Students Interest and Thoughts on STEM

I am Juan Sebastian Bohorquez Mora, I am a sophomore student at Toms River High School North. I am interested in biofuels because I believe they are a good option to replace fossil fuels. I am also interested in duckweed because biofuels are made out of crops, and people need to eat those crops. That’s when duckweed comes in and it can be used as a feedstock for ethanol production which is a biofuel. Bioethanol is a type of biofuel and it is derived from the corn’s starch. Instead of making ethanol from the corn’s starch, we can use duckweed which has a high starch accumulation. Natalie Rapciewicz Authentic Science Research Mrs.Girtain February 18, 2022 The most significant part of the brain is made up of the cerebrum, which is a part that initiates motion but most interestingly is where the brain stores the ability to think, judge, and reason. In one way or another, all career routes route from the basic idea of STEM. Take a lawyer, from an overview, they study laws and government yet ask a law professor, and they would recommend learning psychology. Through the Toms River Schools, STEM is embedded into the schooling system in a way that urges students to go for their passions. One of the most meaningful STEM activities at Toms River North includes the Authentic Science Research” three-year program, which allows students to express their ideas in the world of STEM freely. From learning to write an elevator pitch to dissect journal articles. The course, guided by Mrs.Girtain, sets students up for the success of their future endeavors. Abbey Nicholson This school year I have continued reading about new treatment discoveries and various factors behind mood disorders. One journal article I found rather interesting was titled “Blue-blocking glasses as additive treatment for mania: Effects on actigraphy-derived sleep parameters” by Tone E.G. Henricksen, et al. The study focused on having patients participate in a placebo manner, testing out ‘BB’ glasses. Numerous living with forms of bipolar mania reported a pattern of sleep disturbances before an episode would emerge. The invention of blue-blocking glasses would play as a virtual darkness. Researchers hoped with a comfortable and fitted pair of such glasses, significant results would rise. In the midst of the study, sleep efficiency was notable and motor activity would be measured using wrist worn actigraphy. Other methods were focused on sleep fragmentation, wake bouts, and sleep overall. Data would be collected from 2012-2015. Once sorted through, members working on the investigation did notice that the BB group had an increase in sleep efficiency and decrease in motor activity; especially when being compared with the placebo group that used clear glasses. Altogether, the total amount of sleep increased too. Gathering these results is extremely helpful in a field of study lacking many answers. Bipolar disorder is a common illness with far too many dead ends. Sharing new solutions to the life-long illness would provide those with a disliking for prescribed medication new ways to regulate their own specific symptoms. Dakota Foytilin Currently in ASR, I am doing research on materials for my idea and looking at CAD software. Because I am unable to actually test and complete my project, I am sticking to research. I have been doing some research on a material called chiton and how it can be used as scaffolding to regrow a limb. Before my chiton research, I was looking at journal articles for robotic hands and feet, as well as how the arms and legs of the human body work and what they are made up of. I also researched how DNA works, as well as the different types of DNA. My project is: can prosthetics be used to regenerate a human limb? I have done some research on prosthetics and how they are made, as well as the materials that are used in their manufacturing process. All my research will be collected and put together to make a theoretical project on prosthetics and limb regeneration