2022 Spring Student Research Symposium Posters
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Item Activated carbon as a redox flow battery(2022-04) Burghoff, Alexis; Holubowitch, NicolasWith the increase of renewable wind and solar energy, there is a need for long-term, low-cost energy storage systems to buffer their variable output. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have the potential to store large amounts of energy for on-demand power generation and long-duration discharge. RFBs consist of two soluble redox couples stored in separate tanks that are flowed through a stack during charge/discharge, decoupling the battery’s power and energy capacity to meet custom scaling requirements. Despite this flexibility, RFBs currently have low energy densities compared to rechargeable lithium-ion batteries due to poor aqueous solubility of the active species and/or low voltage outputs. Robust, high voltage catholytes are needed in RFBs. The catholyte iron (II/III) tris-2,2’-bipyridine,Item Analysis of coastal spatial-temporal systems of two species competition: Impact of the parameters of the system on species survival(2022-04) Wang, Youwen; Vasilyeva, Maria; Stepanov, Sergei; Sadovski, Alexey LThis presentation deals with the spatial-temporal dynamical models of two-species competition in 1D and 2D spaces. We have applied factor analysis to the results of tens of thousands of simulations with different combinations of parameters and initial conditions. Firstly, we have found that initial populations, if they are not too small, don’t affect equilibriums. Secondly, we have discovered that the diffusion rate has an impact on whether one or both species survives. Thirdly, the ratios of birthrates to competition parameters play significant role in which of two species survives.Item Animal-assisted therapy in pediatric oncology: An integrative literature review(2022-04) Statzer, Emily; Anderson, Abby; Floores, Lauren; Medrano, Sarena; Greene, PamelaPediatric oncology patients face many new and uncomfortable experiences associated their treatment. These experiences can be overwhelming and frightening. Due to the nature and severity of oncology in pediatric patients and the treatment regimes, pediatric patients are at risk for developing anxiety, depression and other emotional as well as physical distress. Atraumatic care is a priority to counter the potential lasting trauma. Non-pharmacological interventions options are used to help pediatric patients cope with their treatment and hospitalization without adding to their list of medications. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been implemented as a means of comfort, therapy, education, plan, and overall distraction. A comprehensive, integrative literature review was conducted. An evidence table was constructed to use in the analysis of the data found in current studies. The information from current studies was used to answer the question: In hos- pitalized pediatric oncology patients, how does animal assisted therapy compare to using other distractions in managing anxiety during hospitalizations? The findings from the research were analyzed and synthesized to answer the question and make recommendations. Findings confirmed the benefit of using ATT alone or in combination with other forms of distraction. Educating parents, patients, and healthcare providers on the benefit of Animal Assisted Therapy and advocating for its use is an effective way for nurses to provide holistic are and improve pediatric oncology patients’ overall hospital experience. ATT also is an effective intervention for reducing the long-term risks associated with trauma.Item Application of immersive VR system in the rehabilitation of ACL injuries(2022-04) Torres, Brian; Park, JangwoonAnterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are undoubtably some of the hardest injuries to recover from on the lower extremity. Patients report up to 75% degradation in knee quality of life within 20 years post-surgery, however, conventional rehabilitation methods are limited to non-immersive equipment and mostly unquantifiable data to track someone’s recovery progress. Those factors along with the extended recovery time of an ACL injury (8-12 Months) decrease the patient’s adherence to rehabilitation plans. The present study is intended to validate the use of a fully instrumented Bertec Corporation Treadmill along with an immersive virtual reality (VR) motion capture system, to enhance and objectify targeted feedback and biofeedback from motor control as well as sensorimotor performance data. The rehabilitation system components include three PCs which connect a large 270-degree screen, a projector, nine motion capture cameras, and a treadmill with arm supports and force plates. With such a system in place, the process of rehabilitating an ACL injury can be optimized and quantified using motion capture markers to measure range of motion (ROM) in a customizable environment that simultaneously activates sensorimotor functions in a patient by providing a fully immersive experience.Item Bottlenose dolphin (tursiops truncatus) spatial dispersion and orientation in pods(2022-04) Partin, Caitlynn; Orbach, Dara N.; Ramos, Eric Angel; Magnasco, Marcelo O.; Reiss, DianaBottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are commonly found in the waters of Turneffe Atoll, Belize, where they inhabit areas that vary in physical features. Variables such as water depth, prey abundance, and location are related to the spatial dispersion of bottlenose dolphins. The spatial dispersion (areas within a pod) and orientation (line abreast, parallel, scattered, facing inward) of bottlenose dolphin pods have yet to be examined in relation to pod size, substrate type, and behavioral state. We explore how abiotic and biotic factors may affect bottlenose dolphin movement. Video recordings of free-swimming bottlenose dolphins were taken by drone in Turneffe Atoll, Belize and transformed into a series of screenshots for data extraction. Pod size (3-15), substrate type (boundary, seagrass, mixed), and behavioral state (forage, social, rest, travel) were categorized from the screenshots. Spatial dispersion and orientation were measured in ImageJ and data were averaged per video. Spatial dispersion of dolphin pods was significantly related to pod size, substrate type, and behavioral state (F = 3.375, P < 0.05). Pods were most dispersed when engaged in social activities, suggesting frequent events of separation. When swimming over a mixed substrate, spatial dispersion was also high, potentially indicating a lack of predators or an abundance of non-schooling prey. Small pods (n < 15) showed low spatial dispersion, suggesting a potential defensive strategy against predators. Assessment of dolphin activity researched using non-invasive techniques yield insights to how dolphins use their habitat when exposed to minimal human encroachment.Item Bridged bis-bipyridinium-based amphiphiles for template-directed self-assembly(2022-04) Tran, Ha; Jakharia, Vandan; Olson, MarkAmphiphilic surfactants are the principal components of soaps and detergents which are responsible for their ability to lower the surface tension of water to and solubilize hydrophobic agents. Their actions in aqueous solutions are due, in part, to their ability to undergo a concentration dependent self-assembly process which leads to the formation of larger molecular ensembles called micelles. The self-assembly of these micellar aggre- gate superstructures is driven by the hydrophobic effect. In the case of charged amphiphiles, the size of the micelles formed is limited by the electrostatic repulsion that builds among contiguously assembled molecules that comprise the micelle itself. It is possible however to design amphiphile systems which employ molecular recognition motifs to order the self-assembly of molecules in a programmed manner. Towards this end, we have constructed a series of alkyl-bridged (5, 7, and 9 hydrocarbon chain) and glycol-bridged (tetraethylene glycol chain) bis-bipyridinium-based gemini amphiphiles. The bipyridinium units of these amphiphiles are strongly -electron deficient and can form donor-acceptor - stacked charge transfer (CT) complexes with -electron rich molecules in aqueous solution, in this case, the neurotransmitter melatonin. In this system, the -electron rich donor molecular template, melatonin, serves as “molecular glue”, capable of decreasing the electrostatic repulsion among the charged assembled amphiphiles. The addition of the melatonin molecular template to solutions of the bipyridinium-based amphiphiles resulted in: 1) the formation of larger micelles; 2) a more thermodynamically favorable self-assembly process; and 3) an overall increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of the amphiphile to lower the surface tension of water. This supramolecular system was characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, UV-Vis spectroscopy and various 2D NMR techniques. The formation of CT complexes was confirmed by UV-Vis, 2D DOSY, and 2D ROESY NMR spectroscopies. This work augers well for further investigation into soft matter capable of undergoing template-directed self-assembly.Item Changes in seagrass genotypic diversity over a four-year time span(2022-04) Larkin, Abigail; Larkin, PatrickThe seagrass Halodule wrightii is a vital part of Texas Gulf Coast ecosystems. Genetic diversity is associated with many positive traits, and a decrease could result in a decline in the viability of the overall plant population. We examined genotypic diversity (R) in a population of Halodule wrightii from Oso Bay, Tx, and compared the results to those collected in 2017 and 2019 from the same location. Past results indicated low to moderate genotypic diversity in this population and a lack of an evident seed bank. In 2021, we were only able to collect samples from 25 out of 48 positions, representing a 49% loss of seagrass coverage since 2019. We found that, over this time period, 11 genotypes were lost, and 9 new genotypes were gained. The genotypic diversity estimate for 2021 (R = 0.25) was similar to that of 2017 and 2019 (0.22 and 0.24, respectively). Our results indicate that Halodule wrightii is able to maintain genotypic diversity over time, despite a significant decline in population size and lack of an evident seedbank.Item Characterization of limpet shells using 3D scans(2022-04) Villarreal, Amanda; Romano, Julie; Cockett, Patricia; Mehrubeoglu, MehrubeLimpets are bioindicators of their environment as their growth patterns and physical attributes are related to the conditions in their surroundings. Limpet shell attributes, such as shell volume, length, height, width and thickness, provide an indication of the limpet’s environmental conditions, as the animal spends its resources accordingly to either grow and/or to strengthen its shell, or how the shell is weathered. This research focuses on determining the physical attributes of limpet shells obtained from Hawaii to provide an accurate tool for scientists to compare different shell characteristics within and across multiple shell locations. Multiple physical measures are captured through 3D scanning data and computations through the MATLAB programming tool. These measurements include inner shell volume, outer shell volume, solid shell volume, major axis, minor axis, height, peak shift, and surface area. The 3D measurements are compared to physical measurements, when feasible. For example, solid shell volume is measured using water displacement method. Major and minor axes as well as height are also measured with a ruler for comparison. The characteristics of the shells collected from two different locations, one from Makalawena and the other from Puanwi are presented. The listed physical attributes of the limpet shells are analyzed to establish correlations between the region where the animal grows and the shell characteristics themselves. The focus of this presentation is the development of the engineering tool that is capable of 3D measurements with high accuracy to achieve the scientific goals of the project.Item Circles of trust: A voice-based authorization scheme for securing IOT smart homes(2022-04) Harmon, David; Rubio-Medrano, CarlosHave you ever sat in wonder at the amount of computing devices available in the average home today? We have come to live in a world saturated with many computing devices and with there being so many types of devices, it is unsurprising that they have made their way into the function of our homes. The Internet of Things (IoT) that comprise our home networks are making our lives more convenient, but a question to be raised is: Are our devices secure and only able to be used by those we trust? For example, you would like your spouse to have access to the front door, but it would be considered risky for your children to have the same access. In this research project, we delve into the security of IoT devices to see whether access to such devices can be mediated based on trust. Our idea is called circles of trust: we organize those we trust into several circles around a main user and access to devices is based on their relationship or level of trust to such user, for instance, those more trusted by the user will have access to more devices on the home network. The level of access flows from inside out with the main user having access to everything while someone in the circle outside the user would have access to their circle and every circle outside theirs. We hope to achieve this idea through a voice recognition system based on a simple and intuitive mental model that can be easily handled by non-experts with little training. We are now in the development process attempting to implement the infrastructure necessary for the voice recognition. Later, we will carry out a user study in which we plan to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach.Item Conservation genomic assessment of imperiled freshwater fishes endemic to the Pecos and Devils Rivers(2022-04) Dye, Kayla; Conway, Kevin; Hollenbeck, Chris; Portnoy, DavidMany freshwater fishes endemic to spring-fed tributaries of the lower Rio Grande within Texas exhibit small, highly fragmented distributions and are a priority for conservation. The five target species (Dionda diaboli, D. argentosa, Cyprinella proserpina, Etheostoma grahami, and Notropis megalops) in this study have distributions that lie almost entirely within two native fish conservation areas, deemed important for maintaining the state’s native fish diversity. Previous research reported low levels of haplotype and microsatellite diversity of D. diaboli and D. argentosa as well as a sympatric species of Notropis. Due to the extreme vulnerability of these species, assessing levels of standing genetic diversity at the genome level is essential for conservation. Each target species will be collected across multiple sites in the Pecos and/or Devils Rivers. Double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing will be used to characterize single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for each species across the genome, and patterns of genetic variation within and among sampling localities will be assessed. Additional museum samples (>30 for each species) will be used to facilitate comparisons of contemporary diversity with that of the recent past. This project will provide information on standing genetic diversity (neutral and putatively adaptive) and connectivity among sampling localities within species, allowing managers to prioritize actions on areas harboring vulnerable populations.Item Cryptic corals: Coral polyp size and biometry are indicators of feeding mechanisms(2022-04) Gates, Maryssa; Epps, Ashleigh M.; Bahr, KeishaReef-building coral species are found in relatively stable environments with specific environmental conditions such as water temperatures ranging from 25◦C-29◦C. However, two cryptic coral species (non-reef building), Astrangia poculata, and Oculina diffusa were recently documented in a shipping channel in Corpus Christi, TX. However, there is little information regarding these coral colonies in Corpus Christi, TX. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the primary feeding mechanism of the cryptic coral species to understand the survival strategies. To do this polyp sizes and abundance were compared per colony, seasonally over a 100-meter transect. Coral colony samples were collected from Packery Channel, Texas seasonally over a year, and each of the polyps was counted and sized for area. Polyps were significantly smaller during the Fall season compared to the Winter colonies. The change in the average polyp size over the year suggests that these corals adjust their feeding mechanisms in response to their fluctuating environmental conditions. In addition, there was also a significant difference in the mean area of the polyps between the two locations of the colonies on the shipping channel (bay side or gulf side), with the bay side being larger overall. The significantly larger size of the bay side suggests that cryptic coral species adjust their feeding mechanisms based on location within the shipping channel. These findings provide insight into how the cryptic coral species survive in the dynamic conditions present in Corpus Christi, TX.Item Deep learning pipeline to generate partial 3D structures of unconstrained image sequence(2022-04) Eldefrawy, Mahmoud; King, Scott A.; Starek, Michael J.Structure from Motion (SfM) is a technique to recover a 3D scene or an object from a set of images. The images are collected from different angles of the object or the scene then the SfM software systems find matching 2D points between the images. The software triangulates the 3D position of the matched points. SfM is used in many applications such as virtual and augmented realities to enable virtual tours as well as scientific applications to scan and study various specimens. Close-range photogrammetry is a low-cost, simple method to attain high-quality 3D object reconstruction. However, software systems need a static scene or a controlled setting (usually a turntable setup with a blank backdrop), which can be a constraining component for scanning an object or a scene. Our research introduces a preprocessing pipeline based on deep learning to mitigate the turntable constraints. The pipeline uses detection and tracking techniques to isolate the different objects from the scene before feeding the imagery to a SfM software system. We assess multiple SfM software systems with and without the pipeline. The results show the pipeline line improves the 3D reconstruction quality and even recover the 3D structure of an object that cannot be reconstructed otherwise.Item Defeating adversarial attacks with MTD and genetic algorithm(2022-04) Romero, Laila; Rubio-Medrano, CarlosNeural Networks (NNs) have become an integral part of machine learning, specifically in the areas of Pattern Recognition, Decision Making, and Image Detection. Due to it’s increase in importance and usage, NNs have become targets to adversarial attacks. The most common and successful attacks are gradient based attacks such as Data Poisoning and Backdoor Attacks on Image Detection Neural Networks. The defense strategies in existence rely on adversarial training which has proven to still be susceptible to attacks. NNs are used to run many state-of-the-art image classification systems therefore attacks could be dangerous. This project aims to identify and create a defense strategy for image detection NNs against white-box data poisoning adversarial attacks using aspects of moving target defense and genetic algorithm without incurring significant cost on the accuracy and speed of the model. The idea of the project is to use a trained NN as a template for other NNs. The amount of NNs in the pool will be known after experimentation. The inputs will be fed into a pool of NNs and the average of the outputs will be used. After each input, a portion of the pool with the highest accuracy will be selected for mutation and reproduction of new NNs, a strategy based on Genetic Algorithm. The new NNs will replace the selected NNs and the remaining NNs will be new NNs derived from the trained model. Throughout this process, a quarter of the NN pool will be randomly selected to have a higher weight, affecting the final output of the system. This defense system will be tested against four of the most effective gradient-based attacks, Fast Gradient Sign Model, Basic Iterative Method, Projected Gradient Descent, and Carlini Wagner Attack. This is an ongoing project and results will affect the amount of NNs in the pool.Item Digital vaccine certification systems(2022-04) Hopkins, JacobThe COVID-19 pandemic has been a disruptive element for the past two years in the world. People are experiencing fatigue in having to deal with the pandemic and the measures to control it. As a result, governments are exploring ways to resume daily life while ensuring the safety of the public. One measure that has been proposed is the use of vaccine passports, a.k.a., Digital Vaccine Certification (DVC) systems, in which individuals are issued a digital document stating their vaccination status, which can be verified by external parties depending on different contexts, e.g., before entering a restaurant or while admitted into a hospital. Yet, many individuals have expressed concern about or outright refused to use said DVC systems. For instance, existing solutions in the literature are designed using a technology built for deregulation and transparency, e.g., blockchains, but health records require regulation and privacy. This results in sensitive vaccination data being wrongly shared with external parties and users lacking ownership over the data. To overcome these issues, we propose a novel DVC system that enables users to control what information can be released depending upon whom that information is released to, e.g., hospitals, schools, restaurants, etc., thus effectively granting users full control and effective ownership of their vaccination data. To determine the effectiveness of our proposed approach, we have envisioned a use case study to measure the change in responses about acceptance and use rates. By placing access control of the users’ data in their hands, we expect that users, once they are trained to effectively use our approach, will be less likely to leak their data to wrong individuals or organizations.Item Drifting between two worlds: identifying plankton diversity and abundance in packery channel, Texas(2022-04) Bruce, Morgan N.; Epps, Ashleigh; Bahr, Keisha D.Packery Channel is a eutrophic environment in a small jetty system that allows plankton migration between Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Plankton are marine organisms that play a critical role as primary food sources for many animals, such as corals. Recently, corals have been found surviving in the dynamic conditions of Packery Channel. However, there has been limited research conducted on plankton abundance and diversity due the channel recently reopening. Therefore, this project aims to identify and quantify the abundance of plankton present in Packery Channel by collecting samples at various tides during the full moon cycle over a year-long period. Plankton nets were towed (phytoplankton = 63 m and zooplankton = 243 m) along a 50-meter transect alternating between the North and South sides of Packery Channel to encompass the whole channel. It is hypothesized that the highest abundance will occur during summer and night periods and the lowest abundance will occur during winter and daytime periods. This is due to the difference in light availability, tide flow, and temperature which has been found to make an impact on plankton. Results from this study indicate the corals within Packery Channel potentially have resources available when under stressful conditions such as limited sunlight. Understanding the seasonal dynamics of plankton within Packery Channel is necessary to expand research within estuarine systems and aid in understanding how corals survive in extreme conditions.Item Early warning systems and failure to rescue deteriorating patients(2022-04) Castillo, Matthew; Barge, E. Taylor; Jackson, Deja; Salinas, Samantha; Womack, Shanei; Benham-Hutchins, MargeFailure to rescue (FTR) was initially coined as a metric to measure adverse events and outcomes in the post- surgical period. However, recent trends have shifted FTR away from its origin as a definitive outcome metric and instead place focus on the healthcare process factors that would lead to poor patient outcomes. While the inclusion of healthcare informatics, particularly Early Warning Systems (EWS), has targeted deteriorating patients as a priority, there remains much to be known about proper EWS implementation and the impact of human factors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify how EWS modulate barriers and facilitators of preventing failure to rescue. By performing a substantial literature review through CINAHL and PubMed databases, four key barriers and two key facilitators were found to impact rates of FTR. Interestingly, while many of these factors were rooted in human elements – communication, judgment, and fear – EWS provide useful routes for resolution of these issues. Ultimately, implementation of EWS can directly augment many of the vital characteristics of patient care, providing means for ease of communication, circumvention of interpersonal conflicts, and identification and treatment of the deteriorating patient. Through proper EWS implementation, frequency of FTR would decrease with patients experiencing reduced mortality and improved rates of successful interventions.Item The effect of acute thermotherapy on type 2 diabetic skeletal muscle gene expression(2022-04) Galvan, Felicite; Griffin, Makalah; Newmire, Daniel E.; Sparks, Jean; Omoruyi, Felix; Gonzales, Xavier F.Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is among the chronic diseases increasingly affecting the human population. This disease potentially results in the interruption in the production of insulin and/or the dysregulation of insulin signaling which may facilitate skeletal muscle mass loss. Exercise is a known stimulus of muscle mass gain or retention. During exercise, skeletal muscle temperature increases (~39°C), however, it is unknown if this in- crease in temperature alone may influence the transcriptome related to skeletal muscle growth. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify if thermotherapy (heat stress mimetic) may influence genes related to muscle growth and atrophy. METHODS: Human Skeletal Muscle Myoblasts (HSMM) and Diabetic Type 2 Human Skeletal Myoblast (D-HSMM) were purchased from Lonza Inc. (Lonza Inc, Walkersville, MS). HSMM and D-HSMM were cultured until reaching a confluency of 70-80%. Both D-HSMM and HSMM were exposed to an acute bout of thermotherapy (40°C) in experimental well plates. All well plates were treated at a one-time for 30 min. Control well plates were kept at 37°C. The experimental well plates were treated for 24 hours following an initial 48-hour incubation at 37°C. Post-thermotherapy treatment consisted of cell observation, cell viability, and preparation for gene expression. To perform gene expres- sion, RNA was isolated from D-HSMM and HSMM, converted to cDNA, and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to assess Activin-A Receptor Type 2B (ACVR2B) and b-catenin (CTNNB1) to a housekeeping gene (GAPDH). RESULTS: Following gene expression analysis, it was determined that ACVR2B yielded the highest change (~1-fold) in D-HSMM. For HSMM, CTNNB1 yielded the highest change (~1-fold). CONCLUSION: These preliminary results suggest that ACVR2B expression, which is the prime myostatin receptor during thermotherapy could potentially facilitate greater muscle atrophy in T2D skeletal muscle. However, the thermotherapy-induced increase in CTNNB1 expression in the normal, healthy skeletal muscle cells may suggest greater androgen receptor (AR) activation and a role in skeletal muscle growth due to the reported actions of b-catenin on AR activation.Item The effect of supporting electrolytes on redox flow battery performance(2022-04) Jabbar, Ayesha; Hulobowitch, NicolasIn the current global transition to renewable energy sources, large scale of energy storage technologies are needed. Solar and wind energy are available intermittently, thus there is a mismatch between energy production and societal demand. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are an attractive energy storage option, as they can decouple capacity (tank size) and power (stack size) for installation at any scale. Furthermore, RFBs offer long operational lifetime and higher safety than other batteries such as lithium-ion devices. RFBs using earth-abundant elements (carbon, iron, etc.) are being explored as new, inexpensive active species, but these new materials require compatible electrolytes, long-term stability, high solubility and optimal reaction kinetics. This work studies RFBs using different supporting electrolytes to understand their effect on performance of the battery. In RFBs all active species are dissolved in liquid electrolytes which can affect their performance. Specifically, RFBs contain two electrolytes, anolyte and catholyte, which are comprised of the solvent (e.g. water), the redox active compound (e.g., Fe(bpy)32+ or anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate AQDS), and a supporting electrolyte containing cations (Li+, Na+, K+, or NH4+) and anions (Cl- or NO3-). The electrolyte is pumped through an electrochemical stack where the active species are oxidized or reduced to charge or discharge the battery. This research project be quantifies achievable current densities, long- term capacity fade rates, as well as diffusion coefficients and reaction kinetics as a function of supporting salt identity.Item The effect of thermal stress and nutrient loading on the coral – algal symbiosis in a dominant Hawaiian reef coral(2022-04) Blesa, Victoria; Ruben, Zoe; Rueda, Ignacio; Bahr, Keisha D.Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and valuable ecosystems on the planet, and healthy reef systems can sustain a multitude of marine species, defend coastlines from storm surges, and provide employment for people in local communities. The health and prosperity of reef-building corals is largely attributed to the partnership with their algal symbiont, zooxanthellae. A large body of research contributes to understanding how corals and zooxanthellae respond to individual stressors. However, fewer articles clarify how multiple interacting stressors may threaten these ecosystems and disturb corals’ relationship with zooxanthellae. Therefore, this research aims to quantify changes in zooxanthellae density in corals that have been subjected to the interactive effects of thermal stress and nutrient loading. Corals were collected from two sites in Kāne ohe Bay, Hawai i, encompassing a gradient of temperature and nutrient influence. For one month, corals were subjected to four experimental treatments (Control, Heated, Nutrient, Heated + Nutrient). Fragments were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment, flash frozen in liquid nitrogen, and shipped back to TAMU-CC for subsequent analysis. Coral experimentation began with airbrushing the coral tissue to remove it from the skeleton, yielding tissue slurry used for the biological assay. The organic matter was lysed using a tissue homogenizer and then centrifuged to create coral pellets. The biological pellets were then resuspended in the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and vortexed to create an aliquoted subsample which could then be counted under a microscope using a hemocytometer. Upon analyzing the experimental results, it is hypothesized that the corals that underwent the Heated + Nutrient treatment may be more susceptible to bleaching due to the combined stressors. This study will aid our understanding of how corals in Kāne ohe Bay respond physically to interacting stressorsItem Effects of counter ions on physiochemical properties of linear anionic amino acid surfactants(2022-04) Lowry, Brett; Shropshire, Nick; Black, Nathan; Olson, MarkThis study focuses on surfactants that contain hydrophobic tails based upon undecylenic acid and an amino acid such as alanine, S-aminobutyric acid, Norvaline and Norleucine as a hydrophilic headgroup. For these amino acid-based surfactants, various physical properties such as surface pressure and critical micelle con- centration (CMC) are measured. In addition, thermodynamic parameters associated with micellization such as change in Gibbs free energy and change in entropy are calculated. Because the surfactants’ amino acids’ carboxyl groups are deprotonated at the studied pH, each surfactant is negatively charged; as such, counteri- ons such as 1,2 Diaminopropane, 1,3 Diaminopropane, Ethylenediamine, and Sodium bicarbonate are added to stabilize the solution. The physical and thermodynamic properties for each surfactant are also measured and calculated with respect to each of these counterions. This is part of a broader study examining the physical properties of amino acid-based micelles.