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Optimizing a Python-based Neutron Spin Dynamics Simulation Code
No full textThe UCNτ experiment finds the mean lifetime of an ultracold neutron (UCN) trapped within a magnetic field before it undergoes beta-decay. One piece of informationthat helps determine this mean lifetime to a high precision is a neutron’s depolarization lifetime (the average time from when any given UCN enters the fieldpolarized until exiting via depolarization). One simulation we are currently developing attempts to determine this value by calibrating against trap lifetimes measured at different holding fields, which requires large amounts of mathematical computation. On a 10-core computer running Linux OS (at 1 neutron per core simultaneously), this currently takes about 36 hours to complete when simulating 100 neutrons. Realistically, we would want to run around 1,000,000 neutrons in a simulation to reduce our margin of error; however, that would take over 40 years to complete on the same hardware when scaled up. To reduce the amount of time it takes to run a simulation, optimization of the simulation code is required. To fulfill this requirement, this simulation code (originally written in Python) was benchmarked and optimized before conversion of part, and potentially all, of the code to C++. The methodology followed and what was found to be good practices for code optimization in general throughout this process will be presented
Visualizing the Morphology of Solar Flares in the AIA 131A Channel
No full textThis project represents a small part of the general study by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center into how the cameras aboard sounding rockets can be optimized for capturing the evolution of high temperature plasma in the Sun. Data for this analysis was provided by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), a NASA satellite launched in 2011 as part of the Living With a Star initiative. The SDO carries an instrument called the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) which uses Fe V, XX, and XXIII to focus on flaring regions of the Sun. This presentation will detail the process of filtering usable satellite data using SunPy, modeling different parameters of solar flares, and mapping images of flares to create movies
A rapid liquid-liquid extraction based presumptive test that differentiates between hemp and marijuana
No full textPassage of the Farm Bill in December 2018 legalized cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC (Hemp). This creates problems for law enforcement since current presumptive test kits either 1) don’t work at all or 2) work somewhat in differentiating between legal and illegal hemp crops. This problem exists because most hemp crops and hemp products contain low levels of THCA and THC. Our approach involves the development of an efficient, mobile, liquid-liquid extraction that provides presumptive (qualitative) forensic evidence of the chemical extract of a bud or other plant material. The evidence would later be sent to a crime lab for definitive analysis of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. This research has focused on the utilization of liquid-liquid extraction techniques and commercially available stains. The methods presented are rapid (requiring no more than five to six minutes to complete). The differentiation between two lots of commercially available hemp and seven lots of marijuana obtained from the Cookeville City Police will be presented.
Emergent Liquid State Asthma Medication: Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization
No full textMany asthma medications are delivered as solid state ingestible, compact tablets. Several problems arise from a drug’s solid state such as low bioavailability and existence of multiple crystalline forms (polymorphism) depleting its effectiveness. The low bioavailability is related to the low aqueous solubility while polymorphic changes can convert a drug into a less or nonactive form. The effectiveness of these drugs can be enhanced by conversion into a liquid state ionic compound. Two approaches can be used: an ionic liquids (ILs) or a double salt ionic liquids (DSILs) approach. ILs and DSILs are ionic salts with MP < 100 oC; an IL is composed of a cation and an anion in a 1:1 molar ratio while a DSIL is obtained by pairing an ion with counterions in varying molar ratios (e.g., one cation with two, three, etc. anions or vice-versa). When applied to pharmaceuticals, both approaches should increase their bioavailability (higher aqueous solubility; like dissolves like), remove the existence of polymorphic forms and add multifunctionality to the final drug (i.e., the pharmaceutical activity of the parent ions is retained).Our research focuses on synthesizing new DSILs by pairing the cationic form of albuterol asthma drug with docusate anion (a known IL former) and NSAIDs in their anionic form such as ibuprofen and naproxen anion. Albuterol hydrochloride supplies the cation source, whereas sodium docusate, sodium ibuprofen, and sodium naproxen all serve as anion sources. Our presentation will encapsulate the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of such DSILs
Quinidine and quinine based double salt ionic liquids
No full textInjury caused by medications is the leading cause of death in the United States. Drug induced liver injury is any form of liver injury caused by primary or alternative medication. A potential solution to prevent liver injury is the pairing of these drugs into one single compound in liquid form: an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and an FDA approved compound, or two APIs, can be combined in their cationic or anionic form into a single ionic compound leading to the formation of new dual active APIs in liquid form (aka ionic liquids that melt below body temperature). These newly formed liquid drugs are able to retain the pharmaceutical properties of the original APIs. Moreover, the combination of three or more drugs into a single ionic compound, namely a double salt ionic liquid would allow one to add additional properties (such as transdermal delivery) to the final liquid drug. Our research focuses on applying the ionic liquids strategies to quinidine (QD) and quinine (QN), two drugs known to cause liver injury, by pairing them with drugs that offer liver protection properties (e.g., N-acetyl-L-cysteine or NALC) and with compounds that will increase their transdermal permeability (e.g., sodium docusate or NaDoc). Here we show the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of new double salt ionic compounds obtained by combining QD or QN cations with NALC and Doc anions in different cation to anion molar ratios
Rapid presumptive test kit that differentiates between hemp and marijuana using thin layer chromatography
No full textThe passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, legalizing cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC (Hemp), creates problems for law enforcement. Due to the presence of low levels of THCA and THC present in most commercial hemp crops, law enforcement needs to acquire the ability to distinguish between hemp and marijuana using a presumptive test kit. Our approach involves the development of an efficient, mobile, rapid thin layer chromatography (TLC) kit that provides presumptive (qualitative) forensic evidence of the chemical extract of a bud or other plant material. The evidence would later be sent to a crime lab for definitive analysis of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. This research has focused on the utilization of TLC plates along with the spectroscopic and spectrometric identification of resolved cannabinoids. The method presented takes no more than five to six minutes to complete. The successful differentiation between fifteen lots of hemp and seven lots of marijuana will be presented along with spectroscopic and spectrometric identification of resolved cannabinoids
Structural Basis Of ASK1-MKK4-JNK3 Complex
No full textMitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), including C-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), are kinases that play a role in many cellular functions including apoptosis, differentiation, and survival. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MKKs) are enzymes of MAPKs, and MKKs are enzymes of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinases (MAP3Ks). Our research aimed to determine the structural basis of the three-tier cascade interface of the interaction between MKK4 and its upstream MAP3K, ASK1. Here, an ASK1-MKK4-JNK3 complex, which was previously constructed by computational strategy, was simulated to analyze the dynamics of these three-tier kinase complexes. Furthermore, the major interfaces between ASK1 kinase domain and MKK4 kinase domain were verified by direct interaction assays. To study the three-protein complex, the simulation was run using nanoscale molecular dynamics (NAMD) and analyzed using visual molecular dynamics (VMD). The results showed that the complex is stable and the ASK1 interactions were determined. In addition, we also employed a integral computational method to exploit the interaction between ASK1 N-domain with downstream MKK4 & 7 substrates. The structural basis obtained in this study will demonstrate the molecular mechanism of ASK1-JNK cascades, which could provide the structural insights into other MAPK cascades. Further investigation is needed to fully characterize the structural basis of MAPK cascades that plays essential roles in differentiation, apoptosis, and survival as well as the many other cellular responses
Detecting Bias in News Article Content with Machine Learning
Get PDFThe internet and its various social media platforms allow for the rapid spread of information. While this has a number of benefits for society, it can also facilitate the proliferation of misinformation. Especially in recent years, concerns have been raised over fake news, factually incorrect claims, and biased news articles, regarding the potential impact on society and resulting polarization. The fields of machine learning and natural language processing contain building blocks and tools with the potential to help address some of these issues. We explore the application of weak supervision of machine learning models to predict the bias and reliability of news articles based on their content. Training models under the assumption that all articles share the bias and reliability labels of the source of the articles, we test their capability to generalize to a more realistic set of individually labeled articles
Herbal Supplements
No full textAlternative medicines, specifically herbal supplements, have been increasing in their accessibility and commonality in the past few decades. In general, people believe there are more natural ways to promote healing or overall well-being. But herbal products are still not approved by the FDA. Although there have been research trials done, there is no proof that any certain natural supplement will have the same effect on different people. While researching literature about herbal supplements, I wanted to refine my search for mostly herbal supplements, essential oils, and vitamins that have been found to positively affect medical conditions, such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, cancers, pregnancy, obesity, and anxiety. While found some trials or reviews on products that significantly improved patients’ circumstances, I also found that others do not always have the same outcomes or may contradict another trial done on the same supplement. It is important for the general population to know this information, understand that there are many unknowns, and be cautious when taking herbal supplements. Natural products are often thought of as an easy answer or quick fix to a medical problem, and many of them are safe when used in moderation, but there is still no guarantee of the safety or efficacy of herbal supplements
Literature Review: Correlation Between Parental Divorce and Success in College
Get PDFChildren and adolescents in today’s society are commonly experiencing parental divorce. Because of this, it is important to understand how parental divorce affects these children. The impact of this will affect their development, their mental health, and their educational attainment. The need to earn a higher education degree is great and college students are under immense pressure to succeed. In this literature review, research articles were found using keywords like, “parental divorce,” “education,” “college success,” and “varying reactions.” This literature review sought to find out if parental divorce is correlated to success in college. Subtopics like how to define college success, factors that negatively impact college students, and how each child varies in their reaction to parental divorce, were all explored. The research of this literature review indicated that parental divorce has a negative impact on success in college because experiencing parental divorce has a negative effect on a child’s education, and when educational attainment and ambition are lowered, the chance of succeeding in college declines