annual summer research symposium · cover design by anthony tran ˜ "the world's most...

August 3, 2011

10th Annual

SUMMER RESEARCHUNDERGRADUATE

S Y M P O S I U MJ A N E S . M C K I M M O N C E N T E R - 1 : 0 0 P M U N T I L 5 : 0 0 P M

O F F I C E O F U N D E R G R A D U A T E R E S E A R C HD I V I S I O N O F U N D E R G R A D U A T E A C A D E M I C P R O G R A M S

C O V E R D E S I G N B Y A N T H O N Y T R A N - "The world's most valuable assets are people."

It is a privilege to design the cover for this year's undergraduate summer research symposium. The collection of knowledge found in this book is a true indicator of our potential as human beings working together. My desire was to create a concept that de�ned this unique, yet powerful message. I am very interested to hear from anyone who reads this message and would love to provide any thoughts.If you would like to, please send your comments to [email protected].

A N T H O N Y T R A N | N C S U : : C O L L E G E O F D E S I G N , C L A S S O F 2 0 0 9 | W W W. A N T H O N Y T R A N . C O M | 9 1 9 . 2 6 0 . 8 7 2 6

Office of Undergraduate Research, Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs Park Shops 211-T, CB 7576, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7576

NC STATE UNIVERSITY

August 3, 2011 Dear Student Researchers, Faculty Mentors, Program Administrators, and Guests: Welcome to the 10th Annual North Carolina State University Undergraduate Summer Research Symposium! This symposium was developed to provide an opportunity for students conducting research at the University during the summer to showcase their work. Last year, students from 72 different institutions of higher learning joined NC State undergraduates in celebrating the achievements made during the summer and academic year. NC State University continues to invest in undergraduate research and creative endeavors. The number of REU Programs on campus, Office of Undergraduate Research grant recipients, and undergraduate independent researchers demonstrate the commitment of our faculty and University to mentor students as they explore student centered, hands-on learning. Contributing to the knowledge base within your discipline is never easy. It takes long hours of hard work, collaboration, reading, and sometimes good luck! The work that you have done this summer will create opportunities for the future that will change your life. Participation in your research and the symposium has increased your visibility and qualifications for admission into top-tiered graduate programs and for entry positions in some of the most competitive and desirable careers throughout the nation. So, on behalf of our internationally recognized faculty, the Dean of the Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs, the Dean of the Graduate School, the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies, the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, and the Chancellor of NC State University, I congratulate each of you on your scholarly achievements. A quick read through this book of abstracts is proof that the next generation of graduate and professional school students and of great employees are among us today, all showcasing their hard work. Indeed, I hope you will apply to one of our many prestigious graduate school programs. We at NC State University wish you continued academic success, a very productive day at this symposium, and a safe journey home. Sincerely,

Judy B. Day, Interim Director Office of Undergraduate Research Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs

Office of Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Academic Programs

Box 7576 / 211-T Park Shops Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7576 919.513.0848 (phone) 919.513.7542 (fax) www.ncsu.edu/undergrad-research/

The 10th Annual NC State University

Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Agenda

The Symposium will be held in the Jane S. McKimmon Center.

12:00 p.m. Doors open for registration 12:50 p.m. All posters (regardless of presentation time)

must be up and ready to go at this time. 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks

Greetings Dr. Chris Brown Office of Research & Innovation Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Development

Symposium Overview Ms. Judy Day Interim Director of Undergraduate Research North Carolina State University

1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Poster Session I (odd-numbered posters) 2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Poster Session II (even-numbered posters) 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Speaker, Reception, and Awards Ceremony

Dr. John Ambrose, Dean Department of Undergraduate Academic

Programs, North Carolina State University Presentation of Summer Research Program Directors and Program Managers Certificates and Awards

http://www.ncsu.edu/directory/moreinfo.php?username=cbrown

Table of Contents

LISTING OF POSTERS BY LOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

ABSTRACTS BY PROGRAM

AGEP Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 12

Chemistry REU Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Computation for Undergraduates in Statistics Program (NCSU CUSP) . . . . . . . 17

Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 18

NC Project Seed Program (High School) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

NC State Independent Researchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

NC State Undergraduate Research Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

NSF Engineering the Grid Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

NSF ERC FREEDM Systems Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

NSF Synthetic Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Research Experiences for Undergraduate Mathematics: Modeling and Industrial Applied Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

S. E. Kelman Scholarship Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF LEAD STUDENT PRESENTERS. . . . . . . . . 56

http://www.ncsu.edu/undergrad-research/Studentsa/summer-web-pages/Chemistry-06-07.html

http://www.freedm.ncsu.edu/Join/Under/REU

http://www.ece.ncsu.edu/reu-grid/

http://www.freedm.ncsu.edu/

Numerical Listing by Poster Position 1

Poster Presentations 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Poster # Student Presenters Project Title Mentors and/or

Co-Authors Section A A1 Monica Nicole Hodge Biology &

Plant Biology Use of PVX Based Viral Expression Vectors For Transient Gene Expression In Tobacco

Ralph Dewey Crop Science

A2 Manix Lukungu Eluhu

Biomedical Engineering Tungsten-based Carbon Microelectrodes: A New Generation of Neurochemical Sensors?

Gregory McCarty Biomedical Engineering

A3 Helen Rosanna Herrera

Psychology Assessing the barriers, facilitators, and motivators involved in getting preschoolers to consume fruits and vegetables via a socio-ecological model

Suzie Goodell Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences

A4 John Hoang Nguyen Chemistry Synthesis and Characterization of

Hexacoordinate Metal Complexes Walter Weare Chemistry

A5 Carmen Ellen Cubilla Biological

Sciences Alcohol sensitivity in Drosophila melanogaster

Trudy MacKay Genetics

A6 Khrystyna Yuriyivna

Stolyarchuk Biochemistry Tat-SF1?s Involvement in HIV-1 RNA Stability

Heather Miller Plant Biology

A7 Alyson Lindsey Fox Math

Kathleen Rogers Industrial Mathematics; Chassidy Bozeman Applied Mathematics; Jared Catenacci Pure Mathematics

Spatial Spread of Wolbachia-Infected Mosquitoes: An Attempt to Control Dengue Fever

Alun Lloyd Mathematics Timothy Antonelli Biomathematics; Michael Robert Biomathematics

A8 Omari Kamau Johnson Chemical

Engineering Determining Variability of Glutathione Levels in Rat Hepatic Cancer Cells in a 2-D vs. 3-D Environment.

Christine Grant College of Engineering-Dean's Office

A9 Morgan Richard Dent Biomedical

Engineering Tat-SF1's Interaction with the HIV-1 Genome

Heather Miller Plant Biology

A10 Morgan Elizabeth Carter

Biochemistry Toxin Biosynthesis in the Banana Pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis

Margaret Daub Plant Biology Roslyn Noar Plant Pathology;

A11 Emma Easton Kovak Biology Improving Camelina sativa?s

Biofuel Potential Heike Sederoff Plant Biology Roopa Yalamanchili Plant Biology

A12 Jillian Sheena Valentine

Anthropology Opposing the Intruding Paradigm: Cultural Revival and Political Unity at Contested Sites in the Hawaiian Islands

Leslie Sponsel Anthropology


A13 Michael Robert Hinrichsen Chemistry

UV/Vis Spectoscopic Study of Zinc Chloride Aqueous Solutions (2.65 m to 0.001 m)

James Martin Chemistry

A14 Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco

Biology Cloning of At5g54060 from metabolically programmed red cells of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Deyu Xie Plant Biology

A15 Holly Christine Sweeney

Statistics Comparison of Internal Model Validation Methods for Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction to Find Complex Models

Alison Motsinger-Reif Statistics

A16 Konstantin Divilov Biology Characterization of Arabidopsis plc

Mutants Reveals Novel Phenotypes During Abiotic Stress

Imara Perera Plant Biology

A17 Kayarash Karimian Biology and

Chemistry Identifying Auxin Biosynthetic Mutants in Arabidopsis Thaliana

Jose Alonso Genetics

A18 Holly E Petruso Statistics

Amanda English Statistics; CHONG WANG Statistics and Applied Math

Extension of Grammatical Evolution Decision Trees for Family Trio Data

Alison Motsinger-Reif Statistics David Reif Statistics

A19 Ashley Nichole Lowe Psychology The Relationship between

Community Characteristics, Health and Stress

Jason Allaire Psychology

A20 Brennan Patrick Keegan

Electrical Engineering Interactive Software Design for Visualization of Power System Disturbances

Aranya Chakrabortty Elec & Comp Engineering

A21 James Howard Blew Chemistry A Computational Study of

Interfacial Electron Transfer in Fe(II)-polypyridine Sensitized Titanium Dioxide Surfaces

Elena Jakubikova Chemistry

A22 Andrew Christopher Kirby

Mathematics Andrew Bernstein Mathematics and Economics; Analise Rodenberg Mathematics and Physics; Adrian McLean Mathematics

Development of an Ozone Inhalation Model

William LeFew Systems Biology Branch, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division (ISTD) Hisham El-Masri Systems Biology Branch, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division (ISTD)

A23 Joshua Stephen Harford

Biomedical Engineering Shedding Light on LEDs for Home Lighting

Alan Batchelor Analytical Instrumenta,Fac

A24 Megan Elizabeth Szakasits

Chemical Engineering FOG Deposit Formation Model for Wastewater Systems

Joel Ducoste Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

A25 Mark Arthur Schillaci Physics Surfactant-Driven Fracture

Formation in Soft Gels Karen Daniels Physics


A26 Wade Leland Colburn Biomedical Engineering

RNA Bioinformatics: How Binding Affects Protein Translation.

Donald Bitzer Computer Science-Engineering

A27 Tojan Bassam Rahhal Biomedical

Engineering Does Sumoylation of Sp3 Affect Skin Growth?

Jonathan Horowitz Department Molecular Biomedical Sciences Shannon Chiera Molecular Biomedical Scien

A28 Carolyn Elizabeth Davy Textile

Engineering The Effect of Solvent on the Interactions between Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Melissa Pasquinelli Textiles

A29 Carrie Jean Culp Electrical

Engineering Benjamin Heacock Physics and Chemistry; Andrew Rash Electrical Engineering

Modeling Coils for Wireless Power Transfer

Srdjan Lukic Elec & Comp Engineering Zeljko Pantic Elec & Comp Engineering

A30 Thomas Francis Blair

Biochemistry The response of Arabidopsis response regulator 7 to geminivirus infection

Jose Ascencio-Ibanez Biochemistry Linda Hanley-Bowdoin Biochemistry

A31 Alexander Howard Clark

Chemical Engineering A Novel Method to Produce Uniform Janus-like Particles

Stoyan Smoukov Chemical & Biomolecular Eng

A32 Kyra Johnson Environmental

Engineering Characterization of specificity of two alcohol dehydrogenases from Saccharomyces Cerevisiae towards byproducts of biomass pre-treatment in ethanol conversion

Bob Rose Biochemistry

A33 Austin Reese Smith Biochemistry Phenomenon of Aggregation

involving Pd2DBA3 Stefan Franzen Chemistry

Section B B1 Wade Riley Roberts Biology and

Art Cloning and evolutionary analyses of SEPALLATA genes from dogwoods - Deciphering the genetic links to bract petaloidy

Qiuyun (Jenny) Xiang Plant Biology Yi Yu Plant Biology

B2 Travis Taylor Lekich Chemistry Synthesis and Characterization of

Metal-Oxo Compounds that Serve as Precursors for Hetero-bimetallic Compounds

Walter Weare Chemistry

B3 Ariel J Brown Biology Relative Gene Expression Level of

Meloidogyne hapla in Medicago Plants

David Bird Plant Pathology

B4 Michelle Ploch Molecular and Cellular Biology/ Chemistry

Fungicide Testing of Phytophthora infestans

Jean Ristaino Plant Pathology


B5 Oindree Banerjee Physics, Chemistry

Instabilities of Spreading Droplets Karen Daniels Physics Joshua Bostwick Mathematics

B6 Stephen Philip Cohen Biology Recombinant Expression of a

Thermostable Lipase from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 to Augment Production of Microalgal-derived Biofuel

Amy Grunden Microbiology Rushyannch Killens Microbiology

B7 Daniela C Fugon Aerospace

Engineering Balloon Designs for the Mars Scout 3 Mission

Andre Mazzoleni Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

B8 Julian Erastus Taylor Biomedical

Engineering Determination of Antioxidants in Cancer Cell Lines

Christine Grant College of Engineering-Dean's Office

B9 Jeffrey Thomas Moulton

Mathematics Michael Donders Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science; Aashish Gadani Mathematics, Computer Science; Evan Fields Mathematics, Computer Science

SPASM (Stochastic Particle Approach for Simulating Morphogenesis)

Sharon Lubkin Mathematics

B10 Lindsay Michelle Swanson

Electrical Engineering Communication in the Smart Grid Wenye Wang MS Comp

Networking-Dean's Off B11 Kara Deidra McCullough

Chemistry Selective Amino Substitution of a 2-Aminoimidazole Towards the Re-Sensitization of Bacteria to B-lactams

Christian Melander Chemistry Andrew Yeagley Chemistry

B12 Christine Gayle MacInnes

Zoology Recombinant Expression of a Thermostable Lipase for Algae Biofuel Production

Amy Grunden Microbiology

B13 Stewart Daniel Cartmell

Computer Science Toward recognition of student facial expressions and gestures within intelligent tutoring systems

Kristy Boyer Computer Science James Lester Computer Science-Engineering; Joseph Grafsgaard Computer Science

B14 Matthew Dayton Pinyan

Environmental Design in Architecture

Modern Construction Techniques in Vorarlberg, Austria: Craft, Economy + Sustainability in Building Technology

Tim Martin Architecture

B15 Alan Patrick Shafer

Environmental Technology and Management

Comparing Soil Hydrology and Carbon Respiration in Natural, Drained and Restored Wetlands in Eastern North Carolina

Ryan Emanuel Forestry&Environmental Resourc

B16 Mikail A Mannan NC State Development of Methods for Video Measurement of in-situ Strain in Atricular Cartilage

Peter Mente Biomedical Program-Engineering


B17 Kyle George Dunn Mathematics Brandon Groth Applied Mathematics; Kelly Blake Mathematics and Environmental Studies; Jacob Schuurman Mathematics/Statistics

Sensitivity Analysis of the Wnt Pathway

Hien Tran Mathematics

B18 Jonathan Chan N/A Computational and Experimental

Study of the Absorption Spectra of Nickel and Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrins

Elena Jakubikova Chemistry Elon Ison Chemistry

B19 Adam Steven Nickels Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Design and Thermal Analysis of A Three-Level Inverter

Subhashish Bhattacharya Elec & Comp Engineering

B20 Aaron Lee Marcus Applied

Mathematics/Physics A Comparison of Growth into Poroviscous versus Poroelastic Tissues

Sharon Lubkin Mathematics

B21 Mark Anthony Mckay Biomarkers for Early Prognosis of

Lung Cancer in a Lung Tumor Model

Min-Xu Zou Preclinical Safety and Efficacy

B22 Bryan Michael Sumner Confirmation of Acetobacter

xylinum through Characterization of Cellulose Pellicles After Genetic Modification of Plasmids

Joel Pawlak Wood And Paper Science

B23

Ransford Kenya Damptey Chemical Engineering & Applied Mathematics

Assessing the Dynamics of Biochemical Pathways Using Continuous Boolean Approximations

Cranos Williams Elec & Comp Engineering Joel Ducoste Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering; Vincent Chiang Forestry&Environmental Resources

B24 Ankur Kulshreshtha Sarkar

Chemical Engineering Size Controlled Fabrication of Environmentally Benign Nanoparticles

Orlin Velev Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

B25 Andrew William Rash Electrical

Engineering Carrie Culp Electrical Engineering; Benjamin Heacock Physics and Chemistry

Design and Testing of Optimized Wireless Power Transfer Systems

Srdjan Lukic Elec & Comp Engineering Zeljko Pantic Elec & Comp Engineering

B26 Yuhan Wang Chemistry iron and titanium artificial

photosynthesis Walter Weare Chemistry

B27 Christopher Lee Adkins

Mechanical Engineering Implementation of Biologically Inspired Design in Space Truss Structures

Larry Silverberg Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

B28 Sara Ziyad Busaileh

Microbiology Alternative Microfluidic Material Orlin Velev Chemical and

Biomolecular Engineering Ahmet UÁar Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering


B29 Jamian Lamar Smith Engineering Mathematics

Steady State Analysis of Biological Systems Using Mathematical Modeling

Joel Ducoste Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

B30 Eyob Abebe Eyualem Biomedical

Engineering Developing a Novel Calibration Method for In Vivo Collected Data by Investigating Carbon-fiber Microelectrode Surface Chemistry

Gregory McCarty Biomedical Engineering

B31 Taylor Elizabeth Adair Inhibitors of Bordetella Biofilms as

a New Therapeutic Approach to Pertussis

Christian Melander Chemistry

B32 Kyle David Dean Electrical

Engineering DC-DC power conversion for Solid State Transformer


B33 Benjamin J. Kadish Physics! Smart Grid Simulator Mo-Yuen Chow Electrical &

Computer Engineering

Section C C1 Anthony Gray Hunter Aerospace Flywheel Assisted Torque Boost for

Rovers Andre Mazzoleni Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

C2 David Wayne Moreau Physics Spectral Density Changes in Live Cell Imaging

David Nolte Department of Physics

C3 Marcia Nicole Higgins

Mathematics Android: An eye on coastal environment

Alexander Dean Elec & Comp Engineering Avik Juneja Elec & Comp Engineering

C4 Cody Mitchell Perry Chemistry Studies Toward a Direct and

Concise Methodology for the Synthesis of 2-Piperidones from 2,3-Dihydro-4-pyridones

Daniel Comins Chemistry

C5 Alexis L. Webb Chemistry Protein Sensor based on Peptide

Ligands Immobilized on Thin Films of Cellulose

Orlando Rojas Wood And Paper Science

C6 Morgan A. Bair Chemistry Engineering Natural Product

Assembly Line with Unnatural Amino Acid Mutagenesis Based Approaches

Gavin Williams Chemistry

C7 Cameron Bennett White

Meteorology Spatial Distribution of Precipitation for Winter Storms in Northern California

Sandra Yuter Marine Earth And Atmospheric Sciences

C8 KaDesia Monae Hawkins Textile

Engineering, Chemistry, & Science Formation, Behavior, and Properties of Self-Nucleated Poly (ethylene terepthalate) : A Two Year Study

Alan Tonelli Textile Engineering Chemistry and Science

C9 Katelyn Xiang Gao Mathematics

Cristian Potter Mathematics; Edward Lim Mathematics; Heather Hardeman Mathematics

Cluster Analytics Carl Meyer Mathematics


C10 Elizabeth Y. Flores Biology Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana Pleiotropic Drug Resistance 13 (AtPDR13) in Root Growth and Development

Marcela Rojas-Pierce Plant Biology

C11 Chima U Igboko BME Effect of loading rate on strains in

different cartilage layers. Peter Mente Biomedical Program-Engineering

C12 Adrianna Renee Cardinal-De

Casas Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation

Camponotus chromoaiodes vs. Formica subsericea network

Rob Dunn Biology

C13 Courun James Williams Biology Effects of Satellite DNA on ACMV

Virulence Linda Hanley-Bowdoin Biochemistry

C14 Neil A Shah Computer Science Supercomputing Analytical

Discovery of Plasma Instabilities in Fusion Energy Reactors

Nagiza Samatova Computer Science-Engineering Anatoli Melechko Material Science Engineering

C15 David Corley Gibbs Biology Genetic analysis of the Irish potato

famine pathogen, Phytophthora infestans

Jean Ristaino Plant Pathology

C16 Chris Sean Satterwhite Physics Radiation Effects on Silicon

Carbide using Molecular Dynamics Steven Shannon Nuclear Engineering Jacob Eapen Nuclear Engineering

C17 Sarah Mabel Hambridge

Biomedical Engineering Residential Peak Shaving with Photovoltaics and DESD

Alex Huang Electrical & Computer Engineering

C18 Phoebe Marie Cruz Biochemistry Determining whether the relative

sensitivities of reovirus T1L and T3D to antiviral IFN reflect repressor function

Barbara Sherry Department Molecular Biomedical Sciences

C19 Oliver D. Lyons Physics Organic Photovoltaic Device

Fabrication Jesse Jur Textiles Joseph Tracy Material Science Engineering

C20 Susan Elizabeth Clark Actuarial

Math Jessica Myles Mathematics; Hoang Tran Economics; Weici Hu Mathematics / Economics; Sidafa Conde Mathematics/Business

Quantitative Analysis for Financial Risks

Tao Pang Mathematics Jeff Scroggs Mathematics

C21 Charlotte Louise Vilkus

Electrical Engineering Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) Based Controller Implementation of Harmonic Current Extraction Methods SRF Theory



C22 Bridget Cleary Stichnot Mathematcis Ou Lu Mathematics; Jairus Cuffie Mathematics; Christiana Sabett Mathematics; Andrea Brown Mathematics; Albert Soto Mathematics

Modeling Blood Pressure Control During Head-Up Tilt

Mette Olufsen Mathematics

C23 Eben A Evbuomwan Background Subtracted Fast Scan

Cyclic Voltammetry for the Detection of Superoxide Anion

Leslie Sombers Chemistry

C24 Alexandra Skye Malin Chemistry Comparison of Spectral Counting

and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Protein Concentration Determination in Human Plasma

David Muddiman Chemistry Christopher Shuford Chemistry

C25 Jarrett Jemale Clifton

Psychology Mother?s beliefs about emotions may influence children?s willingness to share feelings

Amy Halberstadt Psychology

C26 Amanda Rosemarie Saad Biology Investigations of DHP Reactions

with Nitrophenol: a UV Visible Spectroscopic Study

Reza Ghiladi Chemistry

C27 Llewellyn Barrett Physics Modeling Image Potential States in

Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy Experiments

Daniel Dougherty Physics

C28 Avery Thorpe Young In vitro Characterization of

Potential Small Molecule Activators of Procaspase-3

Clay Clark Biochemistry

C29 Nicholas Edward Williams

Chemistry The Effect of Various Protective Coatings on Production of Hydroxyl Radicals by Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

Tatyana Smirnova Chemistry Maxim Voynov Chemistry

C30 Simona Dereje Biological

Sciences Pharmokinetics of Water Treated Tetracycline in Finisher Swine

Ronald Baynes Department of Population Health and Pathobiology

C31 Ashley Marie Sough Chemical

Engineering Miniaturization of commercial swine

Jorge Piedrahita Department Molecular Biomedical Sciences

C32 Oksana Samarksiy Biochemistry Optimizing Crystal Growth in

Green Fluorescent Protein for Neutron Crystallography

Flora Meilleur Biochemistry

C33 Detric Elijah Robinson Biological

Sciences (Human) Development of Personality Traits in Zebrafish: Analyzing Early Expression of Proactive and Reactive Lines

John Godwin Biology


Section D D1 Chelsea Robyn Ratzlaff Nuclear

Engineering Secondary Electron Emission Coefficient of Glow Discharge Plasma with Varying Electrode Geometries

Mohamed Bourham Nuclear Engineering

D2 Colin Richard Gray Mathematics

Derek Young Mathematics; Daniel Peach Mathematics; Maurice Gibson Mathematics

Randomized Matrix Multiplication Ilse Ipsen Mathematics

D3 David Paul Walton Chemistry Cp*Ir(III) Catalyzed Aerobic

Oxidation of Alcohols Elon Ison Chemistry

D4 Kimberly Ann Hull Computer

Engineering Alternative Approach to Solve State Estimation Problems of Power Systems by Least Absolute Value (LAV) Method

Mesut Baran Electrical & Computer Engineering

D5 Mai-Hsuan Huang Material

Science & Engineering Carbon Nanofiber/Manganese Oxide Composites as the Cathode for Li-air Batteries

Xiangwu Zhang Textiles Guanjie Xu Fiber & Polymer Science

D6 Bethany Lynn Vohlers Statistics Modeling Highly Complex Models

of Disease Risk Alison Motsinger-Reif Statistics

D7 Joshua A Hunsberger Electrical

Engineering Peak-Shaving in Mining Equipment Subhashish Bhattacharya

Elec & Comp Engineering D8 Thao Kim Phan Mechanical

Engineering Exploring the Use of One-Dimensional Nanostructures as Transparent, Stretchable Electrodes

Yong Zhu Mechanical & Aerospace Engr

D9 Patrick Noah Backman

Microbiology Algal Biofuel Production: Identifying Genes in the Lipid Metabolic Pathway of Dunaliella

Heike Sederoff Plant Biology Mia Dvora Plant Biology; Marie-Laure Sauer Plant Biology

D10 Robin Singh Human Biology NSF Global Plant Health Internship

in Costa Rica Jean Ristaino Plant Pathology

D11 Alice Claire Griffeth Physics Hydrodynamic Modeling of a Type

Ia Supernova Remnant: G1.9+0.3 Stephen Reynolds Physics Carla Frohlich Physics; John Blondin Physics

D12 Rika Siedah Judd Biochemistry Life In Hot Acid Robert Kelly Chemical and

Biomolecular Engineering D13 Garrett Eugene Pangle Physics A Study of Atmospheric Optical

Propagation and Scattering Charles Philbrick Marine,Earth & Atmospheric Sci

D14 Neil A Shah Computer Science Compressing the Incompressible

with ISABELA: In-situ Reduction of Spatio-Temporal Data

Nagiza Samatova Computer Science-Engineering


D15 Jacqueline Ann Jewell Animal Science

Quantifying the number of T regulatory cells in healthy nursery pigs

Glen Almond Department of Population Health and Pathobiology

D16 James Rudolph Rowland Physics Lissajous Figures as a Model for

Neutrino Oscillations Chueng Ji Physics

D17 Natalie Lyn Mabrey Biochemistry Simultaneous Exposure to

Bisphenol-A and Soy Phytoestrogens Alters Female Reproductive Development

Heather Patisaul Biology

D18 Jakini Auset Kauba The Effect of the Chemical

Environment on the Function of a Nanobiosensor

Melissa Pasquinelli Textiles

D19

Mary Patricia Bulfin Biological Sciences

Identification of the gene responsible for the chicken L alloatigen by whole genome association mapping and assessment of potential implications on poultry immunological response

Chris Ashwell Poultry Science

D20 James Cody Oxendine

Psychology Video Gameplay Effects on Self-Concept in Older Adults

Jason Allaire Psychology

D21 Meghan Ruth Clark Biochemistry Enzymatic Lignin Digestion Alex Hobbs Solar Center -

College of Eng D22 Iain Matthew Wright

Biochemistry and Chemistry Crystallization and X-ray diffraction of Dehaloperoxidase T56A Mutant

Stefan Franzen Chemistry

D23 Melanie A Paige Psychology John Henryism: The Impact of

Coping Style on Health Jason Allaire Psychology

D24 Anna Dickerman Broido

Mathematics Kathryn Link Mathematics; Brandi Canter Mathematics; Kaitlyn Gayvert Mathematics

Efficiencies of Stochastic Algorithms

H. Thomas Banks Mathematics Alana Thompson Mathematics; Michele Joyner Mathematics; Shuhua Hu Mathematics

D25 Danielle M. Batin Psychology The maturing mind on a daily basis:

The relationship between distress, everyday memory and age

Shevaun Neupert Psychology

D26 Cristina Alcaraz Chemistry Small Molecule Modulation of

Bacterial Biofilm Development Christian Melander Chemistry

D27 Danielle Pleshette Tyson The Identification of Sepsis

Biomarkers Using High Throughput Real Time PCR

Sushila Nordone CVM-Molecular Biomedical Scien

D28 Tyler Allan Trent Janes Math Physiologically-based

pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of metabolic pathways of bromochloromethane

Marina Evans Pharmokinetics Christopher Eklund


D29 Christian Shakina Shelton Psychology

An examination of how well parents implement HELPS procedures with their child after completing training workshops

John Begeny Psychology Rachel Courtney Mitchell Psychology

D30 Danise Yaritza Rivera Chemistry Nickel-Catalyzed Kumada Cross-

Coupling Reaction Using an Aminohydroxyphosphine Ligand

Daniel Comins Chemistry

D31 Richard Byron Beddingfield Electrical Engineering

Active Filter Solutions for High Power Multi-Motor Applications


D32 Britne Rochele Hackett Animal

Science New Palearctic Species discovered in North America

Rob Dunn Biology

D33 Sarah Elizabeth Oxendine

Zoology How does Prozac really work? The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in testing fluoxetine drug actions.

John Godwin Biology

Alphabetical Listing of Lead Student Presenters by Program 12

Abstracts

AGEP Program C25 Mother?s beliefs about emotions may influence children?s willingness to share feelings Jarrett Jemale Clifton Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Amy Halberstadt Psychology Open communication between parents and children is thought to be a protective factor as children develop. Parents’ beliefs about children’s emotions may significantly impact how much children want to share with their parents. Individual parents value emotions differently. Some might perceive all emotions as being valuable regardless of whether they are positive or negative resulting in these parents trying to “work things out” with their children. Conversely, parents might see emotions as problematic and prefer their children to just “get over it” themselves (Wong, McElwain, & Halberstadt, 2009). Not all parents react to their children’s emotions in similar ways, and these reactions may affect their child’s willingness to discuss emotions. Children’s Understanding of Emotions in Dyadic Interactions (CUED IN) is the current study where mothers and their third-grade children complete questionnaires along with activities that demonstrate their emotion socialization strategies (Halberstadt, Garrett-Peters et al.). As part of this study, mothers reported their beliefs about children’s emotions using the Parents’ Beliefs about Children’s Emotions Questionnaire (Halberstadt et al., 2008). The mothers’ third-grade children reported how willing they were to share their emotions with their mothers, using the Affective Sharing Questionnaire (Gentzler et al., 2005). Mothers and children completed these questionnaires while participating in the CUED IN study. Participants include African American and European American families representing all levels of socioeconomic status. It is hypothesized that parents who perceive all emotions as being valuable will foster a more comfortable emotional environment which will result in their children being more likely to share their feelings.

Chemistry REU Program C6 Engineering Natural Product Assembly Line with Unnatural Amino Acid Mutagenesis Based Approaches Morgan A. Bair Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Gavin Williams Chemistry

There is a high demand for synthetic routes to new antibiotics due to increasing bacterial resistance to existing drugs. Many antibiotics are polyketides, and manipulation of polyketide synthases (PKSs) is an attractive route to polyketide analogues. The modular nature of PKSs makes them ideal for switching proteins from different PKSs to create new antibiotics. However, faulty protein-protein interactions are often responsible for dramatically reduced polyketide yield in hybrid PKSs. Previously, the Williams laboratory established the feasibility and specificity of an unnatural amino acid-based photocrosslinking assay to probe protein-protein interactions. In this study, the photocrosslinking strategy was used to identify residues responsible for interactions between acyl-carrier protein (ACP) and ketosynthase (FabF) from the E.coli Fatty Acid Synthase. Seven residues on the FabF protein were mutated to alanine. The FabF proteins with R206A and L208A mutations exhibited no evidence of crosslinking, indicating that R206 and L208 are critical for protein-protein interactions. In addition, we explored an unnatural amino acid mutagenesis strategy to install non-natural prosthetic arms into PKSs. For ACPs to function, post-translational modification (PTM) is required to attach a 4’-phosphopantetheine prosthetic group (Ppant). To streamline the PTM process, we proposed to install the Ppant analogs onto ACP through the incorporation of unnatural amino acids coupled with click chemistry. Para-progargyloxyphenylalanine (pPrF) was synthesized and incorporated into ACP. Subsequently, ACP2-pPrF was modified with azide rhodamine via click chemistry. These results demonstrate the ability to combine unnatural amino mutagenesis and click chemistry to replace the natural Ppant of ACPs with small molecules.

A21 A Computational Study of Interfacial Electron Transfer in Fe(II)-polypyridine Sensitized Titanium Dioxide Surfaces James Blew Chemistry Mentor(s): Elena Jakubikova Chemistry Solar energy is a promising source of renewable energy. Dye-sensitized solar cells based on photoactive dyes anchored to a semiconductor surface represent one way of converting this energy to electricity. We used density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) to study absorption spectrum of Fe(dca-bpy)2(CN-)2 (dca-bpy=4,4’-dicarboxy-2,2’-bipyridine) and its attachment on (101) surface of TiO2 anatase, and


quantum dynamics simulations to model interfacial electron transfer (IET) between the dye and nanoparticle. Fe(dca-bpy)2(CN-)2 has two prominent absorption peaks in the visible region centered at 550 and 400 nm. The peak at 550 nm corresponds to the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transitions, while the second peak arises from a combination of MLCT and MC (metal-centered) transitions. The fastest IET rate arising from the excitation of the 550 nm band (150 fs) is comparable to the experimentally determined rate of the excited-state decay into the photo-inactive states of the Fe(II) sensitizer (~150 fs), indicating that the IET upon excitation of this band is unlikely. The IET rates from the second absorption band range between 43 fs – 3 ps, suggesting the IET between Fe(II)-sensitizer and TiO2 nanoparticle upon excitation of this band is possible. Our results are consistent with the previous experimental work on Fe(II) sensitizers (Chem. Mater. 2000, 12, 1083) and elucidate the band-selective nature of the IET in these systems.

B13 Toward recognition of student facial expressions and gestures within intelligent tutoring systems Stewart Daniel Cartmell Computer Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Kristy Boyer Computer Science James Lester Computer Science-Engineering; Joseph Grafsgaard Computer Science Tutoring helps students to better understand course material. Expert human tutors have proven very effective, averaging roughly two full letter grades’ improvement compared to classroom instruction. However, one-on-one human tutoring presents many challenges, which have motivated the study of computer-based tutors, or Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). ITSs can adapt their behavior to individual students. However, there is general agreement among ITSs researchers that improving the capabilities of ITSs involves modeling the emotions specific to learning. These learning-centered emotions can either help or hinder a student’s academic performance. For instance, boredom may halt a student’s progress, while confusion has been positively associated with learning. Prior work has focused on subsets of learner emotions, for example, considering only the relationship between confusion and tutorial dialogue. This undergraduate research project has expanded the prior work by investigating a larger set of learner emotions. First, we developed a novel emotion tagging approach that applies the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to a broader set of facial configurations than those considered previously. Additionally, we have developed a categorization scheme for gestures and gross body movements during tutoring sessions, which may further aid in diagnosis of students’ cognitive-

affective states. The goal of this work is to further the field’s understanding of learner emotions and how to create computational models capable of diagnosing them. This work holds great promise for increasing the extent to which ITSs can take student emotions into account, and may lead to significantly more effective learning experiences.

D21 Enzymatic Lignin Digestion Meghan Ruth Clark Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alex Hobbs Solar Center - College of Eng Lignin is being targeted as a potentially valuable byproduct of the biofuel production process. Currently, the production of biofuels is not cost effective, hindering widespread market acceptance. Instead of treating lignin as a waste product, this project seeks to break down the complex polymer into potentially valuable monomers. In this experiment, lignin was extracted from corn stover using an ammonia pretreatment process. Undigested lignin was fractioned by molecular weight using various organic solvents (Runchang Sun, et al. 2010). Laccase was used to digest lignin according to the procedure developed by the Polymer Science Department at Hokkaido University (Xia, et al 2003). The digested lignin was then fractioned with the same method as the undigested lignin, and then the fractions were compared using HPLC/UV spectroscopy.

A13 UV/Vis Spectoscopic Study of Zinc Chloride Aqueous Solutions (2.65 m to 0.001 m) Michael Robert Hinrichsen Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: James Martin Chemistry Aqueous solutions of zinc chloride are important in a variety of industrial processes, and also for pharmaceutical applications. Furthermore, both Zn2+ and Cl- ions are of critical importance to important cellular functions. Previous work has shown that [ZnCl4]2- and [Zn(OH2)6]2+ are the primary molecular ions formed in solution. These are the only species present in an 18.5 m solution (3 H2O:1 ZnCl2). On higher dilution there is evidence for second and third hydration shells around the hydrated zinc cations in the 6.2 m and 2.65 m solutions, respectively. Historic literature suggests that there may be further anomalies in physical properties in solutions as dilute as 0.2 m. For this reason I have specifically investigated the spectroscopy of solutions between 2.65 m and 0.001 m.


Though colorless in the visible region of the spectrum, work reported here demonstrates that in the UV region there are several transitions including an intense charge transfer absorption, and several weaker transitions. We propose these are characteristic of the molecular ion speciation in solution. In the near IR region of the spectrum (~1000 nm) there is an absorption that appears to be related to inter-molecular hydrogen bonding which also serves as a probe for molecular ion speciation. Together, it was anticipated that these spectroscopic signatures could serve as a sensitive probe of subtle changes in the solution structure upon dilution. By comparing UV/Vis spectra ZnCl2, Zn(BF4)2 and NaCl, as well as their binary mixtures at various concentrations we have begun to identify the species corresponding to the UV absorption features. Using NaCl as a source of Cl- we have been able to discern the Zn/Cl equilibrium binding constant. Interestingly time resolved UV/Vis spectra of the 2.65 m solution (21 H2O:1 ZnCl2) reveal a marked time dependence to the solution formation. These data reveal great insight into the nature of the zinc chloride hydrate solution(s). However, there no clear evidence was found to distinguish additional hydration shells throughout the investigated concentration range.

C24 Comparison of Spectral Counting and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Protein Concentration Determination in Human Plasma Alexandra Skye Malin Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: David Muddiman Chemistry Christopher Shuford Chemistry Spectral counting is a “label-free” method used in mass spectrometry-based proteomics to quantify relative protein abundance. Paired precursor ion and product ion mass spectra of peptides are matched to protein sequences in a database, with each positive match denoting one spectral count for the matched protein. Compared to stable isotope labeling strategies (e.g., SILAC, ITRAQ, etc.), spectral counting has the advantages of requiring no special sample preparation or treatment, being applicable to any sample type, and allowing for superior proteomic coverage due to reduced sample complexity. Although spectral counting is widely applied, very little information is available with regards to its accuracy across all sample types, which can differ drastically in sample complexity. This is of particular consequence in plasma where there are estimated to be over 106 proteins having concentrations spanning a dynamic range of 9 orders of magnitude. In order to assess

the accuracy of spectral counting in plasma we created a human serum albumin (HAS) dilution series having a constant background proteome, by performing serial dilutions of raw plasma using plasma depleted of HAS. An ELISA-based method was then used to determine absolute concentrations of HAS in each sample, which demonstrated good linearity (R2 = 0.9960) across the dilution series. Spectral counting was performed on the same samples and preliminary analysis of the data reveals there is a saturation point upon which linearity is no longer maintained. Through further analysis, we aim to identify the cause of this saturation and determine an appropriate means of correction.

B11 Selective Amino Substitution of a 2-Aminoimidazole Towards the Re-Sensitization of Bacteria to B-lactams Kara Deidra McCullough Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Christian Melander Chemistry Andrew Yeagley Chemistry Antimicrobial resistance mechanism in bacteria is a major health care issue. There is an increase in bacteria that are resistant to frequently used antibiotics. The focus of this research is to re-sensitize bacteria to existing antibiotics through compounds that work synergistically with these known antibiotics. Progress towards this goal has led the Melander lab to a lead compound capable of re-sensitize MRSA to β-lactams. In attempts to further investigate the compounds structural relationship to the activity; we have devised a means of substituting the 2-Amino position of the 2-Aminoimidazole to increase its ability to re-sensitize bacteria to β-lactam containing antibiotics

A4 Synthesis and Characterization of Hexacoordinate Metal Complexes John Hoang Nguyen Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Walter Weare Chemistry The main goal of my research is to synthesize bimetallic compounds that have metal to metal charge transfer (MMCT) capabilities. By having MMCT, these compounds can serve as chromophores for artificial photosynthesis systems. To do this, precursors need to be made to create such bimetallic systems. Two of these precursors that I’ve been currently been synthesizing are the molybdenum-oxo complex [(PY5Me2)MoO]I2 described by H. Karunadasa et al [Karunadasa, H.I.; Chang, C. J.; Long, J.R. Nature 2010, 464,


1329-1333.] and a related chromium complex [(PY5Me2)CrOH]Cl2. The molybdenum-oxo complex and chromium complex were characterized by NMR, ATR-FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy.

D30 Nickel-Catalyzed Kumada Cross-Coupling Reaction Using an Aminohydroxyphosphine Ligand Danise Yaritza Rivera Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Daniel Comins Chemistry A large number of the organic molecules that are part of drug development programs contain a heteroaromatic fragment, and a carbon-carbon bond formation is a required step in their synthesis. One of the most powerful strategies employed for this transformation is the transition metal-catalyzed cross coupling reactions. Particularly, the nickel- or palladium-catalyzed reaction between Grignard reagents and alkyl, vinyl and aryl halides, known as the Kumada cross-coupling, offers a practical and economical alternative for the preparation of heteroaromatics. Due to this potential, continuous efforts to develop suitable catalyst systems for this cross-coupling reaction are still undergoing. Theoretical studies show that in the nickel-catalyzed reaction a crucial step is the oxidative addition. In order to effect and accelerate this step, some strategies have been studied, one of them involves the use of hydroxyphosphine ligands. Hydroxyphosphine ligands have been demonstrated to be useful in Kumada cross-coupling reactions, allowing the facile activation of fairly unreactive aryl halides. The mode of action of these ligands includes the formation of a bimetallic species resulting from the coordination of the nickel center, the ligand and the Grignard reagent. In light of these principles, our work was focused on the Kumada cross-coupling reaction of heteroaryl halides with alkyl Grignard reagents employing a novel and economical catalyst system based on a nickel precatalyst and an aminohydroxy phosphine ligand. As envisioned, the preliminary results indicate that low amounts of this catalyst system are enough to afford the cross-coupled products which opens the door to a variety of useful transformations.

D34 Cp*Ir(III) Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols David Paul Walton Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Elon Ison Chemistry The complexes Cp*Ir(NHC)Cl2 (1-Cl) and

[Cp*Ir(NHC)(OH2)2]OTf2 (1-OH2), where NHC = 1,4-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene and OTf = trifluoromethanesulfonato, where prepared. Quantitative yields were achieved for the oxidation of 1-phenylethanol in toluene with 1-Cl (+ 2 AgOTf ) after 48 h at 100°C under 1 atm O2 with 2.5 % catalyst loading. However, the analogous aqueous reaction with 1-OH2 gave only 60% conversion after 24 h at 5 mol %. A possible major decomposition product of the catalyst is the dimeric complex [Cp*Ir(NHC)H]2OTf2. This complex was isolated from the reaction mixture after 24 h, and also prepared by treating the 1-OH2 or 1-Cl with a variety of reagents, the most convenient of which is the reaction of 1-OH2 with H2(g). An X-ray crystal structure of [Cp*Ir(NHC)H]2OTf2 was obtained.

C29 The Effect of Various Protective Coatings on Production of Hydroxyl Radicals by Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Nicholas Edward Williams Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Tatyana Smirnova Chemistry Maxim Voynov Chemistry Research into iron oxide nanoparticles has led to varied biomedical and materials science applications. With the expanding applications the potential cytotoxic effects caused by the particles’ catalytic surface must be studied. Iron oxide nanoparticles are able to participate in the biologically relevant, superoxide driven, Fenton reaction (Haber-Weiss reaction), generating reactive hydroxyl radicals (OH•), which could cause intracellular damage in biological systems. Using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy and a spin-trapping technique, we studied the effect of passivating Fe2O3 nanoparticles with oleic acid and the polysaccharide pullulan on OH• radical production. The extent of the nanoparticles’ coating was determined by Thermal Gravimetric Analysis. 5,5-Dimethyl-1-Pyrroline N-Oxide (DMPO) was used as a spin trap to observe the formation of the hydroxyl radical, trapping it as a much more stable DMPO-OH• radical adduct. The particles were studied under the conditions of the Haber-Weiss reaction. In this reaction a xanthine/xanthine oxidase system is used to generate superoxide radicals, which reduce the surface of the iron(III) nanoparticles, allowing them to catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 in the classical Fenton reaction. The oleate monolayer coating was found to be practically ineffective in inhibiting OH• radical production, compared to bare nanoparticles. Coating the nanoparticles with pullulan, was found to only slightly attenuate the DMPO-OH• adduct


formation. In addition, a series of experiments were performed to justify the mechanism of OH• radical production.

D22 Crystallization and X-ray diffraction of Dehaloperoxidase T56A Mutant Iain Matthew Wright Biochemistry and Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Stefan Franzen Chemistry Dehaloperoxidase (DHP) is a bifunctional enzyme found in the marine annelid, Amphitrite ornata, that operates as both a hemoglobin and a peroxidase. The peroxidase activity of DHP is useful for breaking down toxins found in sediment on the ocean floor. It converts toxic trihalophenols into less toxic dihaloquinones. Histidine 55 in DHP has been demonstrated to shift between an open and closed conformation. The peroxidase activity of DHP is only significant when histidine 55 is in the closed conformation. We mutated the 56th residue from a threonine to an alanine to test how the change in flexibility of the 55th residue would affect peroxidase activity. We mutated the protein by site-directed mutagenesis PCR and then sequenced it. Afterwards, we purified the protein by an ammonium sulfate precipitation, several steps of dialysis, size exclusion chromatography and ion exchange chromatography. Crystal plates were then set up using 8 mg/mL DHP and .2 M ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. After one week, crystals were harvested and a diffraction pattern was obtained with 2.08 Å resolution, at 70% completeness. The observed crystal habit was either a triangular prism or a cube. The crystals had P212121 symmetry. Future work will focus on solving the structure of the DHP mutant by molecular replacement, growing higher quality crystals and on further characterization of the DHP mutant protein.

Computation for Undergraduates in Statistics Program (NCSU CUSP) A18 Extension of Grammatical Evolution Decision Trees for Family Trio Data Holly E Petruso Statistics Amanda English Statistics; CHONG WANG Statistics and Applied Math Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alison Motsinger-Reif Statistics David Reif Statistics With today's advanced genotyping technologies, the number of genetic variants per individual that are available for disease-mapping studies is exponentially

increasing, posing an important computational problem. Current analytical methods are computationally infeasible in the face of the combinatorial explosion created when considering complex genetic models in high-dimensional datasets generated by these new technologies. Evolutionary computation approaches have shown promise in addressing such high-dimensional combinatoric problems. However, these have largely been applied only to genetic data on unrelated individuals (i.e. case-control data). In this study, an evolutionary computation method that uses grammatical evolution to evolve decision trees (GEDT) will be extended to consider trios, in which disease cases and their respective parents are collected for gene-mapping. Using previously-developed simulation software, we will evaluate the ability of GEDT to identify disease-associated loci in trio data and characterize its performance across a range of complex models. This study will be implemented using NCSU’s super-computing cluster and result in distributable software for these cutting-edge methods.

A15 Comparison of Internal Model Validation Methods for Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction to Find Complex Models Holly Christine Sweeney Statistics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alison Motsinger-Reif Statistics Determining the genes responsible for complex human traits can be challenging when the underlying genetic model takes a complicated form, such as genetic heterogeneity (in which different genetic models can result in the same trait) or epistasis (in which genes interact with other genes and the environment). Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) is a widely used method that effectively detects epistasis; however, the presence of genetic heterogeneity can confound the standard cross-validation procedure used for internal model validation. Cross-validation allows for only one “best” model and is therefore inadequate when more than one model could cause the same trait. We hypothesize that an alternative internal model validation method, the three-way split, will be better at detecting heterogeneity models. To test this, we will simulate genetic data that exhibits heterogeneity, implement MDR with each of the two internal model validation methods, and then compare the results. The simulated datasets will be based on a variety of heterogeneity models (covering a range of heritabilities and penetrance models) so that the relative performance of the two internal model validation methods can be evaluated across an array of situations. These methods will be evaluated using empirical power calculations across the various datasets. Our results will be used to characterize the situations where in each of the two internal model validation methods is most appropriate.


D6 Modeling Highly Complex Models of Disease Risk Bethany Lynn Vohlers Statistics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alison Motsinger-Reif Statistics As genetic association mapping rapidly evolves, new insights in the field recognize complex human traits as more heavily impacted by higher-order models of disease risk than initially assumed, attributing dozens, or even hundreds, of genetic variants to disease etiology. With advanced statistical and computational modeling, these genetic variants may be applied as clinical predictors. However, the high-dimensionality of these models confronts both traditional and modern data-mining approaches with important challenges in respect to variable selection and model identification. Whereas new approaches including Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR) have been tested with as many as five disease-associated genes, little is known regarding its performance with higher dimensional risk models. Through the use of simulations, MDR’s statistical integrity with high-dimensional risk models will be evaluated, and the sample sizes needed to model a range of these high-order effects will be empirically estimated. The use of other classifiers, including traditional statistical approaches such as logistic regression, will be evaluated in parallel and compared to the results of MDR. This study will utilize processing power in NCSU’s High Performance Computing (HPC) center to allow feasible implementations of these computationally-intensive empirical comparisons.


Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) D25 The maturing mind on a daily basis: The relationship between distress, everyday memory and age Danielle M. Batin Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Shevaun Neupert Psychology Previous research has shown that age and distress are related to everyday memory. It is universally acknowledged that older adults are outperformed by younger adults in recall ability. Furthermore, episodic memory and distress are negatively related to each other in cross-sectional studies. The purpose of the present study was to expand upon earlier findings evaluating the relationship between age, episodic memory, and distress using a microlongitudinal design. Participants in the age ranges of 18-24(n=50) and 60-92 (n=43) were asked to complete an eight day diary regarding their distress and everyday memory. A word recall task was included in order to evaluate everyday memory. A multilevel model revealed significant age differences in word recall performance and also found a significant Age X Distress interaction. There was no relationship between distress and word recall in younger adults. Older adults however, possessed a significant positive relationship, suggesting that with more distress, the better the memory performance. Overall, this study provides support for the Broaden and Build theory (Fredrickson, 2001), but extends it to a daily diary framework.

B28 Alternative Microfluidic Material Sara Ziyad Busaileh Microbiology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Orlin Velev Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Ahmet UÁar Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Microfluidics is a rapidly growing research area because it has the potential to be used in many different fields of technology. Current applications for microfluidics include bioanalyis, biassays, synthesis of special microparticles and drug research. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the conventional material used for microfluidic devices but this material can be expensive. We aim to create a new class of microfluidic devices by using polyethylene (PE) sheets in place of PDMS. By using PE sheets we will be able to create a more flexible and inexpensive microfludic device. We propose a method in which we use patterns of the immiscible polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to create the channel design onto PE sheets. We found a set of conditions where the channels can be successfully fabricated and interfaced to fluid source. We tested each sample to optimize the flow of liquid by varying several parameters. We plan to characterize the flow of liquid in

the test samples by pumping the liquid using a micro pump and observing the flow under the microscope. In the future we also plan to observe the liquid flow in channels under pressure, and to optimize the patterning process to create more complicated designs. The results of this project can be an application in larger scale “microfluidic materials”.

C12 Camponotus chromoaiodes vs. Formica subsericea network Adrianna Renee Cardinal-De Casas Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Rob Dunn Biology Disease and information spread are regulated through interactions. Within ant colonies, interactions occur within nests as well as out in the world. This experiment was conducted to learn how ants come in contact with each other, specifically Camponotus chromoaiodes and Formica subsericea. These two species were studied comparatively, by separating colonies into small subcolonies, and observing contacts, both inside and outside their initial nest. These observations were made over the course of two days. Both were active. C. chromoaiodes more frequently visited other nests than the F. subsericea, making their cumulative network better mixed . C. chromoaiodes being polydomous, habitate more than one nest, was expected to venture into multiple nests. Meanwhile, F. subsericea are not polydomous and they were expected to not travel out of their nests, but did so after the first day. These contact data can be used to study how disease and information might flow between small populations.

C18 Determining whether the relative sensitivities of reovirus T1L and T3D to antiviral IFN reflect repressor function Phoebe Marie Cruz Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Barbara Sherry Department Molecular Biomedical Sciences Reovirus, a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, induces myocarditis (damage to the heart muscle) when using a mouse model to study this important human disease. The cytokine interferon (IFN) protects cells against reovirus-induced myocarditis. In most cell types, viruses stimulate IFN production. Secretion of IFN induces expression of antiviral genes in neighboring cells providing protection against viral spread and damage. IFN response and myocarditis differ among reovirus strains. Type 1 Lang (T1L) produces minute amounts of IFN, is resistant to the antiviral effect of IFN, and induces myocarditis. Type 3 Dearing (T3D), conversely, efficiently induces IFN production, is remarkably sensitive to the antiviral effects of IFN, and


is non-myocarditic. T1L resistance to IFN segregates with the T1L-M1 gene. Interestingly, T1L, but not T3D, represses IFN induction of antiviral genes, and this is determined by differences in the reovirus protein µ2 encoded by the M1 gene. We hypothesized that the relative sensitivities of reovirus T1L and T3D to IFN reflect their M1 gene’s capacity to repress IFN signaling. To investigate this relationship, we developed an immunofluorescence approach comparing the relative effects of transfected T1L-M1 and T3D-M1 on IFN repression of viral infection. We successfully designed immunofluorescence protocols to monitor proteins expressed from transfected DNA and viral infections. High microscope magnification was required to detect differences between the effects of T1L-M1 and T3D-M1 on IFN repression of viral infection. Analyses of results are in progress. Future experiments will continue to assess the impact of viral genes in subverting the host antiviral IFN response.

A5 Alcohol sensitivity in Drosophila melanogaster Carmen Ellen Cubilla Biological Sciences Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Trudy MacKay Genetics Alcoholism is a disorder determined by interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors. Alcohol sensitivity and development of alcohol tolerance in Drosophila melanogaster has similarities to that of humans. The flies encounter alcohol in their natural environments, and individuals in wild populations have variable sensitivities to ethanol. Alcohol sensitivity can be easily measured in the laboratory by placing flies in an ‘inebriometer’ that is pre-equilibrated with ethanol vapor; the time it takes for each fly to lose postural control and fall through the inebriometer is a measure of sensitivity. Previous research using 40 inbred lines derived from the Raleigh population showed significant variation in sensitivity. As part of a project to map the polymorphisms affecting this variation, we assessed ethanol sensitivity for 480 3rd chromosome isogenic substitution lines that were derived from crossing the 40 inbred lines and substituting homozygous 3rd chromosomes in a common inbred background, the Canton S B strain. We found significant variation among these lines. The Line ×Sex interaction term was highly significant (p<0.0001) indicating that the difference in alcohol sensitivity between males and females also varies among different genotypes. We hypothesize that we will be able to map the loci affecting alcohol sensitivity with much higher resolution than was possible in the previous study and identify novel genes for follow up in human studies. C30 Pharmokinetics of Water Treated Tetracycline in Finisher Swine Simona Dereje Biological Sciences

Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Ronald Baynes Department of Population Health and Pathobiology Tetracycline is a drug that has been used in the swine industry to treat and prevent disease outbreak. The pharmokinetics of this drug has never been evaluated as a water additive. The tetracycline treated water has been consumed by the finisher swine for 8 withdrawing days and 5 dosing days, then their blood and organs including the kidneys, stomach, fat, muscle, and liver were tested to determine the concentration of tetracycline in the blood plasma and organs. The organ of main concern has been the stomach because people in other countries consume pig stomach and they have strict regulations regarding how much of the drug is allowed to be present in the stomach. These regulations in other countries are much lower than the United States regulations. Not all of the stomach samples were analyzed, however, the ones that were showed traces of tetracycline. To assay the stomach it was homogenized first then it was run through an HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography). This instrument measured the height and area under the curve of the tetracycline peaks . The blood plasma assay also involved the HPLC and measured its height and area under curve of tetracycline peaks. The results were graphs of the area under the curve or height vs. the concentration of tetracycline and they both showed consistent linear patterns. The peaks were measured against mobile phase standards, which are used to adjust chromatographic seperation and retention in liquid chromatography. This study can also be applied in human health as well because if the drug concentration found in the pig stomachs are excessive, this can result in drug resistance in humans.

A2 Tungsten-based Carbon Microelectrodes: A New Generation of Neurochemical Sensors? Manix Lukungu Eluhu Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Gregory McCarty Biomedical Engineering Carbon fiber microelectrodes are commonly employed to advance understanding of the role of chemical signaling in the brain. Unfortunately, these microelectrodes have several drawbacks including being fragile and having the potential for breaking when inserted into tissue. This drawback makes them difficult to implement in research on awake and behaving animals and makes them inappropriate for use in higher level mammals. This research is creating and testing tungsten-based carbon microelectrodes. These tungsten based carbon microelectrodes will be fabricated by coating tungsten microelectrodes with polymer films and then pyrolyzing the resulting structure to generate a carbon-surface on the microelectrode. The carbon surface will provide the same performance as state-of-the-art chemical sensors currently used for in vivo measurements, but will be more robust.


B30 Developing a Novel Calibration Method for In Vivo Collected Data by Investigating Carbon-fiber Microelectrode Surface Chemistry Eyob Abebe Eyualem Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Gregory McCarty Biomedical Engineering Electrode pre/post-calibration has been one of the biggest problems plaguing animal studies. Calibration is necessary for quantification of neurotransmitter concentration fluctuations, by equating experimentally collected currents to the sensitivity of the electrode to the analyte. Pre-calibration requires an electrode’s sensitivity to be assessed before it is lowered into the animal brain. This method has two main problems. Foremost there are hygienic issues of lowering a contaminated electrode into the brain, were cleaning could alter the electrode surface rendering the pre-calibration futile. Also, damaging the fragile electrode between pre-calibration and making measurements would waste valuable time. Post-calibration does not have the same sterilization problems; however, the electrode might become damaged after making measurements, thus preventing calibration. All together, there is a high probably that data and time will be lost with both methods. Alternatively, this problem can be solved by correlating the total charging current, which can be recorded in vivo, with the sensitivity to a particular analyte calculated from a training set. To obtain this calibration factor many electrodes of various sizes were tested with various concentrations of the analyte to build a training set of data. The results show a high correlation between the total charging current and the sensitivity of the electrode to the analyte. This method will solve these calibration problems and save valuable time. Our result shows that there is a linear relationship between sensitivity and charging current so we can use sensitivity and charging current to predict the concentration of neurotransmitters.

D32 New Palearctic Species discovered in North America Britne Rochele Hackett Animal Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Rob Dunn Biology Urbanized habitats are increasing each year by the conversion of natural ecosystems to urban environments. Meanwhile, half of the human population now resides in the changing habitats of cities. Little is known of these urbanized habitats, but that they receive more human exposure than natural habitats. Our goal was to the question of how the species richness in heavily urbanized environments differs from natural to more disturbed environments. In this study, we used three sampling methods to sample the biodiversity of Arthropods in New York City, the

first was snicker baits. Our second, called Winkler extractor method allows the collection of leaf litter arthropods. The last method was hand-collecting with the aid of aspirators. Samples were taken among the medians of Broadway , and within parks, such as Riverside and Central Parks. Surprisingly even in heavily disturbed habitats a great variety of arthropods have been found. However our preliminary results indicate that the dominant species found were exotic, such as Tetramorium sp.E which is native to Europe and Nylanderia flavipes which is native to Asia and the discovery of a new exotic species in North America probably in provenance of Europe (Lasius cf. emarginatus). Exotic ants are mostly introduced inadvertently by human transport. The consequences of these introductions could have negative effects on the flow of the ecosystem and thus, could impact human living. Finally, the discovery of a new exotic species in such a heavily populated area, reveals our lack of knowledge on most organisms living around us.

A3 Assessing the barriers, facilitators, and motivators involved in getting preschoolers to consume fruits and vegetables via a socio-ecological model Helen Rosanna Herrera Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Suzie Goodell Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences In order to understand human behavior and the ability for an individual to consume fruits and vegetables (FV), it is important to understand not just the individual, but also the actual environment within which the individual exists. Ecological models encompass an evolving body of theory and research concerned with the processes and conditions that govern the lifelong course of human development. The social-ecological model presents a framework for understanding the barriers, facilitators, and motivators that influence the capacity to which a parent can manage to feed his/her child FV and get them to eat it. FV consumption among preschool children does not meet the dietary recommendations for FV. Because parents are mainly responsible for feeding their children, we conducted focus groups to gain better understanding of the impact of FV consumption in preschool children from low-income families through the interpersonal and organizational levels of the socio-ecological model. Although preliminary results, parents discussed themes at each level of the model, including wanting to be role models and a desire for their children to be healthy. Gaining this understanding can provide guidance for developing culturally appropriate, yet effective, intervention strategies for low-income individuals and families with integration of socio-ecological concepts.

C11 Effect of loading rate on strains in different cartilage layers.


Chima U Igboko BME Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Peter Mente Biomedical Program-Engineering Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that breaks down cartilage. OA occurs at the end of bones, joints, as a result of the bones rubbing together. OA is prevalent in the knee joints of adult and is due to various factors a few being, load magnitudes and the rate at which the load is applied. By observing how these factors affect the deformation of the various tissue layers, conclusions can be drawn as to what loads and rates of loading lead to OA. This study focuses on the relationship between the magnitude of loads and load rate, and magnitude of deformation measured in strain. To measure the stain an experiment was developed to catch impactions to pig patellas on camera. The recorded clips could then be analyzed and correlated with change in force and displacement measurements overtime. Detailed in this presentation is the preliminary process of this experiment. This includes, the development of a program via LabView that collected the 5 analog inputs (force, displacement, and X, Y, Z piezoelectric components), triggered the camera, and the MTS machine, and displayed data as the experiment took place. Circuit board schematics and wiring of cables and boards were developed to connect computers for data communication purposes. Also setup of camera and lights, preparation of MTS programs, and calibration of data collections were conducted. Future goals for this study are to carry out several tests on stained pig patellas at various rates and loads and to analyze the video and analog data.

A19 The Relationship between Community Characteristics, Health and Stress Ashley Nichole Lowe Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jason Allaire Psychology Jason Allaire Psychology The current study examined the relationship between cardiovascular disease and neighborhood characteristics. Previous studies have found that aspects of the physical environment such as; crowding, noise, sanitations, and crime are related to poorer health outcomes such as blood pressure, chronic conditions and overall self-rated health (Jacobs, Wilson, Smith, Evans, 2009; Li, Harmer, Vongjaturapat, 2009; Yao & Robert, 2008). Environmental stress has also been found to be involved in the relationship of neighborhood of residence and cardiovascular disease (Augustin, Glass, James & Schwartz, 2008). Persons living in low socioeconomic neighborhoods have been shown to perceive more stress (Feldman & Steptoe, 2004), along with persons in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of minorities (Geronimus, 1992). The study aims to determine if there is a relationship between diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, certain characteristics of a neighborhood and

stress. A sub-sample of 334 African Americans over the age of 50 was used for this analysis. The sub-sample is a part of the larger Carolina African American Twins Study of Aging (CAATSA). Mediation analysis was conducted to determine whether the relationship between diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and neighborhood characteristics is mediated by the amount of stress older adults feel in their lives. Results and possible implications are discussed.

B16 Development of Methods for Video Measurement of in-situ Strain in Atricular Cartilage Mikail A Mannan NC State Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Peter Mente Biomedical Program-Engineering Articular cartilage degeneration leads to osteoarthritis and other diseases. Degeneration of tissue can be a result of high impact loads and mechanical wear throughout a person’s lifetime. Cartilage has heterogeneous zonal layers with different cellular composition and structural networks. To determine the strain in the different zonal layers of articular cartilage; videos were recorded of a high speed impaction at different loading rates. The effect of the loading rates and peak load on the strains in the cartilage tissue could be determined by a robust marking system. It is important the video be synced with the force data to track the displacement points. The video is recorded by a high speed camera for 8.5133 seconds and takes 512 frames. The order of operations file, written in labview, sets the routine for the test; first sending a 5 volt signal to the camera and setting the camera to record. Shortly after, a signal is sent for the machine to begin testing. The hydraulic MTS Force machine impacts the cartilage surface with either a 500, 1000 or 2000 N load. The controls for the impact labview file prompts the user to select the load and speed as low, medium, or high. The strain the different zonal layers of the articular cartilage could be viewed by exposing middle plane of the patella. The patella was cut in halves along this plane and placed in a sturdy mold using a fast drying resin. A light coat of spray paint was applied; covering the cut section of cartilage with black specs of paint. Tracking the displacement of the specs of paint will provide information about the strain of the zonal layers articular cartilage. D20 Video Gameplay Effects on Self-Concept in Older Adults James Cody Oxendine Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jason Allaire Psychology Research has revealed that playing video games can improve cognitive abilities and produce positive outcomes throughout life span. The research project


aims to examine how playing a complex video game benefits older adults cognitive functioning, specifically self concept (self-efficacy, loneliness, well-being, and optimism). In doing so, the participants completed pre-test sessions after being randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. Those who were in the experimental group completed 15 days of hour long sessions where participants worked through levels on the Nintendo Wii game, BoomBlox. After the completion of the 15 sessions, the participants complete post-test where the results will be compared to the pre-test for examination of any improvements in cognitive abilities. It is proposed that through positive game play outcome and social interactions that self-concept will improve.

D33 How does Prozac really work? The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in testing fluoxetine drug actions. Sarah Elizabeth Oxendine Zoology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: John Godwin Biology Stress/anxiety disorders are one of the leading causes for morbidity and mortality in today’s society. Zebrafish are excellent tools for anxiety research since they share strong homologies to humans in important respects, are relatively inexpensive and easy to maintain, and are very amenable to genetic manipulation. Fluoxetine, a popular anxiolytic drug, better known as Prozac, has two known stereoisomers, R and S. It is widely believed that the R stereoisomer, which acts on serotonin, is responsible for Fluoxetine’s anxiolytic effects. The S stereoisomer, which acts on Gabaergic mechanisms, is not as thoroughly researched. Utilizing a Novel Tank Diving Test (NTDT) apparatus, zebrafish anxiety-related behaviors were observed after introduction of the animals into a stressful environment. Prior to testing, the fish were administered 200µl of 11µg/µl R or R/S stereoisomer Fluoxetine for two weeks. The fish were placed into the novel tank and allowed to roam for six minutes. Alarm Substance was added immediately after and the fish were tested for six additional minutes. The durations of time spent in the top vs. the bottom of the tank and the time spent stationary were recorded. We hypothesize that the anxiolytic effects of Fluoxetine are largely due to Gabaergic mechanisms. We anticipate that by determining the true stereoisomer action mechanism for Fluoxetine, the drug specific mechanism will be better understood. This is essential for effectively treating stress/anxiety related disorders.

D23 John Henryism: The Impact of Coping Style on Health Melanie A Paige Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jason Allaire Psychology It has been found that African Americans have a high

prevalence of chronic health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and are also at greater risk for being diagnosed with chronic health problems in comparison to other groups (Bowman, 2008). The current study aimed to examine the possible relationships between John Henryism and diabetes diagnosis in African American older adults, after accounting for socio-economic factors and locus of control. John Henryism can be described as a high-effect coping style characterized by a strong level of confidence in one’s ability to effectively cope with difficult psychological and environmental demands (Whitfield, Brandon, Robinson, Bennett, Merritt, & Edwards, 2006). High levels of John Henryism combined with a lack of resources, has been found to be a risk factor for cardiovascular dysregulation (Whitfield, Brandon, Robinson, Bennett, Merritt, & Edwards, 2006) and high blood pressure (James, Hartnet, & Kalsbeek, 1983) among African Americans. John Henryism was measured using the Personal Style Questionnaire, which contained items similar to characteristics that describe this coping style. Looking at the relationship between John Henryism and diabetes is worthwhile, as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular problems often co-occur in African American populations. 180 same-sex twin pairs over the age of 50 were used for this study. The sample is a part of the larger Carolina African American Twins Study of Aging (CAATSA). Results and possible implications are discussed.

A27 Does Sumoylation of Sp3 Affect Skin Growth? Tojan Bassam Rahhal Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jonathan Horowitz Department Molecular Biomedical Sciences Shannon Chiera Molecular Biomedical Scien Sp proteins are responsible for the regulation of a wide variety of genes, many of which play important roles in animal development. Sp3 encodes three isoforms (Sp3, M1, and M2) that are synthesized from a single mRNA. Each isoform carries the Sp3 DNA-binding domain as well as lysine 551 (K551), the major site of a post-translational modification termed sumoylation. Sumoylation of Sp3 isoforms at K551 has been shown to control Sp3 function in vitro. To determine if this is also the case in vivo, transgenic animals were created that over-express wild-type or mutated Sp3 proteins lacking K551. The focus of my work has been to determine the functional requirement for Sp3 sumoylation on stem cells of the skin. Interestingly, mice carrying a sumoylation-deficient M1 transgene exhibit severe alopecia, a hair loss phenotype. Skin stem cells from these animals were cultured in vitro and analyzed by a cell proliferation assay. Our results indicate that cells derived from wild-type and sumoylation-deficient M1 animals proliferate similarly for the first 96-hours in culture. Cultures prepared from sumoylation-deficient M1 animals deteriorate subsequently. Future studies will identify the


mechanism by which Sp3 sumoylation regulates stem cell proliferation.

C33 Development of Personality Traits in Zebrafish: Analyzing Early Expression of Proactive and Reactive Lines Detric Elijah Robinson Biological Sciences (Human) Mentors and/or Co-Authors: John Godwin Biology The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that depression is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Stress and anxiety related disorders are quickly becoming one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity, thus there has been an increase in the amount of research in the area. Zebrafish are excellent tools for conducting anxiety related research since they are homologous to humans with respect to key neural pathways, breed and develop quickly, and are relatively inexpensive. This research focuses on the coping style expression of proactive and reactive zebrafish as the lines develop from larval to adult fish. The coping styles of the larval and juvenile zebrafish were tested using an Open Field Test during which the fish were placed in an open field and recorded for analysis by a motion tracking program. Studying the coping styles of larval and juvenile zebrafish has the potential of exposing when, during development, behavioral differences begin in the specimen. The coping styles of larval fish of different lines (proactive/reactive) are expected to be similar, but as the fish begin to transition into juveniles, the fish are expected to express a more proactive or more reactive coping style. By comparing the coping styles of larval, juvenile, and adult fish, there is a possibility of developmental breakthroughs in the expression of stress and anxiety related studies.

D29 An examination of how well parents implement HELPS procedures with their child after completing training workshops Christian Shakina Shelton Psychology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: John Begeny Psychology Rachel Courtney Mitchell Psychology Parental involvement plays a role in improving children’s reading levels. While some parents may feel as though they lack what it takes to successfully educate their child, research shows that with training, parents have the ability to improve their child’s reading performance (Faires, Nichols, and Rickelman, 2000). The purpose of this study is to train parents on how to implement the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) Program and examine the degree to which parents use this program properly (i.e., with adequate implementation integrity). Specifically, the goal of this study is to answer the following question: How well do parents implement the HELPS

program’s guidelines on their own after receiving approximately at least five hours of training? The study includes 20 first and second grade below average to average readers, and a parent of each of those students. The second author, who is in charge of the original study that the present study is stemming from, has completed the training portion of the investigation and is now in the process of determining whether or not each parent is implementing the program with high levels of implementation integrity with his or her child. Data collection is in progress and will continue into the Fall 2011 semester.

A33 Phenomenon of Aggregation involving Pd2DBA3 Austin Reese Smith Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Stefan Franzen Chemistry The phenomenon of aggregation in chemistry is known to be caused by the interaction of insoluble compounds with one another. My project has involved the study of the phenomenon of aggregation by the inorganic complex tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) (Pd2DBA3). Pd2DBA3 is a widely used catalyst of organic reactions. This project has branched from a study done to understand claims of mediation by ribonucleic acid (RNA). The goal of this project is to determine the characteristics of aggregates formed when Pd2DBA3 is added to 50% tetrahydrofuran (THF) and water. To understand this phenomenon, two important tests were used in this study. These included DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering) which measures the size of particles in a solution, and UV Vis; which is a technique used to verify absorption levels of a solution. There is immediate precipitation in these mixtures. Once the precipitate is removed by centrifugation, aggregates can be observed by DLS. After one week there is a color change, which is nearly reversible if THF is added to the solution. Remarkably, the solution returns to the normal purplish color of the Pd2DBA3 in THF. There are apparently further aggregation states of the material. These spontaneously formed aggregates cast further doubt on the role played by RNA in RNA-mediated processes reported using this reagent.

C31 Miniaturization of commercial swine Ashley Marie Sough Chemical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jorge Piedrahita Department Molecular Biomedical Sciences Swine are used throughout the biomedical community as translational research models, due to their physiological similarity to humans. With the development of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and the completion of the swine genome sequence, a wider range of human diseases can be studied by generating transgenic swine lines. Even though using commercially bred swine to


generate these transgenic lines reduces costs, they can weigh over 500 pounds by 1 to 2 years of age. One expensive solution is to use miniature swine lines, such as the Yucatan, since their adult weight is about 100-150 pounds. However, it has been demonstrated that the SCNT efficiency is lower in Yucatan breeds than in commercial breeds. An alternative solution is the development of pygmy swine by reducing the expression levels of the high mobility group AT-hook 2 gene (HMGA2). HMGA2 regulates gene expression by changing the conformation of DNA to influence cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and death. HMGA2 is an ideal target, since its expression is ubiquitous during embryogenesis, but hardly detectable in adult tissues. Using RNA interference, specifically short hairpin RNA (shRNA), to knockdown the HMGA2 gene will result in reduction of fetal growth without any deleterious effects. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is being used to analyze the knockdown of HMGA2 in two different porcine fetal fibroblast cell lines transfected with the shRNA constructs. Once the shRNA constructs have shown reproducible knockdown, stable cell lines will be established for use in somatic cell nuclear transfer.


NC Project Seed (High School) B31 Inhibitors of Bordetella Biofilms as a New Therapeutic Approach to Pertussis Taylor Elizabeth Adair Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Christian Melander Chemistry Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, is the principal cause of vaccine preventable death worldwide, resulting in public health concerns in countries with elevated vaccination coverage. Current pertussis vaccines only prevent the severe form of the whooping cough disease; however, they do not prevent bacterial carriage and the development of biofilms within the respiratory tract of vaccinated persons. The purpose of this research is to screen a variety of inhibitor compounds to determine their antibiofilm activity against Bordetella bronchiseptica biofilms. The results of these B. bronchiseptica inhibition studies can then be used as a model for the inhibition of B. pertussis biofilms, which are directly associated with the pertussis disease. Inhibition studies were conducted by completing a series of bacterial assays to screen a range of marine alkaloid derivative inhibitor compounds at 50µm and 100µm concentrations. IC50 values were then determined for compounds expressing greater than 50% biofilm inhibition at 100µm concentrations and dose-response curves were generated. Results of these studies showed that several compounds were active inhibitors towards B. bronchiseptica biofilms. It was observed that the compounds displaying the highest inhibiting activity were composed of a base 2-aminoimidazole (2-AI) structure with variances in the substituent group’s alkyl chain and linker between the 2-AI and phenyl ring.

B18 Computational and Experimental Study of the Absorption Spectra of Nickel and Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrins Jonathan Chan N/A Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Elena Jakubikova Chemistry Elon Ison Chemistry Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a promising way to convert visible light into electricity without the fragility and costs of silicon solar cells. The most efficient DSSCs to date use Ru(II)-polypyridines as dye-sensitizers. Ruthenium is, however, rare and expensive; search for dyes based on cheaper and more abundant metals is therefore an important area of basic research. We use density functional theory (DFT) and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy to investigate the absorption spectra of nickel, zinc, and free-base (Fb) tetraphenylporphyrins (TPPs) which could be employed as dye-sensitizers in DSSCs. Q and Soret bands are identified in calculated and measured absorption spectra

for all molecules investigated. According to the TDDFT calculations, Q-band peaks can be described as HOMO to LUMO and HOMO to LUMO+1 excitations. Q-band peaks for Fb TPP are measured at 648 and 548 nm and calculated at 575 and 538 nm, corresponding to an error of less than 0.25 eV. The Q-band peaks of metal-substituted TPPs are shifted to lower wavelengths – 524 nm (nickel TPP) and 543 nm (zinc TPP). Soret band peaks correspond to HOMO-1 to LUMO and HOMO-1 to LUMO+1 excitations with peaks calculated at 377 nm (Fb TPP), 382 nm (nickel TPP), and 380 nm (zinc TPP.) Calculated absorption wavelengths and intensities are found to be in good agreement with the measured absorption spectra, indicating that TDDFT can serve as a powerful tool for computational modeling of dyes for DSSCs.

C23 Background Subtracted Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry for the Detection of Superoxide Anion Eben A Evbuomwan Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Leslie Sombers Chemistry Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are oxygen containing molecules that are highly reactive. Characterization of ROS is difficult because these molecules have short half-lives and are highly reactive. Superoxide anion in particular, is an important ROS because it is a precursor to various other ROS. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry we are developing a method for the detection and quantification of superoxide anion. This technique is ideal for the detection of superoxide anion because it is capable of 100 ms temporal resolution and micron spatial resolution, both of which are pertinent in the detection of a rapidly fluctuating molecule, such as superoxide anion. Xanthine and xanthine oxidase were combined to generate superoxide anion. The cyclic voltammograms obtained after injecting xanthine and xanthine oxidase show that upon injection of the mixture, no superoxide was generated. It is apparent that the time it takes to mix the xanthine/xanthine oxidase solution and the time of injection surpass the lifetime of superoxide anion. A chitosan/xanthine oxidsase coated carbon fiber microelectrode will be implemented to optimize the generation and detection of superoxide anion using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry.

C8 Formation, Behavior, and Properties of Self-Nucleated Poly (ethylene terepthalate) : A Two Year Study KaDesia Monae Hawkins Textile Engineering, Chemistry, & Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alan Tonelli Textile Engineering Chemistry and Science Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is an aromatic polyester, with very distinct and useful properties. PET


finds wide commercial usage in both fiber and molded applications, such as packaging containers and water bottles. However, PET shows a propensity to slowly crystallize from its melt, and, as such, can be readily quenched from its melt into a wholly amorphous material. To fully develop its semi-crystalline morphology, with superior mechanical properties, it must be either very slowly cooled from its melt or extensively annealed between its glass-transition temperature (Tg~ 65- 80° C) and its melting temperature (Tm ~ 260° C). If not fully developed during melt-processing, the morphology and properties of articles made from this polyesters are subject to modification at relatively low use temperatures, ie., above its Tg. The focus of this research is to further develop the semi-crystalline morphology and resultant properties of PET through self-nucleation, which will serve to manipulate/control its melt-crystallization. As a means to potentially control its semi-crystalline morphology, PET will be precipitated from a Trifluoroacetic Acid solution to achieve samples with largely extended and untangled chains, and whose crystallization from the melt is expected to be much more rapid than those of normal randomly-coiling, amorphous, PET melts. The use of precipitated PET in small quantities as a self-nucleant has advantages over traditional melt-nucleants, talc, mica, and carbon nanotubes, ie., its inherent chemical compatibility and non-toxic, and undetectable natures.

D18 The Effect of the Chemical Environment on the Function of a Nanobiosensor Jakini Auset Kauba Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Melissa Pasquinelli Textiles With the use of biosensors, pharmaceutical development will be accelerated to the point that pharmaceuticals may be capable of generalizing and specializing depending upon the need of the patient. Specialization can be further afforded through the use of nanotechnology. An active area of research is in the development of nanobiosensors, which are biosensors on the nanoscale level that can detect molecules at extremely low concentrations and in miniscule dimensions through the use of biological molecules such as enzymes. Recently, a nanobiosensor was developed with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and bombolitin, a polypeptide that was originally found in the venom of a bumblebee. These CNT-bombolitin nanobiosensors were shown to be highly selective when detecting nitroaromatic molecules. How this nanobiosensor can be so highly selective toward specific nitroaromatics, however, is not well understood. The goal of this work is to investigate with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations how the chemical composition and conformation of Bombolitin III, when adsorbed onto the surface of the carbon nanotube, dictates the selectivity in detecting the nitroaromatics,

cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) and trinitrotoluene (TNT). The MD simulations revealed that the conformation of the Bombolitin III polypeptide is sensitive to its local environment, and this conformational motion is a key component to the specificity of this nanobiosensor. This knowledge will assist other researchers in developing more effective nanobiosensors that can be used in medicine, such as for specialized pharmaceuticals and nanoscale diagnostic devices.

B21 Biomarkers for Early Prognosis of Lung Cancer in a Lung Tumor Model Mark Anthony Mckay Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Min-Xu Zou Preclinical Safety and Efficacy This year it is estimated that 156,940 people will die of lung cancer in the United States. The purpose of this research is to reduce the risk of developing cancer through chemo-preventive techniques. Chemotherapy, along with radiotherapy and surgery, has been proven to be inefficient in completely destroying cancerous cells and tumors. However, detecting biomarkers at an early stage can lead to an early prognosis of lung cancer and thus prevent its proliferation. The procedures that were used to conduct this research were immunohistostaining and scoring techniques to give a numerical value for the expression of PCNA and evaluate the translocation of NF-kB biomarkers. After these experiments were run, the expression of PCNA for all time points in the alveolar and bronchial region were substantially higher in the B[a] P treated group than the vehicle control group. Also, there were higher translocation rates of NF-kB for all the time points in the lung tissue cells in the B[a]P treated group than the vehicle control group. The conclusions that were drawn were that there was a positive correlation between the increased expression of PCNA (proliferation) and the translocation of NF-kB (inflammation) in the B [a] P treated lung tissue cells.

B22 Confirmation of Acetobacter xylinum through Characterization of Cellulose Pellicles After Genetic Modification of Plasmids Bryan Michael Sumner Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Joel Pawlak Wood And Paper Science Acetobacter xylinum is a gram negative bacterium identified in 1886 by A.J. Brown for its ability to produce cellulose. Most recent studies have identified Acetobacter Xylinum as not only a model organism for cellulose biosynthesis, but also as an alternative method to produce biomaterials for medical and industrial applications. Early genetic research performed on Acetobacter Xylinum was successful in the isolation of


the genes responsible for the production of cellulose. These studies suggest that the wild type model of cellulose production by Acetobacter Xylinum would be a poor substitute for the production of biomaterials and extremely cost prohibitive. A more comprehensive approach involving genetic manipulation and the use of self assembling scaffolding motifs will provide a more efficient and effective way of studying Acetobacter Xylinum cellulose production with the goal of identifying a cleaner and more environmental friendly way of producing biomaterials.

D27 The Identification of Sepsis Biomarkers Using High Throughput Real Time PCR Danielle Pleshette Tyson Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Sushila Nordone CVM-Molecular Biomedical Scien Sepsis, a deadly condition caused by bacterial infection of the blood, affects up to 10% of dogs in veterinary teaching hospital critical care units each year. The leading cause of sepsis-related deaths is our inability to rapidly diagnosis the condition. Previous research regarding the pathogenesis of sepsis suggests that proinflammatory and proapoptotic proteins may serve as biomarkers for sepsis. Using Real Time PCR, we analyzed a number of critical proinflammatory and proapoptotic genes in healthy dogs and dogs diagnosed with sepsis. Blood samples were collected and total RNA was extracted. RNA quality was tested using the Agilent Bioanalyzer before cDNA was synthesized using a reverse transcription enzyme kit. Proinflammatory and proapoptotic transcripts from cDNA were measured by Real Time PCR using custom high throughput 96 well plates pre-loaded with primers specific for 86 individual genes of interest and 5 housekeeping genes. Data were analyzed using the ∆∆Ct method to determine fold-difference in gene expression between healthy and septic animals. Based on the program analysis parameters, eleven genes were found to be significantly different in expression between healthy and septic animals. These eleven proinflammatory and proapoptotic genes have potential utility as biomarkers in a molecular diagnostic assay for sepsis.

C28 In vitro Characterization of Potential Small Molecule Activators of Procaspase-3 Avery Thorpe Young Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Clay Clark Biochemistry The intent of this project is to develop small molecule activators of procaspase-3 as an anti-cancer strategy. Procaspase-3 is the terminal protease in the apoptotic cascade that, once activated, commits the cell to undergo apoptosis. This is an exciting and novel

target that could potentially eliminate the resistance observed after administration of other chemotherapeutic agents which target proteins found further upstream in the apoptotic cascade. Most cancers have a large pool of inactive procaspase-3 due to the inability of the cancer cell to undergo apoptosis. Our strategy is to activate this pool of procaspase-3 in cancer cells which will enable apoptosis to resume thereby reducing tumor size or eliminating the tumor all together. The data presented here are the preliminary characterization of ~1300 small molecules that could potentially activate procaspase-3. Procaspase-3 activity was measured in the presence of each drug candidate. It was found that eighteen of the ~1300 molecules had some degree of activating potential. Several confirmatory assays were performed to ensure that the activity data were real. From these collective data, we found 8 molecules that are good leads candidates with which future preclinical testing will be performed.


NC State Independent Researchers D26 Small Molecule Modulation of Bacterial Biofilm Development Cristina Alcaraz Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Christian Melander Chemistry Bacterial infections are amongst the largest problems facing the medical community. Approximately 80% of these infections are due to bacterial biofilms. Control of these bacterial biofilms are therefore of the upmost importance. The 2-aminoimidazole has shown great success in biofilm modulation however more compound classes are required. This work demonstrates the viability of the 2-aminopyrimidines as biofilm modulating agents.

B5 Instabilities of Spreading Droplets Oindree Banerjee Physics, Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Karen Daniels Physics Joshua Bostwick Mathematics The goal of this research is to seek a regime where we can observe the spreading behavior of droplets and compare it with predictions from an existing mathematical model. In particular, the model predicts the formation of a toroidal droplet shape during spreading for particular values of a dimensionless number which represents the balance between driving and dissipative forces on the droplet. Droplets of various fluids with different wetting properties were rotated at different speeds on silanized silicon wafers, to locate the regime that allows the formation of various droplet shapes. By adjusting the fluid and wafer properties, we are able to perform experiments at different values of the dimensionless number. The goal of this research is to seek a.regime where where we can observe the spreading behavior of droplets and compare with predictions from an existing mathematical model. In particular, the model predicts the formation of a toroidal droplet shape during spreading for particular values of a dimensionless number which represents the balance between driving and dissipative forces on the droplet. Droplets of various fluids with different wetting properties were rotated at different speeds on silanized silicon wafer, to locate the regime that allows the formation of droplet shapes. By adjusting the fluid and wafer properties, we are able to perform experiments at different values of the dimensionless number.

A30 The response of Arabidopsis response regulator 7 to geminivirus infection Thomas Francis Blair Biochemistry

Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jose Ascencio-Ibanez Biochemistry Linda Hanley-Bowdoin Biochemistry The project focuses on the Arabidopsis Response Regulator pathway as is affected by geminiviruses in Arabidopsis thaliana. Microarray experiments of Arabidopsis infected with several RNA viruses showed up-regulation of a common set of 102 genes. Of these genes, 68 are also affected during geminivirus infection. Three genes are down-regulated. I am specifically interested in one of the down-regulated genes; ARR7, a response regulator gene which encodes for a cytokinin protein 206 amino acids long and is considered a cytokinin repressor. This study utilizes two types of recombinant plants, the 4-11 line which over expresses the ARR7 gene under the control of the 35S promoter and a recombinant that has the ARR7 promoter in front of the GFP protein to enable detection. I used herbicide selection to produce homozygous stable lines of the pARR7::GFP construct. These plants will be used to detect expression of the ARR7 and their presence in terms of virus symptom localization. The ARR7 over-expressor line is being tested because previous experiment suggested a slight tolerance to the CaLCuV infection, especially in the meristematic area. ARR7 over-expressors have been more susceptible to CaLCuV than to BCTV and have had dampened bolt growth from the start. Early results show ARR7 over-expression shows tolerance to CaLCuV. We will test the response of the over-expressors to infection and localization of GFP signal to understand where and when the geminivirus affects ARR7 expression.

A26 RNA Bioinformatics: How Binding Affects Protein Translation. Wade Leland Colburn Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Donald Bitzer Computer Science-Engineering The creation of proteins on a large scale is increasingly becoming the bottleneck of cheap and effective medical research and production. To this end, it is necessary for the genetic code and the environment of creation to be analyzed closely and often restructured. The RNA Bioinformatics Lab run by Dr. Donald Bitzer in the Computer Science Department has shown that the genetic code affects certain binding energies that arise during protein translation. The lab has developed a computational modeling of the process of protein translation in order to predict how to create proteins exogenously. My role in the laboratory involves testing the predictions of RNA-RNA binding energy models, and how they differ as the genetic code is altered. The research that I have been able to conduct is measuring this binding that is occurring by way of labeling the RNA with radioactive phosphorus, binding them to ribosomal subunits, and calculating the Delta Gibb's free energy. So far, our research has identified some


correlations, however more experiments are necessary to statistically verify that the numbers being predicted by our model are relevant in the laboratory setting. Our future steps will include binding radio-labeled RNA to biotinylated RNA which is then bound to streptavidin coated wells; a similar concept, but an approach that may have fewer compounding variables. We are very optimistic that as these experiments continue from many different directions, our model will be able to open new doors to creating proteins at the click of a button.

B23 Assessing the Dynamics of Biochemical Pathways Using Continuous Boolean Approximations Ransford Kenya Damptey Chemical Engineering & Applied Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Cranos Williams Elec & Comp Engineering Joel Ducoste Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering; Vincent Chiang Forestry&Environmental Resourc Understanding the dynamics of biochemical pathways requires a significant amount of information about the detailed kinetics of enzymes within a given process. A lack of understanding of the kinetics of a single enzyme can often drastically hinder efforts to model, understand, or control a given pathway. Methods that allow us to effectively approximate the dynamics of these interactions in the absence of closed-form rate kinetics can be valuable for propelling the modeling effort forward, despite the lack of information. In this research, we compared two models: one based on the detailed rate kinetics of a sample yeast glycolysis system, and the other, though of the same system, based solely on the Boolean interactions of the individual components. The first model was obtained by applying mass action law, along with quasi-steady state assumptions, to form a series of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) representing the Michaelis-Menten kinetics of the glycolysis system. We obtained the second model by diagramming the Boolean interactions that existed between the system components and transforming them into ODEs using the HillCube approximation method of transformation. (Wittmann et al, 2009). Each of these models was simulated using tools such as MATLAB and XPPAU T. A comparison between the two models emphasized the similarity between the two different methods of representing the glycolysis model. The stability of the fixed points, as well as the dynamics shown by the individual components, paralleled both approaches closely. A28 The Effect of Solvent on the Interactions between Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Carolyn Elizabeth Davy Textile Engineering

Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Melissa Pasquinelli Textiles An active area of research is the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to a polymer matrix in order to enhance its mechanical properties. However, the resulting properties of the material can be strongly dependent on the processing conditions. Therefore, the goal of this research is to improve the strength of high performance fibers by optimizing the interactions between poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and a carbon nanotube (CNT) for the desired material properties. With molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we varied the type of solvent that may be used during fiber processing; we chose dimethyl formamide (DMF) and diethyl ether (DEE) because DMF is known to be a “good” solvent for PMMA, whereas DEE is known to be a “bad” solvent. Isotactic PMMA with a molecular weight of 7307 a.m.u. was used, as well as a single walled CNT of zigzag chirality with a length of 10 nm and diameter of 1.5 nm. Four MD simulations were performed, two to measure the change in conformation and interaction energy of PMMA alone in each solvent, and two to measure the same quantities of the polymer within the vicinity of the CNT in each solvent. The results indicate that the polymer conformation and dynamics is strongly dependent on its environment.

A9 Tat-SF1's Interaction with the HIV-1 Genome Morgan Richard Dent Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Heather Miller Plant Biology Extensive research has been conducted in order to determine viral and cellular factors that aid in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transcription. Through this research, a human protein called Tat-specific factor 1 (Tat-SF1) was discovered. Interestingly, Tat-SF1 contains two tandem RNA recognition motifs (RRMs) that closely resemble RRMs on two other human proteins that are believed to be transcription factors. By overexpressing Tat-SF1, it was initially concluded that the protein was a cofactor for transactivation by the viral regulatory protein Tat, but it has since been proposed to instead have a post-transcriptional role in the life cycle of HIV-1. If Tat-SF1 does indeed regulate HIV-1 RNAs post-transcriptionally, it may interact with the HIV-1 RNA genome. This possible interaction was studied by ribonucleoprotein immunoprecipitation assays (RIP). FLAG-tagged Tat-SF1 has been successfully overexpressed in HeLa cells which have then been co-transfected with a noninfectious HIV-1 plasmid. RIP assays will determine if in fact there is an interaction between Tat-SF1 and the HIV-1 RNA genome. If so, the approximate location(s) in the genome will be mapped and a putative binding motif specific to Tat-SF1 will be located. If not, interactions between Tat-SF1 and the integrated viral DNA will be explored.


D11 Hydrodynamic Modeling of a Type Ia Supernova Remnant: G1.9+0.3 Alice Claire Griffeth Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Stephen Reynolds Physics Carla Frohlich Physics; John Blondin Physics Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) result from the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf star. These phenomena produce most of the iron found in our universe and their very uniform peak brightness allows for distance calculations to remote galaxies which provide highly precise estimations of the scale of the universe. However, the detailed mechanism for these explosions is not well understood. Though there have not been any recent observations of a SN Ia in our Galaxy, observations of hundreds of supernova remnants (SNRs) at ages of several hundred to several thousand years contain important clues. There is a substantial disconnect, though, between what is known about the explosions themselves and those remnants. Using data from a detailed SN Ia model simulation 100 seconds after the white dwarf's explosion, we use an advanced numerical hydrodynamics code to investigate the system hundreds of years later. In particular, we want to compare this with observations of the youngest SNR (about 100 years old) in our Galaxy: G1.9+0.3. Assuming spherical symmetry, a simple analytic description of the initial white dwarf produces similar results to those obtained from using the numerical white dwarf model. This test can also be conducted in two and three dimensions. From the simulation, we can make predictions within the remnant for the location of unburned carbon and oxygen from the white dwarf and the explosion-generated intermediate mass elements (such as silicon and sulfur) and heavier elements (iron). We can also determine the properties of the interstellar medium surrounding G1.9+0.3.

D15 Quantifying the number of T regulatory cells in healthy nursery pigs Jacqueline Ann Jewell Animal Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Glen Almond Department of Population Health and Pathobiology Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most economically important pathogen in the pork industry. PRRSV uses T regulatory cells (Tregs) to survive in its host. The function of Tregs is immunosuppression and persistent infections were linked to the activity of Tregs. The Tregs or CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T lymphocytes were found in the blood of PRRSV virus infected pigs and the pigs’ exposure to PRRS virus increased the number of Treg lymphocytes. These Tregs are found in healthy humans

and mice and they are used to maintain homeostasis of the host. Recently, CD4+CD25high Tregs cells with Fox3 gene expression were found in pigs. It is not known how many Tregs are in healthy pigs compared to pigs infected with PRRSV. Thus, the objective of this study was to use flow cytometry to determine the number of Tregs in healthy pigs. Whole blood samples were collected from nursery pigs (5 weeks of age). The blood was used to assess the CD4, CD25, and Foxp3 antibodies and to determine the appropriate dilutions of the antibodies. It was concluded that Foxp3 could not be diluted and fresh blood was required, rather than blood stored for 48 hours. The following combination of antibodies will be used based in the following dilutions: 1:50 CD4 dilution, 1:100 CD25 dilution, 1:25 CD4 and 1:100 CD25 combined dilution, 1:25 CD4 and 1:50 dilution with Foxp3, 1:50 CD4 and 1:100 CD25 dilution with Foxp3, and 1:100 CD4 and 1:100 CD25 dilution with Foxp3. Results pending.

A8 Determining Variability of Glutathione Levels in Rat Hepatic Cancer Cells in a 2-D vs. 3-D Environment. Omari Kamau Johnson Chemical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Christine Grant College of Engineering-Dean's Office Glutathione is an antioxidant, and helps reduce toxic levels in cells. The amount of glutathione available to a cancer cell indicates how resistant the cell would be to anticancer drugs. Experiments were conducted in order to monitor cell proliferation and compare the levels of glutathione available to JM1 hepatic cancer cells in a 2-D environment. A majority of today’s drug screening is done in a 2-D environment. The hepatic cancer cells, taken from a rat, were grown in 2-D wells, 3-D scaffolds, and as 3-D spherical beads generated by electrostatic encapsulation. Observation of the proliferation of the JM1 cells and analysis of the amount of glutathione available was obtained by utilizing cell culture techniques, tissue engineering, and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results of this experiment may highlight the importance of running drug screening processes in a 3-D environment instead of the current 2-D models.

B2 Synthesis and Characterization of Metal-Oxo Compounds that Serve as Precursors for Hetero-bimetallic Compounds Travis Taylor Lekich Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Walter Weare Chemistry The study of metal to metal charge transfer (MMCT) in specific molecules will potentially progress knowledge toward creating light-induced chemical energy. In our research, we have synthesized precursors to the specific molecules we wish to study in the future, which are


hetero-bimetallic, oxo-bridged compounds. We have made two compounds: [PY5Me2MoO]I2 and [PY5Me2CrOH]Cl2. Both compounds were both previously synthesized [H. Karunadasa, C. Chang, J. Long, Nature, 2010, 464, 1329-1333], however we characterized them further to meet our purposes. Upcoming plans for these molecules include exchanging both counter anions with BAr4

F anions (for reactivity and electrochemical purposes), and to react each with different Titanium species to create hetero-bimetallic compounds for characterization and energetics studies.

D17 Simultaneous Exposure to Bisphenol-A and Soy Phytoestrogens Alters Female Reproductive Development Natalie Lyn Mabrey Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Heather Patisaul Biology Americans are exposed to many potentially harmful compounds daily. One is bisphenol-A (BPA), found in polycarbonate plastic. Another class, the soy phytoestrogens, are produced by plants, found primarily in soy-based foods and regarded as healthy, but similar in structure and activity to BPA. BPA and soy phytoestrogens are estrogen like compounds, and classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs). Here I tested the hypothesis that EDCs can act synergistically to adversely affect female reproductive development. Exposure occurs across the lifespan, however, there is particular concern regarding developmental exposure. Ingestion of soy baby formula from polycarbonate bottles is one of the many instances where these two EDCs are simultaneously ingested by infants. Thus we exposed neonatal rats and assessed multiple endpoints to determine the effects of BPA and soy on female reproductive physiology. First, vaginal opening was examined to establish the time of pubertal onset. Then, estrous cycles were monitored to evaluate cycle regularity. Lastly, a subset of animals was sacrificed at peripuberty to see if sexual differentiation of the brain was altered from exposure. We looked at tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) within the anterior hypothalamus, an area important for regulation of female ovulation. The results suggest that simultaneous intake of BPA and soy advances female pubertal onset and results in irregular or absent estrous cycles earlier than when each EDC is consumed separately. There were no significant differences in the expression of TH found. These results suggest that exposure to estrogenic EDCs may affect reproductive development and fertility in girls.

C2 Spectral Density Changes in Live Cell Imaging David Wayne Moreau Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: David Nolte Department of Physics

The spectral power density of a sample of UMR-106 osteogenic cells can be created through a Fourier Transform performed on successive images during live-cell video microscopy. Changes in the resulting spectrum are monitored as an outside influence, such as a pharmaceutical, acts upon the sample. These effects have been observed previously in dynamic light scattering using holographic imaging techniques [1]. Due to the nature of holographic imaging, the images are recorded in a speckle pattern, thereby making the source of the spectral shifts difficult to identify. Connection with the holographic imaging experiments are accomplished here using phase contrast and molecular interferometric imaging (MI2) [2,3]. These experiments seek to monitor the changes in spectral power density under thermal changes, hypotonic and hypertonic osmolarity changes, and as drugs are administered to the sample with the overarching goal of pinpointing the underlying mechanisms of the changes in the spectral shifts.

C4 Studies Toward a Direct and Concise Methodology for the Synthesis of 2-Piperidones from 2,3-Dihydro-4-pyridones Cody Mitchell Perry Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Daniel Comins Chemistry Dihydropyridones are ubiquitous to many chemical systems including dyes, pharmaceuticals, biomarkers, and UV mediators. Currently, no known routes exist for the direct conversion of 4-piperidone derivatives to 2-piperidones. This conversion is likely to be an invaluable synthetic tool in the synthesis of various natural products bearing the 2-piperidone moiety. In the present work, attempts are made to develop a direct and concise methodology which will allow this transformation in a single chemical manipulation. Attempted strategies include oxidation of intermediate alcohols, intermediate halides, oxidation of an intermediate iminium ion, and base catalyzed elimination of charged heterocyclic N-oxide adducts. Although the alternatives explored to date have not been successful, these studies represent a starting point to narrow the routes that must be explored for this important chemical transformation. The use of thermal intramolecular elimination of thioimine derivatives is currently under investigation and appears to be a promising synthetic pathway.

B14 Modern Construction Techniques in Vorarlberg, Austria: Craft, Economy + Sustainability in Building Technology Matthew Dayton Pinyan Environmental Design in Architecture Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Tim Martin Architecture


Over the past 30 years, Vorarlberg, Austria has risen to prominence in Europe as a leader in progressive architecture that draws influence from local culture, context and tradition. The modern building forms of this alpine environment have been derived from a long history of timber craftsmanship, agrarian buildings and economically conscious farmers. This background created a culture of construction based upon simple, economic design solutions. Although influenced by traditional timber construction practices, architects in Vorarlberg are exploring new prefabricated and sustainable building techniques. This project explores Vorarlberg's new constructional attitudes within the context of tradition/craft, economy and energy-efficiency. Architect interviews, site visits and case studies/technical analyses of three buildings in Vorarlberg uncovered a series of typical construction techniques including manufactured wall panel systems, use of local timber resources, heavily insulated building envelopes and an economically viable localized construction process. These new techniques and ideas on construction exemplify Vorarlberg's focus on faster and simpler methods of building assembly, minimized construction costs and energy-efficient building technologies.

D1 Secondary Electron Emission Coefficient of Glow Discharge Plasma with Varying Electrode Geometries Chelsea Robyn Ratzlaff Nuclear Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Mohamed Bourham Nuclear Engineering The secondary electron emission coefficient in a DC glow discharge in parallel disc electrode configuration is usually assumed to be a constant that depends on the electrodes material and the working gas. However, the solution of the equation of the breakdown voltage shows that the secondary electron emission coefficient can be pressure dependent. A set of experiments were conducted on a glow discharge device in which the secondary electron emission coefficient was obtained for different electrode shapes. Results have shown that the coefficient varies exponentially with the pressure (~ e0.33pd) for aluminum parallel plate electrodes with a separation distance ‘d’ and air as the working gas, and varies as ~ e0.42pd when changing the working gas to oxygen. For a spherical graphite cathode and air as the working gas, the coefficient varies exponentially with the pressure (~ e0.48pd), indicating higher secondary emission of electrons as compared to the aluminum plate electrodes. The law changes to a power law (~Pd)4.49 when using a graphite sphere as the anode. Using oxygen as the working gas, the results show that the coefficient follows a power law with the pressure (~Pd)3.63 for the spherical graphite anode, while it obeys an exponential law (~e0.49pd) when the cathode is spherical graphite. The results indicate that the

secondary electron emission coefficient is not a constant value but a function of the pressure and that the coefficient increases with pressure increase.

C32 Optimizing Crystal Growth in Green Fluorescent Protein for Neutron Crystallography Oksana Samarksiy Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Flora Meilleur Biochemistry In Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP), photo-excitation leads to excited state proton transfer from its chromophore, leaving behind a strongly fluorescent anion. Neutron crystallography can play a unique role in providing conclusive evidence for the positions of hydrogen atoms in the GFP polypeptide chain and hence identify the hydrogen-bonded networks responsible for transporting the proton released from the chromophore. It is the objective of this project to optimize the growth of large GFP crystals for future neutron crystallographic analysis. The work is carried out using hydrogenated and per-deuterated recombinant Aequorea Victoria GFP over-expressed in Escherichia coli. While production of hydrogenated protein is more easily achieved, perdeuteration (i.e replacing all hydrogen atoms in a protein with deuterium atoms) allows to significantly improve the signal to noise ratio of neutron crystallographic data and enhance the clarity of neutron density maps. Both hydrogenated and perdeuteuterated GFP proteins were crystallized by vapor diffusion combined with micro- and macroseeding in hanging drops as well as larger sitting flat bottom drops.Vapor diffusion alone led to multiple needle crystals not suitable for crystallographic data collection. These low quality crystals were crushed and used as crystallization seeds. Using this process, we successfully grew large single crystals. With this breakthrough, X-ray crystallographic data collection will be carried out on the perdeuterated GFP to confirm that perdeuteration does not affect the structure of GFP. Upon further crystal size optimization neutron crystallographic data will be collected to bring further understanding of the processes within the green fluorescent protein system.

B24 Size Controlled Fabrication of Environmentally Benign Nanoparticles Ankur Kulshreshtha Sarkar Chemical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Orlin Velev Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Nanoparticle applications in products that are either disposable or targeted towards human use (or both) have been rapidly emerging due to the increase in understanding of nanoscience principles. Such products need to utilize nanoparticles that are both non-toxic and environmentally friendly in order to both pass federal


regulations for consumer products and provide the intended benefits with minimal risk. Accordingly, there is a need for a method of fabricating nanoparticles of this nature. The primary goal of this research is to develop a method by which lignin (a non-toxic, environmentally friendly biopolymer) nanoparticles of controlled size can be synthesized. Based on the mechanism of nucleation and lignin's pH-dependent solubility, I have examined the effects of pH drop size and pH drop rate on the size of lignin nanoparticles. Multiple experiments using a water-water based acid precipitation process, and subsequent dynamic light scattering measurements, have yielded trends suggesting the potential for nanoparticle size control via systematic alteration of one or both of the aforementioned variables. One objective is to use these trends to determine how to synthesize lignin nanoparticles within a specific size range. In the future, after precise control over nanoparticle size can be attained, the nanoparticles can be functionalized and the entire process industrialized thus creating renewable and sustainable nanoparticle applications to replace the less benign applications in use today.

B15 Comparing Soil Hydrology and Carbon Respiration in Natural, Drained and Restored Wetlands in Eastern North Carolina Alan Patrick Shafer Environmental Technology and Management Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Ryan Emanuel Forestry&Environmental Resourc Soil hydrology and respiration are important determinants of ecosystem health. This study’s purpose is to compare the effects of land use on soil hydrology and respiration in eastern North Carolina. The ongoing research project compares four landscapes within the NCSU Hofmann Forest, located near Jacksonville, NC. Research sites include a natural pocosin (a type of non-riparian wetland found on the Coastal Plain of the southeastern US), an agricultural cornfield situated on drained and logged pocosin, a fallow field also situated on drained and logged pocosin, and a restored non-riparian wetland. Each site contains four plots where soil moisture, soil temperature, soil respiration and groundwater level were measured weekly during summer 2011. An environmental gas analyzer was used to measure soil respiration at three replicates within each plot. A portable time domain reflectometry probe was used to monitor soil volumetric water content at each plot. A digital thermometer was used to measure soil temperature at each plot. Shallow groundwater wells (1 m deep) were installed at each plot and water levels were measured manually each week. Here we present initial results from summer 2011. Monthly measurements will continue into fall 2011.

C14

Supercomputing Analytical Discovery of Plasma Instabilities in Fusion Energy Reactors Neil A Shah Computer Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Nagiza Samatova Computer Science-Engineering Anatoli Melechko Material Science Engineering Few would argue that fusion energy has been the Holy Grail of Few would argue that fusion energy has been the Holy Grail of renewable energy efforts. The success of this endeavor will have vast environmental, geopolitical, and economic impacts. The grand challenge is to produce more energy through a fusion reaction than that required to initiate the process in a reactor. A key bottleneck is the turbulence, or unstable motion, of the fusion plasma. Turbulence influences the degree of energy lost by plasma during the fusion process; therefore, controlling the turbulence is critical to viable energy production. Discovery of dynamic turbulent patterns and trends from the data produced by a computer-simulated fusion reaction offers a potential to reveal ways to control the turbulence. Yet, it presents a challenge: how to effectively and efficiently analyze the massive amounts of data, which is inherently complex, noisy, and high-dimensional. To address this challenge, we create a supercomputing analytical methodology to discover, track, and statistically quantify – both in space and time – the intricate patterns of dynamic plasma turbulence from extreme-scale fusion simulation data. This process can potentially predict the structure, dynamics, and function of fusion plasma turbulence. It could also enable similar analyses required in other disciplines such as astrophysics and oceanography.

D14 Compressing the Incompressible with ISABELA: In-situ Reduction of Spatio-Temporal Data Neil A Shah Computer Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Nagiza Samatova Computer Science-Engineering Modern large-scale scientic simulations running on HPC systems generate data in the order of terabytes during a single run. To lessen the I/O load during a simulation run, scientists are forced to capture data infrequently, thereby making data collection an inherently lossy process. Yet, lossless compression techniques are hardly suitable for scientic data due to its inherently random nature; for the applications used here, they o ffer less than 10% compression rate. They also impose signicant overhead during decompression, making them unsuitable for data analysis and visualization that require repeated data access. To address this problem, we propose an e ffective method for In-situ Sort-And-B-spline Error-bounded Lossy Abatement (ISABELA) of scientific data that is widely regarded as effectively


incompressible. With ISABELA, we apply a preconditioner to seemingly random and noisy data along spatial resolution to achieve an accurate fitting model that guarantees a 0.99 correlation with the original data. We further take advantage of temporal patterns in scientic data to compress data by 85%, while introducing only a negligible overhead on simulations in terms of runtime. ISABELA significantly outperforms existing lossy compression methods, such as Wavelet compression. Moreover, besides being a communication-free and scalable compression technique, ISABELA is an inherently local decompression method, namely it does not decode the entire data, making it attractive for random access.

B29 Steady State Analysis of Biological Systems Using Mathematical Modeling Jamian Lamar Smith Engineering Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Joel Ducoste Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Modeling various biological pathways through the means of software coding has shown to be very reliable and helpful throughout the engineering discipline. We aim to simulate the metabolic pathway of yeast under osmotic stress using matlab software with the current biosystems modeling approach available in the literature. By reproducing the results that were presented in the selected article, we were able to confirm that our model functioned appropriately. Not only was the current model validated but a steady state analysis was also performed to characterize the stability of the pathway. This steady state analysis was not presented in the literature and provides deeper insight into the model performance. We produced a descriptive report on different Region of Attraction methods along with a detailed evaluation of each method. The report shows the different estimation approaches, the pros and cons of each method, and how the method has been applied to biological systems.

A6 Tat-SF1?s Involvement in HIV-1 RNA Stability Khrystyna Yuriyivna Stolyarchuk Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Heather Miller Plant Biology Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has been shown to use numerous cellular factors to aid in successful viral replication. One of these host factors is Tat-specific factor 1 (Tat-SF1). In human cells, Tat-SF1 serves as a transcription-splicing factor, and contains two RNA recognition motifs. During viral replication, Tat-SF1 has been shown to play a role in post-transcriptional control of HIV-1 RNA, by altering ratios of its RNA size classes. Nevertheless, the mechanism behind this remains unclear. The focus of this study was

to determine if Tat-SF1 assists in stabilization or destabilization of HIV-1 RNAs. To test this hypothesis, ratios of different HIV-1 RNA size classes were studied in Tat-SF1 knockdown HeLa cell lines. Cells were transfected with a plasmid expressing HIV-1 RNA, and treated with actinomycin D to halt transcription. Reverse transcription and real-time PCR was then used to quantify HIV-1 RNA levels.

A24 FOG Deposit Formation Model for Wastewater Systems Megan Elizabeth Szakasits Chemical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Joel Ducoste Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering In wastewater systems, the microbial activity of sulfur reducing bacteria and sulfur oxidizing bacteria are well known for causing damage to concrete sewer systems by producing odorous hydrogen sulfide gas as well as corroding sewer pipes from sulfuric acid attack. Concrete corrosion from sulfuric acid lowers the pH at the concrete surface and leaches calcium from the concrete. The calcium has the potential to react with fat, oil, and grease (FOG) in the wastewater that would lead to the formation of a calcium based fatty acid salt or soap. Researchers have shown that FOG deposits are calcium based fatty acid salts. The objective of this study was to create a mathematical model in Matlab that links concrete corrosion with FOG deposit formation in wastewater systems. The model includes formation of aqueous hydrogen sulfide from sulfur reducing bacteria, mass transfer of hydrogen sulfide to the gas phase, and production of sulfuric acid by sulfur oxidizing bacteria. The sulfuric acid concentration was used to model the pH at the concrete surface. The pH was used to as a link between the microbial activity and FOG deposit formation. The results of this study showed an s-shaped curve for the formation of soaps, which was dependent on Ca2+ concentration, pH, and free fatty acid concentration. The model predicts soap will start to form in approximately 50 hours with a maximum concentration of 2000 g/m3. Accuracy of the soap formation kinetics and concentration could be improved with more specific wastewater concentrations and physical parameters.

B8 Determination of Antioxidants in Cancer Cell Lines Julian Erastus Taylor Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Christine Grant College of Engineering-Dean's Office In the human body, there are several antioxidants that help to protect the body from dangerous toxins. When someone develops cancer, these antioxidants are also present in the cancerous cells protecting them from chemo radiation, forcing doctors to increase the dose of


chemotherapy given to a person. The goal of this experiment is to examine and analyze the different antioxidants, primarily glutathione, in the cancer cell lines: MCF7-0, a human breast cancer cell line, R3230, a rat breast cancer cell line, 9L, a rat brain cancer cell line, and JM1, a rat liver cancer cell line. This goal was accomplished by seeding the cells from each cell line into 6-well plates, ideally when they are 70-80% confluent, and then analyzing the samples from each well using a UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) machine. In order to normalize the results (i.e., make them comparable to each other, accounting for the different sample cell counts) a protein assay was performed on each sample. The results provide a foundation in the development of new chemotherapy procedures.

A12 Opposing the Intruding Paradigm: Cultural Revival and Political Unity at Contested Sites in the Hawaiian Islands Jillian Sheena Valentine Anthropology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Leslie Sponsel Anthropology Military policies, tourism, and economic development have caused much devastation to the land of Native Hawaiians. In this paper I will argue that Native Hawaiians are not passive victims; they are active agents in their attempts to reclaim their culture, religion, and their land and resources. These “marginalized” people are strengthening themselves culturally and politically while practicing ecological restoration and cultural revitalization of their sacred cultural sites. The Native Hawaiians consider their land to be part of their holistic legacy and collective identity, but the United States and State governments take a more secular and reductionist view of this resource while emphasizing the need to sacrifice for the safety of the colonial nation. Using a review of literature and participant observation at gatherings at these cultural sites, I analyze the dialogue, rituals, religious connotations, and historical recollections shared by the members of the Native Hawaiian community. I then use this cultural knowledge to explore the implications for three heavily contested sacred areas of Makua Valley, Halawa Valley, and the island of Kaho’olawe. I conclude by addressing the two opposing paradigms of reductionism and holism and illustrating how one “marginalized” group can assert itself despite certain and continued cultural oppression.

C5 Protein Sensor based on Peptide Ligands Immobilized on Thin Films of Cellulose Alexis L. Webb Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Orlando Rojas Wood And Paper Science

Current research is aimed at creating fast and reliable detecting platforms of pathogens in food matrices. As such, ultrathin films of cellulose were used as substrate for protein detection. Besides its abundance, cellulose is inexpensive and can form supra-structures for a number of applications. Also, it is chemically inert and can be easily functionalized. After activation of cellulose, engineered peptides were immobilized on its surface. Fmoc-protected peptides were used to control unwanted association and to reduce side reactions. After peptide immobilization was completed, Fmoc deprotection was carried out. The peptide immobilization and deprotection process on cellulose substrates were monitored in real-time by using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) and the peptide surface density was estimated by using UV spectrophotometry after peptide immobilization and Fmoc deprotection. The effectiveness of cellulose functionalization and peptide binding were monitored. Results of this work are expected to open new possibilities to further explore chemistries to target specific pathogens.

C7 Spatial Distribution of Precipitation for Winter Storms in Northern California Cameron Bennett White Meteorology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Sandra Yuter Marine Earth And Atmospheric Sciences Northern California experiences its heaviest precipitation events during the winter. Some of these storms lead to flooding and millions of dollars in damage. Heavier precipitation storms are usually associated with a combination of filaments of enhanced low level moisture, which originate over the ocean, and intensified precipitation over the Coastal and Sierra Nevada mountains. Observations from six National Weather Service radars are used to determine the spatial distribution of precipitation for the strongest storms. The focus of the study is on the December 31, 2005 storm, which produced heavy precipitation and flooding in the region. The most frequent rain occurs over the Sierra Nevada windward slope in a region directly east and north of the Petaluma Gap in the Coastal Mountains. In contrast, the windward slope of the Sierra to the south of the gap has much less precipitation. Profiles of the atmosphere obtained by instrumented balloons from two locations are analyzed. These data are used to calculate the freezing level height, stability, and moisture flux in order to place the 31 Dec 2005 storm in the context of other storms in the region.


NC State Undergraduate Research Awards C27 Modeling Image Potential States in Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy Experiments Llewellyn Barrett Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Daniel Dougherty Physics Electrons can be transiently bound outside of surfaces in so-called image potential states. It has been observed in scanning tunneling spectroscopy experiments that there is a shift in the energies of these states due to the electric field between the surface and the sharp probe tip. We conducted a numerical study on image potential induced surface states on Cu(100),Cu(111),Au(100), and Au(111) to determine whether modifying well-known pseudo-potential calculations to incorporate the electric field could produce this effect. Our results suggest that some material-dependent trends in electric field effects can be produced by the modified potentials and that absolute magnitudes can sometimes be produced to within experimental uncertainty.

D19 Identification of the gene responsible for the chicken L alloatigen by whole genome association mapping and assessment of potential implications on poultry immunological response Mary Patricia Bulfin Biological Sciences Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Chris Ashwell Poultry Science Parasitic disease, such as cecal coccidiosis caused by the parasite Eimeria tenella, remains a significant concern within the commercial poultry industry due to increasing resistance to anticoccidial supplemental treatment. Improving the chicken’s inherit immunological response to coccidial infection is a potential method for combating such resistance and can be determined by considering alloantigen genes. Chicken erythrocyte alloantigen system L has two haplotypes, L1 and L2, and is associated with multiple factors involved in immunological response in the chicken. A resource population was produced by mating a heterozygous male chicken (L1L2) with four heterozygous females (L1L2), and the F2 progeny were characterized for their L type. DNA was extracted and birds were sexed by PCR. DNA pools were prepared representing each L haplotype from each family for SNP typing. The 4 parents and pools from each of the 4 families were genotyped using a 42,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) assay on a custom Illumina Bead Array SNP panel. A single marker association analysis was performed using JMP genomics as a case/control population and P values were adjusted for multiple testing using false discovery rate (FDR). Significant association was observed with L alloantigen type and a distal region of chromosome

4. Investigation of this L alloantigen locus on chromosome 4 indicates that there are multiple candidate genes present whose protein products are localized on the cell surface. Further study is required to determine the causative variation responsible for the L alloantigen system.

B7 Balloon Designs for the Mars Scout 3 Mission Daniela C Fugon Aerospace Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Andre Mazzoleni Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Since the successful launch of the VEGA balloons, the designing of a Martian balloon began. The first balloons that were designed for Mars were spherical shaped balloons. However, the issue with this design is the amount of deformation that occurred when the payload was added. This led to the exploration of the natural balloon design, otherwise known as the pumpkin balloon. The pumpkin balloon continues to the most favored balloon design mainly because of its capability to withstand high-pressure differentials. However, the main flaw with the pumpkin design is the stress concentrations along the longitudinal direction of the gores. In 2002, the radiolarian design was presented as a solution to the stress concentration problem of the pumpkin design. As part of this research, the pumpkin and the radiolarian designs were modeled using finite-element analysis software. The maximum and minimum normal stresses were compared and it was found that the radiolarian design experienced greater stress under the same loading conditions. To further analyze the radiolarian design, a replica was constructed using Mylar plastic film and fiberglass tape. Due to the nature of the hexagonal design, two cuts were made at each junction. It was noted during the manufacturing process that the film easily tears at the junctions and another cutting method would need to be used. It was determined that the radiolarian design was not able to address the issues of the pumpkin design and that the manufacturing process would have to been reevaluated to prevent material failure at the junctions.

C1 Flywheel Assisted Torque Boost for Rovers Anthony Gray Hunter Aerospace Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Andre Mazzoleni Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Solar power has proven itself an extremely valuable renewable energy source for exploratory rovers over the past decades. As mission requirements become more sophisticated, greater demands are being placed on these rovers in their quest to explore and pave the way for the eventual settlement of extraterrestrial frontiers. While solar power has proven its utility, an existing disadvantage lies in the large, bulky panels necessary to


produce the large amounts of current need for certain high torque applications. Rovers exploring steep terrain, or building future habitats on the surface of the moon or Mars, require a source of power not currently providable with solar power alone. Implementing flywheels in conjunction with solar power can provide the on-demand torque needed for future rover missions while minimizing the need for large bulky solar panels. Utilizing a small solar panel, a flywheel can be accelerated over a period of time, storing energy as rotational kinetic energy. This energy can then be released in the form of an on-demand torque boost when the necessity arises. A proof of concept model has been constructed to determine the viability of a high torque flywheel design. Through simple forward motion, we have shown that utilizing a power input less that what is needed to drive the rover directly, the flywheel system can provide the necessary torque to propel the rover forward. This technology can be applied not only to propulsion of the rover, but also to other high-torque situations such as construction or repair operations.

A32 Characterization of specificity of two alcohol dehydrogenases from Saccharomyces Cerevisiae towards byproducts of biomass pre-treatment in ethanol conversion Kyra Johnson Environmental Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Bob Rose Biochemistry As concern over CO2 emissions rise, cleaner technologies are emerging such as ethanol conversion, using the yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, from feedstocks like sugarcane that contain cellulose and lignin. Pre-treatments employed to separate lignin from cellulose create toxic byproducts such as furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), syringaldehyde, vanillin, and 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde6. One approach to this has been to modify yeast strains to convert these toxic aldehydes into alcohols, which are tolerated by yeast. This approach can possibly be achieved by using Alcohol Dehydrogenases(ADHs). The purpose of this project is to analyze the in vitro activity of S. Cerevisiae’s ADH6 and ADH7 towards cinnamaldehyde, a natural substrate, and the previously mentioned aldehydes, with a long term goal of designing more efficient enzymes. Previous studies have published conflicting reports of ADH6 and ADH7’s specificity towards the aldehydes. For this study, we will characterize specificity of ADH’s towards selected byproducts in terms of Km, kcat, and kcat/Km. Previously, the genes for ADH6 and ADH7 were subcloned into pET vectors with an N-terminal His-tag and expressed in Escherichia coli, but solubility was very low. Next, we plan to subclone into the yeast Pichia pastoris, with the idea that a eukaryotic system will lead to higher solubility. Once we have purified protein, we can compare the activities of ADH6 and ADH7 and determine the structure for ADH7. These findings will provide the basis for design of a more

efficient enzyme, and increased biofuel production.

D13 A Study of Atmospheric Optical Propagation and Scattering Garrett Eugene Pangle Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Charles Philbrick Marine,Earth & Atmospheric Sci Optical propagation studies examine the processes which scatter intensity from laser beams propagating in an atmospheric medium and result in extinction and beam spread. Extinction in heavy aerosol environments is caused by scattering from the beam by many types of aerosols, together with contributions from atmospheric molecules. Quantifying the scattering effects due to these particles yields data describing the optical properties of a given medium. Developing a calibration standard is a pressing concern in optical propagation. We propose a method of providing a calibration reference by using target screens made of woven fabrics that simulate the transparency and translucency of aerosol plumes. These screens produce extinction and dispersion patterns with minimal specular reflection. Recording the reflected and transmitted intensities of an incident beam may lead to a standard that can be used in calibrating lidar or laser communication beams transmitted through media containing unknown aerosols. This project studies the feasibility of a useful reference standard target. The investigation examines the transmission and beam divergence patterns along atmospheric paths of 100 to 300 meters of blue and red laser beams scattered from a sample of commercial fabrics and compares the target data with extinction and scattering measurements. Photographic data on the scattering conditions, direct measurements of optical extinction, and measurements of the dust and smoke mass/volume concentrations are used to estimate the size of the aerosol particles that are present. Comparing these measurements provides a test of the feasibility of using the fabric targets as a reference standard in future research.

D16 Lissajous Figures as a Model for Neutrino Oscillations James Rudolph Rowland Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Chueng Ji Physics The phenomenon of neutrino oscillations has been researched extensively since Bruno Pontecorvo proposed it in 1957. The theory of neutrino oscillations has helped solve the solar neutrino problem and is supported by data from detectors such as Super-Kamiokande. Our research proposes a novel model to represent neutrino oscillations. Motivated by a two-dimensional model for a one-dimensional coupled simple harmonic oscillator, we investigated the


possibility of modelling neutrino oscillations in higher dimensions. We discovered that Lissajous figures compose an analogous model to neutrino oscillations which provides an interesting perspective on the phenomena. These figures provide insight into the effects of varying interaction strength and neutrino mass on neutrino oscillations.

C26 Investigations of DHP Reactions with Nitrophenol: a UV Visible Spectroscopic Study Amanda Rosemarie Saad Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Reza Ghiladi Chemistry Dehaloperoxidase (DHP) is an enzyme from the marine worm Amphitrite ornata that contains a peroxidase activity that catalyzes the degradation of trihalophenols to dihaloquinones in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as the physiological oxidant. Recently, using high performance liquid chromatography, DHP has been shown to degrade explosive 2,4,6- trinitrophenol (TNP), a common water pollutant that is formed from trinitrotoluene (TNT). In the present study, we sought to investigate this reaction using a different technique, UV visible spectroscopy. The ability of both isoenzymes of DHP, A and B, to degrade 4-nitrophenol, 2,4-dinitrophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in the presence of hydrogen peroxide was studied. Under the conditions examined, the nitrophenol substrates were not significantly degraded by the enzyme. Control experiments with 2,4,6-trichlorophenol demonstrated that the hydrogen peroxide and the enzyme were functioning properly. The results obtained here using UV visible spectroscopy contrast with the previous HPLC findings the reasons of which will be discussed in further detail.

A25 Surfactant-Driven Fracture Formation in Soft Gels Mark Arthur Schillaci Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Karen Daniels Physics The formation of fractures in soft gels and their formation mechanisms are not well understood. Previous experiments have found that when a bending force is applied to a solid gelatin rod Type-III fractures form with a delay consistent with a Poisson distribution. We examine the fracture process in gels very close to the solid-liquid transtion (10 Pa) and use spreading droplets of surfactant to apply small forces to the surface of the gel. The fractures initialize from the contact line between the surfactant and the gel. We have found that there is an inherent variability in both the number of fractures formed and the delay for fractures to first form. By varying the concentrations (strengths) in both the gel and the surfactant we are able to fine tune the fracture formation and control the number of fractures formed. In the regime where single fractures form we observe a

range of delay values. This observation is consistent with a Poisson distribution and suggests that single fractures form by a thermally activated process, as in the previously-investigated solids. In the regime where many fractures form and propagate outward in a starburst pattern all fractures appear simultaneously and without delay. This suggests that either no thermal activation is required, or that the first fracture then triggers the others.

B26 iron and titanium artificial photosynthesis Yuhan Wang Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Walter Weare Chemistry My summer research focused on synthesis for our project. I continued my previous research which is the synthesis of an Iron (II)-salen Compound. I approached it in two methods which were trying to synthesize the iron (III)-salen and reduce it to iron(II) and tried to synthesize the Iron(II)-salen directly. Unfortunately, the iron is extreme sensitive to both air and water and I cannot figure out a way to make the compound. I have started to try to use Ti (IV) to substitute the Iron (III). The compound is much easier to make and more stable. The goal of our research group is approaching to combine the inorganic synthesis with advanced spectroscopy in discovering how to control the excited state of heterometallic molecules. The research is trying to help us understand the characteristic of heterobimetallic complexes of Iron (II) and Titanium (IV) containing oxo bridges which we hope will bring new insights the artificial photosynthesis.


NSF Engineering the Grid Program B27 Implementation of Biologically Inspired Design in Space Truss Structures Christopher Lee Adkins Mechanical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Larry Silverberg Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering This research seeks to develop optimization routines for space truss designs, with the long term goal of applying to power towers. Initially we will be modifying an existing two dimensional code to three dimensions. In the long term we will develop an optimization tool that facilitates truss design for both form and function and apply to a variety of structures. We begin by optimizing design parameters by conducting parametric studies to determine the sensitivity of certain design constraints and loosely establish any trends from tweaking algorithm parameters and constraints. Following these optimizations, we noted that the algorithm does not innately produce aesthetically pleasing structures or structures that are completely optimized, so we developed a new algorithm to measure the angle between predefined members of a structure to aid in these processes. Lastly, we redefine the constraints on a particular joint in a structure in order to use a more direct, traditional optimization routine. Future work will analyze a variety of structures attempting to demonstrate the versatility, effectiveness, and uniqueness of the algorithms and methods that we have developed. This research is part of a broader effort to develop biologically inspired optimization routines for truss structures and as such will ultimately incorporate topology optimization as well.

A31 A Novel Method to Produce Uniform Janus-like Particles Alexander Howard Clark Chemical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Stoyan Smoukov Chemical & Biomolecular Eng Uniform particles composed of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS) displaying Janus-like morphology were prepared via internal phase separation. The resulting particles were nearly spherical in shape and consisted of a 50/50 ratio of PMMA:PS. A monodisperse polymer (O/W) emulsion was produced in which the organic solvent, toluene, was interspersed in de-ionized water and stabilized by the surfactant Tween 20. A range of shear stresses were tested and the resulting organic droplets were several micrometers in size. Phase separation was triggered by the addition of an excess of the antisolvent, ethanol, which precipitated the polymer emulsion droplets into particles in the aqueous phase. The particles produced had a very small polydispersity and were virtually uniform in size and shape. Iron nanoparticles were also added to the solution

and mixed with the polymer droplets which demonstrated the selectivity of PS over PMMA and the possibility to create magnetically distinct hemispheres. Uniform Janus particles have potential to be applied to both the biomedical field in drug delivery and in energy-efficient electronic displays. Unlike other methods previously employed, this method does not require time and energy consuming steps for fabrication of Janus particles and has a great potential for scalability. This project was sponsored by NSF grant EEC-1005038.

A29 Modeling Coils for Wireless Power Transfer Carrie Jean Culp Electrical Engineering Benjamin Heacock Physics and Chemistry; Andrew Rash Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Srdjan Lukic Elec & Comp Engineering Zeljko Pantic Elec & Comp Engineering If perfected Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) has the ability to make electric vehicles and other technologies more feasible. A simplified direct-current (DC) resistor-inductor model of a coil is not suitable for WPT high frequency applications. High frequency effects cause coils used in WPT applications to have self-resonant frequencies, which are dependent on coil geometry. DC models become less accurate as the operational frequency of the coil approaches the coil’s inherent self-resonant frequency. Because of this, more detailed Litz wire and tubular conductor models were developed. High frequency effects, such as the skin and proximity effects and parasitic capacitance were taken into account. Analytical models for insulated multistrand wire and tubular conductors were created to describe these effects and a coil’s self inductance. A new approximate formula for modeling proximity effect in tubular conductors was also developed. From these values, equivalent series resistance, effective inductance, and the quality factor of a coil are easily found. To integrate two coils, the magnetic coupling between a coaxial sending and receiving coil was calculated using the Neumann formula. This value is important in calculating the theoretical link efficiency. COMSOL Multiphysics Finite Element Models (FEM) were made for the tubular conductors. Results from the finite element analysis were compared to the analytical model. Experimental setups for the Litz wire and tubular conductor coils were then built to validate the models.

A23 Shedding Light on LEDs for Home Lighting Joshua Stephen Harford Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alan Batchelor Analytical Instrumenta,Fac Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) promise a bright future in the lighting industry. In the quest to lower national


energy consumption and develop efficient technologies, residential lighting is an important field. Present state-of-the-art LEDs show energy efficacy ratings far surpassing those of incandescent bulbs, and approaching those of fluorescent technology. However, LEDs will require significantly more development if they are to be truly cost-effective. In addition, LEDs must overcome the hurdle of adapting into an existing market built for incandescent bulbs. To that end, many companies have developed LEDs in an A19 shape, the common American socket bulb. Being a new technology, LED manufacturers employ a variety of design strategies. For this project, a typical commercial A19 LED bulb was systematically dissected for microscopic analysis of the light-emitting layers and quantum wells. These nanoscale thin films are the material responsible for the LEDs luminescence. A nano-analysis was performed with the use of several advanced microscopy techniques including scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam nano machining system, and transmission electron microscopy, which allowed for observation and characterization of the LED thin film layers on the nanometer scale. In particular, nanoscopic observation was used to look for defects that could reduce the lifetime and brightness of the bulb.

C3 Android: An eye on coastal environment Marcia Nicole Higgins Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alexander Dean Elec & Comp Engineering Avik Juneja Elec & Comp Engineering This project aims at development and deployment of a low-cost monitoring system responsible for examining various environmental factors which affect the growth of oysters under varied sea water conditions. The system is equipped with off-the shelf inexpensive sensors and new tools that ensure real-time processing of data making the system more energy efficient. The oyster growth is measured along with gaping levels to observe the effect of coastal water conditions like salinity level, water current, temperature, pressure etc. on oysters. An android device seems to be an appropriate tool for observing this system at such remote areas due to its wide use in mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets. This allows user to track water quality data in real time. Being an open source operating system, it has advantages over other platforms due to plentiful resources available for application development. For this purpose, an android application is designed. This application gathers raw data from a base station and displays it to a user in a more presentable manner. Various parameters and graphs are available to the user for better understanding of the system and thus can be used for educational purposes as well.

D7 Peak-Shaving in Mining Equipment

Joshua A Hunsberger Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Subhashish Bhattacharya Elec & Comp Engineering Regenerative braking in is a proven technology and common in many hybrid and electric vehicles. However, mining machines, which are 1.5MW to 24MW systems with periodic power usage and generation, have yet to be outfitted with similar technology. The aim of this project is to interface an ultracapacitor with the DC bus of the mining equipment in order to store generated power. This power can then be injected into the system at high demands, thus shaving peak-power usage. Stored power could account for up to 60% of the motoring power, which could lead to large cost reduction and component downsizing. A buck-boost converter topology was selected to interface the ultracapacitor with the DC bus. The converter was to be monitored and controlled by a Compact RIO. Simulations and calculations were done using Matlab’s Simulink software. The inductor value can be calculated for different ultracapacitor values and ripple current needs. More work needs to be done on designing the feedback compensator so that the output of the DCDC converter can be controlled correctly.

C19 Organic Photovoltaic Device Fabrication Oliver D. Lyons Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jesse Jur Textiles Joseph Tracy Material Science Engineering Organic photovoltaic (OPVs) solar cells are viewed as a potential low cost route to harvesting energy from sunlight. However, many advances in OPV research are still needed for the light to energy conversion efficiency increase while having these devices profitable. Recent research has focused on improving the power efficiency of OPVs by the use of nanotechnology to create direct pathways for energy separation and light harvesting. The goal of this project is to investigate how the addition of nanoparticles to the various layers of an OPV structure may influence the efficiency of these devices. These nanoparticles, from elements such as Au and Ag are 15-100 nm in diameter and alter the light absorption and transport of charge in the OPV. The first objective of this research project is to identify a standardized procedure for OPV fabrication, based on a poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) bulk heterojunction, at the NC State Nanofabrication Facility on Centennial Campus.

D8 Exploring the Use of One-Dimensional Nanostructures as Transparent, Stretchable Electrodes Thao Kim Phan Mechanical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Yong Zhu Mechanical &


Aerospace Engr With widespread use in technologies like photovoltaic cells, organic light-emitting diodes, liquid crystal and plasma displays, transparent electrodes constitute an important part of modern day electronics. Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most commonly used material for transparent electrodes, but increasing demand and limited indium resources are continuously driving its price higher. Additionally, ITO is brittle and easily fails when bent or stretched. Two classes of one-dimensional nanostructures were investigated in this project to provide a lower cost and stretchable alternative to ITO. Aligned carbon nanotube ribbons have great elasticity and good transparency, but their conductivity is too low to replace ITO. Attempts to increase the conductivity with a coating of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) resulted in a maximal 9.8% decrease in sheet resistance with a severe drop in transparency. The stretchability of silver nanowire mats was also studied by monitoring changes in sheet resistance with the applied strain on these electrodes. With further work aimed at improving the qualities of these electrodes, one-dimensional nanostructures have promising potential as transparent, stretchable electrodes.

C16 Radiation Effects on Silicon Carbide using Molecular Dynamics Chris Sean Satterwhite Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Steven Shannon Nuclear Engineering Jacob Eapen Nuclear Engineering Silicon carbide is a material with important applications in energy related areas such as power electronics and as a coating for nuclear fuels. Both of these applications require materials that can function in extreme environments. The response of silicon carbide to extreme environments is of particular importance in its use as a coating for nuclear fuels for next generation power plants since it serves as a protective barrier to contain fission products. One viable approach to investigate this response is to utilize atomic scale computational methods such as molecular dynamics. In this project a software package called DL_POLY was employed to characterize the response of silicon carbide when one of its atoms was given an energetic knock that mimics the interaction of radiation with the material. This energetic knock could come from a neutron or ion in SiC’s application as a coating for nuclear fuels. The response of the material was distinguished by examining the changes in the radial distribution function, mean square displacement, and diffusion coefficient of the material. The findings of this investigation will be used to better understand current computational and experimental efforts at NCSU to study radiation effects in SiC.

C21 Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) Based Controller Implementation of Harmonic Current Extraction Methods SRF Theory Charlotte Louise Vilkus Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Subhashish Bhattacharya Elec & Comp Engineering Field Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAA) made by Anadigm have been previously shown to greatly reduce controller implementation delays compared with FPGAs and are therefore being researched for applications in Power Electronics, especially for high bandwidth active filter controllers. We implemented the harmonic current extraction based on Synchronous Reference frame (SRF) Theory using Anadigm FPAA boards. The FPAA boards were programmed with AnadigmDesigner2 software to perform operations on the input signals Ia, Ib, Ic and Θ including multiplication, summing and low-pass filtering. Given the constraints of these FPAA boards, especially the seven I/O ports per board and the limit of four CABs per board, it became necessary to cascade 7 FPAA boards for the most minimal design. Upon configuration, the FPAA boards were tested using waveforms fed from a National Instruments Compact RIO controller. Even with adjustments to the FPGA results to minimize their controller implementation time, the FPAA boards were still shown to have significantly faster controller implementation time for the same control algorithm. Further research is being conducted so that the controller implementation time could be further minimized on the FPAA boards by using different low-pass filter configurations.


NSF ERC FREEDM Systems Center D31 Active Filter Solutions for High Power Multi-Motor Applications Richard Byron Beddingfield Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Subhashish Bhattacharya Elec & Comp Engineering AC drive systems have gained popularity in the mining industry for multi-motor systems. AC drive systems can provide an increase in production of up to 20% of similar DC drives. In these AC drive systems several active front ends (AFE) and DC choppers are used to supply reliable power and maintain an acceptable harmonic current spectrum. It has been found that a hybrid active filter can minimize the quantity of necessary AFEs. Therefore, research has been done in the physical realization and control of an active filter. The filter is comprised of a B6 thryistor bridge and passive components. Control is based on the current to the load and the current and voltage of the filter and DC bus. DQ conversion of these signals allows for simple algebraic manipulation to generate the PWM signals for the thyristor bridge. Matlab Simulink was used to generate code for a TI Delfino micro-controller. Research is continued in testing various configurations and switching frequency.

B32 DC-DC power conversion for Solid State Transformer Kyle David Dean Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Subhashish Bhattacharya Elec & Comp Engineering High power, high frequency DC-DC converters are a major component of a new technology being developed called the Solid State Transformer and aim to serve as a more efficient means of voltage stepping than traditional methods. The converter topology explored was a Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converter which is based on high power IGBT switching devices. Unlike traditional transistors, these are engineered to handle high current and power density that is suitable for a voltage transformer. Specific DAB topology and design principles were examined to understand operation and maximize efficiency. A 500 V, 3-phase 3-level converter circuit was designed and tested. 6 legged transistor gating circuit was constructed and tested using soldering equipment and a function generator generating a square-wave pulse. Final gating signals were delivered together using a DSP (digital signal processor) programmed with a time delay between pulsing signals to prevent short circuiting. Power board was constructed using high voltage capacitors as a DC bus with a resistive load bank. Successful conversion was made up to 550 V at 20 kHz switching frequency using a high voltage DC power supply. Protection board was also

implemented after IGBT module was blown due to a short circuit caused by a stray (noise generated) gating pulse. Further research is being done on similar converters built using new Silicon Carbide MOSFETS which have higher power density and maximum switching frequency than IGBT’s to allow for conversion for up to tens of kilovolts.

C17 Residential Peak Shaving with Photovoltaics and DESD Sarah Mabel Hambridge Biomedical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alex Huang Electrical & Computer Engineering An economical way for residential power consumers to produce and use solar power is to use this power for peak shaving of their utility demand load. A MATLAB program was created to use photovoltaic (PV) power produced at a residence and a distributed energy storage device (DESD) to reduce the residence’s on-peak power demand from the utility and shave the residence’s utility power demands to a baseline load. The simulation used PV data collected from the roof of the FREEDM center and a local residential summer demand curve. DESD current limits and system voltage were modeled according to the Greensmith Distributed Energy Storage System in the FREEDM center. To supply a chosen residential peak level, the program stores solar power in the DESD when demand is lower than PV production and discharges the DESD when demand is higher than PV production. For a larger residence, (2000 kilowatt hour monthly demand) our program was able to demonstrate peak shaving at 4.4 kilowatts for most summer days with a 400 amp-hour DESD. Each day, solar supplied about 20% of the residence’s demand load, saving approximately 28 pounds of carbon dioxide and $1.70 in utility energy costs. Further work is necessary to optimize the system for extreme high and low PV output days and to study the reaction time of the DESD within the demands of the system.

D5 Carbon Nanofiber/Manganese Oxide Composites as the Cathode for Li-air Batteries Mai-Hsuan Huang Material Science & Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Xiangwu Zhang Textiles Guanjie Xu Fiber & Polymer Science To obtain a high-energy lithium-air (oxygen) battery with good cycling performance, porous O2 electrodes composed of carbon nanofiber (CNF) mats with or without manganese oxide were prepared. Two different nanofiber mats were obtained through electrospinning. One was from a solution with 8% PAN, and one from a solution with 8% PAN and 45% manganese acetate. The electrospun nanofiber mats were then heat treated to form carbon nanofibers, which were used directly as the


cathode for lithium-air batteries in method #1 and grinded into powders and used as the cathode in method #2. Scanning Electron Microscopy results demonstrated that the cathode prepared by method #1 has a porous structure of random-oriented nanofibers and the cathode prepared by method #2 contains short fibers coated on the current collector. The electrochemical performance of lithium-air batteries from these two different methods showed the cathode prepared by method #2 has better oxygen diffusion ability and higher capacity due to the larger specific surface area. At the same time, the existence of manganese oxide clearly improved the discharging performance. This work was supported by US National Science Foundation under award number of EEC-0812121.

D4 Alternative Approach to Solve State Estimation Problems of Power Systems by Least Absolute Value (LAV) Method Kimberly Ann Hull Computer Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Mesut Baran Electrical & Computer Engineering To calculate the state of the system, the LAV method minimizes the absolute value of the residuals (difference between estimated measurement and actual measurement). In order to solve the LAV, we use the linear programming (LP) method such as Simplex or Interior Point Method (IPM). To follow the LP approach, the LAV problem can be rearranged to fit the format of a linear programming (LP) problem by introducing slack variables and constraints.To apply the LP method, one simple power system has been considered. The relationship between the measurement (zi) and the state of the system (xi) is assumed to be linear in the form of zmx1 = Amxn xnx1. The built-in library function “linprog( )” of MATLAB® has been utilized to solve the state estimation problem by using both approaches (Simplex and IPM). In addition, the conventional method of state estimation in power systems is Weighted Least-Squares (WLS); the result of the LAV estimation will be compared to the result of the WLS to show the robustness of the LAV procedure.

B33 Smart Grid Simulator Benjamin J. Kadish Physics! Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Mo-Yuen Chow Electrical & Computer Engineering The lab I am working for is developing a large-scale smart grid simulator. They are using MATLAB and Simulink to run simulations, however, they need a flexible and intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) to streamline model use. My goal was to develop such a GUI for use. The reason to use a GUI is to enable the user to easily change different aspects of the simulation

such as the size or the type of Simulink model used for a part of the Smart Grid. I did this by using built in MATLAB software to create a GUI, allowing for easy communication between Simulink and the User Interface. Furthermore the use of MATLAB GUI allows for the easy combination of different Simulink models enabling the analysis of “hybrid” power systems. The user can also choose the parameters for each part of the simulation he is running. This project will be useful because it will enable the user to use the model without having to deal directly with Simulink. This will help people who are unfamiliar with Simulink as well as those who are unfamiliar with the particular model being used. This new GUI will improve researchers ability to run smart grid simulations.

A20 Interactive Software Design for Visualization of Power System Disturbances Brennan Patrick Keegan Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Aranya Chakrabortty Elec & Comp Engineering Historically, the US power grid has lacked high-resolution data tracking capabilities and depended only on steady-state operations using SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition). However, since the Northeast Blackout of 2003, there has been new motivation to track and understand the dynamic characteristics of the power grid, and thereby help utility companies protect the integrity of their operating territories. Using synchronized phasor data from the major 500 kV substations in the west coast grid, research was previously conducted to develop a visual interface for displaying various important post-disturbance data patterns of this gigantic system. In our work, we were able to take these efforts a step further by expanding the software to display detailed postmortem analysis of multiple events, and conveniently transition between different types of data analysis tools. This expansion is an important next stage of development as it shows the versatility of the software and its potential for future growth. We performed modal analysis of the critical oscillations incurred in the system after major disturbances, which allowed us to locate the energy and damping associated with these oscillations. We also generated power-angle curves for multiple transfer paths to evaluate the transient stability margins for different events. This helped us evaluate the robustness of these paths in response to various contingencies. In the future, we would like to further develop our data visualization algorithms with more advanced tools borrowed from digital signal processing, and incorporate a real-time feature for phasor data tracking.

B19 Mechanical Design and Thermal Analysis of A Three-Level Inverter Adam Steven Nickels Mechanical Engineering


Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Subhashish Bhattacharya Elec & Comp Engineering The aim of this project was to design the mechanical structure of the three-level inverter for the Solid State Transformer and create a computer generated thermal analysis model of the inverter to compare with the theoretical thermal analysis. The mechanical structure was created using the computer-aided design program, SolidWorks, and included packaging three separate three-level inverters into a viable form. An appropriate heat sink was chosen from the theoretical analysis, so, with the design of the bus bars, a supporting structure, and the fan housing, set, a prototype can be constructed, tested, and implemented into the next version of the Solid State Transformer. Using COMSOL Multiphysics, a thermal model was created to model the dissipation of heat from the three IGBTs mounted on each three-level inverter to their respective heat sinks. This model allowed the selection of an appropriate fan for forced convection cooling. Future considerations will include reducing the size of the packaged three-level inverters, and improving the thermal management of each inverter by using embedded thermocouples and fiber-optic sensors.

B25 Design and Testing of Optimized Wireless Power Transfer Systems Andrew William Rash Electrical Engineering Carrie Culp Electrical Engineering; Benjamin Heacock Physics and Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Srdjan Lukic Elec & Comp Engineering Zeljko Pantic Elec & Comp Engineering Resonant Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technologies enable wireless transfer of power across much larger distances than previously possible. Conventional inductive power transfer systems require very small separations between coils to achieve desired efficiencies. Resonant systems; however, have the potential to deliver power at high efficiencies over medium distances (sub-meter lengths). These resonant systems work by storing a large amount of energy in the system relative to the power used by the system. Some of the potential uses of resonant WPT systems include wirelessly powering and/or charging of devices at home and work and wirelessly powering and/or charging of electric vehicles. This project is concerned with optimizing resonant WPT systems for maximum efficiency. Systems-level modeling and design was performed in Matlab and Simulink to create the most efficient systems given several constraints. These resonant systems and corresponding driving circuits were constructed. Testing was performed to validate the models used and ensure that maximum efficiency was achieved for a specified distance. This work will enable easier design of maximally efficient circuits for wireless power transfer.

B10 Communication in the Smart Grid Lindsay Michelle Swanson Electrical Engineering Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Wenye Wang MS Comp Networking-Dean's Off The purpose or this research is to understand the communication protocols that would be necessary to implement the Smart Grid. Communication among all components is one of the major aspects missing from our current grid infrastructure. In order for a Smart Grid system to become a reality, the sources of power generated must be able to be in contact with the devices eventually consuming this power. The grid will be much more closely monitored in order to get power where it needs to go and conserve when not as much is required. This increase in control of the grid will also allow for more reliable service and the ability to quickly determine precisely where a line is down if power is lost in any area. The transition to electric vehicles will be a major element of the new grid. Electric vehicles can be used as a way to store electricity produced when renewable sources are readily available and used later. There will have to be communication to monitor how, when, and where cars are charged. With advanced communication, more environmental friendly sources of energy such as wind and solar power can be incorporated into the grid.


NSF Synthetic Biology D9 Algal Biofuel Production: Identifying Genes in the Lipid Metabolic Pathway of Dunaliella Patrick Noah Backman Microbiology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Heike Sederoff Plant Biology Mia Dvora Plant Biology; Marie-Laure Sauer Plant Biology Alternative fuel sources are crucial for helping offset growing transportation energy demands and decreasing foreign oil dependency in the face of a limited oil supply. Biofuels are alternative biomass-based fuels that have the potential to replace petroleum-based fuels. Algae, specifically Dunaliella, is a promising biofuel feedstock because it does not compete with food crops for land and has high growth rates. Lipid synthesis can also be induced under certain conditions. To understand how lipid synthesis for biofuel production is affected when the algae is subjected to various growth conditions, the key genes in the metabolic pathway for lipid synthesis must be characterized. In this study, we focused on two key enzymes of the pathway: acetyl CoA carboxylase and thioesterase. These genes were characterized, along with two housekeeping genes ubiquitin and actin for the following strains of Dunaliella: D. salina LB200 and LB1644, D. primolecta LB1000, D. tertiolecta CCMP364, UTEX LB999, and CCMP1320, and of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: CC125 and CC124. In the fatty acid synthesis pathway, acetyl CoA carboxylase carries out the first committed step and thioesterase is involved in hydrolysis of fatty acids from the acyl carrier protein which leads to chain termination. Genes for ubiquitin and actin will serve to normalize gene expression activity in real time PCR. Available sequences for Dunaliella and Chlamydomonas from NCBI were aligned and regions of high similarity were used to design primers. The primers were then tested for each strain and products were sequenced and compared to identify the genes of interest.

A10 Toxin Biosynthesis in the Banana Pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morgan Elizabeth Carter Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Margaret Daub Plant Biology Roslyn Noar Plant Pathology; Bananas and plantains are an important subsistence crop throughout tropical areas. Black Sigatoka, caused by the fungus Mycospharella fijiensis, heavily damages these plants. Current disease control is extensive fungicide use - a costly and environmentally unfriendly solution that most developing countries cannot afford. Development of resistant cultivars will provide an affordable and

sustainable alternative, however research efforts are hindered by the lack of knowledge about pathogenicity mechanisms employed during disease development. My research addresses the hypothesis that M. fijiensis uses photoactivated toxins for infection. Putative toxin biosynthesis genes were identified through bioinformatics analysis of the M. fijiensis genome for genes homologous to those in the synthesis pathway for the photoactivated toxin cercosporin in the related Cercospora fungi. To prove the involvement of such a toxin, we developed techniques to disrupt genes of interest in M. fijiensis. We created disruption constructs for two polyketide synthases that will be used to create disruption mutants by transforming protoplasts harvested from germinating spores. To test the virulence of mutant fungi, we developed inoculation procedures involving young banana plants. Future research will focus on pathogeniticity assays with mutant strains for many different genes hypothesized to be involved in toxin biosynthesis.

B6 Recombinant Expression of a Thermostable Lipase from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 to Augment Production of Microalgal-derived Biofuel Stephen Philip Cohen Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Amy Grunden Microbiology Rushyannch Killens Microbiology Lipases are used in a diverse range of industrial activities, including food processing, detergent manufacturing, pharmaceutical applications, and other processes that require biocatalysts to break down lipids. One such prospective use and the primary interest of this research is the conversion of microalgal lipids into free fatty acids, a vital step in the production of microalgae-derived biofuel. The enzymatic activities of many lipases have yet to be characterized. This study was designed to characterize the enzymatic activity of the lipase encoded by the lipP-2 gene found in open reading frame SSO2521 from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus P2. The gene for this lipase was inserted into the pET-28a expression vector, which contained an upstream T7 promoter and an N-terminal His-Tag. The recombinant plasmid was sequenced and confirmed to be mutation-free. The recombinant lipase was then over-expressed in the BL-21 and Arctic Express strains of Escherichia coli in different induction media and at different temperatures. The recombinant protein was observed in the whole cell extracts using SDS-PAGE and western blot, but not in the cell free extracts under the expression conditions used to date. Continued work will be done to find the best conditions for overexpression and proper folding of the lipase. The lipase will then be isolated via high-performance liquid chromatography and its activity will be biochemically characterized.


A16 Characterization of Arabidopsis plc Mutants Reveals Novel Phenotypes During Abiotic Stress Konstantin Divilov Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Imara Perera Plant Biology The enzyme phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolyzes the membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) to produce the second messengers inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). Arabidopsis thaliana contains seven active isoforms of PLC. Abiotic stresses, (e.g. salt, cold, and drought), are known to affect the transcriptional activity of the AtPLCs. We used three different lines to monitor plant responses to abiotic stress including T-DNA insertional mutants of AtPLC1 and AtPLC7 as well as a line genetically engineered to express the mammalian type I inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (InsP 5-ptase). This enzyme hydrolyzes InsP3 to InsP2, inhibiting the downstream effects of InsP3-mediated signaling. In order to look at plant responses to salt stress, plc1 and plc7 mutant seedlings were exposed to different concentrations of salt and root growth was monitored for four days. For drought treatment, six week old plants of the three lines and wild type were deprived of water for nine days, the relative water content (RWC) was measured and expression of drought-inducible genes was monitored. Phenotype analysis of plc1 mutants revealed abnormal leaf development and increased root hair growth. During salt stress both plc1 and plc7 mutants showed inhibited root growth. Surprisingly, plc1 (but not plc7) mutants showed increased drought tolerance. The difference in phenotype between plc1 and plc7 suggests that AtPLC1 plays a greater role in growth and development than AtPLC7.

C10 Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana Pleiotropic Drug Resistance 13 (AtPDR13) in Root Growth and Development Elizabeth Y. Flores Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Marcela Rojas-Pierce Plant Biology To improve plant stress tolerance and ultimately increase the nutritional value of agricultural crops for human consumption, it is essential that we understand how to regulate vacuolar trafficking of membrane proteins. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters have been implicated in the movement of a wide variety of substrates across cellular membranes in plant cells. Pleotropic drug resistance (PDR) proteins are a sub-family of ABC transporters that carry molecules across the plasma membrane. Arabidopsis thaliana PDR13 is a member of the PDR subfamily, but its function is unknown. This project is designed to accurately identify this gene and characterize its function in root

development. Three different T-DNA insertion lines were studied to characterize AtPDR13. Gene knockouts provide a direct route to determining the function of a gene product. AtPDR13 knockout mutants were studied in comparison to the wild type Col-0 to determine their root phenotypes and their response to various stresses. Seedlings were grown on treatments accordingly, scanned and analyzed. Our results suggest AtPDR13 has an important role in the development of lateral roots and elongation of root hairs that are necessary for the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil. AtPDR13 is not involved in NaCl and ABA stresses nor does it participate in the ethylene signaling pathway. Future experimentation of this project includes: identifying where the gene is being expressed using a GUS promoter fusion and tagging with GFP to visualize sub-cellular localization of AtPDR13.

A1 Use of PVX Based Viral Expression Vectors For Transient Gene Expression In Tobacco Monica Nicole Hodge Biology & Plant Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Ralph Dewey Crop Science Viral expression systems allow for rapid production of transient proteins, allowing the affects of foreign genes to be observed quicker than with more traditional methods of gene transfer, such as agrobacterial transformation through tissue culture. I am using a potato x potyvirus (PVX) viral vector expression system to over-express a re-engineered homing meganuclease I-CreI in three varieties of tobacco. Using the PVX vector pGR106 plasmid, I created PGR_Mega by inserting the homing meganuclease I-CreI under transcriptional control of the PVX coat protein promoter. The resulting PGR_mega plasmid will be administered via agrobacterial infiltration to leaves of three types of tobacco: Nicotiana benthamiana, a variety highly susceptible to viral infection, Nicotiana xanthi, a commonly used experimental cultivar and TEVB, a genetically modified Nicotiana xanthi strain which has an increased susceptibility to infection. Under transcriptional control of the viral coat protein promoter, the I-CreI gene is copied in vivo as the virus replicates and moves throughout the plant. After an active infection has developed, I will look for evidence of increased activity of the homing meganuclease within infected tissue, as well as obtain viral extracts from infected plants to be used for easy inoculation of additional plants. D12 Life In Hot Acid Rika Siedah Judd Biochemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Robert Kelly Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering The U.S. contains only 6% of the uranium in the world,


a reason why bioleaching of uranium is so attractive to the mining industry. Bioleaching is a process in which microorganisms recover valuable metals, such as uranium, from ores. Metallosphaera sedula, an extreme thermoacidophile, is able grow in the presence of 1mM uranium on its optimal growth media DSM88 (unpublished result, Kelly lab). Both organisms use iron as an energy source to drive the leaching process. Acidothiobacillus ferrooxidans, an acidophilic mesophile, is 100 times more tolerant to heavy metals than M. sedula (Olson et al 1993). The goal of this project is to see which organism is more resistant to uranium, and if media effects resistance. A previous study has shown that three strains of A. ferrooxidans can resist uranium at high concentrations (Merroun et al 2001). But these strains were taken from uranium mines, and the precipitation of uranium from the medium could have led to higher than actual levels of resistance. Here, both wild-type versions of Afe and Mse were used to evaluate U resistance in ATCC 2039 growth medium, which is optimal for A. ferrooxidans. Cell densities of both species at different concentrations of uranium were obtained. Iron assays and uranium assays were also performed to analyze the media to observe uranium and iron concentrations. Results have shown that resistance depends on the media and the specific strain. A. ferroxidans ability to leach copper, another important metal, from chalcopyrite was also studied to be compared with M. sedula.

A17 Identifying Auxin Biosynthetic Mutants in Arabidopsis Thaliana Kayarash Karimian Biology and Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jose Alonso Genetics As a plant hormone, auxin controls numerous developmental, growth, and regulatory processes of the plants and is a necessary compound for the maintenance of plant stem cells. While the roles of auxin in plants have been studied thoroughly, the auxin biosynthetic pathway is not completely understood. The following approaches were used in attempt to identify specific genes involved in this pathway: 100,000 EMS (ethyl methanesulfonate) mutagenized plants were screened for auxin deficient phenotypes. These phenotypes included long roots and lack of apical hooks in three-day-old seedlings grown on media containing ethylene and short roots on media containing natural auxin IAA. Since the mutagenized plants also harbored a transgene for an auxin response reporter DR5:GFP, root meristems of 10-day-old seedlings were examined for auxin responses using fluorescent microscopy: the fate of stem cells was analyzed. The plant lines that showed loss of root meristems and reduced or abnormal DR5:GFP expression were transferred to soil for propagation and genetic crossing.

A11

Improving Camelina sativa?s Biofuel Potential Emma Easton Kovak Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Heike Sederoff Plant Biology Roopa Yalamanchili Plant Biology The United States is currently facing a fuel crisis: at current consumption rates, the US could run out of oil and natural gas within the next 50-100 years. Biofuels, renewable fuels derived from plant biomass, are a promising solution to this problem. Camelina sativa is a crop with great biofuel potential due to its oil production and other agronomic characteristics including drought tolerance, growth density, and ability to grow on marginal land. Despite these advantages, Camelina also has low heat and light tolerance, which limits possible regions for cultivation, and its seed oil content is not yet high enough for feasible large-scale biofuel production. In order to increase the photosynthetic efficiency of Camelina, we chose to transform with a bacterial antioxidant enzyme, superoxide reductase (SOR). SOR, which comes from Pyrococcus furiosus, converts the harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) O2

¯H2O2It has been shown that Arabidopsis plants transformed with SOR show increased heat and light tolerance. In addition, we transformed Camelina with SOR fused with a chloroplast transit peptide (CTP), which directs SOR to the chloroplasts where most ROS are generated. In order to increase carbon fixation and therefore substrate available for lipid synthesis we chose to transform with tobacco aquaporin, a membrane CO2 transporter from Nicotiana tabacum, which has been shown to increase CO2 uptake in tobacco.

B12 Recombinant Expression of a Thermostable Lipase for Algae Biofuel Production Christine Gayle MacInnes Zoology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Amy Grunden Microbiology With the dwindling supply of fossil fuels, there has been a push towards creating renewable biofuels, and algae have emerged as a promising alternative. However, for algae to be a viable alternative, the process of creating biofuels must be more efficient. One way to increase efficiency is to transform algae with thermostable lipases that will cleave free fatty acids to the desired length of 10-12 carbons for diesel and jet fuel production. The research project described here was focused on the recombinant expression of the Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 gene SSO2493 , which encodes for a thermostable lipase in an effort to biochemically characterize the lipase for its application in algal biofuel production. The S. solfataricus lipase was cloned into pET28 for recombinant expression in Escherichia coli strain BL-21 which also carries the rare tRNA expressing plasmid pRIL. Expression cultures were grown in both auto-induction and LB media, and


two different lysing methods, bead beating and B-Per were used for protein extract preparation. It was determined that the recombinant lipase was being expressed in cultures grown in either LB or auto-induction media; although, higher amounts of expressed lipase were observed for the auto-induction media cultures. Soluble protein, however, was only detected in protein extracts prepared using the B-Per reagent lysing method. Once successful lipase expression was demonstrated at small scale (50 ml cultures), 1 L scale auto-induction cultures were prepared to provide sufficient recombinant protein for column chromatography purification and biochemical characterization of the lipase activity.

B1 Cloning and evolutionary analyses of SEPALLATA genes from dogwoods - Deciphering the genetic links to bract petaloidy Wade Riley Roberts Biology and Art Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Qiuyun (Jenny) Xiang Plant Biology Yi Yu Plant Biology Species of dogwood (Cornus L.) exhibit a wide variation in inflorescence structure, including the presence of petaloid bracts in some species and their absence in others. The genus offers the opportunity to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolutionary development of inflorescence architecture. In Arabidopsis, members of the SEPALLATA (SEP) MADS-box subfamily are required for floral organ and meristem identity. The SEP genes have also been reported to have a function in petaloid bract evolution in Impatiens (Ericales). In this study, SEP3 genes were identified and sequenced from three dogwood species, representing lineages with and without petaloid bracts, including Cornus canadensis, C. florida, and C. macrophylla. We aligned the cDNA sequences from several species of Eudicots obtained from GenBank to design PCR primers for amplification of the putative SEP homologues from dogwood species. These amplicons were then sequenced and analyzed together with some SEP gene sequences of other Eudicot taxa to identify molecular changes correlated with bract petaloidy in Cornus. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the petaloid lineages in dogwoods were united as sisters. Comparison of sequences among species will determine if the genes in Cornus have similar or dissimilar structure as those in Arabidopsis and will also locate the coding domains for the SEP protein. This study provides initial data for future investigation of the roles of SEP genes in the evolution of bract petaloidy within the dogwood genus via gene expression and functional analyses.

D10 NSF Global Plant Health Internship in Costa Rica Robin Singh Human Biology

Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jean Ristaino Plant Pathology Phytophthora infestans is the causative agent of late blight of tomato and potato as well as the Irish potato famine of the 1850’s. This reemerging disease is found throughout the world including North and South America, Europe, and Asia and causes millions of dollars of crop damage. The objectives of the study are to (1) determine whether new genotypes of this pathogen exist in areas of Costa Rica and (2) whether or not there are differences in genotypes found in wild or cultivated Solanaceous crops. Allozyme genotyping was used to determine genotypes of samples collected from San Jose, Costa Rica. We hypothesized that no new genotypes will exist and that there would be no difference between the genotypes found between wild host and cultivated crops. Three isolates were collected TT-10, TT-11, and TT-12. TT-10 came from leaves of a wild Solaneous host, TT-11 came from wild fruits, and TT-12 came from commercial potato leaves. After PCR, RFLP, and allozyme genotyping analysis, preliminary results show that there may be a novel genotype found in Costa Rica based on a unique five-banded pattern displayed by TT-10. However, further surveys and collections with a larger number of samples before we can confirm this.

A14 Cloning of At5g54060 from metabolically programmed red cells of Arabidopsis thaliana. Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Deyu Xie Plant Biology Anthocyanins are a group of pigments that are specific to certain types of cells in plants. Anthocyanins play important roles in plant physiological activities, especially in protection of plants themselves from UV light irradiation-caused damages. Engineering efforts have been made to understand the molecular regulation mechanisms of biosynthesis pathways of anthocyanins. Arabidopsis thaliana has been an appropriate model plant to understand anthocyanin biosynthesis. In our laboratory, the red cells of A. thaliana were specifically selected to produce anthocyanins from calli induced from leaves. Our previous studies have shown that many genes have been up-regulated to enhance the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in the red cells. At5g54060, also known as UGT79B1, is an up-regulated gene that has been predicted protein to encode a member from the glycotransferase family. The predicted protein may have a putative transferase activity to add mono-sugar to anthocyanidins or/and anthocyanins. However, the role of the gene is unknown. To investigate the role of this gene, UGT79B1 has been isolated by PCR-based cloning and its function was tested in both in E. coli and A. thaliana mutants.

C13


Effects of Satellite DNA on ACMV Virulence Courun James Williams Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Linda Hanley-Bowdoin Biochemistry Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a major staple crop for Africa and Asia that is capable of withstanding drought and poor soil conditions. The cassava tuber is a vital source for calories for millions in the developing world. African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV) infection constitutes a major proportion of annual losses in cassava cultivation. In 2005, almost half of the cassava crop loss was attributed to a complex of begomoviruses that includes ACMV. Though farmers have constantly developed cultivars with virus-resistant properties, the presence of two small DNA satellites has been found to greatly enhance the virulence of ACMV, even breaking resistance of specially bred cassava lines. We seek to understand the mechanism by which these satellites augment ACMV virulence as part of an effort to devise a broad solution against all begomovirus infections in cassava. The ACMV genome is composed of two distinct segments, the A and B components. Sequences corresponding to the A and B DNA components were released from plasmids by restriction endonuclease digestion and ligated into the Agrobacterium vector pMON721. To facilitate cloning of the satellites, site-directed mutagenesis was performed to create Not 1 restriction sites flanking their sequences. Once the orientations of the viral genome components and satellite sequences have been verified in the Agrobacterium vectors, they will be transformed into Agrobacteria and used in leaf disc assays and for infection studies in plants. These experiments will be performed in two model plant species, Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana.

Research Experience for Undergraduate Mathematics: Modeling and Industrial Applied Mathematics D24 Efficiencies of Stochastic Algorithms Anna Dickerman Broido Mathematics Kathryn Link Mathematics; Brandi Canter Mathematics; Kaitlyn Gayvert Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: H. Thomas Banks Mathematics Alana Thompson Mathematics; Michele Joyner Mathematics; Shuhua Hu Mathematics There are a variety of stochastic computational algorithms in use, but for a given model it is unclear which method is most advantageous. Deterministic approaches involving ordinary differential equations to approximate large sample sizes with a continuum, though widely used, have proven less descriptive when

applied to small sample sizes. To address this issue, stochastic simulation methods are used when dealing with low species count or a large number of transitions. However stochastic methods can prove to be computationally expensive. We compared one hybrid method and various stochastic methods, with respect to time, to determine appropriate- ness for use with a large HIV model (106 viral particles). We investigate five particular algorithms. In order to compare these methods, we used them to analyze two similar compartmental, stiff infection models (a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) infection model at the population level and a HIV within host infection model). While the first has a low species count and few transitions, the second is more complex with a comparable number of species involved. The relative efficiency of each algorithm is determined based on computational time and degree of precision required. We have found that with the larger and more complex HIV model, implementation and modification of Tau-Leaping methods are preferred. The goal of this project is to illustrate how widely performances vary between two infection models and demonstrate how one might perform computational studies to aid in selection of appropriate algorithms.

C20 Quantitative Analysis for Financial Risks Susan Elizabeth Clark Actuarial Math Jessica Myles Mathematics; Hoang Tran Economics; Weici Hu Mathematics / Economics; Sidafa Conde Mathematics/Business Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Tao Pang Mathematics Jeff Scroggs Mathematics Since the stock market carries both high return and high risk, volatility is a matter of considerable concern to financial institutions, their supervisors and investors. Today Value at Risk (VaR) is the most common measure of risk used by many financial institutions and regulators. Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) is another risk measure that finds the expected loss beyond the threshold given by VaR. We began by calculating these risk measures for a single asset under the assumption that financial data is normally distributed. However, we found that extreme losses are larger and occur much more often than the normal distribution would predict. Hence, VaR and CVaR tend to underestimate risk under the assumption of the normal distribution. Several distributions with heavier tails such as Student's t and alpha stable have been proposed as an alternative to the normal. We also implemented the GARCH model to update volatility calculations. We found that heavier tail distributions such as Student's t are generally more suitable for modeling financial data in the single asset case. In addition, we investigated the VaR measure for a portfolio of stocks. Here, we needed to consider not only the volatility of individual stocks, but also their


dependence on each other. We began by considering the correlation coefficient; then, we investigated the more advanced copula model. We used a number of statistical methods such as QQ plots and hypothesis tests to determine the most accurate distribution for VaR and CVaR.

B17 Sensitivity Analysis of the Wnt Pathway Kyle George Dunn Mathematics Brandon Groth Applied Mathematics; Kelly Blake Mathematics and Environmental Studies; Jacob Schuurman Mathematics/Statistics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Hien Tran Mathematics Signal transduction begins with signals binding to receptors on the membrane of the cell. This causes a cascade of protein interactions within the cell, ending in transcription of targeted genes. The Wnt pathway is a well studied protein system that plays an important role in the proliferation and adhesion of cancerous cells. When signaled, the Wnt pathway results in a buildup of β-catenin, which leads to transcription of certain genes. An excess of β-catenin can cause cells to divide unnecessarily resulting in tumors. Other factors in the pathway, such as axin and APC, help regulate β-catenin buildup. In order to sift through the various protein interactions to determine the most influential, we analyze the response of a state variable to a change in the parameter, also known as sensitivity functions. Solving for sensitivity functions analytically in large models such as the Wnt Pathway is not practical because it requires computing a large number of partial derivatives. In this project, we use automatic differentiation to compute the partial derivatives related to sensitivity functions. We were interested specifically in β-catenin and axin because of their important role in the system, but also investigated other factors. Through our sensitivity analysis of the Wnt pathway, we were able to determine the most influential protein interactions.

A7 Spatial Spread of Wolbachia-Infected Mosquitoes: An Attempt to Control Dengue Fever Alyson Lindsey Fox Math Kathleen Rogers Industrial Mathematics; Chassidy Bozeman Applied Mathematics; Jared Catenacci Pure Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Alun Lloyd Mathematics Timothy Antonelli Biomathematics; Michael Robert Biomathematics Dengue fever is a disease transmitted by the mosquito species Aedes aegypti. Currently, strategies for controlling dengue rely upon reducing the mosquito population. An alternative method involves releasing mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, a vertically transmitted bacterium that reduces adult mosquito

lifespan and reduces mosquitoes’ ability to acquire and transmit dengue virus. The spread of Wolbachia is made possible by cytoplasmic incompatibility, which reduces the hatch rate of eggs laid by uninfected females that mate with infected males. We developed a discrete time metapopulation model to study the spread of Wolbachia. Using numerical simulations we studied different release strategies and the effects of fitness costs and movement rates on the speed at which Wolbachia spreads though populations (wave speed). In addition, we studied the effects of heterogeneous populations by varying subpopulation size. We found that simultaneously releasing Wolbachia into multiple, neighboring subpopulations increases the ability of Wolbachia to spread for a wider range of fitness and migration rates. When we allowed for heterogeneity in subpopulation size, the wave speed decreased and was more sensitive to fitness costs and movement rates. We found that under a variety of conditions, Wolbachia can spread through multiple subpopulations and Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes can replace an existing population.

C9 Cluster Analytics Katelyn Xiang Gao Mathematics Cristian Potter Mathematics; Edward Lim Mathematics; Heather Hardeman Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Carl Meyer Mathematics Cluster Analytics helps to analyze the massive amounts of data which have accrued in this technological age. Specifically, it employs the idea of clustering, or grouping, like objects with similar traits within the data. The benefit of clustering is that clustering methods do not depend on any prior knowledge of the data. Hence, through cluster analysis, interpreting large data sets becomes, in most cases, much easier. However one of the major challenges in cluster analytics is determining the exact number of clusters, k, within the data. For methods such as k-means and nonnegative matrix factorization, choosing the appropriate k is important. Other methods such as Singular Value Decomposition and Reverse Simon-Ando are not as dependent on beginning with the correct k. Our task this summer was to explore methods of deriving the number of clusters from the data set. We used results from other clustering methods to find the correct k. This research will aid in the understanding of data sets such as the Broad Institute leukemia data set as well as the Iris data set.

D2 Randomized Matrix Multiplication Colin Richard Gray Mathematics Derek Young Mathematics; Daniel Peach Mathematics; Maurice Gibson Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Ilse Ipsen Mathematics


We examine the BASICMATRIXMULTIPLICATION (BMM) algorithm introduced by Drineas, Kannan, and Mahoney and attempt to reduce the error of their algorithm. The algorithm randomly samples columns and rows from the input matrices A and B, respectively--these sampled columns and rows are scaled such that the expected value of their product is equal to the true product AB. For sufficiently large matrices, BMM is computationally less expensive than traditional deterministic matrix algorithms; however, the algorithm is prohibitively inexact for most input matrices. We modify BMM by pre-multiplying the input matrices with Hadamard matrices and random diagonal matrices; we hope this pre-processing step will smooth matrix data and reduce algorithm error. We present both our methods and the experimental results of our modied algorithm.

D28 Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of metabolic pathways of bromochloromethane Tyler Allan Trent Janes Math Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Marina Evans Pharmokinetics Christopher Eklund Bromochloromethane (BCM) is a volatile compound that if metabolized may lead to toxicity in different organs. Using a physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model, we explore two hypotheses describing the metabolic pathways of BCM in rats: a two-pathway model exploiting both the enzyme CYP2E1 and the enzyme glutathione transferase for metabolism, and a two-binding site model where metabolism can occur at a hypothesized second binding site on CYP2E1. After optimizing for the parameters needed in each model, our findings show that both variations of the metabolic pathway models generate curves that fit our data well; however, the two-binding site model more accurately fits the data obtained at higher concentrations of BCM using least squares regression to compare metabolic models. In addition, we explore the sensitivity of different parameters for each model using our obtained optimized values as well as for regions around these values. (This abstract does not reflect EPA policy).

A22 Development of an Ozone Inhalation Model Andrew Christopher Kirby Mathematics Andrew Bernstein Mathematics and Economics; Analise Rodenberg Mathematics and Physics; Adrian McLean Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: William LeFew Systems Biology Branch, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division (ISTD) Hisham El-Masri Systems Biology Branch, Integrated Systems Toxicology Division (ISTD)

The goal of this project was to develop a mathematical dosimetry model that simulates the inhalation and deposition of ozone through the respiratory tract. The model is based upon a transport-diffusion partial differential equation which describes the flow of ozone through the respiratory tract and the diffusion of ozone in the air. The dosimetry model also encompasses the flux of ozone into the tissue giving total concentrations of ozone deposited in the lung. The model was solved using the Crank-Nicolson implicit scheme. Within our model, we split the domain into multiple compartments which mimic the different generations of the lungs. This required conservation of mass to be incorporated. The results generated by the dosimetry model were then linked with data regarding neurons called C-fibers, which are located in the bottom of the lungs. When exposed to ozone, C-fibers react and cause physiological changes such as frequency and depth of breathing. These are results of the body trying to counter the harmful effects of ozone inhalation. Incorporating this aspect to the inhalation model helps depict a more realistic cycle of ozone uptake.

B20 A Comparison of Growth into Poroviscous versus Poroelastic Tissues Aaron Lee Marcus Applied Mathematics/Physics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Sharon Lubkin Mathematics In the past, soft tissues such as connective tissues or epithelium have been modeled as having two phases—an aqueous phase and a cellular phase or a fibrous phase. The different mechanical properties of each tissue vary depending on the tissues' types. In 2002, Lubkin and Jackson created a strictly poroviscous model of such tissues and discovered criteria for formation of a capsule around a growing spheroid. They found that certain parameters of strain, viscosity, contractility and solvation stress ("thirst") interact to either form a capsule around the tissue or not. Formation of this capsule halts any further growth of the tissue as the inside tissue has become too dense to enable any growth by means of solvation. In 2010, Lubkin and Lozoya (in review) discovered a bifurcation distinguishing the regimes of steady growth of the tissues from those that lead to encapsulation and growth arrest. However, this model was strictly poroviscous, like the previous Lubkin/Jackson model.In order to more realistically represent the mechanics in in vitro systems and in embryonic lung development, these models must incorporate poroelasticity as well as poroviscosity because tissue culture gels are poroelastic and as tissues mature, they exhibit more elastic properties. Lubkin and Marcus have already incorporated the elasticity of the mesenchyme into the model in a 1-dimensional Cartesian domain. However, a higher dimensional model is better suited for this application. We present the evolution of the model from the Lubkin/Jackson


version, to the 1-D poroviscoelastic version, to a preliminary spherically symmetric model.

B9 SPASM (Stochastic Particle Approach for Simulating Morphogenesis) Jeffrey Thomas Moulton Mathematics Michael Donders Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science; Aashish Gadani Mathematics, Computer Science; Evan Fields Mathematics, Computer Science Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Sharon Lubkin Mathematics We construct a stochastic modeling tool, SPASM (Stochastic Particle Approach for Simulating Morphogenesis), to analyze the dynamics of groups of moving cells. In our modeling framework, cells exist as groups of particles. Each particle represents a fixed volume, and particles interact through fluid and/or elastic forces. Stochastic noise represents dynamics of the cytoskeleton. Our tool includes options for a cell cortex and extracellular matrix, and allows the user to control cell stiffness and the viscosity of the environment. We ran many simulations to test our modeling framework. To analyze the biological process of cell sorting, we distributed cells of different types and varied adhesive strengths between cells. We found that a high ratio of homogeneous adhesion to heterogeneous adhesion caused some cell sorting to occur. We placed cells above an adhesive surface, representing a plate used in experiments, to observe the change in aspect ratio (height/width) of the cells. A higher adhesive ratio caused the cells to round out slightly on top. SPASM can simulate mitosis and cell growth. Although many dynamic cell models already exist, ours is one of the first to include both fine details of individual cells and adaption to large tissues. Our tool can also be calibrated to match physical forces.

C22 Modeling Blood Pressure Control During Head-Up Tilt Bridget Cleary Stichnot Mathematcis Ou Lu Mathematics; Jairus Cuffie Mathematics; Christiana Sabett Mathematics; Andrea Brown Mathematics; Albert Soto Mathematics Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Mette Olufsen Mathematics The purpose of this project is to develop a patient-specific model that can predict how the autonomic nervous system regulates blood pressure and heart rate during head-up tilt (HUT). To do so, we adopt a compartment model that uses heart rate as an input to predict blood pressure in the arteries and veins of

systemic circulation. HUT is modeled by accounting for gravitational forces that pool blood in the legs. The regulatory response is modeled by regulating peripheral resistance, cardiac contractility, and vascular tone as a function of carotid blood pressure. Sensitivity analysis and subset selection were used to identify a set of parameters that can be estimated given the model and available data. Subsequently, nonlinear optimization was used to estimate values for these parameters. Several methods were employed including the Levenberg-Marqardt gradient-based method and Kalman filtering. Results showed that it was possible to identify a subset of parameters that can be estimated. Furthermore, we learned that simple identification using small segments of data provided the best parameter estimates. Kalman filtering was useful when estimating a limited number of parameters. However, this method failed to estimate all parameters in the subset. Finally, we were able to model HUT accounting for gravity and some preliminary results were obtained modeling the autonomic regulation.


S. E. Kelman Scholarship Program B3 Relative Gene Expression Level of Meloidogyne hapla in Medicago Plants Ariel J Brown Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: David Bird Plant Pathology Root knot nematodes cause a great percentage of global crop loss. Parasitic nematodes are obligate plant parasites that interact with their hosts in a remarkable manner. These pathogens are known to be biotrophoic, and they establish a long term feeding relationship with the living cells of their hosts during the infection process. Establishing and maintaining permanent feeding cells are essential for their growth and reproduction. The root knot nematode (Meloidogyne hapla) infests many plant species. Some scientists hypothesize that they manipulate plant cell development. As juvenile (J2) nematodes penetrate the plant, they invade the vascular parenchyma that are used for food transport. These cells are then transformed into feeding sites, which provide nutrients necessary for the nematode’s survival. The cells enlarge and become multinucleated without undergoing cytokinesis. These cells are now referred to as giant cells. The abnormal enlargement of cells causes the formation of root galls. Previous research using microarray technology indicates differential gene regulation between two M. hapla nematode lines. One objective of this project is to compare the relative gene regulation in the host by these two lines using QT-PCR.

C15 Genetic analysis of the Irish potato famine pathogen, Phytophthora infestans David Corley Gibbs Biology Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jean Ristaino Plant Pathology Late blight, the disease responsible for the devastating Irish potato famine of 1845, is caused by the oomycete plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans and is still a major threat to potato and tomato crops worldwide today. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, plant samples infected with late blight were collected and stored in herbaria around the world. These preserved specimens can now provide useful information on the genetic diversity and structure of historic P. infestans populations owing to modern advancements in the field of molecular biology. For this project, DNA was extracted from 141 U.S. herbarium samples, amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and quantified using real-time PCR. We also tested 12 microsatellite markers against 10 modern P. infestans isolates with U.S. genotypes and found 2 primer pairs, Pi63 and G11, that successfully amplified their polymorphic loci. Thus, these markers, along with

DNA sequencing data, could also be used to genotype U.S. herbarium samples and determine whether they represent a clonal or genetically diverse population. Ultimately, this genetic information will allow us to not only better understand the late blight epidemics of the past but also help us better prepare for any epidemics of the future.

B4 Fungicide Testing of Phytophthora infestans Michelle Ploch Molecular and Cellular Biology/ Chemistry Mentors and/or Co-Authors: Jean Ristaino Plant Pathology Phytophthora infestans, the cause of the Irish potato famine, still poses a great threat to agricultural potato and tomato practices around the world. To be able to reduce the costs of the damages done by this disease, growers actively use various fungicides to control outbreaks. In this study, twenty samples from across the country collected in 2009 and 2010 were gathered and observed for their sensitivity to the fungicide fluopicolide. Five mm plugs from actively growing isolates were taken and placed on rye V8 media agar plates media containing six different concentrations of the fungicide. After two weeks, the effective concentration for a 50% reduction in mycelia growth was determined by measuring two perpendicular axes from the center of the colony on agar media and comparing them to the control. Most isolates were sensitive to fluopicolide and did not grow at concentrations of fungicide above 100 ppm.

Alphabetical Listing of Lead Student Presenters 54

Index of Student Presenters by Lead Presenter

Poster no. Student Presenter(s) Project Title Content Area B31 Taylor Elizabeth Adair Inhibitors of Bordetella Biofilms

as a New Therapeutic Approach to Pertussis

NC Project Seed (High School)

B27 Christopher Lee Adkins

Mechanical Engineering Implementation of Biologically Inspired Design in Space Truss Structures

NSF Engineering the Grid Program

D26 Cristina Alcaraz

Chemistry Small Molecule Modulation of Bacterial Biofilm Development

NC State Independent Researchers

D9 Patrick Noah Backman

Microbiology Algal Biofuel Production: Identifying Genes in the Lipid Metabolic Pathway of Dunaliella

NSF Synthetic Biology

C6 Morgan A. Bair

Chemistry Engineering Natural Product Assembly Line with Unnatural Amino Acid Mutagenesis Based Approaches

Chemistry REU Program

B5 Oindree Banerjee

Physics, Chemistry Instabilities of Spreading Droplets NC State Independent

Researchers C27 Llewellyn Barrett

Physics Modeling Image Potential States in Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy Experiments

NC State Undergraduate Research Awards

D25 Danielle M. Batin

Psychology The maturing mind on a daily basis: The relationship between distress, everyday memory and age

Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD)

D31 Richard Byron Beddingfield

Electrical Engineering Active Filter Solutions for High Power Multi-Motor Applications

NSF ERC FREEDM Systems Center

A30 Thomas Francis Blair

Biochemistry The response of Arabidopsis response regulator 7 to geminivirus infection


A21 James Howard Blew

Chemistry A Computational Study of Interfacial Electron Transfer in Fe(II)-polypyridine Sensitized Titanium Dioxide Surfaces


D24 Anna Dickerman Broido

Mathematics Kathryn Link Mathematics; Brandi Canter Mathematics; Kaitlyn Gayvert Mathematics

Efficiencies of Stochastic Algorithms

Research Experience for Undergraduate Mathematics: Modeling and Industrial Applied Mathematics

B3 Ariel J Brown

Biology Relative Gene Expression Level of Meloidogyne hapla in Medicago Plants

S. E. Kelman Scholarship Program


D19 Mary Patricia Bulfin Biological Sciences

Identification of the gene responsible for the chicken L alloatigen by whole genome association mapping and assessment of potential implications on poultry immunological response


B28 Sara Ziyad Busaileh

Microbiology Alternative Microfluidic Material Initiative for Maximizing

Student Diversity (IMSD) C12 Adrianna Renee Cardinal-De

Casas Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation

Camponotus chromoaiodes vs. Formica subsericea network


A10 Morgan Elizabeth Carter

Biochemistry Toxin Biosynthesis in the Banana Pathogen Mycosphaerella fijiensis


B13 Stewart Daniel Cartmell

Computer Science Toward recognition of student facial expressions and gestures within intelligent tutoring systems


B18 Jonathan Chan

N/A Computational and Experimental Study of the Absorption Spectra of Nickel and Zinc Tetraphenylporphyrins


A31 Alexander Howard Clark

Chemical Engineering A Novel Method to Produce Uniform Janus-like Particles


D21 Meghan Ruth Clark

Biochemistry Enzymatic Lignin Digestion Chemistry REU Program

C20 Susan Elizabeth Clark

Actuarial Math Jessica Myles Mathematics; Hoang Tran Economics; Weici Hu Mathematics / Economics; Sidafa Conde Mathematics/Business

Quantitative Analysis for Financial Risks


C25 Jarrett Jemale Clifton

Psychology Mother?s beliefs about emotions may influence children?s willingness to share feelings

AGEP Program

B6 Stephen Philip Cohen

Biology Recombinant Expression of a Thermostable Lipase from Sulfolobus solfataricus P2 to Augment Production of Microalgal-derived Biofuel


A26 Wade Leland Colburn

Biomedical Engineering RNA Bioinformatics: How Binding Affects Protein Translation.



C18 Phoebe Marie Cruz Biochemistry

Determining whether the relative sensitivities of reovirus T1L and T3D to antiviral IFN reflect repressor function


A5 Carmen Ellen Cubilla

Biological Sciences Alcohol sensitivity in Drosophila melanogaster


A29 Carrie Jean Culp

Electrical Engineering Benjamin Heacock Physics and Chemistry; Andrew Rash Electrical Engineering

Modeling Coils for Wireless Power Transfer


B23 Ransford Kenya Damptey

Chemical Engineering & Applied Mathematics

Assessing the Dynamics of Biochemical Pathways Using Continuous Boolean Approximations


A28 Carolyn Elizabeth Davy

Textile Engineering The Effect of Solvent on the Interactions between Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes


B32 Kyle David Dean

Electrical Engineering DC-DC power conversion for Solid State Transformer


A9 Morgan Richard Dent

Biomedical Engineering Tat-SF1's Interaction with the HIV-1 Genome


C30 Simona Dereje

Biological Sciences Pharmokinetics of Water Treated Tetracycline in Finisher Swine


A16 Konstantin Divilov

Biology Characterization of Arabidopsis plc Mutants Reveals Novel Phenotypes During Abiotic Stress


B17 Kyle George Dunn

Mathematics Brandon Groth Applied Mathematics; Kelly Blake Mathematics and Environmental Studies; Jacob Schuurman Mathematics/Statistics

Sensitivity Analysis of the Wnt Pathway


A2 Manix Lukungu Eluhu

Biomedical Engineering Tungsten-based Carbon Microelectrodes: A New Generation of Neurochemical Sensors?


C23 Eben A Evbuomwan Background Subtracted Fast Scan

Cyclic Voltammetry for the Detection of Superoxide Anion



B30 Eyob Abebe Eyualem Biomedical Engineering

Developing a Novel Calibration Method for In Vivo Collected Data by Investigating Carbon-fiber Microelectrode Surface Chemistry


C10 Elizabeth Y. Flores

Biology Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana Pleiotropic Drug Resistance 13 (AtPDR13) in Root Growth and Development


A7 Alyson Lindsey Fox

Math Kathleen Rogers Industrial Mathematics; Chassidy Bozeman Applied Mathematics; Jared Catenacci Pure Mathematics

Spatial Spread of Wolbachia-Infected Mosquitoes: An Attempt to Control Dengue Fever


B7 Daniela C Fugon

Aerospace Engineering Balloon Designs for the Mars Scout 3 Mission


C9 Katelyn Xiang Gao

Mathematics Cristian Potter Mathematics; Edward Lim Mathematics; Heather Hardeman Mathematics

Cluster Analytics Research Experience for Undergraduate Mathematics: Modeling and Industrial Applied Mathematics

C15 David Corley Gibbs

Biology Genetic analysis of the Irish potato famine pathogen, Phytophthora infestans


D2 Colin Richard Gray

Mathematics Derek Young Mathematics; Daniel Peach Mathematics; Maurice Gibson Mathematics

Randomized Matrix Multiplication


D11 Alice Claire Griffeth

Physics Hydrodynamic Modeling of a Type Ia Supernova Remnant: G1.9+0.3


D32 Britne Rochele Hackett

Animal Science New Palearctic Species discovered in North America


C17 Sarah Mabel Hambridge

Biomedical Engineering Residential Peak Shaving with Photovoltaics and DESD


A23 Joshua Stephen Harford

Biomedical Engineering Shedding Light on LEDs for Home Lighting


C8 KaDesia Monae Hawkins

Textile Engineering, Chemistry, & Science

Formation, Behavior, and Properties of Self-Nucleated Poly (ethylene terepthalate) : A Two Year Study



A3 Helen Rosanna Herrera Psychology

Assessing the barriers, facilitators, and motivators involved in getting preschoolers to consume fruits and vegetables via a socio-ecological model


C3 Marcia Nicole Higgins

Mathematics Android: An eye on coastal environment


A13 Michael Robert Hinrichsen

Chemistry UV/Vis Spectoscopic Study of Zinc Chloride Aqueous Solutions (2.65 m to 0.001 m)


A1 Monica Nicole Hodge

Biology & Plant Biology Use of PVX Based Viral Expression Vectors For Transient Gene Expression In Tobacco


D5 Mai-Hsuan Huang

Material Science & Engineering

Carbon Nanofiber/Manganese Oxide Composites as the Cathode for Li-air Batteries


D4 Kimberly Ann Hull

Computer Engineering Alternative Approach to Solve State Estimation Problems of Power Systems by Least Absolute Value (LAV) Method


D7 Joshua A Hunsberger

Electrical Engineering Peak-Shaving in Mining Equipment


C1 Anthony Gray Hunter

Aerospace Flywheel Assisted Torque Boost for Rovers


C11 Chima U Igboko

BME Effect of loading rate on strains in different cartilage layers.


D28 Tyler Allan Trent Janes

Math Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling of metabolic pathways of bromochloromethane


D15 Jacqueline Ann Jewell

Animal Science Quantifying the number of T regulatory cells in healthy nursery pigs


A32 Kyra Johnson

Environmental Engineering Characterization of specificity of two alcohol dehydrogenases from Saccharomyces Cerevisiae towards byproducts of biomass pre-treatment in ethanol conversion


A8 Omari Kamau Johnson

Chemical Engineering Determining Variability of Glutathione Levels in Rat Hepatic Cancer Cells in a 2-D vs. 3-D Environment.


D12 Rika Siedah Judd

Biochemistry Life In Hot Acid NSF Synthetic Biology


B33 Benjamin J. Kadish Physics!

Smart Grid Simulator NSF ERC FREEDM Systems Center

A17 Kayarash - Karimian

Biology and Chemistry Identifying Auxin Biosynthetic Mutants in Arabidopsis Thaliana


D18 Jakini Auset Kauba The Effect of the Chemical

Environment on the Function of a Nanobiosensor


A20 Brennan Patrick Keegan

Electrical Engineering Interactive Software Design for Visualization of Power System Disturbances


A22 Andrew Christopher Kirby

Mathematics Andrew Bernstein Mathematics and Economics; Analise Rodenberg Mathematics and Physics; Adrian McLean Mathematics

Development of an Ozone Inhalation Model


A11 Emma Easton Kovak

Biology Improving Camelina sativa?s Biofuel Potential


B2 Travis Taylor Lekich

Chemistry Synthesis and Characterization of Metal-Oxo Compounds that Serve as Precursors for Hetero-bimetallic Compounds


A19 Ashley Nichole Lowe

Psychology The Relationship between Community Characteristics, Health and Stress


C19 Oliver D. Lyons

Physics Organic Photovoltaic Device Fabrication


D17 Natalie Lyn Mabrey

Biochemistry Simultaneous Exposure to Bisphenol-A and Soy Phytoestrogens Alters Female Reproductive Development


B12 Christine Gayle MacInnes

Zoology Recombinant Expression of a Thermostable Lipase for Algae Biofuel Production


C24 Alexandra Skye Malin

Chemistry Comparison of Spectral Counting and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Protein Concentration Determination in Human Plasma


B16 Mikail A Mannan

NC State Development of Methods for Video Measurement of in-situ Strain in Atricular Cartilage



B20 Aaron Lee Marcus Applied Mathematics/Physics

A Comparison of Growth into Poroviscous versus Poroelastic Tissues


B11 Kara Deidra McCullough

Chemistry Selective Amino Substitution of a 2-Aminoimidazole Towards the Re-Sensitization of Bacteria to B-lactams


B21 Mark Anthony Mckay

none Biomarkers for Early Prognosis of Lung Cancer in a Lung Tumor Model


C2 David Wayne Moreau

Physics Spectral Density Changes in Live Cell Imaging


B9 Jeffrey Thomas Moulton

Mathematics Michael Donders Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science; Aashish Gadani Mathematics, Computer Science; Evan Fields Mathematics, Computer Science

SPASM (Stochastic Particle Approach for Simulating Morphogenesis)


A4 John Hoang Nguyen

Chemistry Synthesis and Characterization of Hexacoordinate Metal Complexes


B19 Adam Steven Nickels

Mechanical Engineering Mechanical Design and Thermal Analysis of A Three-Level Inverter


D33 Sarah Elizabeth Oxendine

Zoology How does Prozac really work? The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) in testing fluoxetine drug actions.


D20 James Cody Oxendine

Psychology Video Gameplay Effects on Self-Concept in Older Adults


D23 Melanie A Paige

Psychology John Henryism: The Impact of Coping Style on Health


D13 Garrett Eugene Pangle

Physics A Study of Atmospheric Optical Propagation and Scattering


C4 Cody Mitchell Perry

Chemistry Studies Toward a Direct and Concise Methodology for the Synthesis of 2-Piperidones from 2,3-Dihydro-4-pyridones


A18 Holly E Petruso

Statistics Amanda English Statistics; CHONG WANG Statistics and Applied Math

Extension of Grammatical Evolution Decision Trees for Family Trio Data

Computation for Undergraduates in Statistics Program (NCSU CUSP)


D8 Thao Kim Phan Mechanical Engineering

Exploring the Use of One-Dimensional Nanostructures as Transparent, Stretchable Electrodes


B14 Matthew Dayton Pinyan

Environmental Design in Architecture

Modern Construction Techniques in Vorarlberg, Austria: Craft, Economy + Sustainability in Building Technology


B4 Michelle Ploch

Molecular and Cellular Biology/ Chemistry

Fungicide Testing of Phytophthora infestans


A27 Tojan Bassam Rahhal

Biomedical Engineering Does Sumoylation of Sp3 Affect Skin Growth?


B25 Andrew William Rash

Electrical Engineering Carrie Culp Electrical Engineering; Benjamin Heacock Physics and Chemistry

Design and Testing of Optimized Wireless Power Transfer Systems


D1 Chelsea Robyn Ratzlaff

Nuclear Engineering Secondary Electron Emission Coefficient of Glow Discharge Plasma with Varying Electrode Geometries


D30 Danise Yaritza Rivera

Chemistry Nickel-Catalyzed Kumada Cross-Coupling Reaction Using an Aminohydroxyphosphine Ligand


B1 Wade Riley Roberts

Biology and Art Cloning and evolutionary analyses of SEPALLATA genes from dogwoods - Deciphering the genetic links to bract petaloidy


C33 Detric Elijah Robinson

Biological Sciences (Human) Development of Personality Traits in Zebrafish: Analyzing Early Expression of Proactive and Reactive Lines


D16 James Rudolph Rowland

Physics Lissajous Figures as a Model for Neutrino Oscillations


C26 Amanda Rosemarie Saad

Biology Investigations of DHP Reactions with Nitrophenol: a UV Visible Spectroscopic Study


C32 Oksana Samarksiy

Biochemistry Optimizing Crystal Growth in Green Fluorescent Protein for Neutron Crystallography


B24 Ankur Kulshreshtha Sarkar

Chemical Engineering Size Controlled Fabrication of Environmentally Benign Nanoparticles



C16 Chris Sean Satterwhite Physics

Radiation Effects on Silicon Carbide using Molecular Dynamics


A25 Mark Arthur Schillaci

Physics Surfactant-Driven Fracture Formation in Soft Gels


B15 Alan Patrick Shafer

Environmental Technology and Management

Comparing Soil Hydrology and Carbon Respiration in Natural, Drained and Restored Wetlands in Eastern North Carolina


C14 Neil A Shah

Computer Science Supercomputing Analytical Discovery of Plasma Instabilities in Fusion Energy Reactors


D14 Neil A Shah

Computer Science Compressing the Incompressible with ISABELA: In-situ Reduction of Spatio-Temporal Data


D29 Christian Shakina Shelton

Psychology An examination of how well parents implement HELPS procedures with their child after completing training workshops


D10 Robin Singh

Human Biology NSF Global Plant Health Internship in Costa Rica


B29 Jamian Lamar Smith

Engineering Mathematics Steady State Analysis of Biological Systems Using Mathematical Modeling


A33 Austin Reese Smith

Biochemistry Phenomenon of Aggregation involving Pd2DBA3


C31 Ashley Marie Sough

Chemical Engineering Miniaturization of commercial swine


C22 Bridget Cleary Stichnot

Mathematcis Ou Lu Mathematics; Jairus Cuffie Mathematics; Christiana Sabett Mathematics; Andrea Brown Mathematics; Albert Soto Mathematics

Modeling Blood Pressure Control During Head-Up Tilt


A6 Khrystyna Yuriyivna

Stolyarchuk Biochemistry

Tat-SF1?s Involvement in HIV-1 RNA Stability


B22 Bryan Michael Sumner

n/a Confirmation of Acetobacter xylinum through Characterization of Cellulose Pellicles After Genetic Modification of Plasmids


B10 Lindsay Michelle Swanson

Electrical Engineering Communication in the Smart Grid NSF ERC FREEDM Systems

Center


A15 Holly Christine Sweeney Statistics

Comparison of Internal Model Validation Methods for Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction to Find Complex Models


A24 Megan Elizabeth Szakasits

Chemical Engineering FOG Deposit Formation Model for Wastewater Systems


B8 Julian Erastus Taylor

Biomedical Engineering Determination of Antioxidants in Cancer Cell Lines


D27 Danielle Pleshette Tyson The Identification of Sepsis

Biomarkers Using High Throughput Real Time PCR


A12 Jillian Sheena Valentine

Anthropology Opposing the Intruding Paradigm: Cultural Revival and Political Unity at Contested Sites in the Hawaiian Islands


A14 Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco

Biology Cloning of At5g54060 from metabolically programmed red cells of Arabidopsis thaliana.


C21 Charlotte Louise Vilkus

Electrical Engineering Field Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) Based Controller Implementation of Harmonic Current Extraction Methods SRF Theory


D6 Bethany Lynn Vohlers

Statistics Modeling Highly Complex Models of Disease Risk


D34 David Paul Walton

Chemistry Cp*Ir(III) Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Alcohols


B26 Yuhan Wang

Chemistry iron and titanium artificial photosynthesis


C5 Alexis L. Webb

Chemistry Protein Sensor based on Peptide Ligands Immobilized on Thin Films of Cellulose


C7 Cameron Bennett White

Meteorology Spatial Distribution of Precipitation for Winter Storms in Northern California


C13 Courun James Williams

Biology Effects of Satellite DNA on ACMV Virulence


C29 Nicholas Edward Williams

Chemistry The Effect of Various Protective Coatings on Production of Hydroxyl Radicals by Iron Oxide Nanoparticles



D22 Iain Matthew Wright Biochemistry and Chemistry

Crystallization and X-ray diffraction of Dehaloperoxidase T56A Mutant


C28 Avery Thorpe Young In vitro Characterization of

Potential Small Molecule Activators of Procaspase-3


Overall Summary of Participants in the NC State 2011 Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Total Participants = 172 (Lead Student Presenters : 132 / Co-Presenters : 40) Total Posters = 132 Posters Presented by Each Program AGEP Program = 1 Chemistry REU Program, 12 Computation for Undergraduates in Statistics Program (NCSU CUSP), 3 Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD), 21 NC Project Seed (High School) = 9 NC State Independent Researchers = 28 NC State Undergraduate Research Awards = 10 NSF Engineering the Grid Program = 10 NSF ERC FREEDM Systems Center = 10 NSF IRES - Global Plant Health Program = 1 NSF Synthetic Biology = 13 Research Experience for Undergraduate Mathematics: Modeling and Industrial Applied Mathematics = 11 S. E. Kelman Scholarship Program = 3 Summary by College (Participant's Main Mentor)

Unknown = 4 Agriculture and Life Sciences = 30 College of Science = 1 Design = 1 Engineering = 38 Humanities and Social Sciences = 6 Natural Resources = 3 Physical and Mathematical Sciences = 38 Textiles = 5 Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Medicine = 6

Summary by College or Location (Participant)

California - 1 China - 1 Georgia - 1 Hangzhou - 1 Zhejiang - 1 Albany State University - 2 Arizona State University - 2 Bates College - 1 Belmont University - 2 Berry College - 1 Boston College - 1 Bryn Mawr College - 1 Cal Poly Pomona - 1 Chestnut Hill College - 1 Claflin - 1 Clarion University of Pennsylvania - 1 Clark Atlanta University - 1 Duke University - 1 East Carolina University - 1 East Tennessee State University - 1 Fayetteville State University - 1 Grand Valley State University - 1

Hunter College - 1 Iowa State University - 1 Johns Hopkins University - 2 Johnson C. Smith University - 2 Lebanon Valley College - 1 Lewis & Clark College - 1 Lock Haven University - 1 Loyola Marymount - 1 Loyola University Maryland - 1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology - 1 McDaniel College - 1 Millersville University - 1 MIT - 1 Montclair State University - 1 Murray State University - 1 New Jersey Institute of Technology - 1 North Carolina Central University - 1 North Carolina State University - 82 Pomona College - 1 Purdue University - 2 Saint Augustine's College - 1 Saint Marys College of Maryland - 1 Smith College - 1 South Carolina State University - 1 Spelman College - 1 St. Olaf College - 1 SUNY Geneseo - 1 The College of New Jersey - 2 Transylvania University - 1 Trine University - 1 Tuskegee University - 1 UMass Dartmouth - 1 UNC Chapel Hill - 2 University of Chicago - 1 University of Colorado - Boulder - 1 University of Evansville - 1 University of Maryland - 3 University of Massachusetts Amherst - 1 University of Montevallo - 1 University of Pittsburgh - 2 University of Puerto Rico - 1 University of Puerto Rico at Cayey - 1 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse - 1 University of Wisconsin-Madison - 1 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - 1 Villanova University - 1 Virginia Tech - 2 Washington State University - 2 Whitworth University - 1 Wofford College - 1 Yeshiva University – 1 73 Universities or Locations Knightdale High School - 2 Leesville Road High School - 1 Middlecreek High School - 1 William G. Enloe High School – 3 4 High Schools

Summary by Participant's Classification

Seniors : 71 (Lead Student Presenters) / 24(Co-Presenters) (95) Juniors : 42 (Lead Student Presenters) / 14(Co-Presenters) (56) Sophomores : 15 (Lead Student Presenters) / 1 (Co-Presenters) (16) Freshmen : 4 (Lead Student Presenters) / 1 (Co-Presenters) (5) Total: 172

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