Browse Articles

Exploring the Factors that Drive Coffee Ratings

Agarwal et al. | May 19, 2025

Exploring the Factors that Drive Coffee Ratings

This study explores the factors that influence coffee quality ratings using data from the Coffee Quality Institute. Through a regression model based on gradient descent, the authors aimed to predict coffee ratings (total cup points) and hypothesized that sweetness and the coffee producer would be the most influential factors.

Read More...

The most efficient position of magnets

Shin et al. | Mar 28, 2024

The most efficient position of magnets
Image credit: immo RENOVATION

Here, the authors investigated the most efficient way to position magnets to hold the most pieces of paper on the surface of a refrigerator. They used a regression model along with an artificial neural network to identify the most efficient positions of four magnets to be at the vertices of a rectangle.

Read More...

The characterization of quorum sensing trajectories of Vibrio fischeri using longitudinal data analytics

Abdel-Azim et al. | Dec 16, 2023

The characterization of quorum sensing trajectories of <i>Vibrio fischeri</i> using longitudinal data analytics

Quorum sensing (QS) is the process in which bacteria recognize and respond to the surrounding cell density, and it can be inhibited by certain antimicrobial substances. This study showed that illumination intensity data is insufficient for evaluating QS activity without proper statistical modeling. It concluded that modeling illumination intensity through time provides a more accurate evaluation of QS activity than conventional cross-sectional analysis.

Read More...

Optimizing airfoil shape for small, low speed, unmanned gliders: A homemade investigation

Lara et al. | Mar 30, 2023

Optimizing airfoil shape for small, low speed, unmanned gliders: A homemade investigation
Image credit: Konrad Wojciechowski

Here, the authors sought to identify a method to optimize the lift generated by an airfoil based solely on its shape. By beginning with a Bernoullian model to predict an optimized wing shape, the authors then tested their model against other possible shapes by constructing them from Styrofoam and testing them in a small wind tunnel. Contrary to their hypothesis, they found their expected optimal airfoil shape did not result in the greatest lift generation. They attributed this to a variety of confounding variables and concluded that their results pointed to a correlation between airfoil shape and lift generation.

Read More...

Exponential regression analysis of the Canadian Zero Emission Vehicle market’s effects on climate emissions in 2030

Ajay et al. | Feb 25, 2023

Exponential regression analysis of the Canadian Zero Emission Vehicle market’s effects on climate emissions in 2030
Image credit: Andrew Roberts

Here, the authors explored how the sale and use of electric vehicles could reduce emissions from the transport industry in Canada. By fitting the sale of total of electric vehicles with an exponential model, the authors predicted the number of electric vehicle sales through 2030 and related that to the average emission for such vehicles. Ultimately, they found that the sale and use of electric vehicles alone would likely not meet the 45% reduction in emissions from the transport industry suggested by the Canadian government

Read More...

The effects of Helianthus Annuus on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis using Drosophila Melanogaster

Srinivasan et al. | Oct 13, 2022

The effects of <em>Helianthus Annuus</em> on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis using <em>Drosophila Melanogaster</em>

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects nearly 200,000 people worldwide and there is currently no cure. The purpose of the study was to determine if Helianthus annuus seeds helped reduce nerve degeneration and increase locomotion using Drosophila melanogaster as the model organism. Through this experiment, we found a general trend suggesting that H. annuus helped increase the mobility of the D. melanogaster suggesting it could be a viable supplement for patients with ALS.

Read More...

An improved video fingerprinting attack on users of the Tor network

Srikanth et al. | Mar 31, 2022

An improved video fingerprinting attack on users of the Tor network

The Tor network allows individuals to secure their online identities by encrypting their traffic, however it is vulnerable to fingerprinting attacks that threaten users' online privacy. In this paper, the authors develop a new video fingerprinting model to explore how well video streaming can be fingerprinted in Tor. They found that their model could distinguish which one of 50 videos a user was hypothetically watching on the Tor network with 85% accuracy, demonstrating that video fingerprinting is a serious threat to the privacy of Tor users.

Read More...