the conference poster session will be in foyer e...

The Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence (LSMCE) 2014 Confer-ence, Roadmap to Action: LSAMP Principles for Broadening Participation in STEM, is supported by the National Science Foundation award #1202563. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. LSMCE does not discrim-inate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital sta-tus, veteran’s status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.

Friends of Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence, You are cordially invited to LSMCE Student Poster Session on Saturday, October 25, 2014 at Chicago Marriott Schaumburg, Foyers E-F from 10:30 to 11:40 am. We received 52 research poster abstracts from talented undergraduate students attending 30 colleges and universi-ties across the nation. The students are here to present the outcomes of their hands-on re-search learning under the mentorship of faculty members in Science, Technology, Engineer-ing and Mathematics (STEM) at their institutions. One of the LSMCE goals for the conference is to highlight the value of undergraduate re-search and to provide underrepresented minority students the opportunity to showcase their scholarly accomplishments and personal commitment to disciplinary learning. You will be amazed at their creativity and inspiration to advanced studies in the STEM disciplines. We hope you will take time to meet the students and ask them about their research process and learning gains from their disciplinary focused research projects. Your interest in their work would be an intrinsic reward for their continuing scholarly pursuit in the STEM disciplines. Furthermore, the poster session offers a unique opportunity for URM students to learn from each other, to network for career development and to experience the essence of disciplinary professionalization. Welcome! Kim S. Nguyen, Ed.D. Co-PI and Co-Director of the Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence

Welcome to 2014 LSMCE Undergraduate

Research Poster Presentation!

http://www.lsmceconference.org/

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation award 1202563

10:30– 11:40 a.m. Poster Session

(Foyers E-F)

The conference poster session will be in Foyer E-F from 10:30 a.m. to approxi-

mately 11:40 a.m. Students will be available to answer questions over their re-

search during this time. Posters will be on display from 4:00 p.m. Friday evening

until noon on Saturday, October 25.

Photos of students and their research posters will be taken at the event. The post-

ers will be judged by an invited panel of experts.

Map available on page 24

Oral Presentation Awardees will present on Saturday, October 25 from 3:15-4:00 p.m., in Salon I/J.

Come show your support!

3:15 – 3:30 p.m. The Effects of the Ubiquitous Industrial Toxin 4-nonylphenol on the Human Immunoproteasome System

Adil Afridi SUNY College at Old Westbury

3:30– 3:45 p.m.

Ionizing Radiation Affects Epigenetic Programming in Adolescent Mice

Darryl Watkins Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

3:45 - 4:00 p.m.

Investigation of the Influence of Environmental Factors on Bromeliad In-vertebrate Biodiversity

Maya Navarro DePaul University

Supported by Fermilab


Name (Last, First)

University

Poster

#

Poster Title

Alanis, Joseph Upper Iowa University

1 The Math of Image Compression: JPEG

Antchouey, Coretha Kennesaw State University

2 Expression of Dinoflagellate HV1 from Pichia

Appiah-Pippim, Georgette University of Connecticut

3 Investigating the Bioactive Constituents From the Blue-Green Algae, Spirulina plantesis and Nostoc commune

Batres, Gary Doane College

4 Reactive Arrays of Colorimetric Sensors for Metabolite and Steroid Iden-tification

Becker, Cody University of WI-Milwaukee

5 Using Kites for Aerial Photography to Obtain Pictures of Chladophora Algae

Bell, Kwame Syracuse University

6 Thinking Big: Estradiol Regulates Memory and Bioenergetcs

Benn, Stephen Syracuse University

7 Incorporation of Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) to Reinforce the Mechanical Stability Provided by an Electrospun Thermoplastic Polyurethane Sleeve for the Purpose of Stabilizing Bone Defects

Bradley, Joseph Harris-Stowe State University

8 Medicinal Plants of Peru: Respiratory Treatments

Brown, Angelic Rochester Institute of Technology

9 Gamification in Education and Its Potential Risks and Benefits to Moti-vating Student Interest In Learning

Butler, Tia DePaul University

10 Synthesis and Characterization of {[bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)phosphino]methyl}diphenyl Phosphine

Conner, Justin Oregon State University

11 Biological Contaminant Effects on the Disease Susceptibility of Post-Metamorphic Amphibians.

Conor, Phillip University of WI– Eau Claire

12 Synthesis and Systematic Study of Smart Diblock Copolymer PEG-PDMAEMA

Covarrubias, Ernesto California State University, Los Angeles

13 Biomechanical Tolerance of Human Tibia Models Under Dynamic Latero-Medial Bending

Day, Centennial Harris-Stowe State University

14 The C. elegans Microtubule Minus-end Capping Homolog, PTRN-1, Stabi-lizes Synapses and Neurites

Dixon, Dannea Syracuse University

15 Analyzing the Ground Water Quality in the Homes of Central New York State Residents, Pre-Hydraulic Fracturing

Esterlen, Bethany Western Illinois University

16 Forensic Discrimination of Lipstick

Evans, Taylor Rochester Institute of Technology

17 The Role of Kinases in Alpha-Synuclein Oligomerization and Their Poten-tial Involvement in Parkinson's Disease

Faronbi, Paul Iowa State University

18 Growth and Differentiation of Brain Progenitor Cells on 2-D and 3-D Pol-ystyrene Substrates

Gilbert, Reesheda Kennesaw State University

19 Morphological and Ultrastructural changes due to antifungal activity of Essential Oil Vapors Against Aspergillus Species in Georgia Peanuts

2

Poster Location Numbers

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Girgis, Shady University of WI-Milwaukee

20 Monitoring DNA Binding to a Yellow Fluorescent Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Hel-icase Fusion Protein using FRET

Gonzales, Justin Western Illinois University

21 Ultra-Sensitive Radio Frequency Measurements of Material Properties Utilizing a Tunnel Diode Resonator Circuit

Granados, Norma Iowa State University

22 Microfluidics for Organ-on-Chip Applications

Halbe, Daniel Western Illinois University

23 Undergraduate Research with the World's Largest Single-Dish Radio Tele-scope: Monitoring the Variability of Molecular Radiation in a Star Forming Re-gion

Hightower, Cary Bradley University/North Caro-lina A&T State University

24 Anthropometric Study of Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMD) in Male Non-classical Pianists

Jones, Crystal Iowa State University

25 Targeted Deletion of Zebrafish lncRNAis18 with TALENs

Jones-Butts, Shannon Southern University and A&M College

26 Nutritional Analysis of Goat Meat Patties Compared to Pork Patties

Kelley, Shameka Lincoln University

27 Figs, Newton and More: Creating Future STEM Leaders for a Diverse World

Kohl-Blomsness, Nokoma University of WI– Eau Claire

28 4-Point Resistivity Measurements of Silicon-Carbide Nanowires

Lopes Costa, Icaro Western Illinois University

29 Modeling and Visualization of a Time-Dependent Phenomenon in Astrophysics

Lujan, Andreina Regis University

30 Co-oxidation and Catalysis in Chromic Acid Oxidations: A Model for the Detoxification of Hexavalent Chromium in Water

Malone, Margaret Bradley University

31 A Biomechanical Study Investigating Non Classical Female Pianists and Factors Contributing to the Exposure of Playing Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMD)

Maluwelmeng, Connie Iowa State University

32 Modeling and Optimization of Solar Tower Power Plants

Martinez, Gerardo Syracuse University

33 Mercury Fate in the Madison County Constructed Wetland

Martins, Dennise University of Rhode Island

34 Male Factor Infertlity

Mbog, Rodrigue University of Iowa

35 Identification and Characterization of Novel Circadian Rhythm Genes Through the Use of Tissue Specific RNA Interference in Drosophila

Murillo, Esdras Iowa State University

36 Solar Driven Liquid Desiccant System Dehumidifier

Niederklopfer, Anthony Iowa State University

37 Implementation of High-Speed Imaging and Digital In-Line Holography to Study Feedstock Degradation Within a Pyrolysis Reactor


Name (Last, First) Poster #

Poster Title

Obi, Sierra University of Rhode Island

38 Nanoparticle Interactions with Modle Cell Membranes

Odufuye, Zaid University of Rhode Island

39 Electronic Waste (also known as E-Waste)

Pen a, Alexis Syracuse University

40 A Computational Investigation of Tight Junctions

Roberts, Anthony Northern Illinois University

41 Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy as a Method of Rapid Bacteria Detec-tion and Analysis

Romero, Alicia California Polytechnic State University

42 Adapting Chromosome Conformation Capture to Assay Human Fecal Sam-ples

Sanders, Tim Chicago State University

43 The Big Ideas Of Cosmology

Sanders, Jazmine Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

44 Several Antibacterial Antibiotics Enhance Some Immune Responses in Mice

Santos Teixeira, Wallace Western Illinois University

45 On Quantum Error Correction via Uhrig Dynamical Decoupling

Sargent-Johnson, Nicholas West Virginia University

46 Assessment of the Affinity of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles to Estradiol

Scheibel, Raymond Western Illinois University

47 Arboviruses in western Illinois: A West Nile Virus Surveillance Study and Vector Biology Educational Initiative

Shoemaker, Katherine Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

48 Velocity Substructure in the Virgo Overdensity

Spears, Andre’ Southern University and A&M College

49 Investigating the Interactions of Competing Adsorbates on Pt Catalysts using Electrochemical Techniques

Strickland, Brenisha Chicago State University

50 Determining and Measuring the Accumulation of Vitamin C in Prairie Gar-den Plants

Valerio, Kevin University of Rhode Island

51 The Demand for Paper Based Lateral Flow Devices

Wong, Liam Oregon State University

52 Semi-Quantitative Readout in a Paper-based Test for the Home Monitoring of Phenylalanine Levels in Phenylketonuria Patients

4

Student Awardee

Abstracts

Louis Stokes Midwest Center of Excellence congratulates the 2014 Oral

Presentation Award winners and extends our gratitude to Fermilab for sponsoring

the LSMCE 2014 Student Awards.

Adil Afridi SUNY College at Old Westbury The Effects of the Ubiquitous Industrial Toxin 4-nonylphenol on the Human Immunoproteasome System

With the arrival of the industrial revolution and with the continuous advancement of technology, toxic chemicals have be-come ubiquitous in today’s society. Scientists have found an alarming presence of 4-nonylphenol (4-np) in our environment and in the products of our homes. 4-nonylphenol is banned by the European Union due to its toxicity but still legally used in the U.S. It is used in the production of surfactants to make plastics, rubbers, cleaning products, cosmetics and other prod-ucts humans are constantly exposed to. Scientific research has also detected 4-np in our soil, air, major rivers and lakes, bottled water, and in the animals we eat, including fish. Once in the body, 4-nonylphenol functions as a xenoestrogen and binds to estrogen receptors on lymphocytes to evoke an immune response. Previous research has found that embryos ex-posed to 4-np have developed sexual deformations, birth defects, learning disabilities and neurodegenerative diseases. Lakes with high levels of 4-np has shown increased incidence of hermaphroditism amongst its salmon population. In this project, experimental trials were designed to determine the acute and chronic effects of 4-np on key human immunopro-teasome genes and its link to autoimmune diseases. In time-dose dependent trials, U-937 human leukemia cells were treat-ed with 1 nM and 5 nM concentrations of 4-nonylphenol. These samples were incubated for intervals of 24- hours, 48-hours, and 4-days to determine its effect on LMP7, IL-10, and GSK-3 genes. The selected genes play a critical role in the in-flammatory response, including immunocyte signaling, antigen presentation, B-cell proliferation, T-cell activation, and pro-teasomal protein degradation. Upon running DNA samples on 1% SDS-PAGE, DNA analysis of gene expression conveyed that in the 24-hour exposure, LMP7 and IL-10 were down regulated in both the 1 nM and 5 nM treatments. In the 48-hour treatment, LMP7 expression began to rise in the 5 nM treatment. IL-10 and GSK-3 were also upregulated in the 48-hour treatment and continued to rise in the 4 day samples. These results indicate that relatively long exposure to 4-nonylphenol does indeed alter the expression levels of key immunoproteasome genes. Exposure to 4-np upregulated all three genes test-ed, higher in the 5nm sample for each time interval. This industrial chemical may hyper activate the human immune func-tion and propagate consequent neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s under high-dose and long-term exposure. However, these preliminary results have to be repeated for statistical accuracy .

Photo courtesy

of Fermilab


Maya Navarro DePaul University Investigation of the Influence of Environmental Factors on Bromeliad Invertebrate Biodiversity Bromeliaceae is a family of Neotropical plants that retain water between leaves of a rosette arrangement. Each water-retaining tank is referred to as a phytotelma. This particular system is important to consider in the understanding of bio-diversity because it creates an ecosystem of its own, providing a habitat for many invertebrates and larvae. In this study, the relationship between environmental factors such as water quality and the biodiversity of invertebrates in epiphytic bromeliads was examined in two different settings. Sample sizes of ten bromeliads were taken from the primary and sec-ondary forests of the Las Cruces Biological Station in Coto Brus County, Costa Rica and compared. Prior to extraction from the trees, temperatures of the water in the inner phytotelmata of the bromeliads were recorded. Parameters including pH and phosphate levels in each bromeliad were then measured using approximately 15 mL of bromeliad water, the Tes-tratest Laborett water kit, and the Hanna Instruments phosphate kit. Trends approaching significance were found be-tween the number of species within the bromeliads and maximum tank volume (p = 0.06608) as well as the total number of invertebrates within each bromeliad (p = 0.06903). The number of species was however correlated to bromeliad dis-tance from the ground (p = 0.03215). The number of invertebrate species in bromeliads of the primary and secondary forest was not correlated with the water temperature (p = 0.1420), pH (p = 0.2826), or phosphate level (p = 0.6954), how-ever, these parameters should still be considered in the analysis of invertebrate biodiversity within bromeliads .

Darryl Watkins Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Ionizing Radiation Affects Epigenetic Programming in Adolescent Mice Humans are exposed to low and mild doses of radiation frequently, ranging from the natural environment to medical pro-cedures like x-ray and CT scans. Ionizing radiation of various doses has been known to potentially cause not only cellular but also genomic changes. Here, we demonstrated that epigenetics is also altered by the radiation. Epigenetics is a chemi-cal coding above the gene, which plays critical roles in brain development, cognitive aberrations and other neurological impairments. How radiation, as an external environmental factor, causes epigenetic change is not understood. DNA meth-ylation, key in epigenetics, including 5-methylcytosine (5M) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) have been shown to either suppress or activate gene transcription. To aid in elucidating the role in which radiation affects epigenetic out-comes, we examined the effects of radiation on both epigenetic and phenotypic and transcriptional markers within the hippocampus and cortex. In this study we treated C57BL/6 mice, postnatal day (P) 21 with various doses (2Gy- 4.5Gy) of radiation coupled with varying frequencies (0.5 Gy x 4, 1.5 Gy x 3, or 4.5Gy x 1) during a four week period via x-ray. We used immunohistochemistry staining with cell proliferation, transcription and epigenetic markers. We found loss of 5M and 5hmC as well as a loss of a transcriptional activation marker within regions of the hippocampus and cortex. Further-more, decreased cell proliferation in the adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus was found. Exposure to ionizing radiation altered the normal epigenetic profile of the mice. Understanding the mechanism by which ionizing radiation affects epige-netic programming will provide insight on how to develop protection against the harmful risk associated with radiation exposure .

Invited Student Oral Presentation Awardees

6

Poster Abstracts

Alanis, Joseph MATH OF JPEG IMAGE COMPRESSION A black and white digital camera creates a greyscale digital image with a large array of sensors, typically 1024 X 1024, which measures the light intensity on each sensor and records this measurement as a number that is proportional to the intensity. The number is typically an eight bit integer (1 byte) number ranging from -128 to 127. The amount of space necessary to store such a grayscale image is 1Mb (1024x1024x1 byte per pixel = 1,048,576=1Mb). Storing a 1Mb sized image is easy with today’s hardware. However, in today’s social media, sharing of pictures is rather important. Therefore, in this environment and where the connection bandwidth is limited, the file needs to be as small as possible to send images over the Internet quickly. The JPEG compression process was designed to significantly compress the file size of such images, in order to allow faster image downloads, without noticeable loss of quality. In this poster I will be describing the mathematics underlying the four major steps in the JPEG compression process. This study was sponsored by the Iowa Illinois Nebraska STEM Partnership for Innovation in Research & Education. Antchouey, Coretha EXPRESSION OF DINOFLAGELLATE HV1 FROM PICHIA Dinoflagellates are single-celled marine organisms, some species of which are responsible for the beautiful bioluminescent flashes that occur when seawater is disturbed at night. The bioluminescence is emitted from small organelles called scintil-lons that contain the molecules of luminescence; purified preparations of these molecules have been shown to flash when acidified. Voltage gated proton channels (Hv1) are postulated to move protons from the acidic vacuole into the scintillons. We used PCR to subclone dinoflagellate Hv1 into the Pichia pastoris transfection plasmid picZA, to transform Pichia and ex-press the protein. We aim eventually to recapitulate scintillon function, thus confirming Hv1’s proposed role in biolumines-cence. Appiah-Pippim, Georgette INVESTIGATING THE BIOACTIVE CONSTITUENTS FROM THE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE, SPIRULINA PLANTESIS AND NOSTOC COMMUNE Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death of men and women in the US. Two risk factors for cardiovascular disease are hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. Hyperlipidemia is a chronic condition in which the levels of triglycer-ides and cholesterol are elevated in the body. Lipids are not soluble in the blood plasma and are instead transported as lipo-proteins. Hypercholesterolemia is a form of hyperlipidemia in which the cholesterol levels are elevated. Current drugs that are prescribed to regulate lipid levels often have adverse effects such as liver dysfunction.Blue-green algae (BGA), also known as cyanobacteria, have been consumed for years for their health benefits because they are believed to increase energy and prevent disease. Two genera of edible blue-green algae include Spirulina plantesis (SP) and Nostoc commune var. sphaeroides Ku tzing (NO). Various studies have shown that Nostoc and Spirulina may have anti-cancer and anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial properties.In a previous study, Nostoc commune lowered lipid levels in hypercholesterolemic rats. The rats were fed a Nostoc supplemented diet and their lipid levels were measured by their fecal output and intestinal absorption. However, the study did not examine the compounds responsible for this activity or the mechanism behind the activity of Nos-toc. The goal of this project is to isolate the specific compound(s) responsible for the hypocholesterolemic effects of BGA Batres, Gary REACTIVE ARRAYS OF COLORMETRIC SENSORS FOR METABOLITE AND STEROID IDENTIFICATION The work described here examines a rapid mix-and-measure method called DETECHIP suitable for screening of steroids and metabolites. The addition of steroids and metabolites to reactive arrays of colorimetric sensors generated characteristic col-or “fingerprints” that were used to identify the analyte. A color analysis tool was used to identify the analyte pool that in-cludes biologically relevant analytes. The mix-and-measure arrays allowed the detection of disease metabolites, such as orot-ic acid and argininosuccinic acid; and steroids, such as androsterone and estrone. The steroid 1, 4-androstadiene was also detected by this method while dissolved in synthetic urine. Some of the analytes, such as androstadiene, stanozolol, and an-drosterone were co-dissolved with (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin in order to increase solubility in aqueous buffered so-lutions. The colorimetric arrays do not intend to eliminate ELISA or mass spectroscopy based screening, but to possibly pro-vide an alternative analytical detection method for steroids and metabolites. This study has been published in Journal of Sen-sor Technology. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jst.2014.41001 Funding provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) EPS-1004094 and IINSPIRE LSAMP


Becker, Cody USING KITES FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY TO OBTAIN PICTURES OF CHLADOPHORA ALGAE Kite aerial photography (KAP) is primarily used to study areas where humans and conventional aircraft are unable to reach. As a result, it is very popular with scientists and is becoming a growing hobby as well. The use of kites for areal photography helped to obtain images of Chladophora algae. Once images were obtained, we correlated the time and location using the APM GPS system. We also determined at which growth stage the algae displayed via multispectral imaging techniques. Since each stage of the algae's life has a different spectral signature, we were then able to accurately pinpoint at what stage the algae is in. The ultimate goal was to figure out what prohibits and inhibits the Chladophora algae growth on the coasts of Lake Michigan. Bell, Kwame THINKING BIG: ESTRADIOL REGULATES MEMORY AND BIOENERGETICS Recent studies have shown that estrogens, a hormone, may regulate various bioenergetic processes in the brain, from glu-cose transportation, glycolysis and the tricarboxylic citric acid (TCA) cycles to oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) (Ding et al 2013, Yao et al 2012). Estradiol, the predominant estrogen in females, may shift learning strategy while exerting an effect on brain bioenergetics. Since both glucose and lactate function as two major energy substrates for brain activity it is im-portant to define their concentrations in the extracellular space of the hippocampus during memory testing. The Gold and Korol labs hypothesize that ovariectomized female rats have decreased extracellular levels of glucose and higher lactate lev-els in the brain. In our present study, 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and randomly assigned to treatment groups of estradiol (45 µg/kg) or oil vehicle (1 mL/kg) that were administered 24 and 48 hours prior to microdial-ysis. Using collected perfusate samples of artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) containing a known glucose or lactate concen-tration on the order of 0-2mM from each animal, the net concentration change is calculated as follows: (concentration in per-fusate) – (concentration in sample collected), and will be plotted as individual points with a line of best fit. The point of zero net flux would be the point at which there is no net movement of glucose across the probe membrane yielding a net concen-tration change of zero (McNay and Gold, 1997).The point of zero net flux provides a good estimate of the levels of either glu-cose or lactate in the hippocampal extracellular fluid. Funding for this study was provided by Syracuse Department of Biology, Louis Stokes Advancement or Minority Participa-tion, the NSF IOS 0843175 and IOS 1318490. Benn, Stephen INCORPORATION OF POLY-L-LACTIC ACID (PLLA) TO REINFORCE THE MECHANICAL STABILITY PROVIDED BY AN ELEC-TROSPUN THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANE SLEEVE FOR THE PURPOSE OF STABILIZING BONE DEFECTS Here we describe results of electrospinning parameters on a semi-crystalline biocompatible Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) that is intended to reinforce an electrospun sleeve prepared by a shape memory polymer (SMP) for the purpose of stabilizing a bone defect site. SMPs have characteristics which allow them to be manipulated and fixed in a temporary shape and later recover back to their permanent shape on command. A previous study has demonstrated that scaffolds electrospun from a custom-synthesized thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) can be deformed, fixed into a temporary shape, and then triggered to recover under simulated physiological conditions [1]. This shape-memory functionality of the TPU allows us to make a bio-material sleeve that can be triggered to contract for the purpose of stabilizing a bone defect site. Preliminary in vivo study has indicated the mechanical stability provided by an electrospun sleeve made solely from the amorphous TPU is not robust enough; incorporation of semi-crystalline PLLA may reinforce the mechanical property of TPU sleeve. The governing param-eters investigated to develop robust PLLA were the solution concentration, applied voltage, and the solution flow rate. A 7.5% PLLA solution produced little to no fibers at low applied voltage; at higher applied voltages it generated the greatest beading instability. An 8.5% solution resulted in larger fiber diameter and decreased in beading instability. When comparing resultant fibers from two groups, an 8.0% solution produced fibers with similar fiber diameter compared to the 8.5% solu-tion and produced significantly less bead instability. The results of the experiments suggest a correlation between fiber di-ameter and applied voltage: increasing voltage resulted in larger fiber diameter. Our preliminary study demonstrated a coun-terintuitive model for electrospinning so we plan to investigate our initial parameters again. Knowing the parameters should be useful for further co-spinning application to blend PLLA with TPU during the electrospinning process.

8

Poster Abstracts

Bradley, Joseph MEDICINAL PLANTS OF PERU: RESPIRATORY TREATMENTS As part of an ongoing 20 year project studying medicinal and economically important plants in Northern Peru, this project focuses on plant use and distribution by market vendors and healers, compared to historical surveys of plant use as well as how plants are used to treat respiratory illnesses. Herbal medicine data were collected from market vendors and healers. Data were entered into excel in the form of presence absence data, using “1” to represent presence and “0” to represent ab-sence. This data was used in R Statistical Framework to generate a dissimilarity matrix in the form of a dendrogram for both market data and respiratory treatment data. Market dendrograms were shown in five (5) different forms. 1. Historical sur-veys, current surveys, vendors, and healers. 2. Current surveys, vendors, and healers. 3. Historical surveys, vendors, and healers. 4. Vendors and healers. 5. Vendors and healers only. Each dendrogram were analyzed and compared and conclu-sions made about how plants were used historically and how they were used modernly. Results show that most historical knowledge has been lost with the exception of 3 healers (ISA40, JULS149, and GER131). However, much of the plant use, in-cluding by the three exception vendors is experimental. This is seen by the fact that most of the healers and vendors use many plants that are not included in the historical surveys but are that are present in recent surveys. The three exception healers also have plants that are not in either historical or recent surveys showing that it may be experimental and/or new knowledge of plant cures. Dendrograms of respiratory treatments also seem to confirm that conclusion. Illnesses that were considered respiratory were asthma, bronchitis, “lungs”, inflammation of the lungs, and tuberculosis. Each illness had a num-ber of treatments. There were 41 mixtures for bronchitis, 16 for of asthma, 1 lungs, 1 inflammation of the lungs, 1 pneumo-nia and 2 tuberculosis. Many of the mixtures treated a variety of things while very few were specific to one disease, or even just respiratory Brown, Angelic GAMIFICATION IN EDUCATION AND ITS POTENTIAL RISKS AND BENEFITS TO MOTIVATING STUDENT INTEREST IN LEARNING Gamification in education, or the incorporation of game elements in educational settings, has garnered much attention and been heavily researched over the past few years, however, there still appears to be a need for further research into its poten-tial usefulness across multiple areas of learning. This study examines current research and opinion pertaining to gamifica-tion, and the potential benefits and risks of utilizing it in educational environments, as well as the use of games and game mechanics to motivate student interest in learning. After accessing several “gamified” systems used in educational settings, the general preliminary findings were as follows: 1) students developed greater persistence in completing assignments dur-ing testing sessions that involved quest-based instruction when compared to sessions that involved traditional teaching methods, 2) many of the systems were viewed as welcomed upgrades compared to traditional methods of managing class-rooms behavior, but there were some concerns over technical issues associated with mobile versions of software, as well as certain limitations that some of the systems had (i.e. cross system integration), 3) the systems possessed many pros and cons, thus they have garnered mixed reviews; though they continue to show increased popularity with university/organization partners (or potential partners) as well as with users. Given that gamification in education is still a fairly new and exploratory topic, more comprehensive research in this area is needed in order to determining whether the above-mentioned are examples of product successes or failures. This study was funded by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program. Butler, Tia SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF {[BIS(3,5-DIMETHYLPHENYL)PHOSPHINO]METHYL}DIPHENYL PHOSPHINE Palladium complexes containing bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) or bis(diphenylphosphino) methanide (dppm-H) ligands have been shown to demonstrate catalytic activity for organic transformations. Surprisingly, its asymmetric deriva-tives remain relatively unexplored. Our research focuses on the synthesis of palladium complexes containing unsymmetrical diphosphine ligands and the steric and/or electronic effects of the phosphorus substituents on the reactivity at the meth-ylene carbon. Previous results suggest that sterically bulky phosphorus substituents favor the formation of binuclear Pd Complexes in which the ligands bridge between the metal centers, and that the methylene proton is more acidic when the phosphine substituents are aromatic. This study describes the synthesis of an asymmetric Ph2PCH2PR2 ligand, where R = 3, 5-dimethylphenyl. The compound was characterized by 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy to verify the successful isolation of the desired ligand.


Conner, Justin BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANT EFFECTS ON THE DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF POST-METAMORPHIC AMPHIBIANS Amphibian populations have been in rapid decline in the past few decades although there are a multitude of factors that are contributing to this decline; two known factors are biological contaminants (pesticides) and BD a fungal chytrid pathogen have rarely been studied together. The purpose of this experiment was to explore host response to concurrent exposure of contaminants and the BD fungus. This was done on 6 species of recently metamorphosed amphibians: Rana cascadae, Pseudacris regilla, Anaxyrus boreas, Rana pipiens, Pseudacris crucifer, and Anaxyrus americanus initial weight and SVL as well as ending weight and SVL was recorded. Each species was exposed to either four different pesticide treatments Water(control), Ethanol(control for pesticide vehicle), Insecticide( mix of four common insecticides) and Herbicide( mix of four common herbicides). There were two different BD treatments that each species received, they were either exposed to path-ogen or did not receive the pathogen. The duration of the experiment was 14 days and at the end of the experiment every individual was swabbed so that we could quantify infection load via qPCR. The survival curves that were produced showed that BD had a huge effect on survival rate however, evidence was not conclusive on the effects that pesticides had on the survival rates of individuals. Conor, Phillip SYNTHESIS AND SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF SMART DIBLOCK COPOLYMER PEG-PDMAEMA Smart polymers are polymers that dramatically change their properties in response to an external stimulus such as temper-ature or pH. Smart polymers have numerous applications in industry including medicine, cosmetics, and plastics. We use a specific polymerization process to control how long our polymer chains are, due to the fact that the smart properties de-pend on polymer chain length. These polymers are characterized using 1H-NMR, GPC, UV-Vis, fluorescence, and DLS to de-termine both polymer chain length and smart polymer properties. We have synthesized and characterized diblock copoly-mers of PEG-PDMAEMA with different molecular weights that ultimately affect the smart polymer behavior. Covarrubias, Ernesto BIOMECHANICAL TOLERANCE OF HUMAN TIBIA MODELS UNDER DYNAMIC LATERO-MEDIAL BENDING Research has been conducted with the purpose of testing the tolerance of the lower extremities specific to high-impact au-tomobile accidents. In order to validate a biomechanical tibial surrogate in high impact collisions, dynamic three point bending was performed using a custom guided drop impact apparatus. Two biomechanical surrogates were struck mid-shaft generating classic “Butterfly” fracture patterns and forces similar to those documented in post-mortem human subject testing. With additional validation, the tibial surrogate may be utilized as a forensic tool used to investigate trauma-inducing leg impacts for the purpose of determining loading conditions from fracture patterns. Day, Centennial THE C. ELEGANS MICROTUBULE MINUS-END CAPPING HOMOLOG, PTRN-1, STABILIZES SYNAPSES AND NEURITES The nervous system functions by making connections to other neurons or muscle cells at sites called synapses. The cellular microtubule cytoskeleton functions in neuronal path-finding during development and in moving material to synapses. The role of regulators of microtubule minus-end dynamics in neuronal function remains largely unexplored. In epithelial cells, CAMSAP proteins cap microtubule minus ends, and are important for the stability of cell adhesions. Here we report that the C. elegans CAMSAP homolog (ptrn-1) affects the overall stability of axons and synaptic specializations, neurotransmission, and body movements. In ptrn-1 mutants we found neuromuscular and morphological defects in neurons. Remodeling of neuronal morphology is likely microtubule-based; as mutants known to disrupt higher-order microtubule structures mimic ptrn-1 phenotypes. The behaviors of the C. elegans ptrn-1 mutants are abnormal in comparison to the normal C. elegans. Our preliminary data indi-cate that ptrn-1 mutants have small affects on the amount of neurotransmission, and slight affects on movements. Our results suggest that destabilization of microtubule structures caused by loss of ptrn-1 activates a regeneration program leading to changes in neurite morphology and minimal effects on behavior. We propose a model whereby local minus-end microtubule stabilization mediated by a functional PTRN-1 is necessary for normal behavior and maintenance of synaptic sites

10

Poster Abstracts

Dixon, Dannea ANALYZING THE GROUND WATER QUALITY IN THE HOMES OF CENTRAL NEW YORK STATE RESIDENTS, PRE-HYDRAULIC FRACTURING Unconventional extraction techniques are a process that drillers use to extract oil, natural gases, and other resources buried hundreds of feet below the ground, by drilling horizontal wells and hydraulically fracturing the source material. Using this method allows companies to extract previously inaccessible oil and natural gas. The natural gas itself is a benefit to the envi-ronment and the economy, but the extraction methods have raised some concerns regarding the risk for groundwater con-tamination. Concern over this issue has prompted New York State legislature to place a hold on any horizontal drilling or hydraulic fracturing processes. I had the opportunity to work with the members of Project SWIFT, whose goal is to establish a baseline for groundwater quality before the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing is lifted. The Project SWIFT team obtained water samples from homeowners in Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Steuben and Tioga counties in Central New York State. This project focuses on making the data obtained, publicly available for the homeowners and anyone else to view online. Us-ing the family of ArcGIS software, an online map was created to show the average solute concentrations in each region where a sample was taken from. The goal was to make a map that showed solute concentrations from each well on one single map. To compensate for the difficulties of effectively depicting solute concentrations from 203 wells without the intersection and overshadowing of data points, the average concentration for each solute (Na, Mg, Cl, NO3, etc..) was calculated within the boundaries of 3 “puzzle pieces”; better known as shape files. These boundaries include: zip code, county, and a 7x7 km grid. The well data was merged with each shape file and the average concentration within a regional boundary was calculated. Esterlen, Bethany FORENSIC DISCRIMINATION OF LIPSTICK Currently research in our labs is being conducted to develop methods for extracting and separating lipstick samples that are left on different mediums at the scene of a crime. If lipstick is left behind the chemical substituents within the lipstick can be separated into a unique set of bands. This set can then be compared to known separations of lipstick in order to determine the make and color. This could be very useful when initially determining suspects. Forty different lipsticks of various colors and brands were used to conduct the research. A sample of lipstick was smeared onto filter paper and then placed into a test tube containing petroleum ether to remove waxes and oils. The filter paper was then placed into a separate test tube contain-ing methanol-ammonium hydroxide; this solution was transferred to a glass vial to be heated. After the solution evaporated, leaving only dried dyes, methanol was added to the vial to re-dissolve the residue. The solution was then spotted onto a thin layer chromatography (TLC) plate and placed in a beaker containing ethyl acetate, methanol, and ammonium hydroxide to separate the components of the dyes. The dyes migrate up the TLC plate based on their retention factor, which will be unique to each lipstick. Evans, Taylor THE ROLE OF KINASES IN ALPHA-SYNUCLEIN OLIGOMERIZATION AND THEIR POTENTIAL INVOLVEMENT IN PARKIN-SON'S DISEASE Parkinson's Disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is a devistating disorder in which patients' motor and cognitive functions are severly impaired. PD is characterized by dopaminergic neuron denervation and the pres-ence of Lewy bodies, abnormal intraneuronal protein aggregations. Alpha-synuclein, the primary protein linked with Parkin-son's Disease pathophysiology, is known to be aggregated and hyper-phosphorylated in Lewy bodies, hallmark intracellular aggregations of proteins found in the brains of PD patients. Kinases, enzymes responsible for carring out the process known as phosphorylation, are commonly involved in the post-translational modifications of proteins. There is a tendency of alpha-synuclein to be hyper-phosphorylated in a seemingly pathogenic state. This phenomenon, in association with its tendency to aggregate, has not been heavily investigated; therefore, this study looked at the role of kinase inhibition on both levels of phosphorylated alpha-synuclein and oligomerized alpha-synuclein in vitro. Inhibition of three different kinases, glycogen synthase-kinase 3 beta (GSK3B), P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (P38MAPK), and casein-kinase 2 (CK2), was induced through kinase-inhibitor compound exposure. The project hypothesis predicted that inhibition of these the kinase activity of GSK3B, P38MAPK, and CK2 would reduce the occurrence of aggregated alpha-synuclein in vitro. The levels of phosphory-lated synuclein and total synuclein were quantified through western blotting while oligomerization levels of the protein were quantified through a luciferase complementation assay designed by the McLean lab. Exposure to six different protein-kinase inhibitors resulted in varying levels of phospho-synuclein, total synuclein, and oligomerized synuclein. Inhibition of P38MAPK through compounds PD169316 and SB239063 showed the largest decrease in all three aforementioned synuclein forms, indicating a potential molecualr relationship between hyper-phosphorylated synuclein and oligomerization levels.


Faronbi, Paul GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION OF BRAIN PROGENITOR CELLS ON 2-D AND 3-D POLYSTYRENE SUBSTRATES Brain Progenitor Cells (BPCs) have the ability to differentiate into neurons and glia. A goal of this study is to compare two dimensional (2D) versus three dimensional (3D) cell culture environments on the differentiation of BPCs. The BPCs were derived from the brains of newborn transgenic GFP-expressing mice. GFP-expression facilitates cell tracking for transplanta-tion studies. The BPCs were grown on 2D and 3D polystyrene (PS) substrates coated with ECL (entactin, collagen and lam-inin). Half micro- patterned half smooth PS films were fabricated and attached to coverslips for culture. 3D Alvetex scaffolds, 200 µm thick, were also used to culture cells. The BPCs were characterized using a standard immunocytochemistry (ICC) protocol. Cell-type specific antibodies were used to characterize BPC differentiation after 6/7 days in culture. Samples were imaged on a fluorescent microscope. Results indicate that the BPCs grew well on PS films and scaffolds coated with ECL. The growth of the cells on the substrates seemed to suggest that the 3D scaffold and micro-patterned films may affect the differ-entiation of the BPCs. However, additional studies are necessary to clarify these preliminary results. In future studies we plan to use biodegradable poly-lactic acid (PLA) films as a culture environment. It is our hope that we can later pursue in vivo studies. Investigating methods to influence stem and progenitor cell differentiation is an important strategy towards application of cell transplantation procedures. Funding provided by The Stem Cell Biology Fund and the US Army Medical Research and Material Command #W81XWH-11-1-0700 and LSAMP-IINSPIRE research funding. Gilbert, Reesheda MORPHOLOGICAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES DUE TO ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL VAPORS AGAINST ASPERGILLUS SPECIES IN GEORGIA PEANUTS New ecologically friendly and innovative techniques aimed at preventing and controlling Aspergillus infection in peanuts, are especially important to peanut farmers. Aspergillus mold is a cumbersome invader of edible nuts, grains and feed for domestic animals. A. flavus and A. parasiticus commonly infect peanuts, producing carcinogenic byproducts called aflatoxins. More specifically, A. flavus is the second leading cause of invasive aspergillosis infection when compared to other Aspergillus species. A novel approach employing natural compounds as a substitute for commercial fungicides was examined. We hy-pothesize that essential oils and vapors may inhibit the mycelial growth of A. flavus and that these oils when combined may exhibit a better antifungal properties. Our research methodology initially set to grow and characterize A . flavus via poison food method. Pure cultures were maintained and sub-cultured on a weekly basis for experimental analysis. To compare zones of inhibition, Minimal Inhibition Concentration (MIC), and Minimal Fungicide Concentration (MFC) were conducted. Mycelia cultured on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates, were exposed to clove and cinnamon essential oil vapors (EOVs), separately. Serial dilution method at concentration 1000, 1100, 1500, 2000, 2200, and 2500 were prepared, and sterile filter paper disk were exposed to each concentration. Experimental set up was exposed to Cinnamon and Clove’s EOVs and placed in double sealed beaker (vapor chamber) as a method to prevent dissipation of essential oil vapors. Time intervals for exposure to vapors were 48, 72, and 96h, respectively, and incubated for seven days. In another experi-ment, to test synergistic properties of Clove and Cinnamon oils, sealed sterile PDA plates containing mycelia of A. flavus were inoculated, with different concentration of Cinnamon and Clove oils and incubated for seven days. MIC and MFC for Cinna-mon/Clove oil as synergistic agents was recorded. Zones of inhibition were quantified using descriptive and inferential sta-tistics. TEM and SEM microscopy were carried out to detect the impact of oils on morphology and ultrastructural changes. Results revealed that clove oil vapors significantly inhibit A. flavus than cinnamon oil vapors. When these essential oils are combined, they produced a greater effect against Asperguillus species. Further studies may focus on active ingredients of

Girgis, Shady MONITORING DNA BINDING TO A YELLOW FLUORESCENT HEPATITIS C VIRUS NS3 HELICASE FUSION PROTEIN USING FRET Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which infects 170 million people worldwide each year. One enzyme that is necessary for HCV replication in vitro is the HCV helicase, which is located on the helicase domain of the non-structural protein 3 (NS3). A helicase displaces strands of DNA or RNA, and inhibiting the helicase can stop HCV replica-tion in cells. Fo rster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) was used to monitor DNA binding by measuring the energy transfer between a donor and acceptor fluorophore. The donor fluorophore in my assay was yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), which was substituted for the protease domain of the NS3 protein, while the acceptor fluorophore was either Hexachlorofluoresce-in (Hex) or Cyanine 3 (Cy3), which was bound to the strand of DNA. Measuring the change in fluorescence intensities when both fluorophores are bound at a set range of emission wavelengths shows whether FRET is occurring. The results demon-strate that YFP-hel and Hex are potentially an effective donor-acceptor pair, and this assay is suitable for the quantitative measurement of the DNA binding activity of HCV NS3, while YFP-hel and Cy3 are not an effective donor-acceptor pair. Model inhibitors are used to displace labeled oligonucleotides, which return the fluorescence intensities back to normal. However, this didn’t occur when the unlabeled oligonucleotide, dT20, was added to the YFP-hel and Hex pair.

12

Poster Abstracts

Gonzales, Justin ULTRA-SENSITIVE RADIO FREQUENCY MEASUREMENTS OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES UTILIZING A TUNNEL DIODE RESONATOR CIRCUIT The research project on which my presentation will focus is centered on the construction of a tunnel diode resonator (TDR) circuit laboratory in the Physics Department at Western Illinois University (WIU). A TDR circuit is a specially designed LC resonating circuit that is powered by a tunnel diode [1]. Due to the ability to measure parts-per-billion changes in the reso-nance frequency of the TDR circuit, which is in the radio frequency band, it is an ideal tool for making ultra sensitive meas-urements of various material properties. Samples of materials to be studied, which can be as large as 1-2 mm, can be mount-ed on a sapphire stage and mounted inside of the inductor coil to study the magnetic susceptibility as a function of tempera-ture or inserted between the capacitor plates of the circuit to measure the electric susceptibility versus temperature. This technique is able to measure such properties as the London penetration depth for magnetic fields in superconductors, dielec-tric constants, thermal expansion coefficients, pressure, and magnetostriction. This tool has also been used to study features associated with magnetic ordering to extract critical scaling exponents and to differentiate between local and itinerant mag-netic order. This circuit is specifically designed to operate at low temperatures and much of this work has been done to im-plement TDR circuits into the closed cycle helium refrigerator at WIU, which has a base temperature just above 10 K. My presentation will address the details of the design for housing a TDR circuit that will operate in this low temperature envi-ronment as well as how sample stages are designed for inserting materials into the inductor coil or between the capacitor plates of the resonating circuit. References: 1) C. T. Van Degrift, Rev. Sci. Instrum., Vol. 46, No. 5, May 1975 Grandados, Noma MICROFLUIDICS FOR ORGAN-ON-CHIP APPLICATIONS The research of biological processes, diseases, transplants, and drug effects have greatly depended on traditional in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal models. The studies conducted using in vivo and conventional in vitro models, although very signif-icant, are not the best methods for the development of major advances in microengineering technologies. Traditional cell cul-ture systems are not a realistic representation of key structural, functional, and mechanical properties of a functional organ in vivo. Due to the restrictions on animal model use, low efficiency, and the significant number of new drug failures, an inter-est in nanotechnology and micro technology is rising. Because of this a pursuit for the development of a system that is inex-pensive, precise, and efficient as well as a better representation of the body’s organs is underway. Organ-on-chips are micro devices that utilize microfluidics. These micro devices consist of various channels, cell culture chambers, and medium reser-voirs. The micro pump that allows for fluid flow is connected to the device via micro tubes. Many organs have been modeled by different groups including, heart, brain, placenta and liver, as well as the intestine, kidney, muscles, and blood arteries. Organ-on-Chips can be used for advancements in the medical pharmaceutical fields such as replicating biological processes, understanding and treating diseases, analyzing drug effects as well as toxicity testing. These micro devices are rapidly grow-ing in popularity mainly because they better mimic the responses of organ-like structures in an environment suitable for the survival of living cells.

Halbe, Daniel UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WITH THE WORLD'S LARGEST SINGLE-DISH RADIO TELESCOPE: MONITORING THE VARIABILITY OF MOLECULAR RADIATION IN A STAR FORMING REGION We report results from a yearlong survey conducted with the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the world’s largest single dish telescope, which has a diameter of 305 meters (1,000 ft). Arecibo is the most sensitive telescope for the study of molecu-lar radiation at microwave and radio frequencies of the electromagnetic spectrum. The observations discussed in this poster were conducted as part of an undergraduate research project, where we remotely controlled the telescope from the Astro-physics Research Laboratory at Western Illinois University. Remote observations are convenient, as there are no travel costs required, and are now possible through technological advancements in computers and network connectivity. Observations conducted remotely require only free special software to allow control of the telescope. In the survey, we monitored several known regions of massive star formation for variability of radiation from mostly methanol (CH3OH) and hydroxyl (OH) mole-cules. Here we report results on one particular region called IRAS 18566+0408. At present, this is the only massive star form-ing region where periodic radiation flares from different molecular species have been detected; the flares have a periodicity of approximately 8 months. We obtained data over a full period of variability, which included the detection of a complete flare event and the onset of another. We confirmed the detection of variable OH emission in this region, which was first re-ported in a publication by a previous lab member (Al-Marzouk et al. 2012). The mechanism responsible for the flares is still unclear, and possibilities include pulsations of a massive protostar or modulation by a binary system. This project is a perfect example of the potential of the Arecibo Telescope (a facility of the National Science Foundation) for undergraduate research.


Hightower, Cary ANTHROPOMETRIC STUDY OF PLAYING-RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (PRMD) IN MALE NON-CLASSICAL PIANISTS Playing Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMDs) is experienced by musicians. The potential factors associated with PRMDs are classified as misuse, overuse and playing conditions. Research related to PRMDs primarily focused on classical mu-sicians. Studies have also shown that anthropometrically smaller individuals are more susceptible to musculoskeletal injury. Thus, a directly proportional relationship between hand dimensions and prevalence of PRMD symptoms is likely. This re-search looks to explain how hand dimensions may not diminish the exposure to factors directly related to PRMDs. Thirty-eight male non-classical pianists with varied skills participated in the study. Five tests were conducted for each subject. Each subject selected one song to play twice for tests one and five at their selected meter (beats per minute). Test two through four were played at 80, 60, and 120 beats per minute respectively. Each pianist was required to play a test specific song based on self- identified genre. The hands of each subject were scanned and measured using ImageJ Software 1.48 (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD) and placed into anthropometric percentile groups. The following four percentile groups were <25, 26-50, 51-75, 76,>99. Statistical analysis was conducted IBM SPSS 19 statistical software (IBM, Armonk, New York) us-ing previously collected wrist angle and wrist angular velocity data in combination with the anthropometric measurements. Our findings determined that across all five tests participants within the 26-50 percentile range experienced the least angu-lar wrist displacement on their left side. However, on the same side, the greatest wrist angular velocity was experienced. We concluded that males within the 26-50 percentile range are more likely to experience PRMD symptoms in their left wrist. This is because of contradictory movements. They are limiting their range of motion while trying to move the wrist faster. This puts a lot of pressure on the wrist and could potentially lead to a PRMD.

Jones, Crystal TARGETED DELETION OF ZEBRAFISH LNCRNAIS18 WITH TALENS Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important players in epigenetic regulation of gene expression during development and disease (Niland et al, 2012). A number of mechanisms have been proposed for lncRNA action, however, few functional studies of lncRNAs have been described. We are using Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease (TALEN), engineered site-specific nucleases, to create targeted mutations in a novel zebrafish lncRNA. We previously mapped a highly penetrant retinal tumor model to transgene disruption of the zebrafish lncRNAis18 gene. The objective of this project is to isolate a second zebrafish lncRNAis18 allele that contains a deletion of part of the lncRNAis18 gene. Two TALEN pairs were designed to simultaneously target double-strand breaks to exons 2 and 5 of lncRNAis18. Injection of 25-40pg of the TALENs targeting individual exons into zebrafish embryos resulted in efficient mutagenesis of the target sites. To isolate the lncRNAis18 dele-tion allele we co-injected embryos with the TALEN pairs targeting both exons 2 and exon 5. We predicted co-injection of TALEN pairs targeting exons 2 and 5 of lncRNAis18 would create a 147kb deletion after loss of the intervening sequence and repair by the non-homologous enjoining pathway, and were able to confirm our prediction through PCR. We verified the deletion allele by sequencing PCR products from 3 embryos. We have found and are continuing screening for germline transmission of the deletion allele to establish a new line. The lncRNAis18 deletion allele will provide a new genetic tool to study the function of lncRNAis18 in zebrafish development and cancer. Funding support was provided by LSAMP IINSPIRE. Jones-Butts, Shannon NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF GOAT MEAT PATTIES COMPARED TO PORK PATTIES Obesity and cardiovascular related diseases are often times preventable and directly related to the dietary habits of consum-ers. Unfortunately popular red meats including beef and pork are known to be linked to an increase risk of these diseases. The research conducted on goat meat has not been done to the extent as of beef and pork are concerned. However, there is data that shows the high nutritional value, including a better unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio, of goat meat com-pared to beef and pork. According to the USDA the annual goat meat consumption is low in the U.S. which can be a result of the fact that goat meat is generally unavailable in retail markets. The unavailability and low consumption of goat meat may be the result of consumers’ unfamiliarity or disliking of goat meat. Goat meat has potential to enhance the health of suscepti-ble populations without consumers having to take meat products out of their daily diet. But rather by replacing the tradi-tional consumed meats with goat meat. The purpose of this study was to compare the nutritional composition of a goat meat product to similar pork product and analyze the consumer acceptability of the goat meat product. For analysis the tests that were done on the meat included protein, fat, moisture, ash, and carbohydrate. Consumer acceptability showed that there was not a substantial difference in the aroma, taste, juiciness and overall acceptability between goat and pork patties. How-ever, there was a substantial difference in tenderness between goat and pork patties. The goat patties resulted to be less tender than the pork patties. There was also a substantial difference in the fat and moisture content of the goat meat having less fat and more moisture than the pork patties.

14

Poster Abstracts

Kelly, Shameka FIGS, NEWTON AND MORE: CREATING FUTURE STEM LEADERS FOR A DIVERSE WORLD The purpose of this project was to promote minority student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through hands-on activities, academic assistance, and awareness of STEM opportunities. Participants were middle and high school students in Jefferson City, Missouri. The project consisted of a four-hour, hands-on activity program in which students were given the opportunity to see STEM disciplines in an exciting and inviting environment. Students participated in four activities for each letter of the STEM acronym. Before the program, students indicated whether Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics interested them. After the program, the participants were instructed to fill out a survey on their satisfaction with the event and their level of STEM interest. Future goals for this project are to continue to create events promoting a positive working relationship between the STEM programs at Lincoln University and the students in the local Jefferson City, MO community. This program was supported by Women's Leadership, a Lincoln University campus organization; AMASS and STEM Alliance, two Lincoln University NSF funded projects.

Kohl-Blomsness, Nokoma 4-POINT RESISTIVITY MEASUREMENTS OF SILICON-CARBIDE NANOWIRES Silicon carbide is well suited for optoelectronic, microelectronics and nanoelectronics due to its unique properties such as high thermal stability, mechanical strength, large band gap, chemical inertness, and high electron mobility. We are investigat-ing the electrical properties of silicon carbide nanowires (SiC NWs) we have grown by reacting SiO with carbon nanotubes at 1450 C. We are testing the electrical properties of the SiC NWs with miBot Mobile Robots. The miBot Mobile Robots are placed in a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in order to allow the placement of the probes relative to the SiC NWs. The probes at the end are about 1 micrometer in diameter. The miBots provide the electrical connections to perform 4-point electrical resistivity tests. With the miBots connected to a source meter, we can measure the resistance of a SiC nanowire by controlling the current that the two outer miBots send through the wire and measuring the voltage drop between the inner miBots. The resistivity is calculated using the geometry of the wires as measured in the SEM. Lopes Costa, Icaro MODELING AND VISUALIZATION OF A TIME-DEPENDENT PHENOMENON IN ASTROPHYSICS Mathematical models are developed in many areas of Astrophysics to explain observations and model time-dependent phe-nomena for which predictions can be tested by follow-up observations. Computers are indispensable in creating graphical visualizations of various models, which improve the comprehension of the physical phenomena. In this poster, we present results of an undergraduate research project of modeling and visualization of NGC 7538; a massive star-forming region locat-ed approximately 9,000 light-years from Earth. In the 1970's and 80's, it was discovered that the region contains two differ-ent gas clouds that emit a special type of radiation from formaldehyde gas. Since the 1990's, observations have revealed a change in the amount of formaldehyde radiation, with the peculiar characteristic that the variability from one cloud appears to be delayed by 14 years with respect to the variability of the other formaldehyde source. We developed a model using Py-thon software, in which we approximate the formaldehyde clouds as spinning ellipsoids. The model successfully fits the ob-served formaldehyde intensities measured since the 1970's. In order to create a visual representation of the model, we used the 3D visualization software Blender3D, which allows us to show the time evolution of the formaldehyde clouds with re-spect to the star formation environment in NGC 7538. Based on the results of the model, we submitted a proposal to conduct further observations next year with the Very Large Array telescope in New Mexico (a facility of the National Science Founda-

(Lujan, Andreina CO-OXIDATION AND CATALYSIS IN CHROMIC ACID OXIDATIONS: A MODEL FOR THE DETOXIFICATION OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM IN WATER Hexavalent chromium compounds are known lung carcinogens and occupational hazards. The high levels of hexavalent chromium in ground water have been a public health issue since the case involving California Pacific Gas & Electric Company and the Hinkley ground water contamination. In addition to industrial contamination, the chromium(VI) problem in drinking water is further compounded by the fact that chromium(III) (chromite ore; FeCr2O4, in rocks, soil and sediments) undergoes geochemical oxidation to the mobile Cr(VI) by manganese (IV) (MnO2), thus entering into ground water. (cont. on page 15) cont.) Past and current large-scale in-situ remediation efforts involve injection of lactate (milk sugar) or ethanol by PG&E; the removal of Cr(VI) to safe levels has not been achieved over the last 5 years. The chromic acid oxidation of alcohols/hydroxy acids has a second order dependence on [H+], and therefore, it is not surprising that chromium (VI) is still found in significantly high concentrations at pH levels (5.5 -8.5) of contaminated ground water; the pH of ground water varies de-pending on the soil environment and presence of metal ions such as iron.


Malone, Margaret A BIOMECHANICAL STUDY INVESTIGATING NON CLASSICAL FEMALE PIANISTS AND FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EX-POSURE OF PLAYING RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS (PRMD) Across various instruments females have reported higher Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMDs) of the hand, arm and wrist than males. Anthropometrically, females are more likely to have smaller hands than their male counterparts. Thus, females may experience difficulty playing octaves or more challenging scores of music. In this study, 22 non-classical female pianists participated in 5-5 minute tests where they played a personal song, tests 1 and 5 and a research selected song, tests 2-4, at 60, 80, and 120 beats per min, respectively. These tests were used to record the wrist angle and angular velocity of each hand. The female musicians were separated into four anthropometric categories (<25, 26-50, 51-75, >76) based one their wrist and hand lengths. It was determined that 61.4 % of the wrist widths and 43.2% of the hand lengths were in the < 25 percentile category (< 2.15 in & < 6.17 in). The wrist angle and angular velocity of the participants in each category were compared. In all test, subjects with the >76 percentile wrist and hand anthropometric category experienced a wrist angle de-crease over time, which is further away from neutral position (0_ angle). In the comparison, the right hand moved closer to the neutral position over time. The left hand executes more chords and harmony therefore greater wrist angles may be ex-pected. This analysis shows that as the wrist width and hand length increases potential exposure to factors leading to PRMDs. Subjects with an anthropometric hand length between 26 – 50 percentile experienced a more balanced wrist angle and rate of play over time, which may decrease their expose to PRMDs. This study has shown that smaller percentile hand length and wrist widths as well as those in the >76 percentile anthropometric category may experience an increased exposure to factors leading to PRMDs. Maluwelmeng, Connie MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION OF SOLAR TOWER POWER PLANTS The purpose of this project is to create a basic structure for a graphical user interface. In previous efforts, a working software had been developed that optimized solar tower power plants based on several criterion such as location and area, solar tower configuration, time of day, number and position of heliostats (mirrors that reflect sunlight into the central receiver located on the tower), and many other parameters. A problem arose when we realized the likelihood that a majority of people would not understand the variables specified for the various parameters within the program. Thus, this project was created. A graphical user interface creates a way for users to easily interact with digital copies of their existing or in-design solar tower power plants. Using Qt Creator in conjunction with expensions such as OpenGL, QCustomplot, and Google Maps API, we built a visualization of the solar tower plant location, 3D visuals of heliostats and solar towers with receivers that gave users the ability to edit, simulate, and/or optimize their plants. Since the software is still under development, not all functions have been incorporated into the working structure. We expect the finished product to build upon the previous functions and allow the selection/deselection of any areas on the map to visualize odd geometric shaped fields or restricted areas, display the placement of heliostats on the field map, and have a more visually appealing interface. This graphical user interface is a key tool in showcasing all of what our software has to offer. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No HRD-1102461, the 2014 Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, and funding from RWTH Aachen University and Iowa State University.

Martinez, Gerardo MERCURY FATE IN THE MADISON COUNTY CONSTRUCTED WETLAND Agricultural nonpoint source pollution is the leading source of water quality impacts on surveyed rivers and lakes. The Mad-ison County Constructed Wetland was built in 2007, mainly to remove leachate contaminants from cow feed and manure washed away from the fields. It is comprised of one catchment basin and four filter cells that were monitored from 2012 un-til 2013 to determine the efficiency of removing nutrients and heavy metals entering the wetland. Samples were collected from the inflow and outflow of each filter cell as well as from the Chenango River upstream and downstream from the wet-land drainage in order to determine the wetland’s efficiency. Although wetlands are constructed primarily to remove nutri-ents, they can also serve to trap metals associated with suspended solids including mercury (Hg), a global pollutant that af-fects human and ecosystem health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of Hg removal and the impact of Hg entering the constructed wetland. The target contaminant was total mercury (T-Hg), but also focusing on parameters that are strong predictors of the outflow of mercury such as: dissolved organic carbon (DOC), sulfate (SO42), and suspended sol-ids. Results show that the wetland is most efficient in removing inputs of T-Hg during the spring and least efficient during the summer, with a 78% and 51% efficiency rate respectively. During the spring and winter, the receiving stream was unaf-fected by Hg concentrations. Conversely, in the summer and fall, the Hg concentrations are negatively affecting the receiving stream. Overall the constructed wetland was able to remove 63% inputs of Hg, 65% of DOC, 90% of sulfate, and 96% of total suspended solids.

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Poster Abstracts

Martins, Dennise CLONING OF THE SHORT AND LONG 3'UNTRANSLATED REGION (UTR) DUE TO ALTERNATIVE POLYADENYLATION IN MALE GERM CELL TRANSCRIPTS. Male factor infertility is an issue for livestock and humans. Dysregulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) during development of the male germ cell can lead to infertility. One control of mRNA regulation is the production of transcripts with a short or long 3'UTR, generated by alternative polyadenylation that can lead to different levels of protein production or RNA stability. In order to test the hypothesis that the short 3'UTR isoform has higher protein production, reporter vectors containing the short and long 3'UTRs of candidate transcripts need to be made. The transcript used in this experiment was Cpsf6, a RNA binding protein. To produce these reporter vectors, genomic DNA was isolated from mouse testes. Primers were designed for the Cpsf6 short 3'UTR and the long 3'UTR using reported Cpsf6 sequence. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conduct-ed with the following conditions: Amplified products were excised from the gel and submitted for sequencing. Sequences were obtained that matched the short and long 3'UTR isoforms. Further experiments will ligated these 3'UTR isoforms into a reporter vector to conduct translational efficiency assays in a male germ cell line. The ultimate goal of this project is to un-cover the underlying processes that occur during spermatogenesis and the subsequent production of male germ cells. This will provide a greater understanding of the molecular regulation of this process as well as factors that may contribute to the dysregulation of healthy sperm production. This will hopefully allow for identification of underlying causes of male infertility which in turn can lead to more accurate tests, treatments, and contraceptive targets. Funding provided by the National Institutes of Health (1R15HD072553-01A 1) to BLS, and the University of Rhode Island's Science and Engineering Fellows

Mbog, Rodrigue IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NOVEL CIRCADIAN RHYTHM GENES THROUGH THE USE OF TISSUE SPECIF-IC RNA INTERFERENCE IN DROSOPHILA A circadian rhythm is a roughly twenty four hours cycle in the physiological processes living beings, including plants and ani-mals. Circadian rhythms are endogenously generated, even though they can be modulated by external cues such as sunlight and temperature. The first study of circadian rhythm was done in plants more than two hundred years ago and it lead to some interesting observations. After that study, many others followed up and more exceptional results came out such as the first discovered genetic component of a circadian clock, also the discovery of the first mammalian clock gene. Circadian rhythm is very important for every living organism because it regulates almost every physiological processes of the body. Once the rhythm is disrupted, processes such as eating and sleeping patterns can change. Modification of the rhythm also increases the chance of cardiovascular accident, obesity and neurological issues like depression or bipolar disorder. Circadian rhythms have some properties highly conserved in animals, which are most of the time used in laboratories, and help to get deep knowledge about the rhythm by running some experiments. With all the work already done and discoveries found, just a little is still known about the circadian rhythm, reason why its study is very exceptional. The goal of this project is to identi-fy and characterize the importance of different circadian genes in Drosophila. In order to do so, we use the RNA interference (RNAi) technic which is a powerful tool in genomic analysis and very useful to develop highly specific gene silencing. The overview method used for this project is the following: two circadian GAL4 strains (tim GAL4 and clock GAL4) combined with UAS-dicer2, are crossed to a series of RNAi strains in order to knock down the expression of specific genes within circa-dian clock neurons. Progeny are loaded in a behavioral assay for five days of entrainment condition (12hrs light: 12hrs dark) followed by seven days of constant darkness. Circadian rhythmicity is analyzed from the constant conditions. Data is evaluat-ed and lines exhibiting significant alteration in rhythmicity or period are noted for future consideration.

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Murillo, Esdras ENERGY EFFICIENT DEHUMIDIFICATION BY SOLAR DRIVEN LIQUID DESICCANT SYSTEMS FOR RESIDENTIAL APPLICA-TION In regions with high humidity levels, liquid desiccant systems have the potential to be extremely effective as renewable de-humidifiers in buildings. With the ability to be powered by solar hot water tanks, these systems are energetically cleaner than the standard air conditioning techniques currently in use. These current systems are equipped with a compressor, cool-ing coil, and a flowing refrigerant to cool the air. In order to create a comfortable relative humidity level, the temperature of the incoming air must be dropped below its dew point; this is the temperature at which water condenses and can then be eliminated from the system. In the majority of the United States, dew point temperatures are much lower than comfortable temperatures. Therefore, in current standard practice, air is first cooled far below comfortable temperatures to reduce hu-midity levels, and then heated back up to a more acceptable climate before entering the living space. However, if a system with independent control of humidity was introduced, the need for excess cooling and reheating would be eliminated. Liquid desiccants have the potential to be such a system. The purpose of this study is to design an efficient liquid desiccant system that implements a small air-to-liquid desiccant interaction device with the intention of long term use in a common residen-tial building. The objective efficiency of the system would lower the humidity level to between 40% to 50% relative humidi-ty at temperatures between 720F and 780F. This study aims to determine the optimum variable magnitudes to produce the highest extent of dehumidification while occupying the smallest possible space to fully dehumidify a common residence. These variables include air velocity, desiccant liquid flow rate, desiccant liquid temperature, contact area between desiccant liquid and air, and water temperature. The system is currently being individually tested in a laboratory setting with an aque-ous Calcium Chloride solution acting as the liquid desiccant. There are future plans to install the system for further testing in a community lab designed as a solar, net-zero energy building and equipped with a solar powered thermal tank. This paper will provide valuable data pertaining to the effectiveness and efficiency of solar driven liquid desiccant systems in the com-mon residence by discussing the results conducted in a laboratory setting.

Obi, Sierra NANOPARTICLE INTERACTIONS WITH MODLE CELL MEMBRANES The field of nanotechnology has led to the emergence of new, innovative technologies and products in nearly every industry sector; there are well over 2000 consumer products available today. Expectantly, the nanomaterials used to create these products enter the environment during production and after disposal or usage. Although there has been a considerable amount of research conducted in order to create and advance these products, there has not been a commensurate amount of research to understand the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) risks of these nano-materials. The most popular nanomaterial used in consumer products are silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which have powerful antimicrobial properties. For example, AgNPs can be used to sterilize commercial appliances or to coat ath-letic clothing to help prevent bacterial growth that would cause odor. The antimicrobial properties raise obvious ques-tions regarding EHS: What are the short and long term effects of environmental exposure? How many "beneficial" bacteria are we destroying in the process? To further our understanding about the toxicity of AgNPs, we examined the disruption of model bacterial membranes caused by interactions with AgNPs based on a fluorescence spectrosco-py study of membrane microviscosity. Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) were used to form a model anionic bacterial membrane. ( c on t . o n p a g e 1 8 )

Niederklopfer, Anthony IMPLEMENTATION OF HIGH-SPEED IMAGING AND DIGITAL IN-LINE HOLOGRAPHY TO STUDY FEEDSTOCK DEGRADATION WITHIN A PYROLYSIS REACTOR The efficient production of bio-derived fuels through the process of pyrolysis is one challenge for large-scale renewable en-ergy adoption. The chemical reactions and physical mechanisms governing the overall pyrolysis process must be understood to promote effective generation of bio-oil. In this study, the degradation of feedstock particles is examined within an optical-ly accessible laboratory-scale pyrolysis cell. In order to determine the physical extent and the phase transitions involved, two optical diagnostics are developed and implemented within this cell. High-speed imaging of the overall feedstock decom-position at various cell conditions is performed. Digital in-line holography is tested under various micro-scale conditions, and is used to examine ejective boiling of guiacol, a phenolic product of lignin pyrolysis. Finally, holography is used to meas-ure particle location and size throughout the injection event, and this information is used in conjunction with the high-speed images to determine phase and physical extent of biomass during the initial stages of a pyrolysis reaction. Funding provided by research undergraduate experience (REU) IINSPIRE-LSAMP,Epscor, and Mosaic.

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Poster Abstracts

(cont.) The membrane fluorophore diphenylhexatriene (DPH) was used to measure microviscosity as a function of tem-perature, sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration, and the type of AgNP surface coating (anionic, cationic, or neutral). This study highlights the effects of electrostatic interactions between bacterial membranes and AgNPs in controlling membrane disruption. This study was sponsored by the Science and Engineering Fellows program, which is part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research at the University of Rhode Island, and the NSF Environmental Health and Safety of Nanotechnology program (Grant No. CBET-1055652).

Odufuye, Zaid AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DISASSEMBLY OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is one of the largest types of waste produced in the world. These types of waste are exponentially growing throughout the years due to the high demand of more advanced technology. One potential solution to reduce the e-waste is reusing electronic components in future devices. The electronic components that are chosen for reuse must be common and essential to multiple different electronic devices. From there, the electronic com-ponent must also be in good condition to be used. From the observation of different common electronic devices, capaci-tors and quartz crystals were chosen to be recycled because both of these devices are essential for a wide range of elec-trical components as well as being expensive. Old printed circuit boards and motherboards were collected to experiment on. A tool was designed in SolidWorks that is able to de-solder two pins simultaneously. The de- soldering tool was ma-chined and attached to the tip of a soldering iron. The de- soldering extension was created from copper and because of copper conductive properties; heat is able to transfer from the soldering iron, to the extension, to the component that is being de-soldered. Once the capacitors and quartz crystals were removed from the printed circuit boards and mother-boards using the de-soldering tool, a circuit was designed to test the capacitance of the capacitors and the frequency of the quartz crystals. A series of tests were ran to calculate the time needed to remove the capacitors and quartz crystals from the printed circuit boards and motherboards and the reusability of the capacitor and quartz crystal. Funded by the Science and Engineering Fellows and The University of Rhode Island Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering

Pena, Alexis A COMPUTATIONAL INVESTIGATION OF TIGHT JUNCTIONS Tight junctions (TJ) are vital intracellular barriers that are responsible for regulating paracellular transport. Claudins, a fami-ly of small transmembrane proteins with approximately 27 members, are an integral part of the TJ strands. The claudin com-position of a tight junction determines a given tissues tightness, the looser the connection, the more materials can pass through. Claudins can single-handedly create pores in TJs as well. Tight junctions provide molecular-level protection and prevent infection and toxins from entering the body; in the same sense TJs allow nutrients and vital solutes to pass through. Claudins are associated with various diseases including metastatic cancer as well as an entry point for many viruses. Simple disruption or alteration of claudins can trigger the development of cancer metastasis and various diseases. Understanding structure of claudin proteins and its interaction can lead to a better mechanistic detail of what is going on at the molecular level. Despite their importance and abundance in all cell membranes and their ubiquitous nature, the exact 3-D structure of Claudins has remained elusive to traditional X-ray crystallographic and NMR studies. In this investigation, a computational approach was used to determine the Claudin structure of claudin 1-10. High accuracy homology modeling, coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations, reverse transformation, and refinement were employed to predict the protein structures with relative accuracy. Understanding structure of claudin proteins and its interaction at the molecular level can lead to ef-fective drug delivery technology. Future research effort is on understanding the interactions among claudins using similar molecular dynamic simulations and protein docking.


Roberts, Anthony ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY AS A METHOD OF RAPID BACTERIA DETECTION AND ANALYSIS Microbiological impedance spectroscopy has been employed for several decades to determine the presence and concentra-tion of known bacteria and pathogens. Recent interest in lab-on-a-chip technology has been the motivation to develop min-iature accurate and rapid instrumentation to identify various strains of bacteria thus minimizing the necessity to culture, stain and perform population counting in a laboratory environment. In this work, a substrate using borosilicate microscope slides containing interdigitated electrodes is implemented to measure the real and imaginary impedance components of thin-film bacterial suspensions in the time domain. The resultant resistance and reactance changes that occur in real time appear to be characteristic of the cell wall composition that differentiates gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. Romero, Alicia ADAPTING CHROMOSOME CONFORMATION CAPTURE TO ASSAY HUMAN FECAL SAMPLES The human gut microbiome is a diverse community composed of thousands of bacterial species, plasmids, and bacterio-phages. It is hypothesized that horizontal gene transfer mediated by plasmids and other mobile elements is responsible for the rapid evolution of bacteria observed under acute stress such as antibiotic treatment. However, a system-wide technique to assay the dynamic associations between mobile elements and their specific hosts is lacking. Here, we describe the adaptation of Chromosome Conformation Capture (3C) to assay human fecal samples. In 3C, cells are fixed and lysed to obtain cross-linked DNA fragments, which are digested and ligated under dilute conditions. Cross-links are then removed and paired-end sequencing allows for identification of the cellular origin of DNA fragments. Initial attempts to apply 3C to fecal samples produced only partially digested DNA, prompting investigation of the digestion step. We found that increasing formaldehyde concentration generates larger cross- linked molecules with little inhibitory effect on digestion. Additionally, reduced lysate concentration enhanced digestion efficiency and reproducibility, likely due to digestion inhibitory factors in stool. This work sets the foundation for the application of 3C to study complex micro-bial communities. Assembly of a 3C library from these methods will complement metagenomic data and provide greater understanding of horizontal gene transfer within the human gut microbiome. Sanders, Jazmine SEVERAL ANTIBACTERIAL ANTIBIOTICS ENHANCE SOME IMMUNE RESPONSES IN MICE Our laboratory has long been interested in antibacterial antibiotic molecule effects on the host immune response. Utilizing a mouse model for our study, antibiotics including cubicin, tigecycline, dalbavancin, Zithromax, ketek and others have been found to stimulate macrophage killing of eukaryotic candida yeast targets, many at statistically significant levels. T cell func-tion also was drug-enhanced, determined with an ear-thickness assay used to measure the amount of DTH occurring. More recently we have begun to study some of the mechanisms that are responsible for the microbicidal enhancement seen in the drug-exposed macrophages such as changes in cytokine production, nitrogen oxide production and the amount of toxic oxy-gen and digestive enzymes produced. This work was supported in part by the Max Baer Heart Fund, Fraternal Order of Ea-gles. J. Sanders is an LS-AMP Research Scholar, NSF/HRD 094024. Sanders, Tim THE BIG IDEAS OF COSMOLOGY Powerful new observations and advances in computation and visualization have led to a revolution in our understanding of the structure, composition, and evolution of the universe. These gains have been vast, but their impact on education has been limited. Informed by our research on student learning, our research group has created a series of web-based cosmolo-gy learning modules. The goal of the curriculum is to increase the knowledge of general education college students who take courses in cosmology by applying new and innovative techniques to help the students better understand scientific concepts and reasoning processes. My role was to help debug the curriculum for students. I read through each module, answered con-ceptual questions, tested interactive activities, and played videos that would increase my understanding of the universe. I also completed a wrap up component, homework, and a survey from each chapter. I reported mistakes within the text and activities and also gave feedback on each of the chapters to make sure that the material was useable and comprehendible for students. This work was supported by: NASA ROSES E/PO Grant #NNXl0AC89G, Illinois Space Grant Consortium & National Science Foundation CCLI Grant #0632563 at Chicago State University and the Fermi E/PO program at Sonoma State University. Module development is also being supported by Sonoma State’s Space Science Education and Public Outreach Group and Great River Technology/Kendall Hunt Publishing.

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Poster Abstracts

Save the Date!

2015 LSMCE CONFERENCE

October 23-25, 2015

Wyndham Indianapolis West

Indianapolis, Indiana

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Santos Teixeira, Wallace ON QUANTUM ERROR CORRECTION VIA UHRIG DYNAMICAL DECOUPLING Quantum mechanics was established in the first half of the last century as a new way to explain some small-scale phenomena that the classical laws of mechanics and electromagnetism could not do. After some decades, it left behind the philosophical questions involving its nature and began to be studied in the context of computation and information theory. Some proper-ties of quantum systems, such as superposition of states and entanglement, could help to solve some unsolvable classical problems, such as factoring large numbers into prime numbers or searching for names in a phonebook once the phone num-ber is given. However, in order for a quantum computer or quantum communication channel to be practical, its interaction with its environment, which may cause loss of quantum information due to a process called decoherence, needs to be ana-lyzed carefully. Some techniques for quantum error correction (QEC), which were developed in the 1990s and were mainly based on their classical counterparts, are being improved since then. However, a different class of techniques called dynam-ical decoupling (DD) has come up as an alternative to QEC because it usually requires less physical resources to be performed than the former one does. DD essentially uses a finite sequence of electromagnetic pulses to control the qubits (quantum ana-log of the smallest bit of information) and force the system-environment coupling to get as close to zero as possible. In this context, this work aims to study the mechanisms of DD, specifically the one called Uhrig dynamical decoupling (UDD). UDD uses non-equidistant pulses to optimize the decoherence suppression, in particular, for strong couplings to the environ-ment. Moreover, we are interested in using such techniques with ion-traps schemes, because they have been considered good architectures for devising quantum computers. Sargent-Johnson, Nicholas ASSESSMENT OF THE AFFINITY OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE NANOPARTICLES TO ESTRADIOL Titanium dioxide is an endocrine disrupting compound (EDC) that is widely used in commercial products such as cosmetics, milk and toothpastes. EDCs lead to health issues like defects in reproduction and obesity because they are disposed of in our water systems. In this study, a prototype for capturing and concentrating 17β-estradiol using titanium dioxide nanoparticles is created using a frit of magnetic micro-beads. This system contains a pinched fused-silica capillary held inside a piece of grooved wood. Two magnets are used to hold and load magnetic micro-beads, titanium dioxide, and 17β-estradiol. The col-lected amounts of 17β-estradiol are quantified using capillary electrophoresis (CE). The use of CE is important because it al-lows the use of small sample volumes and is ideal because the output volume of the prototype is very small. Similar systems used in previous studies have shown the ability to concentrate samples thus lowering the detection limit of EDCs. The results of our prototype will be to concentrate and determine the binding affinity of 17β-estradiol to titanium dioxide via CE. Scheibel, Raymond ARBOVIRUSES IN WESTERN ILLINOIS: A WEST NILE VIRUS SURVEILLANCE STUDY AND VECTOR BIOLOGY EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE Arboviral diseases, such as the mosquito-borne West Nile virus disease, pose a growing risk to the health of humans and ani-mals. In 2002, during the largest West Nile virus epidemic, Illinois led the nation in the highest number of human cases and deaths. In order to prevent future outbreaks, vector surveillance studies play a critical role in understanding the distribution of the virus. The objective of this study was to aid local health departments throughout western Illinois in the collection and testing of mosquitoes for the presence of West Nile virus. Two different testing methods were used for this project, and multi-ple field sites were established in Cass, Fulton, and McDonough County. Gravid traps began collecting adult mosquitoes on June 19, 2014. The insects were examined and counted, but only females were tested for virus. Mosquitoes captured in Cass County and McDonough County were analyzed for West Nile virus using the VecTest® Antigen Assay. McDonough County col-lections were also tested for St. Louis encephalitis virus using the VecTest® Antigen Assay. Mosquitoes captured in Fulton County were analyzed with the RAMP® WNV Test. In Cass County, 2467 mosquitoes were analyzed and none of tests were positive for West Nile virus. Collections and testing for McDonough and Fulton County are ongoing, with 1271 and 516 mos-quitoes having been collected from each respective county to date. This project was carried out in collaboration with local county health departments and served to establish an environmental health/vector biology education initiative for students at Western Illinois University. Our goal is to continue to work closely with health departments in the future to promote indi-vidualized learning experiences, in which students develop applied and integrated skills in the public health, microbiology, entomology, and epidemiology fields.

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Poster Abstracts

Shoemaker, Katherine VELOCITY SUBSTRUCTURE IN THE VIRGO OVERDENSITY This research is primarily in the field of astrophysics and involved the analysis of spectra taken by the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST). In this presentation, the process for the identification of a previously unre-corded velocity cluster within the Virgo Stellar Stream is discussed. Initially the project was to look at the Virgo Overdensity, which was observed in previous data from the Sloan Digital Sky Sur-vey (SDSS). The expected velocity cluster that appears within the data is the Virgo Overdensity as predicted, however, another cluster seems to exist consistently within the samples. The stars that were isolated and observed support the existence of the Virgo Overdensity and also, potentially indicate another possible substructure within the same region of sky. The characteri-zation of this cluster is presented along with the steps taken to isolate the Virgo Overdensity as previously described in earlier papers by Dr. Jeff Carlin and Dr. Heidi Newberg. After months of calculations and technical analysis, several conclusions have been drawn regarding this unidentified velocity structure. The velocity structure within the Virgo Stellar Stream does possess the same velocity signature as the disk region of the Milky Way Galaxy and there is a possibility that errors occurred in the data to produce false peaks in the velocity histogram of the selected spectra. However, the likelihood that computational errors occurred is very minute. The amount of error that would be needed to justify that this structure is merely contamination would be fairly large and call into question the quality of the spectra in general. The peak remains consistent throughout the samples and numerous calculations have been per-formed to attempt to explain this peak with the hypothesis of disk contamination. Disk contamination remains the strongest theory for the explanation of the anomaly, but it's existence and consistent structure support the potential that it is in fact, an unidentified cluster within the Virgo Stellar Stream. Spears, Andre’ INVESTIGATING THE INTERACTIONS OF COMPETING ADSORBATES ON PT CATALYSTS USING ELECTROCHEMICAL TECH-NIQUES A limiting factor in the commercialization of fuel cells is durability. Impurities found in the air can enhance the durability fac-tor which degrades the performance of a fuel cell. Studying half cell reactions of fuel cells using electrochemistry we are able to examine only one half of the fuel cell. In this case we studied the anode half of a fuel cell. Common impurities in the air are carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. We studied the interactions of carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide on platinum electrodes, in both isolated and combined experiments. The catalyst used on the electrode was 4.8% platinum using graphi-tized carbon. The electrode was placed in a 0.5 M sulfuric acid solution. This study utilized a 200:1 concentration ratio for carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide hydrogen sulfide, respectively. Such ratios are not uncommon in hydrogen fuel streams. Furthermore, we varied the time of exposure for each adsorbate to capture their signature oxidation peaks, and sub-sequently repeated the experiments with both species present. By varying the time of exposure we can study the affects of carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide on the electrode. We show a direct correlation between the time of exposure and sur-face coverage by probing the chemical adsorption of carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide and their subsequent oxidations for quantification. Also, with time we will show which gas is more aggressive. Our findings agree with previously reported polymer electrode membrane fuel cell results, in that the carbon monoxide adsorption kinetics are faster but they form much weaker bonds with platinum surfaces.

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2013 LSMCE Conference


Valerio, Kevin THE DEMAND FOR PAPER BASED LATERAL FLOW DEVICES The demand for Paper-based Lateral Flow devices is growing. These devices are designed to detect certain foreign particles in a sample. Compared to the leading bench top tests, these devices are more convenient to because they do not require the presence of a professional to use, and results can be obtained faster. They are also easy to fabricate, inexpensive, and more accessible. Current challenges faced by designers of such devices include increasing precision of detection, increasing reliability, and decrease test times. Valve tech-nology is incorporated into this device to allow for the fluid to flow autonomously. IN order for this device to work effectively valves need to hold back the wash and substrate fluids in order for the reaction between the fluids to occur. Throughout the summer chips were designed in order to test reliability, and test time. Experiments were conducted to investigate the fluid flow characteristics in order to compare results to theory, i.e. Washburn equation. Using the Washburn equations, the data from this experiment can be used to estimate characteris-tics of paper such as pore diameter of the paper. Understanding fluid flow times and distances is crucial in designing these chips because everything needs to flow fluently, and the valves in the chips need to be opened at different times to obtain the results needed in order to increase consistency, accuracy and repeat-ability. Wong, Liam SEMI-QUANTITATIVE READOUT IN A PAPER-BASED TEST FOR THE HOME MONITORING OF PHENYLALANINE LEVELS IN PHENYLKETONURIA PATIENTS Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited genetic disorder that results in increased levels of an amino acid called phenylalanine (Phe) in the blood. If PKU is not diagnosed and treated, the Phe build up can lead to mental disabilities and other serious health problems. The most common therapy for individuals with PKU is a strict diet to achieve target Phe levels in the blood. Thus, monitoring Phe levels in the blood of these individuals is a critical component of therapy. Existing tests for PKU require high---resource laboratories, which are not available to many populations and cannot provide the real---time feedback required for effec-tive therapy monitoring. In many regions of the world, the level of resources is too low to support testing that requires any instrumentation. It would be ideal to develop an instrument---free, rapid and simple test for PKU patients to monitor their Phe levels. We are developing a paper---based test that provides a semi---quantitative output of the concentration of Phe from a sample of blood. Users will be able to measure the concentration of Phe in a blood sample by looking at the simple pattern or intensity of color produced and matching it to the expected result for “low”, “medium”, or “high” levels of Phe. The focus of this presentation is on the demon-stration of the use of colorimetric indicators to achieve distinct visible output for clinically relevant concentra-tion ranges of Phe in a sample. Specifically we are optimizing reagent concentrations to produce the most robust signal and evaluating different colorimetric indicators to determine which indicators produce the ideal response curves (signal vs. Phe concentration) for quantitative readout. The ideal intensity--- based re-

Strickland, Brenisha DETERMINING AND MEASURING THE ACCUMULATION OF VITAMIN C IN PRAIRIE GARDEN PLANTS This study used quantitative methodology to examine Vitamin C in prairie garden plants in an urban Midwestern environment. Specifically, this study focused on comparing and measuring the accumulation of Vitamin C content in prairie garden plants. It was believed that prairie garden plants will relatively share the same amount of Vita-min C content. Literature in the field of botany, prairie gardens, and Vitamin C was reviewed in regard to environ-ment, methodologies, and Vitamin C content. This study took place over a five-week period during the month of July 2014. During the five weeks, researchers collected, observed, extracted and tested for the accumulation of Vitamin C content in the shaded, partly shaded and sunny areas of the prairie garden plants. It was determined that each individual prairie garden plant varied in Vitamin C consistency, due to prairie plants adaptive nature. Future studies should consider a layout of each prairie garden, and specific prairie plants that have being planted there. Also, the soil and area in which the plants grow must also be taken into consideration. In conducting this study, plants of the same family should be selected from various locations of the prairie garden such as: shaded area, sunny area, and partially shaded area.

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Map

Foyer E-F

Conference Room Locations Conference rooms are located on the main lobby level to the left of the main entrance. Attendees can also enter via the entrance that leads to the ballroom area which is located on the North side of the building.

Poster set up can begin at 4:00 PM on Friday, October 24.

advocating for increases of minority

success in STEM education

http://lsmce.org

the conference poster session will be in foyer e...

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