Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
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Unexpected Same-Charge Dilepton Signatures Resulting from Drell-Yan Events
No full textMany theories, including several dark sector models, predict the existence of dark photons to explain dark matter as an extension beyond the Standard Model which interacts sparsely with Standard Model particles via kinetic mixing. The decay of dark photons is theorized to primarily decay into lepton jets that contain oppositely charged dileptons. In our Monte Carlo simulation, we see dilepton events through the Drell-Yan process, which generally produces oppositely charged lepton pairs and, provided their angle of separation is small, can appear as a lepton jet – therefore a prominent background for our dark photon search. However, we occasionally can see pairs of leptons with the same charge due to charge mismeasurement, among other reasons. These same- charge events occur at a vastly greater rate than expected. We investigate the rate as well as the cause of these same-charge dilepton events via our Monte Carlo. We do this by tracking the original particles that our dileptons came from in our generator- level Monte Carlo. Understanding our backgrounds is crucial to being able to perform a search
Interactive LLM-based Tutoring of Math and Physics Students
No full textLarge language models (LLMs) show promise for educational applications but frequently hallucinate incorrect answers, making them unreliable for tutoring. Even on well-known problems, LLMs often produce factually incorrect responses, misinterpret prompts, or fail to follow instructions. We address this issue with a chain-of-thought-based grounding method, requiring the model to generate and internally verify a structured reasoning process before interacting with students. We implement this approach in CᴏTᴜᴛᴏʀ, a tutoring system designed to provide mathematically rigorous, self-verified explanations
Comparing Ferret and Mouse Taste Buds and Papillae
No full textTaste sensation is used to detect nutritious foods and avoid potentially toxic ones. Different animals have evolved varying tongue morphologies to match their ecological niche. For example, ferrets have evolved to have papillae and taste buds to best suit their diet consisting of small mammals like rabbits, rodents, and eggs often found in wooded areas and marshes where ferrets reside. Additionally, ferrets are closely related to carnivores like polar bears, whereas farther down the epigenetic tree there are mice and other omnivores, making the connection between diet and evolution evident. Results show that the foliate papillae that is found in most mammals on the dorsolateral corners of the tongue is absent in ferrets. Fungiform papillae found at the tip of the tongue and circumvallate papillae are still present. However, more papillae in ferrets should be present due to their larger tongue size compared to mice. Therefore, it is possible that ferrets and mice evolved to have different taste structures to better suit their dietary needs
The Beneficial Effects of Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution Processed Cow Manure as a Biostimulant to Improve Nutrient Uptake, Stress Resistance, and Tomato Crop Quality
No full textClimate change threatens the security of the agricultural industry, by reducing worldwide yields and requiring more resources to fight drought and disease. A novel technology, oxidative hydrothermal dissolution (OHD), is a process that can convert water-insoluble waste biomass into water-soluble low molecular weight molecules that act as a biostimulant. Biostimulants are an emerging alternative to overused agrochemical fertilizers and have been proven to improve crop quality. Drought, high temperatures, wind erosion/desiccation, and soil fertility are all factors that influence production which are effects of climate change. Biostimulants can be a great industrial asset to securing the world’s food productivity. In this study, I use tomato plants Solanum lycopersicum var. Cerasiforme, to test different environmental stressors that affect plant health and productivity. One test group will only receive water, while another group will receive a treatment of OHD biostimulant. Conditions of the study will be poor soil, heat resistance, and drought. The plant\u27s health will be monitored by measuring height. Plants receiving a biostimulant treatment should result in a healthier plant as compared to their water counterpart
Protein Interactions and Mass Prediction Automation
No full textThe study investigates how localized geometric constraints affect the conformations adopted by the amino acid side-chain dihedral angles in proteins. Without knowledge of the fundamental principles upon which protein structure rests, no protein can be designed, nor mutations in natural proteins analyzed. The specific aim is to establish the importance of geometry and physicochemical properties toward dihedral angle combinations by amino acid side chains in peptides and proteins. Some progress has been made in site-directed structural biology, but it is still not clear why certain combinations of side chain dihedral angles are so much more frequent than others. With the help of computational methodologies and analyzing protein structures, we aim to resolve this complex relationship of local geometry and side chain conformations. This study complements the other activities being undertaken to increase protein structure knowledge for protein function, which may be useful for the future protein engineering and drug design activity
The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil in Different Forms On E-Coli
No full textAntibacterial resistant infections such as MRSA are on the rise. Though there are antibiotics that still work on these infections, overprescription will eventually lead to those treatments also becoming ineffective. The intention of this study is to determine the feasibility of using Lavender Essential Oil in different forms to assist antibiotics in the treatment of these infections. Three different forms were tested- Lavender Essential Oil distilled using Ethyl Acetate, emulsified Lavender Essential Oil using starch, and emulsified Lavandin Essential Oil using starch. The Lavender Essential oil that was created used ground Lavender buds and Ethyl Acetate distilled for 24 hours to see if the solvent would help the oil to become more effective. The two emulsified oils were in water, to test if the water would allow the essential oil to better penetrate the cells. These were tested against tetracycline (a common antibiotic) using E-Coli and a Kirby- Baur disk diffusion array. Results will be presented
Three and Four Lepton Monte Carlo Plots in Doubly Charged Higgs Boson Search
No full textThe doubly charged Higgs boson is a beyond Standard Model (BSM) scalar that arises from many left-right symmetric models. These theories aim to explain the left-right asymmetry from the weak force in the Standard Model by introducing an SU(2)_R gauge group. From this, the doubly charged Higgs boson is a result of spontaneous symmetry breaking which predicts the existence of two Higgs triplet scalars. These doubly charged Higgs then decay into two same sign dilepton pairs, which acts as our study’s signal. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are important for distinguishing signal from background processes. This study presents MC plots modeling kinematic properties for doubly charged Higgs decays in 3-lepton and 4-lepton channels. We focus on key features such as invariant mass, transverse momentum, and pseudorapidity. These plots will be used to validate the effectiveness of our background suppression and signal significance
Yeast Prion Transformations
No full textPrions are defined as infectious proteins that exist in regular non-prion or aggregated conformations. Prions play a crucial role in the epigenetic inheritance of traits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Among these, [PSI +] and [PIN +] are prion forms of Sup35p and Rnq1p, respectively. The presence of [PIN +] facilitates the induction of [PSI +], suggesting a key biochemical interaction between these two prions. This study aims to investigate their interaction through a series of genetic and fluorescence-based assays. We will eliminate [PIN +] in a 74D-694 strain using guanidine hydrochloride and transform both [PIN +] and [pin -] strains with p316CUP1-RNQ1sGFP and p316CUP1-NMsGFP plasmids. Fluorescence microscopy will be employed to analyze [PIN +] aggregation, and [PSI +] induction will be assessed by culturing transformed strains in SC-ura medium with CuSO₄. Further screening for [PSI +] isolates will be conducted on SC-ura-ade plates, followed by prion aggregation and colony color assays. This research will strengthen our understanding of prion interactions and their impact in proteinopathy such as Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s
Modeling Signal and Background Events in a Search for the doubly-charged Higgs boson
No full textMany theories beyond the Standard Model (SM) predict a doubly charged Higgs-like particle that can be pair-produced in hadronic interactions via a Drell-Yan-like mechanism. Specifically, the left-right symmetric model, which solves parity violation in the weak sector, predicts a Higgs triplet(non-SM neutral, singly-charged, and doubly-charged Higgs). The doubly-charged Higgs(H++ and H--) is chosen for its unique event signature: a pair of isolated leptons with high invariant mass and the same electric charge, rarely found in the SM.
Our study examines electrons and muons, excluding taus, resulting in decays to 6 channels. The analysis is based on data from proton-proton collisions recorded by the CMS experiment’s Run 2, with a total integrated luminosity of 139 fb-1. Using Monte Carlo simulations at 100 GeV intervals from 500-1500 GeV mass, we fit and parameterize our signal using a double-sided Crystal Ball distribution. Similarly, we fit background models, mainly composed of Drell-Yan and ZZ production processes, to power law distributions. These functions allow our analysis to calculate expected background at higher masses where simulations are no longer sensitive, then compare with measured data to detect a signal or place lower mass limits in its absence
Screening and Optimization of Electrolytes for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Electrolyte Screening, Battery Performance
No full textThe performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is strongly influenced by several factors, including ion transport, internal resistance, and overall efficiency. This study aims to identify optimal electrolytes for high-performance LIBs by screening various candidates based on their conductivity, density, and viscosity. A range of liquid electrolytes containing salts at different concentrations was evaluated. Conductivity was measured using a SevenExcellence S700 conductivity meter, density with a 200 μL pipette and a 5-digit precision balance, and viscosity with a RheoSense μVISC Portable viscometer. Electrolyte solutions exhibiting high conductivity, moderate density, and low viscosity were selected for further testing in coin cell batteries. By establishing conductivity, density, and viscosity as key screening parameters, this study provides valuable insights for designing optimized electrolyte formulations to improve battery efficiency and lifespan