THE ANA G. MÉNDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM …srdc.suagm.edu/PDF/Symposia/Winter12/Conferece...The main goal of this program is to motivate high school students to pursue careers in science,

THE

ANA G. MÉNDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM (AGMUS)

AND THE

STUDENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SRDC)

AGMUS INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS

CARIBBEAN COMPUTING CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE

ARE PROUD TO HOST THE

WINTER 2012 PRE-COLLEGE

RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

SHOWCASING MINORITY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ MENTORED RESEARCH

Leadership at SUAGM Vice Presidency for Planning and Academic Affairs

Dr. Jorge L. Crespo Armáiz

Vice President for Planning and Academic Affairs

Juan F. Arratia, Ph. D.

Student Research Development Center

Executive Director

SHERATON PUERTO RICO CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

DECEMBER 15, 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………. 2

Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS) Profile ………………………….. 3

Conference at a Glance …………………………………………………………… 4

Message from the Vice President for Planning and Academic Affairs

Dr. Jorge Crespo…………………………………………………………… 5

Message from the Chancellor of Universidad Metropolitana

Dr. Carlos Padín, Acting Chancellor…………………………………………. 6

Message from the Chancellor of Universidad del Este

Carmen Ortega Dávila, Acting Chancellor.…………………………………… 7

Message from the Chancellor of Universidad del Turabo

Dr. Dennis Alicea………………………………………………………….. 8

Message from the Director and Principal Investigator

Dr. Juan F. Arratia ………………………………………………………… 9

Prologue…………………………………………………………………………… 10

Keynote Speaker…………………………………………………………………... 11

Research Mentors………………………………………………………………….. 12

Workshop Alice and Java Media Computation………………………………………... 18

AGMUS Institute of Mathematics………………………………………………… 19

Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence (CCCE) Alliance…………………… 20

Schedule of Events ………………………………………………………………… 21

Abstracts:

Astronomy………………………………………..………………….……... 53

Atmospheric Sciences……………………………………………………… 58

Biology…………………………………………………………………..…. 59

Genomics……………………………………………………………….…... 66

Bio-Mathematics……………………………………………………………. 84

Bio-Statistics………………………………………………………………... 104

Computational Chemistry…………………………………………………. 112

Computer Sciences………………………………………………………… 122

Applied Mathematics……………………………………………………… 149

Engineering………………………………………………………………… 150

Environmental Sciences……………………………………………………. 163

Applied Physics……………………………………………………………. 164

Robotics……………………………………………………………………. 165

Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………… 173

Index of Presenters ………………………………………………………………... 176

Ana G. Méndez University System


AGMUS Institute of Mathematics

Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence

MISSION

The Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) award granted by the National Science Foundation

(NSF) helped transform Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) into a nationally recognized

undergraduate research institution, and a model in science, technology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM). Mentoring of undergraduates and pre-college students by research

mentors was the cornerstone of the MIE Project. We believe that creative research is one of the

best ways to prepare students to become persistent and successful in graduate school and

professional careers. Today, the Student Research Development Center (SRDC), which is part of

the Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS), is the entity that continues the MIE strategy

by impacting students from the AGMUS and universities across the nation, as well as pre-college

students from the Puerto Rico Educational System. Two NSF grants, the AGMUS Institute of

Mathematics and the Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence are the funding tools to

implement the mission of the Student Research Development Center in Puerto Rico.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Model Institutions for Excellence ended in 2009. The primary goal of this cooperative

agreement with NSF was to increase the number of BS degrees granted to underrepresented

students in STEM fields at Universidad Metropolitana. Over 247 UMET STEM majors got their

BS degrees and 156 were transfer to graduate school. In order to increase the number of BS

degrees transferred to graduate school, we will continue with the strategy of an early

undergraduate research program and partnership with key research institutions in the US

mainland, Puerto Rico and abroad. Research mentoring will be the central component of the

knowledge transfer and creative thinking activities at AGMUS. Cooperative and collaborative

learning strategies, presentations at scientific conferences, scientific writing and co-authorship,

technology literacy, and preparation for graduate school are activities that are transforming the

philosophy of the institution. Now, with the NSF grants, the AGMUS Institute of Mathematics

and the Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence, the goals are reaching institutions outside

the AGMUS campuses in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

GOALS

The main goal of the Pre-College Research Symposium is to encourage pre-college research with

research mentors, develop students’ written and oral communication skills, provide a forum in

the Caribbean for students to foster interest in undergraduate education, particularly in STEM

fields, and set national research standards for pre-college research presentations.

ANA G. MENDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

STUDENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CENTER

AGMUS INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS


WINTER 2012 PRE-COLLEGE

RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012

SHERATON PR CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL

7:00 –8:00 a.m.

Registration Paseo San Juan Foyer

Breakfast Paseo San Juan Foyer & Corridor

Poster Session Set-Up Miramar Ballroom

7:30–8:00 a.m. Judges’ Meeting Laguna 2

8:00–8:20 a.m. Opening Ceremony San Juan Ballroom

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Barbara Ericson, Georgia Tech University

8:20–11:00 a.m.. Poster Session Miramar Ballroom

10:00–11:00 a.m Coffee Break Paseo San Juan Foyer & Corridor

11:00–12:50 m. Oral Research Presentations Session I Laguna 1

Session II Bahia 1

Session III Bahia 2

Session IV San Felipe

12:50–2:45 p.m. Lunch San Juan Ballroom

2:45–3:05 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

Awards Ceremony and Closing Remarks San Juan Ballroom

Symposium Adjourns

WORKSHOPS FOR SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS

12:00 – 4:00 p.m.

“Alice and Java Media Computation”

Dr. Barbara Ericson, Georgia Tech University San Cristobal Room

December 15, 2012

Dear Pre-College Students:

The Winter 2012 Pre-College Research Symposium is the culmination of the activities and dissemination process of

the Saturday Academy Program of the Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS). For a period of four months,

since August 2012, all of you, more than three hundred-thirty one pre-college students from ninety private and

public high schools in Puerto Rico worked long hours in the research laboratories of the AGMUS campuses,

Polytechnic University, Inter-American University-San Germán, Barranquitas, Bayamón and Metro, the University

of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez and Humacao, the University of the Virgin Islands, the Arecibo Observatory and María

Reina Academy, with the guidance and mentorship of fourty-eight professors and student research mentors in two-

hundred thirty-three research projects in the areas of astronomy, atmospheric sciences, biology, genomics, bio-

mathematics, bio-statistics, computational chemistry, computer sciences, applied mathematics, engineering,

environmental sciences, physics, and robotics.

One of the objectives of the Winter 2012 Pre-College Research Symposium is to offer young motivated high school

researchers the opportunity to learn and to practice their communication skills in a formal professional scientific

meeting. A second objective is to give high school students of Puerto Rico a forum for the presentation of the

results and findings of their research projects to teachers, research mentors, family members, and the university

community at large.

The Ana G. Méndez University and the Student Research Development Center are proud of the results obtained by

the pre-college students and their mentors in the Winter 2012 Saturday Academy Program and the Winter 2012 Pre-

College Research Symposium. I hope your experience inspires you and your peers to select science, technology,

engineering or mathematics as your field of study in the near future.

My sincere appreciation goes to the Student Research Development Center staff and student research mentors for

their effort and commitment to implement the Winter 2012 Saturday Academy Program and the Winter 2012 Pre-

College Research Symposium. This event would not have been possible without the ongoing support of the

National Science Foundation and the NASA Puerto Rico Space Grant Consortium.

Sincerely yours,

Juan F. Arratia, Ph. D.

Executive Director and Principal Investigator

Developing Minds Through

Research Experiences

Student Research Development Center PO Box 21150

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00928-1150

Tel: 787.766.1717 x.6000

Fax: 787.751.5386

Web: http://srdc.suagm.edu

http://srdc.suagm.edu/

ANA G. MÉNDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM (AGMUS)

As an Educational Institution

The Ana G. Méndez University System (AGMUS) is home to approximately 43,500 undergraduate and graduate students who

are mainly underrepresented low-income minority students from the Metropolitan San Juan area in Puerto Rico. Three

institutions form the AGMUS University System: Universidad Metropolitana (UMET), Universidad del Este (UNE), and

Universidad del Turabo (UT). UMET has been a teaching institution since its foundation in 1948. Today, however, its

philosophy has been changing to address the students’ study needs and the requirements of society. Our President, Dr. José F.

Méndez, has set the agenda to have it become the best undergraduate research institution in Puerto Rico. Additionally, the

President has set the goal to implement the MIE best practices at UNE and UT and transform AGMUS into a leading

undergraduate research institution through the Student Development Center at the Vice Presidency for Planning and Academic

Affairs.

As an Undergraduate Research Institution

In 1995, UMET was selected by the National Science Foundation as a Model Institution for Excellence (MIE) school. At that

time, a five-year Cooperative Agreement for more than $11 million was signed between UMET and the NSF. A second

Cooperative Agreement was signed on October 1, 2000 for an additional three years and for $7.5 million. The third phase of the

MIE grant for $2.5 million for three additional years was awarded on October 1, 2003. The main objective of the relationship

with NSF has been to transform UMET into a model for Hispanic Serving Institutions in the nation. Our major goal has been to

increase the number of BS degrees granted by UMET, to transfer a significant number of science students to graduate school, and

to enroll them in Ph. D. programs to fulfill the goals and aspirations of a greater participation of minorities in the science,

mathematics, and engineering fields. After 13 years of funding, UMET has been transformed through the MIE activities by

producing an effective pipeline from pre-college to undergraduate, and from undergraduate to graduate school for hundreds of

underrepresented minorities from Puerto Rico. It has also been transformed with faculty research mentors who are helping

science students create knowledge and disseminate creative thinking among the members of the university and pre-college

community. Our undergraduate and pre-college research program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and NASA,

are paving the way for research-oriented activities for the benefit of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands students.

PROLOGUE

The sponsorship of the National Science Foundation has been fundamental for the implementation of the Pre-College Program at

the Ana G. Méndez University System at Universidad Metropolitana. For thirteen years, the Model Institutions for Excellence

(MIE) Project organized the Saturday Academy Program. In 2006, a new dimension was established with the dissemination of

the MIE best practices into Universidad del Turabo and Universidad del Este (UNE) under the Student Research Development

Center. The main goal of this program is to motivate high school students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering

and mathematics at the BS and graduate levels. The Saturday Academy Program usually extends for sixteen weeks during the

months of August through December. Students from public and private schools, enrolled in grades 10, 11 and 12, conduct

research under the mentorship of faculty and student research mentors from AGMUS and institutions in the US mainland and

abroad. More than two thousand pre-college students have learned the fundamentals of scientific research through their

participation in the Saturday Academy Program at AGMUS. For the last six years, a symposium has been organized to present

the results of this activity to the university community and to motivate other Puerto Rican students to engage in scientific

research.

The Winter 2012 Pre-College Research Symposium showcases the research experiences of three-hundred thirty-one (331) pre-

college students from public and private high schools from Puerto Rico. The mentorship of faculty and undergraduate research

mentors made possible the concretization of the research projects. Their results are documented in the pages of these proceedings.

The National Science Foundation, the Ana G. Méndez University System, the Student Research Development Center and

institutions of the Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence across Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are proud of the

research work conducted by the Saturday Academy Winter 2012 participants. We hope this Symposium will be a vehicle by

which the scientific productivity of high school students from Puerto Rico will be disseminated in future years.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Barbara Ericson

Prof. Barbara Ericson is a research scientist at Georgia Tech University and is also a part-time PhD

student in Human Centered Computing. She has a bachelor’s and masters’ degrees in Computer Science.

She has developed and taught continuing education courses and undergraduate courses for Georgia Tech

University. At present, she is working for the Institute for Computing Education at the College of

Computing at Georgia Tech. She is trying to improve the quality and quantity of secondary computing

teachers. She is also trying to increase the quantity and diversity of CS students in Georgia. She has

worked in several research labs including General Motors Research Labs, Bell Communication Research,

and the Institute for Paper Science and Technology. She also worked at NCR and Clark Atlanta

University. Prof. Ericson is the author of several computer science textbooks on Media Computation in

Java, Media Computation in Phyton, Exploring Wonderland and Problem Solving with Data Structures

Using Java. She and her husband were the winners of the 2010 Karl V. Karlstrom Outstanding

Computing Educator Award. She is also the winner of the 2012 A. Richard Newton Educator Award for

her efforts to attract more females to computing. She has been working in computer science for over 20

years. She has worked on 3d graphics, artificial intelligence, robotics, medical informatics,

telecommunications, finite element analysis and object-oriented development.

RESEARCH MENTORS

Dr. Juan F. Arratia

Dr. Juan F. Arratia was born in Pomaire, Chile. He graduated from Universidad Técnica del Estado with a BS in

Electrical Engineering in 1973. He was awarded an MSc in Engineering from Louisiana Tech University, Ruston,

Louisiana, in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri in

1985. He has taught and conducted research at universities in Chile (Universidad Técnica del Estado and

Universidad Austral de Chile), Puerto Rico (Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico and the University of Puerto

Rico-Mayaguez), and in the US mainland at Washington University, St. Louis, and Louisiana Tech University,

Ruston, Louisiana. He has lectured and given conferences on advanced automation, robotics, vision systems,

artificial intelligence, total quality management and science and engineering education in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador,

Guatemala, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Nicaragua, Perú, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, Japan, Philippines,

Singapore, Australia, China, Puerto Rico and in the US mainland. He was the Advanced Manufacturing Manager for

Medtronic, Inc., a leading pacemaker company, and is a consultant in advanced automation for pharmaceutical and

medical devices companies in Puerto Rico. From 1998 to 2006, he was the Director and Principal Investigator of the

Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) Project, a National Science Foundation sponsored program based at

Universidad Metropolitana in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since 2007, he has been the Executive Director of the Ana G.

Méndez University System (AGMUS) Student Research Development Center, designed to disseminate MIE best

practices at Universidad del Turabo and Universidad del Este. In November 2007 he was awarded the Presidential

Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring at a ceremony in the White House in

Washington DC.

Yvonne Avilés Yvonne Avilés has a B.S in Computer Engineering and a M.S. in Computer Engineering, both from the University

of Puerto Rico at its Mayaguez Campus.

In 2000, she started her career as a Software Engineer in the Research and Development Group for Lucent

Technologies in North Andover, MA. Within Lucent, she also worked in the hardware division as a Verification

Engineer. Later, fond of an academic environment, she pursued a teaching career at Inter-American University of

Puerto Rico in San Germán, as a Computer Science Professor. Prof. Avilés teaches computer programming,

computer graphics, and discrete mathematics at the undergraduate level.

Katherine Calderón Mojica Katherine Calderón Mojica is an undergraduate student of the bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry at the

University of Puerto Rico at Humacao. In July 2011, she obtained her Associate Degree in Chemical Technology at

the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao. She is a Scholar student in the Caribbean Computing Center

for Excellence. She has made several summer internships related to the area of computational chemistry at Jackson

State University in Mississippi where she received recognition as the second place in an oral presentation for

organic chemistry research in the computational chemistry area. She currently works as a computational chemistry

mentor in the Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance program (NSF-BPCA) at UPRH. She also works at

the UPRH CADA (Centro de Apoyo y Desarrollo Académico) program to help students in the tutorials of general

chemistry and organic chemistry. She wants to continue studying towards an MD /PhD in organic chemistry. Her

great desire in the professional field of chemistry area is to become a professor of organic chemistry.

Joehan B. Carrasquillo Born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Joehan Benjamin Carrasquillo-García had aspirations of being an electrical engineer

since an early age. While in high school, he enrolled in a pre-college engineering program called Steps. Currently he

is studying Electrical and Computer Engineering wishing to continue his studies in graduate school. He has

participated in two internship opportunities “Integration of SIFT Computer Vision Algorithm to the Tekkotsu

Famework” and “Emulation of a HEV Battery on a Power-Supply” at Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh, PA.) and

Michigan Tech (Houghton, MI) Universities respectively, both internship opportunities under the National Science

Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program. He has also participated in various design projects

under the “MEPI BioGen” Co. of the University of Turabo (Gurabo, PR.) and other design opportunities. Joehan is

currently in his senior year, and applying for graduate school. Much of the things he has accomplished are thanks to

the NSF (National Science Foundation), AGMUS (the Ana G. Mendez University System), the SRDC (Student

Research Development Center) and the CCCE (Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence) and their support.

Laysa Michelle Claudio González Laysa M. Claudio González is an undergraduate student of the B.A. in Industrial Chemistry at the University of

Puerto Rico at Humacao. She graduated from an Associate Degree in Chemical Technology at the University of

Puerto Rico at Humacao in June 2011. She loved chemistry and that is the reason why she learned computational

chemistry, especially computational biochemistry through the Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance

(NSF-BPCA) program at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao. Before being a mentor, she was assistant

mentor in Computational Chemistry. In the future, she wants to obtain an M.D./P.h.D in Surgery. She also wants

work in an investigation about cancer, and investigate proteins that are essential in vital processes and on the

analysis of human DNA, but with a focus on chemistry.

Alvaro Lecompte Montes Alvaro Lecompte is a mechanical engineer. He has a BS in mathematics and physics from the University of Los

Andes, Colombia. He has an MS and Dr.rer.nat in Physics from the University of Vienna, Austria. He has had a long

career as university professor of mathematics and physics and is currently Coordinator of the Master Program in

Applied Mathematics at Inter American University, San German Campus. His research areas have been focused on

mathematical physics, particularly quantum statistical physics, with its applications to thermodynamics and quantum

information theory. He teaches mathematical methods in science courses both at the undergraduate and graduate

levels.

Prof. Guillermo Mejía Professor Guillermo Mejía is full-time Assistant Professor since 1976, with areas of expertise in C#, Visual Basic,

ASP.NET, Intel Assembly Language, Visual C++, and Object-oriented programming. His teaching interest is in

Networks and multiprogramming. He has been teaching computer programming at Inter American University since

1985, always working with students trying to get them interested in Computer Science careers.

Dr. Marlio Paredes

Dr. Paredes was born in Cali, Colombia. He has a B.S. and an M.S. in Mathematics, both from Universidad del

Valle in Cali, Colombia. In 2000 he obtained a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the State University of Campinas in

Brazil and his specialization area is Differential Geometry and its applications. He has published several scientific

papers in specialized journals; his research work is in a variety of areas such as Combinatorics, Differential

Geometry, Differential Equations, Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Education. In 2001 he published a paper

with Professor Brendan McKay from Australian National University and as a consequence he was included in the

famous Erdös Number List (http://www.oakland.edu/enp/) obtaining Erdös Number 2. He has taught and

conducted research at universities in Colombia (Universidad del Valle and Universidad Industrial de Santander),

Brazil (State University of Campinas) and Puerto Rico (Universidad del Turabo). He has lectured and given

conferences in Colombia, Brazil, México, Puerto Rico, Canada and the United States. Dr. Paredes has held academic

positions such as Director of the School of Mathematics and Research Director of the Faculty of Science at

Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia. At this moment he is Co-PI of the NSF project BPC-A: Caribbean

Computing Center for Excellence at Universidad del Turabo and he is also Mathematics curriculum specialist of the

Turabo Math and Science Alliance (AMCT, Spanish acronym).

http://www.oakland.edu/enp/

Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo

Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo is a professor of Chemistry at the School of Science and Technology at Universidad

Metropolitana in San Juan. She has a Ph.D in materials science from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

Campus. She also has a post-doctoral training at Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. Dr. Primera has been

involved in research activities related to areas of nanotechnology and synthesis of nanomaterials using the wet-

chemistry approach and vibrational spectroscopy for seven years. Her research interests are the synthesis and

surface modification of silver and gold nanoparticles and semiconductors as cadmium selenide and lead selnide

quantum dots. Also, the IR/Raman spectroscopies and Susrface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) applied to

chemical and biological detection. Dr. Primera has several publications in peer reviewed journals and proceedings,

and has made oral and poster presentations in national and international meetings. Some important contributions

have been disseminated in well-known ACS meetings, NANO-DDS, SPIE conferences in explosive detection

sponsored by the International Society for Optical Engineering. In addition, Dr. Primera has a solid experience in

mentoring pre-college, undergraduate and graduate students not only in research but also in their academic goals. As

part of the formation of her undergraduate students, they are authors and coauthors of some publications. Dr.

Primera also has mentored students from universities such as Pittsburg, Northeastern and Polytechnic Institute in

NY as part of NSF sponsored REU programs during UPRM- summer sessions. In addition, Dr. Primera has

participated in the organization of NanoDays educational activities in PuertRico and she has been a judge in national

pre-college Science Fairs in Puerto Rico and Mississippi. She currently has start-up funds projects with the Institute

for Functionalization Materials (IFN) from the University of Puerto Rico sponsored by the National Science

Foundation (NSF). She is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and Material Research Society

(MRS).

Ramón Rivera Varona

Ramón Rivera Varona is a Mechanical Engineer with extensive experience, management skills and work at the

Plasma Laboratory at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. The Plasma Engineering Laboratory is currently

developing research on basic physics of electron cyclotron resonance, ion implantation in a diversity of materials,

basic research in the use of plasma for energy production, plasma diagnostic using electrostatic probes and magnetic

field of confinement. As a scientist, he is responsible for the development of this machine that has the advantage of

magnetically confining stable plasma. Ramon Rivera Varona won Second Place Award in the Annual Arizona

Student Research Conference poster presentation in 2007, Third Place Award in The Eastern Technical Career

Conference in October 2006, Second Place Award in the Annual Arizona Student Research Conference poster

presentation in 2006, and received a certificate of achievement from NASA Living with a Star/Solar Probe for

demonstrated cooperation, initiative, and outstanding performance as member of the Solar Probe Plasma Testing in

August 2006.

Natalia C. Santiago

Natalia Cristal Santiago Merced started as a pre-college student at Universidad Metropolitana. Her early research

experience was in the Spring 2009 Saturday Academy Pre-College Program at Universidad Metropolitana (UMET).

She conducted the research “Study of Differences and Consequences in Mutations of the SGSH Gene.” Santiago

Merced presented her research on May 23, 2009 at the Spring 2009 Pre-College Research Symposium sponsored by

the Ana G. Méndez University System(AGMUS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was awarded the Best Poster

Presentation. In the summer of 2009, Natalia participated in a research internship at the University of Vermont. She

was accepted in the Early Admission Program and was a freshman in the Bio-Mathematics BS at Universidad

Metropolitana in the Fall of 2009. Natalia participated in another research in the Fall of 2009 at the Saturday

Academy Pre-College Program at UMET. She conducted the research “Comparison of Phosphorus and Macro-

invertebrates in Two Streams Surrounded by Different Ecosystems” and presented it at the Fall 2009 Pre-College

Research Symposium. She was awarded the Best Poster Presentation. She participated in the Spring 2010 Saturday

Academy Pre-College Program at UMET and conducted the research “Comparison of Phosphorus and

Macroinvertebrates in Two Streams Surrounded by Different Ecosystems” and presented it at the Spring 2010 Pre-

College Research Symposium. She was awarded the Best Poster Presentation. In the summer of 2010, she

participated in a research internship at the University of Vermont. Natalia conducted the research “Relationship of

Lotic Macroinvertebrates Communities to Phosphorus and Suspended Solids” and presented it at some symposiums

including the XXI Research Symposium and SACNAS. In the summer 2011, she participated in a research

internship at Arizona State University and conducted the research “Evolutionary Analysis of Disease-Associated of

Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 Gene (FGFR3 Gene),” which she presented at the AGMUS 2011 Research

Symposium sponsored.

Brenda C. Torres

Brenda C. Torres is a first year student from the doctoral program of Environmental Sciences with concentration of

Biology, at the Turabo University. She holds a bachelor degree on Computer Engineering, with Mathematics and

Statistics as a second concentration, from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral obtained in Guayaquil, Ecuador;

country where she comes from. Also, she completed a master degree in Mathematics and Statistics in 2009 in Puerto

Rico. Her research was about statistics model to describe and classify senior people living in Spain according to

their leisure time habits. The results of her investigation were presented at the SACNAS Conference in San José,

California in October 2011. Her interests about life science motivated her to begin the PhD program at Turabo

University in August 2011. She is currently studying stochastic differential equations to model pollution issues. Her

strong background and teaching experiences as TA while she was enrolled at the master program, and as former

mentor of the AFAMAC program, led her to participate since August 2011 as a mentor in the biostatistics and

genomics division at Turabo University. She is also interested in genomics and modeling as fields of research.

Pieter Van der Meer

After obtaining a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering with a major in Transportation using Geographic

Information Systems (GIS) as an analysis tool, Pieter Van der Meer joined the University of Puerto Rico at

Mayagüez as a GIS Specialist. He became a facilitator, coordinator and Lab Instructor of the Laboratory for Applied

Remote Sensing and Image Processing (LARSIP) from NASA, located within the facilities of the Department of

Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. He was instrumental in

creating a “Research Culture” in LARSIP during the summer and between semesters by starting and continuing a

LARSIP Summer Research Program for high school and undergraduate students during the1990s. The high school

students were attending various high schools in the Mayagüez and San Germán areas. The emphasis of the research

program was on hands-on training in the use of computers and on research topics using the Internet. In addition, the

students were required to prepare abstracts and papers and give presentations to their colleagues at conferences

about their topic of interest. In 1998, he was instrumental in receiving the five-year (later extended to seven)

Partnership for Spatial and Computational Research (PaSCoR) award from NASA to provide undergraduate

students the opportunity to experience for the first time on the Mayagüez Campus an academic environment for

multidisciplinary training in several faculties: College of Agricultural Sciences, Arts and Sciences and Engineering

as desired by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology, also called ABET 2000. Through PaSCoR,

the next generation of multidisciplinary Scientists and Engineers received a well balanced education of theory in

several disciplines together with a strong component of hands-on training and practice. The intention was and still is

to prepare the students adequately for the real world without extensive additional education and training at the

company’s or government’s expense.

Edgardo Luis Vázquez Rodríguez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His hobbies include

playing the trumpet in big bands, jazz orchestras, and popular music orchestras. From playing the trumpet, Edgardo

has participated in numerous international jazz festivals including the Heineken Jazz Festival (held in Puerto Rico)

and the International Jazz Festival from Carolina. In June 2007, he was admitted in the first extracurricular

specialized school of science, mathematics, technology and languages (also known as Escuela Pa’los Duros) in

Carolina, Puerto Rico. This specialized school helped Edgardo realize and reach his potential in mathematics. In his

last year in the school he had the opportunity of attending the AGMUS Saturday Academy where he worked on two

pre-college research projects in the areas of genomics entitled A Computational Study of Amino Acid Substitution in

the SMPD1 Gene (2009) and A Computational Study of Amino Acid Substitution in the RASAL 1 Gene (2010) which

he later presented in pre-college conferences. Edgardo graduated with honors in 2010 from Saint Francis School and

Pa’los Duros. Then he attended his first summer internship at Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) where he

conducted his third research entitled Pandemic of AH1N1 Influenza Virus and Vaccination Effectiveness (2010).

After the internship, Edgardo started college at UMET studying Bio-Mathematics with a full scholarship from the

National Science Foundation. During his freshman year, he attended two national conferences in the United States

presenting his summer research- the 68th

Joint Annual Meeting of the BKX Honor Society/National Institute of

Science (held in Atlanta, Georgia) and the 2011 Richard Tapia Conference (held in San Francisco, California).

Later, in the summer of 2011, he attended an the Massachusets Institute of Technology (MIT), where he conducted

his fourth research, Hierarchical Analysis of Music and Spider Silk using Category Theory. Edgardo attended the

Society for the Advancement Hispanics, Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) 2011 conference

(held in San Jose, California), and the 2012 Joint Mathematical Meeting (held in Boston, Massachusetts). He is

currently a mentor in the AGMUS Saturday Academy in the areas of Genomics, Bio-Statistics, and Bio-

Mathematics, which is his main major at UMET.

ANA G. MENDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEMSTUDENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CENTER


Date: Saturday, December 15, 2012

Time: 1:00-5:00pm

Place: Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention

Center Hotel

San Juan, P.R.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

Tomas Yan, CCCE Coordinator

Tel. (787)766-1717 ext. 6945

Email: [email protected]

Teachers who complete the workshop will receive a $50.00 stipend.

Please confirm. Limited spaces. Parking Not Included. Please bring your

own personal computer. It is required to know Java and Alice.

For registration, go to:

http://srdc.suagm.edu/Symposia/Winter12/

workshop_registration.html

Offered by

Dr. Barbara EricsonFrom: Georgia Tech University

The Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence

invites you to participate in the workshop for teachers:

Universidad Metropolitana

For more information contact :

Wanda I. Rodríguez Lugo

Coordinator of Institute of Mathematics

Tel: (787) 766-1717 x6009

Fax: (787)751-5386

Email. [email protected]

[email protected]

The history of the AGMUS Institute of Mathematics began on September 1, 2008 when the National ScienceFoundation awarded UMET a five-year grant for $2,100,000 to implement a program to enhance bio mathematicsat the Ana G. Méndez University System. The grant created a BS in Bio-Mathematics with scholarshipopportunities for students with a GPA of 3.00 or higher and a commitment to pursue graduate studies in partnerinstitutions in the US mainland. During the summer, math scholars will travel to research institutions in the USmainland to work in research for a period of 8-10 weeks. A pre-college research agenda will be implemented onSaturdays under the Saturday Academy of the Student Research Development Center (SRDC) of the Vice-Presidency for Planning and Academic Affairs. Scholars of the AGMUS Institute of Mathematics will presentresearch outcomes in symposia at the pre-college and undergraduate levels

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

· Scholarship for the cost of Registration*· Stipend of $400*

*This stipend is computed according to the student GPA and is subject to renovation is accordance with academic progress.

ELIGIBILITY· Be admitted at the Department of Science and Technology at UMET in the Bachelor Degree in Bio-Mathematics.

New Students· Have a general high school average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher - Score of 600 or higher in the math section of the College Board Exam.

Transferred Students· Have a general high school average (GPA) of 3.00

Web Page: http://www.suagm.edu/umet/im/

ANA G. MENDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEMSTUDENT RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CENTER

AGMUS Institute of MathematicsCARIBBEAN COMPUTING CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADE 10, 11 AND 12 STUDENTS IN:

STARTING DATE: JANUARY 19 – MAY 11, 2013WORKING HOURS: 8:00am – 12:00n

PRE-COLLEGE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM: MAY 11, 2013

AGMUS INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS SATURDAY ACADEMY SITES:UMET, UNE, TURABO, UPR-MAYAGUEZ

RESEARSCH AREAS: GENOMICS, BIO-MATHEMATICS, BIO-STATISTICS AND GEO-SCIENCE, APPLIED MATHEMATICS

CARIBBEAN COMPUTING CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE SATURDAY ACADEMY SITE: UMET, UNE, TURABO, UPR-MAYAGUEZ, UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA, INTER-METRO, INTER

SAN GERMAN, INTER-BAYAMON, INTER-BARRANQUITA, ARECIBO OBSERVATORYRESEARCH AREAS: COMPUTER SCIENCE, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT :

Wanda I. Rodríguez, Institute of Mathematics Coordinator

Tomas Yan, CCCE CoordinatorTEL. 787.766-1717 ext. 6009,6945

EMAIL. [email protected]

[email protected]

Requirement: GPA > 3.00

Interest in sciences and mathematicsLetter of recommendation for science or

math teacher and Official transcript

For registration: http://www.suagm.edu/umet/im/precollege or http://ccce.suagm.edu/

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012 SHERATON PR CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

POSTER SESSION SET-UP

Breakfast

REGISTRATION

Miramar Ballroom

Paseo SJ Foyer & Corridor

Paseo San Juan Foyer

8:00 – 8:20 a.m. OPENING CEREMONY San Juan Ballroom

Welcome : Dr. Juan F. Arratia, Executive Director


Keynote Speaker: Dr. Barbara Ericson, Georgia Tech University

8:20 – 10:40 a.m. POSTER SESSION MIRAMAR BALLROOM

ASTRONOMY, ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES,

BIOLOGY, GENOMICS, BIO-MATHEMATICS, BIO-

STATISTICS, COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY,

COMPUTER SCIENCES, APPLIED MATHEMATICS

ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES,

PHYSICS, NANOTECHNOLOGY AND ROBOTICS

Chairperson: Dr. Juan F. Arratia, Universidad Metropolitana

ASTRONOMY

César Del Valle; La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto

Rico.

Bana Space Settlement: Life Support

1

Joel E. Fuentes, CROEM High School, Mayagüez,

Puerto Rico.

Cosmic Ray Muons: Zenith Angle Related Flux Intensity

Equation and Energy Radiation Comparison

2

**ORAL** 3

BEST POSTER

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

José Antonio Cesaní Rivera, Immaculate Conception

Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The Different Colors of Fire

4

BIOLOGY

María Teresa Arroyo, Southwestern Educational

Society (SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Which Involuntary Physiological Response is the Most

Common when a Subject is Submitted to a Polygraph

Test?

5

Dafne Cordero and Coralia Durán, Inmaculada

Concepción School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The Neurological Effects and Observations of General

Anesthesia

6

Viviani López, Immaculate Conception Academy,

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The Hair Loss Effect of Tobacco Smoking

7

Chelsea Marrero, Christian Nazarene Academy, Toa Baja,

Puerto Rico.

Edmilaudy González, Dr. Agustin Stahl High School,

Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Synthesis of Gold Nanospheres-Citrate Capped and Silver

Hidroxylamine: Stability Effect on the RPMI-1640 Cell

8

Astrid M. Martínez Peña, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo

Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Statistic Study of Bacteria Growth Inhibition Using CdSe

Quantum Dots

9

Teddy Medina, Southwestern Educational Society

(SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Treating Cancer Cells with Different Substances and

Comparing the Results

10

BEST POSTER

Roberto Olayo, Inmaculada Concepción Academy,


Analyzing Growth of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae After

Being Exposed to UV Light Using Matlab

11

GENOMICS

Saimara Alejandro and Gian C. Padilla, Bautista de

Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Whole Genome Prediction for Clinical Use Studies of

Hispanics

12

No Show

Silkia M. Alvarado Zayas, Santa Teresita Academy,

Naranjito, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Study of Lamin-A

13

Natalia Amaral, Puertorriqueño de Niñas School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Study of MECP2

14

Kristie Caminero and Karilys Rodríguez, Bautista de


Whole Genome Prediction for Clinical Use in Adults

15

Zoribel Cordero and Carolyn M. Colón, Bautista de


Whole Genome Prediction With Sleep Apnea Studies

16

Amanda M. Crastz Flores, Nuestra Señora de la

Providencia School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Comparative Analysis of a Depletion on the AGK Gene

in Two Organisms that Cause Sengers Syndrome

17

Kilian Crastz Flores, Nuestra Señora de la Providencia

School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Comparative Analysis of the Protein that Causes

Polydactyly on Different Species

18

BEST POSTER

Jamie Lee Cruz Ortiz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo


Bioinformatics Study of Proteins Related to the

Fibromyalgia Disease

19

Ian Febus and Natalie González, Caguas Military

Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Mutations on the Gene GATA2 of Moebius Syndrome

20

Nacexlyn Flores, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Application of Punnett Square to Equine Coat Color

Genetics

21

Maroly C. González-Pérez, Papa Juan XXIII High

School, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Neurofibromin and Merlin

Proteins

22

Michael Hicks, Diocesano Santiago Apóstol School,

Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Computational Study of Hypophosphatasia Including

Amino Acid Substitution of the ALPL Protein

23

Carlos A. Huang-Zhu, Virginia S. Rodríguez-Domínguez,

Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Study of SPRED1 and SPRED2

24

Jonathan López de León, C.R.O.E.M. School,


Bioinformatics Study of the Filaggrin Protein as a Cause

of Atopic Dermatitis

25

Natalie López Rodríguez, Inmaculada Concepción

Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Stability and Verification of TATP Fragment Cation in

Gas Phase

26

José Luis Marrero, Santa Teresita Academy, Naranjito, 27

Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Study of the SLC26A2 Protein

NO SHOW

Michael Nieves, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Genetic Prediction Under Diabetic Neuropathy Study

28

Natalie A. Nieves Echevarría, Papa Juan XXIII High School,


The Analysis of the Mutation in COL1A1 and COL1A2 Genes

Using Bioinformatics Tools

29

Miguel Ortiz Mercado, University High School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

SIFT Probability of Amino Acid Substitution Tolerance

of Coagulation Factor VII

30

Jaymarie Osorio, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo,

Puerto Rico.

Mutations in the Gene GNAS1 of the Mccune-Albright

Syndrome

31

Rodney P. Padovani Casanova, Luterano School,

Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Computational Study of Syndrome MODY3 Involving

the Protein HNF-1Α

32

Andrea Rivera, Carvin School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Computational Study of Amino Acid Substitution of the

OTC Gene

33

Zoralis L. Rosa-Mercado, Levittown Baptist Academy,

Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatic Analysis of SOX10 in the Waardenburg

Syndrome

34

Lizette Sáez, Santa María del Camino School, Carolina,

Puerto Rico.

35

Bioinformatics Analysis of Friedreich Ataxia Disease

Kathyana P. Santiago Mangual, Puertorriqueño de

Niñas School, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Study of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

in Women

36

Andrea Sosa, San Rafael School, Quebradillas, Puerto

Rico.

Deysharee M. López, Calasanz School, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Whole Genome Prediction for Clinical Use in

Adolescents

37

Gabriela D. Talavera-Santiago, Santa María del

Camino School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Analysis of the ABCD1 Mutation that

Causes X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

38

John D. Vélez Rivera, Vocational High School, Fajardo,

Puerto Rico.

Amino Acid Sequence Bioinformatic Analysis in HGD

39

BIO-MATHEMATICS

Joshua J. Adames Avilés, San Rafael Arcángel School,

Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

How a Person can be Ecofriendly Depending on Energy

Usage

40

Hermes Aponte, Bonneville School, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

The Mathematical Modeling of Vascular and Avascular

Breast Cancer

41

Jesús Aponte, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.

Optimal Tire Pressure for the Best Durability

42

BEST POSTER

Alondra Y. Báez, Manuela Toro Morice High School,

Caguas, Puerto Rico.

A Statistical Model to Analyze Ozone Depletion Due to

CFC Emissions

43

Nydiana Benítez, Isidro A. Sánchez School, Luquillo,

Puerto Rico.

Analysis of Amino Acid Substitution Tolerance of the

MRP6 Protein

44

Gabriel Castro, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Descriptive Analysis of Dengue Fever in Puerto Rico

45

Kalijah Chapman and Kristal Román, Educación

Bilingüe de Cidra School, Cidra, Puerto Rico.

The Comparison of the Von Williebrand Gene in Homo

Sapiens and Mus musculus

46

Nicohl I. Cintrón Rodríguez, University Gardens High


HIV Transmission Statistics Using the SIR Mathematical

Model

47

Keren Cruz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Destruction of the Human Body through the Use of

Alcohol

48

Bryan Fuentes, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Prediction Model for the Bee Colony Collapse Disorder

49

Laura García Canto, University Gardens High School,

San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Studying Sleep Patterns Using Mathematical Models

50

Fernando Guzmán, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.

51

BEST POSTER

Relationship Between Unemployment and Homicides-

Murders in Puerto Rico

Michael Hernández, Christian Nazarene Academy,

Levittown, Puerto Rico.

Implications of Oxidative Process in Genes Related to

Diabetes Mellitus

52

Esteban López Merced, Nuestra Señora de la Merced


How Water Quality Affects the Biodiversity of El

Yunque

53

Leysa A. López González and Verónica C. Fraguada

Rodríguez, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Statistical Analysis of the Components of Milk in

Different Species

54

Carol Mercado Santana, José Collazo Colón School,

Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Descriptive Analysis of Sexual Abuse in Puerto Rican

Women

55

Eduardo Pagán, University Gardens High School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

A Disease Called Asthma

56

Luana M. Paredes Sánchez, Notre Dame School,


Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors and Their Application in

the Inheritance Evolution of Batten Disease

57

Abner Pérez Cabán, Nuestra Señora de la Merced, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Mortality Relationship Between Adult Women and Fetus

58

Miriam Ramos, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

59

BEST POSTER

Computational Study of GAP Junction Beta1 Mutation in

Peripheral Nerves

Aryam N. Rivera Ortíz, Homeschooler, Caguas, Puerto

Rico.

Comparison of Asthma Tendencies in United States

60

Isabel C. Ruíz, University Gardens High School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Effect of Propinibacterium acne on the Exposition

by Red and Blue Light

61

Luis E. Ruíz Colón, University Gardens High School,


Probability of High and Low Cholesterol

62

Marcos Sánchez Navarro, Bonneville School, Carolina,

Puerto Rico.

Green Iguanas and Their Effect on Puerto Rico’s

Biodiversity and Ecosystems

63

Shyline Santana, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy,


Suicide Rates in Puerto Rico

64

Yamilette Santiago Rodríguez, Carvin School,


Computational Study of Amino Acid Substitution of the

PKLR Protein

65

Eugenio Sarritzu, University Gardens High School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Malaria as a Mathematical Model

66

Sara Torres, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Computational Study of the MECP2 Protein that Causes

Rett Syndrome

67

Adrián Manuel Vázquez, Cristo Redentor School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Factors Affecting Suicide Rates in the United States

68

Andrea Vázquez Quiles, Christian Nazarene Academy,


The Effect of the Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease in Humans

69

Alicia Vega, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Application of Mendelian Laws and Punnett Square to

Study Inheritance of Autosomal Dominant Von

Williebrand Disease

70

BIO-STATISTICS

Fabiola Agramonte, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo,

Puerto Rico.

Alternative Home Cooling Method (Phase II): Flat vs

Bended Metal Reflectors

71

Ian Chaar, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown,

Puerto Rico.

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Elisa Test

72

Adria Cotto, Melanie Ortiz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo


Smoking and its Effects on the Human Corporal

Temperature

73

Karina I. Cruz Rivera, María T. Piñero School, Toa

Baja, Puerto Rico.

Comprehensive Analysis of Asperguer’s Diagnostic

Tests

74

Viviana Cruz, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown,

Puerto Rico.

Lower Statistical Percent to Predict Adult Brain Cancer

for 2015

75

BEST POSTER

Daniela Díaz, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto

Rico.

Crop Making Robot (Phase II): A Virtual Prototype

Design

76

Stephano Encarnación, University Garden High


Using Statins to Reduce Mortality Percentages in

Pneumonia Patients

77

Irene Hammel, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo,

Puerto Rico.

Soundproofing Potential of Cork and Rubber

78

Kiaralys Lara Sánchez, Christian Nazarene Academy,


Comparison Between Development and Neurological

Status in Infants with Reparative Heart Surgery

79

Ana Longo; María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto

Rico.

Leaf Stomata of Ixora coccinea as Bio-Indicator of

Environmental Change in Puerto Rico

80

Alia Ortiz Bayron, Esc. Especializada en Artes, San

Juan. Puerto Rico.

Lion Fish: Mortality Rate and Environmental

Dependencies

81

Eva Pagán, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto

Rico.

Macro Invertebrate Life After a Natural Catastrophe

82

Wilbert Sánchez Ruiz, University Gardens School,, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Linkage Between Distribution of Cancer Percentages and

Country Development

83

Clarimar Sierra Díaz, University Gardens School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Prevalecence of Tuberculosis Given a Changing

Population

84

COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY

Andrea Boria Denis, José Collazo Colón High School,


Thermoneutrinos, Hadrons and Photons Cosmic Interaction

Principle

85

Valeria Nicolle Caro Díaz, and Eliza Marie López

Báez, José Collazo Colón High School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Oat as Tool of Prevention to the Diabetes Type 2

86

Zenen T. Castillo, Colegio De Educación Avanzada Gaudí,

Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Determination of Phosphoric Acid in Coca-Cola

87

NO SHOW

Kevin Chen, Southwestern Educational Society (SESO),


Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming: “Why is it so Hot

Today?”

88

Ariadna Sophia Claudio Ortiz, Colegio de Educación

Avanzada Gaudí, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Analysis of Pesticides in Vegetables and their Effect on the

Human Body

89

Sergio A. Donato Ferrer, Perpetuo Socorro School,


Determination of Lead in a Soil Sample

90

Christopher Goytía, St. Mary’s School, San Juan,

Puerto Rico.

91

Synthesis of Gold Nanorods and Statistics on the

Stability at 50, 75 and 100C

André Gutierrez, Southwestern Educational Society

(SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The Efficiency of a Carbon Filter with Varying Amounts

of Chlorine

92

Kelly B. Martínez Pratts, and Yarys A. Sánchez

González, José Collazo Colón High School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.

Analysis of Oxalic Acid in Spinach

93

Víctor A. Martínez Santiago and José E. Alvarado

Fernández, Discípulos de Cristo Academy, Bayamón,

Puerto Rico.

Semi-Empirical Calculations of the Molecular Structure

and Properties of Recyclable Plastics

94

Rachel M. Quintana Santiago, School of Advanced

Education Gaudi, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Analysis of Medications in the Control of Infections

95

Ailene Vanessa Rodríguez De Jesús, School of

Advanced Education Gaudi, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Study of Omega 3 in Walnuts

96

Josie Rodríguez Sánchez, José Collazo Colón School,


Liam C. Medina Casillas, Perpetuo Socorro School,


Characterization of Different Components to Combat the

Dengue Disease

97

Ricardo J. Rodríguez García, University High School,


Stephanie Chan Yau, Luterano Resurrección School,


Gold Nanoparticle Strips for DNA Detection Using

SERS: Model of Adsorbtion at 785NM

98

Gabriela Rosario-Román, College of Advance

Education Gaudi, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Jandanell Abreu-Rivera,

José Collazo Colón High

School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Determination of Folic Acid in Integral Rice

99

Christian J. Sánchez Acevedo and Jorge A. Alvarado

Matos, Discípulos de Cristo Academy, Bayamón, Puerto

Rico.

Study of Kevlar and Plexiglas by Computational

Chemistry

100

Ricardo Santana, University High School, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Jonathan Camilo, Bautista de Carolina Academy, Carolina,

Puerto Rico.

The Stability of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles on Base and

Acid Environments

101

Giane N. Zayas O’Sullivan, Perpetuo Socorro School,


Study of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease

102

COMPUTER SCIENCES

Fadi Abumoala Amin, Luis Negrón López High

School, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

Division Algorithm for Complex Integers

103

Christian Alvarado and Priamo A. Pichardo, Caguas

Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

How to Make an HTML Website

104

Gabriel Alvarado, Nataniel Cruz and Kevin Pabón,

Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Hazard Web Browser

105

Rosa Andújar and Orlando Garcés; San Felipe School,

Arecibo Puerto Rico. 106

BEST POSTER

PUR Space Elevator Web Page

Carolina Aponte Rodríguez, CIEM Private School,


Qualitative Analysis on Non-Traditional Treatments for

Children with Autism

107

Cinkia Marí Aponte Fontán, Pablo Colón Berdecía

School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Mobile Application for Teaching the Animal Welfare

and Protection Law

108

Vhrishnuel Aponte, Bautista de Levittown Academy,

Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

2012-Teaching Math to Little Kids

109

Anthony R. Bonilla, José Gautier Benítez School,


Chemet: Table of Elements

110

Emanuel Cabrera Jones and Christian Correa

, Bautista de Levittown Academy, Toa Baja, Allende

Puerto Rico.

2012-NBA Live Score

111

Giovanni Carrasquillo Vargas, Fajardo Community

Private School, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Rafael E. Rosa Díaz, Santiago Apóstol School, Fajardo,

Puerto Rico.

Autonomous Solar-Powered Water Filtration System

112

Alec Cruz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San

Juan, Puerto Rico

Ricardo Ríos, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Clean Energy: Most Favorable Places to Establish

Windmills in Puerto Rico

113

BEST POSTER

Ángel Cruz Soto and Gerald Almodóvar Méndez,

Luis Negrón López High School, Sabana Grande, Puerto

Rico.

Modular Arithmetic in Complex Integers

114

Lina Daza Llanos and Rosangelie Soto Oliveras, Inter-

American School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Model for Electrolytic Conduction Using Agents in

NetLogo

115

José De Jesús Romero, St. Francis School, Carolina,

Puerto Rico.

Water Quality Analysis Using a Robotic System

116

Andrea Devaris and Emanuel A. Rodríguez Rivera,

Inter-American School, San Germán.

Linux Cloud Server for Small Groups

117

NO SHOW

Francelys Franco Bermúdez, Home School, San

Germán.

Cryptographic Codes Using Complex Integers

118

Jeffrey Gómez Frontera and Kervin Morales Pérez,

Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Fingerprints are Short Text Messages

119

Kevin O. González, Vocacional de Cidra High School,

Cidra, Puerto Rico.

Solid-State Automatic Temperature-Controlled Fan

120

Edgardo R. Hernández Matos, CROEM School,

Mayagüez Puerto Rico.

Do You Wish to Learn the Fun Way?

121

Ashley L. Landrau Santiago, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo


2012 – Math 4 Fun

122

Khalid Luyando Flusa, Conchita Cuevas High School,

Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Mindstorm Road Crane Re-Design

123

Oscar Marty Maceira and Fernando Méndez

González, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Improving Basic Skills through APPS

124

Yenaida Camila Meléndez Castillo, Génesis E.

Aponte Arroyo, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Joshua A. Morales, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.

Virtual Casino

125

Juan C. Morales and Kiddany Pérez, Levittown

Baptist Academy, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

2012- Game Programming Made Easy

126

Davette G. Nazario Febres, Apples & Stars Learning

Club, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Kenneth A. Hicks Ventura, San Antonio Abad School,


Personal Humanoid as a Speech Therapist

127

Karlos K. Paulino De Jesús, New Generation Christian

Academy, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Game Alert System

128

Alexandra Rivera, Apples & Stars Learning Club,


A New Magnetic Car

129

Alejandro Rodríguez Carrasquillo and Javier Ortiz

García, CIMATEC, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Gas Station Maps

130

Jan Rodríguez Cordero, Apples & Stars Learning

Club, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Effectiveness of a Sensor-Based Video Game System in

the Therapy of Students with Special Needs

131

Jonathan M. Rodríguez Cruz, Bautista de Puerto

Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

2012-Elements, Now!

132

Rey E. Roque Pérez, Joshua Meléndez Rivera and

Michael Ocasio Dávila, Caguas Military Academy,


Sound Energy Charger

133

Natalia Marie Rosado Díaz and Gabriel Andrés

Martínez Zayas, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto

Rico.

VDJ Control Pad

134

Tatiana Marie Rosado Torres, Pablo Colón Berdecía

School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Application for Supporting the Learning Process of

Letters to Kids with Autism

135

Rolando Rosales, Puerto Rico Christian School, Toa

Baja, Puerto Rico.

2012- Windows Phone 7 App to Find Gas Stations

136

Kimberly Santiago Mangual, Puertorriqueño de Niñas

School, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

2012– Web Game Designed for Improving Children

with Disabilities' Skills

137

Dianelys Segarra, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy,


2012- Acquiring Knowledge Using the Periodic Table of

Elements

138

Deluis Serrano and Steven Albaladejo Cruz, Santa

María del Camino School, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Measurement of Plasma Temperature and Densities

Varying Gases Using MATLAB

139

Ricardo Tardí Hernández, Alejandro Aponte Lugo, Home Schooling

Alberto Mulero Fernández, Notre Dame School,


Converting Analog Musical Instrument Sounds to

Digital Music Notation Using Java Programming

Language

140

Luis E. Torres Rodríguez and Ykailah P. Núñez

Núñez, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Medikal: An Application to Diagnose Common Diseases

141

Nalysha Torres Mangual, Carvin School, Carolina,

Puerto Rico.

A Robotic System for Elbow’s Joint Physical Therapy

142

Nelson Vélez Espinet, University Gardens High School,


Crypto-Language

143

APPLIED MATHEMATICS

, CROEM High School, José Rodríguez Lozano


Trinomial Powers and the Number of Their Terms

144

ENGINEERING

Bryan Acevedo Marrero, Pedro Perea Fajardo

Vocational School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

3D Computer Modeling to Design Structures

145

BEST POSTER

BEST POSTER

Jonathan Albaladejo Cruz, Santa María del Camino

School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Alejandro E. Herrero Umpierre, Nuestra Señora de

Guadalupe School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

What Dimension of Sphere Produces the Maximum

Temperature and Density with the Use of Matlab?

146

NO SHOW

Carlos Andrade, Immaculate Conception Academy,


Converting a Semi Automatic Punching Circuit Board to a

Fully Automatic Circuit Board

147

Ana Bourasseau and Natalié Pacheco, Bonneville


Which Voltage in the Argon IEC Plasma will Incur in

the Highest Plasma Temperature and Density Using

MATLAB?

148

Lisdelian Bruno Cintrón, Ramón Quiñones Medina

School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Loren Nazario Rodríguez, Manuel Mediavilla Negrón

School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Viability of a Fuel Cell Respirator

149

Chairo Calderón Otero, Trina Padilla de Sanz School,


Alejandro Suárez, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe


Using Two Dimensional Visual Fiducial Markers for

Efficient Sound Files Reproduction

150

**ORAL** 151 Clarisse M. Carrasquillo, Juan J. Maunez School, Naguabo

Puerto Rico.

Sound Detector Application

152

Arlene Colorado Alvarado, CROEM High School,


Programming “Lego-Mindstorms” Robots to Contribute

to Athletes’ Health

153

Roberto Cruz Alejandro and Joshua Medina

Santana, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Online Educational Game Using HTML5 and JavaScript

154

**ORAL** 155 Arnaldo Figueroa Immaculate Conception Academy,


Gabriel Román, La Milagrosa School, Mayagüez,

Puerto Rico.

How Multiple Cell Phones can Locate the Enemy and

Gain a Technological Edge in the Battlefield

156

Steven Jensenn, Caribbean School, Ponce, Puerto Rico.

Rotating Structures

157

Ángel Pérez and Frances Pérez, San Jorge Academy,


Analyzing Multiple Robots Navigation for Optimal

Performance Designing

158

Maitetxu Pettersen, St. Marys School, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Caleb Rodríguez, University High School, San Juan,

Puerto Rico.

Using Two Dimensional Visual Fiducial Markers for

Traffic Sign Navigation

159

NO SHOW

Sofía Rivera. Eugenio María de Hostos High School,

Mayagüez, Puertyo Rico.

Possible Alternatives to Prevent Recurring Street

Flooding in the City of Mayagüez

160

Paola Rosa and Ginelle González, CROEM High

School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Development of a Preliminary Website for a Mobile

Application to Complete Statistical Calculations

161

Génesis Rosado Martínez, San Rafael School,


Is “Dynamics Bigdog” the Soldier’s Best Robotic

Friend?

162

Guillermo Sánchez, Pedro Perea Fajardo Vocational

School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The Acceptance of the Internet as a Viable Means of

Commerce for the Metals Industry

163

Johnny Trevino Alicea, José Collazo Colón School,


Ricardo Serrano Vélez, Manuel Mediavilla Negrón

Vocational School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Seeing Eye Bot

164

Kenneth Young, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.

Secure Chatting in Cell Phones Using RSA Encryption

165

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

NO SHOW

William A. Rosado Rodríguez, Fruto de la Vid

Christian Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Optimization of the Synthesis of Dextrose Silver

Nanoparticles: Toxicity in the Growth of Bean Plants

166

PHYSICS

, Southwestern Educational Giovanna P. Zambrana

Society (SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Comparing Radiation Levels from Different Cell Phones

167

ROBOTICS

Jesús Emmanuel Alvarado Berríos, Luis Muñoz

Marín School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

A Robot for Supporting the Learning Process of Basic

168

BEST POSTER

Shapes and Vocals in a Kindergarden Grade

Gerardo M. Arguelles Santiago, Home School,


Object Recognition and Identification

169

NO SHOW

Daniel Feliciano Muñoz and Freddy Marrero Fabián,

Nuestra Señora Del Carmen School, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Follow the Ball

170

Nicole Flores and Karoline Méndez, Antonio Fernós

Isern Vocational School, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.

Trigonometry System

171

Adrián Gómez, Antonio Fernós Isern Vocational

School, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.

SIFT Weapon Recognition Security Drone System

172

Gabriela Martínez, Onix Fuster and William A.

Crespo, República de Costa Rica Vocational School,


Tom and Jerry Guardian Robot

173

Nazhaly Mercado and Melanie Guzmán, Luis Muñoz

Marín School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Trafficbot: A Robot for Teaching Traffic Signals to

Children

174

Byron Morales, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Alexis Torres, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo,

Puerto Rico.

The Speed Camera

175

NO SHOW

Emmanuel Negrón Ortiz, Luis Muñoz Marín School,

Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Dds-Bot: Documents Delivery System

176

NO SHOW

Juan Pablo Paredes Sánchez, Notre Dame School,


Dog Simulation Behavior Through the Game of ‘Catch”

177

Sue Ann Pérez Vázquez and Christian Ramírez

Irizarry, Nuestra Señora Del Carmen School, San Juan,

Puerto Rico.

Irobot Create Applied to Physics

178

, Antonio Lucchetti Vocational Joshua L. Pupo Morales

School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

, Central de Artes Visuales School, Christian J. Correa


Robotics Navigation and Localization Performance on

Irregular Terrains

179

; St.Mary’s School, San Javier Rodríguez Rodríguez

Juan, Puerto Rico.

; St.Mary’s School, San Juan, Felipe Lebrón Bonilla

Puerto Rico.

X Marks The Color!

180

, Bilingüe de Cidra School, Normarie Román Roque

Cidra, Puerto Rico.

, CIMATEC School, Nathaly Vallejo Rodríguez


Color Blindness Aid

181

Samantha Sorondo, St. Mary's School, San Juan,

Puerto Rico.

Octagon

182

Bryan Steve Torres Pérez, Luis Muñoz Marín School,

Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Robot for Support Teaching Parabolic Trajectories

183

, Cristo Redentor School, San Lorenzo, Juan Vázquez

Puerto Rico. 184

BEST POSTER

BEST POSTER

BEST POSTER

BEST POSTER

, Caguas Military Academy, Elizabeth Calderón


Lottery Wizard (Lottozoo)

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

COMPUTER SCIENCES

and , Ivanna Eudora Sadeek Carty Jamaal Al-Ameen

Kean High School, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Word-It: A Fun Mobile Windows-Based APP for

Improving Vocabulary

185

Danielle Christian, America Estepan, Shideya

, St. Parrilla, Karen Dascent and Miguel Hennemann

Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin

Islands.

Taking Turtle Telemetry to the Next Level

186

Sojourna Ferguson, Wayne Gonzales, Central High

School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Elangeni Yabba, Zandria Acosta, St. Croix

Educational Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Crabby Mates”: Hermit Crab Migration on the Island of

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

187

, Central Bria James, Brendon James, Regine Acosta

High School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

, St. Croix Educational Complex, St. Bria Wallace

Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

“Pretty Poison”: How to Control the Lionfish Invasive

Species?

188

Carl-Michael James Jr., Khadijah O’Neill, Central

High School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands..

Chelsy Gregoire, Shantae Lewis, St. Croix Educational

Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Issues in Monitoring Ciguatera Fish Poisoning Cases

189

BEST POSTER

BEST POSTER

BEST POSTER

, Marcus Norkaitis, Sidharth Parwani, Myles Todman

, All Saint Cathedral Schools, St. and Yash Bajaj

Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

VI-rus: A Web-Based Graphic Animation of the Dengue

Virus Infection of the Body Cells

190

Shideya Parrilla, Leah Achille, Acassia Ferguson, Natasha Sinanan, St. Croix Educational Complex, St.

Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Hazel Acosta, Central High School, St. Croix, U.S.

Virgin Islands.

Change of the World’s Pace with Rum Waste

191

Jayda Swim, Scott Tomlinson and Tanner Lantz, All

Saint Cathedral Schools, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin

Islands.

Geo-Tycoon: A Feasibility Study Web-Based

Application for Entrepreneurial Risk Assessment

192

**Late Submission**

Gabriela Rivera, Immaculate Conception Academy,

Mayaguez, PR

The Oral Cavity of the Healthy Human Being is Filled

With a Vast Number of Microorganisms

193

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. COFFEE BREAK PASEO SAN JUAN

FOYER & CORRIDOR

11:00 a.m. – 12:50 m. ORAL RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS

BEST POSTER

11:00 – 12:50 a.m. ORAL PRESENTATIONS

SESSION I

LAGUNA 1

BIOLOGY, GENOMICS AND BIO-STATISTICS

Chairperson: Dr. Ángel Arcelay, Universidad del Este

BIOLOGY

11:00 – 11:10 a.m. , Notre Dame School, Michelle Cristina Pérez-Ayala


Synthesis of Dextrose and the Effect of E. coli Growth

(Growth Model)

11:10 – 11:20 a.m. Emery G. Price Cancel, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo


Fluorescent Nanomaterials for Bio-Imaging: Cadmium

Selenide Quantum Dots Synthesis and Effects on E. coli Cell

Death

GENOMICS

11:20 – 11:30 a.m. Jailisse Acosta-Hernández, University Gardens High


The Analysis of the BLM Protein in Bloom Syndrome Using

Bioinformatics Methods

11:30 – 11:40 a.m. Keyra Colón Rodríguez, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto

Rico.

Analysis of the ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family D (ALD),

Member 1 Protein that Causes Adrenoleukodystrophy

11:40 – 11:50 a.m. , University Gardens High School, Gabriela Goitía-Vázquez


Bioinformatics Analysis of the SSCl22A5 Carrier Member 5

Protein that Causes Primary Carnitine Deficiency

11:50 – 12:00 m. José David López Villegas, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy,


BEST Oral

BEST Oral

Bioinformatics Analysis of Methemoglobin

12:00 – 12:10 m. Paulina Marrero, Puertorriqueño de Niñas School,

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Bioinformatics Study of SMPD1, NPC1, and NPC2

12:10 – 12:20 m. Fabiola Negrette, María Reina Academy, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

A Computational Study of Chronic Granulomatous Disease

Involving the Cybb Protein

12:20 – 12:30 m. Patricia Victoriano, Luterano Resurrección School,


Bioinformatics Study of CNGA3

BIO-STATISTICS

12:30 – 12:40 m. Alondra N. Bogoljubskij Valedón, Nuestra Señora del

Carmen School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Comparison Between the Effects of the West Nile Virus in

Animals and Humans

12:40 – 12:50 m. Génesis Santiago, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and Children

with Respiratory Illness

12:50-1:00 pm. Rose Cruz Maboy, Lourdes School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Mario Ochoa Astor, San Ignacio de Loyola School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Target Extraction and Navigation Efficiency in a Maze-Like

Environment

11:00 – 12:40 m. ORAL PRESENTATIONS

SESSION II

BAHIA 1

ASTRONOMY, APPLIED PHYSICS,

COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY AND

ROBOTICS

Chairperson: Dr. Osvaldo Cox, Universidad Metropolitana

ASTRONOMY

11:00 – 11:10 a.m. Yarelis González Vargas and Emmanuel Quintero Medina,

Manuel Ramos Hernández School, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

The Exoplanets Explorer Encyclopedia: Countries

11:10 – 11:20 a.m. Edwin B. Martínez Vélez and Génesis Cordero Arbelo, Manuel

Ramos Hernández School, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

The Exoplanets Explorer Encyclopedia: Discoverers

11:20 – 11:30 a.m. Adrián Reyes, Dr. María Cadilla de Martínez School,

Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Bana Space Settlement

11:30 – 11:40 a.m. Amy D. Rodríguez García, Padre Aníbal Reyes Belén School,

Hatillo, Puerto Rico.

Naomy P. Candelaria Morales, Nuestra Señora del Carmen

School, Hatillo, Puerto Rico.

Joel I. Deida Crespo, Luis F. Crespo School, Camuy, Puerto Rico.

The Exoplanets Explorer Encyclopedia: Scientists

11:40 – 11:50 a.m. Desiree E. Rosa Jiménez and Nataly M. González Santiago, Dr.

María Cadilla de Martínez School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

The Exoplanets Explorer Encyclopedia: Institutions

11:50 – 12:00 m. Ramón G. Ruiz Abreu, La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto

Rico.

José F. Cortés De Jesús, Antonio Luchetti Vocational School,


The Exoplanets Explorer Encyclopedia: Observatories

12:00 – 12:10 Ivonne Padín, Padre Aníbal Reyes Belén School, Hatillo,

Puerto Rico.

Bana Space Settlement: Government

APPLIED PHYSICS

12:00 – 12:10 m. Angelic M. Arzola Roig, CROEM School, Mayagüez,

Puerto Rico.

Is the Position and Phase of the Moon a Factor in the

Occurrence of a Large Earthquake?


12:10 – 12:20 m. Keishaly Cabrera Cruz, Dr. Juan José Maunez High School,

Naguabo, Puerto Rico.

Determination of Bio-Diesel Sample in Algae

ROBOTICS

12:20 – 12:30 m. Pablo González Acevedo; Padre Rufo Bilingual School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Raymond L. Rodríguez Padilla: Padre Rufo Bilingual, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Texture Sightseeing

12:30 – 12:40 m. Jomar Ramírez, Iris Hernández and Yuliana Martínez,

Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown, Puerto Rico.

Handy Helper

12:40-12:50 m. Ivonne Padín, Padre Aníbal Reyes Belén School, Hatillo,

Puerto Rico.

Bana Space Settlement: Government

11:00 – 12:40 p.m. ORAL PRESENTATIONS

SESSION III

BAHIA 2

BIO-MATHEMATICS

Chairperson: . Dr. Alvaro Lecompte

Inter-American University-San Germán

BIO-MATHEMATICS

11:00 – 11:10 a.m. Ana A. Coterillo Sosa, University Gardens High School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Infectious Diseases: Tuberculosis and Leprosy

11:10 – 11:20 a.m. Andrea I. Ferrer Vega, University Gardens High School,


Studying Sleep Patterns Using Mathematical Models

11:20 – 11:30 a.m. Gabriela Malespín, University Gardens High School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Evolutionary Analysis of Cystic Fibrosis, an Autosomal

Genetic Disorder

11:30 – 11:40 a.m. Nicole Márquez Andino, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto

Rico.

Computation Analysis of Ataxia telangiectasia Involving

Amino Acid Substitution of the Serine Protein

11:40 – 11:50 a.m. , María Teresa Piñeiro School, Toa Baja, Puerto Kevin Matos

Rico.

Mathematical Model of E. coli Growth in Presence of TGA-

Capped CdSe Quantum Dots

11:50 – 12:00 m.

NO SHOW

Roshelly Quiñones, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo,

Puerto Rico.

Mutations on the Genes CDKN1C and IGF2 Related to

Beckwith Wiedemann Syndrome

12:00 – 12:10 m. Gerardo Sánchez Navarro, Bonneville School, San Juan,

BEST Oral

Puerto Rico.

The Imminent Threat of Solar Storms in Modern-Day Society

12:10 – 12:20 m. Jancie L Santiago González, Caguas Private School,


Application of Mendelian Laws and Punnett Square to Study

Inheritance of Autosomal Recessive Harlequin Ichthyosis

12:20 – 12:30 m. Netsha J. Santiago González, Caguas Private School,


Sequence Analysis of Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1

12:30 – 12:40 m. Zaely C. Sierra García, Santa Rosa School, Bayamón,

Puerto Rico.

Accuracy of Adjusted BMI Formula Vs. Metric BMI

11:00 – 12:40 p.m. ORAL PRESENTATIONS

SESSION IV

SAN FELIPE

COMPUTER SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING

Chairperson: . Dr. Ángel González, Polytechnic University

COMPUTER SCIENCES

11:00 – 11:10 a.m. Frankie R. Cabrera, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy,


Photo-Finder

11:10 – 11:20 a.m. Ricardo Lanzó Calderón, José Aponte de la Torre School,


2012-Windows Phone with Reading Capabilities

11:20 – 11:30 a.m. Wildalis Martínez, Cohelet Christian Academy High School,

Las Piedras, Puerto Rico

Linette Martínez, Isabel Flores High School, Las Piedras,

Puerto Rico.

The Dyslexic Shuffle Test: Dislexia Therapy APP

11:30 – 11:40 a.m. , Nuestra Señora del Carmen Diva L. Mockford Polanco


2012-Promoting Social Networking Between Musicians

through Music Tutorials on the World Wide Web

11:40 – 11:50 a.m. Ademyr Rivera, Libre de Música School, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

2012-Way of Mathematics for Windows Phone 7

11:50 – 12:00 m . , María Teresa Piñeiro School, Daniel J. Santamaría Colón


2012 – Application Designed to Improve Workout

Experience

BEST Oral

BEST Oral

ENGINEERING

12:00 – 12:10 m. Jadzia M. Cabrera Arroyo, San Rafael School,


The Development of the First Mobile Emergency

Cardiovascular Electronic Diagnosis (MEC-ED)

12:10 – 12:20 m. Danny D. Calcaño and Ricardo A. Hernández Díaz, Nuestra

Señora de Guadalupe School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Density and the Highest Temperature, in the Center or on the

Outside?

12:20 – 12:30 m. Paola Victoria Figueroa Delgado, La Milagrosa School, Arecibo,

Puerto Rico.

Bana Space Settlement: Engineering

12:30 – 12:40 m. Ana Ruíz, Orlando Garcés and Rosa Andújar, San Felipe

School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Migsaul Romero, Antonio Luchetti Vocational School,


Carlos Declet, Luis Felipe Crespo School, Camuy, Puerto

Rico.

Pur Space Elevator

12:40-12:50 pm. Jordán A. Caraballo Vega, Petra Mercado Bougart School,


Fuel Cell Respirator

ABSTRACTS

ASTRONOMY

BANA SPACE SETTLEMENT: LIFE SUPPORT

César Del Valle; La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marín, Caribbean University.

Human needs have always been the same. However with time, the strategies have changed in which these

needs are satisfied. Throughout the past months, in the Arecibo Observatory, scientists have worked in

the development of a proposal for a space settlement that will address all the human necessities in case

human race stumbled upon a dangerous scenario. The fundamental human needs are very broad and

replicating these in space is no easy task. While researching possible solutions, the scientists discovered

many flaws in actual life support; for example, the inaccessibility of water, healthy, and fresh food,

consistent climate and proper medical attention. Therefore a replica of the Earth would have the same

problems. The solution is to create an innovative lifestyle that will change the way humans live. The

result is the BANA Space Settlement, the new lifestyle. BANA will facilitate and expedite the strategies

in which are needs are filled, in a way that will completely change the way people eat, work, study, shop,

breathe, dress, and love, among others.

COSMIC RAY MUONS: ZENITH ANGLE RELATED FLUX INTENSITY EQUATION AND

ENERGY RADIATION COMPARISON

, CROEM High School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Joel E. Fuentes

Research Advisor: Ms. Elba Sepúlveda, CROEM, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Pieter Van der Meer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor Assistant: Gilberto Jiménez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Cosmic ray muons ( and antimuons are subatomic particles created during weak interactions

between highly energetic cosmic rays, also referred to as energy radiation that strikes Earth from space.

The intensity of cosmic radiation is proportional to the increase in altitude, and it consists mostly of

charged particles that are affected by the Earth’s magnetic field. The results from the first experiment

gave the time dilation in its reference frame, length contraction, lifetime, and speed of the cosmic ray

muons that reach sea level, those consecutively being: 5.5 μs, 1641 m, 2.19 μs and .994c. Muons reach

the surface of the Earth with typically constant flux, as the approximate expression of equation [1].

[1] Particle Data Group (PDG) standard theoretical value.

Thus, the equation that represents the intensity of penetrating particles at sea level as a function of the

zenith angle with the minute conversion into second is expressed as equation [2]:

[2]

Where is the zenith angle.

With this function, one may estimate the expected counting rates of the detectors due to the total flux of

penetrating particles from all directions. This new addition to last year’s research aims to compare flux

data in different latitudes and also search for data needed to measure the Earth’s magnetic field’s

influence over cosmic ray muons. For this, the relativistic mass and momentum of the muons was

measured with the Lorentz Factor result from last year’s experiment:

Lorentz Factor ( ϒ=9.14 ).

Relativistic Mass:

Where

Relativistic Momentum:

√

Finally, the results were compared with experimental data acquired from different latitudes and zenith

angles. The data used was from a specific month in Chicago, Illinois, compared to flux data acquired that

same month in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and San Francisco, California. The conclusion of the experiment

sought to determine how latitude influences energy radiation from space and to find whether or not muon

bundle intensity decreased with the increase of the transverse component of the magnetic field in

comparison with calculations performed under uniformity of the flux, the effect becoming more

noticeable with the increase of the zenith angle.

BEST POSTER

THE EXOPLANETS EXPLORER ENCYCLOPEDIA: COUNTRIES

Yarelis González Vargas and Emmanuel Quintero Medina, Manuel Ramos Hernández School,


Research Mentor: Abel Méndez, University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Many exoplanet databases track the discoveries of planets around other stars, or exoplanets, including

their physical properties. However, none of those are focused on the countries behind these discoveries.

The Exoplanet Explorers Encyclopedia (E3) is the first database in the world to list and organize this

information, including statistics and discovery metrics findings. The E3 is expected to be used as a tool to

inform the general public and track the achievements of countries in this field of astronomy. The top 5

countries of exoplanet findings will be discussed in this presentation. This project is a collaboration of the

Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, Universidad Metropolitana, and the Arecibo

Observatory.

THE EXOPLANETS EXPLORER ENCYCLOPEDIA: DISCOVERERS

Edwin B. Martínez Vélez and Génesis Cordero Arbelo, Manuel Ramos Hernández School,



Many exoplanets databases track the discoveries of planets around other stars, or exoplanets, including

their physical properties. However, none of those are focused on listing the top discoveries. The

Exoplanet Explorers Encyclopedia (E3) is the first database in the world to list and organize this


inform the general public and track the discoveries in this field of astronomy. The top 5 discoveries of

exoplanet findings will be discussed in this presentation. This project is a collaboration of the Planetary

Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, Universidad Metropolitana, and the Arecibo Observatory.

BANA SPACE SETTLEMENT: GOVERNMENT

Ivonne Padín, Padre Aníbal Reyes Belén School, Hatillo, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marín, Caribbean University; Michael Lane- Liftport

Group.

The government in the BANA Space Settlement is a research project that seeks to study the best

alternatives to protect human rights, work systems, organizations and the developments of the human

society while living in a space colony. The proposed government system has a framework focused on

laws, rights and organizations to create trust and safety. The BANA Government system will be a mix

between democracy and guild, or caste system. After researching and analyzing statistical data from

government systems through civilizations, it was concluded that the main need in any system is one that

can provide fairness and trust to the population. This research sought to postulate improvements on the

best systems, such as representative selection and law creation.

BANA SPACE SETTLEMENT

Adrián Reyes, Dr. María Cadilla de Martínez School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Paola Figueroa, La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Ivonne Padín; Padre Aníbal Reyes Belén School, Hatillo, Puerto Rico.

César Del Valle, La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marín, Caribbean University; Michael Laine- Liftport

Group, José G. Molina, SpacePort Consulting and Advocacy Group.

During the time in the Arecibo Observatory the researchers will be working on the development of a

proposal for a sustainable habitat for a human population in space. This will try to cover all human needs,

for example: shelter, health care, food, hygiene, social organization, and others topics related to the

human sustainability and survival. The settlement is going to be located at a Lagrange point, were the

gravitational forces and orbital motion are balanced. It will also have a transportation system that can be

used to provide resources to sustain the population, and take them from the settlement to the Earth and

backwards. It will also be powered by a clean a non-contaminated energy, more common known as

renewable energy. To conclude the settlement will have a social organization based on a mix of different

political governments systems to be fair, and organized to maintain peace of the society. We aim to

present this research project to the NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest, where we will be the first

entrance from Puerto Rico to this contest that is on its 14th year. We would like to acknowledge the

support provided for this research by the Arecibo Radio Observatory, the Ana G Mendez University

System, the National Space Society PR-Chapter, the Astronomical Society of Puerto Rico and the

EarthLight Institute.

THE EXOPLANETS EXPLORER ENCYCLOPEDIA: SCIENTISTS

Amy D. Rodríguez García, Padre Aníbal Reyes Belén School, Hatillo, Puerto Rico.

Naomy P. Candelaria Morales, Nuestra Señora del Carmen School, Hatillo, Puerto Rico.

Joel I. Deida Crespo, Luis F. Crespo School, Camuy, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor, Abel Méndez, University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.


their physical properties. However, none of those are focused on the scientists behind these discoveries.



inform the general public and track the achievements of scientists in this field of astronomy. The top 5

scientists of exoplanet findings will be discussed in this presentation. This project is a collaboration of the

Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, Universidad Metropolitana, and the Arecibo

Observatory.

THE EXOPLANETS EXPLORER ENCYCLOPEDIA: INSTITUTIONS

Desiree E. Rosa Jiménez and Nataly M. González Santiago, Dr. María Cadilla de Martínez School,




their physical properties. However, none of those are focused on the institutions behind these discoveries.



inform the general public and track the achievements of institutions in this field of astronomy. The top 5

institutions of exoplanet findings will be discussed in this presentation. This project is a collaboration of

the Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, Universidad Metropolitana, and the Arecibo

Observatory.

THE EXOPLANETS EXPLORER ENCYCLOPEDIA: OBSERVATORIES

Ramón G. Ruiz Abreu, La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

José F. Cortés De Jesús, Antonio Luchetti Vocational School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.


Many exoplanets databases track the discoveries of planets around other stars, or exoplanets, including

their physical properties. However, none of those are focused on the observatories behind these

discoveries. The Exoplanet Explorers Encyclopedia (E3) is the first database in the world to list and

organize this information, including statistics and discovery metrics findings. The E3 is expected to be

used as a tool to inform the general public and track the achievements of observatories in this field of

astronomy. The top 5 observatories of exoplanet findings will be discussed in this presentation. This

project is a collaboration of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory @ UPR Arecibo, Universidad

Metropolitana, and the Arecibo Observatory.

ABSTRACTS

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

THE DIFFERENT COLORS OF FIRE

José Antonio Cesaní Rivera, Immaculate Conception Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Student Research Mentor Assistant: Gilberto Jiménez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The purpose of the project was the verification that fire may have different colors. Different colors in fire

could be achieved, but the colors can only change with specific chemicals. The chemicals that change the

color of fire are only available in some markets or shops in the fire aisles. The research included the use

of powders found in the home, but none could burn. The only things that could burn in addition to the

chemicals designed to change color were acetone and 90% alcohol. Alcohol and acetone produce a blue-

orange flame that can only be seen in a bright atmosphere. The only things that could burn and were not

chemicals were dry leaves and table salt. The only thing that table salt could do was to modify the

yellowish color in the fire. The dry leaves only burned without changing the color of the fire. The

chemical that changed the color of fire into blue contained methanol, acetone, mineral oil, methylene

chloride and a secret ingredient that could not be included in the information. The chemical that changed

the color of fire into red contained: methanol, acetone, mineral oil and a secret ingredient. The chemical

that changed the color of fire into green contained: methanol, acetone, mineral oil and a secret ingredient.

The project did not result as expected.

ABSTRACTS

BIOLOGY

WHICH INVOLUNTARY PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE IS THE MOST COMMON WHEN A

SUBJECT IS SUBMITTED TO A POLYGRAPH TEST?

María Teresa Arroyo, Southwestern Educational Society (SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Research Assistant Mentor: Alexandra Maldonado Florenciani, College San Benito, Mayagüez, Puerto

Rico.

Ever since the beginning of time, humans have lied. Around the 1890’s, the first polygraph was

introduced by Cesare Lombroso. Today the polygraph is admissible in various federal circuits in several

states. When a subject is submitted to a polygraph test, three responses are affected: blood pressure, body

temperature, and respiration. The purpose of this project was to determine which of these involuntary

responses was the most affected. Since polygraphs are not valid in all states, hopefully, this

experimentation will favor that polygraphs are actually effective. Forty-five female subjects got the blood

pressure cuff strapped, the galvanometer, that was used to determine the subject’s body temperature,

attached and the pneumograph strapped, used to determine the subject’s breathing rate. After the subjects

were prepared, the polygraph was connected to the computer. A series of questions were asked and the

subject’s blood pressure, body temperature, and respiration were recorded using the “polygraph expert”

software. The study revealed which of the three reactions would be the most affected.

THE NEUROLOGICAL EFFECTS AND OBSERVATIONS OF GENERAL ANESTHESIA

Dafne Cordero and Coralia Durán, Inmaculada Concepción School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Van der Meer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Puerto Rico.

Research Assistant Mentor: Kevin J. Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Typically the impact of general anesthesia on the human heart was of concern, but now the effect of

general anesthesia on the brain and body is the reason that a licensed anesthesiologist remains with the

patient through pre-surgery until recovery. Studies continue to be conducted to measure the impact of

general anesthesia on a patient's cognitive brain functions. Patients have experienced problems remaining

under the state of coma during the procedure. Mounting evidence from different studies suggests that

prolonged exposure to these compounds may induce widespread neuronal cell death, seriously

questioning the safety of general anesthesia. The objective of this research project was to examine two

basic questions, given to patients who have been under general anesthesia during surgery. The patients

answered a survey given to them to determine if people have felt any type of physical pain or have been

conscious during any moment of the surgery. Even though there are not any results on how general

anesthesia really works, the immediate answer is that sleep and anesthesia interact physiologically.

Endogenous neuromodulators known to regulate sleep also alter anesthetic action, and anesthetics cause

sleep with direct administration into brain nuclei known to regulate sleep. Together, these observations

provide new research directions for understanding sleep regulation and generation, and suggest the

possibility of new clinical therapies both for patients with sleep disturbances and for sleep deprived

patients receiving general anesthesia.

THE HAIR LOSS EFFECT OF TOBACCO SMOKING

Viviani López, Immaculate Conception Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Van der Meer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.Research

Assistant Mentor: Kevin J. Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

One of the greatest preventable causes of death in developed countries is tobacco smoking. There is a

possibility that there is a correlation between tobacco smoking and the loss of hair. Two primary types of

baldness can be distinguished: permanent hair loss or destruction of hair follicles, and temporary hair loss,

arising from transitory damage to the follicles. Research was made to analyze and develop a percentage of

people, from around different countries, affected by the effects of tobacco smoking in hair follicles. The

researcher investigated several studies done all over the world to support the hypothesis. This research

reviews the effects of cigarette smoking on the skin and its appendages. An additional search was

subsequently undertaken for articles related to smoking and associated diseases, with the focus on

pathogenesis and epidemiologic data. Articles presenting the highest level of evidence and latest reports

were preferentially selected. In view of the psychological impact of alopecia on affected individuals and

since its options for treatment are limited, health education against smoking may be more effective to

increase general awareness. The rest of the diseases can be treated. It is expected that smoking is strongly

associated with numerous dermatologic conditions including hair loss.

SYNTHESIS OF GOLD NANOSPHERES-CITRATE CAPPED AND SILVER

HIDROXYLAMINE: STABILITY EFFECT ON THE RPMI-1640 CELL

Chelsea Marrero, Christian Nazarene Academy, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

Edmilaudy González, Dr. Agustin Stahl High School, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Students Research Mentor Assistants: Ricardo Lorenzana and Marcos Rodríguez, Universidad

Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Nanotechnology is a promising and modern science, where through it we can make great progress at a

nano level. Everyday life would be inconceivable without nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is present

everywhere and in medical technology it is causing major advances in both diagnosis and therapy. Silver

nanospheres (NPs) are somewhat unstable, since they are highly oxidizable and can release toxic ions.

Instead, gold NPs are more stable and are present in an area of intense scientific investigation because

they have a wide variety of potential applications in the biomedical, optics and electronics areas. Gold has

been reported to be toxic and size dependent. However, recent literature reports data of cytotoxicity of

gold nanoparticles. Triggered by pH change, the nanoparticle surfaces are engineered to have both

positive and negative charges. Electrostatic attractions between the nanoparticles can rapidly form

aggregates inside the cells, and the aggregates accumulate as the exocytosis is blocked by the increased

size. This research focused on gold nanoparticles and their stabilization in order to use them as cell

therapy; for example, in A-431 cancer epidermic cells. To achieve the goal, RPMI-1640 was used as a

culture medium, designed for growing human cells. This media is composed of vitamins, amino acids and

inorganic salts. The most common salts are: calcium nitrate, magnesium sulfate, potassium chloride,

sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride and sodium phosphate, which can cause nanoparticle instability and

then aggregation and precipitation. Silver and gold NPs were prepared in water using citrate for gold and

hydroxylamine for silver. Both nanoparticles were purified by centrifugation process at 6000 rpm for 30

minutes to remove excess of the reagents. The stability in the cell culture medium RPMI-1640 was

evaluated in bare nanoparticles and modified using the PVP polymer. Silver nanoparticles were

precipitated almost instantly. Instead, gold nanoparticles took several days to reach precipitation. When

immersed in PVP for eight days, the Silver and Gold NPs were stabilized for three weeks. This research

helped to prove that stabilization of Gold and Silver NPs can be stabilized for more time in order to get to

use them as therapy or cure for carcinogenic cells such as cell A-431 cells.

STATISTIC STUDY OF BACTERIA GROWTH INHIBITION USING CdSe QUANTUM DOTS

, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Astrid M. Martínez Peña

Research Mentor: Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo. Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Quantum dots (QDs) possess great potential for applications in nanomedicine; however, only a few

studies are reported with bacteria. Quantum dots are portions of matter whose excision are confined in all

spatial dimensions. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the

lower intestine of endotherms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious

food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls due to food contamination.

It is found in the lower intestine. It is a grown negative red shape bacteria that is the main cause of food

poisoning. This research experiment was conducted to find the effect of the growth of CdSe quantum dots

on E. coli. as a cell model. CdSe QDs were synthesized using the following materials: Ultra High Pure

Water (UHP H2O), cadnium chloride 1.0 M (CdCl2), selenium powder, sodium Borohydride (NaBH4) and

thioglycolic acid (TGA) as a stabilizer. To avoid the presence of Cd ions, the quantum dots were purified

at 6000 rpm for one hour using a 50:50 ratio of DMSO as a biological friendly solvent. This research

experiment found the effect on growth of CdSe quantum dots on E. coli. as a cell model. The effect of the

nanomaterial concentration on the toxicity was evaluated by optical density (OD600) measurements

during 3, 8 and 12 days at 37°C and 150 rpm.

TREATING CANCER CELLS WITH DIFFERENT SUBSTANCES AND COMPARING THE

RESULTS

Teddy Medina, Southwestern Educational Society (SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Research Assitant Mentor: Alexandra Maldonado, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

For years, cancer has been one of the most harmful diseases known to men. Expensive treatments are

available to treat against the disease, but there are better procedures. Cancer cells should be confronted

from the beginning. One of their qualities is that they keep reproducing and never extinguish themselves,

so the treatment should consist of retracting the process of reproduction. Vitamin C has been known for

its antioxidants, while nitrogen has been recognized for its freezing properties, otherwise hydrogen

peroxide has been acknowledged for destroying harmful cells. It is important to apply these different

substances to cancer cells to see what would happen. It is predicted that vitamin C would be detrimental

to the cell, while nitrogen would freeze it, therefore ending the reproduction; hydrogen peroxide will

destroy it immediately. Cancer cells were applied in a petri dish with a substance consisting of liquid

nitrogen and vitamin C and then the results were recorded in a period trialfrom 30 minutes to 120

minutes. The cancer cells were applied yet again in a petri dish, but this time with two different

substances, hydrogen peroxide with nitrogen and hydrogen peroxide with vitamin C. It was expected that

the substance consisting of vitamin C and nitrogen would prove the most effective because vitamin C will

first injure the cells and afterwards the nitrogen will stop the reproduction and extinguish the cells finally.

The substance consisting of hydrogen peroxide and nitrogen were expected to be the less effective.

BEST POSTER

ANALYZING GROWTH OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO

UV LIGHT USING MATLAB

Roberto Olayo, Inmaculada Concepción Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Advisor: Prof. Latorre Estévez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Van der Meer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Assistant Mentor: Kevin J. Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Exposure to UV light can result in alterations of the DNA in many organisms. These alterations in the

DNA can present themselves as visible abnormalities. The purpose of this research was to analyze the

growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a common species of yeast) after being exposed to UV light. In

order to achieve this, a colony of S.cerevisiae was selected, permitted to grow and then divided into five

groups. Each group was exposed to a short-wave UV lamp in a hood for different periods of time. One

group was exposed for fifteen (15) minutes, another for thirty (30) minutes; another for sixty (60)

minutes; another for one-hundred and twenty (120) minutes and the other group was not exposed to UV

light. These cells were permitted to grow and then were submitted to serial dilutions in order to achieve

an equal titer of 7x106 per 0.5ml. Once again, these cells were allowed to grow. During the growing

process photographs of the cells were taken for different periods of time. These images were later

analyzed using MATLAB to see the abnormalities, if any, in the growth of the cells. It was expected that

abnormalities in growth should be more present in the cells that were exposed for more time to the UV

light.

SYNTHESIS OF DEXTROSE AND THE EFFECT OF E. Coli GROWTH (GROWTH MODEL)

, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Michelle Cristina Pérez-Ayala

Research Mentors: Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Ricardo Lorenzana, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Silver Nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are particles of a size between 1 nm and 100 nm. The usage of Ag

Nanoparticles for this research was based on their vital use in many bioapplications, such as medicine,

materials, agriculture, and antibacterial, most importantly. The antimicrobial property is appropriate to be

used to terminate Escherichia Coli (E. coli). E. coli is a bacterium that can be harmless, but other kinds of

E. coli called Shiga Toxin producing E.coli (STEC) create Shiga toxin, which is a disease that can cause

illness. Still, no cure has been found for this disease. This research envisioned determining the effect of

the inhibition of the growth of the E. coli with dextrose-silver nanoparticles through the measurement of

optical density measurements (OD). The pH of E. coli during normal growth was also evaluated to

guarantee the stability of the nanoparticles during cell exposure. A pH test of 5 hours was performed

using the bacterium E.coli to clarify the constancy of the 7.0 pH level. Results reflected that the pH stayed

at the acceptable range of 7.00-6.99, which will maintain the nanoparticles stable during toxicity

experiments. This stability of the nanoparticles was evaluated in the cell media (LB broth) by measuring

the pH values. The results demonstrated the pH values maintained at 7.12 -7.57 which is favorable

because AgNPs did not precipitate during experiments. The effect in growth of the E.coli was observed

using Dextrose Ag NPs by the readings of the OD in a period of 510 minutes. The readings demonstrated

the high levels of toxicity of the Dextrose Silver NPs compared to the control, except at 420 and 480

minutes where the NPs were less toxic. In conclusion, AgNPs were efficient for their antimicrobial

property against illnesses caused by E.coli. In the process of 510 minutes of bacteria development, it

reached higher levels of toxicity in the majority of the times when compared to the control.

BEST Oral

FLUORESCENT NANOMATERIALS FOR BIO-IMAGING: CADMIUM SELENIDE

QUANTUM DOTS SYNTHESIS AND EFFECTS ON E. COLI CELL DEATH

Emery G. Price Cancel, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Student Research Mentor Assistant: Marcos Rodríguez, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots (CdSe QDs) are most commonly known for their photoluminescence.

These particular QDs have a size-dependent fluorescence spectrum. They have recently attracted the

attention of the scientific community because of fluorescent properties and have been in biomedical

imaging applications. By injecting appropriately prepared CdSe QDs into injured tissue, it may be

possible to image the tissue in those injured areas. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is rod-shaped bacterium that

is commonly found in the lower intestine of endotherms. Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some

serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product

recalls due to food contamination. CdSe QDs were synthesized directly in water using cadmium chloride

and sodium hydrogen selenide and thioglycolic acid as a capping agent. In this experiment the effects that

CdSe QDs (Quantum Dots) were evaluated on the growth an E. coli as a target living system. E. coli

culture tubes were prepared by extracting a colony from an agar plate and placing them in 10 mL of Luria

Beartiani Broth (LBB) and incubated at 37oC in a constant motion of 150. The bacteria were exposed to

CdSe QDs as following: Broth, Broth + CdSe QDs, Broth + E. Coli and Broth + CdSe QDs + E. Coli.

These four sets of three tubes where left in an incubator at 37oC and at a constant motion of 150 rpm for

several days. The effect on the growth was evaluated by optical density (OD600) measurements during 1,

3, 8 and 12 days at 37°C and 150 rpm incubation. It was found that CdSe QDs did in fact inhibit the

growth of the E. coli bacteria. At day one, the effect of CdSe on the growth was not remarkable.

However, it was notable after three days of incubation. Finally, a model of use decision was performed

and compared with other fluorescent materials for bio-applications.

ABSTRACTS

GENOMICS

THE ANALYSIS OF THE BLM PROTEIN IN BLOOM SYNDROME USING

BIOINFORMATICS METHODS

Jailisse Acosta-Hernández, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Luis M. Ortiz Jordán, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Greisha Ortíz and Wilnerys Colberg, Universidad Metropolitana,


The Bloom Syndrome is a genetic disorder that is caused by mutations in the BLM gene whose function

is to send signals or instructions for the creation of enzymes called RecQ helicases. Without these

enzymes or the proper functioning of the BLM gene, it is very usual that the stability of the DNA during

the copying process fails, causing changes, mutations or alterations in the final DNA structure. The

physical signs that an affected person with Bloom syndrome shows are bird-like facial features, sun

sensitive skin and, overall, a short body with large extremities. They have a low weight and grow up to be

around five feet tall or less. Men diagnosed with this syndrome are sterile, meanwhile, women have a low

chance of fertility and their reproductive span shortened. Surgical oncology would be best to diagnose

bloom syndrome and/or to treat it. There is no cure for this condition, although, as treatment the

individual to decrease the sun exposure, and to wear sunscreen at all times if there is any type of skin and

sun exposure. The primary objective of this investigation is to contrast the Homo sapiens original BLM

protein in various animal species. The bioinformatics tools to be used are PubMed, EBI, GeneDoc, G-

Blocks, and Treeview. After this first step, in order to build the 3-D MODEL OF THE PROTEIN, it is

necessary to retrace the steps back to PubMed, followed by PDB (Protein Data Bank), and building the

3D model of the protein in VMD.

WHOLE GENOME PREDICTION FOR CLINICAL USE STUDIES OF HISPANICS

Saimara Alejandro and Gian C. Padilla, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Whole Genome Prediction (WGP) is a method that associates disease, incorporating many thousands of

SNPs into a regression model and yields estimates for a phenotypic trait. Type 2 Diabetes is a lifelong

disease in which there are high levels of glucose in the blood. Inappropriate nutrition and reduced

physical activities raise the risk factor of having diabetes. The aim of this study wa to evaluate obesity in

Hispanics and by using WGP in different scenarios to prove that predictive genetic tests, even with low

accuracy, may be useful.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF MECP2

, Puertorriqueño de Niñas School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Natalia Amaral

Student Research Mentor: Luis M. Ortiz Jordan, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Greisha L. Ortiz Hernández, Wilnerys Colberg Hernández,

Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A Bioinformatics Study of the MECP2 Rett Syndrome is an X linked condition that affects 1 in every

10,000 girls. It is a neurological developmental disorder that causes autistic behavior, severe physical

disabilities, and problems with cardiac, digestive, and skeletal systems. Rett Syndrome is caused by a

mutation in the MECP2 protein. Although the exact function of this protein is not confirmed, it is thought

to have an essential role in neurological communication and the splicing of MRNA. The purpose of this

investigation was to use Bioinformatics to analyze the parallel structures between the MECP2 and MBD2,

a similar protein. The methodology of this Investigation included the use of the following programs:

Blast to indicate the conservation of key amino acids; CLUSTALW, which is necessary to make a

multiple alignment; Gene Doc, used for finding the percentage of conservation between the multiple

alignments of similar proteins, showing the motifs of the amino acid chain in a protein; Tree View, that

shows the phylogenetic tree of the protein; and the Protein Data Bank and VMD, which creates the three

dimensional structure of the protein.

WHOLE GENOME PREDICTION FOR CLINICAL USE IN ADULTS

Kristie Caminero and Karilys Rodríguez, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Whole Genome Prediction (WGP) is a new method which includes or incorporates thousands of single

nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) simultaneously into a regression model. With this, type 2 diabetes may

be evaluated in a simulated population, since it is an obesity-related disease and a worldwide problem.

The aim of this project was Diabetes in adults and how the true ability of WGP may be used to predict the

impact in different decision making scenarios. The project tried to prove whether the predictive genetic

test with WGP is important and useful for personalized medicine.

BEST POSTER

ANALYSIS OF THE ATP-BINDING CASSETTE, SUB-FAMILY D (ALD), MEMBER 1

PROTEIN THAT CAUSES ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY

Keyra Colón Rodríguez, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Research PI Mentor: Dr. Ángel Arcelay, Universidad Del Este, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Edgardo Vázquez Rodríguez, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Assistant Mentor: Elvin Méndez Sotomayor, Universidad Del Este, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

The ATP-binding cassette sub-family D member 1(ALD-1) is a protein which is involved in the

catabolism of long chains fatty acids. When this protein fails to work, on account of a mutation, it causes

the disease adrenolekodystrophy. This condition causes the fatty acids to accumulate in tissues throughout

the body but, mostly, it affects the central nervous system, the adrenal cortex, and the Leydig cells located

in the testicles. The disease is divided into three different types. The childhood cerebral type includes as

symptoms changes in muscle tone, muscle spasms and spasticity, strabismus, and nervous system

deterioration. The second type is Adrenomyelopathy with symptoms on controlling urination, muscle

weakening or stiffness, and problems with visual memory. The third type is the Adrenal gland failure

(Addison type) that causes vomiting, muscle weakness, and in serious cases a coma. The program SIFT

(Sort Intolerant from Tolerant) was utilized to predict whether an amino acid substitution in the ALD-1

amino acid chain can affect its function. Results obtained by SIFT showed that 28.75% were intolerant

amino acid substitutions in the first twenty positions of the polypeptide chain and 71.25% were tolerant.

This in conclusion means that there is a very high probability that if a mutation occurs within the first

twenty positions, the protein function will not be affected.

WHOLE GENOME PREDICTION WITH SLEEP APNEA STUDIES

Zoribel Cordero and Carolyn M. Colón, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Luis Ortiz-Jordán, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Greisha Ortiz-Hernandez and Wilnerys Colberg-Hernandez,


Sleep apnea is when the breathing becomes shallow or pauses when an individual sleeps; it is associated

with obesity. Adenoidectomy is a surgical procedure that removes the adenoids behind the nasal passage

that cause sleep apnea. The Whole Genome Prediction (WGP) was used for this research. It is a program

that incorporates SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) into a regression model that estimates the

contributions of molecular markers to the overall variance for a phenotypic trait. The R program was used

to simulate a population, examining their percentage of excess weight loss after the tracheostomy surgery

with WGP. The aim was to evaluate sleep apnea in children caused by obesity using WGP to observe the

impact in different scenarios, to prove that predictive genetic test may be valuable for this common

disease. By evaluating the outcomes of interest and using Excel for the statistical analysis, more cases of

sleep apnea were prevented by using WGP. In conclusion, by wisely using WGP, and improving its

methods, it may be a successful tool to be used one day.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF A DEPLETION ON THE AGK GENE IN TWO ORGANISMS

THAT CAUSE SENGERS SYNDROME

Amanda M. Crastz Flores, Nuestra Señora de la Providencia School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Brenda Torres-Velásquez Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Jhonny Navarro Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Joseph Colón, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Sengers Syndrome, that causes death early in the development of a human, presents such conditions as

congenital cataracts, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, lactic acidosis, mitochondrial myopathy and, in some

cases, muscle enlargement. The purpose of this research was to make a comparative analysis between two

organisms with the AGK gene, where the depletion was produced. The research involved studying the

probability of incidence of the Senger Syndrome in humans. The T-coffee alignment program showed

100% of similarities between the AGK gene of the humans (AGK_HUMAN) and the AGK gene of the

Sumatra Orangutan (AGK_PONGO). According to their taxonomy, these two species are mammals and

the orangutan is the closest animal to humans in relation to their genome. 97% of the orangutan genome is

identical to the human genome. This means that the orangutan has a 3% probability of suffering from

Sengers Syndrome.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PROTEIN THAT CAUSES POLYDACTYLY ON

DIFFERENT SPECIES

Kilian Crastz Flores, Nuestra Señora de la Providencia School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




The Polydactyly is a condition in which the subject has one or more extra finger on one or more limb.

Many scientific papers say that this condition is not from humans only, also others mammals suffer this

condition. The question is: What have in common those species who suffer polydactyly?. In this project

the researcher has two main objectives: search the genes related to polydactyly condition and, compare

them with analog genes of other species to determine how much similar they are. After analyze the

results, the researcher found that the alignment of genes sequences received 99 points in scores at the

program TCoffee.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF PROTEINS RELATED TO THE FIBROMYALGIA DISEASE

Jamie Lee Cruz Ortiz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes muscle pain and fatigue. This condition has trigger points of pain

in the hands, legs, back, neck and shoulders. Some of the proteins that are related to cause fibromyalgia

are: IGF-I (Insulin-Like Growth), and CSF (Cerebrospinal Fluid). The methods to be used in this study

are bioinformatics tools and databases. The bioinformatics tools are Genedoc to visualize the multiple

alignments, Tree-View to constructs phylogenetic trees, and Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) to

predict the protein structures. The databases are NBCI-BLAST, MEME, G-blocks, ClustalW2 and Protein

Data Bank (PDB) to predict the multiple sequence alignments and protein structures.

MUTATIONS ON THE GENE GATA2 OF MOEBIUS SYNDROME

Ian Febus and Natalie González, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.




The Mobius syndrome (MBS) is an extremely rare congenital neurological disorder which is

characterized by facial paralysis and the inability to move the eyes from side to side. Most people with

Mobius syndrome are born with complete facial paralysis and cannot close their eyes or form facial

expressions. There are many genes that have been related to this disease: GATA2, PGT, and EGR2 are

some of them. In order to develop this project, the gene GATA2 was selected. GATA2 is a human gene

located in chromosome 3, which makes a protein called GATA binding protein 2. Several studies infer

that 3q21 and 3q22 are susceptible locus to develop MBS due mutations, but there is not enough evidence

to prove it yet. The main objective of this research was to learn how sensitive 3q21 and 3q22 were to the

20 possible amino acid mutations, besides MBS. The sequence of the gene was obtained through NCBI

and the Ensembl database. The SIFT program was used to run the mutations. Results showed loci 3q20

was less sensitive to mutations than loci 3q21, but in both of them at least 75% of mutations were

considered damaging to the human being.

APPLICATION OF PUNNETT SQUARE TO EQUINE COAT COLOR GENETICS

Nacexlyn Flores, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.




For every living thing there are millions of instructions called genes that characterize their growth,

appearance and maintenance. Genes cannot be seen, nevertheless, the presence of genes is recognized

because of its effects on the organism in ways that we can be seen or measured. Equine coat color

genetics determines a horse's coat color. There are many different coat colors possible, but all colors are

produced by the action of only a few genes. The main objective of this project was to study the genes that

determine the coat color of horses, using Punnet Square and the probability concepts in order to explain

possible patterns of coat color inheritance.

BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS OF THE SSCL22A5 CARRIER MEMBER 5 PROTEIN THAT

CAUSES PRIMARY CARNITINE DEFICIENCY

, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Gabriela Goitía-Vázquez




The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the cause of Primary Carnitine Deficiency through the

use of bioinformatics. Primary Carnitine Deficiency is a condition that restricts the body from acquiring

Carnitine, a substance used by cells to convert fat into energy. This condition usually appears during

infancy and most often affects the brain, causing encephalopathy; the heart, causing cardiomyopathy; or

the blood sugar, causing hypoglycemia. This deficiency is a hereditary condition found in an autosomal

recessive pattern which means that both parents are carriers. Primary Carnitine Deficiency is caused by a

mutation in the Solute Carrier Family 22 gene, which provides instructions for the member 5 protein,

which is responsible for transporting Carnitine into the mitochondria. The composition of this was

analyzed and compared to other proteins of both humans and other animals using bioinformatics. For the

investigation, Uniprot and Blast online databases were used to find out the sequence of the SSCL22A5

carrier member 5 proteins and to find similar proteins of animals and other humans. In addition, computer

programs such as Gene Doc, Tree View and VMD were used to align these proteins and to view them in

both phylogenetic tree and crystalized protein format.

BEST Oral

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene

BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS OF NEUROFIBROMIN AND MERLIN PROTEINS

Maroly C. González-Pérez, Papa Juan XXIII High School, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.




Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a neurocutaneous disorder that affects the skin melanin and causes the

uncontrolled growth of tissue in the nerves. Among the outstanding symptoms is the development of

neurofibromas, tumors that surround nervous tissues. There are three types of NF, each one with different

genetic causes. The NF type 1, also called peripheral NF, is caused by a mutation on the NF1 gene that

results in the lack of Neurofibromin. It regulates negatively Ras proteins, which are important for the

signal transduction necessary for cellular processes. The NF type 2 is caused by a mutation on the NF2

gene, resulting in the absence of the protein merlin, involved in cellular growth. The aim of this research

was to analyze and compare both proteins using bioinformatics tools. It included finding the protein

sequence alignment in the data base PubMed, comparing the homology and similarity sequence using

European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), determining their conservation percentage in Gene Doc,

searching the motifs in MEME and creating a three-dimensional model using Visual Molecular Dynamic

(VMD).

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF HYPOPHOSPHATASIA INCLUDING AMINO ACID

SUBSTITUTION OF THE ALPL PROTEIN

Michael Hicks, Diocesano Santiago Apóstol School, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.



Research Assistant Mentor: Elvin Méndez Sotomayor, Universidad Del Este, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The exact physiological function of the alkaline phosphatases is not known. A proposed function of this

form of the enzyme is matrix mineralization. This enzyme has been linked directly to hypophosphatasia, a

disorder that is characterized by hypercalcemia and includes skeletal defects. Elevated alkaline

phosphatase, assessed along with other enzymes, can indicate a number of medical conditions. The

character of this disorder can vary, however, depending on the specific mutation since this determines age

of onset and severity of symptoms. An elevated alkaline phosphatase can be indicative of conditions such

as gallstones, hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. Bone diseases such as rickets, osteomalacia and Paget's

disease cause elevated ALP levels, as do bone tumors or cancer. The enzyme level may also rise during

the healing of a bone fracture, and in that instance would not be suggestive of malignancy. Though not as

common, if liver and bone disease are ruled out in the presence of an elevated ALP, other causes include

heart attack or heart failure, kidney cancer, sepsis, hyperparathyroidism and mononucleosis.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF SPRED1 AND SPRED2

Carlos A. Huang-Zhu, Virginia S. Rodríguez-Domínguez, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.




Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of leukemia among children, but the least

common among adults. This disorder is a fast developing type of cancer that develops in the bone

marrow, the soft inner part of some bones, which is made up of a small number of blood stem cells, more

mature blood-forming cells, fat cells, and supporting tissues which help cells grow, and affects

lymphocytes produced in their early stages. Affected lymphocytes do not develop completely and are not

able to fight infections; this will prevent red blood cells from performing their own functions. The

proteins affected are Sprouty-related, EVH1 domain-containing protein 1 (SPRED1) and Sprouty-related,

EVH1 domain-containing protein 2 (SPRED2). The purpose of this investigation was to use

bioinformatics tools to analyze two protein sequences. PubMed was used to find references and protein

sequences. The tools used included CLUSTALW2, which is used to make the multiple alignments;

GENEDOC, which is a sequence alignment editor, analyzer, and shading utility; MEGA-5, which was

used to visualize the phylogenetic tree; PROTEIN DATA BANK (PDB), wasused to explore whether the

protein had been crystallized to get the file and view its 3D structure, and VMD, which was used to

visualize the protein in 3D.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF THE FILAGGRIN PROTEIN AS A CAUSE OF ATOPIC

DERMATITIS

Jonathan López de León, C.R.O.E.M. School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.




Atopic dermatitis is a skin disease caused by different allegers and patches of erythema that produces

irritation and a colorized skin. It is mostly hereditary and causes genetic problems. The deficiency in the

Filaggrin and Claudine protein could be the primary cause of this disease. This type of dermatitis is

related to high IgE levels, which determine the percentage of allergy, skin dehydration and a chronic

inflammation. This disease will develop bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and herpes simplex. The

principal purpose in this investigation was to find the relationship between amino acids comparison, find

the deficiencies of the Filaggrin and Claudine protein, then find the conservation levels and determine the

amino acid sequence deficiencies using bioinformatics tools. It was found that certain regions in the

protein analysis were highly conserved. They also shared evolutionary information. Through some

bioinformatics analysis, it was encountered that some of these proteins had some conserved and also

important amino acids that determined their functions.

BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS OF METHEMOGLOBIN

José David López- Villegas, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Blue baby syndrome is a disease that is caused by a decrease of blood to carry oxygen, resulting an

oxygen defiency in body parts. Babies are the most vulnerable to this disease, adults get this disease

rarely. Some of the symptoms to this disease are cynanosis that’s a form of hemoglobin that is unable to

bind oxygen and that’s why babies have blue nails, lips and skin. Difficulty breathing and delayed

development are other symptoms. Delayed development is a methemoglobin that is unable to transport

needed oxygen to all the body parts. This may cause mental retardation and the infant grows slower than a

healthy infant. The genes that cause the blue baby syndrome are methemoglobin and hemoglobin. The

protein that is affected is cythochrome-b5 reductase. The purpose of this work is to analyze the protein

cythochrome-b5 reductase and how the amino acids of the protein conserve. The method is to use

bioinformatic tools and databases like NCBI-Blast, Gene Doc and Tree View. MEGA5, MEME, G-

blocks and some other programs are used to create multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetic trees,

MEME, and protein 3D structure.

STABILITY AND VERIFICATION OF TATP FRAGMENT CATION IN GAS PHASE

Natalie López Rodríguez, Inmaculada Concepción Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Dr. Leonardo Pacheco, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Triacetone triperoxide (TATP) displays six molecular fragments with high abundance, when it is ionized

using electrons of 70 eV in a Gas Chromatograph-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer. The fragments are m/z

32, 43, 58, 59, 74 and 75; where the m/z 43 is the most abundant fragment. The stability parameter for

these cations and neutral TATP was calculated using the Gaussian 09 program. The method employed in

the present study was the B3LYP density function theory (DFT) approach. Fully optimized geometries

under “Tight” conditions (Opt=Tight), transition states, stabilization energies, vibrational frequency and

thermochemical properties were also calculated by unrestricted open-shell wavefunctions B3LYP/6-

311++G(d,p) at the level of DFT theory. After ionization, the most abundant cation: m/z = 43, could be

reconstructed to two other geometries. The energy barriers for tautomerism were calculated and

compared with other fragments. There was no minimum found in the cation of the molecular ion. This

explains why the molecular ion has so low abundance in the experimental measurements. It was found

that m/z = 43 and is the most stable in the theoretical framework. This is in agreement with experimental

results, and the possible tautomerism involved providing a reasonable explanation of why m/z = 43 is the

most abundant fragment.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF THE SLC26A2 PROTEIN

José Luis Marrero, Santa Teresita Academy, Naranjito, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Luis M. Ortiz, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Greisha L. Ortiz, Wilnerys Colberg, Universidad Metropolitana, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Diastrophic dysplasia is a rare growth factor and that almost always is the cause of orthopedic problems

on people with dwarfism. This disease is known as a progressive one, which can lead to other physical

disabilities. The diagnosis of this disease is detected or confirmed by a molecular genetic testing of the

protein SLC26A2 (DTDST), the only gene known as a DTD family. This bioinformatic study will attempt

to find and contrast proteins SLC26A1 through SLC26A11, investigate the conservation percentage, and

construct phylogenetic trees and motifs to evaluate the differences in the SLC26A1 through SLC26A11.

The programs used for this investigation were GeneDoc, MEGA5 and Visual Molecular Dynamics

(VMD), the data banks, the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) and PubMed. MEGA5, MEME, G-

blocks and some other programs were used to create multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetic trees,

MEME, and the protein 3D structure.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF SMPD1, NPC1, AND NPC2

Paulina Marrero, Puertorriqueño de Niñas School, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.



Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico. This autosomal genetic disease is caused when the lipid metabolism does not break down the sufficient

amounts of cholesterol and lipids. The disease is divided into types A, B, C, and D. Type A and B occur

when the cells in the body do not have an enzyme called ASM). Type C occurs when the body cannot

break down cholesterol and other fats. The proteins that get affected are NPC1 and NPC2. It is

important to use Bioinformatics to see the multiple alignments of proteins, to visualize the protein in a 3D

model to learn the structure, and also to see the conservation percentage of the sequence of proteins. The

methodology consisted of using: Blast, to find similarities of regions between the proteins; Clustal W2,

that aligns the multiple proteins; Gene Doc was used to find the percentage of conservation between

proteins; Mega Five to infer phylogenetic trees; and VMD, to show the structure of the protein in 3D..

All these sources allowed the researcher to see and understand better the diversity of proteins and how they

are organized.

A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF CHRONIC GRANULOMATOUS DISEASE INVOLVING

THE CYBB PROTEIN

Fabiola Negrette Delgado, María Reina Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.



Research Assistant Mentor: Elvin Méndez Sotomayor, Universidad Del Este, Carolina, Puerto

Rico.

The cytochrome b-245 beta (CYBB) protein functions as both the key component of the membrane-bound

microbicidal oxidase system of phagocytes and as the terminal component of a respiratory chain, which

transfers electrons from cytoplasmic NADPH through the plasma membrane to reach molecular oxygen

on the exterior. Other functions include its participation as both a voltage-gated proton channel and a

cellular pH regulator. When this protein is deficient in an individual, it constitutes as the spark of one of

the five biochemical defects correlated with chronic granulomatous disease. This is due to the fact that

there is decreased activity of phagocyte NADPH oxidase. There is an inability to increase cellular

respiration and to kill phagocytic vacuoles, and there is a failure in the transfer of oxygen into the

phagocytic vacuole. With SIFT, a computer program both based on the substitution of intolerant from

tolerant amino acids and on the principle that protein evolution interrelates with protein function, one can

calculate the probability of whether mutant activation of alleles will occur. According to results obtained

from this program, the intolerant alleles have a 56% probability of mutant activation while tolerant alleles

have a 44% probability. This indicates that there is a higher probability for intolerant alleles to mutate.

THE ANALYSIS OF THE MUTATION IN COL1A1 AND COL1A2 GENES USING

BIOINFORMATICS TOOLS

Natalie A. Nieves Echevarría, Papa Juan XXIII High School, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.




Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as crystal bones disease, is a genetic disorder that causes

diverse symptoms in connective tissue and a noticeably decrease in bone mass, turning them susceptible

to fractures. Mutations COL1A1 or COL1A2 alter the structure of the alpha chains of collagen type 1.

The structure of this protein is a triple helix that requires a glycine residue in every third position in order

to fold precisely. From eight types of OI, the substitution of glycine for other amino acids cause types I,

II, III, and IV, depending on the amino acid and the location of the substitution. The goal of this research

was to use Bioinformatics programs to find similarities and analyze both COL1A1 and COL1A2 proteins

in other animal species similar to Homo sapiens using EBI, determine the conservation percentage

between the proteins of the select species using Gene Doc, construct and compare phylogenetic trees that

represent the evolution and motifs in Tree-view, and design both proteins in Visual Molecular Dynamics

(VMD).

SIFT PROBABILITY OF AMINO ACID SUBSTITUTION TOLERANCE OF COAGULATION

FACTOR VII

Miguel Ortiz Mercado, University High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico




The K-Dependent factor which is essential for hemostasis travels in the blood as zymogen. There exist

three other factors, Factor IX, Factor X and Factor XII, that united to Factor 3 and calcium ions produce

coagulation cascades. If in any of these factors there is a mutation, there can be several consequences in

the cell and the plasmatic molecules. If the plasmatic molecules are affected, it can complicate the

vascular system circulation by producing clots affecting the heart bloodstream that could provoke a

myocardial infarction. The program SIFT was utilized to calculate the tolerance of a protein when an

amino acid is substituted in the first twenty positions of the polypeptide chain. SIFT showed that 61.75%

of the amino acid substitution were intolerant and 38.25% were tolerant to the change. In conclusion, this

means that there is a high probability that if a mutation occurs, it causes an uncontrollable formation of

clots that may produce a myocardial infarction.

MUTATIONS IN THE GENE GNAS1 OF THE MCCUNE-ALBRIGHT SYNDROME

Jaymarie Osorio, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.




The McCune-Albright Syndrome (MAS) is a rare disorder constituted by the association of coffee stains,

affected bones, precocious puberty and monostotic -or polyostotic- fibrous dysplasia. This non-hereditary

syndrome can happen to boys and girls, but it mostly affects girls. For this syndrome, the investigated

gene was the GNAS, but to develop MAS the mutations had to occur in the gene GNAS1. For this

research, the NCBI database and Ensembl were used to find the sequence of the gene related to this

disorder. The SIFT program was used to analyze the mutations. It was found that most of GNAS1 point

mutations were considered dangerous for the functionality of the gene.

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF SYNDROME MODY3 INVOLVING THE PROTEIN HNF-1Α

Rodney P. Padovani Casanova, Luterano School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-Alpha (HNF-1α) attaches to the DNA and helps produce more proteins

related to the liver. Mutations of the hepatic transcriptor factor-1 gene on chromosome 12q24.2 cause the

syndrome Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young Type 3, also named MODY3. This syndrome reduces

glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, which causes Hyperglycemia or high blood sugar. The software

called SIFT (Sort Intolerant from Tolerant) does a sequence to sort the protein from intolerant to tolerant

substitution amino acid, and predicts if the substitution of amino acid will have a phenotypic effect. The

results on SIFT in this gene showed that a 40% of Amino Acids substitution were tolerant and a 60% of

Amino Acids substitution were Intolerant. This means that there is a higher probability of a mutation

occurring.

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF AMINO ACID SUBSTITUTION OF THE OTC GENE

Andrea Rivera, Carvin School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




The Ornithine Transcarbamylase encodes a mitochondrial matrix enzyme. Missense, nonsense, and frame

shift mutations in this enzyme lead to Ornithine Transcarbamylase deficiency, which is the most common

inherited disorder of the urea cycle. This disorder is transmitted as an X-linked trait, sex linked

deficiency, which causes hyperammonemia. Since the gene is on the X chromosome, females are

primarily carriers while males with nonconservative mutations rarely survive past 72 hours of birth. The

gene is located on the short arm of chromosome X and located in the mitochondrial enzyme. The

objective of this research was to examine changes on amino acids using SIFT (Sort Intolerant from

Tolerant). SIFT predicts whether an amino acid substitution will affect protein function. Results of

substitutions in amino acids composition in the protein in SIFT are expected to be more intolerant than

tolerant. Results from SIFT show that an average of 24% of amino acid does not resist changes and 76%

of amino acid are tolerant. This demonstrates that there is a lower probability of a mutation occurring in

the protein.

BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSIS OF SOX10 IN THE WAARDENBURG SYNDROME

Zoralis L. Rosa-Mercado, Levittown Baptist Academy, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.




Waardenburg Syndrome is a genetic condition that causes deafness and pale skin, hair, and eyes.

Although the parent passes the gene that caused the disease, the diseases may have different symptoms.

This condition has four types. Type I and Type II are common but, Type III, also known as Klein-

Waardenburg Syndrome, and Type IV also known as Waardenburg-Shah Syndrome, are very rare. Type

IV also has symptoms of Hirschpurg Disease, an intestinal disorder that causes a blockage of the intestine.

The Waardenburg Syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 people. The purpose of this

investigation was to determine the percentage of conservation of the amino acid sequence and to infer the

phylogenetic trees and cladograms in order to evaluate changes between species.

BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS OF FRIEDREICH ATAXIA DISEASE

Lizette Sáez, Santa María del Camino School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




Friedreich Ataxia is a genetic condition that affects the nervous system and causes movement problems.

This was discovered in the late 1800’s. People who are born with this condition, or later on in their lives

have it, will develop impaired muscle coordination. Friedreich Ataxia is caused by mutations the FXN

gene located in chromosome 9, which provides information for making a protein called Frataxin. Most

people go through symptoms of this disorder around puberty, but this may affect at any age. Within the

symptoms people can have loss of strength and impaired speech. Other people might experience and/or

have diabetes, impaired vision, hearing loss or abnormal curvature of the spine. It is estimated to affect 1

out of 40,000 people. The condition is mostly expressed in people with European or North African

ancestry; it is rarely found in other ethnic groups. Through Bioinformatics, the protein information is

discovered and processed. Bioinformatics is a field of science in which biology, computer science, and

information technology merge to form a single discipline.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS IN WOMEN

, Puertorriqueño de Niñas School, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Kathyana P. Santiago Mangual

Student Research Mentor: Luis M. Ortiz–Jordán, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Greisha L. Ortiz-Hernández, Wilnerys Colberg-Hernández,


Manifested 90 percent of the times in women, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune

disease that affects many different organs and organ systems in the human body. It is considered as a

rheumatic disease that causes aches and stiffness in many joints, being this the disease’s most common

symptom. It may be caused by both environmental factors and an overproduction of the B-lymphocyte

stimulator, the immune protein that regulates the process in which white blood cells release inflammatory

proteins. Studies have shown that estrogen, a hormone that contributes to the characteristics of the female

body, has an important role in this disease. Autoimmunity has certain characteristics such as affecting

heritage through genes and estrogen appears to contribute to SLE. Therefore, deeper studies on the

estrogen hormone, its effect on the female gender, and the relationship between the B-lymphocyte

stimulator proteins and estrogen were essential for the development of this research. Through the use of

bioinformatics tools and databases, an analysis of B-lymphocyte stimulator was done. The results

demonstrated that certain regions in the protein sequence are highly conserved and that they share

evolutionary information through distinct organisms.

WHOLE GENOME PREDICTION FOR CLINICAL USE IN ADOLESCENTS

Andrea Sosa, San Rafael School, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

Deysharee M. López, Calasanz School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




One of the biggest concerns in society nowadays is obesity in teen or adolescent children. Obesity is an

excessive accumulation of body fat. Most teenagers gain weight very easily, due to the process of puberty

and the need for nutrients in their bodies. The health problem related to obesity presented in this study is

type 2 diabetes in teens. To study it, the Whole Genome Prediction (WGP) was used, a method that

incorporates many thousands of SNPs simultaneously into a regression model and yields estimates for the

contribution of markers to the overall variance for a phenotypic trait. The aim was to study how using

WGP alters the prevalence of diabetes and adverse events.

BEST POSTER

BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS OF THE ABCD1 MUTATION THAT CAUSES X-LINKED

ADRENOLEUKODYSTROPHY

Gabriela D. Talavera-Santiago, Santa María del Camino School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Luis Ortiz-Jordán, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.



This investigation focused on comparing the ABCD1 and ABCC6 proteins that cause X-Linked

Adrenoleukodystrophy to the same proteins in other living organisms. X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

is a disease in which the body is unable to break down fatty acids, causing membrane lipids and proteins

rich in VLCFAs to form. These abnormalities cause the neuronal myelin sheath to become unstable, and

as a consequence, may cause the axonal demyelination, neuromotor defects and, in extreme cases, death

that characterizes this condition. This illness is caused by a mutation in the ABCD1 and ABCC6 proteins.

In most cases, the mother is the carrier of this mutation, although a father that is affected by the illness

can also transmit the condition. These proteins were compared to the same proteins in other living

organisms in order to obtain the percentage of conservation of parentage in the aligned amino acid

sequences. This was done to evaluate the evolution of these proteins. The methodology of the

investigation consisted of the following: using Uniprot and Blast online databases to find out the amino

acid sequence of these proteins and to find similar proteins of animals and other humans. In addition,

computer programs such as Gene Doc, Tree View and VMD were used to align these proteins and to view

them in both the phylogenetic tree and crystalized protein format. The results of this investigation showed

an 80% level of conservation in the amino acid sequence regions within the protein, 2% of it stayed

without any change throughout generations. This meant that the remaining 98 percent of amino acids

within the protein changed frequently throughout generations. It means that any change that may occur in

the protein does not necessarily affect directly the protein’s structure or its function.

AMINO ACID SEQUENCE BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSIS IN HGD

John D. Vélez Rivera, Vocational High School, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.




Alkaptonuria is an inherited disease. This disease causes urine to turn black when it mixes with air. It is

caused by a mutation in the HGD gene. The HGD gene provides instructions for an enzyme that helps

break down amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine that build blocks of proteins. When this gene

mutates, it impairs the enzyme’s role, causing homogentisic acid to build-up in certain parts of the body

like large joints that could eventually lead to arthritis. Some of this acid is excreted in the urine and causes

the urine to turn black once it mixes with air. People with this disease may develop arthritis (especially in

the spine) usually beginning around their mid-30’s. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern,

which means that both parents carry a copy of the mutated gene. This is a rare disease which affects

around 1 in 250,000 to 1 million people worldwide. People are more commonly affected in certain parts

of Slovakia and in the Dominican Republic. There is no effective cure for this disease. Studies show that

high doses of vitamin C can significantly reduce build-up of brown pigment in the cartilage. This disease

cannot be prevented if both parents carry the defective gene. The objectives of this investigation were to

find and contrast proteins in other animal species similar to Homo sapiens’ HGD gene, to investigate the

conservation percentage between the proteins of the selected species, to construct and compare

phylogenetic trees that represent the evolution and motifs, and to evaluate the differences in the HGD

gene. Some programs used were GeneDoc, Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD), and MEGA-5.

BIOINFORMATICS STUDY OF CNGA3

Patricia Victoriano, Luterano Resurrección School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




Achromatopsia is a genetic disease that consists of an anomaly in the vision. It is caused by an alteration

in photoreceptor cells called cones. The cones of a person with this disease are very underdeveloped

which means they have difficulty noticing color resulting in seeing black, white and shades of grey. It was

discovered by John Dalton close to the 1960s. There are some islands with the majority of the population

having this disease such as Pompei and Pyngelap. Some of the symptoms for this disease are Amblyopia

(lazy eye), Hemeralopia (unable to see in bright light), Nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyes and

eye sight degeneration). Most ophthalmologists mistake Achromatopsia for Nystagmus, due to this being

a symptom. It affects 1 in 30.000 people in the United States; it is very rare in women so it is more often

seen in men. It is found on the Cyclic Nucleotide Gate Channel Alpha 3 also known as CNGA3 region. It

has no treatment. PubMed was used to find references and protein sequences. The tools used included

CLUSTALW2, which was used to make the multiple alignments; GENEDOC, which is a sequence

alignment editor, analyzer, and shading utility; MEGA-5, which was used to visualize the phylogenetic

tree; PROTEIN DATA BANK (PDB), used to explore whether the protein has been crystallized to get the

file and view its 3D structure, and VMD, which was used to visualize the protein in 3D.

ABSTRACTS

BIO-MATHEMATICS

HOW A PERSON CAN BE ECOFRIENDLY DEPENDING ON ENERGY USAGE

Joshua J. Adames Avilés, San Rafael Arcángel School, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Natalia C. Santiago Merced, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Anna Flores Maddox, Tatiyanna L. Hughes, Universidad


Electrical energy is caused by the movement of electrical charges (positive and negative electrons) in the

interior of conductive materials. Electrical energy can be renewable or nonrenewable. This research was

focused on the consumption or use of electrical energy. What country consumes the most and which

consumes the least? How much is consumed in the United States and what is the highest consumption

recorded? To finalize, an analysis was made of data and the increase in the use of energy and how much

has been used in the world for years. Excel is a program that has calculus and graphics tools. It is one of

the programs most used to calculate operations. Global Electricity is a new application that presents the

energy used in the world, different types of energies and the amount (percent) used per region. Also, it

demonstrates the changes caused if energies are eliminated.

THE MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF VASCULAR AND AVASCULAR BREAST CANCER

Hermes Aponte, Bonneville School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Breast cancer is a type of cancer that is characterized by abnormal cell growth in the tissues of the breast.

It is one of the most common cancers in females in the United States. Symptoms of breast cancer are

lumps or tumors in the area, changes in the appearance of the nipple, discomfort, ulcers, and weight loss.

Breast cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, surgery, hormonal, radiation, gene therapies, and

immunotherapy, but may also lead to death, it. VENSIM is a program used to create, develop, and

analyze complex and dynamic mathematical models. VENSIM can be applied to model vascular or

avascular growth of breast cancer tumors. It was used for this research.

OPTIMAL TIRE PRESSURE FOR THE BEST DURABILITY

Jesús Aponte, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.




The current economy, in general, is getting worse each year. Because of this, people are looking for ways

to save money. One way to do this is by having the correct pressure in the tires of a car. Through time, the

durability of tires in cars has affected the economy in different ways. This occurs because people do not

know, the pressure at which tires should be inflated for the best durability. Consequently, this could

represent a problem at large, because a tire with a high pressure (or low) could result in flat tires and in

the purchase of new tires inadequately. This research consisted on finding the correct pressure of a tire

that provides the best durability, thus saving money on new ones.

A STATISTICAL MODEL TO ANALYZE OZONE DEPLETION DUE TO CFC EMISSIONS

Alondra Y. Báez, Manuela Toro Morice High School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.




Media, scientific journals, news and even other people, have been making comments about the increase

and decrease of the hole in the ozone layer. About 45 years ago major environmental changes have

occurred on our planet, some of them caused by humans. These changes began to cause a slip in the

amount of atmospheric ozone. Studies over decades have revealed the size of the hole in the ozone layer

according to the minimum amount of ozone during that time. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are related to

the deterioration and destruction of ozone. This research was focused on explaining how CFCs affect the

size of the hole and a minimum amount of ozone during that time. Data was taken from the

Environmental Protection Agency (site). Minitab V.14 was used to perform a descriptive statistical

analysis and to develop a regression model in order to predict the ozone hole size in function of how

much CFC is being emitted to the atmosphere.

ANALYSIS OF AMINO ACID SUBSTITUTION TOLERANCE OF THE THE MRP6 PROTEIN

Nydiana Benítez, Isidro A. Sánchez School, Luquillo, Puerto Rico.




The multidrug resistance-associated protein 6 (MRP6) transports molecules across a cell membrane. The

protein may play a role in the material that provides strength and flexibility to structures throughout the

body. It is suggested by research that the substances transported by the MRP6 protein help to regulate the

amount of calcium and other minerals that are deposited in certain tissues. If the protein cannot complete

its function, on account of an ABCC6 gene transcription error, then the substances it transports cannot

regulate the amount of calcium, which causes an abnormal accumulation of calcium in the elastic fibers.

This accumulation of deposits of calcium and other minerals in elastic fibers, which are a part of the

connective tissue, cause Pseudoxanthoma elasticum. The program SIFT was used to sort tolerant amino

acid substitutions from intolerant ones. Results showed that 49.5% of the amino acids substitutions were

tolerant to the mutation, while 50.5% of the amino acids were intolerant to the mutation. In conclusion,

this means that there is the same probability that a mutation occurring on the MRP6 protein will either

affect or not affect its function.

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF DENGUE FEVER IN PUERTO RICO

Gabriel Castro, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




The mosquito Aedes Aegypti has caused very serious problems in Puerto Rico. Dengue Fever, caused by

this mosquito, is one of the main reasons of outbreaks on the island. There are four types of Dengue:

DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3 and DEN-4, and Puerto Rico has had the four types of cases. The number of

reported cases of Dengue in Puerto Rico is very high, even though the probability of dying from it is very

low. However, the outbreaks are more dangerous each time. This research consisted of creating a

descriptive analysis of Dengue fever outbreaks as time passes. Using the data from the Health Department

of Puerto Rico, charts and graphs were created and particular patterns were observed. The study revealed

that there seems to be a seasonal pattern of Dengue fever.

THE COMPARISON OF THE VON WILLIEBRAND GENE IN HOMO SAPIENS AND MUS

MUSCULUS

Kalijah Chapman and Kristal Román, Educación Bilingüe de Cidra School, Cidra, Puerto Rico.




The Von Wiliebrand Disease (VWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder in which blood does not clot

properly. This disorder is caused by qualitative and quantitative defects in the von Willebrand factor

(VWF). The gene widely studied that is related to this disease is the VWF-gene located at 12p13.2. It has

52 exons spanning 178kbp. Through history, several species (particularly rats and mice) have been used

in medical research in order to develop new medicines to improve human health. The main purpose of

this project was to learn if there are other species carrying an analog gene to VWF human gene. The

NCBI database was used to find the VWF-human gene sequence; and BLAST was used to align the

sequences. The main result obtained was that Mus musculus also carries a VWF and it is 83% alike to the

VWF human gene. According to the literature, the hypothesis that animals are susceptible to this disease

is still under study.

HIV TRANSMISSION STATISTICS USING THE SIR MATHEMATICAL MODEL

Nicohl I. Cintrón Rodríguez, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and AIDS stands for Acquire Immunodeficiency

Syndrome. HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, infecting and destroying the CD4 (T-cells)

lymphocytes, and the white blood cells that protect the body against viruses, bacteria and germs. HIV is

treated with antiretroviral drugs, which are the ones that keep HIV at a low level in the body. They can be

transmitted by unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person (oral, vaginal, or anal), a

contaminated blood transfusion, artificial insemination with semen or organ transplant taken from an

HIV-infected donor, injecting drugs, and from mother to child. VENSIM is a program to develop,

analyze, and pack high quality dynamic models. VENSIM was used to create an SIR Model

(mathematically) of HIV Transmission. This model was used to calculate the number of susceptible,

infected, and recovered/removed people in a population.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES: TUBERCULOSIS AND LEPROSY

Ana A. Coterillo Sosa, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) is a chronic, infectious disease that affects the skin and nerves

of individuals. Most people ignore the symptoms because it is painless and does not itch. Tuberculosis is

caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although many relate tuberculosis with their

lungs, the bacterium can also affect other parts of the body such as the spine, brain, and other extremities.

The purpose of this project was to find the probability of people with Leprosy and Tuberculosis in the

near future. The software used was VENSIM. Google and Mozilla Firefox, as well as other various search

engines and web browsers were used in this project. The mathematical model used for Tuberculosis and

Leprosy was the ordinary differential equations (SEIR-type models), age-structured and delayed models,

comprising both partial differential equation and discrete-time compartment models, and spatially

structured models.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE HUMAN BODY THROUGH THE USE OF ALCOHOL

Keren Cruz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Alcohol is a very strong substance and an addiction for many people. Its consumption is also one of the

world’s favorite pastimes. Some of the results of taking alcohol are accidents, serious mental disorders,

severe headaches and in many known cases, death. The main reason most people drink is to avoid pain

and/or depression. It is a very common addiction, but sometimes the damage it causes can be too much to

be able to be fixed. The consumption of alcohol, even for a first time drinker, can be very dangerous

because there is a chance that someone will become addicted to it. VENSIM was used for developing,

analyzing and packaging dynamic models. Additionally, it helped to understand the SIR model and how

alcoholism can increase or decrease annually. Excel is a program to create formulas, data and worksheets.

Excel was used to create the graphics to see how alcoholism affects the population per group.

STUDYING SLEEP PATTERNS USING MATHEMATICAL MODELS

Andrea I. Ferrer Vega, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Sleep disorders prevent a person or animal from getting the rest that they need. Without rest, the body

does not have the ability to perform activities at its full potential. Sleep disorders can also cause panic

attacks and insomnia. In this research, the goal was to understand the patterns found in the sleep/wake

cycle. VENSIM and Excel software were used in the research. These programs helped to analyze data and

study how the sleep patterns vary in different groups of people.

PREDICTION MODEL FOR THE BEE COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

Bryan Fuentes, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Since 1940, there have been unexplained losses of managed honey bee colonies in the United States. In

the absence of a known cause, this syndrome was named Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) because the

main trait was a rapid loss of adult worker bees. This is a huge problem, because it affects the

reproductive cycles of plants and trees, and it affects the economy of beekeepers. In this research, a model

of linear regression was created using the software R with the purpose of predicting the number of bee

colonies left in a few years from now.

STUDYING SLEEP PATTERNS USING MATHEMATICAL MODELS

, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Laura García Canto


Rico.



The role of mathematical equations in enzyme kinetics is a very big in this part of chemistry because it is

the tool used to determine the rate or velocity of these enzyme reactions. Various tools help determine and

illustrate the rates and velocities of the reactions; one of the most used being the Michaelis-Menten

equation which lets determine the v0 of the reactions and illustrates in a graph the results of an enzyme

experiment. By using programs like R, the Michaelis-Menten equation may be illustrated in a statistical

manner which is more accessible to people who are not chemists or who do not study chemistry.

BEST POSTER

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNEMPLOYMENT AND HOMICIDES-MURDERS IN PUERTO

RICO

Fernando Guzmán, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.




The crime rate in Puerto Rico has been a social problem that through the years has wreaked havoc.

According to a study by the Citizen Council for Public Safety and Justice, Puerto Rico was placed

number 25 in the world, as one of the places with the highest crime rate by population in the world. A

statistical analysis was performed to check the relationship between unemployment and the murders and

homicides in Puerto Rico from 2002 to 2009. The work was done with the program Excel, using the

formulas for data correlation and regression of the graph. According to the information gathered, it seems

that there is a relationship between the problem of unemployment in Puerto Rico and the murders and

homicides recorded in previous years.

IMPLICATIONS OF OXIDATIVE PROCESS IN GENES RELATED TO DIABETES

MELLITUS

Michael Hernández, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown, Puerto Rico.




Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the ability of a

biological system to rapidly detoxify the reactive intermediates or repair the resulting damage. It can

cause diseases such as atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and others. According to the literature, there

are several amino acids that are affected by oxidative stress, among of them, tryptophan, histidine, and

methionine. Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders which affect various organs and tissues,

lifelong, and is characterized by increased levels of glucose in the blood or hyperglycemia. The main

objective of this project was to determine the consequences of the oxidative stress process in individuals

who suffer diabetes mellitus. In order to develop the research, a sequence of the diabetes mellitus gene

through NCBI and the Ensembl database were obtained. The SIFT program was used to run the mutations

in specific positions.

HOW WATER QUALITY AFFECTS THE BIODIVERSITY OF EL YUNQUE

Esteban López Merced, Nuestra Señora de la Merced School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Anna Flores Maddox, Tatiyanna L. Hughes, Universidad


Biodiversity is the variety of life, for example mammals, birds, bacteria, plants, found in a specific

geographic region. Water quality is the term used to describe the fiscal, chemical and biological

properties of water. The Yunque is a sub-tropical rainforest located in the eastern side of the Luquillo

Mountains. It is divided into four principal ecosystems: the Dwarf forest, the Palm forest, the Wet forest

and the Moist forest. The rainforest has eight principal river systems: Espiritu Santo, Mameyes, Sabana,

Pitihaya, Fajardo, Santiago, Rio Blanco and the Rio Grande de Loíza. Excel was used to make linear

graphics and linear regression of the water quality depending on the biodiversity.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE COMPONENTS OF MILK IN DIFFERENT SPECIES

Leysa A. López González and Verónica C. Fraguada Rodríguez, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.




Milk is vital for human health; it has a variety of nutrients that enhance the growth and development of

the body. Most people drink cow milk daily as a source as calcium, but it also has other nutrients that are

important as well. The purpose of the investigation was to search for other mammals that can produce

milk and look for an average of the production of nutrients and compare it with cow’s milk. The animals

that were compared with the cows were the buffalo, sheep, goats, camel, and mare. The nutrients studied

were the proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, water, and minerals. Data was obtained from nutritional data

tables in Spain. A correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between milk

components, and regression models were implemented to explain which components explained the

protein quantity in milk. Hypothesis testing of means was used to determine if there were significant

differences among the milk of mammals studied.

EVOLUTIONARY ANALYSIS OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS, AN AUTOSOMAL GENETIC

DISORDER

Gabriela Malespín, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Evolutionary analysis of genetic abnormalities and diseases is a vital tool for determining both notable

characteristics in demographic populations and analyzing mutation patterns to design better treatments

and breakthroughs in gene therapy. Cystic Fibrosis is an autosomal genetic disorder caused by the

misfolding of the CFTR protein. This in turn causes an accumulation of chloride and sodium ions around

the epithelial cells, leading to several disorders in the lungs, pancreas and reproductive system and can

lead to fatality at around age forty. Cystic Fibrosis is well suited to evolutionary analysis, as it presents

interesting trends among diverse demographic populations, particularly among Caucasian and northern

European populations. This research concentrated on genetic modeling and sequencing of various

mutations of cystic fibrosis. VENSIM, Grantham Distance and MEGA (Molecular Evolutionary Genetic

Analysis) were used to determine amino acid distance, reaction and enzymatic kinetics and evolutionary

traits of the disease.

COMPUTATION ANALYSIS OF ATAXIA TELANGIECTASIA INVOLVING AMINO ACID

SUBSTITUTION OF THE SERINE PROTEIN

Nicole Márquez Andino, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




The Serine protein helps to recognize whether the DNA is damaged or broken, and also plays a large role

in the development of the immune and the nervous system. When a mutation occurs within the protein, its

function can be affected later causing the Ataxia Telangiectasia, better known as Luis-Barr Syndrome.

Ataxia-telangiectasia is a rare inherited disorder that is characterized by progressive difficulty with

coordinating movement (ataxia) in children of early age. Symptoms include decreased mental

development, discoloration of skin areas exposed to sunlight and enlarged blood vessels in the nose and

eyes. The program SIFT was utilized to analyze the tolerant and intolerant amino acids in the first twenty

positions that when changed within the serine amino acid chain affect its function. SIFT predicts which

mutants may have a phenotypic effect before the functional assays are carried out. Results showed that

50.5% were intolerant amino acid changes and 49.5% were tolerant. This means that there is an equal

chance of a mutation occurring that will affect the serine protein function provoking the Luis-Barr

syndrome.

MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF E. coli GROWTH IN PRESENCE OF TGA- CAPPED CdSe

QUANTUM DOTS

, María Teresa Piñeiro School, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico. Kevin Matos


Student Research Mentor Assistant: Marcos Rodríguez,. Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Quantum dots are nanoparticles which possess unique electronic and photophysical properties that make

them ideal for different types of technological applications and cell marking. They have a great promise

for applications in nanomedicine. In recent years, Quantum Dots (QDs) have been widely researched for

their applications in biological systems, but a few studies have reported effects with live beings. Recently,

some effects were reported in CdTe QDs, but, there was no reported data of the toxicity of CdSe QDs in

bacteria as well as in the development of a mathematical model of the growth in presence of the quantum

dots. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was used as the model to study the effect of CdSe QDs on cell growth by

optical density (OD600) measurements and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-

FTIR) spectra. The results revealed that when the toxicity experiments started with an OD= 0.0125 value,

there was an effect in the Log phase. The experiments were performed using two initial OD values

(0.0125 and 0.025). The effect was analyzed in three parts: Lag phase, Log phase, and stationary phase.

The mathematical model was developed to describe the bacterium’s growth under each individual

condition that was developed using the logistic equation Solver tools from Microsoft Excel were used to

determine the constant values.

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN PUERTO RICAN WOMEN

Carol Mercado Santana, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.




Male sexual violence against women has become a serious situation in Puerto Rico and is considered a

public health problem. Cases increased dramatically from 1950 to 1980, being the year 1980 the year with

the highest incidence of rape, which occurs mostly in young women aged 20. Following the ratification of

Law # 54 in 1989, which was created to eliminate violence in couples’ relationships, and several

organizations that protect and educate women, these incidents decreased drastically. The main purpose of

this research was to make a descriptive analysis of the decline of rape against women in recent years,

when considering total crimes for years, and to show the kind of woman most likely to be attacked,

whether by an acquaintance or a stranger.

BEST Oral

A DISEASE CALLED ASTHMA

Eduardo Pagán, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Asthma is a long life chronic disease of the lungs that can affect a person every day if it is not treated.

Symptoms may include breathlessness, wheezing, coughing and chest tightness and some of these can

happen many times in a day. Some common triggers can be mold, smoke, and strong odors, among

others. The best way to prevent asthma attacks is to know the triggers and to follow the medicine

instructions as directed. The objective to this research was to know the current patterns of asthma attacks

in patients around the world. The methodology used in this research consisted on creating modules with

free software called VENSIM. The program had many features like sensitive analysis and dynamic

functions. With the help of web browsers, information and statistics were obtained.

EIGENVALUES AND EIGENVECTORS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THE INHERITANCE

EVOLUTION OF BATTEN DISEASE

Luana M. Paredes Sánchez, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.




Batten disease was named in honor of the pediatrician Frederick Batten who first described it in 1903. It

is the most common form of a group of disorders called Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCL). NCL is

the general name for a family of at least eight genetically separate neurodegenerative disorders that result

from excessive accumulation of lipopigments in the body's tissues. Although Batten disease is usually

regarded as the Juvenile form of NCL, it has now become the term to encompass all forms of NCL. The

forms of NCL are classified by age of onset and have the same basic cause, progression and outcome but

are all genetically different, meaning each is the result of a different gene. Over time, affected children

suffer mental impairment, worsening seizures, and progressive loss of sight and motor skills. Eventually,

children with Batten disease/NCL become blind, bedridden and unable to communicate, and, at present, it

is always fatal. Batten disease is not contagious or, at this time, preventable. This disease is inherited in an

autosomal recessive pattern, which is a genetic condition that appears only in individuals who have

received two copies of an autosomal gene, one copy from each parent. The gene is on an autosome, a

nonsex chromosome. The parents are carriers who have only one copy of the gene and do not exhibit the

trait because the gene is recessive to its normal counterpart gene. In this project, some concepts of linear

algebra were applied to genetics such as eigenvalues, eigenvectors, inverse matrix and diagonalization of

a matrix, in order to predict the inheritance evolution of Batten disease in a population after any number

of generations.

BEST POSTER

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurodegenerative_disorder

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3573




MORTALITY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADULT WOMEN AND THE FETUS

Abner Pérez Cabán, Nuestra Señora de la Merced School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Anna Flores Maddox, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Maternal death is when a woman that dies while pregnant or within 42 days of a terminated pregnancy,

and neonatal death is when the fetus dies during its first month. The major reason for maternal death is

severe bleeding, preclampsia and unsafe abortion. The major cause of neonatal death is the abruptio

placentae, a premature rupture of the membrane and the most common birth defect. Microsoft Excel is a

spreadsheet program that can effect calculations, graphing tools and pivot tables. The program was used

to view the increase and decrease during ten years in mother deaths. The neonatal deaths decreased and

increased in 2008 in different countries. The conclusion was that the relationship between both is the

combined effects of extreme poverty, disease and overpopulation in some countries. This leads to a low-

quality health care.

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF GAP JUNCTION BETA1 MUTATION IN PERIPHERAL

NERVES

Miriam Ramos, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.



Research Assistant Mentor: Elvin Méndez Sotomayor, Universidad Del Este, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Gap junction beta 1 gene is part of the gap junction connexin famil which speeds the transport of

nutrients, ions and molecules that carry communication signals through cells. The protein encoded is

located in the cell membrane of specialized cells called Schwann cells, found in the peripheral nervous

system consisting of nerves connecting the brain and spinal cord to muscles and sensory cells. Mutations

of this protein are related to the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease where defective proteins cause the nerves to

slowly lose their function and ability to communicate that results in muscle weakness, atrophy in the

extremities and degeneration of sensory nerves. The objective of this research was to understand and

simulate amino acid substitution in the protein chain, using the program SIFT (Sorting Intolerant from

Tolerant), and see how the mutation affects its phenotypic function. SIFT results showed that within the

first twenty positions of the protein amino acid chain there was a70.5% of intolerance while there was a

29.5% of tolerant amino acids. This means that there is a high probability that if a mutation occurs within

the first twenty amino acid positions of the chain, then it is very likely the Schwann cells will not

communicate effectively, therefore manifesting the Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

COMPARISON OF ASTHMA TENDENCIES IN UNITED STATES

Aryam N. Rivera Ortíz, Homeschooler, Caguas, Puerto Rico.




Asthma is a lung disease that if not treated rapidly can lead to death in a future. Over 2 million people die

annually due to this disease. Asthma makes people stop breathing or suffocate if doing much exercise. It

can also worsen with changes in temperature. Consequently, a person with asthma carries an inhaler at all

times. The main purpose of this project was to analyze the statistical values of asthma in the United States

using Minitab and Excel. This project consisted of analyzing the asthma disease based on the areas people

live. Based on their living area, the average increases or decreases were studied. Trends are noted in

which the northern part of United States behaves similarly to the southern part. Also, the east coast

behaves very similarly to the west coast.

THE EFFECT OF PROPINIBACTERIUM ACNE ON THE EXPOSITION BY RED AND BLUE

LIGHT

Isabel C. Ruíz, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



The purpose of this research was to ascertain how better or similar results would be achieved when the

bacteria of acne, better known as Propinibacterium acne, are exposed to the red and blue light at various

times, yet having the same number of days with the treatment. To achieve the results there must be a

change in the amount of time the bacteria are exposed to the light. This project tried to find if a treatment

that is done in a shorter amount of time is efficient as it is commonly used. It is really hard to believe that

this bacterium that is common in the skins’ flora is actually a disease caused by sweat, puberty, grease,

fat, allergies and is even hereditary. VENSIM was used for developing, analyzing and packaging dynamic

models. Furthermore, it was helpful to understand the bacteria growth model and how this increased or

decreased annually. Excel was used to create formulas, data and worksheets. In this program linear graph

were created to see how acne affects the population.

PROBABILITY OF HIGH AND LOW CHOLESTEROL

Luis E. Ruíz Colón, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Cholesterol is a lard steroid of fat that the human body requires to maintain balance in the body. It is

divided into two unbalanced fields; high cholesterol and low cholesterol. When classified with high

cholesterol, it has been concluded that a large amount of lard clogs the arteries, ceasing the blood flow

within the body. VENSIM is a program where statistics are presented in models. VENSIM was used to

model how cholesterol increases or decreases annually per group of people. Another program used was

Excel, which is helpful to organize data, make graphics and charts. Excel was used to show different

linear graphs of high and low levels of cholesterol to see how hazardous these levels were in the human

body. What is the probability in a group of people having high and low cholesterol?

THE IMMINENT THREAT OF SOLAR STORMS IN MODERN-DAY SOCIETY

Gerardo Sánchez Navarro, Bonneville School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



A solar storm can be defined as a burst of plasma or an eruption in the sun. This violent solar event occurs

when the sun's magnetic field alters and releases massive amounts of energy along with radiation. Solar

storms are dangerous because they cause significant damage to the electrical grid, telecommunications,

and other technological devices. The issue with solar storms is that they not only affect technology but

also interact with human DNA, stimulating distortions in biosynthesis in cells. The disruption of

technology would provoke a catastrophic social and economic impact due to the increased reliance of

these devices in daily life. Scientific information indicated that an extreme solar storm cycle activity was

predicted to peak in 2012.

GREEN IGUANAS AND THEIR EFFECT ON PUERTO RICO’S BIODIVERSITY AND

ECOSYSTEMS

Marcos Sánchez Navarro, Bonneville School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



The Green Iguana is a large species of lizard native to Central and South America and the Caribbean.

These huge reptiles breed annually and produce an average of 10-30 younglings. Green Iguanas tend to

breed in the dry season because this way they can ensure that their young hatch in the wet season when

food is more readily available. The average lifespan of a wild iguana is 8 years. This species has already

infested the whole Puerto Rican archipelago and represents a threat to Puerto Rico’s biodiversity and

ecosystems for various reasons. A serious reason is that studies done show that these huge lizards eat

animal eggs and have been found to represent a great threat to the native Puerto Rican Parrot. VENSIM, a

program with many features like dynamic functions, arrays, and data handling, was used on this research

to construct and develop a Predator-Prey model that could show how this species can affect the

environment.

SUICIDE RATES IN PUERTO RICO

Shyline Santana, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Suicide happens when a person decides to end his or her own life due when trying to find a way out of

either internal or external problems. One of the main causes of depression is a severe problem that starts

off slowly and gains upon the person. VENSIM was used for developing, analyzing and packaging

dynamic models. Also, it was helpful in understanding suicide graphically and model how suicides

increase or decrease annually. Excel was used to create formulas, data and worksheets. In this program

linear graphs were created to analyze how suicide affects the population per age.

APPLICATION OF MENDELIAN LAWS AND PUNNETT SQUARE TO STUDY

INHERITANCE OF AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE HARLEQUIN ICHTHYOSIS

Jancie L Santiago González, Caguas Private School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.




The skin is the primary deflector for the human body. The skin is made up of many layers, but it is the

outermost layer that provides the most protection and it is this layer where one of the many skin diseases

take place. Ichthyosis is a family of genetic skin disorders characterized by dry, scaling skin that may be

thickened or very thin. Harlequin Ichthyosis is very rare; its exact incidence is unknown but it is estimated

that each year, more than 16,000 babies are born with some form of Ichthyosis. This condition is inherited

in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The

parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene,

but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition. The genetic mutation that causes the

disorder is passed from parent to child. In some cases, however, neither parent exhibits the disorder, but

parents are carriers of the defective gene. When two carriers pass their mutated gene on to a new life, the

child will inherit the disorder. The research consisted of predicting how the mutation is passed down from

generation to generation, and in the future, by applying the Mendelian Laws and the Punnett Square, infer

which generation will be affected by Ichthyosis.

SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF NIEMANN-PICK DISEASE TYPE C1

Netsha J. Santiago González, Caguas Private School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.




Niemann-Pick Disease (NP) refers to a group of inherited metabolic disorders known as leukodystrophies

or lipid storage diseases in which harmful quantities of fatty substance (lipids) accumulate in the spleen,

liver, lungs, bone marrow, and the brain. There are four types of Niemann-Pick: A, B, C and D. NPC is

one of forty rare lysosomal-storage diseases. Niemann-Pick Type C occurs when the body cannot

properly break down cholesterol and other fats (lipids). Over 150 mutations (abnormalities) of the gene

NPC1, provide instructions for producing a protein that is involved in the movement of cholesterol and

lipids within cells, which cause Niemann-Pick Disease type C1. Niemann-Pick Type C usually appears in

childhood but it can also occur in adolescence and adulthood. The life expectancy depends on the stage

of life they have been diagnosed. This disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which

means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The objective of this research was to take the

sequence alignment of Niemann-Pick of different onsets (Homo sapiens, Felis catus, Canis lupus

familiaris, Sus scrofa, Oryctolagus cuniculus, and Rattus novegicus) and use T-COFEE, SIFT and

InterProScan to analyze if there were differences depending on the onsets, to predict levels of tolerance or

intolerance, and to observe the evolution of the disease.

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF AMINO ACID SUBSTITUTION OF THE PKLR PROTEIN

Yamilette Santiago Rodríguez, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




The pyruvate kinase isozymes R/L (PKLR) protein is a kinase that catalyzes the transphosphorylation of

phohsphoenolpyruvate into pyruvate and ATP, which is the rate-limiting step of glycolysis. Defects in

this enzyme, due to gene mutations or genetic variations, are the common cause of chronic hereditary

nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia (CNSHA or HNSHA). Multiple transcript variants encoding different

isoforms have been found for this gene. The purpose of this research was to predict whether an amino

acid substitution within the first twenty amino acids of the PKLR polypeptide chain can affect its function

using the program SIFT. Results showed that an average of 47.5% of amino acid substitutions were

intolerant and 52.5% of amino acid substitutions were tolerant, meaning that there was a low probability

of a mutation occurring.

MALARIA AS A MATHEMATICAL MODEL

Eugenio Sarritzu, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



The disease of malaria is caused by parasites called Plasmodium that are carried mostly by mosquitoes.

The disease enters the human body through a mosquito bite. These mosquitoes that carry the disease are

called anopheles, and are often referred to as “malaria vectors.” Even though malaria is a life-threatening

disease, it can be prevented and cured. The symptoms of malaria can be seen within a week or two after

the mosquito bite, but a type of malaria can show symptoms as quick as 24 hours after the bite and if not

treated quickly, it can lead to severe illness or even death. VENSIM and Excel were used for this

research. VENSIM was used to make dynamic mathematical models that contain all of the facts about

malaria. On the other hand, Excel was used to organize numerical and regular data and represent

mathematical equations, graphs, statistics and analytical models.

ACCURACY OF ADJUSTED BMI FORMULA VS. METRIC BMI

Zaely C. Sierra García, Santa Rosa School, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



Body mass Index (BMI) is calculated by taking weight in kg and dividing it by height in square meters.

BMI has been used as a standard to classify: underweight, normal, overweight and obesity in inividuals.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the BMI cut-off point for evaluating individuals as

overweight and obese is and respectively. BMI may not correspond to the same

degree of fatness in different populations. The calculation may overestimate body fat in athletes and may

underestimate body fat in people with sedentary lifestyles, females and some ethnic groups. It has been

suggested the possible need for developing different BMI cut-off points due to the increasing evidence

that health risks increase below the cut-off point established by the WHO.The purpose of this study was

to compare the BMI formula adjusted by the author with the metric BMI and how they correlated with

obesity.

COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF THE MECP2 PROTEIN THAT CAUSES RETT SYNDROME

Sara Torres, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




The MECP2 gene provides instructions for making a protein, known as MeCP2, whose exact function is

unclear. It appears to help regulate gene activity (expression) by modifying chromatin, the complex of

DNA and protein that packages DNA into chromosomes. The MeCP2 protein usually regulates genes

involved in brain function, even though this protein is found throughout the body. Mutations in the gene

alter the structure of the MeCP2 protein or lead to reduced amounts of the protein. As a result, the protein

is unable to bind to DNA or turn other genes on or off. The Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in the

MECP2 gene. SIFT is a sequence homology-based tool that sorts intolerant from tolerant amino acid

substitutions and predicts whether an amino acid substitution in a protein will have a phenotypic effect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rett_syndrome

FACTORS AFFECTING SUICIDE RATES IN THE UNITED STATES

Adrián Manuel Vázquez, Cristo Redentor School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. The rapid growth of suicide is causing

economic problems in United States because suicide costs productivity, meaning less money that flows

through the economic system of the United States. Also, the government has to pay for each one that has

committed suicide. With the use of data acquired from U.S.A. Suicide: Official Final Data, a prediction is

attempted to estimate suicide deaths in later years such as 2015. Some factors that affect suicide growth

rate were also investigated. If growth rate of suicide in later years were known, as well as some factors

affecting it, changes could be made to help minimize the rate.

THE EFFECT OF THE CREUTZFELDT- JAKOB DISEASE IN HUMANS

Andrea Vázquez Quiles, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown, Puerto Rico.


Rico.



The Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare mental disorder classified as a transmissible spongiform

encephalopathy (EET). This study explains the symptoms of the disease and what causes it. The symptom

that causes the least damage is insomnia, although it turns fatal progressively, and the most severe

symptom is coma. Although the CJD is extremely lethal, it has not been studied much because of its rarity

and isolation. Barely one in one million people around the world are affected by CJD, with the exception

of Chile. The CJD should be further and more intensely investigated so that the people with it can recover

or at least be treated. MEGA (Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis) is a program that helps create a

multiple sequence alignment from protein sequence data. MEGA 5 was used to create the phylogenetic

trees. Excel is a Microsoft program that permits to create tables, graphs, to manipulate data and build

arithmetic operations. Excel was used as a mathematical program to see the chemical change between the

amino acids and how the CJD affects the population.

APPLICATION OF MENDELIAN LAWS AND PUNNETT SQUARE TO STUDY

INHERITANCE OF AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT VON WILLIEBRAND DISEASE

Alicia Vega, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.




Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary coagulation abnormality described in

humans, although it can also be acquired as a result of other medical conditions. Basically, VWD can be

defined as a bleeding disorder that slows the blood clotting process. VWD disease can have different

inheritance patterns: type 1 and rare cases of type 2 von Willebrand disease are inherited in an autosomal

dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the

disorder. Type 3 and most cases of type 2 von Willebrand disease are inherited in an autosomal recessive

pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. Most often, the parents of an

individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but do not

show signs and symptoms of the condition. To study the inheritance of VWD, the Mendelian Laws and

Punnett Square concept were used under different initial conditions, using probabilities.

ABSTRACTS

BIO-STATISTICS

ALTERNATIVE HOME COOLING METHOD (PHASE II): FLAT VS BENDED METAL

REFLECTORS

Fabiola Agramonte, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Marlene Colón, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico exhibits high sun radiation exposure due to its geographical position. Solar radiation during

the day heats houses and the roofs of buildings, influencing the use of air conditioning systems

dramatically. Much of the cost of cooling a home can be saved by passive cooling techniques, which do

not require expensive retrofits or professional installations. Exploration of practical methods to

reduce insulation and heat conduction towards the interior of homes is important to counteract the above

inconveniences. It is known that the most effective ways to block heat from entering a home is insulation,

reflective barriers and shading. Because dark colors absorb more of the radiant energy from the sun, it has

been widely known that dark-colored home exteriors absorb 70% to 90% of the radiant energy that strikes

the home's surfaces. Some of this absorbed energy is transferred into a home by way of conduction,

resulting in heat gain. In contrast, light-colored surfaces effectively reflect most of the heat away. A

method was proposed for reflecting incoming heat installing a radiant or reflective-bended barrier. Two

rectangular sections or reflective barriers of a typical floor with the same area were used. One section was

masked with a barrier of aluminum and left flat, while the second reflective barrier or section was bended.

Each section had its own thermometer and the collected temperatures were graphed as a function of time.

The bended reflective barrier masked with aluminum showed a decrease in temperature as compared with

the flat aluminum surface. During hot days the curved pan acts as a shade, reflecting sunlight back up to

the sky preventing heat from entering the home.

COMPARISON BETWEEN THE EFFECTS OF THE WEST NILE VIRUS IN ANIMALS AND

HUMANS

Alondra N. Bogoljubskij Valedón, Nuestra Señora del Carmen School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Kamil Suliveres, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Dayanara Lebrón,Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito that infects horses, birds and humans. Regular mosquitoes can

become infected when they feed or bite infected birds. The virus then gets into their salivary glands,

where they make saliva. The West Nile Virus has different diseases that can make people sick. The

possibilities of people getting West Nile Virus are 1 to 5, and they depend on the immune system strength

of the individual or animal infected. The comparison on the mortality and survival percentages between

the animals and the humans was made. In the year 2011, the places the virus had struck the most

violently was Texas with a total of 1,057 cases and 46 deaths and in Louisiana with 147 cases and 10

deaths. Preliminary data showed that the West Nile Virus has affected more animals than humans but they

have a greater percentage of survival having only 45% of deaths.

SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF THE ELISA TEST

Ian Chaar, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown, Puerto Rico.


Student Research Mentor Assistant: Dayanara Lebron, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Elisa (Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test is a screening test used to determine whether an

individual who is asymptomatic has or does not have HIV. The sensitivity of a test is stated as the

accuracy of a test to determine if the individual has HIV. 1256 subjects were tested for HIV using a Saliva

Test and the Elisa Test, where one third of the subjects tested Positive for the virus. The objective was to

calculate the sensitivity and specificity of the Elisa test, and also calculate the proportion in a sample of

subjects that were diagnosed with a false positive or a false negative while being tested with the Elisa test

to conclude the efficacy of this test. Preliminary Data showed that the when the antibody is present, Elisa

is positive with a probability 0.997, and when the antibody is absent, Elisa is negative with a probability

0.985.

SMOKING AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE HUMAN CORPORAL TEMPERATURE

Adria Cotto, Melanie Ortiz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Student Research Mentor Assistant: Dayanara Lebrón, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Smoking, which is a world practice and drug addiction, is known to be the cause of many diseases, mostly

concerning the cardiovascular and respiratory body systems. This research focused on the damage

smoking inflicts on the nervous system, specifically if the practice has any effect on the temperature

regulating section of the brain, the hypothalamus. It was hypothesized that there is no significant change

in the body temperature of smoking and non-smoking subjects. Data consisted of a two day experiment,

in which the subject’s temperature was measured twice per day. Data were classified into four

classifications: smokers, both male and female, and non-smokers, also both male and female. Afterwards,

the mean for all classifications was calculated. Because all of the means were similar, one daily measure

out of 4 for each group that showed a greater variability was selected for data analysis. A paired t-test,

with an alpha of 0.05 was used to test the Null Hypothesis and box plots were made to map out the results

of the calculations. The results of the T-Test rejected the null hypothesis, and the principal hypothesis was

accepted.

BEST POSTER

COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF ASPERGUER’S DIAGNOSTIC TESTS

Karina I. Cruz Rivera, María T. Piñero School, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.



The Asperguer Syndrome (AS) is a type of neurological impairment, classified as an ASD (Autism

spectrum disorder), which affects the normal behavior, the ability to communicate and difficulties in

social interaction. The detection of the syndrome in children ranges from 3 years old and up, although the

frequency of children with this mental impairment has been from the ages of 5-9. The objective of this

study was to determine the efficacy of the autism diagnostics test and propose a more efficient way to

diagnose the level of autism in a child. The tests are analyzed through the contrast and comparison of

specific characteristics in the behavior of the individual tested. Preliminary analyses showed no difference

between the Autonomic Scale for the Detection of the Asperguer and the Inventory of the Spectroautism.

LOWER STATISTICAL PERCENT TO PREDICT ADULT BRAIN CANCER FOR 2015

Viviana Cruz, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Kamil Suliveres and Dayanara Lebrón, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the brain tissues due too alterations on the genes, and the

rearrangement chromosomes. Recent studies suggest that there is a link between brain cancer and

chemical exposure (Duan, Hu, Zhao, J & Luo, 2012). This abnormal cell growth destructs the brain cells

and provokes direct damages when it compresses other parts of the brain. The populations that have

genetic conditions such as retinoblastoma and neurofibromatosis are highly susceptible to acquiring a

brain tumor. Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children, but due to the immaturity of the

nervous system, the options for treatments are limited. The objective of the research was to enrich the

knowledge about brain tumors, the effect these can cause and what the range of age for having brain

tumors is more probable statistically. Tumors can vary from location in the brain. Their development and

growth may change the way the child may be affected. Data provided of cases of cancer per year were

analyzed using Excel and R to predict an exponential growth or a decrease in infected populations..

CROP MAKING ROBOT (PHASE II): A VIRTUAL PROTOTYPE DESIGN

Daniela Díaz, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.


A robot is a machine designed to execute one or more tasks repeatedly, with speed and precision. There

are as many different types of robots as there are tasks for them to perform. The Virtual Crop Making

robot was designed with the purpose of cultivating and planting seeds. The main objective was to make

this process easier and faster due to the decrease in planting on the island of Puerto Rico. The cultivation

of crops in Puerto Rico has been decreasing because of construction use of lands and the contamination of

the lands and water. Also, the farmers and the workers have been decreasing their work on the lands

because of the lack of interest or because of the difficulty of such work. This has been affecting the

economy as well because the exports of the island have decreased as well. This robot will be able to

prepare the land which the farmer wants to cultivate and plant the seeds of the farmer’s preference. The

purpose of this virtual robot was to, as a future project, make the process of cultivation easier for the

owner of the lands and to increase the number of goods exported. The Crop Making Robot would help

farmers planting the crops, which is an exhausting and hard work. This virtual robot would have a pair of

shovels to make the holes, put the seeds inside, and cover again the opening. It would also have the ability

of calculating the correct distance between

USING STATINS TO REDUCE MORTALITY PERCENTAGES IN PNEUMONIA PATIENTS

Stephano Encarnación, University Garden High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.



Pneumonia is a respiratory disease provoked by the inflammation of the lungs due to an infection

produced by a virus. In this study, statins (a drug that lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood by

reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver) were used to reduce the pneumonia cases in

patients admitted to the hospital. The objective was to determine whether statins reduced mortality in

patients admitted to hospital with community acquired pneumonia. Data provided showed 3,090 Adults

Participants admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. They were categorized according to use of statins

for at least one week before admission and duration of the hospital stay. Data analyses were made

calculating the odds ratio, and the percentage of mortality according to the classifications of the patients.

Results suggest that statins could have reduced mortality in pneumonia patients, also given that the

average survival percentage is 33% between groups.

SOUNDPROOFING POTENTIAL OF CORK AND RUBBER

Irene Hammel, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.


Most people take hearing for granted until they start losing it. Excessive noise exposure is the primary

cause of hearing loss; so reducing excessive noises can improve one's hearing health. Many people, more

than those one can imagine, are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Decibels measure

the loudness of sound. More than 80 decibels usually do not damage one's hearing, but noises higher than

80 are considered hazardous, 110 decibels or louder, regular exposure of more than one-minute risks

permanent hearing loss. It is known that loud noises do not only cause hearing loss, they also elevate

blood pressure, increase loss of sleep, increase heart rate, cardiovascular constriction, labored breathing

and changes in brain chemistry. This experiment will determine which recyclable material, between cork

and rubber, will provide a more effective soundproofing. It was expected that rubber would provide more

effective soundproofing than cork, based on the relative density. The results of this project will help

people avoid the effects of hazardous noises and at the same time help the environment by using

recyclable materials. In order to perform this experiment, cork tile and rubber tile together with a sound

level meter were used. Results revealed that using either cork or rubber tiles decreased the sound level by

more than 10 decibels. The direct measurement was that with 88 decibels, cork tile was able to decrease

the sound level to 79 decibels, while rubber tile decreased the sound level to 77 decibels. The width of

the barrier evaluated on the number of tiles used as dividers did not affect the results. Based on the

results of the experiment, rubber was slightly more efficient as a soundproofing material than cork.

COMPARISON BETWEEN DEVELOPMENT AND NEUROLOGICAL STATUS IN INFANTS

WITH REPARATIVE HEART SURGERY

Kiaralys Lara Sánchez, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Kamil Suliveres, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Dayanara Lebrón, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Open Heart Surgery is a procedure that is used to repair or replace damaged heart valves and is a high risk

operation for infants. Post- Operation the heart and respiratory system tend to not work in the same way,

the child development slows down and the growth of the heart resumes. Data was used to assess the

child’s level of functioning by the investigation of the development and neurological status of children

who had undergone reparative heart surgery. Data is divided into two surgeries: low flow bypass and

circulatory arrest. The analysis was made in R using a Paired T-Test with α=0.05 comparing Mdi and

Pdi scores for each surgery.

LEAF STOMATA OF IXORA COCCINEA AS BIO-INDICATOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL

CHANGE IN PUERTO RICO

Ana Longo; María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.


Leaves are the main photosynthetic organs of a plant and are in charge of cellular respiration. For leaves

to carry out cellular respiration, plant cells need a supply of CO2 and a way to dispose of oxygen. The

exchange of oxygen and CO2 occurs through the stomata. Plants regulate the aperture of the stomata so

they can absorb as much CO2 as possible, and so they can lose the least amount of H2O possible. This

experiment aimed to prove that leaves from Ixora coccinea can be used as biological indicators of

environmental change by counting the stoma on the underside of the leaf. It is known that the stoma of a

leaf regulates the change of carbon dioxide, water and oxygen needed for the process of photosynthesis.

The objective was to prove that this type of plant, that lives in higher concentrations of CO2, has evolved

and begun to grow its leaves with a lesser number of stoma than those living in lower levels of CO2 due to

the fact that there is a vast supply of carbon dioxide and no need to thrive to get the carbon dioxide. Data

was collected and used for an analysis and a conclusion and the hypothesis was proved right. To collect

this data, clear impressions of the underside of each leaf were obtained by coating the underside in clear

nail polish and peeling it off slowly and carefully. The carbon dioxide levels were collected using a CO2

sensor. The collected data revealed that differences in levels of carbon dioxide made the plant’s stoma

number change.

LION FISH: MORTALITY RATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEPENDENCIES

Alia Ortiz Bayron, Esc. Especializada en Artes, San Juan. Puerto Rico.



The lionfish is a native of the Indian and Pacific Oceans that has invaded the waters of the Caribbean, the

Gulf of Mexico, and the Atlantic Ocean. It has almost no natural predators in the aforementioned waters,

which makes it a dangerous predator in the reefs. It reaches sexual maturity before its first year of life and

it spawns in pairs. The only predator is the mere toad, but the toad is in danger of extinction which makes

the population rate of the lionfish to increase exponentially. The objective of this research was to recreate

a simulation to find the rate at which this species may be extinguished or eliminated. Simulation was

carried out through the Vensim program, using a population of (5-7) lion fishes and 1 predator per reef

with an increase of 30,000 laid eggs and a mortality rate of .25.

MACRO INVERTEBRATE LIFE AFTER A NATURAL CATASTROPHE

Eva Pagán, María Reina Academy, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.


The term macro invertebrate includes all the insects along with other invertebrates and arthropods. These

insects can determine how healthy or how unhealthy the river is. This investigation took place at

Maracuto stream, a direct tributary to the Rio Grande de Loíza watershed just after Tropical Storm Irene

and heavy rains caused major flooding causing the rivers to overflow. The procedure for the experiment

was divided into two steps: field work and laboratory analysis. The fieldwork was performed in the

Maracuto River in downstream and upstream locations. Soil samples were reviewed in the laboratory in

order to create a complete record of the macro invertebrate life in specific locations. Once the data was

collected, a comparison with the macro invertebrate samples prior to the storm was performed to

determine changes in the number of macro invertebrate life in the area. The samples taken were later

reviewed in the laboratory for identification of the macro invertebrate specimens taken from the Marakuto

River stream. Samples were analyzed with the goal of identifying and recording the existence of the

different macro invertebrate specimens. A guide was used as key to determine the specimens’ family. The

following was assessed in the laboratory to determine the health of macro invertebrate communities in the

Karafuto River: Total Abundance, Species Richness, Dominance and Evenness. Drastic change in the

environment was seen to affect the population of macro invertebrates causing it to decrease, because most

of the species, due to drastic climate change caused by the storm, will not survive.

LINKAGE BETWEEN DISTRIBUTION OF CANCER PERCENTAGES AND COUNTRY

DEVELOPMENT

Wilbert Sánchez Ruiz, University Gardens School,, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Kamil Suliveres, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor Assistant: Dayanara Lebrón, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan Puerto Rico.

Cancer is the name for diseases in which the body's cells become abnormal and divide without control.

The observation that cancer is different around the world, that it changes over time contributed to an idea

that cancer is a consequence of several environmental risk factors The aim of this study was to show

cancer development in countries. Differences were divided among 1st world, 2

nd world and 3

rd world. The

country representing the 1st world was the United States, the 2

nd world was Albania and the 3

rd world was

Milawi. In the year 2002, population based registries collected data on new cases of cancer occurring in

well-defined populations or over this given period of time. With this given data, the percentage of the

infected and non infected population was taken using the R program. The different percentages of all the

countries were graphed, analyzed and compared. The results revealed that the United States had a 61.9%

of infected population, Albania had a 58.9% of infected population and Milawi had a 2.5 % of infected

population. By comparing the 1st world and the 2

nd world, the 1

st world had 3% more infected population

than the 2nd

world. The 2nd

world had 56.4% more infected population than the 3rd

world. With this

information it was concluded that the countries’ development can be a cancer factor.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS AND CHILDREN WITH

RESPIRATORY ILLNESS

Génesis Santiago, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.



Respiratory illnesses range from a common cold to bronchitis. A study of respiratory illnesses during the

first year of life of an individual was conducted. Approximately 30% of children less than 1 year of age

visit a doctor for respiratory illness and 1% are hospitalized for respiratory diseases. As part of this study,

a group of 393 children were classified according to family socioeconomic status. The objective was to

demonstrate the relationship between socioeconomic status and the increase in respiratory illnesses. Data

was analyzed by computing the probability of children suffering from persistent respiratory symptoms in

each socioeconomic group, and then calculating the odds of experiencing persistent respiratory symptoms

for both middle and low socioeconomic groups relative to the high socioeconomic group. The odds ratio

results inferred a 2.6% of a increase in the probability of a middle-low socioeconomic group to suffer

from respiratory illness.

PREVALECENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS GIVEN A CHANGING POPULATION

Clarimar Sierra Díaz, University Gardens School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.



Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by bacteria which are spread through the air and affect

the lungs, cause immense pulmonary tissue damage and ultimately lead to respiratory failure.

Streptomycin is an antibiotic used to treat TB, works by killing sensitive bacteria, stopping the production

of essential proteins needed by the bacteria to survive. Prevalecence of the disease is of 10,521 TB cases,

a rate of 3.4 cases per 100,000 individuals in the population. Analysis of data was made using 4 groups of

people with tuberculosis, some using the antibiotic streptomycin while others not. The analysis tried to

find the survival percentages when comparing treatment effects. The objective was to identify a

successful group in which probability of survival was higher when treated with the antibiotic. Preliminary

data showed that 13% of the people not taking the antibiotic died, 35% survived, while 48% of people

taking it survived and 4% who took the antibiotic died.

ABSTRACTS


THERMONEUTRINOS, HADRONS AND PHOTONS COSMIC INTERACTION PRINCIPLE

Andrea Boria Denis, José Collazo Colón High School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Katherine Calderón Mojica, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

To reinforce the complexion of physical sub-particles and relativity, a new idea of imagination,

knowledge and comprehension of universe that implies photons particles travelling faster than electron

neutrinos and positrons into the magnetosphere and universe is being formed. This investigation worked

with the neutrinos from cosmic rays (atmospheric neutrinos) and solar neutrinos; it implied investigating

all cosmic interactions in the universe and from the Sun to Earth. The sun has within itself some

thermonuclear reactions, where two protons collide to convert hydrogen into helium -3, before the

deuterium process; which is when the protons are ionized, the proton-proton chain emits a neutrino and a

positron by product, the emission is so powerful that both sub-particles travel at a high velocity. In the

area of cosmic rays, neutrinos are about the interaction with a cosmic nucleus generating a particle

shower. Now at this moment is where the principle is disposed, which is the following one: After the

emission of sub-particles products and the particle shower, the electron neutrino and positron travel at a

high velocity which cannot be easily developed. At the time the thermonuclear reaction converts

hydrogen into helium -3, there is a gamma ray (photon) escaping the reaction; which is light. When this

moment of conversion happens, the gamma ray is traveling along with neutrinos and positrons to reach

Earth or keep traveling in the universe; however, the positrons and neutrinos have an advantage because

they are emitted before the gamma ray. It iss essential to look for a particle, reaction, or element in the

Earth’s magnetosphere or another reaction of dense charges in the universe that may attract both sub-

particles to get blocked, and let the photon particles travel longer than the other sub-particles and prove

the interaction of electron neutrinos or other small particles in the universe. It is possible that a less

massive Hadron, mostly Mesons which are Bosons, composed by the two lightest quarks (u, d) will

successfully react with electron neutrinos. Neutrinos may be imagined travelling in the universe; they will

be trapped by products and other reactions faster and there would be no way that they might travel faster

than the speed of light, because neutrinos are emission products that may be dragged by stronger ones.

Using the Gauss View and Gaussian programs to calculate the potential energy of the components, seen

behaviors of the computational models of this idea will be proved and structured.

DETERMINATION OF BIO-DIESEL SAMPLE IN ALGAE

Keishaly Cabrera Cruz, Dr. Juan José Maunez High School, Naguabo, Puerto Rico.


There a many process used to obtain Biodiesel. One of them is the process of obtaining it from a type of

seaweed which is called Thalassia testudinum. Distillation of seaweeds is used to extract the oil of the

algae. The main reaction of this process is called transesterification. A comparison was made of the bio-

diesel that created in the laboratory and analyzing it in the Infrared Spectrum with a model of bio-diesel

molecule that constructed in the Gauss View computer program. The molecule was run in Gaussian 03 to

obtain the computer results and to see the chemical behavior of the molecule. The focus was to ascertain

whether or not biodiesel was created.

OAT AS TOOL OF PREVENTION TO THE DIABETES TYPE 2

Valeria Nicolle Caro Díaz, and Eliza Marie López Báez, José Collazo Colón High School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Laysa M. Claudio González, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Oatmeal is a grain belonging to the groups of grains and flours. Oatmeal cereal is richer in protein, fat,

vitamin B1 and calcium. Oats contain minerals like zinc, iron, silica and magnesium. Oats prevent

diabetes type II, and in case of suffering it, helps to reduce the glucose levels. A detailed study of the

Quaker Oatmeal Cereals Company, "Oats and its Role in Diabetes" found that the oxalic acid is harmful

to the body, since an excess of oxalic acid can remove calcium from the blood by producing calcium

oxalate. Calcium is an essential element that regulates the blood’s acidity and viscosity, two key factors in

blood coagulation and phosphates transportation throughout the body. In the present work, the quantity of

oxalic acid in oats was determined by chemistry and their potential energy surfaces were evaluated by the

programs Gauss View and Gaussian. Regular oats contain 1.080 mg of H2C2O4 while Cinnamon

Oatmeal 2.799mg of oxalic acid. These values were compared with the recommended daily nutritional

value by the FDA, which is less than 24 mg per day. For this reason, it was concluded that oatmeal

cinnamon free is healthier because it contains less amount of oxalic acid. Potential Energy Surface data

shows that insulin is stable when it is alone while it is unstable when calcium or reactive oxalic acid are

present. With more reactive oxalic acid the electronegativity increases. In future research, the effects and

the benefits of oats in diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases will be investigated.

DETERMINATION OF PHOSPHORIC ACID IN COCA-COLA

Zenen T. Castillo, Colegio De Educación Avanzada Gaudí, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


Phosphoric acid is a chemical compound having the chemical formula H3PO4. In the food industry is an

ingredient in soft drinks, particularly in the tail, where its main application is as acidity regulator. One of

its properties is a bitter taste that is added to drinks. Phosphoric acid contains phosphorus, which is an

essential mineral in the diet as it contributes to the growth and maintenance of bones and teeth. In general,

all phosphates have an antioxidant effect. They are generally very little toxic substances with an acute

toxicity comparable to that of table salt. Phosphoric acid's ability to form complexes with calcium and be

excreted as calcium phosphates suggests that this micronutrient in excess can lead to loss of calcium

absorption. The content of phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola may be determined by a titration curve and pH

analysis. A comparison of phosphoric acid content and the theoretical and experimental well as

phosphoric acid behavior in other carbonated beverages.

ANALYSIS OF PESTICIDES IN VEGETABLES AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE HUMAN

BODY

Ariadna Sophia Claudio Ortiz, Colegio de Educación Avanzada Gaudí, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


A high level of pesticides is found in vegetables. This is because they are treated with toxic chemicals.

Organochlorine pesticides were analyzed because of their environmental contaminants that are a potential

cause of breast cancer. Lettuce and potatoes were compared to determine which was highest in pesticides

and what was recommended as an alternative purchase including organic foods that could prevent disease

and contribute to good health. Using the Gaussian and GaussView program, the chemical reaction of this

behavior was determined by chemical organochlorine in the analysis of IR-spectra and energy potential

surface.

DETERMINATION OF LEAD IN A SOIL SAMPLE

Sergio A. Donato Ferrer, Perpetuo Socorro School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


For decades lead compounds added to different samples such as gasoline, piping, among others, were

used. As a result, all interactions with different processes including lead in lead, metallic lead, lead oxides

and hydroxides went to the environment and accumulated there because of low solubility. Lead has

adverse health effects, its monitors and removal are a very important task. This research used a soil

sample that may have elevated lead by its location and by its interaction with other elements such as

landfills and industries. To determine how much lead the soil sample has, the the DithiVer Metals

Reagent was used. This is a stable Reagent powder form of dithizone. Lead ions in solution reacted with

basic dithizone to form a pink to red lead-dithizonate complex, extracted with chloroform. The

interactions that took place were seen using the Gauss View program to determine the chemical reaction

occurring in the sample.

SYNTHESIS OF GOLD NANORODS AND STATISTICS ON THE STABILITY AT 50, 75 AND

100C

Christopher Goytía, St. Mary’s School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo. Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Gold nanoparticles in several shapes have been used as carriers to deliver genetic materials into cells and

therapeutic agents. The size of the nanoparticles will play an important role in the applications. Gold

nanorods are useful materials for sensing, photothermal therapy, and imaging. The thermal stability is

important for the above-mentioned applications. In this work, gold nanorods by seed CTAB mediated

method in water were synthesized at 27°C. The protocol started with the preparation of a seed colloidal

suspension. It consisted of adding 250 L of an aqueous 0.01 M solution of HAuCl4∙3H20 to 7.5 mL of

0.1 M CTAB solution in a 50 mL plastic centrifuge tube and were mixed gently. Then 600 L of an

aqueous 0.01 M ice-cold of NaBH4 was added. The seed was aged for three hours and the gold nanorods

were grown using more gold salt solution. 270 μL of 0.01 M AgNO3 water solution were added to a

42.75 mL CTAB solution in a 50 mL plastic centrifuge tube followed by 1800 μL of 0.01 M

HAuCl4⋅3H2O aqueous solution. They were gently mixed after addition of the silver and gold to the

CTAB solution. Then, a 0.1 M ascorbic acid aqueous solution (288 μL) was added to the above mixture

(the solution became colorless). Finally, the seed solution was added (90 μL), and the reaction tube was

maintained undisturbed for 3 hours at 27 °C. The solution at the end turned blue. The thermal stability of

the gold nanorods in an aqueous solution was investigated by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. The

effect of temperature on both the longitudinal and transverse surface plasmon resonance absorption of the

gold nanorods was evaluated. In the present study it was observed that heating gold nanorods at higher

temperatures had some effects on their size. The length of the gold nanorods reduced as the temperature

increased; therefore, it made them more spherical. As stated in the hypothesis, the increase in temperature

made the rods less stable.

THE EFFICIENCY OF A CARBON FILTER WITH VARYING AMOUNTS OF CHLORINE

André Gutierrez, Southwestern Educational Society (SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Research Assitant Mentor: Kevin Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Water, used regularly by all people, must be kept sanitary and consumable for good health. Carbon filters

are used worldwide to provide drinkable water without the dangers of consuming harmful contaminants

and chemicals, which can increase quality of life. Carbon is used for filters because its chemical

properties allow it to react with and absorb many different compounds and elements. An example of this

is chlorine, an element that is commonly found in bleach and is used for cleaning water but can have

numerous negative effects on the human body. The concentration of chlorine in a water sample has been

found to be inversely proportional to the efficiency of the filter. This is due to the filter’s ability to absorb

the chlorine to its maximum capacity, which then causes the filter to be inefficient against other

chemicals. The purpose of this research was to find out how the amount of chlorine in a sample of water

affects the efficiency of a carbon filter processing said water. In this project, a granulated carbon filter, a

hose, buckets, and other necessary materials were used. The carbon filter was connected to the hose

where the water with the calculated amount of chlorine ran, and then tested for chlorine, using DPD

tablets. This was repeated until the water was found to contain chlorine, meaning the filter had failed. If

it failed in less time, having less purified water, while filtering the solution with the most chlorine, the

hypothesis would have been supported. This would mean that the filter was less efficient while

processing the water with the highest amount of chlorine.

ANALYSIS OF OXALIC ACID IN SPINACH

Kelly B. Martínez Pratts, and Yarys A. Sánchez González, José Collazo Colón High School, Juncos,

Puerto Rico.


The content of oxalic acid (OA) in spinach could cause gastrointestinal disorders in the human body.

These disorders could include diseases of the biliary tract and pancreas, bowel disease with chronic

inflammation, blind knot syndrome and the syndrome of bacterial growth. The OA content in spinach was

analyzed by titration with NaOH 0.2M (sodium hydroxide). Frozen spinach contains 1,080 mg of OA,

while the canned spinach has 2.799mg. These values were compared with the recommended daily

nutritional value by the FDA, which is less than 24mg per day. For this reason, it was concluded that

frozen spinach is healthier because it contains less amount of OA which could react with other molecules

in the body. Also, in this work the Potential Energy Surface using the GaussView and Gaussian program

was calculated to know the interactions of oxalic acid with other human molecules. Future research could

analyze the benefits of spinach in heart diseases because it helps to form hemoglobin, and prevent and

treat blood diseases such as anemia.

SEMI-EMPIRICAL CALCULATIONS OF THE MOLECULAR STRUCTURE AND

PROPERTIES OF RECYCLABLE PLASTICS

Víctor A. Martínez Santiago and José E. Alvarado Fernández, Discípulos de Cristo Academy,


Research Mentor: Dr. Harry Rivera, Inter-American University, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Plastic is one of the most used materials in today's world because it is a lightweight and durable material

that does not degrade easily. In fact, today’s landfills are filled every day with more plastic waste than

ever. Plastic recycling is one of the easiest ways to extend the lifespan of plastic. For instance, plastic is

recycled into seven categories according to the resin material it is made. The main goal of this research

was to study the molecular structure and properties of recyclable plastics. The central hypothesis of the

proposed research was that different plastics will have very different molecular structures and hence, will

have different properties. In fact, the central motivation for conducting this research was first and

foremost the desire to learn about plastic recycling and computational calculations. Therefore, molecular

models of four different types of recyclable plastics were created using the chemical computational tool

Scigress Explorer Ultra version 7.7.0.47. Geometry optimization, heat of formation, IR and UV

transitions were calculated for all these models using three different semi-empirical methods (AM1, PM3,

and PM5). In addition, a random motion of the chemical sample at 300K (80.33°F or 26.85°C) was

simulated by molecular dynamics using augmented MM3 parameters. Finally, it was found that some

models would not be restricted to just one geometric plane, but would be projected throughout three

dimensional planes.

ANALYSIS OF MEDICATIONS IN THE CONTROL OF INFECTIONS

Rachel M. Quintana Santiago, School of Advanced Education Gaudi, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


Infection is an implantation and development of living things in an organism called pathogens. Infections

are caused by very high pH changes in the human body, the most common infections being of the throat,

ear and urine. To analyze the medications in the control of infections, a titration of neutralization (HCl +

NaOH) was done to determine the principal characteristic that a drug needed to have to help prevent

infections of the human body. The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed using Gaussview and the

Gaussian program, which helped to observe the reactivity such drugs have against infection. Future

research would include the investigation of the spread of germs and infections by focusing on preventing

them.

STUDY OF OMEGA 3 IN WALNUTS

Ailene Vanessa Rodríguez De Jesús, School of Advanced Education Gaudi, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


Omega 3 is a fatty acid (linoleic acid) which is an f essential polyunsaturated fat for the human body.

Fatty acids are essential because humans cannot produce them, and they must therefore be obtained from

food. The omega 3 in walnuts was analyzed by the technique of titration with NaOH to obtain the

quantity of linoleic acid present in the walnut. Later, the experimental and theoretical data were

compared with the values recommended by the FDA in order to know how beneficial it is to the human

body. From this study, it could be concluded that the calculated value of omega 3 in the walnut of the

company “Diamond of California” is 22.83 mg. Tthis value was compared with that established by the

FDA which is 200 mg per day. For that reason, it could be concluded that the content of omega 3 in

walnuts is lower than the value established by the FDA, and it is recommended to combine it with other

foods like fish to obtain the necessary amount of omega 3. Also, the Potential Energy Surface of Omega 3

was determined using the Gauss View and Gaussian program. Future studies will analyze the properties

of Omega 3 as an anticancer and anti-inflammatory agent.

CHARACTERIZATION OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TO COMBAT THE DENGUE

DISEASE

Josie Rodríguez Sánchez, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Liam C. Medina Casillas, Perpetuo Socorro School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


The virus ARN produces a contagious disease known as dengue. This disease is produced by the

mosquito “Aedes Aegyptis.” It attacks at the ages of 10 to 54 (average). The symptoms are: headache,

high fever, muscular pain and articular pain. To fight dengue, various insecticides are use. One of these

insecticides is Raid, which has the active ingredient Esbriotina, d-aletrina and a derivate of Toluene. To

analyze the chemical behavior of the active ingredient components found in Raid, the Gauss View

program was used to determine the chemical potential of those ingredients. For this, the compound

characterized the compound with spectroscopy techniques such as the IR-Spectrum and calculations of

the Potential Energy Surface.

GOLD NANOPARTICLE STRIPS FOR DNA DETECTION USING SERS: MODEL OF

ADSORBTION AT 785NM

Ricardo J. Rodríguez García, University High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Stephanie Chan Yau, Luterano Resurrección School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Dr. Oliva M. Primera-Pedrozo, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Marcos Rodríguez, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

Gold Nanoparticles have a wide range of applications in biology, chemistry, and other related fields.

These particles can strongly absorb light and dissipate it in their surroundings, thus making them great for

manipulating heat. In addition, they are used to deliver therapeutic agents. Due to their density, they can

be utilized as probes for transmission in electron microscopy. As sensors, they are particularly useful as

substrates in the Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to detect the energy in chemical bonds.

This technique allows for detection of specific molecules in analytes. Currently, gold nanoparticles are

utilized as substrates in sensors to detect low concentrations of hazardous materials, especially those

relating to explosives, through the use of Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). This process

enhances the Raman emission through the use of metal (Gold) which will resonate with a metal tip. These

properties allowed the development of lab filter paper strip-based sensors in order to detect DNA

components in analytes. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized using 0.01M and 0.02 M hydrogen

tetrachloroaurate (III) tri hydrate solution with sodium citrate tribasic dihydrate (TSC, 1%) as both a

reducing agent and a capping agent. For this investigation, the strips were tested with the adenine DNA

component. After obtaining results from SERS, it can be concluded that the use of larger gold

nanoparticles (0.02M of gold salt) is best to accurately detect adenine. Also, the strip sensors proved to be

a fast and simple method to detect DNA components, which, if perfected, can be useful for medical

examinations and the detection of biological agents. Further work on this investigation should include

testing on other DNA components including guanine, cytosine, and thymine, as well as the RNA

component Uracil.

DETERMINATION OF FOLIC ACID IN INTEGRAL RICE

Gabriela Rosario-Román, College of Advance Education Gaudi, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Jandanell Abreu-Rivera, José Collazo Colón High School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Laysa M. Claudio-González, University of Puerto Rico, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Folic Acid (FA) is a form of the water-soluble vitamin B9, and the Food and Drug Administration, FDA,

recommends 400 mg per day. The human body does not store FA. Thus, it needs to be consumed every

day in order to insure that in the body has adequate amounts. The principal food that contains FA in a diet

is rice. In this work, the potential energy surface of FA was calculated. using the GaussView and

Gaussian programs with the most important functional groups of the molecule that interact with the

human body to control anemia, a medical condition where the number of red blood cells or concentrations

of hemoglobin are low in a person. One of the most important findings of this research was that the FA

present in the integral rice of the company “BACK TO NATURE” is 15.008 mg per day.

STUDY OF KEVLAR AND PLEXIGLAS BY COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY

Christian J. Sánchez Acevedo and Jorge A. Alvarado Matos, Discípulos de Cristo Academy,


Research Mentor: Dr. Harry Rivera, Inter-American University, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Since the past century, synthetic polymers have been used in a wide range of fields and applications. They

can be classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibers.

Two of the most known are Plexiglas® and Kevlar®. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to

simulate and optimize the molecular structure of these materials using computational chemistry. The

central hypothesis of the proposed research was that upon completion of these optimizations, it would

become possible to establish a relationship between the polymer length and the heat of formation.

Therefore, molecular models of Plexiglas® and Kevlar® with different lengths were created and

optimized using the chemical computational tool Scigress Explorer Ultra version 7.7.0.47. Heat of

formation and polymer length were calculated for all these models using three different semi-empirical

methods (PM3, AM1 and PM5). Furthermore, molecular energy maps were also calculated for Plexiglas®

and Kevlar® monomers. Results for both materials showed distorted branched structures (not flat). In

addition, both materials exhibit different ratios between the amount of monomers in the polymer and the

heat of formation.

THE STABILITY OF GOLD AND SILVER NANOPARTICLES ON BASE AND ACID

ENVIRONMENTS

, University High School, San Juan,Puerto Rico. Ricardo Santana

, Bautista de Carolina Academy, Carolina, Puerto Rico. Jonathan Camilo

Research Mentor: Dr. Oliva Primera-Pedrozo, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Ricardo Lorenzana, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto

Rico.

The nanotechnology field shows very promising results in various types of applications such as medical,

bioengineering and electrical applications. Gold nanospheres are some of the most commonly used

nanoparticles because of their stability, ability to absorb and scatter light effectively and various

biomedical and diagnostic applications. Silver nanospheres, like gold nanospheres, are used for their

optical properties and biomedical uses, but they are also good electrical conductors. However, it has been

previously reported that silver nanoparticles are not stable and cause the release of silver ions that exhibit

strong toxicity to a variety of microorganisms as they bind to DNA and disrupt cell replication. Recently,

it has been demonstrated that gold nanoparticles have a partial toxicity. The pH environment could affect

both toxicities. Triggered by pH change, the nanoparticle surfaces are engineered to have both positive

and negative charges. Electrostatic attractions between the nanoparticles can rapidly form aggregates

inside the cells, and the aggregates accumulate as the exocytosis is blocked by the increased size. The

specific aim of this research was to evaluate the influences of pH changes on the stability of

nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that gold nanoparticles are more stable than silver ones, which

promise their use for bio-applications.

STUDY OF THE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DISEASE

Giane N. Zayas O’Sullivan, Perpetuo Socorro School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation

primarily of the joints, which causes progressive destruction with varying degrees of deformity and

disability. Sometimes its behavior can affect various organ systems, such as the eyes, lungs and pleura,

heart and pericardium, skin or blood vessels. Some factors that could cause Rheumatoid Arthritis are:

genes (passed from parent to child), the environment and low amounts of hormones. The female hormone

estrogen is involved in the pathogenesis, inhibiting T cell inhibitory and stimulating helper T cells or

facilitators. This disease has several treatments with the methotrexate compound which has been used for

over 25 years in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This research studied the behavior of estrogen and

methotrexate based on calculations with the molecular modeling program GaussView using techniques of

IR-Spectrum and potential energy surface.

BEST POSTER

ABSTRACTS

COMPUTER SCIENCES

DIVISION ALGORITHM FOR COMPLEX INTEGERS

Fadi Abumoala Amin, Luis Negrón López High School, Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Dr. Álvaro Lecompte, Inter-American University, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor Assistant: Francelys Franco Bermúdez, Inter-American University, San Germán, Puerto

Rico.

In the Complex Integers, also called Gaussian Integers, the quotient and the remainder of a division

always exist, with the remainder of smaller modulus than the divisor. However, there are different

possibilities to select both of them. The algorithm is usually found in textbooks and produces a remainder

of minimum modulus. With variations of the former, adding small multiples of the divisor, other

remainders can also be calculated. A method was programmed that provides a list of possible quotients

and remainders for each dividend and divisor so that the user can select the most convenient for her

purpose. They are presented in order of growing modulus. Usually, about six possibilities for each

division are interesting. A graphical representation was also programmed using Mathematica software.

HOW TO MAKE AN HTML WEBSITE

Christian Alvarado and Priamo A. Pichardo, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentors: Jonathan Vargas Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Hypertext markup language, known popularly as HTML, is the main language used in webpages to

display and format information. The purpose of this project was to learn how to make an HTML website

with a basic tool like Notepad. The objective was the design of a website under a specific theme. In this

case, AIDS was chosen. AIDS is a condition that affects society, but education about the topic is not

enough as people generally have misconceptions about the syndrome. Information from this website

could also be extracted to display random information and facts about AIDS to create awareness in more

developed websites. This information could be useful to any section of the public who wants to learn

about AIDS.

HAZARD WEB BROWSER

Gabriel Alvarado, Nataniel Cruz and Kevin Pabón, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Jonnathan Ortiz, Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto

Rico.

The purpose of this project was to create an Internet browser in which memory weight was compared

with other popular browsers such as Google Chrome and Firefox. Although there were limited resources

compared to those of other large corporations, this browser was extremely fast.

PUR SPACE ELEVATOR WEB PAGE

Rosa Andújar and Orlando Garcés; San Felipe School, Arecibo Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marín Caribbean University; Michael Lane- Liftport

Group; José G. Molina, SpacePort Consulting and Advocacy Group.

Today’s technology advancements have allowed this generation to achieve things its ancestors could not

even dream of. This project focused on the use of a digital organizational system of the PUR Space

Elevator project at the Arecibo Observatory, and explain how this webpage was created. Thanks to the

social networks, science has been more important to society now than these last thirty years, because now

the public can access science research papers at will. Moreover, the public is more educated and

appreciates technology, which is making things easier for humanity, such as communication and health

improvements. For these reasons, the team has created a website on sites.Google.com. Also, this project

has created a Facebook page for the Space Elevator. The advantage of making this page allows to tracks

information from visitors. From these data sets a multitude of information may be extrapolated to inform

civilians about how the Space Elevator can change lives and benefit humankind.

QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS ON NON-TRADITIONAL TREATMENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH

AUTISM

Carolina Aponte Rodríguez, CIEM Private School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Lorna E. Salamán-Jorge, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.


Research Assistant Mentor: Juan R. Rivera Jaca, Universidad Del Este, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Autism is a disorder or neural development that affects the communication and social interaction of the

person. Autism is caused by inflammation in some parts of the brain. It is a sickness that affects the child

and the people surrounding the child. There are different treatments for autism including some not

approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which are not traditionally used by doctors. The

objective of this project was to prove that non-traditional treatments for autism may not have many

adverse effects and could be used to improve the condition of children who suffer from autism. There are

other studies that state that non-approved FDA treatments sometimes have better results including the use

of drugs for other medical conditions. Through the administration of their chemical components to

patients with autism, it is probable to improve their condition by decreasing the inflammation. Because of

strict regulations for experimentation with humans, the research project emphasis was to qualitatively

analyze the treatments for autism. The methodology was in-depth interviews to parents and professionals

who daily work with children with the condition and a survey of the general population about their

general knowledge about autism. The results demonstrated that most people do not have knowledge about

what the condition is or the treatments used to treat it. Also, the parents and professionals expressed that

even though they were not opposed to non-traditional treatments, there are many factors to consider

before administering them, especially, how they can influence the child’s motor skills and academic

achievement.

MOBILE APPLICATION FOR TEACHING THE ANIMAL WELFARE AND PROTECTION

LAW

Cinkia Marí Aponte Fontán, Pablo Colón Berdecía School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Carmen Carvajal, Inter-American University, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.

Law 154 for the Welfare and Protection of Animals penalizes mistreatment of any animal. A high

percentage of people do not know about this law. The main idea of this project was to develop a mobile

application to teach people that animals should not be abused and how they should be protected. This

application includes a set of texts, photos, games and activities designed for everybody and an easy-to-use

interface. Since the Android platform is increasing its share on the market of mobile phones, it has been

selected as the platform for the development of this application. As a result of this project, people get an

easy to use mobile application to teach people what Law 154 of Puerto Rico for Animal welfare and

protection is.

2012-TEACHING MATH TO LITTLE KIDS

Vhrishnuel Aponte, Bautista de Levittown Academy, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Francisco Pérez Laras, University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Cristina Morales, University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Ángel Andino, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Children by being most of the time in school get bored of the same routine every day. After school they

go home to play video games because they have fun rather than bored some at school. Smartphones are

one of the most used devices for entertainment. By working on an app on the Windows phone platform,

people may learn at the same time they are entertained. The project was to create an app based on math

concepts for kids to learn math . This app works by teaching basic math to kids like addition, subtraction,

multiplication, division. The outcome for this app is for kids to enjoy learning basic math skills and

concepts in an entertaining way.

CHEMET: TABLE OF ELEMENTS

Anthony R. Bonilla, José Gautier Benítez School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

The purpose of this project was to learn the basic way of programming a periodic table by using the

computer programming language Java and the MIT App Inventor. The app is called ‘ChemET: Table of

Elements’ and was made using a mix of the Java programming language and the MIT App Inventor.

Studying the periodic table and its elements, the app was built to give the periodic table and its elemen’s

descriptions to users in a more accessible way. The core of the project was built on the MIT App Inventor

but most of the functions and the data base were built using the Java language. The App should run on

every phone or tablet with the Android platform, making the information of the periodic table and its

elements just a touch away.

2012-NBA LIVE SCORE

Emanuel Cabrera Jones and Christian Correa Allende, Bautista de Levittown Academy, Toa Baja,

Puerto Rico.




Since the beginning of apps, there have always been many live score applications, but they are basically

the same type of live score application as if it were a protocol. At first, if an individual did not attend a

game, he could only know the score of the game by hearing it on the radio. With the advent of television

came the live broadcast of a sports. Then came the Internet, where an individual might go to the official

website of that particular sports league to know the score of a particular game. Now, there are smart

phones where the scores of a game may be seen by just opening an application. A live score application

basically shows the live score of a sports game from anywhere. This application will be done for

Windows phone because it is better to put an application in a new market since obviously it does not have

as many applications as the old markets. This live score application would also show the player’s

information and the league table. Since creating such an app for many sports would take a long time, the

focus of this project was basketball and the league is the NBA.

PHOTO-FINDER

Frankie R. Cabrera, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Almost everyone on Earth uses the Internet to search for information about an object that is a truth that

cannot be denied. But what happens when you know how an object looks, but do not know its name?

How can that information be found? Photo-Finder was created for that purpose. It is an application for the

Windows Phone. The Windows Phone has, right now, no photo-based search apps in its marketplace.

That was another reason to develop Photo-Finder. It allows to search for information of an object by just

taking a picture of it. Photo-Finder was done in Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 for Windows Phone, and

part of the design was done in Microsoft Expression Blend 4. Basically, what it does is to take a picture to

a search server of the users’ choosing, and look for pictures similar to it. Instead of having to know basic

information, people can just upload the picture and the application will do the rest. Also, it is most

probable that the User Interface can be edited by the userwho will not have to get used to just one simple

design. This application will help all windows phone users, as many photo-based search applications are

not available to them. Hopefully in the future Photo-Finder will be available for other systems.

BEST POSTER

AUTONOMOUS SOLAR-POWERED WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM

Giovanni Carrasquillo Vargas, Fajardo Community Private School, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Rafael E. Rosa Díaz, Santiago Apóstol School, Fajardo, Puerto Rico.




Water is a principal natural resource used and needed by humans. Body functions, the production of food,

transportation, and many other actions require its use. Unfortunately, many water bodies all around the

world have been contaminated because of uncontrolled technological development. For example, about

70 percent of Puerto Rico’s water bodies are contaminated. Also, there is a great need to use alternate

energy sources. The costs of the traditional sources have increased enormously during recent years. If

both of these problems are combined, one has to understand that water should be decontaminated using

more efficient ways. One possibility is to perform a water filtration process using solar energy. This

project consisted of the development of a simple water filtration system powered by solar energy to be

used in small devices, for example, aquarium tanks. A small tank aquarium system was chosen to

demonstrate this proposal by taking into consideration its size, cost of parts (solar panels, inverter, power

regulator, and batteries), and possibility of completing the whole process of conversion in the scheduled

time which increases its efficiency. After finishing the development of the solar-powered filtration

system, it can be concluded that solar energy is efficient in the water filtration process and,

simultaneously, reduces energy costs.

WORD-IT: A FUN MOBILE WINDOWS-BASED APP FOR IMPROVING VOCABULARY

and , Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, U.S. Virgin Islands. Sadeek Carty Jamaal Al-Ameen

Research Mentor: Ackeem Baker, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Vocabulary knowledge is essential to reading comprehension and student success. Word-it is a fun game

phone application designed to engage users in vocabulary learning. The game promotes users' effective

utilization of synonymous vocabulary and increase users' response skills. Word-it is a one player game

with three difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, and Hard. The game generates words randomly and the user is

requested to match it with a synonym. For each level of difficulty the time allowed to respond decreases

or increases. The higher difficulty level, the lesser amount of time will be assigned to provide the answer.

A new word is proposed after the end of the allotted or after a correct response is provided. The storing

and retrieving mechanisms are critical elements to interact in a timely manner with the user. Synonyms

are stored in flat files and are loaded on the fly using a hash table once the word is randomly generated.

The last best score is stored and retrieved to provide feedback to the users regarding his or her

performance improvement. Word-it is implemented in basic C# and developed in Microsoft Visual

studios, with a Windows 7 phone emulator and designed in Expression Blend. Word-it provides a user-

friendly and attractive Graphical User in order to invite users interacting with phone and game

technologies to improve vocabulary and hopefully reading comprehension which are fundamental for

student success.

BEST POSTER

TAKING TURTLE TELEMETRY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

, St. Danielle Christian, America Estepan, Shideya Parrilla, Karen Dascent and Miguel Hennemann

Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Research Mentors: Rosa White, St. Croix District Science Coordinator, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Juanita Boneque, St. Croix District Mathematics Coordinator, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

David Mattera, St. Croix Chemistry Teacher, Manor School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Kemit Lewis, Coral Conservation Manager, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and Green sea (Chelonia

mydas) turtles migrate from place to place in search of food, nesting and basking areas. Throughout the

years, scientists have made great improvement in studying the migratory patterns, trends and habits of

turtles. Nevertheless, a great portion of sea turtles’ juvenile years remain unknown. Only 1 in 1000 turtle

hatchling survives the young years. However, scientists have been unable to invent a device capable of

tracking hatchlings in order to find out why few survive and if they return to their birthplace. The few sea

turtle hatchlings that do survive are still threatened by trash pollution, fishing nets, boat accidents, and

diseases. Using satellite telemetry, radio transmission, and acoustic telemetry, scientists can find out why

turtles encounter these threats and how they interact with their environment. In an attempt to save

leatherback, hawksbill and green sea turtles, new uses of existing technology can be devised to track turtle

hatchlings and also to determine new factors to be observed with current sensors. In this experiment, the

objective is to find ways to help increase the population of the various sea turtles. This project proposes a

certain size satellite tag that can be placed inside a hatchling, so that the hatchling can be tracked from its

time of birth to its adult stage. New uses for current sensors are proposed to measure water turbidity,

water quality, pH levels and ammonia levels of water. By adding these new sensors, researchers can find

out in what areas of the ocean the pollution is the highest. Therefore, environmentalists can take new

measures to decrease the amount of pollution. By implementing these satellite tags and sensors, it is

expected that the turtle population will increase. Currently, turtles are tracked in five different ways,

through acoustic, radio, archival, satellite, and dual mode technology. All of these current sensors track

and determine turtles’ locations. One of the most interesting forms of telemetry used is archival telemetry.

Archival tags measure water temperature, water pressure, and light levels. These factors can be used to

work with turtle environments. This project proposes the use archival telemetry which can help

researchers predict water turbidity, water quality, pH levels and ammonia levels of water.

BEST POSTER

CLEAN ENERGY: MOST FAVORABLE PLACES TO ESTABLISH WINDMILLS IN PUERTO

RICO

Alec Cruz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ricardo Ríos, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad Del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Every day, large concentrations of CO2 are emitted into the atmosphere that have deteriorated the ozone

layer and created abrupt climate changes. The Barcelona research in Spain (2008) has shown in some

statistics from the International Energy Source on Emissions places the U.S. as the nation that produces

more CO2 emissions by fossil fuels, followed by China. Within these statistics, Puerto Rico is high on the

list, which is a reason to worry. Therefore, consideration was given to renewable energy sources. One

solution for Puerto Rico in the development of clean and renewable energy is to build windmills. One of

the advantages is that Puerto Rico is an island off the coast where there is a good high wind, which is

ideal to build these. To do this, research was done on the annual average wind speed potential over a

period of two years at a specific site, soil type and a site with a distance away from other structures within

a determined area. This project compared wind power from mills that are currently established with

several southern and eastern coasts where no mills have been built. A few factors considered when

planning the building of a windmill were the visual impact, the sound generated, and security of the

people near the windmill installation. The result of this research are expected to be considered by the

government or other agencies for the use and benefit of Puerto Rico.

MODULAR ARITHMETIC IN COMPLEX INTEGERS

Ángel Cruz Soto and Gerald Almodóvar Méndez, Luis Negrón López High School, Sabana Grande,

Puerto Rico.

ResearchMentor: Dr. Álvaro Lecompte, Inter-American University, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor Assistant: Francelys Franco Bermúdez Inter-American University, San Germán, Puerto

Rico.

Complex integers, also known as Gaussian integers, have almost the same algebraic properties as

integers, including modular arithmetic. However, due to the non uniqueness of the remainder, there is not

a canonical selection of a representative in each congruence class. For a given divisor z = a + b i, the basic

congruence z ≡ 0 gives a ≡ -b i , and also a² + b² ≡ 0, so there are multiple possibilities to simplify a

complex integer with congruencies Mod z. A method to produce three different selections of a

representative for each congruent class for a fixed divisor was programmed according to the following

criteria: 1) smaller norm; 2) nonnegative real part and smaller norm; and 3) non negative real and

imaginary parts and smaller norm. Once fixed a form, consistent arithmetic operations are also

programmed. Several examples are shown.

MODEL FOR ELECTROLYTIC CONDUCTION USING AGENTS IN NETLOGO

Lina Daza Llanos and Rosangelie Soto Oliveras, Inter-American School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Guillermo Mejía, Inter-American University, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Electric conduction in solutions is carried by ions that move in the solvent. Both positive and negative

ions move toward the opposite sign electrodes, with possibly different mobility, which is proportional to

the voltage. A random impulse caused by Brownian forces was added to the movement of ions. To have a

visual model of the phenomenon, a multi agent model was created in NetLogo, where a lot of agents were

used for the ions, randomly distributed at the beginning. Ions that arrive to the electrodes are eliminated,

while any excess charge at one electrode creates a new ion of this sign. This reproduces approximately the

electrolytic conduction in a simplified, but very visual model.

WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS USING A ROBOTIC SYSTEM

José De Jesús Romero, St. Francis School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Lorna E. Salamán-Jorge,Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico.



Water contamination is a complex problem that affects humanity in multiple ways. When water bodies

are not in optimal conditions, the overall quality of life is affected. Advanced technology can be used to

deal with problems like this. In this research project a robotic system was propose to analyze water

quality. The information obtained from the tasks performed by it could be incorporated to other tools that

will help to reduce water contamination in water bodies like rivers. The system was composed of a small

motorized raft connected to a computer that had two functions: control the device and gather information

through a camera incorporated to it. The photos and videos from the camera were then used by software

to identify important parameters for the analysis of water quality. At this stage, the structure of the robot

and the preliminary design of the software were developed. The next steps include the construction of the

model and its testing, and continuing the development of the software. It was hypothesized that the

system will be an alert device for water treatment.

LINUX CLOUD SERVER FOR SMALL GROUPS

Andrea Devaris and Emanuel A. Rodríguez Rivera, Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto

Rico.

Research Mentor: Guillermo Mejía, Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor Assistant: Roberto Luna Hernández, Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Cloud computing is defined as the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered

as a service over a network. The purpose was to design a secure Linux server where a small group of

people can manage data storage, and have plenty of software resources, keeping things fast and efficient.

At the same time, people can work together saving time and money through the efficient use of the shared

resources. The research also provided the opportunity of using Ubuntu Linux, a free but really

sophisticated Operating System, which makes possible to design a cloud that can be shared by a small

group of friends, or people with common interests. More in-depth study of the actual infrastructure

options of the cloud will help many people take advantage of these developments.

“CRABBY MATES”: HERMIT CRAB MIGRATION ON THE ISLAND OF ST. JOHN, U.S.

VIRGIN ISLANDS

Sojourna Ferguson, Wayne Gonzales, Central High School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Elangeni Yabba, Zandria Acosta, St. Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.





On the island of St. John, in the United States Virgin Islands, a mass migration of the Coenobita

clypeatus, or hermit crabs, occurred in the years 2010 and 2012. Thousands of crabs descended upon

Nanny Point cape. The cause of this migration may be due to environmental factors, to include

topography, climate conditions and sustenance. Using the GIS and GPS systems, mating areas can be

predicted and possibly controlled, marked and protected from overpopulation that has become commonly

associated with the Nanny Point cape. The geo-location technology, such as the internal elasomer tags,

can also be used to determine the whereabouts of the hermit crabs, their migration patterns, and other

habits.

FINGERPRINTS ARE SHORT TEXT MESSAGES

Jeffrey Gómez Frontera and Kervin Morales Pérez, Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto

Rico.

Research Mentor: Yvonne Avilés, Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor Assistant: Irisber Arlequín, Inter-Americana School, San Germán, Puerto Rico.

In social networks, short text messages are the common way of communication. Every writer leaves some

characteristics, like small typing errors, used abbreviators and acronyms, that are like fingerprints that can

be used to trace the author. A program was devised that counts the frequency of used words in a large

number of texts by a given person and compared them with those by another one. In this way, it was

possible to create a database of text characteristics and have a method to know the author of a message

with high probability, even without a signature.

SOLID-STATE AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED FAN

Kevin O. González, Vocacional de Cidra High School, Cidra, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

When a computer is bought, its fan and all other components work well, but, when the time passes, it

starts to overheat. To solve the problem of the overheating on the computers and other components that

may experience high temperatures, a circuit was designed where a fan changes its speed depending on the

temperature on the computer. A model design was created on the computer to show how it will work.

Voltmeters were used to measure the voltage in the circuit, and the fan was simulated as an inductor

because of the inductive behavior of the motor. The resistance of a thermal component determines how

fast the fan will rotate.

DO YOU WISH TO LEARN THE FUN WAY?

Edgardo R. Hernández Matos, CROEM School, Mayagüez Puerto Rico.


Research Assitant Mentor: Gilberto Jiménez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

This investigation was about how a simple video game can help children from the 3rd

to the 7th grade to

better understand the math given in class. This has already been done and achieved before but the

problem with most educational games is that there is no fun to them. Kids do not enjoy the games long

enough to actually learn something. Most parents try to use educational games, but the second they

mention it is educational, the kids lose interest. Sometimes the kids start the game but they find it tedious

and boring, so they stop playing it early, without the game fulfilling its purpose of teaching the kids. That

is what this investigation tried to achieve, a nice balance between fun and learning, so kids could receive

the support they need in math and have fun doing so as well. The question was: “Can a fun yet

educational game, teach kids from 3rd

to 7th grade what they need to know, without them giving up on the

game or boring them?” The subject being used in the investigation was math, but the point to prove was

that it applies to all subjects. This investigation tried to investigate if an educational game can also be

made fun, and if learning can be made much easier.

“PRETTY POISON”: HOW TO CONTROL THE LIONFISH INVASIVE SPECIES?

, Central High School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Bria James, Brendon James, Regine Acosta

, St. Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Bria Wallace





The lionfish population has increased tremendously over the years in the United States Virgin Islands,

first appearing in the year 1985. They have now increased into the thousands. The invasion of this

species is detrimental to the coral reefs due to the fact that lionfish eat smaller fish that normally keep

coral reefs healthy. Three solutions are proposed for study to solve this problem. These solutions have

been used in the past in attempts to control invasive species with varying results. First, the introduction of

a non-native species to prey upon the lionfish, secondly paying of bounties and lastly, encouraging their

use as a food source. Bounties used as a food source are doable with likely beneficial results.

ISSUES IN MONITORING CIGUATERA FISH POISONING CASES

Carl-Michael James Jr., Khadijah O’Neill, Central High School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands..

Chelsy Gregoire, Shantae Lewis, St. Croix Educational Complex, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.





Although there are no possible ways to test the presence of ciguatera in the flesh of fish, the distribution

of the disease can be prevented by charting the locations of the areas where this disease is mostly

reported. Making this information available to the public will also help to prevent the spread of the

disease in tropical/ sub-tropical areas. The government should enforce laws and fines, banning people

from fishing in certain locations that may contain fish with the ciguatera disease. Less than 2-10% of

United States citizens actually report the disease. This causes a miscalculation of the average of how

many U.S. citizens have been poisoned. False numbers lead to corrupted data, and corrupted data leads to

wrong information. To give the public community a more precise number of how many people have been

contaminated, the government could enforce that symptoms test to be done to every citizen who visited

the tropics in the past year. Thus, resulting in a more accurate or precise calculation in the number of

people that have been contaminated.

BEST POSTER

2012 – MATH 4 FUN

Ashley L. Landrau Santiago, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




In Puerto Rico, every 3 years, 63% of students drop out of school because they find traditional teachings

boring. For example, children like to play; they do not like to be stuck in a classroom where they have to

be writing and paying attention. They like to interact with things like computers and electronic devices.

It is essential for students to learn basic concepts correctly, especially in the subjects of math. Some of

these concepts they will use throughout their lives and as they progress through their academic careers.

Math 4 Fun does exactly this. Math 4 Fun helps those students at an elementary level learn in a subtle

way while having fun doing it. If we reach out to the students and ask them what they would like to learn

math with, then we’d have a clear mindset of what inspires them to learn.

2012-WINDOWS PHONE WITH READING CAPABILITIES

Ricardo Lanzó Calderón, José Aponte de la Torre School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




Windows phone programming is a vast unexplored area. This is a fast growing network of phones that

demand for the constant improvement and creation of apps, that may be already available for other

systems, but not for this one. Due to some prior experience in the area, decided decision was made to

create an app for this device. In this society people who are sightless have difficulties performing tasks if

they are compared with people that do not suffer from this condition. For example, in literature, if a

document is not in braille, they would not have access to the information, unless they have someone to

read them the information, thus making them more dependent on other people. Focusing in this aspect, an

app for Windows Phone was created that will be able to read out loud a digital text and printed words.

This would work as a “blind man’s eyes.” Since the windows phone already comes with the ability to

read things that have been printed, visual impaired people would not have any difficulties reading by

themselves if they wished to do so. This technology can be taken even further, as translating capabilities

could be integrated to this software making it more versatile and making it useful for people who are not

sightless. People buying some new furniture that needs to be built with some instructions that are in a

foreign language or in an unfamiliar unfamiliar language could simply use the app to translate the

instructions and have them read the out loud. If this mobile app were to become available to the masses, it

would have a great impact on society in general.

MINDSTORM ROAD CRANE RE-DESIGN

Khalid Luyando Flusa, Conchita Cuevas High School, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

The Lego Mindstorm NXT is a popular and affordable robotic Lego equipment that consists of one

console (Mindstorm), motors and many sensors. This equipment can be scheduled and managed by voice,

sensors (ultrasonic, touch and color), USB and Bluetooth. The purpose of the project was the design of an

all-terrain mobile crane with an articulated arm. The crane would be controlled via Bluetooth. The first

model consisted of the chassis of the Color Sorter model with some modifications and the first arm

model. The second and actual model of the crane had an articulated chassis allowing it to maneuver or

turn. The second arm model also needed some modifications b the cause engine was not able to deal with

the amount of weight it had to carry. After a final redesign, the crane was completed and was named

MRC (Mindstorm Road Crane).

THE DYSLEXIC SHUFFLE TEST: DYSLEXIA THERAPY APP

Wildalis Martínez, Cohelet Christian Academy High School, Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.

Linette Martínez, Isabel Flores School, Las Piedras, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Karielys Ortiz Rosario and Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo,

Gurabo Puerto Rico.

The developmental reading disorder (DRD), or dyslexia, occurs when there is a defect in areas of the

brain that help interpret a language. Despite the common misconception toward dyslexia, this disorder is a

“learning disability” and is not caused by vision problems. Symptoms may vary between individuals, but

usual symptoms show difficulty in learning, reading and writing, distinguishing left from right; as well as

reversing letters and exchanging words, among many other symptoms. There is no current prediction or

cure known for this disease. However, although dyslexia is a lifelong illness, people who suffer from it

can reduce their symptoms by therapy and emotional support. The principal motivation for this project

started by learning of the excessive cost of dyslexia “treatments,” the recognition of therapy efficiency

and the understanding of the difficulties that a dyslexic child, and even adults, may face while seeking to

complete the therapy. Therefore, the objective of this project was to improve dyslexia in children and

adults, in a fun and effective way. To pursue this objective, an application was created using Objective C,

where users learn to differentiate letters, words, have eye movement from right from left, among others;

lowering their dyslexics symptoms. This App takes many therapy methods and implements them into an

enjoyable and adequate game that take into account both the players’ symptoms and their self-esteem.

IMPROVING BASIC SKILLS THROUGH APPS

Oscar Marty Maceira and Fernando Méndez González, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan,

Puerto Rico.




Today there are currently 5 smartphone operating systems in the market. With the fact that most app

developers make their apps for the two biggest smartphones OS being used (Android and iOS). With a

new market for apps (Microsoft Marketplace) being with little apps, and since many people are using it,

there is a high need for educational apps. Teachers try to teach basic skills but many times they do not

really reach children. These learning materials in a game where children would be able to unlock bonus

things and they would learn by photos and videos would be more interesting to the children and quicker..

This app would teach basic courses for elementary/high schools and would later test the knowledge. The

work is based on the idea of helping kids understand better the different courses taught in school and

explain to them in a simpler way that anyone of any age could understand it. Children and youngsters will

acquire knowledgein a simpler way, and will be able to complete a quiz section where the student’s level

of knowledge is tested. This project will help improve and test skills.

VIRTUAL CASINO

Yenaida Camila Meléndez Castillo, Génesis E. Aponte Arroyo, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.

Joshua A. Morales, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentors: Jenipher D. González and Jonathan Vargas, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo,

Puerto Rico.

A casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are

most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships or other tourist

attractions. The term "Casino" is of Italian origin, the root word being "Casa" (house) and originally

meant a small country villa, summerhouse or pavilion. The word changed to refer to a building built for

pleasure, usually on the grounds of a larger Italian villa or palazzo. Such buildings were used to host civic

town functions – including dancing, music listening, and gambling. Games available in most casinos are

commonly called casino games. In a casino game, the players gamble casino chips on various possible

random outcomes or combinations of outcomes. Since ancient times gambling has created addictions to

people, because of the emotions that gets involved in playing games. Today, many of the gambling games

come from the evolution of ancient gambling games. Those games have generated controversy through

time. The purpose of this research was to create a virtual casino for an Android Application to make

people aware of their extreme use that can become a vice. The MIT AppInventor was to develop the

application. The Virtual Casino had three types of games: 21, Jackpot and Roulette.

2012-PROMOTING SOCIAL NETWORKING BETWEEN MUSICIANS THROUGH MUSIC

TUTORIALS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

, Nuestra Señora del Carmen School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Diva L. Mockford Polanco




The development of social networks like Facebook, Tweeter and many others has revolutionized how

people communicate, share, and interact with each other creating a new way to communicate to every part

of the world. But no social network has been able to create the same experience for musicians. It is

difficult for musicians to find the time and place to practice or to simply find other musicians that can

help them understand what music is and develop the skills to play at a professional level. A solution to

this problem is the development of a website that will provide the tutorials; for example, tutorials by text,

videos, video chat or by forums among others. These will promote the interaction between student,

professor, and music lovers alike.

2012- GAME PROGRAMMING MADE EASY

Juan C. Morales and Kiddany Pérez, Levittown Baptist Academy, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.




The main goal in this project was to make a flash game using Scratch, a program developed by MIT, and

make a website using HTML, a programming language used to make websites. The game would show

how the game was made and would also teach people to do a game of their own. The game was based on

a turn based RPG. A turn based RPG, which is short for role playing game, is a game where a character is

chosen and it battles through a series a turns where it fights with another character. Also the turn based

RPG is from other turn based RPGS. It is a player versus player turn based RPG. The website includes a

written manual, a video manual, and PDF file to download the written manual. With this project, it is

hoped to help people learn how to program with Scratch.

BEST Oral

PERSONAL HUMANOID AS A SPEECH THERAPIST

Davette G. Nazario Febres, Apples & Stars Learning Club, Carolina, Puerto Rico.

Kenneth A. Hicks Ventura, San Antonio Abad School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.




A humanoid is a robot with human appearance but it has Artificial Intelligence. Nowadays, a person who

has conditions like speech problems does not obtain the best therapy. A program can be designed to

provide these people with a humanoid with an efficient and specific program that will be help them get a

better therapy. With A.I, humanoids can copy other actions performed either by humans or other

humanoids. Speech problems occur when individuals do not talk fluently or have problems with the

pronunciation of words. In many cases, a person will not receive an efficient therapy due to the many

patients the therapist needs to provide his or her services. A humanoid robotic system would be designed

to assist people with speech problems. This proposal for this robotic system was divided into three

components: humanoid hardware design, software design, and human-computer interaction. The program

will help people under therapy, with a step by step process to improve their condition and progress during

their therapies. The programing of the robot intends to improve other available systems such as the NAO

Next Gen (Aldebaran Robotics) by its specificity and adaptation to a particular need. After completing an

intensive analysis of the patients’ problem and for speech therapy to evaluate and demonstrate the

advantages of this kind of humanoid, it can be concluded that it will be very helpful in the therapy of

people with speech problems.

VI-rus: A WEB-BASED GRAPHIC ANIMATION OF THE DENGUE VIRUS INFECTION OF

THE BODY CELLS

, All Saint Cathedral Schools, Marcus Norkaitis, Sidharth Parwani, Myles Todman, and Yash Bajaj

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Research Mentor: Chantelle Belmonte, All Saints Cathedral Schools, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Dengue virus has been evolving into a more deadly virus and infects more people year after year.

Many victims are without knowledge of where the infection might have come from, or what it is. Every

individual has a very unique DNA composition and immune system that resists the Dengue virus

differently. St. Thomas and St. John in the United States Virgin Islands are known to be inhabited by a

diverse community of people composed of 73% Afro-Caribbean and 27% mixed races of Hispanics,

Latinos, Asians, and Caucasians. Through research studies, a dengue awareness webpage was designed

that caters to the public, specifically to the Virgin Islanders. Also, an animation was designed showing the

dengue virus effects on the general public and found out that different DNAs affect the spreading of the

Dengue virus. Which type of DNA is more resistant to the dengue virus if it has any relationship?

Through data collection from different references it was found that there is a connection between the

dengue virus and an individual’s DNA composition. Experts are currently conducting research to prove

that DNA composition is related to Dengue fever. With this generalization, models using Adobe

Fireworks and Adobe Dreamweaver were made, both graphic softwares, to create an animation running

on a web browser for DNA effects on Dengue viruses. It is hoped that this graphic animation will benefit

and educate the people of the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean region.

BEST POSTER

CHANGE OF THE WORLD’S PACE WITH RUM WASTE

Shideya Parrilla, Leah Achille, Acassia Ferguson, Natasha Sinanan, St. Croix Educational Complex,

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Hazel Acosta, Central High School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.



David Mattera,, St. Croix Chemistry Teacher, Manor School, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.


Throughout the Caribbean, there are several very famous rum industries that ship rum and spirits around

the world. St. Croix is famous in the United States for its rum industry, the Cruzan Rum. Jamaica,

Barbados, and Puerto Rico are famous for their rum, spirits, and wine. Though many enjoy these

refreshing alcoholic beverages, the question most do not ask is what do these industries do with their

waste that comes from the distillation of the rum; the dead yeast and dirty water. Do companies dump the

waste into the water? Do they dump on different terrains? Or do they have specific processes that they use

to recycle and reuse the waste in a way that would not harm the environment and be profitable. The

purpose of this research was to determine what several rum industries throughout the Caribbean are doing

with the run off that they produce and discover different ways to use distillation waste to create revenue

that is not a hazard to the environment. The different possible ways are to use it as fuel, fertilizers, and

cattle food. However, if there is a best solution it can be derived from cost benefit analysis. The research

hypothesis states that the fertilizer would be the best solution for rum industries to bring in revenue from

the waste that will not harm the environment. A model considering various parameters such as the various

amounts of fertilizers, amounts of water, and the various plants species was designed to determine the

best uses.

GAME ALERT SYSTEM

Karlos K. Paulino De Jesús, New Generation Christian Academy, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Jenipher D. González Aponte, Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad Del Turabo,


Games are very important to people, they have revolutionized the world. A game is structured playing,

usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from

work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of

aesthetic or ideological elements. A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction

with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The earliest example was in 1947-a

“Cathode ray tube Amusement Device.” Inspired by a radar display tech, it consisted of an analog device

that allowed a user to control a vector-drawn dot on the screen to simulate a missile being fired at targets,

which were drawings fixed to the screen. The purpose of this project was to make an application for

Android which enabled individuals to have an alert system, to make the person aware of when a game is

going for sale, the new games available in the market, and when to buy games.

2012-WAY OF MATHEMATICS FOR WINDOWS PHONE 7

Ademyr Rivera, Libre de Música School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




A high percentage of people possess smartphones and use them on a daily basis downloading apps for

different purposes including entertainment and learning. There is a percentage of people who have

difficulty in the area of mathematics and this is the scope of this research project. Some reasons why this

happens is because people either get bored learning math or there is a lack of practice. The idea of this

research project was to develop a game application in the Windows phone platform that will teach math

in a fun way and help the user practice. The game is titled Way of Mathematics and is about a character

shaped geometric figure that has to reach a goal, but in the way it will find some mathematical obstacles

that need to be overcome in order to continue. These overhead obstacles include addition, subtraction,

multiplication, division and fractions with negative numbers, depending on the obstacle chosen. People

will be able to download this game for free in the Windows Marketplace for their smartphone and when

they play the game will have fun and will make their mind more agile and intelligent.

A NEW MAGNETIC CAR

Alexandra Rivera, Apples & Stars Learning Club, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




The purpose of this project was to design the prototype of a car that is moved by magnetic forces. The

justification of this effort was to transform the main method of transportation that is based on cars and

buses that run on gasoline, to eliminate the use of fuel, and finally, to use a cleaner method of

transportation that is environmentally-friendly to this planet. Being conscious of environment pollutants,

and looking at ways of eliminating them will be the key elements for the decision of implementing

magnets in the design of the car, and the future roads. Also, the engine can be used in a way to

understand the things the Hybrid car and the train have in common, so they can be used in “new magnetic

car”. The end product of this project was a model that includes the road modified and the modifications

that are required to the car to add magnets that will energize the car and will make it move. The idea of

this project came from Maglev, and the trains currently being used to transport people in Japan. Maglev is

a system of transportation that uses magnetic levitation to guide and propel vehicles from magnets. In this

system, wheels, and axel sand bearings are replaced by magnets. We used the important components of

the Japanese magnetic train and those from the hybrid car to develop the model of the new magnetic car.

GAS STATION MAPS

Alejandro Rodríguez Carrasquillo and Javier Ortiz García, CIMATEC, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor: Jonathan Vargas Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Today prices and gasoline tanks in cars are very varied. People go to find gasoline without any knowledge

of where to go or what is the price of the gasoline. The purpose of this research was to create an

application would tell users the location of the gas station they want. This application was used with:

"MIT App Inventor" and "Google Maps". During the development process, a list of major stations in

Puerto Rico was prepared. Maps, locations, and data were searched to pinpoint each gasoline station. In

this project a GPS (Global Positioning System) was made where one could find the six main stations in

Puerto Rico. The gas stations that were included were: Total, Puma, Shell, Texaco, Gulf and Toral. The

application was designed specifically for Android, although a version for IPone could be made. This

application worked perfectly if the user had GPS service and the Internet which allowed the user to enter

the application and see the location of the gas station..

EFFECTIVENESS OF A SENSOR-BASED VIDEO GAME SYSTEM IN THE THERAPY OF

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Jan Rodríguez Cordero, Apples & Stars Learning Club, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




Microsoft Kinect© is a new device that enables users to control a personal computer or a videogame

console without the necessity of any physical interface. This is accomplished by a sensor that records a

person's full body movements in real time and interprets those movements in commands. The sensor is

simple, user-friendly, and can be used by children, adults, and the elderly, because its adaptability to the

person’s physical activity level. In this project, a study was made on how this kind of system helps

students with special education needs in the acquisition of motor skills to determine if it could also

improve their academic achievement. It was hypothesized that the devise could provide unique

educational activities. Each participant played a series of games for a specified period of time. The

observations of the behavior of the student while playing, and a subsequent interview to the student’s

teacher were analyzed. It was concluded that the Microsoft Kinect © sensor can be a complementary tool

for teachers or physical therapists because it helps students on learning educational and social skills, and

improving their motor skills.

2012-ELEMENTS, NOW!

Jonathan M. Rodríguez Cruz, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




There are more than 100 elements registered in the Table of Elements and counting. Since it is such a vast

topic, people do not realize that elements are present everywhere and they are very important to know.

Students memorize the elements but only a few really know them. Elements, Now! is a webpage made for

students who are studying the elements of the Periodic Table and helps them with dynamic games. It has

a main page with five tabs: the first tab is labeled “Tutorial” and leads to a page that explains the games.

The first game is named “Know Your Symbols.” The user clicks start and the game begins. A picture of

an element’s symbol appears and the user needs to write the name of the element. If the user does not

know the answer, it will be revealed and later on, the picture will appear again to test the user. This

applies to all games. The second game, named “Know Your Elements’ Name” is almost the same. The

same rules apply, but the game shows the symbol of an element and the user needs to write its name. The

main page has a “References” tab with websites that also teach about the Periodic Table of Elements.

Elements, Now! was designed to help the students as well as the teachers. This dynamical website’s

purpose is to let people learn the elements seen every day as well as the ones that cannot be seen.

SOUND ENERGY CHARGER

Rey E. Roque Pérez, Joshua Meléndez Rivera and Michael Ocasio Dávila, Caguas Military Academy,


Student Research Mentors: Jonathan Vargas Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Sound is one of the most abundant sources of energy in the world. The problem is that there is not a way

to harvest it or give it any useful task. Phones are the most convenient way to communicate. But one

known fact about phones is that they lack extended battery life use. The goal of this project was to find a

way to convert the energy from sound and use it to charge a battery which would power the phone’s

battery by converting the sound energy into an AC current that could function as a new source of

renewable energy. To do this, a material with the ability to detect sound was needed, for which

piezoelectric materials were used. A piezoelectric material can generate a voltage according to the applied

force, which in this case would be the sound waves. The energy was calculated by time and frequency. A

piezoelectric film was used to detect sound waves, which generate energy via the compression of

interlaced quartz crystals into an electric charge. This was fed into a reservoir battery that in turn charged

most makes and models of mobile phones.

VDJ CONTROL PAD

Natalia Marie Rosado Díaz and Gabriel Andrés Martínez Zayas, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto

Rico.

Research Mentors: Jonathan Vargas-Rodríguez, Universidad Del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistants: Karielys Ortiz, Jonnathan Ortiz and Jenipher González, Universidad

Del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Music is a type of art based on sounds and silences; many factors define how music is played out, such as

pitch, rhythm, articulation, and other playing dynamics. Many genres and subgenres exist, from which a

specific genre known as electronic music has gained popularity over the last decade. Electronic music is a

genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments and other electronic music technologies in its

production, where the sound is produced completely by electric means as opposed to electromechanical

music production. The objective of the project was to facilitate a different way that allows any person, no

matter the age, to become a DJ easily. The main purpose for the control pad was to design a hardware

device to avoid using the keyboard as the panel. Not only being a DJ is hard, but using a computer

keyboard for sound generation is also hard. The software mostly used was Virtual DJ, because it can be

used in Mac and Windows operating systems, and has a free edition excellent for testing purposes.

APPLICATION FOR SUPPORTING THE LEARNING PROCESS OF LETTERS TO KIDS

WITH AUTISM

Tatiana Marie Rosado Torres, Pablo Colón Berdecía School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.


Nowadays, autism is very common in our society. Depending on the type of autism, children have

problems learning how to read and write. However, children are avid for new experiences and challenges

involving electronic devices. The objective of this project was to encourage the teaching of the alphabet

to children with autism through a mobile application for Android phones. This application was developed

following the software development methodology based on prototypes. With the help of this application,

autistic children would learn vowels and consonants using a set of games designed for this purpose. The

main objective was that autistic children acquire the knowledge in an interactive way. Furthermore,

incorporating the alphabet in Spanish, parents can feel assured that their children will possibly acquire

valuable learning for the future.

2012- WINDOWS PHONE 7 APP TO FIND GAS STATIONS

Rolando Rosales, Puerto Rico Christian School, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.




Nowadays the world is filled with technology, helpful apps and programs to help in everyday living. Yet

there can still be more ways to increase help. This app would help to locate the nearest gas station in case

of emergencies or just to get a quick refill. This is not a world changer, but it would be really useful and

helpful to many. Those driving in unknown areas could take out their phones, open an app and let it do

the rest..

2012 – APPLICATION DESIGNED TO IMPROVE WORKOUT EXPERIENCE

, María Teresa Piñeiro School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Daniel J. Santamaría Colón




Understanding the necessities is the first step to creating a great application. People who have interest in

physical exercise, such as athletes, struggle with organizing their workout routines, including keeping

track of what they eat. Some tools available to manage this are found in mobile applications, but these

applications have their limitations in the options they offer. Having to download many apps to organize a

routine is not helpful. Asking athletes what they would like in fitness applications, has helped construct

the concept of the right application. The application proposed in this paper will help the user in a variety

of sports and activities. Utilizing the resources available on the Windows phone platform this application

includes a specialized timer for the user’s routines and the ability to create workouts tendered to the user.

This application will contain many exercises that can be accomplished indoor and with no equipment or

costly equipment for that matter. Additional to methods of doing exercise the application provides a

control for a diet plan and aids in estimating weight loss including calculating body mass index. The app

will attract many athletes, including people that perform exercise routines that would like to have a better

structured planner.

BEST Oral

2012– WEB GAME DESIGNED FOR IMPROVING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES' SKILLS

Kimberly Santiago Mangual, Puertorriqueño de Niñas School, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.




Approximately 6.5 million people in the United States have an intellectual disability. This disability is

mostly diagnosed at the age of 2, when the child has not learned to walk, or talk straight. Because some

children with disabilities between the ages of 0-18 months are incredibly smart, people have got to know

that children with disabilities can do anything a normal person can; they just need a little bit more time.

They are not very different from the rest of the population; therefore, they cannot be isolated and treated

like strangers. The purpose of this web game was to provide parents who want to improve, or prove their

children’s incredible knowledge. There are not a lot of games for children with disabilities, so this project

was designed to help them in their life, from growing up to speaking. The main purpose of this game was

to help children learn through a challenging game. Most of the game is educational, without

discrimination of any kind. It is based on levels of difficulty and on age. Children with a low level of

understanding will be playing games designed for them, and children with more advanced levels of

learning will be playing more challenging games. This game helps children to memorize, put their brains

to work, and help them improve their personal IQ. This game is for any child with the goal of improving

his or her whole life.

2012- ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE USING THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS

Dianelys Segarra, Bautista de Puerto Nuevo Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




The majority of teenagers and adults have gone through that time in school where they have to learn and

study chemistry because it is an essential part of life.. In reality, chemistry includes the elements, which

might be very difficult for some students to study. is the purpose of this project was to educate while at

the same time entertain people from all ages who want to learn and enrich their knowledge in chemistry

using the Periodic Table itself. The application includes taking some of the most important elements of

the Periodic Table and displaying the basic information about each element. It will also include giving

information on selected elements from the Periodic Table. The App is efficient and accessible to people

who have an interest on learning more about chemistry and at the same time want to gain more

knowledge through an App that will also educate them. It was created using Microsoft Visual Studio for

the Windows Phone.. the C# programming language was used to create the App.. The App will be

available for the Windows Phone and it will be downloaded free of charge..

MEASUREMENT OF PLASMA TEMPERATURE AND DENSITIES VARYING GASES USING

MATLAB

Deluis Serrano and Steven Albaladejo Cruz, Santa María del Camino School, Bayamón.

Research Mentor: Ramón Rivera, Polytechnic University, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Plasma is the fourth state of matter created by ionizing gas. This form of matter was first discovered by

Sir Williams Crookes and then developed by Joseph John Thompson, who discovered electrons and the

true nature of plasma and Irving Langmuir, who created the Langmuir Probes that measure the electron

temperature, the electron density and electric potential of plasma. Plasma has many forms and uses such

as in television, where it plays a vital role it is created when lightning strikes, it serves as a sterilizer, an

industry cutter or even a propulsion. The project had the objective to identify if there would be a higher

density in the inner part of the sphere. Then as a result there will be a higher temperature in the center

when using nitrogen than argon and CO2. The results of the experiment showed that argon density was

3.16E+15 and CO2 density was 2.15E+15 while nitrogen density 5.38E+15, the highest of all but in

temperature nitrogen showed the lowest temperature with only 1.44E-18 in contrast to CO2 whose

density was the lowest with 6.11E-18.

GEO-TYCOON: A FEASIBILITY STUDY WEB-BASED APPLICATION FOR

ENTREPRENEURIAL RISK ASSESSMENT

Jayda Swim, Scott Tomlinson and Tanner Lantz, All Saint Cathedral Schools, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin

Islands.

Research Mentor: Ackeem Baker, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

When building a successful enterprise, respected entrepreneurs have always stressed the timeless cliché

“Location, location, location!” To determine where the best final “location” will be and lower the

entrepreneurial risk, the entrepreneurs must determine whether the enterprise will succeed in the long-run

within a specified region. This is not a new idea and in fact many aspiring entrepreneurs hire

professionals to conduct costly (between $15,000 and $50,000) and lengthy (as long as 6 months) studies

to find the perfect neighborhood. In addition, this study is also often conducted to determine whether or

not the enterprise is likely to fail or succeed based on the specific factors related the location and the

business type. To counter these expenses, this project designed and implemented Geo-Tycoon, a web-

based application that utilized expert knowledge and facts inputted from the user in order to determine the

likelihood success and risk level associated with the future enterprise location. Geo- Tycoon interacts

with the user by asking simple questions and determines whether a business will be successful or not

based on a variety of output variables and a risk scale from –6 to +6. The value –6 represents high risk

and +6 suggests low risk for the entrepreneur. The variables derived from the inputs are divided into three

classes: Market Factors, Location Factors, and Cost Factors. Each affects the risk scale equally. The

current knowledge model is implemented in JavaScript on the client side and it is currently limited to one

enterprise type: the restaurant industry. This prototype will be extended to more industries by taking into

account additional domain knowledge.

CONVERTING ANALOG MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SOUNDS TO DIGITAL MUSIC

NOTATION USING JAVA PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

, Hogar Jesús Maestro School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ricardo Tardí Hernández

, Home School, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Alejandro Aponte Lugo

, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Alberto Mulero Fernández

Student Research Mentor: Jonathan Vargas Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Karielys Ortiz Rosario, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto

Rico.

Musicians are generating new compositions every second. One of the main and most important methods

for musicians to record their ideas is to write them in the form of musical notation. This process is slow,

tedious and sometimes induces the loss of inspiration. The main objective of this project was to create a

software that could permit musicians to use their analog instrument to record their ideas and pass them

into music notation. This software could not only help users save time, but eventually would help them

develop more ideas and share them with a more expanded musical audience. Previous research confirmed

that music and math are strongly related. Therefore, this project used this relationship to detect and

calculate musical notes using sound frequencies. To achieve this goal, a modified mathematical formula

that establishes a pattern between a complete musical scale and sound frequency was implemented. It was

implemented in Java, creating an accurate procedure that established the frequencies of an analog

instrument’s played notes.

MEDIKAL: AN APPLICATION TO DIAGNOSE COMMON DISEASES

Luis E. Torres Rodríguez and Ykailah P. Núñez Núñez, Notre Dame School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Jenipher González, Anthony R. Bonilla Santiago and Jonathan Vargas Rodríguez,

Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

Medikal is all about a way to communicate and educate people about some common diseases and what to

do in case of emergency. The application is a continuation of a research done in the summer. The idea of

the application was to make people aware of diseases and give basic information on them. The application

was completely rebuilt from scratch, changing the programming for the MIT App Inventor, straight into

Java and XML programming. The App contains three places one can go from the main screen, one of

them being terms and conditions, the other one being the quiz from the original application and the third

one was an extension from the original application, information on the most common diseases. The

extension was made to provide clients in-depth information on diseases. As part of the original design, a

decision tree was created and the program was based on binary decisions to create a quiz. The quiz uses

yes or no questions, and it approximately determines what condition the user has and what to do in that

case. The goals for the modification were met and were exceeded.

BEST POSTER

A ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR ELBOW’S JOINT PHYSICAL THERAPY

Nalysha Torres Mangual, Carvin School, Carolina, Puerto Rico.




Many people do not have the economic resources to afford good quality of physical therapy services.

Also, physical therapists confront difficulties to individualize and efficiently supervise therapies when

there is a high volume of patients. A robot to assist patients and therapists, to help during the treatment,

will be useful and effective. At this stage of the research project, the focus was on a robot to treat traumas

of the arm, specifically the elbow. Traumas are caused by car accidents, when playing sports, while

performing household chores, among other situations. The robot was designed to help people who need to

receive therapy on the elbow joint. This particular joint was chosen because of the simplicity of the

movement so it could be replicated adequately using a robotic system. The robot’s structural design was

esthetically attractive, small, portable, and used an air pressure mechanism adaptable to children, adults,

and senior citizens. Taking into consideration mobility limitations of some users, the system had an

ergonomic base where the person could rest the arm. Tests with children, adults, and senior citizens were

performed to evaluate the structural design of the robotic system. The evaluation included the observation

of the model and preliminary fittings of the device. The evaluation by this population was satisfactory,

especially their perception that the robot should be helpful during treatment. For the next stage of the

research project, work will be conducted on the robot’s microcontroller and a simulation of what the

software should be that will interact with the users.

CRYPTO-LANGUAGE

Nelson Vélez Espinet, University Gardens High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.




Nowadays, information needs to be secure in order to prevent access from unwanted or unauthorized

people. One method used for data security is cryptography, which has two fundamental types (based on a

parameter known as keys): symmetric key and public key. The objective of this research project was to

create a cryptography algorithm using trigonometric principles that will result in letters. When those

letters are combined, the end product is a group of words based on the array of letters produced by the

algorithm. The algorithm uses a non-intuitive set of computations making it difficult to decipher which is

the main purpose of any algorithm applying cryptography. To exemplify the cryptographic algorithm

Microsoft Visual Basic programming language was used. The program was structured using functions

which fulfilled the objective proposed for the project. After a series of tests, it was demonstrated that the

cryptographic algorithm worked effectively producing results undecipherable to the intermediate user. At

the same time, the end user received the message intended by the message originator. For the next stage

of the project, a mobile application is planned to develop it as a game and upload it to the different

available stores such as the Apple Store and Google Play. This will demonstrate that cryptography has

applications beyond typical security systems.

ABSTRACTS

APPLIED MATHEMATICS

TRINOMIAL POWERS AND THE NUMBER OF THEIR TERMS

, CROEM High School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. José Rodríguez Lozano

Research Advisor: Ms. Elba Sepúlveda, CROEM High School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Research Mentor Assistant: Gilberto Jimenez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

This research suggests a permanent arrangement for the expanded trinomials elevated to the n power. The

trinomial powers’ terms are organized in a logical order based on the binomial power’s variable order by

multiplying trinomial by trinomial. An easier method with the same order is treating the trinomial

(a+b+c)n as a binomial (a+(b+c))

n. The project also presents a coefficient pattern that shows the

coefficients of expanded trinomials in agreement with the trinomial expansion order. This trinomial

coefficient pattern is based on Pascal’s Triangle. A method is presented to find the number of terms of an

expanded trinomial elevated to the n power. This method is composed of three steps. It will be easier to

find the desired term without multiplying many trinomials term by term of. The coefficient will be

known and the variables of any term. But first it is important to know the number of terms that the

trinomial expansion has in order to decide which term is wanted. To know the expanded terms of

(a+b+c)n, the following formula was used:

((n+1)(n+2))/2

By using this method, another process can be applied to find which one is the expanded term. This is

possible by just knowing the original trinomial and the expanded term. It is not necessary to know the

trinomial power; just the three terms. By knowing these four terms, the number of the expanded term will

be known according to the correct order of the trinomial expansion.

BEST POSTER

ABSTRACTS

ENGINEERING

3D COMPUTER MODELING TO DESIGN STRUCTURES

Bryan Acevedo Marrero, Pedro Perea Fajardo Vocational School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Van der Meer, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentor Assistant: Kevin J. Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The architecture of Puerto Rico has been progressing slowly. But many of the buildings made in Puerto

Rico have not been so successful. This is due to the limited research on the physical properties of soils

that exists in our country. The architectural drawings related to this research are representations of the

designs of a residential building. The fundamental problem of this research was that if one can identify

the physical properties of the land, one can use the computer to design a residential building. The

objective of this research was to enable people with computer knowledge to find the physical properties

of the land in PR. The hypothesis of this research was that computer modeling is a tool to help determine

the physical properties for the design of a small commercial building in Mayagüez. The results of this

research were positive since the website is USDA.com that can identify the physical properties of the land

chosen for the research. The methods used in this research were to select a field to investigate and to

determine if one could build a residential building there. The software and materials used in this research

were SketchUp8 Google, Google Earth, the NRCS.gov USDA web soil survey.gov, USAD.com. The

final objective was to search for other methods or sources to identify the physical properties of the land in

Puerto Rico and design the buildings accordingly based on those findings.

WHAT DIMENSION OF SPHERE PRODUCES THE MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE AND

DENSITY WITH THE USE OF MATLAB?

Jonathan Albaladejo Cruz, Santa María del Camino School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.

Alejandro E. Herrero Umpierre, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


The universe is mostly composed of plasma. Plasma makes up 99% of the whole universe. Plasma is the

fourth state of matter and is considered a fluid like gas. It is possible to create plasma, and to contain it.

Matter is seen in the stars, like for example, the sun.. With the help of a Single Langmuir Probe

calculations of the current vs. voltage sweep were performed. After that data was compiled in Excel,

Matlab was used to take that data and compile it in Mat lab language and obtain the results of

Temperature and Density with the Mat lab Program. The main purpose of the experiment was to obtain

the temperature and density varying the dimensions of the sphere. The result of the dimensions of spheres

is that they do not have much difference in the density because = the same pressure is kept, and the

temperature is almost the same, but there was a difference because of the diameter of the sphere. The

small sphere had a temperature of 78.80043 and a density is 3.458. The large sphere had a temperature of

71.17998 and density of 3.48865.

WHICH VOLTAGE IN THE ARGON IEC PLASMA WILL INCUR IN THE HIGHEST

PLASMA TEMPERATURE AND DENSITY USING MATLAB?

Ana Bourasseau and Natalié Pacheco, Bonneville School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Ramón Rivera, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.

If the voltage is at its highest in the argon IEC plasma, then the density and temperature will be at its

highest. Plasma is ionized gas; it is considered to be the fourth state of matter and does not have a definite

volume, but it is also reactive towards magnetic fields, and may form a number of beams and layers.

Inertial electrostatic confinement creates a thermonuclear reaction and allows ionized gas temperature to

rise at an extreme level. This method inserts high temperature ions reducing the complexity of other

forms of confinement that slowly heat plasma. The hypothesis was tested in a Farnsworth-Hirsch model,

whereas voltages of -400, -450, -500, -550, and -600 were used to check if the temperature and density

would be at their highest depending on the voltage. The measurements taken were later imported to

Labview, a program that defines plasma graphs and tendencies. MATLAB was used to calculate the

temperature and density, so as the plasma potential and floating plasma potential. When -400 V

temperature of 13eV, was measured, the density with the same voltage was 2.48 x 1015

particles/cm3.

When -500V temperature of 17eV was measured, the density of the same voltage was 0.428x1015

particles/cm3.

When -600V temperature of 4eV was measured, the density of the same voltage was 1.1901

x 1015

particles/cm3. The plasma with the highest voltage actually had the lowest temperature, but not the

density. This means that the lower the density, the higher the temperature.

VIABILITY OF A FUEL CELL RESPIRATOR

Lisdelian Bruno Cintrón, Ramón Quiñones Medina School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Loren Nazario Rodríguez, Manuel Mediavilla Negrón School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Schatzi Miranda, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.

In order to create a device that is capable of supplying safe, breathing oxygen to a user, an experiment

was designed to test the viability of using the process of hydrolysis to extract oxygen from water. The

oxygen from this process is collected to provide breathing air to the user. The process is similar to a

reverse fuel cell in which electricity is applied to the electrodes in water to separate elements. A respirator

only makes use of the oxygen collected while the hydrogen is wasted. The ratio of current to oxygen

created is measured as well as the ratio of volume to time to graph the change during the process.

Calculations show that it is beneficial to use water hydrolysis for a respirator rather than carrying the gas

on a tank because of the amount that can be extracted from a small volume with less weight of water.

With this information, a model was developed that represents the available oxygen for a respirator.

Another consideration examined is the purity of said oxygen and its viability to be inhaled without

hazard. In the future, air will be tested for composition using a portable oxygen analyzer in order to

conclude the viability of this device.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST MOBILE EMERGENCY CARDIOVASCULAR

ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSIS (MEC-ED)

Jadzia M. Cabrera Arroyo, San Rafael School, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.


Research Mentor Assistant: Gilberto Jiménez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

The Mobile Emergency Cardiovascular Electronic Diagnosis (MEC-ED) is currently in the design and

development phase as a preliminary prototype device in the area of Biotechnology. This new system is

basically designed, mainly, for military use and emergencies focused on the cardiovascular area. This

machine includes an echocardiogram, an electrocardiogram and a defibrillator. The MEC-ED is mainly

used for military purposes; it will be using Windows 8, for ease of programming and comparability with

other systems. The hardware will have a custom mother board with Intel processing and 8G of RAM and

128G on a solid state drive. The unit will be solid state, fiber optic with integrated circuits. All parts will

be form fitted into the case to reduce size and weight. The machine itself will have integrated Wi-Fi and

Ethernet port. The MEC-ED will have the echocardiogram software, the electrocardiogram software and

corresponding interfaces with Bluetooth interface. The screen will be a polymer high resolution HD

touchscreen, impact and scratch resistant. The whole unit will be water proof and the body would be

made out of ballistic polymer. The transducer will be based on a wireless protocol, and the handle will be

ergonomic with slip resistant surface and interchangeable transducer transceivers. The MEC-ED will

include a defibrillator as an accessory. A finalized version of the prototype is expected to be available

next semester in the spring of 2013.

DENSITY AND THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE, IN THE CENTER OR IN THE OUTSIDE?

Danny D. Calcaño and Ricardo A. Hernández Díaz, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe School, San Juan,

Puerto Rico.


The universe is mostly composed of plasma. It can be found almost everywhere, even in a light bulb. If,

one wishes to make the same light, or even brighter, than a light bulb does, it can be done with Inertial

Electrostatic Confinement. This method confines plasma energy in a controlled environment. This energy

reacts to any changes in its environment: gases, voltage, position, etc… Some questions about this energy

are: Is it hot? Does it have a shape? Of these questions, the most asked are: Where is it the hottest? Where

is the highest density? To do this, a Single Langmuir Probe that can measure these things is needed. If

the highest temperature will be in the center, then the highest density will be in the outer part, then the

plasma cloud will be outside the sphere. An experiment was made on the basis of these two questions and

the hypothesis. It consisted of having a vacuum chamber, a sphere or cathode, and a particular gas, in this

case helium, and measuring both the density and temperature in different positions. In this experiment the

positions that were measured started from 5 cm to 0, 5 being the outer part of the sphere and 0 the center.

As a result, the ions accelerated towards the cathode (at the borderline of the cathode and the outer parts)

but as they got closer they were attracted by a negative force, thus having a decrease in density and

temperature occurring. Nevertheless, once inside the cathode, they re-accelerated and increased the

temperature and density. The outer region, point 5cm, had an average temperature of 1.5 and an average

density of 1.5925; the border between the outside and the core, point 1.5cm, had an average density of

7.6425 and an average temperature of 9.7525; the core of the plasma cloud, point 0 cm, had an average

temperature of 9.8825 and an average density of 6.5675. These measures corresponded to the three main

points of the experiment: outer, border and core. This revealed that the core has the highest temperature

and the concentration of plasma density is greater in the core also. The hypothesis that the highest

temperature was going to be in the core and the highest density on the outside was proven wrong with the

help of the data gathered from the experiment and Matlab, which processed this same data to help in

obtaining the right results.

USING TWO DIMENSIONAL VISUAL FIDUCIAL MARKERS FOR EFFICIENT SOUND

FILES REPRODUCTION

Chairo Calderón Otero, Trina Padilla de Sanz School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Alejandro Suárez, Eugenio María de Hostos High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Joaquín A. Pockels, Polytechnic University, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In computer vision, having fast and effective image recognition is of utmost importance. To test the image

recognition effectiveness of such system, a sound-based feedback can be used. In this project, the robust

visual fiducial markers system known as AprilTags found in the robotics framework named Tekkotsu was

used to test recognition effectiveness. By using the framework’s high level application programming, a

sound file (from high notes to low notes) was assigned to each fiducial marker. Each sound was then

reproduced at marker (tag) recognition. Time was taken after each tag was presented followed by an

averaging obtained results. It is expected that the sound reproduction efficiency will give some

perspective of Tekkotsu’s AprilTag recognition effectiveness.

FUEL CELL RESPIRATOR

Jordán A. Caraballo Vega, Petra Mercado Bougart School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


How can the necessary oxygen be preserved in order to breathe underwater without having to work with a

heavy equipment breathing apparatus and to modulate its use? This project presents a smaller lighter

device that provides safe, clean oxygen not at the expense of back pains. The device proposed can

separate oxygen (O2) and the hydrogen (H2) from the water using the fuel cell system. The system works

through the hydrolysis process that, from water from a tank, separates the oxygen and hydrogen; the

individual can then use the oxygen to breathe and modulate it to attain the necessary quantity for

comfortable breathing. This system resembles the fuel cell in a reverse cycle. A fuel cell creates

electricity using hydrogen and oxygen whereas fuel cells will be used in reverse to obtain hydrogen and

oxygen; and eliminate the hydrogen. The oxygen extracted in the research was tested with specialized

instruments to prove its viability.

SOUND DETECTOR APPLICATION

Clarisse M. Carrasquillo, Juan José Maunez School, Naguabo, Puerto Rico.



Humans have a tendency to think of contamination as an environmental aspect, yet there is a variety of

contamination types. This study was based on sound contamination. The motivation of this project was to

answer the following question: why must some noises cause uncomfortable feelings and/or earaches?

Previous work shows that when humans are exposed for a long period of time to loud noises they may

have permanent hearing damage, having under consideration the fact that today’s society does not have

the resources to keep track of this predicament. Knowing this, the previous question was addressed by

developing an application using Objective C that can detect sound contamination and warn the user about

the maximum time exposure to measure sound before it can cause any type of damage. The major concern

about this project was to help society prevent hearing damage and create awareness about the harms of

being exposed for a high amount of time to large sound frequencies and the impact this may have during

their lives. The effects of sound are powerful and individuals need to be careful with what they hear.

PROGRAMMING “LEGO-MINDSTORMS” ROBOTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO ATHLETES’

HEALTH

Arlene Colorado Alvarado, CROEM High School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Research Assistant Mentor: Gilberto Jiménez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Many athletes must receive medical services for sports-related injuries, injuries that have been registered

just by consecutive body movements that eventually cause severe damages and pain to the area. Studies

say that tennis athletes harm themselves with these movements, not only with the movement of the swing

of their arm to hit the ball, but also from the sharp and consecutive movements to pick up the ball. These

movements are made because the athlete wants to hurry up to get back to practicing the sport. For

example, this happens when the athlete is practicing the sport of table tennis and loses or drops the ball

and must go down consecutive times to the floor or bend his back with a very abrupt movement to catch

the ball. However, there are ways to prevent these athletes from hurting their backs while looking for the

ball, carrying many balls to keep the practice going uninterrupted, or having a staff to look for the ball,

which is not safe either, because they also get hurt. The purpose of this research was to find a new way to

avoid these types of injuries. It was found that with the “Lego-Mindstorm Robot” can be programmed to

look for the balls and get them to an exact point, using a color sensor to detect them. The robot may be

programmed to pick the balls and eventually move them to another point or to a point where they can be

collected.

ONLINE EDUCATIONAL GAME USING HTML5 AND JAVASCRIPT

Roberto Cruz Alejandro and Joshua Medina Santana, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto

Rico.


As more children get access to technology early on in life, more and more companies are emerging that

see this opportunity as one to introduce early development educational games accessible via their

products. This project proposes the development of a game set up on a website where it can be accessed

easily by any web enabling device. This game was designed to be used by very young children. Children

will learn through matching and circling the right choice games including the foundations of shapes,

colors, numbers, etc. The game was developed using HTML5 canvas, CSS and JavaScript. This game

represents an alternative to traditional education using books. In the future, this study will present the user

with shapes or colors as well as random math games using visual clues as well as numbers. The game will

keep track of scores and let the user know when he/she has selected the wrong answer.

TARGET EXTRACTION AND NAVIGATION EFFICIENCY IN A MAZE-LIKE

ENVIRONMENT

Rose Cruz Maboy, Lourdes School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Mario Ochoa Astor, San Ignacio de Loyola School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Navigation and target extraction are crucial tasks solved by intelligent robots. Introducing localization to

solve these tasks will considerably improve the effectiveness. The task presented used the localization

system of Tekkotsu, a robotics framework designed for high level robotics application programming, to

extract an object found in a maze. The maze was created in a 3D simulation tool called Mirage which

communicates with Tekkotsu. The vision system was based on a robust computer vision and two

dimensional visual fiducial markers named April Tags. The later markers or tags were set through the

maze for the localization step in which the robot compared its provided map with what it currently saw.

The robot used path planning to get to the target and get out of the maze. With the introduction of the

localization, the robot was expected to complete the task joaquin.

HOW MULTIPLE CELL PHONES CAN LOCATE THE ENEMY AND GAIN A

TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE IN THE BATTLEFIELD

Arnaldo Figueroa Immaculate Conception Academy, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Gabriel Román, La Milagrosa School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.



Gun finder sonars are currently used all over the world for both police and military uses; currently they

are deployed as large trident-like towers which work in groups of three to triangulate GPS coordinates.

The problem with this set up is the sheer size and lack of mobility available for these antennas to operate

within an acceptable margin of error. The technology will be based on three mobile devices that will

detect the gunfire as a disturbance in the ambient sounds and normal frequencies. This on itself is nothing

revolutionary for the phone because it can already produce inaudible and hear frequencies. The purpose of

this study was to reverse the process and allow the device to detect the frequency and alert the user of the

direction of the disturbance. This device works in conjunction with three or more other devices so that

they can, with the help of a central computer, triangulate and later identify the trajectory the bullet took.

This process is relatively simple since a bullet travels in a straight trajectory. The only mathematical

process the central computer needs to do is the triangulation of the position where the bullet passed

through in relation to the different devices. After this process is done, the information is sent to the

devices so that the soldiers can know where the shooter is and know what course of action to take. This

will help save lives because it will decrease the reaction time of the soldiers, giving them a technological

edge in battle.

BANA SPACE SETTLEMENT: ENGINEERING

Paola Victoria Figueroa Delgado, La Milagrosa School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marín Caribbean University.

Since 1977, NASA specialists developed a design study of a Space Settlements, which by its name, is the

settlement (living a long period of time) in space. The researchers of the Arecibo Observatory, during the

past months, have developed an innovative settlement named the BANA Space Settlement, considered the

ideal Utopia. Their purpose is to design an attractive, modern and comfortable living space for a colony of

great density. Engineering plays an important role of the creation of BANA S.S.; it has to carry on and

complete the architectural structures-internal and external, develop transportation (in and out), ambiance

gravity, shielding, water and waste management, etc. Also, the engineering team has to establish the

limits, dimensions and collaborate with other departments, such as: life support, communication and

navigation systems, to “bring afloat” what they consider the best place in the Universe to live in.

ROTATING STRUCTURES

Steven Jensenn, Caribbean School, Ponce, Puerto Rico.


Gurabo Puerto Rico.

A revolving building is a structure that rotates around a central axis. The purpose of these buildings is to

have a 360-degree view around the structure, as the room rotates. There are very few rotating buildings in

the world, and little is known about their history or about who came up with the idea of a rotating house.

The first known rotating house to be built was built in 1958 by Francois Massau, and it still stands in

Wavre, Belgium. The common purpose of rotating houses, however, has to do not only with good views,

but also with the position of the sun in the sky. The house can be rotated so that a certain room can be

pointed away from the sun, in order to lower cooling costs. In this project a particular and innovating

rotating house design was developed using Google SketchUp. The main purpose of this design was to

create a somewhat unique self-sustaining house that rotates on a central axis so certain rooms can be

pointed away from the sun.

ANALYZING MULTIPLE ROBOTS NAVIGATION FOR OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

DESIGNING

Ángel Pérez and Frances Pérez, San Jorge Academy, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


In robotics, efficiency is considered when solving a task such as path planning. In this project, varieties of

robots were used to complete a maze to prove which robot’s efficiency was better, and which robot was

faster and completed the maze first. This was done by using a robotics framework called Tekkotsu, which

provides the necessary tools to solve the whole task. A virtual maze was built using the robotic simulation

tool Mirage. The robot behavior and path planning was developed inside Tekkotsu’s programming. The

framework also provided native robots which could be simulated using Mirage. The most efficient robot

was the CREATE robot with an average time of 5 minutes 16 seconds. The CALLIOPE5KP followed

with an average of 5 minutes 27 seconds and finally the CALLIOPE2SP with an average of 5 minutes 30

seconds.

USING TWO DIMENSIONAL VISUAL FIDUCIAL MARKERS FOR TRAFFIC SIGN

NAVIGATION

Maitetxu Pettersen, St. Marys School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Caleb Rodríguez, University High School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


Computer vision is an essential component in common robotic navigation systems. This investigation

involved discovering how efficient 2D visual markers known as AprilTag operate as traffic signs.

AprilTag is a robust and flexible visual fiducial system which improves on detection, occlusion, warping

and distortion of other 2D marks. In this project, Tekkotsu, a robotic framewok for high level robot

application research, was used. Tekkotsu includes a robot simulation tool called Mirage in which a virtual

world, simulating the streets of a city, was constructed. To confirm the efficiency, a task was developed in

which the robot must navigate through the streets following the instructions given by the AprilTags

markers set throughout the virtual world at various distances. The task was successful in every run and no

bad detection was found which confirms the efficiency.

DEVELOPMENT OF A PRELIMINARY WEBSITE FOR A MOBILE APPLICATION TO

COMPLETE STATISTICAL CALCULATIONS

Paola Rosa and Ginelle González, CROEM High School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.



As technology steadily grows in complexity and in effectiveness, most people find themselves almost

dependent or relying on it. Some specific technologies, such as smartphones, have become commonplace

in today’s society. There seems to be a mobile application for every conceivable use. The basis of this

research is to find a way to improve the efficiency of the use of statistical equations through the creation

of a mobile application. By using programming languages such as HTML5 and Java Script to create a

website, it can be proved that the efficiency of the use of statistical equations improves. Programing

languages such as HTML5 and Java Script, and the Wix website builder were used to build a preliminary

website version of the application. This website presents different statistical equations and calculations,

such as mode, medium, mean standard deviation and variance of a probability distribution and the

percentile and quartile positions of a group of numbers. Through this website, the successful completion

of statistical calculations of a specific group of numbers is more efficient when compared to the

completion of these calculations when done by hand.

IS “DYNAMICS BIGDOG” THE SOLDIER’S BEST ROBOTIC FRIEND?

Génesis Rosado Martínez, San Rafael School, Quebradillas, Puerto Rico.



This research focused on possible improvements that can be made to the Boston Dynamics BigDog.

BigDog was created to support a heavy load and move on different types of terrain. The objective was to

obtain and seek possible alternatives so that the robot has flowing movements, is more stable, has a better

system of identifying with its leader, is less noisy and can support more weight. It is more effective since

there will only be a few changes to various parts of the system so that it can be of better use. It is expected

that after modifications, the robot can be fully synchronized without problems of disorientation, may have

a larger memory, and have a more steady and efficient speed. These modifications are based on the

anatomy of the “dog” for its stability on different surfaces and in turn can support more weight due to

firmness. The changes related to the sound are based on various types of engine mufflers. They can be

that the robot can overcome the current weight of loading with the settings. This robot will have a benefit

for people who use it, will be satisfied because it can go at the user’s pace without any possibilities of the

robot to be distracted. It is a very necessary device for the armed forces. All modifications were created

with a practical purpose to obtain a safe device with optimal performance.

PUR SPACE ELEVATOR

Ana Ruíz, Orlando Garcés and Rosa Andújar, San Felipe School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Migsaul Romero, Antonio Luchetti Vocational School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

Carlos Declet, Luis Felipe Crespo School, Camuy, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentors: Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marín, Caribbean University; Michael Laine- Liftport

Group; José G. Molina, SpacePort Consulting and Advocacy Group.

The main objective of the Space Elevator (SE) is to be a transportation system for space. It will permit

direct transportation of payloads to and among orbits, a technology that may change mankind's future

forever. The purpose of the project was to see how the SE concepts works, what materials were needed

and how much would it cost to build and maintain this system. A question asked was: “Why is it so

important to build an SE, when other useful things can be made with that investment?” Furthermore, it is

of interest to understand the benefits and consequences of building the SE. This system has been the cause

of several controversies in the science world. Some worries are the cost of the SE and if it would be stable

enough to carry all of the weight needed to transport the payloads with current technology. Research is

being conducted to find new innovative ways to transport things into space and to build an SE, made of

highly complex systems where most of the materials needed will be developed in the next few years. The

first part of the research tried to understand the lift requirements using tethered high altitude balloons, and

attaching a payload to it. The needs of ribbons, climbers, a power beaming facility, an anchor platform

and a tracking facility, among others, will be studied in a continuation next semester.

THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE INTERNET AS A VIABLE MEANS OF COMMERCE FOR THE

METALS INDUSTRY

Guillermo Sánchez, Pedro Perea Fajardo Vocational School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.


Research Assistant Mentor: Kevin Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

This research gathered information on the material m2 and how it is distributed using the Internet. The

M2 is used for construction of houses or buildings from the simplest to the most complicated, it is flexible

and versatile and is used to build buildings or homes with the advantage that it could be earthquake

resistant up to 20 stories high. The M2 material is based on a series of modular panels that meet flanged

structural features for other materials. It is an easy material to work, its light weight allows to work with it

in any conditions. In economic terms, the M2 material is less expensive than other materials with thermal

and acoustic disadvantages. Its versatility is great as it can be used to supplement or make walls,

staircases, roofs etc. It has a high capacity to withstand fire, cyclones, hurricanes and earthquakes, making

it an excellent material for the area immediately surrounding Puerto Rico. The houses built in M2 have an

excellent energy saving range because they do not need to have devices operating for long periods of time

to relieve the heat in the house since the M2 has good heat resistance. This material offers a high quality

sound insulation making it excellent not only for homes but also in places such as restaurants, cinemas,

theaters, offices or public buildings. The basic idea is to combine this material with many advantages and

structural requirements of thermal and acoustic insulation at a lower price with other materials such as

cement, wood, bricks etc.The company’s website offers metal suppliers exposure to a far broader range of

business opportunities than currently available through conventional marketing techniques. Examples of

these techniques are included in this research project.

SEEING EYE BOT

Johnny Trevino Alicea, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Ricardo Serrano Vélez, Manuel Mediavilla Negrón Vocational School, Humacao, Puerto Rico.


There are around 285 million people in the world that suffer from vision impairment. These people

sometimes require assistance to keep safe from obstacles and other dangers they might be unable to

perceive. This project presents a robotic vehicle which when attached to a leash acts as a seeing eye “bot”

using infrared sensors to scan the environment and tell the user when it senses danger. The robot sounds

an alarm that alerts the user that something is nearby by activating a 12Volt DC piezo buzzer. The robot is

controlled by the user with a remote which for the purposes of this project will be a television remote

control. The control code for said remote was discovered using an infrared sensor and hyperterminal. The

robot chassis and body were constructed from old RC car parts. The robot moves with the aid of a

continuous servo motor. The processing is done using an Arduino AtMega 2560 processor and

programmed using C++ on Arduino IDE. The robot is powered by batteries supplying 9 volts that were

scaled down using a voltage regulator 7805. The result of this project is a motorized robotic assistant for

the visually impaired that with the help with a remote and a sensor alarm system that restores the users’

sense of control and security over their surroundings.

SECURE CHATTING IN CELL PHONES USING RSA ENCRYPTION

Kenneth Young, José Collazo Colón School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.


Texting in cellular phones is an everyday event; the average person texts about 88 times each day.

Sometimes, people send a text near other people and curious friends or strangers try to read private

conversations. In this project, an Android App was created in which current text conversation was

encrypted to preserve privacy. The encryption algorithm selected for this purpose was RSA, which relies

on the computational disadvantages of calculating the prime factors of any given number. The algorithm

generates 2 random prime numbers in any predetermined ranged and multiplies them to create the key.

The text to be encrypted was converted from ASCII to decimal and the mathematics took place by solving

for c=pe mod n to encrypt and p=cdmod n to decrypt. The apps interface and programming was created

using MIT’s App Inventor. The application can be uploaded to any android device using a barcode

scanner. In the future, this app can be published making it accessible to anyone via the android app

market.

ABSTRACTS

APPLIED PHYSICS

IS THE POSITION AND PHASE OF THE MOON A FACTOR IN THE OCCURRENCE OF A

LARGE EARTHQUAKE?

Angelic M. Arzola Roig, CROEM School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Research Advisor: Ms. Elba Sepúlveda, CROEM School, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.



On December 17, 2011, the Western part of Puerto Rico experienced an earthquake. It was that

earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 ML (Richter scale),. Earthquakes are phenomena that happen every

day, even if they cannot be felt. This is because they occur when the inner core of the earth is subject to

increasing pressure and build-up of energy until it erupts. The purpose of this investigation was to

determine whether the position of the moon could be of influence in the eruption of these earthquakes. To

find this out, large earthquakes from 2010 to 2012 (with a magnitude of 8.0 ML or larger) together with

the smaller earthquakes that happened before and after, were selected. Their magnitudes were related to

the phases of the moon, the location of the moon at the time of the earthquake (perigee or apogee in

percentage) and the location of the earthquake at the time it happened in relation to the moon. After this, a

graph to show if the earthquakes increased or decreased as the moon changed its position and phase, were

produced. The expected results will show a gradual increase in the magnitude of those earthquakes, when

related to the position of the moon at the time of that earthquake.

COMPARING RADIATION LEVELS FROM DIFFERENT CELL PHONES

, Southwestern Educational Society (SESO), Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Giovanna P. Zambrana


Research Assistant Mentor: Alexandra Maldonado Florenciani, San Benito School, Mayagüez, Puerto

Rico.

Radiation has always been a common and interesting subject in the field of science. Scientists have

always been concerned about the radiation emitted through cellphones by electromagnetic waves and how

they may affect the cells on the brain’s surface tissue. The purpose of this project was to observe how

cellphone radiation can affect the temperature of water and compare it with the Blackberry® due to the

amount of electromagnetic radiation emission. This process required five different brands of cellphones, a

tank of water, a thermometer and some Ziploc® bags to put the cell phones in. The cellphones were

submerged carefully into the water, making them ring for some time while taking their temperature and

collecting data to see how radiation affected the temperature, eventually repeating the process four more

times for each brand of cellphone, ten trials each. This project determined whether different brands of

cellphones radiated enough energy to affect the temperature of water in a tank. It was expected that the

Blackberry® will achieve the highest temperature due to its radiation emission levels.

BEST POSTER

ABSTRACTS

ROBOTICS

A ROBOT FOR SUPPORTING THE LEARNING PROCESS OF BASIC SHAPES AND VOCALS

IN A KINDERGARDEN GRADE

Jesús Emmanuel Alvarado Berríos, Luis Muñoz Marín School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.


The current generation of children likes electronic devices. Therefore, a robot is an interesting tool to

support the learning process about shapes and vocals in the kinder garden. The robot will ask the child a

geometric figure or a vocal and the child will select it and placed it in an area, the robot will evaluate if it

is correct, giving two more opportunities in case of a wrong answer. The robot continues with other

figures or vocals interacting with the child in the same way. This project was divided into two stages, the

physical design and construction, followed by its programming. In order to support the learning process,

this system was designed to interact with children 4+ years old with the intervention of a teacher.

Following this design, the students will be more receptive to the learning of shapes.

OBJECT RECOGNITION AND IDENTIFICATION

Gerardo M. Arguelles Santiago, Home School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Student Research Mentors: Joehan Carrasquillo and Osvaldo Massanet, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo,

Puerto Rico.

Object recognition and computer vision are a clear indicator that demonstrates that the field of robotics is

getting a step closer to Artificial Intelligence. Through the SIFT algorithm within the Tekkotsu robotics

framework, the robot was to take a picture of the object and store it in a database. To ensure full

recognition, multiple pictures, at different angles each, were taken. After SIFT learned about the object, it

was tested to see if it could find the object hidden within a cluttered environment. In order to do this, the

robot had to move looking for the object until it fitound and correctly identified the object within the

environment it was in, at which point the robot would make a “barking” sound to confirm that it had

found the object.

TRIGONOMETRY SYSTEM

Nicole Flores and Karoline Méndez, Antonio Fernós Isern Vocational School, San Lorenzo, Puerto

Rico.

Research Mentors: Joehan Carrasquillo and Osvaldo Massanet, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo, Puerto

Rico.

In the fields of research and development, time is precious and should not be wasted. In making a triangle

geometry calculation system, the number of steps needed to obtain a result are reduced substantially, thus

reducing the amount of time that a researcher/developer must invest in solving trivial trigonometric

problems. The trigonometry system solves certain math/triangle-geometry problems that the average

student dislikes to solve and the average scientist needs to do. In this project, the Pythagorean Theorem

and the Sine Law were included and programmed within a C++ program, thus providing trigonometry

that can be a source compiled in any operating system that supports C++, making portability a possibility.

This system was designed to solve a limited area of trigonometry problems, but a vast one nonetheless.

SIFT WEAPON RECOGNITION SECURITY DRONE SYSTEM

Adrián Gómez, Antonio Fernós Isern Vocational School, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.


Puerto Rico.

With the constant threat of terrorism through airfare and weapons getting through airport security, an

airport Security Drone System is necessary in order to make the maintenance of order and safety an easier

job than it currently is. This security drone system was created using the SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature

Transform) – an object recognition algorithm – within the Tekkotsu robotics framework. The system was

to determine if there is a weapon concealed within the luggage scanned through an X-Ray machine. In

cases that a weapon was found within the luggage, an alarm was triggered to notify the airport security

guard or authorities of jurisdiction; otherwise, it notified that there are no concealed weapons.

TEXTURE SIGHTSEEING

Pablo González Acevedo; Padre Rufo Bilingual School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Raymond L. Rodríguez Padilla: Padre Rufo Bilingual, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Ramón Cardona, Inter-American University, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Using color segmentations technique, integrated into the Tekkotsu robotics framework, a solution for the

iRobot Create was developed to distinguish, navigate and manipulate predefined set of colored objects.

The framework used in this study was an open source approach to software development at Carnegie

Mellon University. Using these segmentation techniques the robot was able to identify the given object

judging from its color. The robot had to pick up one from three completely different color cylinders. To

handle objects once identified, the grasper tool was used. It handles object manipulation using matrix

calculations to determine starting and ending points of progression. Once the iRobot had picked up the

cylinder with the grasper arm, it transported the cylinder to a set target. The objective given to the iRobot

tested its skills on manipulation and identification of colored objects.

TOM AND JERRY GUARDIAN ROBOT

Gabriela Martínez, Onix Fuster and William A. Crespo, República de Costa Rica Vocational School,



Rico.

As technology increases, the availability of various helpful products has also increased. Some of these

products must be handled with care for which certain security measures must be implemented. Children

and certain other people, for example, people that have never seen a certain product that might cause risk

if mishandled, might not understand and/or be incapable of maintaining these security measures for which

additional surveillance is needed. Many people store their cleaning products (and other harmful products)

in locations that may be easily accessible. This may lead to intoxication and even death if a person ingests

or mishandles such products. The name of the project, Tom & Jerry Guardian Robot, was designed to

chase after the person, regardless of age, in an attempt to hinder the person from doing any harmful

actions to himself/herself with harmful products. To make this possible, the Tekkotsu robotics framework

was used along with its integrated SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) Object Recognition

algorithm and Color Segmentation capability.

TRAFFICBOT: A ROBOT FOR TEACHING TRAFFIC SIGNALS TO CHILDREN

Nazhaly Mercado and Melanie Guzmán, Luis Muñoz Marín School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.


Knowing the traffic signals is an important issue for child safety. By Using a robot, this project helps

children to learn and understand the meaning of some traffic signals including STOP, wrong way, one

way and the traffic light functionality. This robot is built using the Lego MindStorm kit. The robot

simulates the appropriate way to transit on a traffic circuit in order to teach children. A remote control is

used to guide the robot through the same circuit. This project is divided into two stages, the physical

design and construction, followed by the robot programming.

THE SPEED CAMERA

Byron Morales, Isabel Flores School, Juncos, Puerto Rico.

Alexis Torres, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico.


Rico.

Speed measurement utilizing a video camera is a technology that is available for policemen in order to

determine if a certain car is speeding. This project tried to recreate this system within the Tekkotsu

robotics framework. It would have the capability to determine the speed by utilizing Tekkotsu's color

segmentation system. This is necessary for certain people for they are interested in finding out how fast a

certain object is moving. This project would be used in the area of physics and other pure sciences or

pseudo-sciences in order to determine the speed of certain objects, thus aiding in research. It would also

be used in other areas that need speed determination as a key ingredient in order to make the necessary

work a reality.

IROBOT CREATE APPLIED TO PHYSICS

Sue Ann Pérez Vázquez and Christian Ramírez Irizarry, Nuestra Señora Del Carmen School, San

Juan, Puerto Rico.

Research Mentor: Prof. Ramón Cardona, Inter-American University, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This research project explored the optimization process of the robot's locomotion, path planning and

environment perception. Working with the iRobot Create and the open source robotic framework

Tekkotsu, a strategic approach to behavior optimization for a maze-like environment was developed.

Tekkotsu was chosen to work with because of its high level methodology to programming and extensive

use of Object Oriented Technics that significantly lower the learning curve for non-programmers. The

first step was to design and construct a virtual testing environment. For this, WorldBuilder syntax was

implemented, a feature of the framework that lets recreate actual working scenes applied to physics.

Tekkotsu is fundamentally built on four basic modules that handle the management and gathering of data,

which are called the crew. Of these modules or applications, the pilot was used to navigate a given laid

out path; the mapbuilder, whose task was to compose and analyze a working scenario; and finally the

lookup, whose sole purpose was to gather data from the robots hardware.

ROBOTICS NAVIGATION AND LOCALIZATION PERFORMANCE ON IRREGULAR

TERRAINS

, Antonio Lucchetti Vocational School, Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Joshua L. Pupo Morales

, Central de Artes Visuales School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Christian J. Correa


Terrain irregularities are a major problem in robotics navigation. Localization is a step of most navigation

systems that is heavily affected by these irregularities. The purpose of this project was to determine how

much the localization process of Tekkotsu, a robotics framework, is affected by the irregularities while

completing a navigation task such as solving a maze. The project's experiment involved the creation of a

virtual maze with an irregular terrain by using a robotics simulation tool called Mirage. Tekkotsu's

navigation system was used to solve the maze. Since the task was designed for increased navigation

difficulty, the robot was expected to sometimes fail; however, the number of occurrences will define the

effectiveness.

BEST POSTER

HANDY HELPER

Jomar Ramírez, Iris Hernández and Yuliana Martínez, Christian Nazarene Academy, Levittown,

Puerto Rico.


Rico.

With the increase of technology the aiding, maintenance and facilitation of services towards people with

certain handicaps has been a possibility and a reality. However, since the maintenance of these

individuals consumes time and effort, the ratio between the number of people that are willing to aid

people with a handicap and the number of handicapped people is mostly a slim one (depending on

handicap and location). Also, not all which are willing to aid the handicapped are available at all times.

This project was focused on helping, with a robotic aide, people with paralysis, regardless of the

condition which caused it. By using the Lego Mindstorm system, a model of a “Handy Helper” was

created to simulate an aide for people with paralysis. With this robotic helper, simple functions made by

non-handicapped people, which prove to be difficult for people with this kind of handicap, could be

performed in order to facilitate everyday life to those with different handicapped conditions.

X MARKS THE COLOR!

; St.Mary’s School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Javier Rodríguez Rodríguez

; St.Mary’s School, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Felipe Lebrón Bonilla


For the development of the robotic behavior for this project, the iRobot Create was chosen and it was

implemented with the Tekkotsu framework. Written and maintained by Dr. David S. Touretzky and Ethan

Tira-Thompson, the framework is an open source approach to robotics development designed at Carnegie

Mellon University. Compared to other known systems, like ROS (Robot Operating System), Tekkotsu

uses a high-level of abstraction, reducing the learning curve and widening its accessibility to non-

programmers. To control the robot's movements, the Tekkotsu's Pilot module was used. The MapBuilder

module was integrated to compose the representation of the world perceived through the robot's sensors.

Both modules worked in tandem to determine obstacles and define the optimal navigational path. For

visual recognition AprilTags were used, which are special markers deeply integrated with the framework.

These can be implemented to communicate specific instructions to the Create in order for it to handle

certain actions like placing a given object in a predefined colored zone.

BEST POSTER

COLOR BLINDNESS AID

, Bilingüe de Cidra School, Cidra, Puerto Rico. Normarie Román Roque

, CIMATEC School, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Nathaly Vallejo Rodríguez

Students Research Mentors: Joehan Carrasquillo and Osvaldo Massanet, Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo,

Puerto Rico.

Those with the inability to see colors correctly, something which happens to few people, are somewhat

afflicted by this handicap. From minor effects (e.g. seeing different shades of the color instead of the

correct one) to major conditions (e.g. not being able to see any color), this handicap might prove

troublesome to the group of people which it afflicts. The Color Blindness Aid, which was built on the

Tekkotsu's “Color-Segmentation” ability, was intended to aid people with this handicap by telling them

what kind of color they are looking at (by name). This proved useful when the user needed to know the

color of an important object (e.g. traffic signs/lights, heavy machinery, poisonous animals, etc.).

OCTAGON

Samantha Sorondo, St. Mary's School, San Juan, Puerto Rico.


The goal of this project was to provide the iRobot Create with the ability to decipher the correct path

through a coded artificial environment, employing the Tekkotsu robotics framework. The framework uses

extensively the Object-Oriented approach, which makes it easy for non-programmers to understand and

implement. The virtual environment consists of an octagon-shaped maze, containing a different colored

object on each corner. The robot will collect these objects and move them to the inner section of the

octagon, organizing them by color. Using Tekkotsu's color segmentation strategies, I determined group

membership and calculated a path to a given colored area. Since the robot in use is not equipped with

arms, I used two special paddle extensions for basic object manipulation. The programming code allowed

the robot to accomplish the objective of grouping all the objects in their designated area.

ROBOT FOR SUPPORT TEACHING PARABOLIC TRAJECTORIES

Bryan Steve Torres Pérez, Luis Muñoz Marín School, Barranquitas, Puerto Rico.


Physics is one of the toughest classes in high school because the abstraction of concepts. Therefore,

physics experiments are very useful for students’ learning. This project proposes to build a robot for

teaching parabolic trajectories to high school students. This robot has a configurable canon for shooting a

small ball. The configuration parameters of the canon are the inclination degree and initial velocity of the

ball. This project was divided in two stages: robot construction and robot programming. Using this

project, students could understand the relationship between the inclination degree and initial velocity with

the distance in an interactive way.

BEST POSTER

LOTTERY WIZARD (LOTTOZOO)

, Cristo Redentor School, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Juan Vázquez

, Caguas Military Academy, Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Elizabeth Calderón


Puerto Rico.

The Lottery Wizard, also known as Lottozoo, as was developed, would obtain a person's information in

order to provide a certain lottery number which would comply with the standards of the Lottery in Puerto

Rico as of the year 2012. The user would have to input certain personal information into the C++ code

and the code would calculate and output a lottery number. Some of the information to be inputted

includes the user's birth date, the number of family members within the current family, a car's license

plate number and certain other personal information. As a result, the output would be a string of numbers

that are playable in the electronic lottery of Puerto Rico. Due to the various numerical elements that can

be inputted, the application would able to generate different results.

BEST POSTER

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Faculty research mentoring is the main driving force behind the scientific products (posters and oral

presentations) presented in this symposium. Our greatest appreciation and gratitude to all the mentors

who took part in the Winter 2012 Pre-College Research Symposium by working and training the next

generation of scientists whose efforts are presented in this booklet, as well as to the many other faculty

members who support the Student Research Development Center and its goals and objectives. Our most

sincere thanks are also extended to the following individuals who helped to make this Winter 2012 Pre-

College Research Symposium possible.

Keynote and Workshop Speakers:

Dr. Barbara Ericson, Georgia Tech University

Judges and Session Chairmen:

María Acosta, Universidad del Este

Gloria Agosto, José Collazo Colón High School

Irisber Alequín, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico

Jesbaniris Bas, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Alfredo Bermúdez, Universidad del Turabo

Nellie Bonilla, University of South Florida

Isardo Braverman, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Alejandra Cartagena, Universidad del Turabo

Leonardo Cheverez, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus

Carlimar Collazo, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico

Joel Corporán, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Osvaldo Cox, Universidad Metropolitana

Melanie De La Rosa, Universidad del Este

Steven Díaz, Universidad del Turabo

Miguel Díaz, Universidad del Este

Araceli Feliciano, University of Puerto Rico

Mary Figueroa, José Collazo Colón High School

Yolanda Figueroa, Universidad del Este

Svetlana Gelpí, Universidad Metropolitana

Maxine González, Universidad Metropolitana

José González, Universidad Metropolitana

Johannys Jiménez, Universidad del Este

Ajay Kumar, Universidad Metropolitana

Alvaro Laham, Universidad Metropolitana

Solymar Landrau, Universidad del Este

Julio León, Universidad del Turabo

Rosaurelis Marín, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Wesley Marrero, Universidad del Turabo

Juan Martí, Universidad Metropolitana

Christian Martínez, Universidad del Turabo

Eduan Martínez, Universidad Metropolitana

Agleé Martínez, Universidad del Este

Ricardo Melgarejo, Caribbean University

Dalvin Méndez, Arizona State University

Luis Mestre, Universidad Metropolitana

José Millán, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Rafael Mirabal, Notre Dame School

Juan Miranda, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

José Molina, Spaceport Advocate & Consulting Group

Heidi Negrón, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Lorraine Nieves, Universidad del Este

Sylmarie Ortiz, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Jonathan Otero, Universidad Metropolitana

Luis Pagán, Univeridad del Turabo

Javier Parapar, Universidad Metropolitana

Ismael Parrilla, Saint Francis School

Jennifer Patritti, The Ohio State University

Maried Pena, Universidad del Turabo

Carla Reyero, Notre Dame School

Roberto Reyes, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Hansel Ríos, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, Barranquitas Campus

Kiela Ríos, Universidad del Este

Rafael Rivera, Universidad del Turabo

Miguel Rivera, University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus

Gloricelys Rivera, Universidad Metropolitana

José Rivera, Universidad del Este

Timothy Rivera, Puerto Rico Electrical Power Authority

Vanessa Rivera, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus

Yaichael Rodríguez, Universidad del Turabo

Weyshla Rodríguez, Universidad Metropolitana

Nicolle Rosa, University of Puerto Rico, Cayey Campus

Eliza Sáez, Universidad del Este

Ashlie Santaliz, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Víctor Santos, University of Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus

Soleil Valentín, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Dorielys Valentín, Universidad Metropolitana

Ángel Vázquez, Inter-American University of Puerto Rico

Waleska Vázquez, Universidad del Turabo

Eliezer Vázquez, Inter-American University

José A. Vega, Ana G. Méndez University System

Yo-Ann Vélez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus

Idalides Vergara, Universidad del Turabo

Research Mentors and Assistants:

Ángel Andino, Universidad Metropolitana

Yvonne Avilés, Inter-American University-San Germán

Irisber Arlequín, Inter-American School-San Germán

Ackeem Baker, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas

Chantelle Belmonte, University of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas

Juanita Boneque, St. Croix District Mathematics Coordinator, St. Croix

Katherine Calderón, University of Puerto Rico-Humacao

Ramón A. Cardona, Inter-American University-Metro

Joehan Carrasquillo, Universidad del Turabo

Carmen Carvajal, Inter-American University-Barranquitas

Laysa Claudio, University of Puerto Rico-Humacao

Wilnerys Colberg, Universidad Metropolitana

Marlene Colón, María Reina Academy

Anna Flores, Universidad Metropolitana

Francelys Franco, Inter-American University-San Germán

Jenipher González, Arecibo Observatory

Michael Laine, Liftport Group

Dayanara Lebrón, Universidad Metropolitana

Alvaro Lecompte, Inter-American University-San Germán

Kemit Lewis, Coral Conservation Manager, St. Croix

Ricardo Lorenzana, Universidad Metropolitana

Roberto Luna, Inter-American School, San Germán

Kevin Marrero, San Benito School, Mayagüez

David Mattera, Manor School, St. Croix

Guillermo Mejía, Inter-American University-San Germán

Abel Méndez, University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

Elvin Méndez, Universidad del Este

Schatzi Miranda, Universidad del Turabo

José G. Molina, SpacePort Consulting and Advocacy Group

Cristina Morales, University of Puerto Rico-Bayamón

Greisha Ortiz, Universidad Metropolitana

Luis Ortiz, Universidad Metropolitana

Leonardo Pacheco, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez

Francisco Pérez, University of Puerto Rico-Bayamón

Joaquín Pockels, Polytechnic University

Oliva Primera, Universidad Metropolitana

Harry Rivera, Inter-American University, Bayamón

Ramón Rivera, Polytechnic University

Marcos Rodríguez, Universidad Metropolitana

Lorna E. Salamán, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras

Natalia Santiago, Universidad Metropolitana

Kamil Suliveres, Universidad Metropolitana

Brenda Torres, Universidad del Turabo

Pieter Van der Meer, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez

Jonathan Vargas, Universidad del Turabo

Edgardo Vázquez, Universidad del Este

Rosa White, St. Croix District Science Coordinator, St. Croix

Luisa F. Zambrano, Caribbean University

Symposium Staff:

Dr. Gladys Bonilla, SRDC Consultant Ms. Zulma Irizarry, SRDC

Dr. Luis de la Torre, Bio-Mathematics Faculty Ms. Ivette Miranda, SRDC

Ms. Thelma Graniela, SRDC Mr. Nicholas Natalizio, SRDC

Symposium Coordinators:

Dr. Juan F. Arratia, Executive Director, Student Research Development Center

Mr. Tomás Yan Melo, Coordinator Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence (CCCE)

Mrs. Wanda Rodríguez, Coordinator AGMUS Institute of Mathematics

We gratefully acknowledge the support and sponsorship of the

Winter 2012 Pre-College Research Symposium from:

National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant #DMS-0822404

Grant #CNS-0940522

National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA)

Ana G. Méndez University System

Caribbean Computing Center for Excellence

AGMUS Institute of Mathematics