The Governor’s School for Science and Technology

Science Research Journal

Spring 2012 Airborne Wind Energy: Construction, Design, and Control

Magdalen Boylan - Isle of Wight County Public Schools

Marcus Starman - York County School Division

Tyler Thibodeau - Poquoson City Public Schools

“Our mentorship was at NASA Langley Research Center, where we

worked together to improve on Airborne Wind Energy Systems. We

really enjoyed our mentorship; everyone at NASA was really welcoming and we felt like an integrated part of the team. Throughout the mentorship we were all able to learn about several different aspects of Airborne Wind Energy, which includes related construction materials and methods, airfoil aerodynamics, glider flight characteristics, and airfoil control.”

Marcus is pursuing a physics degree at The College of William & Mary. Magdalen and Tyler are pursuing mechanical engineering degrees at Georgia Institute of Technology. Abstract In recent years, the world has come to the realization that burning fossil fuels is not a sustainable or environmentally friendly means by which to generate electricity.

Several technologies have been developed to counter these issues, including wind “ power, solar energy, hydroelectric power, and nuclear power. Wind energy has emerged as the leading “green” approach to generate electricity for the energy demanding world. Problems such as the boundary layer that creates inconsistent and Wind energy has weak winds near the earth and the expensive nature of the technology have been holding back its growth. Airborne wind energy is a potential solution to these problems, as it allows access to the high-energy winds of the Jetstream. Several emerged as the variations of this technology have been designed, though the most promising of them is the single lifting craft laddermill. This system uses a ground-based generator and leading “green” uses the cycling reel in and reel out of the tethered airfoil to generate electricity. Optimizing power output requires the lifting body’s flight path to stay centered on the direction the wind is moving, which necessitated a control system that is highly approach to adaptable and allows agility in its flight.

Several designs and concepts of airborne wind energy were analyzed to see if certain generate constructive methods would affect the overall performance of the airborne wind energy systems. The designs were tested by evaluating flight performance and electricity durability. The building material of choice, expanded polypropylene, did not have the characteristics needed to handle the strains of flight and repeated impacts. “The performance of these systems was assessed qualitatively through gauging controllability and contributing factors. It was hypothesized that the throw length for the airfoil and the center of gravity for the glider would play a major role in how the lifting bodies behaved, and that there would be a point at which optimal controllability was achieved. Testing revealed this to be a correct assumption.

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Analysis of Students’ Register on Internet- Based Social Networks

Abstract

Register and formality are not easily described by traditional linguistics, as they are the subjective combination of choices in speech, non-verbal cues, and even the situation in which the conversation is occurring. In addition, changes in

“ linguistics on the Internet have muddied the idea of sociolinguistic register. The Internet poses unique challenges to communication, as many aspects of face-to- changes in face conversation are missing, such as facial expressions and body language. Linguistics, therefore, must look at the Internet in a different way in regards to linguistics on the register. The global spread of the Internet led to specialized websites for connecting to and communicating with other people, called social networks. Social networks allow anyone with an Internet connection to connect with Internet have anyone on the social network and share posts and pictures, among other things. Recent research into the linguistics of the Internet has suggested that people are muddied the idea of unclear on the correct register to use on the Internet. Students were given an online survey in order to get a sense of their register on the Internet towards sociolinguistic peers and authoritative figures. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software was used to analyze sample posts against baseline scores for personal and formal texts in order to assess their formality. Sampled posts were also register analyzed individually to get a sense of register from a human perspective. “ Students were found not to have made a large distinction in their register on the Internet, though linguistic interpretation on the Internet is still in the early stages.

Bryce Davis Kecoughtan High School - Hampton City Schools

“My mentorship has been a truly unique experience! Before I really set to work on my project, my mentor encouraged me to take her course, Study of Language, at the College of William & Mary. This course went from the ground up, from the basis of phonology (sounds in language), all the way to higher-level syntactical analysis of sentence structure. The fun really began once the course ended. From designing and deploying a survey to actually writing the final paper, I learned how difficult, but unbelievably rewarding, doing research is! I feel that mentorship, and the entire Governor’s School experience, has prepared me in such a fantastic way to excel in college and future research.”

Bryce will attend American University in the fall with junior status to pursue a double major in Computer Science and International Studies with a minor in Arab Studies and a translation certificate in German. He hopes to have a career in either software development or international relations with the United Nations.

http://www.nhrec.org/governorsschool/pubs Imprinted Sorbents for Toxic Metals Removal: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application

Kelly Ha Grafton High School - York County School Division

“This year, I had the opportunity to work in the chemistry department at Hampton University, creating polymers that could potentially be used to remove lead contamination. I enjoyed my mentorship experience because I had the opportunity to utilize what I learned in my chemistry

class last year, and apply this information to a project with real-world applications. I also expanded my knowledge base, such as learning how to use an atomic absorption spectrometer for solution analysis. Although I do not plan to study chemistry in college, I hope to use what I have learned this year and continue to pursue research opportunities in the future.”

This fall, Kelly will be attending the University of Pennsylvania to study political science and economics. After undergraduate studies, she hopes to attend law school and eventually pursue a career as a corporate attorney. While at Penn, she also hopes to conduct research in the area

of neuroscience and behavioral sciences. Specifically, she would like to study how people perceive others and what causes bias in individuals. Such research could be applicable to the legal field, as when jury members are being selected.

Abstract “

Molecular imprinting is a technique for creating compounds with highly specific binding sites for a certain substrate molecule. The polymers are assembled in a structure around a specific molecule that acts as a substrate. After the compound is polymerized, the molecule is removed, leaving a cavity polymers are in the polymer that is specific to the shape and structure of that molecule. Polymers synthesized through the process of molecular imprinting could be assembled in a used as stable and selective sensors for a variety of template molecules. Ion- imprinted polymers were synthesized using a molecular imprinting approach. A particular component of molecular imprinting that was of interest was the effect structure around a of cross-linkers on the binding capacity and selectivity of imprinted polymers. specific molecule Two different percentages of cross-linker were used to synthesize polymers imprinted with lead ions, using free-radical polymerization. Various that acts as a characterization tests were completed to determine the selectiveness and binding capacities of the resultant polymers. The conclusion made, based on substrate these characterization studies, was that the percentage of cross-linker that should be used depends on the intended purpose of the polymer itself. An effective ion-imprinted polymer could potentially be used to detect and adsorb toxic lead contained in sources such as drinking water or paints. “

http://www.nhrec.org/governorsschool/pubs

Accuracy of Mechanical Axis Predictions after

ShapeMatch Total Knee Replacement

Abstract

ShapeMatch® technology is a process used in total knee arthroplasty. Unlike conventional knee replacements, ShapeMatch® knee replacements use an MRI of the patient’s knee to size the components to be used before the surgery ShapeMatch® knee instead of trying multiple sizes during the surgery. The mechanical axis of the

knee“ is important during knee replacements because it is believed that if the replacements use an measurement is close to 0°, the longevity of the knee replacement increases as well as the comfort of the patient. ShapeMatch® technology claims to provide MRI of the patient’s a 0° mechanical axis. The mechanical axis of the knee is the line drawn from the femoral head through the knee joint and down to the center of the ankle knee to size the joint. Measurements need to be taken to see if this approach achieves a 0° mechanical axis in practice following a total knee replacement using ShapeMatch® technology because the pre-operative planning claims to components to be provide it. A sample of twenty-five patients undergoing the ShapeMatch® process for a total knee replacement were used to measure the mechanical axis used before the post-operatively. The mechanical axis was measured by drawing a line from the center of the femoral head to the tibial medial spine, and then from the surgery instead of tibial medial spine to the center of the ankle joint. The angle measurement on the line was recorded. The majority of mechanical axis measurements were 0° “ ±3°, supporting the hypothesis. trying multiple sizes during the surgery

Corinne Hayes - York County School Division

“Medicine has always been an interest of mine, so I was thrilled to be able to work with Dr. Cavazos at Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. My mentorship taught me so many skills that will be beneficial in my future, such as the importance of problem solving in research and having passion in everything I do. Although we hit some bumps along the way, such as legal issues with the payment for the x-rays, the project turned out fantastically and everything was worth it! While it was satisfying that my hypothesis was supported, even if it had not been, I still would have gained so much from my mentorship. My research project gave me the chance to confirm that medicine is definitely the direction I want take in my life and to gain some skills that I will need to get there!”

Corinne will pursue a degree in biology at Duke University beginning in the fall of 2012, where she plans to continue to be involved in research. She sees attending Governor's School as one of the best decisions she ever made.

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Verification and Validation of Warrick

Jacqueleen Morin Smithfield High School - Isle of Wright County Public Schools

“I had the privilege of having a mentorship in computer science at MITRE Corporation under the supervision of Mr. Justin Brunelle. I assisted in the creation of a Linux tool which is now being used by hundreds of people and businesses to recover websites. I was able to learn not only a new programming language, but how to program in a Linux envi- ronment as most professional programming is done. Working under Mr. Brunelle on the Verification and Validation of Warrick furthered my decision to major in computer science and systems engineering. The Governor’s School has definitely been the best education experience I have had and I am grateful for such an opportunity.”

Jackie plans to pursue a double major in computer science and systems information engi- neering at the University of this fall. She plans to be actively involved in research at UVA and hopefully work for Telecommunications Systems or Microsoft Corporation

after graduation.

Abstract

With the increasing influence of the internet in today’s society, the Warrick is a free importance of archiving the web has increased. Many websites are being created, and just as many are being crashed or lost. Warrick is a free command line Linux command line Linux tool that allows its user to recover a lost website from the web infrastructure by crawling the web repositories of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and the Internet Archive. Recent updates to the Internet tool that allows its Archive have forced the creators of Warrick to modify their program. The code used to program Warrick needed to be updated and tests run to verify user to recover a lost the fix. Multiple rounds of testing occurred and problematic areas of code were identified. The testing process resulted in an increase in Warrick’s “ effectiveness. website from the web

Brass is an HTML formatted version of Warrick. It allows common users who would benefit the most from Warrick to use it without running the infrastructure by program from a Linux command line. The Brass Interface was updated“ in order to be compatible with the updated version of Warrick. All pieces of crawling the web code that corresponded with the first version of Warrick were removed and the updated version of Warrick was implemented into the new version of Brass. The result was an easily-navigable web page that average repositories of Internet users can utilize. Google, Bing, Yahoo,

and the Internet Archive.

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Genetic Population Structure of the

Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera bonasus)

Abstract

The cownose ray, Rhinoptera bonasus, is a migratory ray that returns from the open ocean to two known nurseries, the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf cownose ray, of Mexico, to reproduce. There are differing hypotheses about the genetic structure and status of the cownose ray population, due to lack of Rhinoptera bonasus, information. Using Sanger sequencing, information about the genetic

“ structure of the two known nurseries was gathered. Analysis of this data is a migratory ray suggests that there is isolated breeding between the Gulf of Mexico and the Chesapeake Bay which, at the minimum, suggests that female rays return to that returns from the the same nursery each year. Throughout the ND2 locus, there is an average genetic diversity of about 4%. Some genetic variation was found to be open ocean to two unique to one nursery; this enforcing the need for well-informed regulatory practices to protect the ray’s biodiversity, as a fishery in one nursery could destroy irreplaceable biodiversity. From the data, the null hypothesis that known nurseries, the there is no genetic divergence between the two nurseries and that the Chesapeake Bay population is completely interbreeding was rejected, thus supporting the “ alternate hypothesis that there is segregated breeding between the nurseries. and the Gulf of Mexico, to reproduce

Cameron Neill York High School - York County School Division

“For my mentorship, I worked in the Fisheries Genetics lab at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. During my mentorship I learned many concepts surrounding DNA analysis and spent extensive amounts of time analyzing the DNA of cownose rays to study migration and reproductive patterns. It was a great experience for me; I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I hope the same for my mentor Dr. Jan McDowell and lab technician Kristy Hill, both of whom taught me everything I know about the field. My biggest take- away is that things will always go wrong in science; all you can do is try again.”

Cameron will pursue a degree in aerospace engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology beginning this fall. He has greatly appreciated his opportunity to participate in the Governor’s School and his mentorship and recommends the program to all who have the opportunity.

http://www.nhrec.org/governorsschool/pubs Examining Childhood Obesity with Relation to Age

Anu Sharma Menchville High School - Newport News Public Schools

“My mentorship was done at a local pediatrics center with Dr. Minnie

Stiff. By shadowing her while she met and treated many patients

throughout the day, I learned a great deal about the work of a pediatrician. While I plan to pursue a career in engineering, I am glad that I had this wonderful opportunity to work with a project involving the serious and widely known issue of childhood obesity that is affecting the entire country.”

Anu will be attending Virginia Tech this fall, majoring in general engineering.

Abstract “

More than one third of the adult population in America is obese and childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past few decades. Childhood obesity can have major harmful effects that contribute to a greater risk of social and psychological problems that may reach into adulthood. A balanced diet is necessary to control fat accumulation (the predominant factor in weight increase); however, while lessening obesity rates in calorie intake does reduce weight, participation in daily physical activity is also needed to maintain this weight loss. children have

Several steps were taken to determine which age group was faced with the greatest risk for overweight and obesity. This was conducted by tripled over the taking a sample of 300 children ranging in age from 2 to 18. The proportions of overweight and obese children in different age groups were calculated, and the average BMI for each individual age were past few decades graphed to further characterize the childhood stage most identified with overweight and obese children. While the proportions of overweight and obese children for each age group were representative of the population as a whole, there was a greater significance in the preadolescent group, making this point in childhood the necessary target for taking steps in reducing childhood obesity and ultimately improving their health during adulthood. “

View the full articles online! Cannabinoid Mediated Neuroprotection in

Huntington's Disease

Abstract

Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a gene encoding for an expanded polyglutamine tail of the huntingtin protein. This protein interacts with a multitude of different processes within neurons, and abnormalities may trigger cytotoxic processes within the cell such as calcium build up, caspase activation, excitotoxicity, and inflammatory processes, all of

which“ can induce cell death. [This system] has Many of these processes are mediated by the endocannabinoid system, a been a novel neurological feedback mechanism suppressing inflammation and neuronal signaling, making this pathway promising in controlling disease severity. From a visual software model in CellDesigner, rate laws are devised and platform to show the placed into a program known as PLAS. These models serve as a summary of the metabolic changes induced by mutant huntingtin protein, and indicate that neuroprotective cannabinoidergic processes play a major role in attenuating the symptomology of Huntington's Disease. As the modeling software runs, build ups of toxic waste products or increases in processes are output as a function of time. effects cannabinoids When graphed, relationships between processes are more clearly apparent. Because of the simplicity of altering a computerized model, time consuming and labor intensive research can be avoided by adding and subtracting hold in Huntington’s neuroprotective substances such as 2-arachidonoyl glycerol or anandamide, “ allowing for speedy characterization of etiology. This system also allows Disease therapies dynamic updating in response to new literature and discoveries; hence, it has been a novel platform to show the neuroprotective effects cannabinoids hold in Huntington’s Disease therapies.

Lucas Walker Gloucester High School - Gloucester County Public Schools

"My mentorship was at the College of William & Mary under the direction of Dr. Randolph Coleman, a respected specialist in the in silico disease modeling field. I learned a great deal about modeling techniques I was previously unaware of and was able to grow from the experience, researching dozens of biochemical pathways to incorporate them into our model. The experience was extremely rewarding, giving me a taste of my future alma matter.”

This fall Lucas will be beginning work on a degree in Organic Chemistry at The Col- lege of William & Mary, a prelude to a degree in pharmacology, and his mentorship experience gave him a great taste of his education to come.

http://www.nhrec.org/governorsschool/pubs

Coliform Study at Jamestown Island

Levi Warring Lafayette High School - Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools

“I had the privilege of working in the Geology Department at the College of William & Mary studying coliform bacteria at historic Jamestown Island. Working independently in the field

taught me responsibility and the importance of ethical research. I learned that the data found

may not be expected, but that is what makes research interesting. My mentorship at William & Mary has inspired me to seek a career in which I would be able to perform research outside of the lab in a real-world environment.”

Levi will be pursuing a degree in Chemistry and Environmental Studies at Washington and Lee University in the fall.

Abstract

Coliforms are used as an indicator for determining the quality of water “ bodies. Fecal coliforms, such as E. coli, are especially useful in determining the safety of water used for consumption. Water bodies with high counts of fecal coliforms tend to contain pathogens that can cause Fecal coliforms, such serious illness, including dysentery and typhoid fever. Such diseases were contracted by the first colonists in Virginia, who settled at Jamestown as E. coli, are Island. Six wells located at Jamestown Island, along with the James River and Pitch and Tar Swamp, were sampled on a weekly basis for seven months to test for Escherichia coli and other coliforms in the water especially useful in samples. determining the safety Two wells inside of the Jamestown fort, the James River, and the Pitch and Tar Swamp contained a greater number of E. coli colonies than is allowed by current federal drinking water standards. Many factors, including the of water used for descriptions of diseases that colonists had, suggest that contaminated drinking water was a leading cause of death among the first Jamestown consumption colonists. The total coliforms found in the sample locations over the seven month period implies that fecal and other coliforms deposited on the “ surface can make it into the groundwater, and that harmful pathogens from fecal waste traveled by the same pathway to contaminate the colonists’ drinking water.

http://www.nhrec.org/governorsschool/pubs

Phenological Study of Ultraviolet Cues in Orchids

Abstract

The Orchidaceae is a diverse family of flowering plants that use many different methods to attract pollinating insects. One of these methods is the

presence“ of ultraviolet cues. These cues are formed by the contrast between reflection and absorption of ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light (UV) is electromagnetic radiation that ranges from 40 to 400 nm while the range of Orchidaceae is a light visible to humans is from 400-700nm. Insects, however, have the capability to see in the range of UV light as well as visible light, and respond to its patterns. Flowers often have a "nectar guide" of UV absorption near the diverse family of pollen, signaling the insects where to find the nectar. In this study, photos were taken (with and without a UV-filter) of orchids found at the Arthur and Phyllis flowering plants Kaplan Conservatory at Old Dominion University. The camera used was a Nikon D70 with a Baader U-filter, which lets in light in the range 325-369 nm. that use many Photos were taken of orchids to represent a range of genera including, Coelia, Prosthechea, Laelia, Brassavola, Guarianthe, Sophronitis, Eria, Liparis, different methods Cynoches, Oncidium, Lycaste, Aeranthes, Rhynochostylis, Cirrhopetalum, Coelogyne, Dendrochilum, Cattleya, Dendrobium, Phaphiopedilum, to attract Phalaenopsis, and Phragmipedium. Then, by referencing multiple existing phylogenetic trees, the orchid photos were categorized. The percent of the total flower covered by a UV absorbing cue, cue types found in each orchid pollinating insects specie, and the relative frequency of UV reflectance and absorbance across the “ genera were analyzed. The trends found in the data within each genus and variations across the genera indicate that there are phenological trends in UV cues in orchids.

Sarah Winkowski Grafton High School - York County School Division

"My mentorship taught me a great many things this year. Besides the hard facts about orchids and ultraviolet cues, I also learned how to work on an independent research project in a laboratory setting. My mentor, Dr. Lisa Horth at Old Dominion University, showed me that hard work and genuine interest are essential when dedicating lots of time to a particular project. I expanded on my ability to work with others, and became comfortable with speaking about my project to strangers. My mentorship has made me more confident in my own abilities, but was also, dare I say, fun.”

Sarah will be attending Virginia Tech this fall, majoring in Environmental Science.

View the full articles online! The Governor’s School for Science and Technology 520 Butler Farm Road Hampton, Virginia 23666 (757) 766-1100 Website: www.nhrec.org/governorsschool

Honors Research and Mentorship Program A primary goal of the GSST is to provide students with an opportunity to conduct serious scientific research. All students take a junior-year course in Research Methods and Ethics, which introduces them to research methodology, statistics, critical thinking skills, and the skills of scientific writing and presentation. In their senior year, students design and conduct a year-long research project under the direction of a scientific professional in their field of interest. The field component is supported by an in-school course which guides students through the entire process, from the selection of a problem to the final presentation. In addition to their outside mentor, each student is assigned a faculty advisor to assist and evaluate mentorship research. Major aspects of the mentorship experience include: preparation of a formal written proposal for their project, oral presentation of the proposal and a status report at mid year to GSST faculty and evaluators, a final research document, and presentation of final results to a panel of professionals in appropriate fields at the GSST Spring Symposium. In addition, many students present their findings at local, regional, and national science competitions and symposia. Exceptional work has been published in professional journals. Research sites that have participated in the GSST Honors Research/Mentorship program have included NASA Langley Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Acceleration Facility, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Eastern Virginia Medical School, College of William & Mary, Hampton University, Christopher Newport University, Virginia Living Museum, local engineering firms, hospitals, and a variety of individual medical and professional firms.