· combined with water to make mud. Cathode chambers were filled with 0.5 M NaCl solution. Carbon cloth electrodes were used to complete the circuit. Fuel cells exposed to additional

2017 Journal of Superior Projects 1

Eastern Washington Regional Science & Engineering Fair www.ewrsef.org

2017 Journal of Superior Projects

www.ewrsef.org



2017 Conference Sponsors: The conference would not happen without the generous support of these sponsors!

Platinum Donors ($2500)

Gold Donors ($1000)

Silver Donors ($500)

Bronze Donors ($250)



Table of Contents:

2017 EWRSEF Summary………………………………….4

2017 EWRSEF Awards …………….………………..…….5

2017 EWRSEF Projects.………………………….….…....8

Conference Organizers…………………………………..31

City of Spokane—Water Department

City of Spokane—Solid Waste

Community Colleges of Spokane

Gonzaga University

National Weather Service

Northeast Washington Education Council

Spokane County Water Resources

Spokane Public Schools

Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency

Spokane STEM & Greater Spokane Incorporated

WSU Spokane- Spokane MESA & Project Lead the Way



2017 EWRSEF Summary

On Thursday March 16, 2016 nearly 200 middle and high school students from eastern Washington showcased their Science, Technolo-gy, Engineering and Math (STEM) projects at the Eastern Washington Science & Engineering Fair (EWRSEF) held on the Washington State University Spokane campus. This one-day event gave the students the opportunity to present their STEM projects in a conference setting. EWRSEF is designed to: 1. Encourage and reward innovative student research and provide pro-

fessional scientists and engineers the chance to interact with some of the best and brightest young students in Eastern Washington.

2. Provide students a platform to share their projects with their peers and learn about STEM-related issues and careers.

3. Promote an understanding of STEM research among middle and high school students.

In the tradition of hosting an annual science and engineering competi-tion to support STEM competency in our community, there were a few things that were different for this year. 1. Participants resided in an Eastern Washington County - Spokane,

Whitman, Lincoln, Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille. 2. Projects had an adult sponsor - a teacher, a scientist, or another adult

with a science background. 3. Participants could advance to the Washington State Science and

Engineering Fair . 4. Select winners in grades 9-12 were eligible to attend the International

Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). 5. Select winners in grades 6-8 were eligible to attend Broadcom MAS-

TERS. 6. Presentations were done on poster board; no more PowerPoints! 7. In lieu of writing a paper, students provided research journals. Coordinators for the EWRSEF include scientists, engineers, communi-cators and educators. The EWRSEF developed from the Spokane STEMposium, Spokane Youth Environmental Conference (SYEC), Inland NW Science Symposium, and Project Lead The Way.



2017 ISEF & WSSEF Awards

ISEF Finalists

Isaac Caruso. EW-AS-184: Investigating the presence of microplas-

tics in the gastrointestinal tract of Prosoplum williamsoni in the Spo-

kane River; Teacher: Eric Strate, Lewis and Clark HS, Spokane Public

Schools

Faith King. EW-CH-076 Water Spherification for Astronauts;

Teacher: Darci Hastings, Ferris HS, Spokane Public Schools

ISEF Alternate and Honorable Mention

Claire Stromberg. EW-BE-144: Body Type and Academic Perfor-

mance; Teacher: Eric Strate, Lewis and Clark HS, Spokane Public

Schools

WSSEF Award

Brianna Cozino, Callie Smith, Corie Kraus. EW-EB-098: Epidurals...

Are They Worth It?; Teacher: Lori Buratto, Spokane Valley Tech, Cen-

tral Valley SD

Honorable Mention

Ashley Amado. EW-EV-162: Microbial Fuel Cell Optimiza-

tion, Teacher: Eric State, Lewis and Clark HS, Spokane Public

Schools

Ryan Felker. EW-PS-163: A Model for Algae Based Reduction of

Carbon Dioxide Emissions; Teacher: Eric State, Lewis and Clark HS,

Spokane Public Schools

Alice Burchett. EW-CB-190: Extracellular Matrix Degradation; Dr.

Ted Chauvin (Washington State University Spokane)

Julianne Socha. EW-PS-136: Analysis of the MADS-box gene with-

in Malus Domestica due to the presence of pesticides and the diversi-

ty they cause; Teacher: Randy James, North Central HS, Spokane

Public Schools

Jake Windhorst. EW -EG-120: The Downspout Converter; Teacher:

Lori Buratto, Spokane Valley Tech, Central Valley SD.

Conrad Knapp and Blake Shipley. EW-EG-121: Portable Wind Tur-bine; Teacher: Erik Flodin, Spokane Valley Tech, Central Valley SD



2017 EWRSEF Special Awards

NASA Earth Systems Science Award

Avery Shulenbarger. EW-EA-071: Effect of Ocean Acidification on

Zooplankton Death

NOAA “Taking the Pulse of the Planet”

Halle Nelson, Anna Danford, Marissa Pounds, Heidi Niederstadt.

EW-CB-112: Using Lichens as a Model for Glutathione Synthase

Genetics in Coral Reefs

American Psychological Association Award

Claire Stromberg. EW-BE-144: Body Image and Academic

Performance

US Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional Award

Ryan Leaming, Matthew Mickey, Michael Kron. EW-CB-134:

Analysis of pisaster ochraceus Mitochondrial Metabolic Genes as a

Clue to Susceptibility and Survival of Sea Star Wasting Disease

ASM Materials Education Foundation

Brooklyn Christensen. EW-CH-090: The Effect of Sulfate on Hair

Strength

Ricoh Sustainable Development Award

Ryan Felker. EW-PS-163: A Model for Algae Based Rreduction of

Carbon Dioxide Emissions



2017 EWRSEF Special Awards

Yale Science and Engineering Association Inc

Steven Patrick, Francis Neff. EW-CB-165: A SNP analysis of the

pleiotropic thermal adaptive regulatory TRPV3 gene in the Columbian

Mammoth

US Metric Association for Best Use of SI Units

Brooklyn Christensen. EW-CH-090: The Effect of Sulfate on Hair Strength

Air Force Award for Outstanding Science and Engineering

Fair Projects

Nathaniel Stanley. Effect of Blue Light on Sleep

Seth Shellabarger. EW-BE-084: Task Switching Between Gamers

and Non-Gamers

Jessica Hatch, Alyssa Hilfiker, Claire Brock. EW-CH-119: Shield

Faith King. EW-CH-076: Water Spherification for Astronauts

The Washington State Science & Engineering Fair Outstanding

Research Based Project Award

Brianna Cozino, Callie Smith, Corie Kraus. EW-EB-098:

Epidurals: Are they worth it?

WSU College of Science Scholarship $3000

Faith King. EW-CH-076: Water Spherification for Astronauts



Ashley Amado Lewis & Clark HS Microbial Fuel Cell Optimization

Award—ISEF Honorable Mention

ABSTRACT

The goal of this project was to investigate the effect of carbon additives on

the voltage output of small-scale dual-chamber microbial fuel cells. Fuel

cells were constructed out of acrylic boxes, and connected via agar salt

bridge. Anode chambers of the fuel cells were filled with compost soil and

combined with water to make mud. Cathode chambers were filled with 0.5

M NaCl solution. Carbon cloth electrodes were used to complete the circuit.

Fuel cells exposed to additional acetic acid and glucose sources were com-

pared to a control cells. Voltage output was measured once daily for 5 days

between the three cells. Voltage output of the control cell averaged 179.012

millivolts, with standard deviation of 40.40. Output of the glucose cell aver-

aged 181.768, with a standard deviation of 51.04. Initial day one output val-

ues of ~0 volts were

discarded in these cal-

culations to avoid dis-

tortion from outliers.

These results were

found to be statistically

significant under the

Kruskal-Wallis test at

the 0.05 significance

level, with H=7.423 ex-

ceeding the critical val-

ue of H=5.692.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Alice Burchett cooperation with WSU Spokane Extracellular Matrix Degradation Award—ISEF Honorable Mention

ABSTRACT

The first stages of cancer metastasis involve re-modeling of the extracel-lular matrix (ECM). A sig-nificant player in ECM degradation is the family of matrix metalloprotein-ases (MMPs). MMPs are proteases secreted by cells to break down the constituent proteins of the ECM such as colla-gen, gelatin, and fibron-ectin. This is what allows cancer cells to break free from a tumor and metastasize. I hypothesized that the reduction of MMP13 in particular would cause a decrease in migra-tion of MCF7 cells in a transwell assay. We used MCF7 cells, a human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, because of their availability and invasive properties. The MCF7 cells were grown and tested for expression of MMP13, then siRNA directed to MMP13 was used to knock down MMP13 expression. The modified cells were grown on fibronectin or matrigel coat-ed membranes on transwell plates to assay for migration. We found that knockdown of MMP13 decreased migration through the fibronectin coated membrane by roughly 70% compared to the sham and control siRNA treat-ments. Migration of cells with any treatment through matrigel was negligi-ble, most likely due to more complex protein structure of the matrigel. These findings suggest that MMP13 plays a significant role in the degrada-tion of the fibronectin component of the ECM by MCF7 cancer cells. This experiment indicates that targeting MMP13 has potential to be an exciting route for cancer research in the future.



Isaac Caruso Lewis & Clark HS Investigating the Presence of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Prosopium williamsoni in the Spokane River Award—ISEF Finalist

ABSTRACT

Microplastics, plastic particles smaller

than 5 mm, have been regularly found

within marine, freshwater, and estua-

rine environments. These tiny plastic

polymers have been discovered in

various species of marine vertebrates

in numerous studies; however, few

studies have examined the ingestion

of microplastics by fish in freshwater

river systems. This study documents microplastic ingestion by Mountain

Whitefish, Prosopium williamsoni, in the Spokane River in eastern Washing-

ton.

A total of 33 fish were sampled from two sites, 10 from a sampling location im-

mediately downstream from the city of Spokane surrounding the Riverside

State Park Wastewater Treatment Plant, and 23 from a sampling location im-

mediately downstream from the Nine Mile Dam. Of the 33 whitefish, 22 (66%)

contained microplastics, a percentage larger than that of previous freshwater

studies. A recently developed method of microplastic isolation with a much

higher extraction yield was utilized in this study, suggesting that this higher

percentage of contaminated fish may more accurately represent the level of

pollution in river systems. Unlike a previous study in the Brazos River Basin in

Central Texas, no correlation between size of fish and number of microplas-

tics was noted; however, several fish were gravid and had little food in their

gastrointestinal tracts during sampling which could have contributed to the

lack of correlation (many larger fish with little food in their gastrointestinal

tracts). The high percentage of fish with microplastics found in their gastroin-

testinal tract suggests that additional research is needed to determine the ex-

tent of microplastic pollution in vertebrates residing in local rivers and the po-

tential adverse effects this pollution is having on the overall ecosystem.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Brooklyn Christensen

Ferris HS

The Effect of Sulfate on Hair Strength

Award—ASM Materials Education Foundation

Award—US Metric Association for Best Use of SI Units

ABSTRACT

This purpose of this project was to deter-mine the effect of sulfates in shampoo on human hair strength. The alternate hypoth-esis was that shampoo which includes sul-fate would cause the human hair to be-come weaker. Fifteen different samples of hair were collected from salons and each were organized into three different sec-tions, control, sulfate, and sulfate free. The control groups were rinsed with water and dabbed dry. The “sulfate” sections were washed with sulfate shampoo, rinsed, and dabbed dry. The “sulfate free” sections were washed with sulfate free shampoo, rinsed, and dabbed dry. After preparing the hair, the strength was tested by completing the penny test. During this, a strand of hair from a section of a sample was hung from a pencil, and weight was added to it until it broke. It was repeat-ed three times to receive an average weight held by the section of the sam-ple. After completing my statistical analysis, which was a two dependent means (matched pairs) t-test, I was able to conclude that my results sup-ported my hypothesis that hair treated with sulfate shampoo was weaker than hair treated with non-sulfate shampoo.



Brianna Cozino, Corie Kraus & Callie Smith

Spokane Valley Tech

Epidurals... Are They Worth It?

Award—WSSEF Award

ABSTRACT

Complications including anxiety, fever, high blood pressure, severe arthritis,

and non-positional headaches are common side-effects of receiving an epi-

dural. These side-effects occur mostly from direct trauma from the needle.

Complications, which occur around 20-30% of the time, could potentially be

decreased with better training tools. “E.T.A” (epidural training assistant), is a

device that would simulate giving epidurals and would be anatomically cor-

rect. Focusing on the lumbar region of the spine, where most epidurals are

given, also makes “E.T.A” appear more realistic. With enhanced training,

that not only allows for practice with realistic conditions but with prior condi-

tions that could lead to side-effects, could lower the risk of harmful side-

effects. After creating “E.T.A”, we asked several doctors their analysis of the

tool, most of the results were extremely positive and provided us with con-

structive criticism. Sensors to detect movement more precisely and more

life like body structures would need to be added. Although there are chang-

es that need to be made, the premise of “E.T.A” remains true: end complica-

tions associated with epidural anesthetic.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Anna Danford, Halle Nelson, Marissa Pounds &

Heidi Niederstadt

North Central HS

Using Lichens as a Model for Glutathione Synthase Genetics in

Coral Reefs

Award—NOAA “Taking the Pulse of the Planet”

ABSTRACT

Abstract for RALAC Lichens, a symbiotic organism, are well known for their tolerance of a variety of environmental strains such as thermal and toxicant stressors. Coral reefs on the other hand, though also symbiotic, are fre-quently exposed and broken down by a series of similar environmental strains, eventually causing bleaching; the event of coral expelling their symbiotic partner, a class of algae known as Zooxanthellae. In this study, the research group is attempting to analyze how antioxidants, specifically glutathione, are genetically different from coral to lichens. Looking at the genetics of the protein that creates this specific antioxidant, glutathione synthase, the study is currently genetically sequencing and analyzing a va-riety of lichen samples and in the near future, coral. The goal of this project is to evaluate the variances in the genetic makeup of the glutathione syn-thase protein in both lichens and coral and determine whether these vari-ances are the reason behind why lichens can tolerate stress at a higher rate and intensity than coral can.



Ryan Felker

Lewis & Clark HS

A Model for Algae Based Reduction of Carbon Dioxide Emissions


ABSTRACT

This experiment was de-

signed to investigate the

carbon reduction capabili-

ties of various forms of

Algae and their potential

for future atmospheric

carbon reduction. Is algae

a suitable crop to use for

the reduction of

atmospheric pollution, and

if so, would single celled or

multi-celled algae be more

efficient in their carbon

reduction capabilities.

Many scientists have analyzed the potential carbon capture rates of genet-

ically modified algae, but its potential use in the future has been rocky and

unsteady due to high cost of production and limited space for algae farms.

Without any cost effective way to reduce carbon dioxide, our planet will con-

tinue to become polluted with carbon emissions. When 425 ml of single

celled and 425 ml of multi-celled algae were tested, the multi-celled algae

reduced carbon at a higher rate than the single celled algae compared to

the control of 425 ml of distilled water. Multi-celled algae on average re-

duced 19.8334 ppm/s over 10 minutes of carbon dioxide more than the con-

trol of distilled water. Single celled which did not reduce carbon dioxide but

rather had a higher output of carbon dioxide by 16.5 ppm/s over 10 minutes.

Further research will be needed to conclude why single celled algae put out

more carbon dioxide than the initial levels and why all three had an increase

in the concentration of carbon dioxide after passing through the water than

before the experiment.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Alyssa Hilfiker, Jessica Hatch & Claire Brock

Spokane Valley Tech

Shield

Award—Air Force Award for Outstanding Science and Engineer-

ing Fair Projects

ABSTRACT

Annually many of our overseas mili-tary suffer from severe injuries that are caused when they are thrown through the air following an explo-sion and hitting solid objects. By creating an experiment using ingre-dients found in everyday house-holds, it can be found that force im-pact severity can be lessened to create a safer uniform. By dropping heavy items on a non-Newtonian fluid, we can establish a reliable op-tion in war zone safety on a small scale. The mixture created showed drastically decreased force amounts when compared to other solutions (Other solution: 1103 Newton's, Mix-ture solution: 331.66 Newton’s) thus proving that it is a viable option.



Faith King

Ferris HS

Water Spherification for Astronauts

Award—ISEF Finalist,

Award—WSU College of Science Scholarship Recipient

Award—Air Force Award for Outstanding Science and Engineering

Fair Projects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this project was to engi-

neer an alternative method for trans-

porting water into space by using the

process of frozen reverse water spheri-

ficaiton. Moreover, the problem of

transporting water into space was also

tested against three environmental con-

ditions. The spheres were constructed

with sodium alginate and calcium lac-

tate gluconate. The sphere solution

consisted of 4.7g of calcium lactate glu-

conate per 1 cup of water, while the al-

ginate bath used to gel the spheres

was 1.18g per 1 cup of water. The cal-

cium solution was placed in trays and

put in the refrigerator and then gelled in

the alginate bath. Each tube consisted

of 18 spheres and 2 cups of distilled

water.

Tubes were tested in three environmental conditions. Results indicated that

the spheres thrived in temperatures ranging from 10 degrees Celsius to 23

degrees Celsius. If this method of packaging was accepted by NASA, the

two cups of distilled water in the tubes would be used to hydrate astronauts’

food, while the spheres would be used for consumption.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Conrad Knapp & Blake Shipley

Spokane Valley Tech

Portable Wind Turbine


ABSTRACT

When outdoor portable electrical devices run out of power and fail you it could turn into a crisis. By making a portable wind turbine, there is an easy way to supply renewable energy to that portable device. By use of a simple DC hobby motor, some foam board, an old telescope tripod, and a few Vex robotics parts, a portable wind turbine was born. Even though our turbine spins from low wind speeds, we still require a constant wind speed. The first prototype generated too low of a voltage to supply adequate power to the portable device. Our next steps will involve getting a different motor that will generate more volts with less torque. Modifications to the power source is predicted to provide adequate energy to a portable device, allow-ing further testing for generating electricity.



Michael Kron, Matthew Mickey & Ryan Leaming

North Central HS

Analysis of Pisaster ochraceus mitochondrial metabolic genes as

a clue to susceptibility and survival of Sea Star Wasting Disease

Award—US Stockholm Junior Water Prize Regional Award

ABSTRACT

Due to increased mortality rates of sea stars on the Eastern Pacific coast

associated with Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD) which is caused by Sea

Star associated Densovirus (SSaDV), this study was designed to find a po-

tential link between durable mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations and an

increased vulnerability to SSWD in Pisaster ochraceus along the Eastern

Pacific Coast. Using DNA extraction, PCR, and loci specific sequencing,

sea stars from various locations including the Puget Sound were analyzed

to assess the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that

may lead to decreased energy production in the organism. Shifts in energy

production due to mtDNA mutations, coupled with increasing water temper-

atures due to global warming may have consequences including increased

vulnerability to SSWD. By comparing sea star samples with maladaptive

SNPs to those known to have SSWD, this study hopes to find a correlation

between the maladaptive

SNP and the susceptibil-

ity to the disease.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Francis Neff & Steven Patrick

North Central HS

A SNP Analysis of the Pleiotropic Thermal Adaptive Regulatory

TRPV3 Gene in Columbian Mammoth

Award—Yale Science and Engineering Association Inc

ABSTRACT

There are many theories as to why Colum-bian Mammoth went extinct approximately 10,000 years ago. Population decline was likely due to a combination of factors, in-cluding shifts in ecosystems due to the in-crease in global temperature. Failure to heat regulate poses complex challenges to mammals. These factors prompted us to look at the ubiquitous mammal heat regulat-ingTRPV3 gene. This pleotropic gene acti-vates at 22-40C and has been shown to promote hot temperature regulating path-ways. The TRPV3 gene sequence has not been published in association with Columbian Mammoth, but when com-paring the TRPV3 sequence for African elephant, and to other mammal’s TRPV3 sequence, it appears to be relatively conserved. Recently, the Wooly Mammoth’s TRPV3 gene was sequenced and a single nucleotide polymorphism was identified that has a reverse pleotropic influence on the Wooly Mammoth; it provides Cold tolerance. Columbian Mammoths ranged much farther south, even into the tropics, than the Wooly Mammoth and would have needed both hot and cold pathways to have survived in its ex-panded range. What unique mutations in the TRPV3 gene did Columbian Mammoth have that allowed them to live a life of extremes? Utilizing PCR primers designed from conserved regions of the TRPV3 gene, DNA ex-tracted from Columbian Mammoth bone was successfully amplified using optimized protocols and is being prepared for DNA sequencing. Gene poly-morphisms will allow for analysis of gene function and may shed light on the extinction of mammoth and its relationship with climate change towards the end of the Pleistocene and much broader implications to modern mam-mals and Global Warming.



Seth Shellabarger

Ferris HS

Task switching between gamers and non-gamers


Fair Projects

ABSTRACT

In society’s work force, speed needs to be a

guarantee amongst peers. However, many

people are burdened by an accuracy-speed

trade off where the product of their work

worsens the faster they attempt to complete

it. A continuous debate is whether reaction

times can be reduced with a steady training

regimen where a person’s task-switching

can improve without the loss of accuracy.

Therefore the intent of this experiment was

to determine if gamers have an increased

capability of multitasking when compared to

those that do not play video games. I began

the experiment with subjecting twenty gam-

ers, ten male and ten female, along with 20

non-gamers, ten male and ten female to a

puzzle while I asked a series of questions

as well as timed their response time. After

gathering the total time for all participants, I placed the data in a two sample

T Test. Finding the P value of .1684569383. Due to the high P value, we can

conclude that the information gathered in this experiment supports the hy-

pothesis that gamers do not have an increased capability of multitasking

when compared to none gamers.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Avery Shulenbarger

Ferris HS

Effect of Ocean Acidification on Zooplankton Death Rates

Award—NASA Earth Systems Science Award

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this project was to test the effect of exposing zooplankton to pH levels that are lower than normal ocean levels. My hypothesis was that as pH levels were decreased, the copepods that I used in this experiment would die off at a significantly faster rate. In order to perform this experi-ment, I placed copepods into four different jars and used HCl and marine buffer to set each jar to a specific pH level (7.5, 7.8, 8.0, 8.2). I counted the number of dead plankton for fourteen days and compared them at the end of the project. Studying the data, it is clear that many plankton died off at a fairly quick rate in the more acidic wa-ter. In addition, many plankton survived through the entirety of the experiment in the water of normal ocean pH, while there were few or no surviving plankton in the jars of low pH water. After studying these results and statistically analyzing the data, I was able to come to the conclusion that abnormally low ocean pH levels have a neg-ative effect on the ability of copepods to survive and flourish. This indicates that plankton living in the ocean could be in danger if ocean acidification continues to progress as it has been since humans began polluting on a large scale.



Julianne Socha & Jacquie Egger

North Central HS

Analysis of the MADS-box gene within Malus Domestica due to

the presence of pesticides and the diversity they cause.


ABSTRACT

For decades pesticides have been used in apple production. It has been

known throughout the years that it has had an effect on the pests they are

designed for. This leads to question if apples have also been effected by

these aforementioned pesticides. It has been found that the MADS-box

gene controls the expression of tissue development. MADS-box is a highly

conserved region of the genome across different species; therefore, it can

be compared across a wide variety of apples. The study we conducted con-

sisted of 26 samples of 5 varieties. The methods used within this study are

sample collection, ethanol purification for DNA extraction, Dilution of DNA

extract based on results of Nanodrop and Gel electrophorisis checks, and

PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Changes have been made to optimize

original protocols and have been altered based upon prior experience with

apple tissue samples. It was concluded that the DNA contained many con-

taminants that inhibit PCR from working properly. The protocol of ethanol

purification was added to clean up the excess interference that was evident

when a simple DNA extraction was performed. The excess that occurred

previous resulted in multiple bands due to the multiple landing sites for the

primers. In order to decrease the issue of multiple bands the annealing tem-

perature will be adjusted in PCR. Through this process it can be concluded

that DNA from apple specifically can be difficult to acquire in a clean form

due to the protein and cell debris that get left behind

after extraction. It is also evident that through the use

of different means, such as ethanol purification, these

prohibitions can be avoided. This protocol has proven

to lead to a larger yield of DNA which in turn makes it

more manageable to compare DNA sequence due to

the quantity and quality acquired.

EWRSEF Abstracts



EWRSEF Abstracts

Nathaniel Stanley

Ferris HS

Effect of Blue Light on Sleep


Fair

ABSTRACT

The purpose of my experiment was to investigate the link between blue light wavelength and how it affects your quality of sleep. I had 20 subjects moni-tor their sleep for two weeks using a Fitbit fitness tracker. My subjects sent me their cumulative data each morning for a week. For the second week they used the night mode on their phone for at least an hour before bed each night. This blocked the blue light rays on their phone and allowed them to go to sleep faster, resulting in an overall better night’s sleep. I ran a de-pendent T test to statistically analyze my data. The resulting two-tailed P value was .0200 which by conventional criteria is considered to be statisti-cally significant. In conclusion, I accept my alternate hypothesis that block-ing blue light from your phone before bed will significantly improve sleep quality.



Claire Stromberg

Lewis & Clark HS

Body Image and Academic Performance

Award— ISEF Alternate & Honorable Mention

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to ex-amine any potential relationships be-tween body image and academic performance in high school students. The authors hypothesized that body image and school achievement are linked through the global self-esteem or similar environmental factors, and may correlate as such. A sample population of 78 students from grades 9 to 12 were given the Body Investment Scale to analyze body image attitudes and behaviors, and were asked their unweighted G.P.A. (out of 4.0) to represent academic performance in an online survey for-mat. A Pearson correlation coefficient of r=.067 indicated a slight positive correlation between the two varia-bles, which increased as positive outliers were eliminated. The results sug-gest that environmental and psychological influences that contribute to a student developing positive self-image and body attitudes also promote scholastic success.

EWRSEF Abstracts



Jake Windhorst

Spokane Valley Tech

The Downspout Converter


ABSTRACT

Purpose: With over 68% of all electricity generated in 2016 being from non-

renewable energy sources designing a product that can generate clean re-

newable energy from falling rainwater for individual homeowners would offer

a significant environmental and economic benefit.

Procedure: The downspout converter was designed and built via the use of

CAD software and 3D printing. Upon completion of the prototype it was rig-

orously tested to determine how many volts of electricity it would output with

varying volumes of water.

Results: With a starting volume of 300ml of water the device was able to

generate 0.08 volts of electricity. As the volume of water was increased to

its highest level 900ml it reached an average of 0.23 volts. Reliability of

tests were insured by running 3 trials per volume.

Conclusion: Examination of data from this prototype indicated that not

enough power would be generated to light a single LED bulb. The cause of

the low voltage generation was friction in the DC motor (used for generation

of electricity). Future prototypes will seek solutions to this issue as well as

strategies to increase overall voltage output such as the installation of multi-

ple turbines in a series. Alternatives to fossil fuels are high priority for the

sustainability of our planet and our economy.

EWRSEF Abstracts



ISEF Finalists—off to LA!

Faith King & Isaac Caruso

with Dr. Silvia Oliver Early morning set-up



Photoshoots

Faces & Scenes

@ 2017 EWRSEF



Photoshoots

Faces & Scenes

@ 2017 EWRSEF



2017 Conference Organizers

Documents

· combined with water to make mud. Cathode chambers were filled with 0.5 M NaCl solution. Carbon cloth electrodes were used to complete the circuit. Fuel cells exposed to additional