss for the trial. In trial three, Coca-Cola lost the most weight, with the weight loss being
0.002 grams. In trial three, Mountain Dew lost 0.0005 more grams than Coca-Cola did in trial one,
therefore, Mountain Dew decays teeth the most. My hypothesis was incorrect, Coca-Cola did not decay
teeth the most, but it was indeed very close. My hypothesis was incorrect, but I learned greatly from
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
this experiment and hope others have learned as well.
Scott Kuckuck
Decaying of Teeth
MED
DENT
The purpose of this project was to discover whether different beverages could dissolve tooth enamel
faster than others. The expected results of this project was that Red Bull® would dissolve the enamel
the fastest. The actual experiment involved keeping a record of the amount of weight lost from the test
material. This was done by weighing an eggshell, then putting it in a measured amount of either Red
Bull®, Powerade®, Dr. Pepper®, and water for a specific amount of time, removing the egg and weighing
the eggshell again to determine weight lost.
After the project, the data gathered showed that Red Bull® caused the greatest weight lost. This proved
the hypothesis to be correct.
Veronica Harker
The Effect of Teeth Whitening on the Strength of a Tooth
MED
DENT
The purpose of this experiment was to see how teeth whitening affected the strength of a tooth.
Although many people know that teeth whitening is beneficial, some are unaware of its negative effects.
The hypothesis was that the longer the teeth are soaked in superoxol, the more the strength of the
teeth would be affected because of the enamel alteration associated with whitening treatments. Groups
of teeth were soaked in superoxol, a powerful whitening agent, for 10, 5, 1, and 0 hours. The data was
measured in degrees to show that the amount of compression force needed to crack a tooth was
derived from rotating a wrench which applied pressure to the tooth. The 10-hour soaked teeth had a
mean amount of 113° to crack, the 5-hour soaked teeth had a mean amount of 127° to crack, the 1hour soaked teeth had a mean amount of 135° to crack and the 0-hour soaked teeth had a mean of
163° to crack. The hypothesis was supported because the longer the teeth were soaked in superoxol,
the more the strength was weakened. It took less pressure for the teeth to crack that had been soaked
in superoxol. The superoxol had a negative effect on the strength. It is important to understand that
whitening teeth affects the strength of teeth because those who bleach their teeth have a better chance
of breaking a tooth. Whitening teeth less could potentially save people from cracking their teeth.
Juliana Rowane
Do Sealants and Fluoride Really Protect the Primary Tooth?
MED
DENT
Tooth decay is a common problem in our society today. The purpose of this experimentation was to
determine if fluoride or sealants are better at preventing tooth decay in primary teeth exposed to
sugary drinks. The hypothesis of this experiment was if fluoride or sealants are applied to a primary
tooth, the sealants will provide more protection to the tooth. Articles that influenced the formation of
the hypothesis contained various different opinions. There were strong opinions expressed by experts
sharing their opinions on whether fluoride or sealants were more effective in protecting the primary
tooth.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
This experiment involved applying sealants and fluoride to thirty-six primary teeth including six control
teeth. Once the sealants or fluoride were applied to the assigned tooth, the primary teeth were weighed
in mg. After recording the data of the before weight, the teeth were placed in either orange soda or
Gatorade. The teeth were placed in the drinks for eight days and containers were refilled once a day
after rinsing each tooth with 28. 3 grams of water. After the eight-day period, the teeth dried for one
day. The primary teeth were then weighed after the experiment to determine if the hypothesis was
correct or not.
The data of the experiment proved the hypothesis incorrect. The fluoride treatment was proven to be
more beneficial to the tooth than sealants. Overall, the sealants and fluoride proved to be more
protective and beneficial to the primary tooth compared to the control.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Lydia Taylor
Holistic Teeth Whiteners
MED
DENT
The purpose of doing this experiment was to find an easier and cheaper way to whiten teeth. The work
found several ways to whiten your teeth for less and they also have other effects of obtaining healthier
gums and fresher breath. This project shows over a period of days which of the holistic teeth whiteners
works the best. The eggs were used in place of teeth and they were stained with coffee because an
average person obtains teeth stains from coffee. The three whiteners all had their different effects on
the eggs. One of the eggs was used to test whitening strips by crest. The egg that had the whitening
strips applied to it showed no change in color of the stain at all as it was tested. The one that worked the
best and supported my hypothesis was the baking soda and lemon juice scrub. The stain started to
lighten as soon as the egg was scrubbed with the baking soda and lemon juice scrub more than the
other two whiteners. The experiment proved that when using oil to whiten teeth it takes a longer
amount of time to show the result a person would want.
Alyssa Boyd
condition?
Sweetener Buster - How do different types of sweeteners impact tooth decay and
MED DENT
This experiment was conducted to determine which sweetener caused the least tooth decay to help
people make informed choices.
To start the experiment, five cups were labelled A through E. Then, one tablespoon and one teaspoon
of xylitol was added to cup A, aspartame to cup B, sucralose to cup C, sugar to cup D, and distilled water
to cup E (to serve as the control). Also, one tablespoon and one teaspoon of distilled water was added
to each cup.
Then, each of 10 teeth were placed in a numbered zipper bag and the color, shape, size, and weight of
each tooth was recorded. Teeth pairs were determined by including one average weight tooth and one
fringe weight tooth (unusually heavy or light) in each cup noting which numbered tooth went in which
lettered cup. The cups were stored in a safe place where they were not disturbed and the amount of
light, temperature, and humidity did not change. Observations were made and recorded every 10 days.
After 30 days, the teeth were removed, cleaned, and weighed and the results were recorded.
After examining the data, the conclusion was that the weight of the teeth did not reveal any differences
in decay between the teeth because the difference in starting and ending weight for each tooth was
minimal and the percentage change in weight was similar for all the teeth. However, the recorded
observations showed the order of most decayed to no decay is aspartame, sucralose, sugar, xylitol, then
water.
Francesca Fabe
Beta Ti vs. Nitinol: Time to failure when under fatigue MED
DENT
For those of us who have experienced the treatment of braces, the lasting results come after many
months of uncomfortable pain and persistent soreness. However, most patients would admit that they
have not contemplated exactly how this immense change has taken place in such a relatively short
period of time. In actuality, the main source of fuel behind this change is the archwires which build the
foundation for moving teeth and maintaining their new positions. The three main types of archwires
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
used throughout this process are either composed of stainless steel, Beta Titanium , or Nitinol. Case
Western Reserve University’s Dental School recently observed that the Beta Titanium archwires were
experiencing much more frequent failures throughout the course of treatment in comparison to the
Nitinol wires. Therefore, this project came to be when the need to discover whether these failures
could be accounted for by manufacturing error or natural material limitations became necessary. The
hypothesis was as follows: If both Nitinol and Beta Titanium archwires are exposed to a range of stress,
in addition to tension, then the Beta Titanium archwires will have a shorter time to failure due to the
heightened elasticity and durability of the Nitinol material. This hypothesis was tested using a Bell©
Fatigue Ductility Flex Tester and five different mandrel sizes: 1.15mm; 3.95mm; 7.92mm; 19.05mm;
31.8mm. Tension tests were also completed, to a certain degree, in order to obtain further data to come
to a clearer conclusion. The cycle data for Nitinol was as follows: 1.15 mm mandrel = 267/ 895; 3.95 mm
= 622/182; 7.92 mm = 1519/ 2364; 19.05mm = 6612/6054; 31.80mm = 10593/ 20667. The data for Beta
Titanium was as follows: 1.15 mm mandrel = 543/ 144; 3.95 mm = 1131/577; 7.92 mm = 161/ 732;
19.05mm = 822/972; 31.80mm = 4809/ 2319. The tension data of the Nitinol wires exemplifies an elastic
stress plateau capable of enduring large amounts of strain over a wider range of stress whereas the data
for Beta Titanium shows an exponential curve where high amounts of stress were endured over a
smaller range of strain before failure. Therefore, the data supports the hypothesis in that the data
produced by both types of wires back the claim that Beta Titanium regularly exemplifies a shorter time
to failure when under fatigue in comparison to Nitinol.
Jessica Haaker
Removing Bacteria from Teeth
MED
DENT
Does chewing gum more effectively remove bacteria from your mouth than brushing your teeth after
meals? The person ate a Reese’s cup then either chewed gum or brushed their teeth. Chewing gum after
eating the Reese’s cup produced less bacteria.
Madison Johnson
Are Bite Marks Different Between Genders
MED
DENT, FORE
The purpose of this project is to determine if there are differences between male and female bite marks.
This is important because bite marks can be used to solve crimes and identify people. The hypothesis is
that there are differences between male and female bite marks. The procedure followed was to have a
group of students of similar ages each bite into a different styrofoam plate and measure the resulting
bite marks for depth and width, then organize the data according to gender and determine the average
sizes. The results of this experiment showed that the male bite marks were larger in depth an average
of 5 mm in the subjects tested. The male bite marks were also larger in width an average of 7 mm. These
results supported the hypothesis that there would be differences between male and female bite marks.
This data would prove useful for forensic scientists both in solving crimes and identifying people and/or
remains.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Douglas Synowka
food allergies MED
Further analysis of a possible correlation between neurological conditions and
DISE
As food allergies grow more prevalent, finding treatments that allow the sufferer to tolerate the
allergen(s) become more important. It has been noted by many studies that the nervous system and the
immune system interact. A case report in which l-dopa allowed an allergen to be tolerated is the basis
for this research, which attempts to correlate neurological conditions and food allergies. In 2014,
survey-based data was collected. The results from that study warranted further analysis. Cases of
allergies and neurological conditions were tallied. Those counts were used to find which allergies have
attached neurological cases and also which neurological cases had attached allergies. It was
hypothesized that common allergies would be more likely to be attached to neurological conditions.
The results showed that dairy was the only allergen to show an elevated prevalence of being connected
to a neurological condition across all groups, but wheat and soy, all commonly IgE mediated allergies.
ADHD/ADD and Restless Leg Syndrome, Dystonia and Epilepsy were most likely to exist with food
allergies, but not all groups had cases of all conditions. This analysis was done to prepare for more
specific survey-based research.
Shiv Dewan
MED
The Effect of Different Antigens on a Hemolytic Blood Transfusion Reaction's Severity
DISE
A hemolytic blood transfusion reaction (HTR) can occur during a blood transfusion when recipient
antibodies try to eliminate foreign antigens. One
,of the reactions is agglutination, which may cause blood to form clumps. This project’s goal was to find
which incompatible transfusion results in the most severe reaction by simulating transfusions with a
synthetic blood typing kit. The hypothesis was that when synthetic AB- blood was transfused to
synthetic O+ blood, this would result in the most severe reaction since AB- blood has the A and B
antigens while O+ has the A and B antibodies.
Synthetic samples of blood types A+, B+, AB-, and O+ were provided as well as anti-A (A antibody), anti-B
(B antibody), and anti-D (D antibody) sera. The sera were used to simulate the recipient blood. All four
donor blood types were tested with each recipient blood type one at a time, and the results were
recorded.
The transfusion that involved transfusing type AB- blood to O+ agglutinated in the shortest time, proving
the hypothesis. Knowledge of differences in HTR severity can forewarn clinicians of possible
complications. Limiting factors included use of synthetic blood for this experiment and the limited
synthetic blood types given. In future trials, more extensive materials or real blood samples can be used
to perform this experiment. This experiment did not explore the reactions that can take place in an HTR
due to incompatibility of donor blood plasma with recipient blood, which can be the topic of future
study.
IbrahimMunir Double Blind Placebo Control Trial of Efficacy of Custom Compounded Cream in
Chronic Low Back Pain Patients MED DISE
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Topical analgesic creams have been used in the treatment of chronic low back pain. Custom
compounded creams (CCC) seem to be well tolerated and associated with significant pain relief. It is
therefore that I decided to perform a double blind placebo control trial to evaluate efficacy of CCC and
to see if it can allow patients to use less pain medications.
After IRB approval, a total of 18 patients (n=18) with complaints of chronic lower back pain were
recruited. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups. Patients either received active cream
(Cream A), or placebo (Cream F) for topical use. Patients were required to complete a Visual Analogue
Scale (VAS) and Roland Morris Back Questionnaire (RM Score) before and also after 4 weeks of
treatment. Patients were also monitored for reduction in use of their oral pain medications. A paired ttest and student’s t-test were used to compare intra-group and inter-group change in pain relief. P<0.05
was considered as significant.
The results of the trial revealed that both active CCC as well as the inactive cream provided statistically
significant relief in pain as well subjective improvement in functionality. There was no difference in pain
relief and function improvement in between active and placebo groups.
It appears that perhaps application of cream by massage on the lower back may have provided relief in
both groups. It is possible that if more patients were recruited the difference between active and
placebo creams would be significant.
Matthew Isakson
Protecting Soccer Players From Concussions
MED
DISE
Today, there are many concussions that occur in the sport of soccer. These concussions are very
dangerous since they pose a dual threat to health with short-term effects of headache, nausea, and
fatigue and long-term effects of change in a victim's personality and slower responses when thinking.
Since head-to-head contact is the most common concussion-causing type of collision in soccer, I
calculated this average impact force. From this calculation, I designed an experiment based on the
ASTM F-1045 method. To be appropriate for my experiment, I used a 7 pound medicine ball that was
dropped 41 inches onto a force plate that reads the impact force in Newtons. I tested the dispersion of
force with different materials that could be worn while playing soccer. These materials were latex, vinyl,
polyethylene, and Styrofoam, and I also included a control of no material. I dropped the ball 25 times on
each different material that was 1 inch in height and secured by tape on the force plate. From this test
method, I gathered force data on these materials. I first found that the control had an average impact
force of 2285 Newtons. Next, I found that vinyl was the most force-dispersing material, with the
average impact force being 1856 Newtons. Styrofoam was the least force-dispersing material, with the
average impact force being 1969 Newtons. From this experiment, athletes should definitely wear
protective headbands while playing soccer, and the best available headband is one made of vinyl.
Rachel Kyle
Effects of Exercise on Diabetics vs Non- Diabetics
MED
DISE
Our research question is: Will a diabetic’s blood sugar fluctuate more or less than a non-diabetic during
exercise activities? Our hypothesis is that if you are a diabetic, then your blood sugar will fluctuate more
than a non-diabetic.
We began this experiment by finding eight test subjects to participate. Half were diabetic and the other
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
half were non-diabetic. If the diabetics eat within three hours of the experiment then it will affect the
outcome. If the diabetics are low then they must be allowed to eat, but in our experiment that did not
occur. We tested their blood sugar before and after each activity. They participated in four activities that
we selected. We chose these certain activities because we thought that they would make the
participants blood sugar fluctuate. In between activities, we copied down each participant’s blood sugar.
After the final activity we had to remain inactive for one hour. During this hour we could not eat. After
this period of waiting we checked each participant’s blood sugar to see what the long lasting effect was.
We recorded this final piece of data in our data book. At the end of this experiment, we concluded that
the diabetic’s blood sugar will increase and decrease more than a non-diabetic’s. Even if the diabetics
fasted, the blood sugar would still fluctuate more than the average person. This is because the average
person’s body automatically uses the insulin and glucagon when needed. (Insulin and glucagon are both
hormones.)
Christina Isckarus
How Effective are Hand Sanitizers in Killing Germs?
MED
DISE
People have become dependent on hand sanitizers when soap and water are unavailable ( Disease and
Conditions E. coli, 2014). Hand sanitizers are an effective means of reducing the spread of germs thereby
reducing illness ( Disease and Conditions E. coli, 2014). The active ingredient in hand sanitizers is alcohol
which kills bacteria (‘How Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Bacteria?’ 2013). E. coli serves as a test subject in this
investigation. The independent variable in this experiment was the concentration of alcohol and the
dependent variable was the number of E. coli colonies. This investigation predicts that the ninety
percent (90%) alcohol concentration will be the most effective in reducing the number of bacterial
colonies. This research compared the amount of bacterial colonies that grew after expose to the
following alcohol concentrations; forty (40), sixty-two (62), and ninety percent (90%). The data shows
that the ninety percent (90%) ethanol inhibited all bacterial growth therefore the most effective. The
sixty-two percent (62%) ethanol was less effective. Based on the data, four (4) colonies of bacteria grew
in the control, six (6) colonies in the forty (40), three (3) colonies in the sixty two (62), and zero (0)
colonies of bacteria in the ninety percent (90%) ethanol. Therefore, the ninety (90%) ethanol solution
was most effective in completely suppressing bacterial growth. Interestingly, there were slightly more
bacterial colonies in the forty percent (40%) ethanol group as compared to the control. A possible
explanation is this alcohol concentration is so low and therefore ineffective.
Maria Zou
Issues MED
Improving the Efficient Method of Measuring the Risk for Weight Related Health
DISE
Being able to easily and accurately determine a person’s risk of weight related diseases can help a
person notice and treat their disease before his condition becomes serious. Weight related diseases are
a huge issue around in the modern world with increasing fast food restaurants and unhealthy lifestyles.
This study helped research and test a new equation that is as efficient as the previous Body Mass Index
(BMI) but also is more accurate in determining one’s state of health in regards to weight. The current
body mass index is highly inaccurate and misjudges a person’s possibility to have weight related diseases
because it only includes the height and weight of and does not include muscle and fat ratios that are a
large determinant of weight related diseases. As research shows, waist circumference is often a large
indicator of the weight related diseases that the BMI was originally designed to detect the risk of. In
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
order to make a more accurate equation, the waist circumference of a person was added. The equation
was then tested on people of all different risks of weight related health conditions.The equation:
(weight( pounds)*waist circumference (inches))/height (inches) * by height (inches) * 10 is much more
accurate than the commonly used BMI’s equation. This equation used to calculate obesity will be useful
in precluding unnecessary treatment and help indicate that a person may be at risk for some weight
related issues and uses a scale of 4-14 to represent those in a healthy range.
Timmy Stoffer
Can Distraction Change Pain? MED
DISE
Some hospitals have published the use of distraction methods to increase tolerance to painful
treatments. The purpose of this project was to discover whether distraction could affect pain tolerance
time. The expected result was that distraction caused by video gaming would increase pain tolerance to
immersion in ice water. The actual experiment involved measuring the time a subject could tolerate
immersion of a foot in ice water and recording observations. This was recorded for a trial in which each
subject was non-distracted. This was compared to a trial using the opposite foot during which the
subject was distracted by playing a video game, with the water temperature held constant.
After the project, the data gathered showed that the pain tolerance time did improve when a subject
was distracted with a video game. This proves the hypothesis to be correct. This information could be
applied in medical settings to decrease the use of medications and to make painful treatments more
bearable.
Logan Leak
A retrospective analysis of variables associated with mortality rates and APACHE II
scores of sepsis patients at an inner city community hospital in New York City MED DISE
There is an average of 750,000 cases of sepsis annually in the United States. Sepsis is defined as the
presence of Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) with a known source of infection. In
some instances, the body progresses to Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome (MODS), severe sepsis
(sepsis coupled with low blood pressure or organ dysfunction), or septic shock (severe sepsis with
hypotension despite fluid resuscitation). Oftentimes, it is very difficult to classify sepsis patients due to
the multitude of factors that influence this condition. As a result, a variety of scoring systems have been
developed to assess the morbidity of sepsis patients. The one that will be focused on in this study is the
Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scoring system (APACHE II). Many studies have
corroborated the ability of this system to calculate morbidity scores (on a scale of 0-71 with higher
scores signifying higher morbidity) and predict mortality rates of sepsis patients. According to the study
in the article APACHE II: A severity of disease classification system, "An increasing score’was closely
correlated with the subsequent risk of hospital death for 5815 intensive care admissions from 13
hospitals" (Knaus et al., cited from abstract, 1985). This scoring system will be applied to past sepsis
patients at an inner city community hospital in New York City, and the aforementioned correlation will
be explored as well. Additionally, statistical tests will be used to analyze a variety of variables associated
with these patients.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Hanshuo Zhu
Cancer Gene Therapy
MED
DISE
Liver and Kidney cancers are responsible for over 37,000 deaths annually in the US. Cancer gene
therapy, a cancer treatment growing in popularity, is the process which involves the specific gene
targeting and killing the cancerous cells while sparing the healthy cells. This study was preformed to
demonstrate the biological evidence underlining the difference between cancer cells treated with and
without Gene X for both high density and low densities. Gene X was transiently transfected into HEK293
cells, and MCF7 cells and the cultures were observed under a fluorescent microscope. Results showed a
near 70% death rate from transfected MCF7 cells in both high and low densities after 72 hours. The
control group indicated a 27% natural death rate in MCF7 in a similar time span. Knowledge obtained
from this project might possibly be the backbone into finding a cure for human cancer.
Austin Maguire
The Effects of a Macrobiotic Diet on Type 1 Diabetics
MED
DISE
Diabetes Mellitus, also referred to as Type One Diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas
terminates the production of insulin. With type one diabetes comes many complications, such as blood
glucose levels and how to control them. Maintaining these stable blood sugars can prove to be
extremely difficult, especially when the average American diet consists primarily of simple, processed,
fast burning carbohydrates that often spike blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates also happen to be the
body’s preferred source of energy, as opposed to fats and proteins that many use as an alternative,
which frequently result in health issues later in life. The Macrobiotic Diet is a dietary regimen that is
composed of high complex carbohydrates, plant based proteins, and root vegetables. Historically, a
macrobiotic diet has been prescribed by alternative health practitioners to reduce or eliminate the
symptoms of a broad range of disorders and diseases. This poses the question concerning what the
effects of a macrobiotic diet would have on type one diabetics. The hypothesis formulated is that a
macrobiotic diet would stabilize blood glucose levels, provide all nutrients necessary, and keep the
diabetic satisfied, all while maintaining the use of carbohydrates as the main source of energy. This was
tested through the consumption of criteria fitting meals and testing blood glucose levels periodically.
The results of the experiment not only proved each point of the hypothesis correct, but also placed the
diabetic in optimal health range. The continuation of testing involving this diet is strongly
recommended.
Lauren Pfeifer
Alternative Medicine
MED
DISE
This project was conducted to determine if certain natural remedies said to be beneficial as bacterial
agents could disable the growth of bacteria. It was hypothesized that the natural remedies garlic and
extra virgin coconut oil would not be as effective as the pharmaceutical antibiotic ampicillin in disabling
the growth of the specific type of bacteria strand E.coli BL21.
The Procedure included making triplicate samples of: the natural remedies at different concentrations
with the E.coli and the ampicillin with the E.coli. Controlled triplicate samples were also made: the E.coli
by itself, the natural remedies by themselves, the ampicillin by itself, and the LB media by itself. This was
done in order to check that there was no contamination of these products. The E.coli only sample was
done in order to compare the end results of the natural and pharmaceutical antibiotic and E.coli
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
samples and how much of an effect they had in disabling the growth of the E.coli. The samples were put
into a temperature-controlled shaker for 18 hours to allow the E.coli to grow. A pipette was used to
measure 1 ml of each sample along with the controls into separate cuvettes. Each cuvette was placed
into the UV-Vis Spectrophotometer to measure the light absorbency of each sample.
The results of this project did in fact support the hypothesis. The natural remedies were not as effective
as the antibiotic. Although the natural remedies were not as effective, the high concentration of the
coconut oil slightly diminished the E.coli growth.
Mackenzie Weldy
Art Therapy and Dementia
MED
DISE
The goal of this experiment was to see whether art therapy stimulates and increases the theta brain
waves and the functions controlled by those brain waves. A modified MindFlex was used to measure
brain activity in three patients that have Alzheimer’s type dementia. Normal conversation with the
patient for one minute asking conversation starters that only had to do with short term memory was
used as a control. Brain activity was measured while putting together a puzzle of a famous country
singer (spatial organization; positive control), and then paint a picture of a person (art therapy) Theta
brain waves activity was tracked during each activity. Compared to control, art therapy and a spatial
organization task both decreased theta brain wave activity. Future research is needed to investigate
whether art therapy can be used as a therapy to stimulate theta brain waves, or whether it affects
people with dementia differently than those without.
Gabriella Fair
Alzheimer's: Memory and Motion
MED
DISE
Alzheimer’s type dementia affects more than five million people in the United States. Of the symptoms,
short-term memory loss develops first and is seemingly the most debilitating. The purpose of this
experiment was to find a way to help people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s type dementia remember little
things. I hypothesized that connecting a motion with a word would enhance word recall. The
participants were given a word to recall after a minute of conversation. This was repeated for a total of
five words. Each participant was then given five new words, but this time, each word was paired with a
motion. Contrary to the hypothesis, participants tended to recall a word more often when not paired
with a motion. Interestingly, all participants recalled the word clap, likely because it was paired with a
clap motion. This data suggests that the more a patient has to remember the harder it is for them.
However, participants may benefit when they are able to make a connection between two things.
Nava Ramazanali
Health Issues MED
Improving the Efficient Method of Measuring the Risk for Weight-Related
Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
Being able to easily and accurately determine a person’s risk of weight related diseases can help a
person notice and treat their disease before his condition becomes serious. Weight related diseases are
a huge issue around in the modern world with increasing fast food restaurants and unhealthy lifestyles.
This study helped research and test a new equation that is as efficient as the previous Body Mass Index
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
(BMI) but also is more accurate in determining one’s state of health in regards to weight. The current
body mass index is highly inaccurate and misjudges a person’s possibility to have weight related diseases
because it only includes the height and weight of and does not include muscle and fat ratios that are a
large determinant of weight related diseases. As research shows, waist circumference is often a large
indicator of the weight related diseases that the BMI was originally designed to detect the risk of. In
order to make a more accurate equation, the waist circumference of a person was added. The equation
was then tested on people of all different risks of weight related health conditions. The equation:
(weight( pounds)*waist circumference (inches))/height (inches) * by height (inches) * 10 is much more
accurate than the commonly used BMI’s equation. This equation used to calculate obesity will be useful
in precluding unnecessary treatment and help indicate that a person may be at risk for some weight
related issues and uses a scale of 4-14 to represent those in a healthy range.
Madeline Moser
Students
MED
The Effect of Various Types of Lighting on the Stereopsis of High School
EARS
Stereopsis is a component of depth perception. Stereopsis is the ability for a person to appreciate small
disparities between two retinal images. The purpose of this experiment was to see if changing the type
of lighting used affected a student’s stereopsis. My hypothesis is that the lower lumen per watts of the
light bulbs the lower the stereopsis due to the fact that illumination plays a major role in the shadowing
of 3D objects. The students will be given a visual acuity test, and only students that have 20/20 vision,
with or without corrective lenses, will be asked to participate. Those that choose to participate will have
their stereopsis tested under each type of lighting being experimented. The data will then be collected
and put through statistical analysis. It was found that changing of lighting had no significant effect on
the stereopsis of high school students. The data sets were individually ran through a chi-square test. All
three data sets exceeded the critical value. The hypothesis was partially supported by the data because
a change in light source did have an effect on the stereopsis of high school students, but the highest
percentage of lumens per watt did not perform the best.
Grant Gursky
How Light Color Affects Vision
MED
EARS
It’s important to understand how different conditions affect our vision in day to day life. The purpose of
the experimentation was to determine how different light colors affect vision. The hypothesis stated
that white light will affect eyesight the least.
A group of ten participants of varying ages were selected to take place in this study. A standard eye test
was performed in optimal conditions to adjust the test accordingly to the participants’ eyesight. For
each test, three letters are randomly selected from the specific vision level. Each participant was then
tested under each condition. Those conditions included colored light being shined on the eye chart. The
colors include white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Between each test, a brief break was
done to prevent the tests from affecting each other. The time it took for their eyes to read the selected
letters was recorded in seconds.
After the procedure was done, the average time to determine a letter was calculated. White light
averaged at 6.1 seconds to determine. Blue light took the longest to determine at 8.6 seconds. Red light
took the least amount of time at 5.5 seconds to determine.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
From the data, it can be concluded that red light affected eyesight the least. This conclusion helps
humans understand how different conditions affect our vision and can be repurposed in multiple
applications such as artificial lighting for the home and business.
Ellie Hall
A Study of How Distance Affects Hearing
MED
EARS
In order to understand how distance affects hearing one must understand how the ear works, our brain
structure and factors that affect hearing . It was hypothesized that if boy and girl students are given a
sound to hear at different distances from the source, then those who are closer to the source will hear
the sound better. This should happen because research shows that sound waves are dampened as they
travel through air. The further the sound waves travel, the more they are diminished. Each of the
participants had to stand on marked pieces of tape . The participants were then asked to raise their
hand if they heard a sound at different frequencies. The data was gathered and recorded in a lab
notebook .The results of this experiment showed that 23 participants could not hear at ten feet or more
from the sound source and 7 participants could not hear at ten feet or less from the sound source. This
data supports the hypothesis that distance affects hearing. This information is important for audiologists
and teachers so that all people with hearing disabilities so they get the treatment they need."
Claire Inkrott
Therapy Strategies/Convergence Insufficiency MED
EARS
This experiment was conducted to test what effect exercises had on vision diagnosed with convergence
insufficiency. The frequency and duration patterns of exercise were varied over a period of several
weeks. Two exercises per week for 4 weeks was compared to therapy 4 times a week over a 2 week
period.
Abigail Johnson
Identifying Fruit Juices with Smell and Taste
MED
EARS
This project is to identify that either taste, smell, or both have an impact on flavors. Four people were in
a group and there were seven groups. There was also one group of three. Each group was given four
dixie cups and then the test ‘runner’ poured different juices in the cups such as grape, cranberry, orange
juice, and apple juice. Then with a blindfold and sometimes nose plugs, testers drank a different juice
each time then told the test ‘runner’ what they thought the juice was. The tester observed that the test
subjects, with nose plugs, got cranberry and grape confused easily. Orange juice also seemed like a
different flavor with the nose plugs in. Apple juice was the same flavor with, without, and just by
smelling the juice. Testers had the blindfolds on the whole testing time period. Test subjects had the
nose plugs on for one part of the test. There were three parts to the test. The first part was to drink the
juice with a blindfold and nose plugs on, then to tell me what they thought it was. The second part of
the test was to smell the juice with only the blindfold on. Finally, the last part was to drink the juice
without the nose plugs and with the blindfolds. A variable could have the room temperature or being
male or female. The tester observed that the males got cranberry and grape confused the most. A
variable could have also been that it was warmer in the classroom one day and cooler the next. These
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
things could have possibly been variables. Another variable could have also been age. Tester tested the
parents and observed that test subjects got grape and apple confused. This did not happen with twelve
and thirteen year old test subjects. Tester also focused on the brain and the cell receptors because the
receptors are an impact on the tongue and even taste buds. When one is about to take a drink of orange
juice for example, one smells the juice before drinking it, though one may not know it, one is. When
they finally take a drink, cell receptors from the brain tell the orange juice which taste bud to go to.
There are sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Taste buds are basically groups of cells that taste flavors. They
are either on the sides or back of the tongue. The brain has cell receptors which ‘tell’ the foods and
drinks where to go when in the mouth. The cell receptors come from the brain and spread throughout
the body and eventually into the mouth. This seems like a long process, but it is very fast.
Elizabeth Jasek
Who Has the Best Peripheral Vision?
MED
EARS
The purpose of this experiment was to learn that if having different eye colors and being male or female
affected how wide your range of peripheral vision was. In this experiment, I constructed a vision
protractor which I used to test others’ peripheral vision. I moved objects of different shapes and colors
across the protractor, and recorded the degrees at which the test subject first saw the color of the
object and the shape of the object. The data I collected was that, on average, blue-eyed females had the
best peripheral vision with seeing the color at 13.375 degrees and the shape at 13.06944444 degrees.
Overall, excluding gender, blue-eyed people had the best peripheral vision and, on average, saw the
color at 15.74166667 degrees and the shape at 16.44166667 degrees. There was no real significant
differences in the results of people with different genders, though. Conclusions I reached were that
blue-eyed females have the widest range of peripheral vision out of blue, brown, green, and hazel-eyed
males and females. Also, there is no substantial difference in the peripheral vision of different genders.
My data didn’t support my hypothesis because blue - eyed females, not brown-eyed females had the
widest range of peripheral vision.This research can be important to the world by showing that blue-eyed
females have the best peripheral vision. This can be useful information to know when dealing with
driving and other activities that require good peripheral vision.
Olivia Loesch
How Does the Color of a Color Word, Affect How Easily it Can be Read,
Dependent on Your Age?
MED EARS
The purpose of my project is to test if your reaction times and color perception relate to your age. My
procedure is simple. First, I will have my subject sit in front of the computer. Then, I will explain the
project to them. After that, I will have them view the color slideshow that I created. Before they start, I
will get my phone and record their voice while they are saying the colors back to me. Once they have
finished viewing the slideshow, I will compare the subjects answers to the actual answers and record in
in my experiment notebook. Age group 4 averages were 5.3 errors, 8.6 misses and average score of
16/30. Age group 3’s averages were 2 errors, 0 missed and a score of 28/30. Age group 2’s averages
were 3.6 errors, 0.6 misses and 25.6/30. Age group 1 had an average of 7 errors, 3 missed and 26/30. I
conclude that age group 3 (21-45 years old) performed the best, they had the best scores the least
misses and the least errors. I also conclude that age group 4 performed the worst with the least scores
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
and the most misses. Lastly, everyone had the same problems with the colors red and orange so I
conclude that your age has nothing to do with your color perception.
Emma Smith
Color, Light and Vision
MED
EARS
The problem investigated: was there an effect of light intensity and color on eyesight? The hypothesis
was that with yellow color and high intensity subjects would read the lowest line. When testing visual
acuity, a Snellen Eye Chart and five colors of light, white (control), red, blue, yellow, and green were
used. The Snellen eye chart was placed on the wall 20 feet from the subject and shone the different
colors on the chart. Allowing 1 minute for subject’s eyes to adjust to the light, each subject read the
chart on bright and dim settings. Tester observed that all the colors were bright enough to see through.
The lowest line each subject could read in each color and brightness setting was recorded. Red and blue
colors were dark and hard to see through. Green, yellow, and white (control) were bright and easy to
see through. Paper covering the light simulated low intensity and caused each color to be darker and not
as easy to see through. During the tests, subjects stated that the green color, out of all colors, excluding
white, was the easiest to read through. Subjects said red was the hardest, closely followed by blue. The
hypothesis was accepted. Yellow had the highest scores on high intensities. Although subjects said that
green was easiest to read through, when added up, yellow had the highest scores at 151 on high
intensities. Green and yellow tied in low intensities as 126.
Katie Okolowitz
Do You Hear What I Hear?
MED
EARS
Does sound frequency ranges you hear decrease as you get older? Cilia, hair-like cells in the ear that
help you hear, wear down over time so I predicted that the younger a person is the higher range of
sound frequencies they can hear. To test my hypothesis I used a computer and a sound frequency test
from the website Noise Addicts (http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/can-you-hear-this-hearingtest/). Anonymous volunteers of all ages were recruited through social media and emailing friends and
family. Volunteers were asked to take the sound test on Noise Addicts website by listening to each
sound starting at 8 kHz . Then they reported to me their age and the highest frequency heard.
,Data was collected from 118 volunteers and recorded on a chart using age ranges as categories: <9, 1019, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and >50. Next, the average frequency for each category was computed. Finally,
the results were analyzed using a graph and chart. My hypothesis was correct. Younger participants in
my experiment on average could hear higher sound frequencies than older participants. As groups
increased in age, the sound frequencies that could be heard decreased. Most of the people under age
30 could hear sounds as high as 17-19 kHz. Most participants in their 30s could only hear frequencies of
15-16 kHz, and most participants in their 40s heard frequencies up to 12-14 kHz. The majority of
participants over 50 could only hear frequencies as high as 10-12 kHz. The younger you are, the higher
sound frequencies you can hear.
Michael
Terveer
Video Games and Their Effects on the Eyes - Does Playing Video Games
Affect Eye Moisture and Vision?
MED EARS
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
My experiment was conducted to determine whether video games could affect eyesight and eye
moisture. When I began my study, I believed video games would cause the eyes to become drier, to
lose focus, and also cause blurry vision. I thought that these results would occur because video games
require intense concentration and also because people tend to blink less while playing video games.
Another reason would include the brightness of the game screen, which could send bright light into the
eye. The video game was the independent variable of my project because it is what caused the changes
in the eyes of the participants. The dependent variable was the change in eye moisture and the effect
on eyesight after playing video games. The controls of my experiment included the same amount of
time video games were played, the same vision chart, and the same moisture test strips. Im my study, I
began by administering the Schirmer Moisture Test to each subject. After measuring their eye moisture,
I had the subjects conduct a 20/20 vision test. I recorded the results of both tests into a data sheet.
Next, the subjects played video games for an hour. Immediately after one hour of video games, I
conducted another Schirmer Moisture Test and 20/20 vision test on each participant. The results were
recorded into a data table. All of the steps above were repeated two more times on each subject. Each
subject had a reduction in eye moisture level and a negative impact on their eyesight after participating
in the video game test. In conclusion, these tests proved my hypothesis correct.
Cortney Prout Does a persons eye color effect getting red eye when taking a photo with flash?
MED EARS
I chose this project because I like photography and it seemed really interesting. The problem was, "Does
a persons eye color effect getting red-eye with flash?" My hypothesis was I think the people with blue
eyes will get red the most because the eye is the lightest and I think the light color of the eye will have
something to do with the effect of red-eye. I used my phone camera with flash, a pencil, notebook for
data, and 30 people. 10 with blue eyes, 10 with brown, and 10 with green. Methods I used were, get
people with green, blue and brown eyes, take their picture, write down ghe data, and present the data.
The people with brown eyes got red-eye the most, the people with green eyes got red-eye the least. In
conclusion, most of the people got red-eye and a lot of people actually didn't get red-eye. 11 people's
eyes didn't change color. 9 people's eyes that were brown changed color. 4 people's eyes that were
green changed color. 30 people were tested. The importance of this project was to figure out how you
get red-eye with flash.
Bridget Trimble
An Examination of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Teenage Risky
Behaviors in Lake County
MED EPID
The purpose of this case study is to examine the Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) rates and the risky
behaviors present in teens attending high schools in Lake County. This case study focuses on the two
most common STIs in America, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. The Lake County Health District keeps
records of every STI infection reported each year. Recently, the Health District also conducted a survey
with twelve schools around Lake County to determine how many teens partake in risky behaviors. This
study combines both teenage risky behaviors and STIs reported in Lake County. It is important to show
any relationships between the two because teens and people in their early twenties consistently have
the highest reported STI rates, and if they are participating in some of these risky behaviors, they are at
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
risk to contract an STI. The hypothesis is females that are less than 19 years old are statistically most
likely to contract Chlamydia and Gonorrhea and males 17-18 years of age are most likely to show
teenage risky behaviors. Using a difference of proportions test, Females were statistically more likely to
contract both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. The ‘less than 19’ age group was statistically more likely to
contract Chlamydia while the ‘19-24’ age group was statistically more likely to contract Gonorrhea.
Teenage males were statistically more likely to participate in sexual intercourse and sexting. The ‘over
17’ age group was statistically more likely to participate in sexual intercourse, oral sex, and sexting.
Sophia Arnold
Healthy Chlorine Levels in Public Pools MED
EPID
I am a swimmer and I spend a fair amount of time in area pools. I noticed a strong chlorine smell
surrounding the pools. For this reason, my science fair question was, ‘do public pools in the area have
healthy amounts of chlorine?’
To test this, I gathered water samples from three separate pools in the area weekly for four weeks. In
total, I collected twelve of these samples to test for total chlorine, free chlorine, and chloramines. I also
gathered four samples to test for bacteria.The Powell YMCA had the highest free chlorine level at an
average of 0.875 ppm. Columbus Athletic had the lowest free chlorine amount at an average of 0.125
ppm. Because of this, the Powell YMCA also had chloramine levels that were the highest. This was at an
average of 1.5 ppm. Oakstone and Columbus Athletic had the same level of chloramines. Their average
was 0.3 ppm. For bacteria, all of the waters were at the same level. This was <100 cfu/100 ml. Finally, I
was finished with my experimentation.
After examining my results, I concluded that overall the swimming pools in the area are not using too
much chlorine in their water. My hypothesis was rejected because the chlorine smell that I noticed was
not chlorine, it was chloramines. Chloramines in the water do not mean that the pools had too much
chlorine."
Taylor Starling
Disease Transmission Between Kindergartners MED
EPID
GloGerm can be used as a tool to stimulate just how many students in a kindergarten classroom come in
contact with germs. Boxes of crayons were the carrier of GloGerm and the children interacted with the
crayons as they normally would. After only about twenty minutes of the crayons being in the classroom,
the children's hands were looked at under a black light and data was collected. The students then
immediately went to the bathrooms to wash their hands. After this the students’ hands were looked at
once again under a black light and data was collected. Almost every student had GloGerm on them after
the first collection and over half still had GloGerm on them after the second collection of data. In
conclusion young children are very good carriers of germs and are lacking effective hand washing
techniques.
Mary
Baker
What Unwanted Organisms Grow on Money? MED
EPID
This project will test the amount of unwanted growth grows on money. The purpose of this report is to
find out what unwanted organisms are found on money; such as bacteria and fungus. This experiment
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
will test the growth of bacteria and pennies using dollar bills and pennies.
Three dollar bills and three pennies, all of the same year (2009), were swabbed for bacteria and fungus.
The contaminated petri dishes were put in an incubator for 48 hours. After 48 hours, the growth was
analyzed and the results were found.
The results were successful and matched up with the background research. Bacteria colonies grew on
the dollar bills and pennies, while fungus only grew on one of the dollar bills. The dollar bills produced
the least amount of colonies; petri dish A grew 8 colonies, petri dish B grew 48 colonies, and petri dish C
grew 20. All of the colonies were identified to be bacteria except for one colonies of fungus on petri dish
B. The pennies had the most amount of growth; petri dish A grew 25 colonies, petri dish B grew 92
colonies, and petri dish C grew 56 colonies. All of the colonies were identified to be bacteria.
Overall, the testing proved the hypothesis incorrect because the most growth occurred on the pennies,
not on the dollar bills, but the hypothesis was correct because bacteria had the most growth.
Ethan Ball
EPID
Can Thermal Imaging Be Used as a Non-Contact Method to Detect Fevers?
MED
The 2014-15 African Ebola outbreak heightened awareness of the need to quickly and safely detect virus
symptoms in public spaces such as airports, hospitals, and schools. Developing a non-contact method of
testing for fever, one of the symptoms of Ebola, would make this testing safer for members of the
public.
Thermal imaging technology presents a cutting-edge method of measuring humans’ body temperature.
In this experiment, research subjects’ body temperatures were measured using a thermometer and then
their pictures were taken using a thermal imaging camera. The purpose of the experiment is to test the
accuracy of thermal imaging’s temperature-taking capabilities in comparison to a thermometer in order
to detect a fever. It was hypothesized that thermal imaging will be accurate but not as precise as a
thermometer because the thermometer detects the temperature produced directly from the human
body.
To gather data, sixty-one research participants’ temperatures were taken using a digital ear
thermometer. After each subject’s temperature was taken, it was recorded. Then each individual stood
in front of a blank background, which is where participants’ thermal pictures were taken. The recorded
results were then studied and graphed in order to see if thermal imaging is an accurate method of
measuring body temperature.
Through this study, it was determined that peoples’ thermal temperatures differed from their body
temperature on an average of 1.3 degrees Celsius or less. Also, it was determined that glasses most
likely have detrimental effects on thermal imaging’s ability.
Through this study, it was determined that thermal imaging could be used as a screening method at
places like airports, hospitals, and schools to detect fevers, which are an early symptom of viruses like
Ebola.
Kassie Panson
Killing Those Germs: Finding the Most Effective Hand Washing Technique
MED EPID- Epidemiology
This report is about finding the most effective hand washing method that kills the most germs. Germs
are microscopic organisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Since germs are unable to
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
be seen, the product Glo GermTM was used to simulate the germs on the participant’s hands. Glo
GermTM turns the invisible germs into germs that are able to be seen with just powder and a ultraviolet light. Glo GermTM has been made to be the same size as bacteria. Before conducting this
experiment, it was predicted that washing hands with DialTM anti-bacterial soap and warm water will
kill the most germs. For this experiment, four trials were conducted using four different hand cleansing
products and three participants. The products used were PurellTM hand sanitizer, DialTM anti-bacterial
soap, Bath and BodyTM hand sanitizer, and a DoveTM soap bar. After completing the trials and
analyzing the data, it was discovered that the hypothesis was correct. Washing hands with warm water
and DialTM anti-bacterial soap was the most effective hand washing method.
Elyssa Sutton
Fingerprint Inheritance MED
fore
My Science Fair Project is titled, "Fingerprint Inheritance". My objective is to determine whether or not
related and unrelated pairs turn out the same. I selected this project because I think fingerprints are
very interesting. My hypothesis is: If you compared family groups to unrelated groups then there would
be more similar fingerprint patterns in the family groups than the unrelated groups. The independent
variable was the family groups. The dependent variable was: how often do related and nonrelated
fingerprints turn out the same. The controlled variables were an ink pad, fingerprints by each person,
and groups. Data was collected and put into a pie graph and a bar graph. Upon completion of my project
I learned some new and interesting things such as: Identical twins are alike in many ways, but they even
have different fingerprints and no two people can have the same fingerprint. As far as forensic scientists
have studied, not even identical twins have the same fingerprint.
Sarah Lipscomb
Fingerprint Method Analysis
MED
FORE
Fingerprints are one of the single most important and most common methods of identification. They
develop in early fetal stages and are different from anyone else's. There are 3 main types of fingerprints;
loops, arches, and whorls, many of these patterns are created by wrinkles in the skin. In crimes,
fingerprints are collected and processed from the crime scene in many ways, some methods better than
others. For my experiment, I was testing each method to see which one produced the clearest and
fullest print. I had 6 people, of various ages, touch the same surface a controlled number of times and
collected them with one of four methods: the Powder Method-dust the surface with powder and lift
prints with tape, the Photography Method-take pictures of the prints, the Alternate light source
method- take pictures with different amounts of light and filters, and the Superglue Fuming methodtaking the surface touched and putting it into a fuming chamber, where it will be exposed to superglue
vapors that turn prints white. I found that more modern methods, like superglue fuming and alternate
light source photos, worked better than older methods, like photography and dusting with powders. The
alternate light source method had the highest average percent of matches with 66%, the superglue
fuming method with 64%, the photography method with 53% and the powder method with 45.5%.
Overall, my results could better enhance the knowledge of fingerprint examiners, solve more cases, and
even reduce crime.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Cortney Howman
The Reality of the Crime Scene
MED
FORE
Crime Television shows create the most outrageous time amounts on how quick they gather evidence
and receive lab work back. There are many steps a medical examiner has to go through to take proper
precautions so they do not mess with evidence. Many people do not know all the precautions and safety
procedures that a medical examiner has to go through. This experiment is used to gather fake crime
scene evidence and properly calculate trajectory angles of wounds and blood splatter analysis using all
the steps a medical examiner would take and prove that the television shows are inaccurate and
unrealistic. The results were statistically significant.
Emma Helbling
What Temperature of Glass Leaves Behind the Best Fingerprint? MED FORE
Although my hypothesis was disproved, I thoroughly enjoyed working with latent fingerprints. My
progress in the beginning was frustrating because after repeated attempts I was unable to lift visible
prints at any temperature. This taught me that researching and using the proper tools is extremely
important. After sourcing a round fiber brush and actual fingerprint lifting tape my results improved and
I began to see better results.
I don’t feel that I am an expert at lifting prints by any means, but I was able to complete my project and
show that colder temperatures result in lifting latent fingerprints that are more visible. I would like to
continue with this research using different materials and methods to lift prints. Forensic science is very
interesting to me and I enjoy the investigation process.
I want to be able to lift the perfect latent fingerprint and compare prints to determine the identity of the
person leaving the prints. I used my own fingerprints in my project since I felt my results would be
easier to rate using my fingerprints as the control. If I do continue with this project I will retrieve
fingerprints from different people and compare the latent prints lifted from different materials for
identification.
Sriharsha Voleti
TRPA1 as a Sensor of Skin Aging and Identification of Anti-Aging Agents
MED GENE
Oxidative stress in human skin from UV radiation is a serious problem, as it can lead to many skin
disorders, including cancers and aging. TRPA1 (Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1) activation was
used as a physiologically relevant sensor of oxidative stress and for identification of potential
antioxidants using the FLIPRTetra Assay. Hydrogen peroxide was used to simulate UV-induced oxidative
stress. It was predicted that increased hydrogen peroxide concentration will increase TRPA1 activation.
Also, increased concentrations of lime and lemon juice, sodium ascorbate, and citric acid were expected
to inhibit TRPA1. Different concentrations of several other natural and synthetic antioxidants were also
tested on the HEK-293 cell line stably transfected with TRPA1 and TRPA1 activation was evaluated using
the FLIPR assay.
From the results, all concentrations (0.42%, 1.66%, and 8.33%) of lime and lemon juice tested,
effectively inhibited activation of TRPA1 by hydrogen peroxide. The inhibition was demonstrated to be
due to citric acid present in lime and lemon juices. Synthetic antioxidants with the exception of Propyl
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Gallate, poorly inhibited activation of TRPA1 by hydrogen peroxide. These results suggest that
lemon/lime juice or citric acid may be used in skin care products to mitigate skin aging from UV-induced
oxidative stress.
Shaheel Mitra Comparative Gene Expression Analysis of Cell Cycle Gene Networks in Stem Cells to
Determine Cell Cycle Phase
MED GENE
In the course of studying gene expression patterns shown by single cells isolated from pluripotent
human stem cells, our research group identified highly reproducible patterned expression of hundreds
of genes in both studies that were almost identical sets of genes that corresponded to those known to
play key functional roles in the regulation or execution of normal cell replication. A very high fraction of
these genes have been known for years to be cell cycle regulated in mouse, human, normal and
diseased tissues and cells, particularly in many different cancers. Mutation of many of these genes are
well known to be causes of many different cancers, and the loss or abnormal gain of their functions have
been shown to be the fundamental causes of human cancer. However, understanding their roles in gene
regulatory networks at a systems level has either been difficult or not addressed by the field. Thus, a
unified field theory of the cause of cancer is lacking. Using a computational approach that uses latent
variable models to account for such hidden factors, we show what cell cycle phase each cell was in using
its RNA expression data. Here for the first time we have created a novel computer program that can
resolve these specific patterns in single cells and is able to not only precisely identify cellular
subpopulations but also to figure out the different sources of gene expression in single-cell
transcriptomes.
Vaishnavi Sharma
Gene Copy Number Variation (CNVs) of ‘- Defensins in Heath and Disease
MED GENE
Wouldn't it be great if we could identify which populations are more susceptible to Autism and
understand what builds resistance for certain populations against complex diseases like Autism
Spectrum Disorders (ASD)? ASD patients have an unusual amount of Defensin. Defensins are peptides
that help the innate immune response by destabilizing and disrupting cell membranes of target
microorganisms. The copy number variations (CNVs) of neutrophil defensin genes DEFA3 and DEFA1
confer differential capabilities for subjects to defend against infections in different environments. The
purpose of my project was to study CNVs and deficiencies of DEFA3 and DEFA1 in different races and
disease groups. I hypothesized that human subjects of different races and background have different
CNVs of DEFA3 and DEFA1 genes. Also, DEFA3 deficiency is protective against ASD. For this study, DNA
samples from Caucasian, Asian Indian, and ASD patients were collected and compared. Polymerase
Chain Reactions were conducted to generate DNA probes for Southern Blot analysis of genomic DNA
digested by restriction enzymes. Also, DNA bands specific for DEFA1 and DEFA3 on the X-ray films were
scanned and their relative gene dosages (and deficiency rates) analyzed using software ImageQuant. The
distributions of DEFA3/A1 GCN groups were found to be relatively similar between the Caucasian and
Asian Indian populations. However, I found that ASD patients have significantly higher presence of
DEFA3 than the race-matched healthy subjects (p<0.05). Hence, it was concluded that DEFA3 deficiency
may be protective against ASD. This result could benefit the ASD population through further
investigation to down-regulate the expression of DEFA3.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Alexandria Oliverio
MED Gene
Forced Elasticity Driven By Water Diffusion In Double-Network Hydrogels
Hydrogels are crosslinked polymers that can be highly swollen with water (many hundred percents). (2)
Examples of their use include the water absorbing ingredient of diapers, cosmetics, food (e.g., Jello), and
biomaterials such as scaffolds for tissue engineering and artificial organs. Most hydrogels are brittle,
mostly because of high internal stresses in the polymer network due to the high swelling of the polymer
by water. Extraordinarily tough hydrogels that could be made by a sequential polymerization of two
hydrophilic polymer networks, were discovered and named Double-Network Hydrogels. When a doublenetwork (DN) hydrogel is extended by applying a tensile force and the sample is kept in an extended
state until all the water in the sample evaporates, the resulting dry material is a glass, but one where the
chains are frozen in an extended form. When the dry extended hydrogel is swollen again with water, the
sample quickly contracts and gradually reaches an equilibrium swollen state. The hypothesis stated, ""If
the diffusion mechanism and kinetics of water are characterized into a dry double-network hydrogel
vitrified in its extended state, then the hydrogel dried at a higher stretch ratio under extension can
absorb water faster, because under extension, when a high stress is applied on the sample, diffusion of
water from the bulk to the surface of the sample becomes faster; therefore the evaporation would be
faster.
Theodore Dimitrov
Inheritance patterns of retinitis pigmentosa in a single family MED
GENE
The purpose of this experiment was to perform a case study on the inheritance patterns of retinitis
pigmentosa. There are 60 mutations known to cause retinitis pigmentosa, however, only the four most
common genes affected were tested: USH2A, RHO, RP2, and RPGR. Saliva samples (buccal cells) were
obtained from each member of a single family in order to extract DNA for mutation analysis. The
samples were then amplified using PCR and run through agarose and polyacrylamide gels. After the
process was completed, each sample was compared to the control (the father) to determine if any
mutations were present. Some polymorphisms were detected, but were thought to be harmless and not
have any associations with the disease. The four genes can be excluded as a possibility from the 60
affected genes. This case study successfully allowed for the determination of which genes can be
excluded from the inheritance pattern of retinitis pigmentosa in the aforementioned family.
Allison Jackson
Transformation Efficiency of E. Coli in the Presence of Lunasin MED
GENE
The purpose of this experiment is to test the transformation efficiency of E. coli in the presence of
Lunasin. To carry out this experiment, agar plates with LunaRich X capsules and E. coli will need to be
grown, then the colonies on those agar plates will be taken through the transformation process. Finally,
if the transformation was successful, the bacteria will have taken up the plasmid DNA and will show a
blue colony on the final plate. After the plates are observed, the calculations will be done to calculate
the transformation efficiency of the E. coli. Based on the calculations done, the presence of Lunasin on
the plates had a higher transformation Efficiency than the control plates. The higher the transformation
efficiency, the better the Lunasin worked to alter the bacteria.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Eric Dong
Verification of a predicted enhancer site polymorphism affecting CHRNA-3
GENE
MED
The immense number of genetic variants among humans plays a substantial role in determining an
individual's responsiveness towards treatment and susceptibility for disease. Polymorphisms in the
CHRNA gene cluster are associated with an increased risk of smoking and lung cancer. However, little is
known about the gene CHRNA-3, which is linked with nicotine dependence and codes for a ligand-gated
ion channel protein that is involved in neurotransmission. The goal of this project was study the
expression of CHRNA-3 by verifying a predicted enhancer site acting on it, determining the functionality
of the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located within the region of interest, and ultimately
determining the clinical significance of these polymorphisms. Plasmids containing either homozygous
major alleles for both SNPs or homozygous minor alleles for both SNPs were created and transformed
into either PC-12 cells or HEK293 cells. Data on the enhancer activity of the region of interest was
collected by performing standard luciferase assays on the recombinant plasmids as well as several
control plasmids. By conducting Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and t-tests for two dependent means on the
data, it was shown that there were statistically significant differences for the PC-12 samples but not for
the HEK293 samples. From the results and analysis, it was concluded that a neuroendocrine tissue
specific enhancer region is present and that the functionality of this enhancer site is dependent on the
presence of the minor alleles of the SNPs. The results of this project has direct applications in the realm
of personalized medicine."
Brianna Barrett
Taste Sensations - The Difference between Multiples and Traditional Siblings
MED GENE
In this experiment, the purpose of the test was to find out if multiple siblings tasted three different
foods from four taste categories would the mutliples: 1) have a higher percentage of reactions to the
same foods and 2) if they did demonstrate a reaction, did they have a higher percentage of the same
facial reaction when compared to the reactions of traditional siblings. The hypothesis is that if multiples
have the same reactions to the food smalped, then they would have a higher percentage of the same
facial reactions to those foods versus that of traditional siblings. Four sets of traditional siblings (3 - 2
sibling groups; 1 - 3 sibling group) and two sets of triplets participated in this experiment. The
participants were provided with three food samples from the following taste categories: bitter, sweet,
salty and sour. The participants were not informed of the food sample being tested and were asked to
close their eyes as they tested the sample. All testing was recorded and then reviewed. In the end, the
hypothesis was proven partially correct in that multiples did have a higher percentage of a reaction to
the same food (41.5% versus 30.25%) when compared to traditional siblings. However, traditional
siblings had a higher percentage of similar facial reactions when showing a reaction to a particular food
sample (43.5% versus 41.5%). This was an unexpected result when compared to previous studies where
twin multiples were tested and demonstrated identical results.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Henry Wu
Analysis of Tumor Presence in Oncogene Hras1 by Insertion of CBA Promoter through
an AAV Vector MED GENE
Gene therapy offers a potential ‘one-shot cure’ to previously incurable diseases such as hemophilia, ALS,
cystic fibrosis, and even some types of cancer. The basic process of gene therapy involves using a vector
to insert genetic material into a cell, where the genetic material can be expressed as proteins and
possibly correct for genetic mutations. However, insertional mutagenesis (when insertion causes tumor
development) remains as a major challenge preventing gene therapy from becoming a viable cure for
many diseases. DNA insertion into specific areas of the genome may activate oncogenes, genes that
have potential to cause tumors. The purpose of this experiment is to determine how AAV gene therapy
can interact with an oncogene to cause tumors. An adeno-associated-virus vector will be inserted into
various positions in front of the Hras1 gene by homologous recombination. The vector inserted contains
a CBA promoter flanked by DNA fragments that are synthesized by PCR using primer design tools. Next,
the assembled DNA segments will be inserted into a plasmid, which is grown in bacteria. By transfecting
this plasmid into mammalian cells along with necessary complementing plasmids, viral vectors will be
produced by the cells. Results show low rates of targeted insertion into oncogenetic areas of mouse cell
cultures, indicating that the AAV vector with the CBA promoter had increased rates of oncogene
activation when compared to the AAV vector without the CBA promoter. Thus, this showed that the
location in which the CBA promoter integrated in front of the Hras1 gene has a major role in defining the
oncogenicity of the gene. Therefore by locating a promoter location with decreased oncogenicity effects
would lead to a prospective step to facilitate the creation of a feasible vector for gene therapy.
Nikolas Grotewold
Analysis of Tumor Presence in Oncogene Hras1 by Insertion of CBA Promoter
through an AAV Vector MED GENE
Gene therapy offers a potential ‘one-shot cure’ to previously incurable diseases such as hemophilia, ALS,
cystic fibrosis, and even some types of cancer. The basic process of gene therapy involves using a vector
to insert genetic material into a cell, where the genetic material can be expressed as proteins and
possibly correct for genetic mutations. However, insertional mutagenesis (when insertion causes tumor
development) remains as a major challenge preventing gene therapy from becoming a viable cure for
many diseases. DNA insertion into specific areas of the genome may activate oncogenes, genes that
have potential to cause tumors. The purpose of this experiment is to determine how AAV gene therapy
can interact with an oncogene to cause tumors. An adeno-associated-virus vector will be inserted into
various positions in front of the Hras1 gene by homologous recombination. The vector inserted contains
a CBA promoter flanked by DNA fragments that are synthesized by PCR using primer design tools. Next,
the assembled DNA segments will be inserted into a plasmid, which is grown in bacteria. By transfecting
this plasmid into mammalian cells along with necessary complementing plasmids, viral vectors will be
produced by the cells. Results show low rates of targeted insertion into oncogenetic areas of mouse cell
cultures, indicating that the AAV vector with the CBA promoter had increased rates of oncogene
activation when compared to the AAV vector without the CBA promoter. Thus, this showed that the
location in which the CBA promoter integrated in front of the Hras1 gene has a major role in defining the
oncogenicity of the gene. Therefore by locating a promoter location with decreased oncogenicity effects
would lead to a prospective step to facilitate the creation of a feasible vector for gene therapy.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Noah
Polak A Second Study on Fingerprints: Identical and Fraternal Twins MED
GENE
In my project, the purpose was to compare the fingerprint patterns of different types of twins, identical
and fraternal, and compare those as a whole to regular siblings. To do this, I found and fingerprinted 10
pairs of twins (five identical, five fraternal), and took 10 sibling pairs from my previous 2013-2014
project, ‘Are Fingerprints Inherited?’ and compared their fingerprint patterns. To fingerprint the new
twins, I put their information and fingerprint on a data sheet, and had their name cut off and away from
the fingerprint. The question I was trying to answer was ‘How does being a fraternal/identical twin
determine the fingerprint patterns (arch, loop, whorl) of twins?’ With my sample size, I found that
identical twins have a tiny bit more of a chance of having the same fingerprint pattern than fraternal
twins, but overall, twins and regular siblings have the same change of having the same fingerprint
pattern.
Tyler Nutt
Does Post Activation Affect Performance
MED
MED
The Student did a performance test over post activation potentiation and they collect all BMI and weight
and height and then made them do 3 test and then did a post activation potentiation to get them to do
the 3 test again and moved collected that data and crunched it after they got all the data done.
Mariah Doughty
Does Nail Polish Affect the Reading of a PUlse Oximeter?
MED
medical
My purpose for this project was to see if nail polish affected the reading of a fingertip pulse oximeter.
My mom is a surgical technologists so I go to the hospital a couple times with her and I wondered why
nail polish remover was stored with the oximeters.
My procedure is 1. I picked 20 different nail polishes. 2. Went to Wheeling Hospital where they kindly
allowed me to use their oximeters. 3. Tested one finger without any nail polish to have a base. 4.
painted each finger a different color. 5. tested each finger with the oximeter. 6. Wrote down each
percentage. 7. Graphed the results.
My results are the purple (74%) and gray ( 82%) were the worst and showed dangerous levels, nut the
nail polish made it do that because without nail polish it was 100%. So it proves nail polish DOES affect
the reading of a pulse oximeter. My hypothesis was wrong black gave 99% and red gave 98% . I was right
about acrylic nails it gave 83%. I was right about nail polish affecting the oximeters.
My conclusion is it turned out that way because the colors (especially purple and gray) would not allow
the light to pass through the finger and get the reading accurate. the reading for acrylic nails was
inaccurate because they are thick and then also have nail polish on top of that. "
Mackenzie Durham
Blood Pressure and Hot Tubs
MED
MED--Medicine and Health Sciences
The problem that I investigated was to find out if going into a hot tub can affect a person's blood
pressure. My hypothesis was if I measure the blood pressure of a person outside of a hot tub and the
blood pressure of a person inside of a hot tub, the person the hot tub will have a lower blood pressure
and the person outside the hot tub will have a higher pressure because low temperatures cause your
blood vessels to narrow which increases your blood pressure because more pressure is needed to push
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
blood through your narrow veins and arteries. I think your blood pressure will decrease in the hot tub
because blood pressure drops in extreme heat, because the pressure of blood moving around the body
is lower than normal given the weather outside. The experiment involved recording the blood pressure
of a person before, during and after they get out of the hot tub. This was done by using ten people to
put into the hot tub and testing each person individually and also asking if they had any symptoms
throughout. Each person was in the hot tub for a total of seventeen minutes, and I took their blood
pressure while they were in the hot tub after about ten minutes. The average blood pressure each time
it was taken was compared. The blood pressure decreased throughout the experiment, both systolic and
diastolic. This result confirmed that blood pressure does decrease in a hot tub. The importance of this
research is that people should learn to take caution when going into a hot tub and if you ever do go into
a hot tub make sure it's a reasonable amount of time (about 10 minutes).
Grace Palaparty
Effects of pH on Bacteriophage MED
MOLE
Microbes such as bacteria and bacteriophages are among the most successful organisms on our planet,
thriving in the soil, water, air, and even in our bodies. According to the Harvard School of Public Health,
for every ten trillion human cells there are one hundred trillion microbial cells, all part of the body’s
natural ecosystem, the human microbiome. The microbiome’s bacteria exist in either a commensalism
or symbiosis with the somatic cells; thus, the microbiome has a significant impact on our health and
overall well-being. When the body suffers from a bacterial infection, it is crucial to prevent dysbiosis.
This project employs bacteriophage therapy as a potential effective bactericide. The experiment
investigates the relations between environmental pH and bacteria-bacteriophage interactions which are
heavily dependent upon characteristic membrane protein receptors and peptidoglycan,
lipopolysaccharides, and teichoic acid presence. Bacteriophage was first extracted, filtered, diluted, and
then quantified through double agar overlay plaque assay. Bacteriophages were extracted from the soil
since both the bacteria and phages in the soil are adapted to the fluxing pH levels. The phages of
interest were lytic phages which, unlike lysogenic phages, lyse the host bacteria. The phage family was
identified by corresponding plaque morphology. Efficacy of the bacteriophages was derived from plaque
forming unit values (PFU/ml = ‘ plaques formed/dilution of titer) along with a 99% confidence interval ztest to account for any chance error. This project expands the horizon of the bacteriophage role in the
microbiome as system shift indicator and treatment.
Lauren Payne The Effect of Elevated Glucose Level Exposure Time on Kidney Epithelial Cell Function
MED MOLE
It was hypothesized that as the time that cells are exposed elevated glucose levels increases, the ZO-1
expression will decrease, therefore decreasing barrier function in kidney epithelial cells. This was tested
by measuring the absorbance of cell samples exposed to elevated glucose levels for 3 weeks, 2 weeks, 1
week, 3 days, and one day. The samples were then diluted to be equalized. The samples were run
through electrophoresis, then transferred onto a membrane using the Western Blot process. The
membrane was X-Rayed onto a film to be analyzed through relative intensities.
Using ImageJ software, the intensities of the bands representing the expression of the ZO-1 were
analyzed. The high- and low-glucose sample intensities quantified as ratios. For three weeks of
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
exposure, the ratio was 1:1.129. For two weeks, the ratio was 1:0.925. For one week, the ratio was
1:1.127. For three days, the ratio was 1:3.148. For one day, the ratio was 1:0.338. Then, a T-test was
done to determine the statistical significance of the data. The statistical analysis showed that for the
samples exposed for one week, two weeks, and three weeks, the data was not significant. The data
from the samples exposed for one day and three days supported the initial hypothesis. This indicates
that short term exposure damages the kidney cell function, but the cell may have a defense mechanism
after a certain period of time. A possible explanation for this is that the expression of Epidermal growth
factor, which tightens the cell junctions, may increase long term, therefore providing a defense when
the cell is exposed to the glucose over longer periods of time.
Rakesh Murugesan
STAT3 Inhibition Increases Effectiveness of Chemotherapy on Ovarian Cancer
Cells MED MOLE
Objective of the Study: Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal cancers, having a death rate of 55.8%.
Platinum-based compounds such as cisplatin (CDDP) or taxane (TAXOL) agents are the first-line of
chemotherapy treatments. However, over 70% of patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer will
develop either recurrent or persistent disease after treatment. Identifying the mechanism for drug
resistance is a major clinical challenge, particularly in the treatment of reoccurring ovarian cancer.
,Methodology: A cisplatin-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line derived from patientÂ’s ascites
ovarian cancer cells was used for the current study. The cells were treated with cisplatin with or without
HO3867 (STAT3 inhibitor) Cell morphology was confirmed by phase microscope. Colonogenic assay for
cell survival and Cell viability was determined by Trypan blue exclusion assay.
Results: The patient ascites cells were treated with cisplatin at a particular dosage of 10µM for
different hours (24 to 48) to find out their response towards Cisplatin. The cells were counted, verified
and compared with pictures taken with control and treated groups. I have observed that cisplatin
enhanced cell survival and proliferation in an activated STAT3 (Signal transducer and activator of
transcription 3) protein present in patient ascites cancer cells, whereas it significantly inhibits cell
proliferation in cells that express less STAT3.
Conclusion: The results show that expression of STAT3 interferes with cisplatin induced apoptosis of
cancer cells. Thus, a STAT3 inhibitor and cisplatin appears to be a potential therapeutic approach in
treating ovarian cancer
Jason Liu
Effect of metabolic syndrome on mitsugumin 53 expression and function
MOLE
MED
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, like obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia that
increases the individual’s likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases. Patients with metabolic
disorders also suffer from tissue repair defect. Mitsugumin 53 (MG53) is a protein essential to cellular
membrane repair. It facilitates the nucleation of intracellular vesicles to sites of membrane disruption to
create repair patches, contributing to the regenerative capacity of skeletal and cardiac muscle tissues
upon injury. Since individuals with metabolic syndrome possess tissue regeneration deficiency and
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
MG53 plays a crucial role in restoring membrane integrity, we hypothesized that metabolic syndrome
might impair MG53 expression and/or function. We studied MG53 activity in mice models exhibiting
metabolic disorders induced by a 6 month high-fat diet (HFD) feeding. Western blotting showed that
MG53 expression was unchanged within the skeletal and cardiac muscles of mice with metabolic
syndrome. Rather, blood MG53 levels were actually reduced. These data directly contradict recent
findings that indict MG53 as a causative factor for metabolic syndrome (Nature 494, 375-379). The
diminished serum MG53 level may contribute to the inadequate tissue repair aptitude exhibited by
diabetic patients. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analyses reveal that skeletal muscle fibers of mice
with metabolic disorders experience localization of subcellular MG53 around mitochondria. This
clustering may represent an adaptive response to oxidative stress resulting from HFD and may implicate
MG53 as a guardian to protect damaged mitochondria. Therapeutic approaches that elevate blood
MG53 level may be a novel method to treat the degenerative tissue repair function of diabetic patients.
Rahul Sandella
The Effect of Turmeric on Lipids
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this experiment was to find out if the amount of lipids in foods such as pizza, Oreo
cookies, French fries, cake, doughnuts, and butter will be affected after adding turmeric to them.
Turmeric is thought to help in anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and antitumor
activities. Turmeric has been shown in research to alter fatty acid metabolism in the body and also to
reduce lipids in test rats.
It was hypothesized that by adding turmeric to the different foods, the amount of lipids will decrease
because of curcumin and turmerin, active components of turmeric that degrade fatty acids through
dehydrogenation. Six different fatty foods were ground and boiled. 90ml of each food mixture was put
in two cylinders and in one set, 10ml of turmeric solution (5g turmeric/100ml water) was added, while
10ml water was added to the other. These cylinders were placed in the refrigerator overnight and
amount of fats that settled on the top was measured and compared between the two cylinders of the
same fatty foods the next morning.
The hypothesis was accepted because in all of the foods except one, the amount of lipids was lower in
the cylinders with turmeric. The amount of lipids decreased significantly in the doughnut, French fries,
Oreo cookies, cake, and butter, ranging from a 25 to 44.4% reduction, whereas in pizza, the decrease in
lipids was nonexistent. It is exciting and promising to see these results: Lipids in one’s body may
decrease if turmeric is made part of one’s diet.
Paige Langhals
The Electrolyte Challenge
MED
NUTR
Have you ever not had energy when you need it most? Maybe you thought you needed more sleep.
Have you ever wondered that perhaps it is the drinks you are drinking that are causing you this energy
loss? For my project I tested to see which drink had the most electrolytes in it. I tested six different types
of drinks: Brand A, Brand B, Brand C, Brand D, Brand E, and Brand F. My hypothesis was if I test drinks
Brand A, Brand B, Brand C, Brand D, Brand E, and Brand F, Brand E will have the most electrolytes in it.
To run my experiment I made an electrolyte tester using a multimeter, wire, a small pencil, a 9v battery,
and alligator clips. I put the wire-wrapped pencil in the liquid. I recorded the reading on the multimeter
and did this for all my liquids. I tested all my liquids six times. Once all my trials were done I put the
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
information into the formula G=I/V to get the conductivity level. My results showed that Brand E and F
had the most electrolytes in them and Brand D had the lowest amount of electrolytes. This information
will be useful for athletes because they can know which drink is best for them to regain their energy
back after a workout.
Luke Hastings
Which Nut Will Produce the Most Energy?
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this science fair project was to determine which nut contains the most energy. People
and scientists should care about this work because it could contribute to learning new things about
energy in nuts. Those who watch their weight probably like to read the nutritional facts on the labels of
foods. Well, those numbers come from the work done by calorimeters. My topic seems overlooked, but
really our daily lives would not be the same without it.
The question answered was: what type of nut will produce the most energy? Various websites
suggested that the nut that should have produced the most energy was a pecan. Testing showed
otherwise and showed that the hazelnut produced the most energy.
The test procedures were actually very simple. First, I stuck a nut on a sewing needle. After that, I lit the
nut on fire and placed it under a small can of water. I measured the before and after temperature of the
water to find the test results.
Overall, the project was a big success. To put everything in a nutshell, building and using a homemade
calorimeter was very fun and educational.
Abbey Reimer
Honey Can Extend the Shelf Life of Fruit
MED
NUTR
Rotting is a naturally occurring process. However, there have been methods that have been used to
prevent this process from occurring. One such method is using substances that slow the growth of
bacteria. Bacterium is what causes the structural decay and destruction of any barrier that would have
protected the produce. Honey, being antimicrobial, is able to slow the rotting process by killing or
slowing the growth of bacteria. There are two purposes for this experiment. The first purpose is to test if
honey can preserve apples. The second purpose is to determine which dilution preserved the apples the
best. To test this theory, apples were cut, dipped in the appropriate dilution, and placed on a plate
properly labeled with the percent of dilution. For the next two weeks, observations were made and
pictures were taken. The observations show that the 75% dilution preserved the apples the best. The
25% dilution was the second best in preserving the apples. The 50% dilution didn’t work as well as the
others and the apples rotted much more quickly. The last group of apples that was observed was the
control group which decayed the fastest. After viewing the data from the first test, it can be concluded
that honey is capable of preserving apple slices. After viewing the data of the second test, it can be
concluded that the 75% dilution preserved the apple slices the best. This experiment is important
because it proves that the shelf life of fruit can be extended without the use of chemicals.
Emily Howie
Comparison of Dog Food Digestion Based on Price
MED
NUTR
There are hundreds of dog foods on the market at many different costs, but are expensive dog foods
really worth the added cost? This project compares digestion efficiency between three differently-
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
priced dog foods. The three foods were tested in a simulation of a dog’s digestive tract. The foods were
soaked in lemon juice to mimic hydrochloric acid in the stomach and then were blended with meat
tenderizer to simulate digestive enzymes. Finally, the mixture was squeezed through a stocking to
imitate the small intestine and then the waste was measured to determine digestive efficiency. The
hypothesis was that if an expensive dog food was digested, it would create less waste than a cheaper
dog food. The experimental results supported the hypothesis by showing that the most expensive food
produced less waste than the others.
Thayer Wilson
The Effects of Nutrition on Mice
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether or not a mouse's diet affected it's ability to
navigate through a maze. This project was tested with four mice, two of which were given a healthy,
enhanced diet and the other two a regular mouse diet consisting of commercially available mouse food.
The mice were each put through a maze to get a reward at the end. In each trial, no variations were
made to the maze or reward. In two out of four cases, Group B (the control group) performed better in
the maze. This proves that the hypothesis was partially supported. The results simply imply that eating
healthier can help people perform better in their activities.
Vineet Prasad
Bitter Genetics, Food Choices & Obesity
MED
NUTR
The increasing prevalence of obesity in United States has been paralleled by increase in fat intake.
TAS2R38 gene encodes a bitter taste receptor controlling sensitivity to bitter chemicals PTC
(phenylthiocarbamide). The individuals sensitive to PTC would discriminate fat which helps in regulation
of fat intake and in association with normal body mass index (BMI). Objective of this experiment was to
investigate if there is a correlation existing between the Sensitivity to PTC, Cruciferous vegetable liking
and intake and body mass index (BMI). Experimental research was based on the PTC taste test using
questionnaire (N=67 subjects) Cruciferous vegetable liking and consumption was recorded in the
questionnaire. Conclusions show that lower proportion of individuals who are sensitive to PTC taste
(7.1% strong tasters and 26.2% weak tasters) like the taste of crucifers and 62.5% were in the normal
BMI range (18.5-24.9) and higher proportion (67%) of the non tasters like the taste of crucifers and
11.4% were in the normal BMI range (18.5-24.9). Lower proportion of tasters (31.2%) and non tasters
(29%) reported weekly consumption of cruciferous vegetable intake. Based on the low intake, 9.4%
tasters and 23% of non tasters consumed 4 to 6 times a week. Ability or Inability to taste PTC is an
inherited trait in humans and has been shown to establish relationship with the Body mass Index (BMI),
preference and consumption to cruciferous vegetables. Research can help with preventive screening
tool and to study the variations in sensing bitterness which influences food choices as a risk factor for
obesity and cancer.
Mridula Bethi The Effects of Natural Antacids versus Those of Chemical Antacids
MED
NUTR
Natural antacids and chemical antacids are used in efforts to try and alleviate the pain caused by the
symptoms of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) by neutralizing the acidity of gastric juices
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
present in the stomach (and esophagus) to a healthy two to three pH range. The purpose of this
experiment was to find whether natural antacids or chemical antacids are more effective at bringing the
pH to a healthy level. The .1 molarity Hydrochloric acid is used to represent the stomach acids present in
the stomach and esophagus. By mixing the different natural antacids (Fennel seeds, ginger root, ground
cinnamon, butter-milk, and green tea) and chemical antacids separately with HCl and finding the pH of
the final solution, the researcher is able to determine which type of antacids is most effective in both
alleviating the discomfort and properly bringing the pH to a safe level. According to the results, it is very
clear that the natural antacids are much more successful at bringing the pH to correct level, because
Fennel seeds, ginger root, buttermilk, and ground cinnamon all bring the pH close the two to three pH
level. On the other hand, only Brand B chemical antacids bring the pH level close to the two to three
range. In conclusion, the natural antacids are much more successful than the chemical antacids in
effectively and safely treating the symptoms of diseases plaguing the stomach"
Chantal Monnier
Do alkaline foods decrease the rate of protein digestion?
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this project was to determine if alkaline foods affect protein digestion in the stomach.
Much has been written recently about the 'Alkaline Diet' where people are concerned that their bodies
are too acidic. Much of the discussion just did not make sense. I predicted that the alkaline foods would
decrease protein digestion.
To test this, five sets of test tubes with 12 test tubes per set were set up. One set served as the control,
there was chicken or beef and the digestive juices (pepsin and HCL). Test group one had beef plus
tomato, group two had beef plus zucchini, group three had chicken and tomato, and group four had
chicken and zucchini. All groups had digestive juices. Each chunk of protein was 2g. The pH level was
checked before and after every addition to the tubes. After one week, the protein was massed. Another
complete trial was done with everything the same except spinach and kale was used instead of tomato
and zucchini.
The results were rather complex. For the chicken, the spinach and kale decreased the rate of digestion,
but for the beef tomato and zucchini decreased the rat of digestion. The pH, however was not changed
by the addition of the vegetables. An ANOVA test indicated no statistical difference between the groups,
however a Tukey Post Hoc did show that beef control compared to the spinach and kale tubes were
significant.
The hypothesis was partially accepted. The differences between the chicken and beef and how they
reacted with the different alkaline foods was not consistent enough for a complete acceptance. "
Senya Magsi
Are Fruits or Vegetables a Better Source of Vitamin C? MED
NUTR
This experiment provides quantitative analysis of vitamin C in a variety of fruit and vegetables. The
hypothesis was that oranges will have the most vitamin C and tomatoes will have the least. This was
tested by diluting 30 mL of Lugol’s iodine solution 1:10 in 300 mL of water. A starch indicator solution
was made by heating 200 mL of water and adding 1 g of soluble starch. For the control, 250 g vitamin C
tablets were dissolved in 250 mL of distilled water. 20 mL of this solution and 10 drops of the starch
indicator solution was poured into an Erlenmeyer flask. Iodine solution was added one drop at a time
until the solution in the flask changed color which lasted over 20 seconds. The amount of mL needed to
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
titrate the solution was then recorded. This step was repeated, substituting the vitamin C solution for 20
mL of each of the food samples. The hypothesis was proven incorrect. Green chilies had the most while
honey and pears had the least vitamin C. Vitamin C is crucial for the normal growth and repair of body
tissues, and in protection against several illnesses. Taking recommended amounts of vitamin C in our
daily diets could be a means of avoiding these serious diseases, using this project as a guide. This
experiment can also help create a meal plan balancing between fruit and vegetable servings per day for
any individual seeking a healthy lifestyle.
Elsa Mendel The Effect of Thermotherapy on the Formation of Mold on Strawberries MED
NUTR
The purpose of the project was to determine if thermotherapy would reduce the spoilage rate of
strawberries. The hypothesis was that strawberries exposed to hot water at 125’ for 45 seconds would
not spoil as quickly as strawberries without the treatment. The hypothesis was correct. Key project
materials included strawberries, a stove, a themometer and foil pans. The thermotherapy treatment
delayed the growth of mold by 1-2 days when compared to the control group. In addition, a second
group was tested at 140°F for 45 seconds and mold growth was delayed by 2-8+ days when compared
to the control. In application, thermotherpy could be used to reduce waste of fruits in the household.
Victor Lim
Does Moringa Oleifera enhance the regeneration rate of Planarians?
MED
NUTR
Our world is filled with organisms that may help to improve our health. One such organism is Moringa
Oleifera. Often called the ‘Tree of Life’, Moringa Oleifera has been used as folk medicine in Asia and
Africa because it contains an abundance of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids. Another
fascinating organism are planarians which are known for their ability to regenerate lost body parts,
making them a good model for investigating processes that may have implications for human health.
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the impact of Moringa Oleifera on the regeneration rate of
planarians. I hypothesized that Moringa Oleifera enhances the regeneration rate of planarians, and the
effect would be concentration-dependent. A Moringa Oleifera solution was created by adding 10 drops
of Moringa Oleifera to 100 mL of water. Planarians were cut in half. Eight petri dishes each containing 40
mL of water were set up. Five planarian heads per dish were placed in dishes numbered 1,3,5,7 and their
respective tails were placed in dishes numbered 2,4,6,8. Moringa Oleifera solution was added to petri
dishes as follows: 3&4’1 drop, 5&6’5 drops, 7&8’10 drops, 1&2’served as control. The length of
planarians were measured daily for 2 weeks and their growth rates calculated. The results showed that
appropriate amounts of Moringa Oleifera improved regeneration rates while an overdose was
detrimental to the planarian’s health. By applying this knowledge to humans, Moringa Oleifera could
potentially speed up wound healing and enhance our immune system.
Ethan Holben
Replacing fat in brownies with carrot and bean puree MED
NUTR
Since adolescents do not eat enough vegetables, we need to find ways to help them to eat more. The
purpose of this project was to explore if replacing 50% of the fat in brownies with carrot, cannellini
bean, or a mix of carrot/cannellini bean puree changes the quality of brownies. The recipe procedures
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
of Szafranski were used. The objective measures included brownie color (Konica Minolta Baking Meter
BC-10), brownie height (Fisher Scientific Electric Digital Caliper 14-648-17), brownie firmness (force) (TAXT2i Texture Analyzer), and chewiness or energy to compress (work) (TA-XT2i Texture Analyzer) the
brownie. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare brownie characteristics. Brownie color
(black/white; green/red; blue/yellow) was not the same as the control brownie color for all of the
brownie types (p<0.001). Brownie height was not the same as the control brownie height (p<0.001),
with the carrot and carrot/bean brownies being taller than the control and bean brownies. Brownie
firmness was the same as the control brownie firmness for all of the brownie types. The only difference
was that the bean and carrot brownies differed (p<0.001). Brownie ‘chewiness’ was the same as the
control brownie ‘chewiness’ for all of the brownie types. The only difference was that the bean and
carrot brownies differed (p<0.001). Replacing fat in brownies with carrot, cannellini bean, or a mix of
carrot/cannellini bean puree will not decrease the quality of the brownie, except for color. Sensory
evaluation (taste, appearance) should be the next step to see if adolescents enjoy the brownies.
Vikram Meyer
A food’s density on the energy in a snack
MED
NUTR
In order to understand if denser foods contain more energy, one must understand calories, vitamins,
and density. It was hypothesized that if foods are burned to find their energy then the most dense foods
will have the most energy. Popcorn, marshmallows, pretzels, potato chips, goldfish, almonds, peanuts,
and saltine crackers are needed to test. The density of each food item was found. Then each food item
was burned under a can of water to get the temperature difference it made to the water. The
temperature difference was used in an equation to find how many calories each food item contained.
The results of this experiment showed that 6/8 of the food items were denser than the one before and
had more calories than the food item before it. These results supported the original hypothesis. This
information is important because it helps explain why some types of foods have more calories.
Paisley McCudden
The Effects of Food Quality on Hamsters: Processed vs. Natural MED NUTR
This experiment tested the effects of food quality on hamsters. Four identical hamsters were purchased
and divided into two groups. The groups were placed in cages with the same set up, only Hamster Group
A was fed processed foods while Hamster Group B was fed a variety of fresh foods with almost equal
nutrients. Everyday the hamsters were weighed and observed. The experiment was continued over a
course of twenty days. With time Hamster Group A (fed processed foods) began to grow lethargic and
aggressive, but Hamster Group B (fed natural food) began to grow friendly and active. Hamster Group B
started with a smaller average weight than Hamster Group A but had an equal weight by the end of the
experiment, therefore Group B had more growth than Group A. From the outcome of the procedure it
can be concluded that a diet of fresh and natural foods leads to a more friendly, active, and overall
healthier hamster. It can also be concluded that natural foods lead to a faster rate of growth in
hamsters, and possibly other mammals.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Rishav Dasgupta
The Role of High Fructose Corn Syrup in Cancer Cell Proliferation
MED
NUTR
Data from the USDA shows that there’s been a surge in the consumption of simple carbohydrates in the
United States since the 1950’s. These carbs primarily include common table sugar (sucrose, a
disaccharide composed of 50% glucose and 50% fructose,) and high fructose corn syrup (405 glucose,
60% fructose). Interestingly, there is an uncanny correlation between the skyrocketing consumption of
sugar and the incidence of certain cancers over the last several decades. It is commonplace belief that
excess dietary fat is the major culprit behind obesity and in effect, cancer. However, epidemiological
studies in humans and mice have found that in fact, consumption of excess fructose also causes obesity
and metabolic syndrome. Clearly, it is worth investigating whether excess simple sugars, particularly
HFCS, directly influence proliferation of cancer cells. HFCS is of particular interest because unlike
glucose, fructose is metabolized almost exclusively by the liver, whereas glucose can be used by all body
cells. Based on these premises, it is very possible that some cancer cells have the ability to use fructose
as an energy source to expedite proliferation.
Candace Thiel
Do we really need all that sugar?
MED
NUTR
The purpose of the project was to find out if people could taste the difference in sugar when different
amounts were added to the same recipe. The hypothesis was that the cake with 2/3 less sugar would be
the cake most people will want to eat because they will taste more of the ingredients and not the sugar.
The experiment was done by baking cake according to directions while varying the amount of sugar in
each one. Subjects tasted each cake and rated the taste. The results indicated that more of the subjects
preferred the cake with the most sugar The hypothesis was not supported."
Megan Herrnstein
How does caffeine affect your blood pressure and heart rate? MED
NUTR
The question was how does caffeine affect our blood pressure and heart rate? The hypothesis was if a
person drinks a caffeinated beverage, their heart rate and blood pressure will increase. The procedure
was done by testing humans by taking their resting heart rate and then having them consume a
caffeinated beverage. Their blood pressure and heart rate were then measured again. The results were
for subject 1 and 3, the rates were very similar to the resting rates. Subject 3 was very different from
the resting rate. The hypothesis was not supported. The results showed that the blood pressure and
heart rate stayed very close to resting heart rate or went down."
Mariell Thimme
Effectiveness of Chemical vs. Natural Proton Pump Inhibitors on the
Neutralization of Hydrochloric Acid
MED NUTR
With the ever-changing diet and food trends in the United States today, indigestion is a common issue in
many. Also on the rise is an interest in natural alternatives for modern medicines. This project tested the
effectiveness of modern and common chemical antacids versus natural alternatives in the neutralization
of HCl. The hypothesis stated that if natural antacids were compared to chemical antacids, then the
chemical antacids would be sufficiently more effective than the natural antacids, but that the natural
alternatives would have some effect. 30 cups were filled with Tums, 30 with Alka-Seltzer, 30 with
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
turmeric, and 30 with cinnamon. The pH was tested before and after the addition of HCl and the results
were recorded. The Tums raised the pH by 3.95, the Alka-Seltzer by 5.18, the turmeric by 0.77, and the
cinnamon by 0.33. It’s clear that the chemical antacids neutralized the HCl much better than the natural
alternatives, matching the hypothesis. The natural antacids neutralized the pH, but not as much as
expected. After testing this project and examining the results, the answer is obvious. Chemical antacids
are still the way to go if one experiences indigestion.
Sophie Strickling
Human Hydration
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this project was to see the best way to become hydrated. For example, will drinking 16
ounces every 30 minutes, 32 ounces every 60 minutes, or 8 ounces every 15 minutes hydrate you the
best? I believe that drinking 8 ounces every 15 minutes will be the best way to become hydrated. I
believe this because it will give the body more time to have the water absorbed into a person’s body.
For my project I am going to have the same 4 people do a different test every day for three days.
Participants will not be allowed to eat or drink anything during the experiment except for the water that
I give them. Each day each person is drinking 64 ounces of water. I will record their weight using
‘person 1, 2, 3, and 4’ instead of their names.
On day one at 1:00 pm 4 people will be weighed. Then they will drink 8 ounces of water all at once until
it is gone. At 1:15 they will drink 8 ounces of water and not be weighed. At 1:30 pm, I will weigh them
and have them drink 8 more ounces of water. At 1:45 they will drink 8 ounces of water and not be
weighed. At 2:00 pm, I will weigh them and have them drink 8 more ounces of water. At 2:15 they will
drink 8 ounces of water and not be weighed. At 2:30 pm, I will weigh them and have them drink 8 more
ounces of water. At 2:45 they will drink 8 ounces of water and not be weighed. At 3:00 pm, I will weigh
them for the last time.
On day two at 1:00pm 4 people will be weighed. They will drink 32 ounces of water all at once until it is
gone. At 1:30 pm, I will weigh them. At 2:00 pm, I will weigh them and have them drink 32 more
ounces of water. At 2:30 pm, I will weigh them. At 3:00 pm, I will weigh them.
On day three at 1:00pm 4 people will be weighed. Then they will drink 16 ounces of water all at once
until it is gone. At 1:30 pm, I will weigh them. Then give them 16 more ounces of water. At 2:00 pm, I
will weigh them and have them drink16 more ounces of water. At 2:30 pm, I will weigh them. Then give
them another 16 ounces of water. At 3:00 pm, I will weigh them for the last time.
My hypothesis was correct. The experiment using 8 ounces every fifteen minutes resulted in the highest
increase in weight gain. This shows how much a person’s body has absorbed and been hydrated.
Hasan Abaza We ALL Scream WITH Ice Cream: A Study in Lactose Intolerance
MED
NUTR
Lactose is a sugar that needs to be broken down by the enzyme lactase into glucose and galactose for
human absorption. Lactose intolerance due to lactase deficiency is a very common occurrence. For
those who have trouble digesting dairy products, but want to include them in their diet, lactase enzyme
is commercially available at most grocery stores. ""Lactose Free"" milk is also readily available. The
purpose of this investigation was to use easily accessible screening tools to determine the relative
lactose content (by measuring its breakdown product glucose) of regular whole milk versus ""lactose
free"" labelled whole milk. Then the lactase drops were used to test if they do, in fact, break down the
lactose for the consumer, making the regular milk easier to digest. If the lactase is found to work, does
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
heat affect its ability to function? In other words, can lactase be added to hot milk for the same, or
improved, efficacy?
First the efficacy of the urine glucose strips was tested using positive and negative control solutions.
Next, using these urine glucose strips, the glucose concentration in both regular and ""lactose free""
milk was measured. Lactase was then added to both samples to determine the effect on glucose (and
thus, breakdown of lactose). The milk samples were then heated and the same experiment was carried
out. Each experiment was repeated three times for accuracy of results.
The hypothesis was that whole milk would have little glucose to begin with while the ""lactose free""
milk would have a large glucose concentration (as the lactose was already broken down). Adding lactase
drops would increase the glucose concentration in regular milk and have no effect in lactose free milk.
Heat would improve the efficacy of the lactase enzyme in regular milk.
These hypotheses were proven to be correct. However the lactase enzyme added to the regular milk did
not prove as effective as the manufacturer prepared lactose free milk in providing a ""lactose free""
(high glucose) product. With these readily available products, we can all scream FOR ice cream rather
than WITH ice cream.
Macey Geog
Mag-nificent Cereals: Measuring Iron Content MED
NUTR
Most people eat cereal for breakfast.The purpose of this research was to show how much iron is in the
cereals most people use almost on a daily basis and see if the cereals that have a lot of iron will have
more than the cereals with lower iron percentages. It was hypothesized that if a cereal has a higher iron
content then there will be more iron particles collected on the magnet. Four boxes of name brand cereal
were used in the experiment. One box with 10% daily iron content, one with 25%, one with 60%, and
one with 90%. Each cereal was measured by 1 cup and blended with 1 cup of distilled water and ran
over a magnet that was taped to a plastic bottle. Once all blended mixture was ran over the bottle, an
iron pellet formed. The pellet was then transferred to a 1 inch by 1 inch square piece of paper and
weighed. After weighing, the paper weight was deducted from the total weight and the data was noted.
The data was then analyzed and the conclusion was drawn that cereals with higher iron daily
percentages, formed larger iron pellets than those with lower daily iron percentages. People needing
higher amounts of iron should look for higher daily iron percentages in their cereals and those who may
need to watch their iron intake should look for lower daily iron percentages.
Akanksha
vegetables
Malhotra
Study of vitamin C retention in various cooking methods for select
MED NUTR
The scientific name of Vitamin C is ascorbic acid. It is an essential anti-oxidant that boosts the immune
system, helps in collagen production, absorption of iron and prevention of many diseases. Many
vegetables contain high amounts of Vitamin C; however, Vitamin C is sensitive to high heat and is water
soluble. Vegetables are typically cooked at high temperatures for better taste rather than for high
nutritional value. Improper cooking methods could cause significant loss of Vitamin C. The goal of this
project is to determine the right cooking method to get the most Vitamin C. Cooking methods selected
for this analysis are steaming, boiling, stir-frying, and microwaving. Redox (Iodometric) Titration method
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
was used to find the amount of ascorbic acid after processing through various cooking methods.
Vegetables chosen for this study are Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper, Green Bell Pepper, Broccoli,
Cauliflower, Peas and Tomatoes. There were two hypotheses. As per the first, steam cooking would
retain most Vitamin C. As per the second hypothesis, stir-fry would retain least Vitamin C. First
hypothesis turned out to be right while the second hypothesis turned out to be wrong. Steam cooking
had the most Vitamin C and boiling had the least Vitamin C. The results from this study support the
research published by Palermo and others (2013) that steam cooking causes least distortion of
Phytochemicals and hence the least loss of vitamins. Boiling had the least Vitamin C levels due to
leaching (loss of water) as well as thermal degradation.
Alissa Buynak
Caffeine and Human Breast Milk: Can the baby get a buzz?
MED
NUTR
With the rapid pace of American society, many people consume caffeine on a regular basis. Coffee,
energy drinks and soft drinks are common caffeinated beverages consumed by people of all ages.
Consumers ingest these drinks to ‘wake’ up, get ready for the day, or simply to have more energy. Often
they do this without knowing the effects of caffeine on their body. This effort investigates when
caffeine levels will peak in human breast milk produced by nursing mothers. The results of this
investigation will inform mothers of the caffeine levels that they are passing along to their infants
through their breast milk. The hypothesis of this experiment is that the caffeine levels in human breast
milk will peak at one hour after the caffeinated beverage was consumed. This investigation involves
breast milk sampling from two lactating mothers (with and without the consumption of coffee with a
high level of caffeine). The experiment was initiated with precise instructions to two nursing mothers to
collect their milk samples over a short period. Those samples were examined with a Gas
Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer to analyze their caffeine content. Experimental results show that
there was a peak in the caffeine/milk solution in the first hour after consumption of caffeine followed by
a negative trend over time in the caffeine content in the breast milk. It was concluded that the
hypothesis was partially correct, with a peak in levels in the first hour and a steady decline with time.
Hunter Ellis
Say Yes To Exercise
MED
NUTR
My Science Fair Project is titled, "Say Yes to Exercise". My objective was to determine how my heart rate
(pulse) changes. I selected this project because I like physical activity. My hypothesis was: If the amount
of exercise is greater, then the heart rate will be higher. The independent variable was duration of the
exercise. The depended variable was the heart rate (pulse). The controlled variables were the exercise,
the jump rope, the heart rate (pulse) monitor, notebook, and pencil. Data was collected by measuring
the heart rate (pulse) before and after doing the exercise. Upon completion of my project I learned
some new and interesting things such as that your heart rate (pulse) is different from what you think it
is.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Nikki
Piskac Effects of Phosphoric Acid on Stomach Tissue MED
NUTR
Conflicting sources claim that the phosphoric acid found in soft drinks may or may not pose a health risk.
In this experiment, we tested whether phosphoric acid changes the stiffness of stomach tissue. We
hypothesized that tissue would become stiffer at higher acid concentrations. Disks of fresh, refrigerated
pig stomach were immersed in pig saline solutions containing up to 10% phosphoric acid for 24 hours.
Stiffness was measured using a custom built compression tester. Stiffnesses ranged from roughly
10-30 N/mm, but did not show a systematic change in stiffness across acid concentrations. However,
tests need to be done on the tissue layer to have conclusive results."
Hayley Griggs
Race to Digestion: Gluten vs. Gluten Free
MED
NUTR
Celiac is an autoimmune disease that disables the body to eat gluten, a protein often found in wheat,
barley, rye, and many other starches. The amount of time it takes for foods containing and not
containing this protein vary. The procedure performed was acted upon to test if gluten free foods broke
down faster in a model of the stomach than foods containing gluten in a separate similar solution. A
solution containing one hundred fifty milliliters of water and five tenths of a milliliter of hydrochloric
acid was placed in a glass jar. Three pretzels, strips of bread and pieces of penne pasta (both containing
and not containing gluten) were simultaneously put in their own jars. After every five minute interval,
the solution was stirred ten times clockwise. This was repeated until the thirty minute mark, when all
food specimens, excluding the penne pasta, had broken down completely. The resulting data confirmed
that foods containing gluten digested at an average of 19.67 minutes and foods that were gluten free
digested at an average of 25.67 minutes. The hypothesis was disproved. The resulting from this
experiment can benefit people with celiac better understand what is going on in their stomach and help
them live an easier and comfortable life.
Hope Crisafi
Honey's Effect As A Preservative in Preventing Bread Mold
MED
NUTR
More than ever, people want organic, preservative-free foods, including breads. Without them, bread
molds. Mold needs food, moisture and the proper temperature to grow. Bread is commonly preserved
with ascorbic acid or propionic acid that work by lowering pH. Other preservatives work by preventing
moisture, which dehydrates the mold, killing it. Reports have linked bread preservatives to learning
disabilities, seizures, and even cardiac arrhythmias. Honey is a natural substance since it has
hygroscopic (water-absorbing) and antiseptic qualities. Cinnamon and other natural powders have
dehydrating properties. Emulsifiers, like butter and oil, attract water at one end and oil at the other.
The objective was to try to prevent the moisture that causes mold, with natural dehydrators and
emulsifiers. It was hypothesized that if preservative-free bread were coated with honey, vegetable oil,
butter, or cinnamon then the bread coated with honey would allow the least bread mold to grow as it
had dehydrating and antiseptic properties. To test this, 50 Baggies were sprayed with water. Then, ten
slices of preservative-free bread were coated with the natural preservatives. After three weeks in a
temperature -controlled room, mold was measured and recorded. The average, median, and mode of
the mold growth were calculated and ranked. The average mold count was as follows: bread with
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vegetable oil: 48 cm², with no additive (control), 35 cm²: with cinnamon: 5 cm², with butter: 2 cm² and
honey averaged 0.4 cm². The hypothesis was supported and it was concluded the honey was the most
effective natural preservative.
Taylor Moats
Gluten on the Rise
MED
NUTR
Does the amount of gluten in different types of flour effect the rise of a cake? According to Wikipedia,
"Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a
chewy texture." The hypothesis is that all-purpose flour will rise higher with the most gluten than wholewheat or almond meal flour. The researcher tested this by doing the following procedure. First, allpurpose flour was kneaded with water in a large bowl until a ball of dough formed. Then the ball was
held under a stream of water until the milky water cleared and the gluten was left. After that was done,
the researcher measured the weight of the gluten in grams on a scale. Then it was time for part two, 3
cakes were baked using all-purpose flour and measured in the middle from the bottom up. This
procedure was then repeated with whole-wheat and almond meal flour. The results showed all-purpose
flour had the most gluten but whole-wheat flour rose the highest. The researcher thought all-purpose
flour would rise the highest with the most gluten.
Isaac Stanberry Does Increased Moisture Speed Up Mold Growth
MED
NUTR
Bread mold was tested to see if an increase in moisture would speed up mold growth. The hypothesis
was that more water added to the bread would cause it to mold faster than bread with less water. The
hypothesis was found to be correct after the experiment was conducted. First, bread was made and cut
into squares. Three squares had no water added, three squares had one milliliter of water added to
each, three squares had two milliliters of water added to each, three squares had three milliliters of
water added to each, three squares had four milliliters of water added to each, and three squares had
five milliliters of water added to each. Mold appeared fastest on a square of bread with five milliliters,
the most amount of water put on the bread, in three days. The last square of bread to show mold was a
piece with two milliliters. It took nine days to mold.
Emma Conners
Gluten Removal From Three Common Flours
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this project was to discover which type of wheat based flour contained the most gluten.
The expected result of the project was that whole wheat flour would contain more gluten than pastry
flour and all-purpose flour. The actual experiment involved keeping a record of the amount of gluten
extracted from the three flours. This was done by placing a specific amount of flour and water in a bowl,
carefully stirring into a ball, kneading it for five minutes, sitting it out for ten minutes, rinsing and
stretching carefully, and weighing results of the remaining product.
After the project, the data gathered showed that all-purpose flour contained the most gluten. This
experimental data proved my hypothesis to be incorrect.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Josie Stephens Diet and Saliva pH
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this project was to discover whether teenagers had an acid, base or neutral pH level,
based on what they eat and drink. The expected results of the project were that the average teenager
would have an acidic pH level. The actual experiment involved keeping a record of their pH level and
recording observations. This was done by washing hands, wrapping petri dishes with saran wrap, having
test subject place permission slip in folder, asking the test subject the "no no" questions, if test subject
eligible, putting gloves on both hands, putting mask on, having test subject spit on wrapped petri dish,
placing pH strip on saliva, waiting 30 seconds then comparing pH strip to scale and recording results.
After the project, the data gathered showed that the average teenager had a neutral pH level. This
proved my hypothesis to be incorrect.
Nikhil Srivastava
Effects of Cooking Methods on Vitamin C Content
MED
NUTR
This project tests how boiling and steaming three different-colored peppers and celery for five, thirty,
and sixty minutes affects the Vitamin C content in that vegetable. The hypothesis are:
1. The longer the vegetable is cooked, the more Vitamin C will be lost
2. Steaming causes minimal nutritional loss to the vegetable.
When boiling vegetables, the nutritional content of the vegetable can leech into surrounding water
whereas when steaming, vegetables are allowed to stew in their own juices and retain all their natural
goodness.
Materials used in this experiment include iodine, 15 ml of the liquefied vegetable, a syringe, starch
solution, spoon, and cups. The Vitamin C content will be tested by first, pouring 15 ml of the liquefied
vegetable into a cup. With a syringe, 3 grams of a starch solution will be added to the same cup. Drop by
drop, iodine will be poured into the solution. The solution needing the most Iodine has the most Vitamin
C.
The results of this experiment will help people everywhere who are trying to maximize their Vitamin C
intake.
The conclusion of this experiment was contrary to the second hypothesis; boiling was a healthier choice
than steaming when preparing food. The first hypothesis was correct, vegetables do lose Vitamin C the
longer that they were cooked. Red peppers were least affected by boiling and steaming for all different
times, and they had the most Vitamin C. Celery lost the most Vitamin C and coincidentally, celery had
the least Vitamin C content.
Swathi Srinivasan
The Effect of Polyphenols in Spices on Alzheimer's Disease; an In Vitro Study
MED NUTR
A primary characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease is the oligomerization of amyloid-beta (aß) 1-40 random
coil structures leading to the eventual formation of neurofibrillary tangles and a plaques. Such plaques,
highly resistant to degradation, accumulate within the brain. This study aimed to see the effect of the
Indian spices turmeric and pepper, with active ingredients curcumin and capsaicin respectively, on the
aggregation of the aß peptide, thus their effectiveness in inhibiting the oligomerization process.
Curcumin has been shown to be effective in inhibiting Alzheimer's progression, yet since pure turmeric
,is not often ingested alone, capsaicin was studied both individually and in a mix alongside curcumin to
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
see its effectiveness in inhibiting aggregation. A Circular Dichroism (CD) was utilized to monitor the a
oligomerization each day, using CD cells at 50mM per sample. A phosphate buffer was added as well as
trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to bring each CD cell and its contents to a pH of 7.4. Each cell was kept from
light, under a constant temperature, at the same pH and concentration to maintain a control. The CD
passed light through each cell creating a graph of an upside down bell curve; the position of the bottom
of the curve signified how far the sample was from plaque formation. By day five, aggregation rate for
curcumin, capsaicin and was 6%, 7%, and 9% respectively, while the control aggregated at a rate of 25%.
Data displayed that curcumin and capsaicin effectively inhibited the aggregation process, curcumin
slightly better than capsaicin and the mix. Overall, the effectiveness of curcumin, capsaicin and the mix
is substantial when compared to the control, further supporting the hypothesis."
Nathan Schall
Caffeine and its Effects when Coupled with L-Theanine MED
NUTR
Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed stimulants and is known for its ability to increase brain
activity, but what are some of its negative effects? This project identifies several of the negative aspects
of caffeine and explores whether one of them, increased heart rate, can be combatted by coupling
caffeine with L-Theanine (a common ingredient found in green tea). The effects of caffeine on a
blackworm’s heart rate were tested and compared with the effects of the caffeine when L-Theanine was
added. The control worms had heart rates of 19, 22, and 20cpm (vessel contractions per minute). The
worm that took caffeine had a heart rate of 48cpm. The worms that took 200mg of caffeine with 100mg
and 200mg of L-Theanine had heart rates of 20cpm and 8cpm respectively. This project shows that LTheanine is a viable way to combat at least one of the side effects of caffeine.
Lindsey Stevens
The Relationship Between a Fruit or Vegetable's Density and its Nutritional
Value MED NUTR
Purpose: To see if the density of a fruit or vegetable is related to the amount of vitamins and fiber that
it contains.
Methods: Eleven fruits and vegetables were studied. Their weights and volumes were measured, and
their densities were calculated. The amounts of Vitamins A, C, B1 (Thiamine), E, and K and Fiber were
obtained for each fruit and vegetable from the USDA website. The nutritional information was
compared to the average density of each fruit and vegetable, and scatter plots were created for each
nutrient.
Results: The average densities (in g/mL) from least to greatest were: Romaine Lettuce, Avocado,
Grapefruit, Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Strawberry, Mango, Orange, Kiwi, and Sweet Potato. Vitamin C
showed the greatest correlation in a fruit or vegetable’s density compared to concentration of nutrient,
followed by Vitamin A, Thiamine, and Vitamin E. Fiber and Vitamin K showed only weak associations
between fruit or vegetable density and nutrient content, with Vitamin K actually showing a negative
correlation. Kiwi, the second densest fruit, and Avocado, the tenth densest fruit, contained the highest
overall nutrient concentrations.
Conclusions: The density of a fruit or vegetable does show positive correlation with the amount of
nutrients it contains, for some nutrients more than others. However, some foods with lower densities
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also showed relatively high concentrations of nutrients.
Lena Nemer
The Disguise in the Fries
MED
NUTR
Fast food restaurants provide nutritional facts and ingredients for their food. The rate of French fries’
decomposition decreases when the amount of added preservatives increases. French fries were ordered
from different fast food locations. The fries were placed in containers over several weeks with similar
constants. If the fries from different fast-restaurants are placed in containers for a time of two weeks,
then the fries with the most preservatives will be the last to decay. After researching ingredients and
preservatives, of the five, McDonald’s had the most. Deducting that McDonald’s will slowly decay
compared to the other four. As time passed, the fries showed signs of decomposition and mold due to
the growth of prokaryotes such as bacteria and fungi. After several weeks, the fries with the most
bacteria were viewed under the microscope and recorded. After observation and recording the amount
of bacteria on the French fries, it was determined which French Fries had the most bacteria. As
upsetting as this may be, fast foods are, by all means, the worst of the worst offenders. Most are mass
produced, processed and filled with preservatives, artificial flavorings, colors and other additives.
Furthermore, fast food restaurants tend to use ingredients of lesser quality combined with unhealthy
fats to produce a cheap product that harms the human body.
Kayla Paul
Electrolytes in Drinks
MED
NUTR
Confusing information about which drink to use after exercise led to the research question to find if
sports drinks have more electrolytes than non-sports drinks. The hypothesis was Gatorade would have
the highest amount of electrolytes. To summarize the procedure of this experiment, the first step was
to make eight conductance sensors to measure the amount of current in each drink. The next step was
to measure the amount of milliamps in each drink eight times. This was done by creating a conductance
measuring circuit with a multimeter. The equation, Siemens=Amps/Voltage, was used to calculate the
conductivity of each drink. Since electrolytes increase conductivity, higher levels of conductivity mean
higher amounts of electrolytes. The hypothesis was incorrect. Coconut water had the greatest amount
of electrolytes followed by orange juice, chocolate milk, Powerade, Gatorade, tap water and distilled
water.
Renee Miller
Vine-Ripened Vitamin C
MED
NUTR
This experiment was performed because it is important to identify good sources of vitamin C for various
health reasons. The hypothesis was that fresh tomato juice would have more vitamin C than the storebought bottled tomato juice. The experiment was conducted by pouring fresh tomato juice, storebought bottled tomato juice, and liquid vitamin C (the control) into cups. Then, the cups were titrated
with iodine. When the endpoint of the titration was reached, the number of drops used to reach the
endpoint was recorded. Three trials were conducted on the control, and ten trials each were conducted
on the fresh tomato juice and the store-bought bottled tomato juice. The results of the trials were
averaged. After determining the number of iodine drops needed reach the endpoint of the control,
which had a known amount of vitamin C (25 milligrams), it was possible to calculate the exact amount of
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
vitamin C that reacted with one drop of iodine. Applying that mathematical equation to the juices, fresh
juice had an average of 10.966 milligrams of vitamin C per 25 milliliters and store-bought bottled juice
had an average of 6.02 milligrams of vitamin C per 25 milliliters. People can use this research and data to
conclude that fresh tomatoes are healthier because they have a higher level of vitamin C than preserved
or processed tomatoes.
Megan Duffy The Female Athlete Triad in High School Athletes
MED
NUTR
The purpose of this study was to observe the presence of the Female Athlete Triad in a population of
lean dancers and a population of non-lean basketball players. 20 girls from each population participated.
The girls were required to fill out a packet containing nutritional information, a menstrual function and
bone health questionnaire, a Self-Esteem test, and an eating attitudes test. Tibia lengths and widths
were recorded as well as height, weight, and skinfolds to find percent fat. BMR was later found with the
information. The end results showed that both populations have signs of all three portions of the
Female Athlete Triad. The girls from both groups had significant deficiencies in KCAL consumption. Tibia
lengths were significantly longer in dancers than basketball players, while their widths were narrower.
Both groups were found to be at risk for low Self-Esteem and for Eating Disorders. Many from both
groups were found to have consistent menstrual irregularity as well as numerous stress fractures.
Moriah Doherty
To Mold Or Not To Mold
MED
NUTR
What breads are most likely to grow mold the fastest? This was the purpose of my experiment, to find
out which type of bread tends to grow mold the fastest. I used four different types of bread: homemade
bread, seedless rye bread, wheat bread, and white bread. My hypothesis was that the homemade
bread that I baked would grow mold the fastest. My first step was to bake my homemade bread, then
buy the other breads needed for experimentation. Then I began my experiment by putting one slice of
each type of bread on a paper plate, and then in a storage bag. Next I placed all the slices of bread in a
closet. Then I monitored the bread for eleven days and took notes on what was happening in my
notebook. My hypothesis was correct because homemade bread did grow mold the fastest, although I
was not anticipating how long it would take for the homemade bread to grow mold. The wheat bread
also grew mold but not until the eleventh day of the experiment. Overall, this experiment was an
educational experience, and I have learned very much from it.
Peyton Perini
How Does Soda Affect Your Body
MED
NUTR
My hypothesis for my Science Fair project was ‘If I soak meat in different types of soda, then it will
reveal the harmful effects that soda has on the body by showing deterioration and discoloration that
can happen to the insides of our body with each type of soda.’ My controlled variables for my
experiment were the water level, 300 mL and the weight of the meat. For my first and second trial I kept
the meat the same weight throughout for each type of soda. I kept them all in the same type of jar, in
the same location so they were all at the same temperature.
My dependent variable was the different types of soda placed into each jar. After I let the meat soak in
the different types of soda for 72 hours, I then took the meat out and weighed it from its original
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
starting point. I measured my dependent variable by placing the soda in a measuring cup to see if the
original soda level was the same. Then I took the soda after the meat had been soaked it and poured it
into a glass cup with a coffee filter attached to it. The coffee filter was used to filter out debris that was
left from the deterioration of the meat. Each type of soda had a different filter time.
My results were that the two diet sodas were the worst for weight loss (Type C and F.) Type A soda was
the worst for discoloring. Type A soda showed the most discoloring because it doesn’t have all of the
same ingredients like the other sodas have in common. Soda Type D also contains citric acid. These were
the two best sodas in the experiment. Citric acid may have been a common link as to why these two
sodas performed better than the others. However, Type D is the only soda I tested that contained
Brominated Vegetable Oil.
My hypothesis was correct. I predicted that the soda would eat at the meat and cause it to lose weight.
Each meat showed different results depending on the type of soda and that helped me determine which
type of pop if better for you than one or another. My final findings were that Type A is probably the best
type of soda for you rather than the other types I tested. The diet sodas were the worst out of my
experiment both times. I also tested water in a jar with the meat. I found that when I took the meat out
of the water jar, that it didn’t lose weight or have really any discoloration compared to the meat in the
soda jars.
All of the information I have gathered in my trials have helped me realize that soda and the different
ingredients in them have different impacts between them. While researching the different ingredients
found in sodas, I found advantages and disadvantages. After I put all of my research together I found
that the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. In all, soda has a negative impact in our bodies."
Michelle Johnston
Iron and Its Inhibitors Effect on Iron Absorption
MED
NUTR
In the US alone, more than 3 million people suffer from anemia, or iton deficiency. This project is
important because it demonstrates how iron can be better absorbed with added vitamin C supplements.
Ferrous sulfate and vitamin C pill combinations were dissolved in hydrochloric acid to analyze the iron
absorption rate in the intestines. The compiled data showed that taking one iron pill in combination
with one vitamin C pill increased the iron levels the most, with an average of 5.077 mg of iron. One
ferrous sulfate pill averaged 4.527 mg of iron, and taking two ferrous sulfate pills increased the iron
absorption the least with an average of 4.290 mg of iron. The data can help patients with anemia. The
testing shows that taking one iron pill with one vitabmin C pill will help with iron absorption, and a
patient can use the testing results to boost their iron absorption levels.
Megan Eberts Does Refined Sugar Affect Students' Academic Performance? MED
NUTR, EPID
The purpose of this project is to raise awareness of the relationship between food quality and academic
performance. Previous studies show that glucose is absorbed into the bloodstream during digestion
causing the body to produce serotonin and go into a glucose crash. This results in hormone and blood
sugar levels that cause the brain to function slower than usual after 2-4 hours following sugar ingestion.
This study investigated how different amounts of refined sugar, in the form dextrose, a type of glucose
inside of Pixie Stixs, affected students’ performance on multiplication tests. Over 6 days, 10 students
completed 6 multiplication tests, each with 30 equations. The students consumed 0-30 grams of refined
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
sugar 110 minutes before being given 2 minutes to take the tests. Overall, the students’ results did not
support the hypothesis, ‘If students ingest large amounts of refined sugar then they are more likely to
perform worse on multi-digit multiplication tests than when ingesting little or no refined sugar.’ The
students performed on average 16% better after ingesting 30 grams of refined sugar compared to 0
grams. However, the 5 girls’ performance initially decreased after consuming 5-10 grams of refined
sugar, possibly indicating a glucose crash, but increased 7.33% between 20 and 30 grams. The boys’
performance generally increased throughout the experiment, in total by 31.33%. This demonstrates that
within the 110 minutes that all ten students were tested, they on average performed better with the
higher dosages of refined sugar than with the lower doses.
Yousuf Munir Can video games lower your sensitivity to pain or raise your pain threshold?
PHYS
MED
Pain in children can be difficult to manage, as children may not like medicines, or injections. My
experiment is to see if distraction can lower the sensitivity to pain in children. In my experiment I used
videogames as distraction to see if playing videogames can reduce sensitivity to pain.
Materials and Methods:
After IRB approval, and written informed consent from parents, I gathered 6 volunteers for this
experiment. I tested the pain sensitivity without any distraction with the use of Von Frey Filaments (VFF)
in the 6 volunteers. After recording the baseline pain sensitivity using verbal analogue pain score (VAS),
the volunteers were allowed to play videogame of their choice. Once they were playing videogames for
5-minutes, I tested the pain sensitivity with the VFF again at the same site (inside of forearm). I recorded
their pain score (VAS) and the weight of the VFF.
Results:
At the baseline 5 subjects (83.3%) felt pain (VAS ‘4) with the 6.1 LB VFF. One subject (16.7%) felt pain
with the 6.65 LB VFF. After subjects were allowed to play videogame, testing with VFF revealed that
66.7% (4 subjects) felt no pain with the strongest VFF. One subject (16.7%) felt the same amount of pain,
and the one felt the same level of pain, but it took a stronger VFF to induce pain.
Conclusion:
My experiment reveals that videogames may lower pain sensitivity. This may help children who need
painful procedures, by reducing the pain sensitivity by allowing them to play videogames.
Rehme Leanza
The Effect of Music on the Heart Rate MED
PHYS
Music controls the heart rate. This experiment was to test the effects of different music on the heart
rate. This is important because it may have some use in motivating the unmotivated, in medical care and
in relaxation therapy. To consider the effects of music on the heart rate, my hypothesis was that heavymetal music would increase the heart rate most, that pop music would raise it the second most and that
soft music would lower the heart rate. I used a pulse oximeter to measure the heart rate. I played a song
in each of the categories to the participants. Heart rate measurements were taken after one minute of
exposure and again after 30 seconds without music. The independent variable was the music played.
The dependent variable was the heart rate. The average heart rates the subjects’ had were highest
during the heavy metal music. They were second-highest during the pop music and they were lowest
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
during the soft music. The heavy-metal exposure caused an average heart rate of 81.23 bpm. The pop
music averaged 80.73 bpm. The soft music produced an average of 77.94. This compared to the
baseline heart rate of 78.08 bpm. After conducting my experiment, I determined that my hypothesis was
correct. I hope this data informs music lovers, the scientific community and everyone interested.
Wade Brokamp
Temperatures MED
Testing the Conversion Process of Sucrose to Glucose and Fructose in Different
PHYS
This experiment was designed to answer the question ‘How does temperature affect the conversion rate
of sucrose to glucose and fructose?’ It was hypothesized that this sucrose-to-glucose conversion process
would occur faster in warm temperature solutions (37-38 degrees C) than room temperature (23
degrees C) and cold temperature solutions (12 degrees C). Background research revealed that the
human body obtains sucrose from food and breaks it down into glucose for the body’s cells to absorb
and use as energy. Some peoples’ bodies, however, have difficulties with glucose metabolism because
they have a potentially dangerous disease called diabetes. An experiment was designed in which sucrose
was dissolved in water; the enzyme invertase was added to convert this sucrose solution into glucose
and fructose. The tested solutions were either at room temperature, cold temperature, or warm
temperature: three solutions were tested at each temperature. Analysis of the data determined that the
rate of conversion from sucrose to glucose and fructose occurred the fastest in the warm temperature
solutions as compared to the room and cold temperature solutions. This conclusion was reached
because the glucose concentration in the warm temperature solutions plateaued sooner than those of
the room and cold temperature solutions. Three childhood medications were also tested for glucose
content, but no specific glucose readings were obtained for the medicines. This indicated that either no
glucose was present or the monitor could not detect the glucose in the medicines.
Lynn Ataya
How does exercise affect blood glucose?
MED
PHYS
Blood glucose is considered a fuel to our body; it is unclear how it changes during exercise. My
hypothesis is that glucose goes down during exercise; the longer the time and the higher the intensity of
exercise the lower the blood glucose.
I had three health young volunteers with each completed 3 trials. Blood glucose was measured pre
exercise and at 10 min, 20 min and 30 min of exercise. Data was collected on calories burned, resistance,
distance and speed. Volunteer 1: burned average 280 calories and blood glucose remained around 100
mg/dl. Volunteer 2: burned average 236 calories and glucose remained 95 +/- 6 mg/dl. Volunteer 3:
burned 308 calories and glucose remained 97 +/- 7.
Study concluded that blood glucose does not change significantly throughout exercise regardless of
duration and intensity of exercise.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Maximilian Chmura
MED PHYS
Increasing Tactile Sensation to Improve Letter Recognition in Dyslexic Students
Purpose of Experiment/Research Question: The purpose of this experiment is to determine if increasing
tactile sensation will improve letter recognition for dyslexic students. Specifically, Does increasing tactile
sensation, by applying capsaicin solution to fingertips, improve letter recognition in dyslexic students?
Hypothesis: ‘If tactile sensation is increased, through application of capsaicin solution on fingertips of
dyslexic students, then letter recognition will improve most likely because of an intensified activation of
the sensory-motor pathway involving touch and feeling.’ Methods/Procedures: 7 dyslexic students ages
11-25 were tested 3 times each while blindfolded and instructed to feel 7 different standard capital
sandpaper letters with dominate hand for each trial. Trail 1 included feeling letters without solution on
hand, Trial 2 involved soaking hand in warm water prior to feeling letters, and Trial 3 comprised of
soaking subject’s hand in warm capsaicin solution prior to testing. Responses were recorded on score
sheets (correct v. incorrect). Individual and aggregate data were tabulated. Results: The data suggest
significant improvement in letter recognition between Trials 1 and 3 (25% improvement), and Trials 2
and 3 (18% improvement). No significant difference was seen between Trails 1 and 2, although a minor
improvement of 6.4% did occur. Conclusion: The data support the hypothesis. The results indicate
significant improvement in letter recognition with the use of capsaicin solution on fingertips of dyslexic
participants. Hence, this may be one way to assist young dyslexic students in learning the alphabet more
efficiently earlier in the process to ultimately improve reading skills.
Morgan Tomich
Heart Rate Acceleration with Music
MED
PHYS
The purpose of this project was to discover whether heart rate accelerates when music volume is
increased. The expected result of the project was that heart rate with high volume (74Db) would have
the highest heart rate. The actual experiment involved keeping record of the test subject's heart rate
with different music volume ranges and recording the observations. This was done by measuring the
beats per minute of the test subject's heart rate.
After the project, the data gathered showed that heart rate with high volume (Db 74) had the highest
heart rate. This proved my hypothesis to be correct. "
Ruchin Patel Meta-Analysis to Determine the Physiological Connection Between Lupus and
Psoriasis During Their Coexistence
MED PHYS
Autoimmune diseases are conditions in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. Two
autoimmune diseases are psoriasis and lupus erythematosus. There have been multiple persons who
have been clinically diagnosed with coexistent psoriasis and lupus erythematosus. Over the years, in a
response to these coexistence cases, there have been many papers and experiments that attempt to
understand the coexistence. One important part of this is the immunological and serological factors
found in these patients. These factors are closely related to the underlying causes of most autoimmune
diseases but there is very little in common between the immunological and serological factors found in
lupus and psoriasis. The purpose of this paper is to meta-analyze multiple case reports assessing the
cause of psoriasis and lupus erythematosus in order to compare and connect the findings about the
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
immunological and serological symptoms of these disorders. The goal of this project is to understand
the connections between these conditions during their coexistence from a physiological standpoint.
Data was collected from case studies published on patients with the coexistence. The data was then
compiled into a chart suitable for comparison. To analyze the data, a difference in proportions test was
used to compare the data on patients with the coexistence against patients with only psoriasis or only
lupus. Overall, the data shows that patients with the coexistence are serologically more similar to lupus
patients than psoriasis patients, but the coexistence patients are different enough from the lupus
patients to possibly be able to be treated by treatments common for psoriasis or treatments common
for lupus without major adverse reactions.
Madison Wells
How Stress Affects The Heart
MED
PHYS
The background information that one would need to fully understand and comprehend this project
would be an interest in the medical field and/or interest in stress management. The project that was
investigated was will stress affect blood pressure and heart rate. The hypothesis was that when the
blood pressure was taken before and after the test, there would be a significant increase in pressure.
The materials used for this project were a blood pressure monitor, test subjects, a computer, a printer, a
phone (to be used as a stopwatch), and a notebook to record the results. The results obtained from this
experiment were that most of the subjects tested had their blood pressure noticeably increase before
and after the tests were taken. The conclusion was that the blood pressure did increase, and the
hypothesis was correct. This experiment would be most helpful to anyone in the field of medicine that
was interested in the heart, heart rate, blood pressure, and also stress.
Nathan Steinhauser
Color and The Beat
MED
PHYS
The question investigated was ‘How Does Color Affect Mood and Blood Pressure’. It was hypothesised
that color would affect mood and blood pressure. The materials used were the colors red, blue, yellow,
black, white construction paper, a blood pressure cuff and 5 note cards with various questions on them.
Each tester was asked to sit in a chair. Blood pressure was taken and recorded. A red piece of paper
was shown them. The tester looked at it for one minute and blood pressure was recorded. After the
tester looked at the color red for one minute, the tester rested their eyes before the color blue was
shown. The tester looked at it for one minute before their blood pressure was taken. After the color
blue was shown for one minute, the tester rested their eyes for 30 seconds. I repeated this procedure
with the colors yellow, black and white.
When finished taking the blood pressure, the tester was shown a notecard with 4 words on it that were
feelings. The tester said what they felt and it was recorded, so for the color red the card asked, ‘Do you
feel: Negative, Angry,Emotional, or Loving?’ They told me what they felt and it was recorded. For the
color blue the tester was asked, ‘Do you feel: Calm, Relaxed, Hopeful, or Depressed?’ Again, the tester
would tell me what they felt. The same thing for the color yellow. The tester was asked, ‘Do you feel:
Jealous, Happy, Cheerful, or Emotional?’ Again, the tester told me what they felt. For the color black
the tester was asked, ‘Do you feel: Depressed, Powerful, Nervous, or Stressed?’ The tester told me what
they felt and it was recorded. For the color white the tester was asked, ‘Do you feel: Happy, Safe,
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Empty, or Innocent?’ The tester again told me what they felt. After asking the tester the various
questions my tests were finished.
I observed that for the color red, there were more tester that said they felt loving. For the color blue,
there were more testers that said they felt calm. For the color yellow, more testers said they felt
happy. For the color black, more testers said they felt powerful. For the color white, more testers said
they felt happy. For the color red, loving was 1st with 8 votes. Negative was 2nd with 7 votes. Angry
was 3rd with 5 votes. Emotional was 4th with 2 vote. For the color blue, calm was 1st with 10 votes.
Relaxed was 2nd with 8 votes. Depressed was 3rd with 2 votes. Hopeful was 4th with 1 vote. For the
color yellow, happy was 1st with 12 votes. Emotional was 2nd with 5 votes. Cheerful was 3rd with 4
votes. Jealous was 4th with one vote. For the color black, powerful got 1st with 11 votes. Nervous was
2nd with 5 votes. Stressed was 3rd with 3 votes. Depressed also was 3rd because it also had 3 votes.
For the color white, happy was 1st with 10 votes. Empty was 2nd with 6 votes. Safe was 3rd with 4
votes. Innocent was 4th with 2 votes. Red as a total averaged 101/61. Blue as a total average 101/60.
Yellow as a total averaged 99/61. Black as a total averaged 102/65. White as a total averaged 100/59.
My hypothesis has been accepted. Color does affect your mood and blood pressure. Red made the
tester’s blood pressure rise. Blue, black, and white made the tester’s blood pressure drop. There was
no change in the tester’s blood pressure for the color yellow. For the color red, it’s average was 101/61.
For the color blue, it’s average was 101/60. For the color yellow, it’s average was 99/61. For the color
black, it’s average was 102/65. For the color white, it’s average was 110/59. Their moods also changed.
When the testers were looking at red most of them felt loving. For the color blue, most of them felt
calm. For the color yellow, most of them felt happy. For the color black, most of them felt powerful.
For the color white, most of them felt happy. "
Sydney Bane
Moon Babies
MED
PHYS
The purpose of my science fair project was to see if the phases of the moon effect birth rate, and to see
if on a full moon, the birth rate would increase. My hypothesis for this science fair project was, ‘If moon
phases effect birth rate, then on a full moon, the most babies will be born.’ The constant in my
experiment is the hospital I collected my data from. The variables in my experiment are the moon
phases, and dates the moon phases occurred. The original purpose of this experiment was to find out if
the phases of the moon affect birth rate, and to see if more babies were born on a full moon than any
other moon phase. The results of this experiment show that there was a pattern in the last five months
of 2013. For three months, there were more babies born on a full moon. September and November had
the most births in between the First Quarter Moon and the Full Moon. From January to August 2013,
there was no particular pattern in the data. The most births occurred an average of 9.85 days after a full
moon. After analyzing the data, my results show that the moon phases do not affect birth rate, and after
looking at my graphs, on a full moon, there are not more births. The results show that my hypothesis
should be considered false. This hypothesis should be considered false because there were not more
babies born on a Full Moon. The data showed that from August to December 2013, there was a slight
pattern in the data, while from January to August 2014, there was no pattern in the data whatsoever. If I
were going to do this experiment again in the future or expand on this experiment, I would use two or
more hospitals to collect information from. I would also like to expand the number of years so I would
have more data.
Medicine and Health Sciences Abstracts
Kelli Rooney
Fear VS Exercise
MED
phys
This project is a continuation of a project conducted last year. Last year it was found that females ages
9-19 had the highest heart rate increase and fear rating out of any other group tested. For this reason
the participants in this project are teen aged females. The purpose of this project was to determine
which, fear or exercise, had a faster recovery time back to the participants resting heart rate.
To conduct this experiment, first, the participant's resting heart rate was taken. Second, the participant
was sent through a haunted house. Third, the participant's new heart rate was taken and recorded.
Fourth, the amount of time it took for the participant's heart rate to recover to their resting heart rate
was recorded. Fifth, the participant's resting heart rate was taken again. Sixth, the participant jumped
rope until their heart rate went up the same amount as it did when they came out of the haunted
house. Seventh, the amount of time it took for the participant's heart rate to recover to their resting
heart rate was recorded.
In conclusion, exercise had a faster recovery time back to a resting heart rate than fear. This can be
concluded because all of the participants' heart rates took less time to recover after exercise than after
experiencing fear. Heart rate recovery took an average of 7 minutes less after exercise than after
experiencing fear.
Brandtson Duffie
Is VO2 Max Dynamic or Static MED
PHYS-Physiology and Pathophysiology
We choose this project because we both like to be physically active. We tested people with different
lifestyles and calculated their VO2 Max by using Jack Daniels' VO2 Max Formula. We learned that boys
ages 14-19 have the highest VO2 Max. We also learned that boys ages 14-19 have a higher VO2 Max
then girls ages 14-19. We learned that playing a sport or sports will increase your VO2 MAX.