Current Fellows • Prospective Fellows • Achievements
1999 - 2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellows
Effects of trol4 and trols1 Mutations on Neural Stem
Cell Development and Proliferation in Drosophila melanogaster embryos.
Mardelle Renee Atkins, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Genetics. Advisor: Dr. Suma Datta, Department of Biochemistry
and Biophysics.
The locus terribly reduced optic lobes or trol, is an X-linked
homeobox gene involved in the control of neuroblast proliferation in
Drosophila melanogaster larvae. It is known that trol acts in
a pathway to counteract cell cycle repressors via the induction of cyclin
E
expression. The goal of the project is to use immunohistochemical
methods to attempt to establish a phenotype for trol in the
embryonic stage of development.
Back to top
Using the anti-engrailed and anti-fasciclin III antibodies,
the developing nervous system can be examined for physical differences between
different alleles and the wildtype embryos.
The Language Data Repository: Machine Readable Storage for Spoken Language
Data.
Michael Neal Audenaert, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Computer Science. Co-Advisors: Dr. Lisa Ann Lane, Department of English,
and
Dr. Dick B. Simmons, Department of Computer Science.
The Language Data Repository project is working to develop a software
architecture capable
of storing the transcripts and recordings of spoken language data and
capable of hosting
software tools to aid in the analysis of that data. The proposed software
architecture can be
used by multiple people to store linguistic data from multiple languages
on either local
machines or non-local machines that can be accessed via a network by
multiple users
simultaneously. The primary user community for the LDR software comes
from a targeted
subset of linguists conducting research on language groups with no officially
established or
standardized writing system. These linguistic field workers are typically
involved in activities
such as: learning these "unwritten" languages, developing orthographic
systems, beginning
literacy programs, and producing written texts in the new orthographic
system (e.g., Bible
translations and traditional stories). The secondary user community
consists of linguists who
need a reliable method of storing spoken language data and the transcripts
of those data,
regardless of the existence of an established or standardized written
code for that language.
Such a software system offers two main improvements over current, paper-based
methods of
recording transcripts of linguistic data. First, by utilizing machine-readable
storage, it will
enable linguists to use computational tools to aid in linguistic analysis
by increasing the ability
to quickly and accurately test and evaluate linguistic hypotheses of
the rules governing the
linguistic systems. Secondly, a standardized method of recording data
in a machine-readable
format will enhance linguists’ ability to document their research and
share their results with a
greater number of colleagues than previously possible. A benefit to
this increase in the
distribution of primary data to other colleagues is the ability for
mote people to test various
hypotheses simultaneously.
Back to top
Modeling Foreign Economic Relations in Strategic Setting:
The Automotive Industry of the U.S. and Japan.
Marie Au-Young, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Interdisciplinary Studies. Advisor: Dr. Alex Mintz, Department of Political
Science.
The purpose of my study is to examine how the United States and Japan
interact in a strategic
setting on foreign economic issues. Since relations between the two
countries have been
developing for several decades now, I will look into: I) the historical
component of the
relationship between Japan and the U.S. through a case study, and 2)
the theoretical
implications through an experiment. Besides historical significance,
the case has important
theoretical ramifications for the study of foreign interactions with
strategic information. The
theoretical aspect would help to explain how the U.S. makes decisions
for current issues. 3) I
will also introduce an analytical component to model and study foreign
economic relations
between these countries. Foreign economic policy is one of the top priorities
for the U.S.
government as it enters the 21st century. As the United States rose
as a world power, foreign
economic relations with other countries along with security interests
became of up-most
importance. The U.S. government has taken the role of leader all over
the world at the United
Nations, in the Middle East, Europe, and in Asia. Even with the U.S.
as a world leader in the
post cold war era, competition is becoming fiercer and economic strategy
must be keen. In
order to keep military peace around the world as well as economic prosperity,
world leaders
must not take foreign affairs lightly. Notably important is the economic
aspect of foreign
relations. With a globalization of markets, all countries depend on
one another to provide
goods and services for their people. Investment and trade are so widely
abundant that
economic relations must be cordial as well as strategic. Countries must
be cooperative and
knowledgeable of economic factors. For this study, I examined a specific
case study in which
the U.S. was in a dispute with a foreign country and how the U.S. dealt
with the situation. This
particular dispute spans a timeline of 15 years and involves the automotive
industry of Japan
and the U.S. Next, I used an experiment to gather empirical data to
further explore decision
making in foreign policy. I employed 26 students as subjects for an
experiment run on the
Program for Foreign Policy Decision Making's computerized decision board
developed by Dr.
Alex Mintz. The subjects are presented with a scenario modeling the
historical dispute
between Japan and the U.S. From the data, evidence can be drawn to determine
the "why" of
each student's decision. This study seeks to show that there is a pattern
of decision-making in
U.S. foreign policy and can be modeled through decision-making theories.
Back to top
The Effects of Alcohol and Aspirin on Neonatal Brain Development.
Myra Dawn Beshear, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biomedical Science. Advisor: Dr. James R. West, Department of Human
Anatomy
and Medical Neurobiology.
This study focuses on the effects of alcohol and aspirin on brain
development in the neonatal
rat. The period of brain development of particular interest is
known as the brain growth spurt.
Previous studies have shown that the developing brain is particularly
vulnerable to alcohol and
other drugs during this period. The brain growth spurt occurs
in humans in the third trimester
of pregnancy, whereas in rats it occurs in early postnatal life.
To extrapolate results from the
rat species to the human species, the timing of the brain growth
spurt must be equated. For
this reason, the neonatal rats were artificially reared from
postnatal day (PD) 4 to PD 9. They
were randomly assigned to one of nine experimental groups. Treatments
for the eight
artificially reared groups included various doses of aspirin,
alone or in combination with a
single dose of alcohol, or no drug treatment (gastrostomy control).
The ninth group was a suckle control group, and these animals were reared
by their mother.
The alcohol-treated groups received 4.5 g/kg/day of ethanol and either
0.0, 12.5, 25.0 or 50.0
mg/kg/day of aspirin in a milk formula solution. The remaining groups
received 0.0
(gastrostomy control), 12.5, 25.0, or 50.0 mg/kg/day of aspirin in a
milk formula solution that
contained no alcohol. Body weights were measured daily, and forebrain,
cerebellum, and
brainstem weights were measured on PD 9. Forebrain, cerebellum, and
brainstem weight to
body weight ratios were calculated, and a significant effect of alcohol
was observed for each
ratio. The brain weight to body weight ratios were significantly smaller
for the alcohol-treated
groups when compared to the non-alcohol-treated groups. However, a significant
effect of
alcohol on body weight was not observed, which indicates that the brain
weight to body weight
ratios were smaller for the alcohol-treated groups due to a vulnerability
of the brain tissue to
alcohol treatment.
Back to top
The Conversion of Corn Stover and Pig Manure to Carboxylic
Acids with the MixAlco Process.
Amanda Spring Black, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Chemical Engineering. Advisor: Dr. Mark T. Holtzapple, Department
of Chemical
Engineering.
The MixAlco process, developed by Dr. Mark T. Holtzapple, uses
anaerobic fermentation to
convert waste biomass into carboxylate salts which can then be
manipulated into carboxylic
acids, ketones and alcohols. This project focuses on the application
of these processes to a
feedstock of corn stover and pig manure. During fermentation,
corn stover was the energy
source (carbohydrates) and pig manure was the nutrient source
(vitamins, minerals, and
growth factors). A countercurrent fermentation procedure was
employed, using a four-reactor
system, to prevent to inhibitory effects of high product concentrations.
Lime pretreatment of
both the corn stover and the pig manure aided in digestibility.
Batch tests showed that a substrate concentration of 40% corn stover
to 60% pig manure in
the system produced the highest conversion and yield. Subsequent testing
revealed that the
addition of nutrients and urea to the system also resulted in higher
conversion, although the
reduction in product concentration when omitting the nutrients was minimal.
The highest
average acid concentration produced by a countercurrent fermentation
of 40% corn
stover/60% pig manure was 28 g carboxylic acid liquid. This steady state
acid concentration
was reproduces during two separate periods of steady state. Conversions
as high as 68%
were achieved. It was hypothesized that sonicating biomass during the
fermentation procedure
could act as a cleansing mechanism-removing components from the surface
of the biomass
that inhibit further digestion. Initial testing showed no increase in
product concentration or
conversion; however, an increase in yield was noted.
Back to top
Philosophical Liberalism and the Nature of the Individual's
Private Sphere of Rights.
Joy Marie Brennan, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Political Science. Advisor: Dr. Edward Portis, Department of
Political Science.
The complex system of rights we have in our society has its foundations
in philosophical
liberalism. This paper analyzes the sphere of individual rights, referred
to as the private,
within philosophical liberalism. The objectives of this paper was first,
to determine whether
there is a sacrosanct private within philosophical liberalism and second,
to evaluate the
concepts theorists give priority to over the private. A textual analysis
of works by classical
and contemporary liberal theorists (John Locke, John Stuart Mill, John
Rawls, and Robert
Nozick) provides the methodology for evaluating the objectives. This
research provides clarity
of the rights afforded to individuals within liberal theory and the
validity of the label of
philosophical liberalism as a theory that holds individual rights paramount.
Back to top
Creating the Political Spectacle During the Cold War:
Guatemala and the United States.
Michael Cassidy Burton, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Political Science. Advisor: Dr. James Anderson, Department of
Political Science.
The political spectacle is a show and a way of seeing things.
In effect, the media reduces
politics to theatre, simplifying complex issues into a world
of black and white, where leaders
compete with an enemy for influence over a social problem. On
another level, the spectacle is
a looking glass, used by politicians to distort the public’s
view of the world in order to maintain
their own power. The political spectacle is more than an individual’s
interpretation of events,
however. It is a social construction that has developed over
a long period of time in which "the
observer and what they observe construct one another" in an attempt
to bring order to and
make sense of reality. The political spectacle is created by
the way leaders, enemies, and
social issues interact with one another and reconstruct one another
over time.
Furthermore, some social constructions of reality are better than others.
Good policymakers
and citizens have a responsibility to step back and critically evaluate
the political spectacle
and determine if it created based on reliable evidence or assumptions.
When the observer
attempt to deconstruct the political spectacle and look at it from multiple
perspectives they
can reach a more complete understanding of the event. The objective
of this research is to
show how the interaction between the United States and Guatemala during
President Arbenz’s
tenure in power is a good example of Edleman’s political spectacle.
Depending on how US
policymakers interpreted Arbenz’s policy decisions and actions determined
if he was
perceived as an enemy of the United States or a reformist leader. The
accepted interpretation
had important ramifications on government policy, the future of Guatemala,
and ultimately
human life. Regardless of whether an individual believes the Eisenhower
Administration made
the right or wrong decision about Arbenz, policymakers and concerned
citizens need to be
aware of the political spectacle and its mystifying properties, and
attempt to evaluate their
own positions and their political leaders in terms of it. Hopefully,
this analysis of events will
provide an example for how this can be done.
Back to top
The Effects of Bovine Somatotropin on Milk Production
and Milk Composition.
Meredith Dianne Cook, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Animal Science. Advisor: Dr. Michael A. Tomaszewski, Department
of Animal
Science.
Bovine Somatotropin is one of the first major biotechnological developments
for agriculture
and it is hypothesized that it increases milk production in dairy cattle.
It is apparent that
Bovine Somatotropin has the potential to be a powerful new tool for
the dairy farmer. This
study was undertaken to determine the effects of Bovine Somatotropin
on milk production and
milk composition for dairy cattle. The results of this study indicate
that Bovine Somatotropin
does influence milk production and milk composition. However, parity
and days in milk are
also significant variables affecting milk. Treated cows did produce
milk longer on average
than non-treated cows. However, it is not certain whether the longer
length of lactation was
due to BST. Therefore, it cannot be determine whether Bovine Somatotropin
is the primary
variable influencing milk production and milk composition.
Back to top
Application of Micro-Heat Pipes for the Thermal Control
of Semiconductor Devices.
Brian Corbett, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Dr. G. P. "Bud" Peterson, Department
of
Mechanical Engineering.
Electronic components produce heat that hinders their performance and
reliability. Heat
pipes, two-phase heat transfer devices, may be used to effectively cool
electronic components.
This project focuses on two different heat pipe designs that may potentially
be used to cool
electronic components. One heat pipe design being studied uses metal
wires to form its
wicking structure. This simple wick design may result in reduced manufacturing
costs. The
second heat pipe design has a wick pattern formed in a copper plate.
The wick pattern is
designed to separate the flow of vapor and liquid within the heat pipe.
To evaluate both heat
pipe designs, test articles were fabricated and tested to determine
their heat transfer
performance. Tests performed in this study indicated that both heat
pipe designs offered no
performance benefits when compared to comparable solid conductors. Errors
in the charging
process and use of improper amounts of working fluid are believed to
cause the negligible
performance gains.
Back to top
Construction of a Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Syringae
Reporter Vector for the Study of the Expression of the recA Gene in Response
to UV Light.
Julie Ann Cotton, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Bioenvironmental Sciences. Advisor: Dr. George Sundin, Department
of Plant
Pathology and Microbiology.
Responsible for such diseases as brown spot of bean, Pseudomonas
syringae pv. syringae is
an inhabitant on the leaf surface (phyllosphere) of plants and
must maintain large population
numbers in order to infect host plants. The ability to repair
genetic damage caused by UV-B
light, that part of the solar spectrum from 290-320 nm, is essential
to the survival and success
of the bacterium. The recA gene is the initiating gene of the
regulatory network, known as the
SOS repair mechanism, which is responsible for repairing genetic
damage blocking DNA
replication in many species of bacteria.
We have cloned and characterized a putative promoter regio loopbn of
the P.s. syringae recA
gene by DNA subcloning and sequencing techniques. We constructed a recA::gfp
reporter
vector using an improved green fluorescent protein cloning cassette
shown to be effective in
P.s. syringae (Miller and Lindow, 1997). We hope this vector will allow
us to quantify the
expression of the recA gene in response to UV-B light in two gfp fusion
strains of P.s.
syringae. The strains containing this plant may be used in several in
vitro and environmental
studies in order to understand the response of the recA gene and its
role within the SOS repair
mechanism, and to investigate the habitat of the bacteria within the
phyllosphere.
Back to top
Methods for Identifying Cancellous Bone Specimen Location
and Size for the Reduced Platen Compression Test.
Kyle Ray Cowen, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Dr. Harry Hogan, Department
of Mechanical
Engineering.
The skeleton functions as a vital part of our everyday existence and
acts as a framework for
the body to provide movement, resist the forces of gravity, and protect
vital organs. Skeletal
research studies the effect of disease, lifestyle, and stimuli on the
skeleton and its ability to
perform these everyday functions. The current state of bone testing
is focused on
understanding the mechanical properties of bone through use of traditional
mechanical testing
procedures such as three point bending, torsion, and compression testing.
The traditional
method of compression testing involves compressing a bone specimen between
two parallel
platens to failure or until a desired displacement is obtained. This
method is useful for
studying the properties of the entire bone sample. Bone can be categorized
into two major
types: cortical bone and cancellous bone. Current compression testing
techniques do not allow
the properties of cancellous bone to be determined. The Reduced Platen
Compression Test
attempts to improve the traditional compression test to allow cancellous
bone to be tested
while the outer cortical shell remains on the specimen by using smaller
diameter platens to
compress only the inner cancellous area of the specimen. The RPC is
relatively new and
several questions still remain as to the correct method for identifying
the location and size of
the test specimen. Rat femurs used in preliminary RPC Testing were analyzed
to determine
the best method for locating and sizing the test specimen. X-rays of
approximately 120 rat
femurs were studied to see if a standard location and size could be
defined for the RPC test
specimen. The results indicate that the rat femur develops too inconsistently
for a standard
length or percentage of the overall length to be used to define the
location. The best method
for locating the specimen is to identify the location of the distal
end of the epiphyseal growth
plate and take the specimen just below that location. The results also
indicate that the best
method for defining the specimen thickness is to average the largest
and smallest overall
bone lengths in the test group and use a reference thickness of 2 millimeters
as a percentage
of this average length. This percentage of the overall average length
then defines the
specimen thickness for each individual bone.
Back to top
Research on Feline In Vitro Maturation and the Cell
Cycle.
Ashley Michelle Cox, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biomedical Science. Advisor: Dr. Duane C. Kraemer, Department
of Veterinary
Physiology and Pharmacology.
The feline meiotic cycle is poorly understood. In order to elucidate
the events occurring during
meiosis in the cat oocyte, a study of the levels of Maturation Promoting
Factor (MPF) and
MAP Kinase (MAPK), enzymes thought to be necessary to induce oocyte
maturation, is
important. However, before MPF levels can be studied, a method for maturing
feline oocytes
in vitro efficiently must be perfected. Furthermore, the information
gathered from this study
will be beneficial for research on the conservation of endangered feline
species and for other
reproductive techniques. This study focused on identifying an efficient
method of maturing
feline oocytes in vitro and observing MPF and MAPK levels at different
stages of maturation
and after activation in the feline oocyte. A study of the comparative
efficiencies of different
maturation media was conducted using feline oocytes collected from spayed
feline tracts.
Three different previously published maturation medium protocols were
chosen and compared
to determine which produced the highest rate of maturation. As a control,
oocytes were put
into the base maturation medium without the addition of hormones. The
oocytes were
incubated for 24 hours in humidified 5% CO2 in air. The oocytes were
scored to determine the
stage of meiosis they had achieved--germinal vesicle stage, metaphase
I, or metaphase II.
Only oocytes reaching the metaphase II stage were considered matured.
The results of this
experiment showed that increasing hormone concentrations in the culture
medium increases
the rate of feline oocyte maturation. To study the cell cycle and MPF
and MAPK activity
during meiosis, oocytes from the germinal vesicle, metaphase I, and
metaphase II stages of
meiosis were collected after maturation in the medium determined to
be most efficient, as well
as activated oocytes. Activated oocytes were obtained by activating
mature oocytes with an
ionomycin/cycloheximide treatment. Levels of MPF and MAPK activity at
different stages in
the feline cell cycle were determined by SDS-PAGE after MPF and MAPK
reactions. The
results of this study show that MPF and MAPK activities are low at the
germinal vesicle
stage of meiosis and high at both metaphase I and metaphase II in the
feline oocyte.
Furthermore, the activity of MPF and MAPK decreases after activation
until the cell starts
mitotic divisions when the levels start to rise again.
Back to top
Novel Genes Induce Uterine Receptivity: The Characterization
of a Specific Gene Product in the Ewe Uterus.
Jennifer Ann de Graauw, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Biochemistry. Advisor: Dr. Nancy H. Ing, Department of Animal
Science.
The normal environment of a sheep uterus is hostile and does not favor
embryo growth.
Through embryo transfer studies, it has been shown that the steroid
hormones estrogen and
progesterone allow the uterus to support and nurture developing embryos.
However, genes
important to uterine receptivity are relatively uncharacterized. In
previous experiments, the
technique of Differential Display-Polymerase Chain Reaction was used
to identify novel
endometrial genes that are expressed in receptive versus non-receptive
uteri. Uterine
samples from Day 3 and Day 6 of the estrous cycle were examined. Embryo
transfer studies
indicate that an embryo can be transferred to a uterus that differs
at most twenty-four hours.
Therefore, a Day 3 embryo cannot survive in a Day 6 uterus and vice-versa.
One product,
DD5, was found specific to a Day 6 uterus. A partial cDNA fragment of
approximately 230
bases was isolated. Northern analysis revealed that DD5 is approximately
900 bases long. A
complementary DNA library was constructed using both oligo-end labeling
and random-prime
probes involving the original DD5 fragment. A Bacterial Artificial Chromosome
was also used
to sequence DD5. Expression of DD5 in the uterus was examined for Day
1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 of
the cycle using uterine cross-sections that were radioactively labeled
with the partial DD5
sequence. The expression in the glandular epithelium was noted. The
pattern of expression of
DD5 was compared to that of the estrogen receptor. A partial sequence
of the top strand of
DD5 at the 3' end was determined. The position of the poly-A tail was
confirmed, indicating
that the sequence was at the 3' end. A database search indicated that
the 3' region aligned
with known ESTs. The complementary DNA library results were inconclusive.
Expression of
DD5 was high in a Day 5, 6, and 7 uterus, but not evident in a Day 1
or 3 uterus. The
glandular epithelium region demonstrated the most significant expression.
The glands closest
to the lumen had the highest DD5 expression, with the superficial glandular
epithelium having
the highest.
Back to top
Effects of Substrate, Phenological Cutting Stage,
and Auxin Concentration on Rooting of Cotinus obovatus Raf.
Geoffrey Carlile Denny, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Horticulture. Advisor: Dr. Michael A. Arnold, Department of
Horticultural Sciences.
A study was conducted to determine the effects of substrate, phenological
stage of cuttings
and auxin concentrations on the rooting of Texas smoke tree (Cotinus
obovatus Raf).
Softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings were treated with either
a 0 mg/L (ppm) 5000
mg/L (ppm), 10000 mg/L (ppm), or 15000 mg/L (ppm) potassium salts of
indolebutyric acid
(K-IBA) and placed in either 50% peat: 50% perlite or 100% perlite rooting
substrates.
Cuttings were placed under an intermittent mist system in a greenhouse
for 8 weeks.
Softwood cuttings rooted in both substrates but the 50% peat : 50% perlite
substrate
produced better quality-rooted cuttings. Softwood cuttings peaked at
8,000 to 10,000 mg/L
(ppm) K-IBA. Semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings rooted only in the
100% perlite
substrate. In 100% perlite substrate the optimal concentration for semi-hardwood
cuttings
was approximately 12000 mg/L (ppm) K-IBA. while hardwood rooting was
maximized at 15000
mg/L (ppm) K-IBA or more.
Back to top
EC27: a Unique, Multifunctional Baculovirus-encoded
Cyclin and the composition and function of the EC27-associated complex
Luke Engelking, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biochemistry. Advisor: Dr. Max Summers, Department of Biochemistry
and
Biophysics.
Baculovirus codes for a unique, multifunctional cyclin, EC27. EC27 is
a structural component
of the virus. We hypothesize that EC27 manipulates the host cell cycle
in the early stages of
infection; as a structural protein, EC27 is introduced into the cell
immediately as the virus
enters the cell. In the insect midgut, the site of primary infection,
baculovirus must induce cell
cycle progression from G0 into S-phase so that the host's DNA synthesis
machinery is
available for viral DNA replication. We know that EC27 can form active
complexes with cdk6,
the catalytic component of the cyclin kinase complex that regulates
progression from G0 to
S-phase. Infection of in vitro cell culture results in a cell cycle
arrest later in infection in which
at least 80-90% of the cell population remains in G2/M phase. We also
know that EC27 can
form active complexes with cdc2, the catalytic component of the cyclin
kinase complex that
regulates progression through M-phase. Thus, baculovirus infection results
in manipulation of
at least two points in the host cell cycle. Curiously, EC27 binds key
regulatory elements of
those two cell cycle checkpoints. We speculate that abrogation of these
cell cycle checkpoints
is accomplished by the function of virus-encoded proteins. The EC27-associated
complex's
activity, with its cyclin D-like (forming active complexes containing
cdk6) and cyclin B-like
function (forming active complexes containing cdc2), and EC27's amino-acid
sequence
homology with several cellular cyclins make EC27 a likely suspect as
a viral protein involved
in cell cycle manipulation during infection. A yeast two-hybrid screen
identified another
baculovirus structural protein, ORF101, as an EC27 interacting protein.
We confirmed this
interaction by western blot and demonstrated that ORF101 can be detected
in immune
complexes precipitated with EC27 antisera. ORF101 contains a pRB-binding
motif; several
oncogenes from DNA tumor viruses, such as the E1A gene product from
adenovirus, use
pRB-binding proteins to induce proliferation from G0 into S-phase. Similar
models of
EC27/ORF101 function in cell cycle manipulation associated with baculovirus
infection can be
imagined. Our aim is two-fold: 1. To determine if EC27 is a functional
cyclin, which we are
approaching by yeast complementation, and 2. To determine the identity
of the other EC27
binding partners, of both cellular and viral origin, which we are approaching
through
immunoprecipitation experiments. We hope to determine if EC27 is displacing
or acting in
parallel with cellular cyclins in these EC27-associated complexes that
have cyclin kinase
activity. These experiments typify a new trend in virology research:
accentuating the complex
virus-host interactions of viral genes and gene products with the host
cell molecular
environment.
Back to top
Latina Identity & the Perils of Femininity.
Kathryn Blythe Everett, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: English. Advisor: Dr. Victoria Rosner, Department of English.
Two dominant themes exist in the fiction written by Latina authors: a
focus on adolescence
and a conflicting representation of femininity. With few exceptions,
the works of literature
relate significantly to adolescence. The authors either employ an adolescent
narrator, portray
an adolescent protagonist, or recall autobiographical accounts of their
own adolescent
experiences. The young female character adds an element of doubt to
the reality she depicts.
An adolescent female narrator filters the events of her world through
the uncertainties in her
mind. While surveying the reality surrounding her, the young Latina
protagonist confronts
many problematic and unresolved situations. One such problematic matter
is femininity.
Regardless of description, femininity, according to the Latina authors
studied for this project,
exists in contradiction. Continuously depicted in terms of extremes
which oppose and
undermine each other, femininity becomes an issue which at once demands
and resists
definition. The period of female adolescence begins the permanent formation
of both identity
and femininity. I focus on Latina adolescence in order to reach an understanding
of Latina
identity and the perils involved in femininity, as represented in Latina
fiction.
Back to top
Through the [lmage]inary Door: Lyotard, Baudrillard,
Jameson and Postmodernism in Film.
Sarah Diane Forbey, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: English. Advisor: Dr. Terence Hoagwood, Department of English.
"Through the [Image]inary Door: Lyotard, Baudrillard, Jameson and Postmodernism
in Film"
combines a chronological history of postmodernism in the work of Jean-Francois
Lyotard,
Jean Baudrillard and Frederic Jameson with a section of film analysis,
where prominent
themes of postmodernism are traced throughout Rashomoji, Orlando and
Playtime.
Postmodernism entails more than a certain style of art, film, literature
or architecture. What
we call postmodernism is part of the larger system of global capitalism,
or what Jameson calls
"late capitalism." In this total system, everything, including art,
is assigned monetary value.
The theorists agree that the telling attributes of postmodernism are
responses to (and
characteristics of) this system. Lyotard writes from a perspective that
is extremely skeptical
of total systems. Lyotard is equally wary of teleology and the unified
subject, since these both
suggest a totality in which everyone must agree without questioning-to
realities dictated by
the system. Baudrillard believes that in the age of world capitalism,
objects become separated
from their value, and signs from their supposed referents. Now, when
a consumer buys an
article of clothing, or a car, he or she is not buying a utilitarian
item. instead, a brand name, or
an intangible quality is purchased, which is then perceived to be transferred
to the consumer.
What is being acquired, then, is floating signs, unconnected to any
object. The relationship
between word and meaning, object and referent is broken. Jameson clashes
with Lyotard on a
crucial point of postmodern theory. One of Lyotard's major additions
to the field, the
breakdown of master narratives, is insufficient to convince Jameson,
since Lyotard's own
account of the end of master narratives is itself a narrative. At the
same time, Jameson
agrees with Baudrillard's main complaint that: "aesthetic production
today has become
integrated into commodity production." That is to say, art is stripped
of aesthetic value and
imbued with monetary worth. In Through the [Image]inary Door, these
postmodern themes
may be recognized not only in the content of films, but also in the
circumstances under which
they were produced.
Back to top
The Development of a Model of Alpha Helix Formation
for Transmembrane Peptides.
Geoff Funk, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biochemistry. Advisor: Dr. J. M. Scholtz, Department of Medical
Biochemistry.
Researchers have studied the folding and binding properties of peptides
in water for many
years, but only recently has anyone attempted to explore those same
tendencies in an
environment similar to that of a transmembrane protein incorporated
into the phospholipid
bilayer of the cell. To this end, we have been working on the synthesis
of a group of peptides
with the general sequence +H3N-Ala2-Leu3-Ala7-Trp-Ala-X-Ala10-Lys6-COOH,
where we
will substitute all twenty naturally occurring amino acids into position
X. We have successfully
synthesized and purified the peptide in which the guest position X is
filled by an isoleucine-due
to the difficulty of the sequence involved, we have been unable to synthesize
and purify
eighteen of the remaining nineteen. Peptides, once synthesized, are
characterized by MALDI
mass spectrometry and HPLC and purified peptides are studied using circular
dichroism (CD)
spectroscopy to determine the a-helicity. Initial results suggest that
the transmembrane
environment will indeed alter the propensities of the various amino
acid residues to form
a-helices, though to what degree still remains to be seen. Once complete,
this study should
make it possible to determine a system for predicting a-helix formation
in membrane proteins
and determine the basic rules that guide such helix formation.
Back to top
In Situ B-Lymphocyte Apoptosis and Proliferation During
Ontogeny of the Neonatal Chicken Bursa of Fabricius.
Stacy Erin Granberg, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Poultry Science. Advisor: Dr. Billy M. Hargis, Departments of
Poultry Science and
Veterinary Pathobiology.
Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is believed to be the mechanism
for depletion of
lymphocytes recognizing self antigens following clonal expansion in
the bursa of Fabricius.
Further, some evidence suggesting that recognition of foreign antigens,
presented by the
bursal follicular epithelial cells, may promote retention and expansion
of selected clones by
protection from apoptosis. While bursal apoptosis has previously been
shown to increase
following in vivo exposure to glucocorticoids, the microanatomical site
of induced or normal
apoptosis has not been unequivocally established. Presently, we adapted
the existing TUNEL
(Terminal Deoxynucleotidal Transferase Mediated dUTP Nick End Labeling)
assay for use
with neonatal bursae. Similar to previous reports, TUNEL revealed that
normal apoptosis is
preferentially, but not completely, ongoing in bursal follicular cortical
cells. Administration of
a single dose of either a synthetic glucocorticoid (dexamethasone) or
androgen
(19-nortestosterone) failed to cause follicular lymphocyte depletion
and increased apoptosis
per unit of area at the time points evaluated post-administration (6
or 24 hrs). However,
administration of either steroid increased the interfollicular epithelial
thickness, a change
usually associated with edema, within 6 hr following treatment. Additionally,
administration of
the androgen 19-Nortestosterone significantly decreased the number of
proliferating cells as
detected using mouse anti-PCNA as a primary immunohistochemical antibody.
These findings
extend existing data suggesting that normal bursal apoptosis occurs
to a greater degree in the
bursal follicular cortex although steroid-mediated lymphocyte apoptosis
was not observed in
these experiments. Unexpectedly, a very low incidence (0.26%) of follicles
predominantly
containing apoptotic lymphocytes was observed in normal bursal tissues.
While the reason for
the presence of bursal follicles consisting of predominantly apoptotic
cells is not known,
possible reasons are intriguing. Future elucidation of the underlying
physiological or
pathophysiological processes responsible for this phenomenon may lead
to important clues for
more complete understanding of humoral immune system ontogeny.
Back to top
Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Christy Ann Hall, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. Emily S. Davidson, Department of Psychology.
Previous studies have indicated a possible relationship between Post-traumatic
Stress
Disorder (PTSD) resulting from exposure to a trauma and other measures
of functioning, such
as attachment style and substance use. The sample for this study consisted
of students from
Texas A&M University (~=288). The subjects were administered a questionnaire
that asked
questions about exposure to traumatic events, evaluated PTSD symptoms,
attachment style
and substance use. Analyses investigated the relationships between these
variables, gender,
and exposure to violent or sexual trauma. Self-reported trauma was found
to be associated
with increased PTSD symptoms, negative attachment style and increased
substance use.
Substance use was higher for men overall. Sexual trauma was found to
have an extremely
negative impact on PTSD symptoms, negative attachment style, and increased
substance use.
Women experienced more sexual traumas, while men reported more violent,
non-sexual
traumas. Implications of these findings for future research are discussed
Back to top
Analysis of a Typical Midwestern Structure Subjected
to Seismic Loads.
Jason Hart, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Civil Engineering. Advisor: Dr. Mary Beth Hueste, Department
of Civil Engineering.
The extent of damage and casualties in Midwest cities such as St. Louis
during an earthquake
caused by the New Madrid fault system will be due in part to the performance
of buildings.
Dynamic nonlinear analysis of a reinforced concrete building not designed
for seismic loads is
one method used to assess an existing building’s ability to withstand
an earthquake. Many
researchers have studied the earthquake resistance of structures, and
often analytical studies
have used recorded ground motions such as the 1940 El Centro, California,
earthquake.
Reports from past experimental studies and observations of damage caused
by seismic events
have been valuable for evaluating the performance of specific components
of a building and
overall performance of buildings subjected to this type of ground motion.
This research study
differs from previous research in that it focuses on the Midwest United
States and uses
synthetic ground motions developed specifically for an earthquake that
would occur in this
region. Research of the performance of a five-story, reinforced concrete,
moment frame
building in the Midwest United States is discussed in this thesis. In
order to estimate the
performance of a typical building in this region, the building was designed
based on codes from
the mid-1980’s, prior to the seismic design standards of today requiring
a ductile structural
system. The study building’s performance is evaluated using the dynamic
nonlinear analysis
computer program DRAIN-2DM. Dynamic analysis of the structure is performed
using
synthetic ground motions for the Midwest produced by Y.K. Wen of the
Mid-America
Earthquake Center. The analyses of the building were performed using
twenty ground motion
records. Ten ground motions are for earthquakes with two percent probabilities
of exceedance
in 50 years, and ten are for ten percent probabilities of exceedance
in 50 years. Results of the
analyses are discussed in this thesis and are used to estimate the damage
to the structure.
Back to top
Creating a Methodology and Tool to Capture and Resolve
Conflicts in Developing Software Requirements.
Requirement Lifecycle Modeling Views (RLMV).
Leeha Rae-Lyn Herrera, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Computer Science. Advisor: Dr. William Lively, Department of
Computer Science
Requirements management has been a traditionally overlooked aspect
in designing software
based systems. This lack of emphasis on managing requirements
has lead to a large percent
of projects either failing to meet all the needs of the customer,
or in extreme cases, being
cancelled when budgets or schedules have been exceeded. Companies
could potentially save
time and money by ensuring that requirements are accurately represented
in each phase of
development.
The purpose of my research is to design a tool that will aid in tracing
requirements throughout
the software development lifecycle. The tool, named Requirement Lifecycle
Modeling Views
(RLMV), follows the architecture, as defined in The Unified Modeling
Language Users
Guide, for modeling software-intensive systems. This architecture is
based on five views
which are the use case view, design view, process view, implementation
view, and deployment
view. These views work together to define the modeling of a system by
representing different
aspects of the system, as it is developed. RLMV works with existing
software tools created
by a corporation named Rational. The tool itself is implemented using
Java and Oracle.
RLMV is designed to trace pre-defined requirements to modeling diagrams
created for each
of the five views. Though the tool was designed to work with Rational
RequisitePro and
Rational Rose, it is generalized enough to work with most software designing
tools. In this
manner, a user can select a requirement and display the names of diagrams
and files, for each
phase of development, associated with that requirement. The benefit
to RLMV is that a user
can actively trace the requirement through development to ensure that
each requirement is
being satisfied and prevent deviations.
Back to top
Reclaiming the Fairy Tale as a Feminist Genre Among
Contemporary British Women Writers: A Discussion of Motherhood,
Economics, and Marriage.
Heather E. Holcombe, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: English. Advisor: Dr. Victoria Rosner, Department of English.
A considerable number of British women writers have drawn on fairy
tale narratives or
themes in contemporary works from the late 1970's to the early
1990's. This trend is
surprising because fairy tales have been criticized for idealizing
limited gender roles and
stressing the importance of marriage as a means to reaching happiness.
Why are prominent
writers such as Angela Carter, Carolyn Steedman, Fay Weldon,
and Jeanette Winterson
returning to the prescriptive and limiting texts of fairy tales,
and how are they utilizing them?
These writers are reclaiming a domain of storytelling that historically
originates with women,
as well as challenging the narrow moral direction the tales have taken
since the seventeenth
century. Carter, Steedman, Weldon, and Winterson are adopting this female
realm of
storytelling and using it to develop a body of feminist writing. There
is a striking similarity in
the concerns among these writers, who are universally revising the terms
of motherhood in
fairy tales, and simultaneously addressing issues of economic status
that force women to
marry. Because the publications in this study occur within a thirteen-year
time period
(1977-90), they suggest a cultural motivation for the uniformity of
the revisions. The value in
understanding feminist revisions of fairy tales lies in the inherent
function of the fairy tale
itself, which is to provide a model of cultural expectations. The examination
of fairy tales
affords us an opportunity to identity our cultural values, and to change
those that do not suit
us best, as these writers demonstrate with their works.
Back to top
Identifying, Mapping, and Antisensing the Candidate
HP1 Sequences in Tomato.
Jonathan Dean Hommel, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Genetics. Advisor: Dr. James Giovannoni, Department of Horticulture.
The tomato has been an agriculturally important crop for centuries. For
that reason, learning
about the fundamental biochemistry and physiology of the plant has been
an active research
area for decades and has lead to increased crop production. Size, color,
nutritional content,
herbicide resistance, and insect resistance characteristics have all
been successfully
manipulated due to the knowledge base established by research and the
tools of
biotechnology. One main area of research in tomato focuses on fruit
ripening.
Photo-perception plays a major role in the fruit ripening process and
is controlled in part by
two high-pigment (HP) genes, HP1 and HP2. When these genes are mutated,
the plant
appears to have a decrease in hypocotyl length, enlarged cotelydons,
and increased
anthocyanin levels when germinated in the dark. The fruit appearance
of mutants grown in the
light includes elevated sucrose, lycopene, chlorophyll and anti-oxidant
levels. These
characteristics have substantial commercial value. While both mutations
are well understood,
only the HP2 DNA sequence has been discovered. It was discovered by
comparison to a
known DNA sequence from Arabidopsis because of the extensive symmetry
between
Arabidopsis and tomato. I have recently discovered three candidate DNA
sequences in
tomato that show a high degree of homology to other known negative regulators
in the light
signal transduction pathway of Arabidopsis. These candidates were discovered
by using
detailed homology searches based on the Expressed Sequence Tag (EST)
database generated
by The Institute for Genomics Research (TIGR). After identifying these
candidates, I began
the basic mapping procedure for identifying general chromosomal location
through Restriction
Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) mapping. I have also generated antisense
mutants of
the candidate genes in wild type Lycopersicon esculentum. These mutants
are currently in the
late stages of tissue culture and may ultimately be used as a tool to
clone the HP1 mutant or
to identify and clone other genes involved in the light signal transduction
pathway of tomato.
Back to top
The Development and Characterization of a Somatic
Cell Line for Feline Nuclear Transfer.
Sarah Hutchison, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biomedical Science. Advisor: Dr. Duane Kraemer, Department of
Veterinary
Physiology and Pharmacology.
Nuclear transfer is fast becoming an alternative method for reproduction,
and it is useful in
producing genetically identical animals. This study was designed to
develop and characterize a
cell line which may be possible to use in nuclear transfer in felines.
Cells which are useful for
nuclear transfer must be synchronized with the oocyte being fused in
order to prevent possible
aneuploidy due to high MPF in oocytes arrested in metaphase II. Granulosa
cells were
collected from cat ovaries and grown in culture. After a few passages,
cells were analyzed by
using flow cytometry (FACS) to evaluate their stage in the cell cycle
and their ploidy. Cells
from passages up to passage 2 were analyzed as well as freshly collected
granulosa cells.
Also, serum-starved cells and regularly fed cells from passage 1 were
compared. It was found
that the freshly collected cells had the highest percentage of cells
in G0/G1 (89%), suggesting
they may be useful for nuclear transfer. However, cells in culture exhibited
the highest
number of cells in G0/G1 at passage 2. Also, serum starved cells were
significantly more
synchronized in G0/G1 than regularly fed cells, as expected (85% compared
to 70%). It
appears as though cells in passage 2, which have been synchronized using
serum-starvation,
are the best candidates for nuclear transfer. Serum-starved cells from
passage 2 are currently
being used in nuclear transfer, but so far only pathenodes (up to 28
"cells") have resulted.
Back to top
A Comparative Study of Women In Early Modern England
and Their Contemporaries in the Ottoman Empire.
Emily Anne Jackson, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Political Science. Advisor: Dr. Patricia Phillippy, Department
of English.
An old Arab proverb says, "People are more akin to their contemporaries
than they are to
their own forefathers." Do the early modern women of England
and the Ottoman Empire
share more than their gender? English women of the early modern
period and their Muslim
contemporaries in the Ottoman Empire lived in worlds that, superficially,
seem poles-apart.
However, perhaps it is the emphasis on their histories that diminishes
the similarities between
these two groups of women. The West and the East shared at least
one important
characteristic -- the complicity of women in their own oppression.
This paper does not attempt to answer the question that puzzles (troubles?)
some modern
feminists --why haven't women worked towards securing "equality" sooner.
Instead, it
attempts to juxtapose the lives of women in two contrasting cultures,
and look at the
information available from and about the period to discover what these
"pre-feminist" women
shared, and how they were different. During this period, English and
Ottoman ambassadors,
travelers and captives were experiencing their first substantial contact
with the other culture.
Ecclesiastical court records from early modern England give some insight
as to the values
which women felt they must defend. The literature from England, which
gives the most
thorough looks inside the early modern home, consists chiefly of domestic
guides that
perpetuate the patriarchal model. There are no works specifically about
or by women from the
16th and 17th centuries in the Ottoman Empire; there exist only "veiled"
references to
women's behavior and lifestyle in works by Ottoman men. This paper attempts
to look beyond
cultural and gender biases within these works to discover how women
behaved within their
largely misogynistic environments. Are there commonalties in the ways
that women
celebrated everyday, and important, "female" events (from market trips
to marriages), and in
the ways they conducted themselves under religious, social, political
and economic
restrictions? The aim of this comparison is to demonstrate to the modern
day reader that
despite Orientalist views which still persist in the West, the histories
of their Christian and
Islamic foremothers are linked by more than just superficial complicity
in their own
subjugation.
Back to top
Family Ties: Representing the Relationships Between
Parents and Children in Contemporary Irish Political Poetry.
Lori L. Lee, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: English. Advisor: Dr. Marian Eide, Department of English.
The implications of Irish historical occurrences such as the colonization
of the Irish by the
English, the partial independence achieved by the Irish in 1922, the
subsequent splitting of the
island into two separate sections, along with the independence movement
of the Irish since
1969 have been left obvious and important influences on the writings
of some of the most
significant Irish poets since W.B. Yeats. The tendency of the post-Independence
generation of
Ireland is to epitomize post-revolution nostalgia, idealizing the previous
generations' attempt
to reclaim their country. Seamus Heaney and Eavan Boland, both from
the generation
immediately following Irish independence, are sentimental in their portrayals
of their parents,
and the nostalgia and idealism common to their generation is apparent
in their poetry.
Important elements in the nostalgic depictions of the generation are
the traditional roles of the
Irish, not only in the domestic realm but also in occupations and in
society in general. Boland
and Heaney use the idealized model of the traditional Irish family to
represent the Irish
nation, describing through personal experience a national significance.
This is in contrast to
Paul Muldoon, who was born the generation after Boland and Heaney and
represents a
different viewpoint in his poetry. His view of both nation and family
are much more
ambivalent, not defining either as ultimately ideal. Though Muldoon
does share many of the
same concerns as his counterparts, including the disappearance of the
Irish tradition due to
colonization and emigration, he refuses to solely review the heroics
of a nation by depicting
them through idyllic images of family. Instead, at times, he presents
less flattering images
such the one of a woman in the last stages of a hunger strike. Images
such as this one are
used in order to question the purpose of suffering for such an ambiguous
concept as nation.
Separated from the move for independence by more than one generation,
Muldoon is
distanced enough from the efforts to allow for analysis and review of
not just the concept of
nation and its importance, but also of the stereotypical roles of the
family in traditional
Ireland.
Back to top
Body Image Disturbances: The Effects of Media on Self-Appraisal
and Ideal Mate Selection.
Sara Kay Litzsinger, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. David H. Gleaves, Department of Psychology.
Previous research indicates that while media images of women and men
are becoming more
thin and muscular (respectively), the size and weight of American people
is increasing. Several
researchers have found that media images of ideal body types are highly
related to body
dissatisfaction and negative self-evaluation. Although some researchers
have found that
interventions regarding media images (i.e. education about the unrealistic
nature of these
images) negate the effect of media images on body dissatisfaction, most
researchers have
found no effect. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects
of printed media images
and interventions on participants' perceived body image, ideal body
image, ideal body shape
for the opposite sex, and current mood state. Five hundred and twelve
undergraduates (males
n=249, females n=263) viewed a slideshow containing either ideal, average,
or overweight
male and female images. After the slideshow, half of the participants
(n=258) received an
intervention, which consisted of a handout explaining techniques commonly
used by the media
to enhance the appearance of models (e.g., airbrushing, image splicing,
and resizing).
Measures of body dissatisfaction, perceived body image, ideal body image,
ideal body shape
of the opposite sex, depression, anger, anxiety, and vigor will be compared
from pre-test to
post-test using Analysis of Variance, in order to determine the effects
of the images and
intervention on the dependent variables. Because of the lack of an effect
of the manipulation,
there was limited ability to test the effectiveness of the intervention.
Future research similar
to the current study should not present participants with both male
and female images. To
prevent possible confounds, participants should view either ideal, average,
or overweight men
or women.
Back to top
The Identification of Telomerase in Dog.
Anna Lyuksyutova, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology. Advisor: Dr. Dorothy Shippen, Department
of
Biochemistry and Biophysics.
In recent years, the enzyme telomerase has been found to be very active
in human cancer
cells but not in normal cells in the body. This discovery is predictable,
as telomerase is
responsible for maintenance of the telomeres in a cell. It prevents
the telomeres from
diminishing during replication and ensures immortality to the cancerous
cell. As the result,
telomerase can be used as an identification test for malignant tissues.
In humans, even though
important, there are may other ways to determine if the tumor is malignant
or benign. In
animals, however, the alternative diagnostic methods are very expensive.
Pet owners often
decide against medical treatment and put the animal to sleep, even though
in some cases the
tumor itself is benign and not life threatening. The main goal of this
project is to identify
whether or not the telomerase plays the same role in dogs as it does
in humans and whether
an increase in telomerase activity is observed in dog cancers. The goal
of this project is to
propose an inexpensive and simple test for the presence of dog telomerase
in tissues. This
test will allow veterinarians to differentiate between benign and malignant
tumors, making the
diagnostic of the disease in dogs easier and less expensive.
Back to top
Safety Relief Valve Sizing: Comparison of Two-Phase
Flow Models to Empirical Data.
Paul Robert Meiller, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Chemical Engineering. Advisor: Dr. Ron Darby, Department of
Chemical Engineering.
The proper sizing of safety relief valves is an important issue in chemical
process safety.
Many emergency relief scenarios require consideration of two-phase flow
conditions.
However, two-phase flow involves complex physics and is the subject
of intensive on-going
study. The objective of this research is to identify and verify simple
yet accurate two-phase
flow models which allow the design engineer to predict the mass flux
of any given relief
scenario. Two contemporary models were considered in this study: The
Two-Phase-Homogenous-Equilibrium Model (TPHEM), proposed by the Center
for Chemical
Process Safety (CCPS), and the Homogenous-Nonequilibrium Model proposed
by Fauske.
These models were evaluated against steam/water data (both sub-cooled
and two-phase
entrance) from Sozzi and Sutherland. This research allowed the determination
of what
conditions were.
Back to top
Theoretical Study of the Photoelectron Spectrum of
(h5-C5H5)Ni(NO).
Thomas F. Miller III, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Chemistry. Advisor: Dr. Michael B. Hall, Department of Chemistry.
The valence photoelectron spectrum of cyclopentadienyl nickel nitrosyl
(CpNiNO) was
computed to determine the ion state orbital ordering of the 5e1,
7a1, and 3e2 bands.
Calculations were performed with Hartree-Fock theory, density functional
theory, Moller-Plesset
perturbation theory, and configuration interaction theory and, in all
cases, utilized a triple-z basis set including polarization and
diffuse functions (6-311+G*). Density functional theory was also used
with the same basis set to calculate the ion state orbital ordering
of the lowest energy e1, a1, and e2
bands in pentamethylcyclopentadienyl nickel nitrosyl (Cp*NiNO). Recent experimental
studies
have proposed the conflicting ion state orbital orderings of 5e1(l),5e1(2)<7a1»
3e2(3) (band numbers are in parentheses) and
5e1(1)<7a1(2)<3e2(3) for CpNiNO.
In this study, the ordering concluded from calculated energy differences between
the neutral
ground state and the cationic states is 5e1( 1 )<7a1(2)<3e2(3),
while comparison of the calculated band shifts between the CpNiNO
and CP*NiNO spectra support the assignment of 5e1 (1 ),5e1
(2)<7a1 »3e2(3).
Back to top
The Mirror Effect: Virginia Woolf’s War Writings.
Marcia Murchison, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: English. Advisor: Dr. Marian Eide, Department of English.
Born in England in 1882, in the course of her lifetime Virginia Woolf
witnessed the end of the
Victorian Age and the rise of the Modem Period. She observed firsthand
the horrors of World
War I and the birth and expansion of Fascism. Her last days were spent
in fear of a Nazi
invasion of her native England. Woolf experienced the cruelty and inhumanity
of war in her
personal life, losing friends and family members in service, and devoted
much of her work to
the examination of the causes and consequences of warring sentiment.
This research project
approaches the means by which Woolf links the personal and political
to suggest that violent
and tyrannical attitudes, easily recognizable in the authoritarian states
and leaders that
dominated the first half of the twentieth century, bear an uncanny resemblance
to the
patriarchal gendered relations of her own society. Woolf expresses this
argument clearly in
her revolutionary text Three Guineas. This project locates the foundations
of her argument in
other prose texts by Woolf: the experimental novels Mrs. Dalioway, To
the Lighthouse, and
Between the Acts; and the book-length lecture/essay A Room of One's
Own.
Back to top
Ya, Ya/Yes, Yes: A Play Concerning an Encounter Between
Vietnamese Culture and Western
Medicine.
Kim Ngyuen, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biomedical Science. Co-Advisor: Dr. Barbara Sharf, Department
of Speech
Communication, and Dr. Michael Greenwald, Department of Performance
Studies
Not until the 1980s did the mainstream medical community began to seriously
study the field of intercultural
health communications. Even today, few substantial works exist regarding
this area, although interest and
research are increasing. As the United States faces a future where society
requires multicultural skills, the
health community will need to address cross-cultural issues. Thus, my
research project, "Ya, Ya/Yes, Yes:
A Play Concerning an Encounter Between Vietnamese Culture and Western
Medicine," is an one-act drama
that presents the interactions of one family and a medical establishment.
This play addresses how
traditional Vietnamese medical beliefs compare with the medical beliefs
forming the basis for Western
practices, while emphasizing multiple layers of interplay between and
within the Vietnamese family and the
hospital.
Back to top
Identifying the Correct Children for Inclusion in
School-Based Intervention Programs: Are Teacher Perceptions of Childhood
Aggression Influenced by Child Ethnicity?
Karen Michelle O’Brien, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. Jan Hughes, Department of Educational
Psychology.
In order to determine whether Euro-American teachers over-perceive aggression
in
African-American children, peer ratings of aggression were obtained
via a modified version of
the Revised Class Play (Masten, Morrison, & Pellegrini 1985) for
134 Euro-American, 178
African-American, and 101 Hispanic children in second and third grades
who had been
nominated by their teachers for inclusion in a school-based intervention
program targeting
aggression. Differences in peer ratings of aggression as a function
of the rated child’s
ethnicity were examined, as was whether or not these differences were
moderated by ethnic
composition of the classroom. Contrary to prediction, a significant
main effect was yielded for
ethnicity [F(2,266) = 3.587, p < .05] such that African-American
children received higher peer
ratings of aggression than did their other ethnicity peers. This was
true regardless of whether
the child’s peers shared his or her ethnicity status within the classroom.
It was concluded that
Euro-American teachers did not over-nominate African-American children
given that peers of
every ethnicity also viewed the teacher nominated African-American children
as more
aggressive than nominated children of different ethnic subgroups. The
discussion highlights
the need to explore alternative explanations for the over-representation
of African-American
children in aggressive samples as well as the need to consider school-based
universal
prevention programs.
Back to top
A Study of Chaos in a Rotor System Supported by Ball
Bearings.
Steven Rey Ortiz, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Dr. Sherif Noah, Department
of Mechanical
Engineering.
Chaos is a new term coined to describe the ordered randomness that appears
in many
deterministic nonlinear dynamic systems. Although chaos has some desirable
features, it is
usually advantageous to control and eliminate the chaotic behavior.
Numerous researchers
have published a myriad of papers on the application of chaos theory
to mechanical, electrical
and biological systems. However, control theories of chaos have been
in existence for only a
decade and have not been applied to rotor systems. The original objective
of this research was
to use these control theories to eliminate the chaotic behavior of a
rotor system supported by
ball bearings. After a semester of challenging research, the aim of
this research was modified
to determine if chaos existed in a real-life rotor system supported
by ball bearings. This
research will later be used to continue the original objective, control
and elimination of chaos
in the system. A Bently Nevada rotor system was assembled and connected
to proximity
probes and a data-acquisition system to study the vibration of the rotor's
shaft at varying
speeds. Poincaré plots were initially used in an attempt to find
chaos. When this approach was
inconclusive, a wavelet analysis technique and Fast Fourier Transform
yielded more concrete
results. As the rotor speed increases, the behavior changes from quasi-periodic
to weakly
chaotic. The work done in this research project has been successful
and will be applied to the
control of chaos in this rotor system.
Back to top
"A fit soule": Italian Influences Upon Milton's Eve.
Mattie Katherine Pennebaker, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: History. Advisor: Dr. Donald R. Dickson, Department of English.
Seventeenth-century England proved to be a dynamic atmosphere for John
Milton's
development as a poet. The Scientific Revolution, the rise of the middle
class and the
increasing conflict between country and crown culminated in extreme
socio-political tension.
This voluble environment led to the English Civil War and set the stage
for revolutionary
thought about woman's status in European society. The objective of this
research project is to
investigate not only misogynistic portrayals of women in art, but also
positive portrayals of
women and their influence on the artist John Milton and his stalwart
character Eve, in
Paradise Lost, during his continental tour in 1638-1639. I shall argue
that Milton consciously
fashioned an Eve who exercises free will with balanced qualities of
strength and vulnerability
in her persona. Prelapsarian Eve masterly proves her skills in poetic
verse and exhibits
responsibility and logic, not only as an autonomous being but also as
Adam's worthy helpmate.
In reading the epic poem, one can see that Milton's Eve is neither weak
nor sinister, as are so
many of the depictions of her in Renaissance etchings and frescos. Interestingly,
a female
Baroque painter, Artemisia Gentileschi, Milton's contemporary, proves
an exceptional
influence on the poet for she too paints a new conception of woman as
independent and
powerful. Like Milton, she works against the reductive painterly and
literary role historically
prescribed to woman and thus Eve. Establishing a relationship between
these two artists, as
well as other artists of the period, will prove quite significant in
forwarding a body of
scholarship for their contemporaries, further establishing the influence
and intermingling of
art and literature between iconoclastic, Protestant England, and Catholic
Italy and, finally, in
aiding studies of the debate over woman's role in seventeenth-century
society.
Back to top
Bilingual Education: A History and Program Analysis.
Diana Perez, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Political Science. Advisor: Dr. Gary Halter, Department of Political
Science.
A student who enters this country as a non-native English speaker is
at a double
disadvantage. He or she not only needs to adjust to a new culture but
is also required to learn
another language. When this student is placed in our public education
system the question
then becomes what can we do to help this student succeed academically.
Under the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, we are required to provide an equal opportunity
to all people in this
country including the opportunity to receive a fair public education.
Supporting this legislation
is the Lau vs. Nichols case of 1974 in which the Supreme Court declared
that simply providing
LEP (Limited English Proficient) students with the same textbooks and
materials did not
constitute equality in education. In the past, there have been many
program recommendations
for LEP students however, none have really stayed as a permanent answer.
As a consequence
many school districts within well-populated cities change their Bilingual
programs every year.
According to an ESL teacher, the dynamic feature of this situation leaves
behind illiterate and
therefore disadvantaged students who have not had an equal opportunity
to a good education.
A comprehensive and effective program is needed. In my report I will
first give a historical
analysis of the legislation towards Bilingual Education in the Federal
and State arenas and
then a brief overview of some major interest groups concerned with bilingual
education. I will
then provide examples of the different programs used for LEP students
and discuss which one
works the best and why. Lastly, I will recommend certain elements that
are necessary but not
sufficient for an effective bilingual program.
Back to top
Determining the Effect of LEF-12 on Late Viral Gene
Expression.
April Lynn Peterson, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biochemistry. Advisor: Dr. Linda Guarino, Department of Genetics.
There are many advantages of using the baculovirus expression system,
including: high
expression levels, post-translational modifications, and the fact that
the resulting proteins are
correctly folded and biologically active. Late viral expression factors
(LEFs) are required for
transcription from late viral promoters, such as the polyhedrin promoter,
under which the
desired protein is overexpressed. For this reason, a better understanding
of the LEFs is
advantageous to better understand and improve upon the baculovirus expression
system. The
most recently identified LEF, LEF-12, was found to be necessary for
transient late gene
expression but its function has yet to be determined (5). We over-expressed
and purified the
LEF-12 protein and subjected it to DNA binding and transcription assays.
Through these
assays we determined that LEF-12 does not bind directly to the polyhedrin
promoter and
increases late viral transcription to a point. We also discovered significant
sequence homology
between LEF-12 and a subunit of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II. Although
our next objective
was to determine whether mutations in the conserved motifs abolished
LEF-12 function,
unforeseen difficulties have prevented this analysis up to this point.
A recombinant virus in
which the lef-12 gene has been interrupted by the mbol b – galactosidase
gene has also been
constructed. We are performing other experiments to better understand
the function of
LEF-12 in baculovirus late viral transcription which have not been completed
at this time.
Back to top
Social Influence, Evolutionary Theory, and Symmetry.
Amy Elizabeth Pinkham, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. William G. Graziano, Department of
Psychology.
Perceptions of attractiveness for symmetrical and asymmetrical stimuli
were investigated.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which
they either discussed
the stimuli or engaged in a distraction task. In both conditions, individuals
in same-sex groups
of 4 - 12 were asked to independently rate both symmetrical and asymmetrical
people and
symmetrical and asymmetrical fashions for attractiveness and then, depending
on the
condition to which they were assigned, to either discuss and formulate
a group rating for each
stimulus or to participate in the distraction task. Participants were
then asked to
independently re-rate the stimuli. Differences between time one and
time two ratings were
analyzed. Results indicate mixed support for an evolutionary hypothesis
that predicts no
change over time in the non-discussion condition and a change only in
the ratings for
asymmetrical stimuli after discussion. The evolutionary hypothesis also
suggests that
symmetrical stimuli may be moderately resistant to social influence.
Back to top
The Mechanism of Chloroplast Division in Higher Plants.
John Proctor, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Biochemistry. Advisor: Dr. John Mullet, Department of Biochemistry
& Biophysics.
The majority of plant cells contain plastids that are self-replicating,
double membrane
organelles with their own unique genetic component. The current investigation
concerns the
developmental events that strictly determine the number of chloroplasts
found in a normal
mesophyll cell. The process of chloroplast biogenesis has been well
characterized at the
cellular level, but the molecular basis of chloroplast division and
the role of nuclear genes in
the control of plastid division and maturation are poorly understood.
In young developing leaf
cells proplastids number approximately 10 per cell. As the leaf continues
to develop these
proplastids divide and develop concomitantly until roughly 65 to 100
chloroplasts are present
in each mature mesophyll cell. A gene controlling chloroplast division
has been identified in
Arabidopsis thaliana, and its inactivation results in a large decrease
in the number of
chloroplasts per cell. Because of the complexity of leaf development
in Arabidopsis and other
dicots, chloroplast division studies are typically very difficult. Unlike
Arabidopsis,
understanding the chloroplast division process in a grass species, such
as rice, is greatly
facilitated by the direct spatial and temporal relationship between
chloroplast biogenesis and
leaf development. To extend the body of knowledge of chloroplast division
into the grass
species, the Arabidopsis gene was used to isolate the corresponding
gene in rice, Oryza
sativa. To verify the function of this rice gene, it was introduced
into the Arabidopsis mutant,
characterized by a decreased number of chloroplasts, in order to reinstate
chloroplast
biogenesis in the mutant. A plasmid construct containing an antisense
version of the gene and
the hygromycin gene (used as a selectable marker) was then introduced
into rice callus in
order to knock-out production of the protein involved in chloroplast
division. A phenotypic
analysis of the resultant rice plants revealed that there was no significant
reduction in
chloroplast number. To determine gene expression patterns, mRNA was
isolated from mature
rice tissue and analyzed via the northern blot method. A Southern analysis
of genomic DNA
was performed to quantitate the number of integration sites of the antisense
gene.
Back to top
On the Relationship Between Brightness Temperature
and Thunderstorm Evolution.
Anita Denise Rapp, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Meteorology. Advisor: Dr. Michael I. Biggerstaff, Department
of Atmospheric
Sciences.
The impact of tropical precipitation on the global energy budget has
long been an important
topic of investigation. To more accurately assess large-scale heating,
we must first understand
the small scale cloud processes that make up tropical precipitation.
In particular, we must
relate observations obtained from remote sensing platforms, such as
satellites, to the physical
properties of clouds. This research aids that goal by relating microwave
signatures observed
in convective clouds to the cloud's stage of evolution, as diagnosed
using weather radar. By
studying the brightness temperature at four different frequencies, 10.7
GHz, 19.35 GHz, 37.1
GHz, and 85.5 GHz, throughout the life cycle of a convective cell, we
are better able to
document the evolution of the differing amounts and combinations of
liquid and frozen
hydrometeors. This is key to understanding the cloud’s radiative processes
and precipitation
production. The data will be taken from the National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Kwajalein Experiment. Reflectivity
data from the
Kwajalein radar and brightness temperature data from the Advanced Microwave
Precipitation
Radiometer will be used to investigate a storm system that was sampled
continuously from
0056-0214 UTC on 29 August 1999. This continuous data set offers an
opportunity to evaluate
the relationship between brightness temperature and thunderstorm evolution
within tropical
convective systems. Analysis of the convective cells within this system
shows that proper
interpretation of measured brightness temperatures requires knowledge
of the thunderstorm
evolution. In particular, the combination of low 85 GHz brightness temperature
with
moderately strong 10 GHz brightness temperatures was found to be associated
with
dissipating convective cells. These results show that the study of convective
cell evolution is
an important part in understanding cloud radiative processes.
Back to top
Patterns of Belief and Patterned Thought: Relationships
Between Religious Fundamentalism and Cognitive Restructuring.
Daniel Conor Seyle, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. Steven Smith, Department of Psychology.
Previous research on religious fundamentalism has focused on correlating
fundamentalism
with a number of personality variables. Religious fundamentalism has
been associated with
low religious quest, high right-wing authoritarianism, prejudice, and
authoritarian styles of
child raising. Research on cognitive variables associated with religious
fundamentalism has
shown that it is associated with reduced cognitive complexity and lower
complexity of thinking
in problem solving. The overall view which has developed, is one of
religious fundamentalism
as a very rigid structure of belief which emphasizes traditional interpretations
and ways of
viewing the world. It was the hypothesis of this study that this structure
of belief would
interfere in the ability to solve cognitive restructuring or insight
problems, as these problems
require flexibility in mental representation in order to be solved.
Forty-four subjects were
recruited from the Psychology 107 Subject Pool and were given the Altemeyer-Hunsberger
religious fundamentalism scale and 10 cognitive restructuring problems.
Analysis of the
results using a Pearson's R show no significant results (r=.38). However,
when graphed the
data show interesting patterns of uniformly high scores in cognitive
restructuring in those who
scored low in religious fundamentalism, and very high variation in restructuring
scores in
those who scored high in religious fundamentalism. Possible reasons
for this are addressed,
and directions for future research are suggested.
Back to top
Frequency of Plumbing Fixture Use Through Audio Sampling.
Kevin Bruce Shea, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Construction Science. Advisor: Dr. John A. Bryant, Department
of Construction
Science.
Pipe sizing criteria, and thus building water utility connections, are
currently based upon a
very small statistical sampling of plumbing fixtures performed in the
late 1930's. This
sampling became the basis for the Hunter curves. The Hunter curves remain
the industry
standard and are used to size piping systems based on the number of
plumbing fixtures
attached to the water supply system. There is general agreement, however,
that use of these
curves result in inefficient or insufficient water piping supply systems.
As a result of the
application of the Hunter curves, the water supply configurations are
often miss-sized.
Incorrect pipe sizing translates into higher material and labor costs
during construction. With
changes in personal habits, fixture design, and building use, the applicability
of these 50-year
old curves is questionable. A preliminary experiment was conducted whereby
the WERC
building on the Texas A&M University campus was continuously monitored
for one week. The
experiment involved mounting a microphone on the water supply riser
for a bank of water
closets. Data collected was used to estimate maximal usage patterns
and probabilities of the
concurrent use of multiple water closets. The estimated probabilities
were compared to the
Hunter Curves. Although based on a very limited sample, the comparisons
suggest the Hunter
Curves may underestimate maximal usage patterns.
Back to top
The Effects of Perinatal Cadmium Exposure on Behavioral
Sensitization to Morphine.
Kelly Ranae Smith, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. Jack Nation, Department of Psychology.
This study examined the effects of developmental cadmium exposure on
morphine-induced
locomotor activity. Adult female rats were exposed to 0 ppm, 25 ppm
and 50 ppm cadmium via
an adulterated food source for 30 days prior to breeding. This exposure
continued throughout
gestation and for the initial 15 days of lactation. Male pups of the
dams were then
administered 10 mg/kg morphine or vehicle injections at PND 60 and locomotor
activity was
monitored. Days 1,7, and 14 produced no separation of exposure groups.
On Day 21
attenuation of morphine-induced behavioral sensitization was evident
among animals in the 25
ppm and 50 ppm exposure groups. Administration of dopamine Dl receptor-type
antagonist
SCH 23390 produced a dose-related decrease in locomotor activity across
all groups. D2
receptor-type antagonist eticlopride showed no significant separation
of responding among
exposure groups. Context effects were not found to play a role in these
findings.
Back to top
Analysis of the Effect of Packing Capacity on Pork
Prices.
Sarah Elizabeth Spivey, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Animal Science. Advisor: Dr. Victoria Salin, Department of Agricultural
Economics.
In 1998, pork prices fell to an all time low. Across the industry, concern
was expressed for
research as to what led to this price crash. Capacity constraints at
the packer level have been
a key area of concern. This study is an analysis of the effect of capacity
constraints on pork
prices. Ordinary least squares (OLS) models were run for both live and
cutout prices.
Capacity constraints were measured three ways: using a binary variable
(0,1 dummy) and two
continuous variables. One continuous variable was for the number of
head slaughtered on the
weekend, and the second continuous variable was found by using a ratio
of slaughter during
the weekends to slaughter during the 5-day workweek ("over-flow" ratio).
The continuous
variables used to measure capacity constraints were statistically significant
explanatory
factors in the regressions for hog and pork prices. The capacity constraints
were estimated to
have a different relationship with the prices at the farm level as compared
with packer prices.
Increasing capacity constraints is associated with a negative relationship
to farm prices, and a
positive relationship to packer prices. The measurement used for over-flow
ratio, the ratio of
weekend slaughter to slaughter during the 5-day workweek, did not generate
different results
than the continuous variable of weekend slaughter. The estimated coefficients
for both
continuous variables were more statistically significant than a dummy
variable approach for
the capacity constraint.
Back to top
Language and Style: Print Representations of Punk/Hardcore
Culture.
Stephanie M. Stanbro, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: English. Advisor: Dr. Mary Bucholtz, Department of English.
A "zine" is not considered an abbreviated form of magazine. Instead it
is a separate category
of publication based around the non-profit and non-professional nature
of its authors and
producers. Zines regularly address issues absent from mainstream media
sources. I examined
zines from the punk/hardcore genre and focuses on the language and style
used within the
zines and how individual authors create identity and separate from mass
media and culture.
Each person who makes a zine becomes an active part of what it means
to be punk. With
phrases such as "Resistance is you" and "If you don't speak out who
will speak for you?"
involvement in punk/hardcore subculture is further made personal and
individual by the
creation, distribution and consuming of zines. I examined zines from
two centers of
punk/hardcore activity in the U.S., Portland, Oregon and Austin, Texas.
I also conducted
ethnographic fieldwork in these to areas recording and experiencing
the people and culture
producing punk/hardcore zines. This interdisciplinary research draws
from the fields of
sociology, anthropology, linguistics and cultural studies. As a participant
observer, I took an
ethnographic approach to analyzing the textual materials of punk/hardcore
culture. I
attempted to address ethical issues concerning authorship, relations
between the researched
and the researcher and complex relationship between different representation
voices within
the punk and zine community.
Back to top
Individual Differences in Helping Behavior.
Jennifer Lee Tackett, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. William G. Graziano, Department of
Psychology.
This study examined the relations among the personality dimension of
agreeableness,
empathy and pro-social behavior. College students (N=210) were randomly
assigned to either
a high or low empathy condition in which they listened to the story
of a fellow student in need.
After listening to the situation described in a supposed radio broadcast,
participants were
given an opportunity to help. Outcomes suggest individual differences
in empathy and
emotionality. Results were discussed in terms of agreeableness as a
predictor of emotion
variables.
Back to top
"And I Shall Make Thee a Great Nation…": Anglo-Israelism
and the Quest for a Racial Theology of Empire.
Tara Teeter, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research Fellow.
Major: Psychology. Advisor: Dr. David Hudson, Department of History.
Anglo-Israelism created a national history for the British people that
justified and explained
the Empire they had created. This movement stated that the British people
were the literal
descendants of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. The movement began in
the early 19th century
with the publication of John Wilson's Our Israelitish Origin. There
were some early traditions
of Anglo-Israelite beliefs in Ireland and Puritan England. The movement
was transformed into
its final form when Edward Hine began writing. Hine adapted Wilson's
theory to exclude the
German people from Israel. The British Israelite believers used Scriptural
proofs to justify
Imperial expansion and rule. Most proofs are accompanied by secular
evidence as well.
Members of the movement came from all walks of life and even Queen Victoria
was
interested in the movement. In 1919, the separate British Israel groups
were united in the
British Israel World Federation. Just after World War II the movement
went into decline.
This decline coincides with the breakup of the Empire. The movement
played an important
role in the lives of many people by offering them a clear sense of destiny
during an often
uncertain time.
Back to top
Maximizing the Value of Education.
Aaron Benjamin Tilley, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Political Science. Advisor: Dr. Ken Meier, Department of Political
Science.
Educating and preparing the leaders of tomorrow for the challenges they
will face is the most
important job of teachers today. It is up to those who pass laws and
make decisions regarding
how this task will be carried out to ensure that the inputs provided
are structured so as to get
the best value and the most equal treatment for all students. The findings
of this study
indicate that higher levels of per-capita funding are beneficial for
test scores, high levels of
state funding improve graduation rates and that the level of teacher
education is irrelevant to
improving student performance. Schools must have the resources and skills
to cater to each
and every one of its students and provide them with the best quality
instruction by equalizing
resources. Only then can we say that we live in a free society, on in
which individuals can
achieve their dreams if they work hard and play by the rules.
Back to top
Feeling Molecular Forces: Tactile Feedback To Enhance
Drug Design.
Jocylin Amber Williams, 1999-2000 University Undergraduate Research
Fellow.
Major: Biochemistry. Advisor: Dr. Edgar F. Meyer, Department of Biochemistry
and
Biophysics.
Molecular modeling is a vital component for structure-based drug
design. Currently
implemented technology combines data and graphics to give the
user visual capabilities to
assist in discovering possible binding arrangements. Visual modeling
has become a
tremendous help to scientists in reducing the amount of time
needed to create new inhibitory
compounds. However, the visual medium used for modeling lacks
the ability to convey the
forces between the molecules to the user. Potentially, tactile
feedback can provide this
missing information. SensAble Devices has developed a device
capable of producing force
feedback to a user-defined environment called the PHANToM, The
PHANToM is a 6
dimensional (3 translational and 3 rotational) haptic device
that can return force and torque to
the user through a hand held stylus. The system configuration
for molecular modeling consists
of integrating the haptic device with a high-end PC running Windows
NT and developing code
to model the intermolecular forces. The programming language
used was C with some C++
constructs and the OpenGL graphics library for the graphics implementation.
The optimized
code running with the system has proven capable of calculating
and relaying tactile feedback
between a 100-atom active site of a protein and a small 15-atom
inhibitor in real time (ca. 1
millisecond). Trials are now underway on the system to evaluate
accuracy and explore other
forms of useful output. Once this is accomplished, modeling will
be done on an active site and
an untested inhibitor to evaluate novel binding modes.