UndergradUate research and collaborative scholarship (Urcs) program:

collaborative inqUiry

Inquiry at UST:A Poster Session with the Results of

Faculty/Student Collaborationat the University of St. Thomas

Abstracts

Vol. 20September 25, 2012

IntroductionThe abstracts published here summarize some of the most compelling research and creative inquiry carried out in recent months across many disciplines by undergraduate students at the University of St. Thomas. In all cases, the student researchers have worked in close collaboration with faculty mentors who have contributed their time and tal-ent to help our students dig more deeply into topics of the students’ choosing and design.

Funded by the University of St. Thomas through undergraduate research programs administered by the Grants and Research Office, this poster session allows some of our most dedicated scholars an opportunity to share their work with larger audiences and receive the critical scrutiny of their peers, professors, and the general public.

We hope that you enjoy this event and invite you to engage our scholars in ways that will both challenge them and encourage them to continue their journey of the mind.

David Steele , Ph.D. Vanča Schrunk, Ph.D.Director, URCS Program Coordinator, Inquiry at UST

Paul Beckmann, Ph.D., PsychologyHeather Bouwman, Ph.D., English Alan Bryan, Ph.D., Music Renee Buhr, Ph.D., Political Science Justin Donato, Ph.D., Chemistry Adam Green, Ph.D., PhysicsTess Guin-o, Ph.D., ChemistryChris Kachian, Ph.D., MusicHasan Karatas, Ph.D., History

William Kinney, Ph.D., Sociology/Criminal Justice Lisa Lamb, Ph.D., GeologySteve Laumakis, Ph.D., PhilosophyDalma Martinovic, Ph.D., BiologyTom Musil, Ph.D., BusinessSue Myers, Ph.D., Theology Glenn Sherer, Ph.D., BiologyBob Werner, Ph.D., Geography

Faculty Board, Undergraduate Research and Collaborative Scholarship Program:

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September 2012

As president of the University of St. Thomas, I am both pleased and proud to introduce the twentieth annual poster session devoted to faculty/student collaborative projects, sponsored by the Undergraduate Research and Collaborative Scholarship (URCS) Program.

I believe that one of the most effective ways for students to learn is through collaborative inquiry: students and faculty working together on research that can have real-world consequences. Active learning of this kind is completely in keeping with our mission as a Catholic university grounded in the liberal arts tradition. We strive to provide a high degree of personal attention in a challenging campus environment that is engaged with the complexities of our urban community and the world beyond.

Collaborative inquiry gives our students the opportunity to experience first-hand how their professors approach research questions in a given discipline. It also gives our faculty a better opportunity to understand how our students think, and helps them develop new ways of looking at research problems. Collaborative inquiry enables our students and faculty to experience their disciplines in action, deepening students’ academic experience while simultaneously increasing career competency.

I heartily endorse this effort, and I hope this presentation of work accomplished to date will illustrate the importance of collaborative inquiry at St. Thomas.

Sincerely,

Reverend Dennis DeasePresident

Office of the President

Mail AQU 1002115 Summit Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105-1078U.S.A.

Telephone: 1(651)-962-6500Facsimile: 1(651)-962-6504

www.stthomas.edu

St. Paul, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaOwatonna, MinnesotaRome, ItalyAn Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

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Table of ContentsIntroduction ......................................................................................................... iLetter from the President ..................................................................................... iiAbstracts ............................................................................................................. 1Index of Student Authors ................................................................................... 36Index of Faculty Mentors ................................................................................... 37

The Green Research at UST badge, sponsored by the UST Office of Mission, identifies research projects that exemplify the UST strategic priority 4 under Catholic Identity:

The University of St. Thomas will cultivate an ethic of environmental stewardship, and will integrate principles of environmental sustainability across the curriculum and in co-curricular activities in order to educate students to appreciate their roles and obtain tools for leadership and innovation in care for God’s Creation

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Tyler AbrahamsonEFFECTS OF SOCIAL IMMUNITY AND LIPID CONTENT ON FUNGAL INFECTION IN TROPICAL ANTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Adam Kay

Global climate change is predicted to lead to significant biodiversity loss in the coming decades. The predicted increase in temperature will likely have a more pronounced effect on species in tropical areas, although the extent to which species can acclimate to temperature changes is largely unknown. As temperatures increase it is predicted that plants will produce more nectar, this increase in available sugar as a food source may increase the carbohydrate content of organism’s diets. This could also potentially increase available lipid energy storage for animals that take advantage of the increase in nectar. Ants are model organisms for studying climate impacts in the tropics because of their abundance, diversity, and important effects on ecosystems. A potential positive to more energy stores for ants is it could increase their ability to live while being separated from their colony; it could also help individuals defend against infection. Due to living so close to very closely related individuals social insects have had to come up with other ways to fight infection and pathogens, the phenomena of group living individuals being able to survive better in groups due to behavior like grooming and resource sharing is called social immunity. In the summer of 2012 I studied the effect of social immunity and lipid content on fungal infection susceptibility in different ant species in a lowland tropical forest in Panama. We found that fungal infection decreased survivability in ants as well as infected ants in social groupings do better than isolated individuals. We are currently getting lipid body concentration for the species, but it seems that larger ants with potentially larger lipid stores do better all around than smaller ants. These results show a potential for organisms to use the drastic changes they are experiencing to help survive current challenges.

Michaela Andrews and Rachel GehlharWATT BALANCEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jeff Jalkio

The kilogram is the only unit of measure still defined by a man-made object, a cylinder called Le Grand K located in France. After about a century, this cylinder and its copies differ in mass by up to 70 micrograms [Courtland, 2012]. One attempt to redefine the kilogram is the watt balance. A watt balance is able to determine the mass of an object through electromagnetic and electromotive forces without the use of a reference mass. The purpose of this research project is to construct and test a Watt Balance using undergraduate level equipment to be used as a lab in an introductory physics course. This lab would incorporate concepts such as magnetic flux, Faraday’s law, and electromagnetic forces.

Elizabeth AnnoniSIMULATION AND ANALYSIS OF OPTICAL SYSTEMS USING MATLABFaculty Mentor: Dr. Adam Green

The physics department recently received a grant from MathWorks, Inc. to infuse MATLAB into the sophomore through senior courses, including Physics 347: Optics. This work involves the writing of several MATLAB codes that will be used as Optics homework, laboratory assignments, and in-class demonstrations. For this first stage of our project, we focused on simulating and analyzing polarized light, electro-optics, and optical tweezers. Several codes involve Jones and Mueller Calculus allowing students to calculate the output state of light after it passes through various optical elements, including polarizers, retarders, and mirrors. One example uses the Jones and Mueller codes to plot the theoretical output of light from a photoelastic modulator, allowing the students to calibrate the modulator before conducting experiments. Another code uses a Poincaré sphere to provide students with a simple way of visualizing the Stokes vectors that represent optical polarization. This sphere displays either a single Stokes vector for a static optical element or a time-dependent pattern created by multiple vectors emanating from a variable optical element. Finally, we also simulate and analyze the Brownian motion of micron-sized particles trapped in an optical tweezers apparatus. This simulation shows the effect of laser intensity on a particle’s Brownian motion.

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Elizabeth Annoni and Nicole Lopez CLASSIFYING KNOTS IN OPEN CHAINSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Rawdon

Classical knot theory centers solely around knots formed in closed loops. Therefore in order to study open knots the endpoints must be connected to form a closed loop. The purpose of this project is to analyze and refine methods for classifying knots in open chains. This is achieved by taking points on the sphere and connecting both endpoints to each point to form a closure. The knot is currently classified by which knot type is most prevalent among those closures. The options for choosing points on the surface of the sphere are randomly distributed points, vertices of platonic solids or approximately uniformly distributed points. Due to the inconsistent nature of random distributions, data may be biased and unreliable. Platonic solids have vertices that are perfectly distributed about a sphere; however there are too few solids to be of use. Hence this project analyzes methods for approximating uniformly distributed points on a sphere. Within this analysis, the appropriate number of closure points must be determined to maximize computational efficiency and accuracy. Voronoi diagrams were used to compare the methods of distribution and determine the respective areas for each closure point. This project tests these methods on various knots to see how the differing distributions and number of points chosen affect the overall classification of the knot and the knot types discovered.

Nebiyu AtnafeQUANTUM DOTS AS PARTICLES IN THE INFINITE SPHERICAL WELLFaculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Ohmann

In semiconductors, absorbing photon energy higher than the band gap, through light, heat etc., gives rise to the creation of an electron-hole pair, also called exciton. The excited electron reaches an energy level of the conduction band while the hole is in the valence band. The portion of a semiconductor that contains the exciton pairs is called Quantum dots. Quantum dots are nano-scale particles that emit light depending upon the size of the dot. The dots can be modeled most simply as particles in a box (PIB). The PIB model provides ways of solving Schrödinger equation in Cartesian coordinates by studying relationships between energy and position with the width and mass of the particle. However the shape of quantum dots is often spherical. Solving Schrödinger’s equation in spherical coordinates is mathematically more involved than in Cartesian coordinates. I will use different techniques to solve the spherical Schrodinger equation and compare my answers to analytical solutions.

Ryan C. Augustin IDENTIFYING THE CORE PROMOTER REGION OF RAP1A Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Cruise

The Rap1 genes, closely related to the Ras oncogenes, have been shown to have numerous functions, including qualities as tumor-suppressor genes. While previous research has provided clues to Rap1’s roles in cells, nothing is known about the genes’ “core” promoter regions—the minimum nucleotide sequence at or near the Transcription Start Site (TSS) that will initiate transcription. Using bioinformatics, previous research was able to locate putative promoter regions of the human Rap1A and Rap1B genes, and construct plasmid vectors containing these sequences upstream of a gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP). We transiently transfected these constructs into various human cell lines, lysed the cells, and purified their total RNA. Western blotting and fluorescent microscopy have been able to offer qualitative clues about the proficiency of the putative promoters, but Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) has now allowed us to make quantitative functional comparisons. Using a single promoter construct for calibration across experiments, we have successfully identified functioning promoter fragments for the Rap1A gene. By finding the “core” promoter, this project is beginning to answer the question of how Rap1 gene expression is controlled in human cells.

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Elizabeth W. Beck and Marianna E. Moffatt SIGNIFICANCE AND OCCURRENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE GENES IN THE MINNESOTA RIVERFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kristine Wammer

Due to widespread use of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture, the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is becoming a noteworthy environmental concern. The objective of this research project is to identify the greatest contributing factors to the proliferation of ARGs in a portion of the Minnesota River that is impacted both by agricultural sources and municipal wastewater. Water from ten sites has been collected on eight sampling trips. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has been used to quantify seven different genes in these water samples. First, qPCR has been used to quantify 16S rRNA, which codes for ribosomal production, giving an indication of total bacterial biomass. Next, integron 1 (IntI 1) genes are quantified. IntI 1 is a mobile gene element, the presence of which can suggest the presence of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria. There are also five ARGs we focus on quantifying: tetX, tetA, tetW, sul1, and ermB. TetX, tetA, and tetW are three different tetracycline resistance genes each working by a different mechanism. Sul1 is a sulfamethoxazole resistance gene and ermB is an erythromycin resistance gene. Currently, our findings suggest that wastewater treatment plants may be a significant source of ARGs despite relatively low 16S rRNA concentrations.

Kristin J. BradenCHARGE DENSITY AND STEREOCHEMISTRY AFFECT THE INTERACTION OF PAMAM DENDRIMER WITH GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa E. Prevette

Cell-penetrating compounds, such as polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer, are often attached to drugs to induce cellular uptake. We hypothesize that electrostatic interaction occurs between the positively charged primary amines of PAMAM and negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) found on all cell surfaces to different extents. The interactions between generation 5 PAMAM dendrimer and four GAGs have been studied using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and gel electrophoresis. ITC experiments revealed the binding thermodynamics. DLS was used to confirm complex aggregation. Competitive displacement of DNA cargo from PAMAM by the individual GAGs was studied using gel electrophoresis. It has been determined that PAMAM-GAG affinity is dependent upon GAG charge density and stereochemistry. GAGs can disrupt PAMAM-DNA complexes, which has implications at the cell surface.

Christine BueltCOMMUNITY CONCORDANCE AMONG FISH, AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, AND SUBMERGED AQUATIC PLANTS IN SHALLOW LAKESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle Zimmer

Community concordance is the degree to which patterns in community structure are similar among different taxonomic groups across different ecosystems. Concordance analysis can provide insight into environmental factors associated with both strong and weak concordance in communities, clarifying overall patterns of ecosystem structure. The goal of this study was to test for community concordance among aquatic invertebrates and fish, aquatic invertebrates and submerged aquatic plants, and fish and submerged aquatic plants in shallow lakes. In 2010 we sampled communities in 104 lakes dispersed across five ecoregions in Minnesota, USA. We used Procrustes rotation analysis to test for significant community concordance among pair wise-comparisons of aquatic invertebrates, submerged plants, and fish. We also determined the average residual for each lake across the three concordance tests, and used redundancy analysis (RDA) to determine factors associated with weak community concordance in lakes. We found significant concordance between aquatic invertebrates and fish (P = 0.013), aquatic invertebrates and submerged plants (P < 0.001), but not

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between fish and submerged plants (P = 0.481). RDA showed that fish and submerged plant biomass both showed positive relationship with concordance residuals, while plant species richness was negatively related to residuals. Thus, lowest community concordance is found in lakes with high biomass of submerged plants and fish but low plant diversity. Shallow lakes exhibit two alternative stable states of domination by submerged plants or phytoplankton. High abundance of planktivores and benthivores generally favors the turbid state. However, relationships between submerged plants and fish are nonlinear due to time lags and other influences on plant abundance such as water depth. We suspect these nonlinear dynamics are responsible for both the absence of concordance between plants and fish and the reduced concordance among all three communities in lakes with high biomass of submerged plants and fish.

Brooke CapelleSYNTHESIS OF NOVEL THERMOCHROMIC COMPOUNDSFaculty Mentor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti

Thermochromic compounds change color based on temperature. The color of the thermochromatic compound is affected by structure The goal of this project was to carry out the synthesis of a variety of aromatic fused lactones with different structures to ultimately form a yellow thermochrome. These substituted lactones change from colorless to colored upon cooling in the presence of a phenol (developer). Thermochromes were synthesized via a metal halogen exchange by the reaction of n-butyllithium with a brominated aromatic compound to create a carbon nucleophile. This was followed by addition of the nucleophile to various anhydrides. Finally, the reaction was quenched with water to give a lactone. Several thermochromic compounds were synthesized; including yellow, teal, cream, and sea foam colored thermochromes.

Liz ChambersDIET QUALITY, DESICCATION RESISTANCE AND THERMAL TOLERANCE IN ECTATOMMA RUIDIUMFaculty Mentor: Dr. Adam Kay

Global climate change is a major threat to the world’s biodiversity. Warmer temperatures create challenges for organisms because organisms have evolved traits that allow them to perform optimally the thermal environments of their ancestors. In addition, warmer temperatures increase evaporation rates and thus produce desiccation challenges as well. Climate change may also have other impacts on the environment. For example, increased temperatures lead to increased rate of photosynthesis in plants, which can increase nectar output. How climate-related changes in resource access affect organism responses to temperature changes is poorly understood. This summer I tested how increased access to carbohydrates, the main component of nectar, regulates thermal tolerance and desiccation resistance in a common tropical ant, Ectatomma ruidum. I conducted this work at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. I collected and raised 57 colonies with queens for 6 weeks, and 28 worker colonies for 3 weeks. I allocated colonies to four different protein to carbohydrate ratio diets. Then I performed assays to test E. ruidum’s thermal tolerance, larval and brood growth, worker survivorship, desiccation resistance, and water loss after removal of cuticular waxes. I expect to see that carbohydrates in the diet will allow ants to invest more in membrane lipids and waxes on their surface that help them deal with thermal and desiccation stress.

Kyle Chamberlain and Ryan SmithQUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF DNA AFFINITY FOR PEGYLATED POLYCATIONIC GENE DELIVERY VEHICLESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Prevette Polycations have become popular non-viral gene delivery agents due to their easy synthesis and ability to carry large amounts of DNA. To prevent toxic side effects and aggregation seen in physiological conditions, polyethylene glycol

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(PEG) is conjugated to the polymers to mask their charge. Unfortunately, high PEG conjugation ratios can inhibit DNA binding and compaction. To optimize a polymeric gene delivery agent’s effectiveness, an ideal PEG length and ratio of PEG to positive charge must be found. This study has used electrophoretic mobility shift and ethidium bromide exclusion assays to determine a proper PEG length and conjugation ratio for generation 5 polyamidoamine (G5 PAMAM) dendrimer and linear polyethylenimine (PEI). Results indicate conjugation of PEG chain lengths below 5000 MW may actually promote PAMAM-DNA binding.

Emily Chatmas LOWER PAHRANAGAT LAKE AS A MODERN ANALOG FOR ANCIENT LACUSTRINE MICROBIALITE FACIES OF MIOCENE HORSE SPRING FORMATION IN SOUTHERN NEVADAFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Theissen

Modern microbial mats and Pleistocene microbialites found on the margins of Lower Pahranagat Lake (LPL) in southern Nevada are similar to lacustrine deposits observed in the Oligo-Miocene Horse Spring Formation (HSF) and in other lacustrine microbialites, suggesting that LPL may be a good modern analog for these ancient units. We examined the sedimentary characteristics and mineralogy of a 4 m-long sediment core to further test this hypothesis. We also used five 14C age dates to explore the climatic and environmental trends in the Pahranagat Valley region spanning approximately the last 2400 years. We gathered x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and smear slide data to characterize the composition and relative significance of authigenic, clastic and biogenic components for each ten-centimeter increment of the LPL core. Our results support the hypothesis that this modern shallow carbonate lake setting is a possible analog for a key lithofacies of the HSF, a crinkly-laminated limestone that appears to exhibit a strong microbial influence on it deposition. Specifically, XRD analyses revealed that samples from the LPL are enriched in high-Mg calcite (typically greater than 60%), which compares favorably with the analagous facies in the HSF. Sedimentary characteristics that we observed support this as well. The topmost facies of pink, diffusely-laminated high-Mg carbonate muds are similar to the crinkly-laminated facies of the HSF and represent especially low lake levels at LPL over the last ~800 years. A second facies is a dark brown carbonate mud with evident biogenic materials ranging from gastropod shells to tubular woody fragments, which suggests that from 1,150 to 1,963 years ago conditions were generally wetter. Lastly, a third significant facies is a massive tan carbonate mud with a noticeable increase in clastic materials and decrease in plant materials. This last facies represents a drier time interval, which culminated in environmental conditions that were favorable for significant dolomite formation (reaching 80-90%) at the oldest part of the record, 2,360 to 2,392 years BP. These last two facies are not present in the HSF, suggesting that the LPL only partially serves as an analogue for HSF microbialite deposition.

Wendy ConsoerDETERMINING LEVELS OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AMONG ENVIRONMENTAL BACTERIA ALONG THE MINNESOTA RIVERFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kris Wammer

The potential for constant, low concentrations of antibiotics to select for resistant bacteria in the environment and the incidence of antibiotic resistance genes in environmental bacteria has recently become of concern due to the widespread use of antibiotics in human medicine and agriculture. This project investigates the current levels of resistance to tetracylcine, tylosin, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin, antibiotics from four major families of antibiotics, in wastewater effluent, agricultural runoff, and surface waters in the Minnesota River Valley in southern Minnesota. This area is influenced by both agricultural runoff and treated human wastewater separately, allowing the assessment of which of these two sources has a greater influence on resistance in environmental bacteria. During eight sampling trips, samples were collected from ten sites. Culture-based studies have been employed to analyze the level of resistance that environmental bacteria have to these antibiotics. General culture based studies investigate small communities

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of environmental bacteria at low concentrations of antibiotic to determine if there is a difference in bacterial growth between sites. A high concentration study focused on finding a small number of resistant bacteria in a large community of environmental bacteria and determining whether these bacteria are multi-antibiotic resistant. In the general culture based study, sites 3 and 7 consistently have higher growth than other sites. In the high-concentration study we have found that most bacteria that were resistant to tetracycline were also resistant to sulfamethoxazole and tylosin.

Wendy Consoer and Dan KellenTHE EFFECTS OF OZONATION ON THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF THE MACROLIDE ROXITHROMYCINFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kris Wammer

With the increase of antibiotics detected in surface water, it is very important to understand what happens to these antibiotics throughout the drinking water treatment process, in particular whether or not antibacterial activity is removed. This study examines the effects of ozonation on roxithromycin. Previous studies have suggested some ozonation products of roxithromycin may retain antibacterial activity. In this study, roxithromycin solutions were treated with aqueous ozone. Ozonated solutions were analyzed using HPLC, and products were screened for antibacterial activity with a biological assay using Staphylococcus epidermidis. So far, no products of ozonation have shown antibacterial activity. Previously the study focused the role of varying pH on product formation; currently the role of dissolved organic carbon is being investigated.

Adam DahlstromPERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF ROUTING PROTOCOLS IN ZIGBEE NON- BEACON ENABLED WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ramesh Rajagopalan

In recent years, much attention has been given to wireless sensor networks (WSNs) research, due to the growth in Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems technology. IEEE 802.15.4 is starting to emerge as the next generation wireless standard for low-rate wireless personal area networks. Zigbee is a standard that builds upon IEEE 802.15.4 and offers low power, low data rate, and short range networking for wireless battery powered devices. The Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol enables the routing of data between a source and destination in mesh networks. The Dynamic MANET On-demand routing protocol (DYMO) is a successor to AODV that was designed for wireless ad-hoc networks. In this paper, we present a performance comparison of AODV and DYMO based on the Zigbee standard. The performance comparison is based on the following metrics: packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, and energy consumption. Our simulations show that the performance of the protocols depends on the network topology. The results obtained indicate that DYMO outperforms AODV with respect to packet delivery ratio (PDR) and energy consumption.

Adam Daily and Tom Parnell CSUMS: STATISTICAL MODELS OF DEPENDENCE WITH APPLICATIONS TO RISK MANAGEMENTFaculty Mentor: Dr. Arkady Shemyakin

Given recent economic conditions, more sophisticated statistical models are in high demand in financial applications. It has become increasingly necessary for financial institutes to improve their current methodologies and embrace new modeling techniques. The specific goal of our project was to predict monthly Home Mortgage Loan defaults within cohorts of loans with the same year of origination. We worked with Prime and Sub-Prime loan data sets provided by a major, national bank. Our research included fitting multiple distributions to our data sets and a variety of parameter estimation techniques. These distributions model time to default probabilities and are useful for making projections

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into the future. Drawing from the results of other survival analysis papers and our own findings, we settled on a two segment Weibull-Gamma model (a Weibull distribution with heterogeneity expressed by a Gamma distribution and split into riskier and less risky segments). The major improvement in our work over industry standard models was in the method of parameter estimation. We compared relatively new Bayesian Estimation techniques with the traditional Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) approach. MLE, while relatively easy to understand and implement, can provide significant technical difficulties especially when working in high dimensions. In our case, MLE essentially became a numerical optimization problem in 5 dimensions, leading to instability in our solutions and numerical estimation bias. Bayesian Estimation provides the advantage of being able to incorporate prior knowledge into a model as well as observations from our data. We were able to implement the Metropolis-Hasting algorithm and restrict our solutions to reasonable values.

Yasin DaraDATABASE OF KNOTTING AND SLIPKNOTTING PATTERNS IN PROTEINSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eric Rawdon

Researchers have found knots in proteins, although the cellular function of the knotting is unknown. Recent computations suggest that the patterns of the knots found in subarcs of protein chains may be correlated with cellular function. We used an algorithm for visualizing knotting patterns in proteins via a matrix presentation. Using protein models from RCSB Protein Databank, we have created a database of knotting patterns found in proteins with the hopes of discovering additional relationships between knotting patterns and the physiological role they play within proteins.

Kevin DeaseSEEBECK MODELING AND THERMOCOUPLE CALIBRATINGFaculty Mentor: Dr. Marie Lopez del Puerto

The intent of this research was to develop a laboratory involving the Seebeck effect and thermocouples for PHYS 225: Applications of Modern Physics. At their most basic levels, both the Seebeck effect and thermocouples correlate temperature and voltage in a metal. There are two ways in which this correlation can manifest itself in terms of the Seebeck effect. We modeled both ways, the positive and negative Seebeck effects, using a program called Matlab. As the second part of this research, we found two non-hazardous substances with the necessary properties to calibrate a thermocouple at temperatures between 77K and 273K. These substances needed to have a known and distinguishable melting point between these two temperatures so that we could take measurements at exactly those points. We would then try to fit each substance’s measured voltage into a temperature to voltage curve constructed from known experimental data.

Jane de LambertA DETAILED STUDY OF THE UPPER HORSE SPRING FORMATION IN THE LAKE MEAD REGION OF NEVADA: ANCIENT LAKES AND THE HISTORY OF THE CENTRAL BASIN AND RANGEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Lamb

The Southwestern desert region of the United States experienced major tectonic extension and stretching during the Cenozoic era. The crust in the Lake Mead region of Southern Nevada in particular underwent extreme tectonic activity 12-16 million years ago. The Oligocene-Miocene Horse Spring Formation was deposited during and after, adding sedimentary layers to the basins and ranges caused by the previous stretching. Extension and faulting continued in the region and the Horse Spring Formation (HSF), along with the earlier rock, was stretched and distorted. The HSF records a large portion of the deformation. The uppermost member of this formation, the Lovell Wash, is of particular interest. This member has been defined to the south and southwest but the majority has not been studied in detail or

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recorded whatsoever. A detailed understanding of the upper HSF, in particular the Lovell Wash, is crucial in gaining a better understanding of the geologic history of the area, as well as realizing the potential resources available in the Southwestern United States. These types of lacustrine environments are similar to areas that have proved important for petroleum and other mineral resources. We set out to study the Lovell Wash member using a variety of methods; these include stratigraphic analysis, detailed mapping, lithofacies correlations, and geochemical analysis of the ancient lake sediments.

Ryan Delaney, Mitchell Hoffman and Nate WebsterMACHINE VISION AND AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATIONFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jim Ellingson Object detection algorithms using the output from the Kinect for Xbox 360TM system are investigated using the open source Robot Operating System software. The software runs on the Turtlebot robot. The Kinect uses two sensors, an RGB camera and an Infrared depth sensor. Here the output from the Kinect sensor array is used to create 3-D and 2-D models of environments for autonomous robotic operations and navigations. The robot currently has the ability to autonomously navigate the basement and first floors of the O’Shaughnessy Science Hall and will soon have the ability to give small tours of the building along with using the elevator.

Jaya DhamiEXAMINING ETHANOL’S IMPACT ON EYE DEVELOPMENT USING DANIO RERIO (ZEBRAFISH)Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kerri M. Carlson Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) entails growth, mental, and physical ailments of a fetus as a result of maternal consumption of alcohol. Over 90% of FAS children have some form of ocular abnormality, which can include microopthalmia (small eyes) and coloboma (the result of incomplete optic fissure closure). At a molecular level, ethanol exposure has been shown to decrease sonic hedgehog signaling (SHH) in developing embryo eyes. SHH is one pathway that is important for regulating PAX2 expression (an essential gene for optic fissure closure). Based on these observations, we hypothesized that PAX2 expression in the developing eye will be down-regulated in the presence of ethanol. In order to study this we used transgenic zebrafish expressing GFP driven from the PAX2 promoter. We treated transgenic embryos from the dome stage of development (4hpf) to the prim-5 stage (24hpf) with either 1.5% ethanol or embryo water (control). At 48hpf we imaged each living embryo with a Zeiss Apotome Flourescence Microscope and measured eye area and GFP intensity using Image J software. Overall, we observed significant developmental delay in our 1.5% ethanol group compared to our controls. Focusing on the eye, we observed both a significant decrease in mean eye size (p<0.001) and a significant increase in GFP intensity in our 1.5% ethanol treated embryos (p<0.001). Since it has been established that PAX2 expression is higher earlier in development, this high GFP intensity in the treatment group is most likely due to the developmental delay and not ethanol driving increased PAX2 expression. While we were unable to establish whether PAX2 gene expression is impacted by ethanol treatment, we have confirmed previous studies showing that ethanol exposure during development leads to smaller eyes and developmental delay.

Samuel J. Fish KINETICS OF POLYASPARTATE COATINGS Faculty Mentor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti

Polyaspartate polyurethane coatings, used to protect bridges and flooring from environmental impacts, have been found to cure extraordinarily quickly during high humidity. Two model monomers were synthesized and their reaction kinetics studied using proton NMR techniques. The two model monomers can form five and six membered ring structures as well as intermolecular hydrogen bonds that affect their reactivity with isocyanate. Intramolecular

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hydrogen bonding is believed to be interrupted by water, which frees the amine for reaction with isocyanate. Under dry conditions, the reaction with isocyanate is very slow and sometimes does not even occur.

Danielle FrancenTAT PEPTIDE-MEDIATED GENE DELIVERY: COMPLEX FORMATION AND INTERACTION WITH CELL-SURFACE GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Prevette

Gene therapy consists of the delivery of foreign DNA to cells. Cell penetrating compounds, such as Tat peptide, have been shown to facilitate DNA delivery through the formation of a Tat/DNA complex. Different complex +/- ratios were tested using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay with the goal of finding the ratio at which Tat fully binds DNA. Complex size was determined in various solvents using dynamic light scattering. Positively charged Tat was found to interact electrostatically with negatively charged cell surface glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). A competitive displacement assay was conducted to find the concentration of GAG needed to completely displace DNA from the Tat/DNA complex. Results support Tat-GAG affinities measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and lend insight into potential cell uptake mechanisms of these complexes.

Mark FrommeltSYNTHESIS OF A NEAR IR ABSORBING PHOTOCHROMEFaculty Mentor: Dr. J.T. Ippoliti

The goal of this summer’s synthesis was to create a molecule that contains a photochromic switch to activate a chain of conjugation leading to absorption at the near Infrared level of electromagnetic radiation. So far this molecule has yet to be synthesized. However, many key intermediates have been produced to get to the final product. These intermediates include: methanone di-2-thienyl and its related propargyl alcohol, propanedinitrile 2-(3-cyano-4,5,5 trimethyl-2(5H)-furanylidene), 6-hydroxy-2-napthalenecarboxaldehyde and others. The next step is to combine these molecules to create an extremely large hyperpolarizable molecule utilizing the electron donating sulfur groups of the methanone di-2-thienyl and the electron withdrawing cyano groups on the propanedinitrile 2-(3-cyano-4,5,5 trimethyl-2(5H)-furanylidene).

Scott FuscoTHE ART OF DOODLING: DOES DOODLING HELP OR HINDER RECALL?Faculty Mentor: Dr. Greg Robinson-Riegler

Andrade (2009) found that those who doodled while listening to a recorded message recalled more information than those who did not. She proposed that doodling could serve to help focus attention. Andrade’s finding has not been replicated. This study attempted to do so while assessing whether the possible benefits of doodling may be subject to individual differences in working memory capacity or the tendency to multi-task. Thirty undergraduate participants recorded names from a monotonous taped message. One group of participants doodled (shading printed patterns) during this monitoring task, ostensibly as a way to curb boredom. A control condition simply monitored the message. The relationship of working memory capacity (measured by an OSPAN task) and multi-media use (measured by MMI score) to the possible effects of doodling was also assessed. Contrary to Andrade’s (2009) finding, doodling did not aid recall. In fact, doodlers performed significantly worse than control participants in recalling targeted information. There was no difference between doodlers and non-doodlers in the recall of incidental information. Finally, the variables of working memory span and media multi-tasking frequency were not significantly related to the effects of doodling. It seems that doodling might have led to dual-task interference, negatively impacting message encoding and recall.

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Tom GentleSYNTHESIS OF A NOVEL POLYMERIZABLE ISOLUMINOL DERIVATIVE Faculty Mentor: Dr. J Thomas Ippoliti Isoluminol derivatives are popular options for tagging molecules in luminescent assays. The purpose of this study is to synthesize a new brighter polymerizable isoluminol derivative that can be used to tag target molecules in assays. In this project the N-methylmaleimide isoluminol precursor containing a polymerizable norbornene ring system, has been successfully synthesized in six steps in but in low yields. This compound has been well characterized with a variety of NMR experiments. The target molecule of this research, an isoluminol derivative, will be synthesized from the N-methylmaleimide precursor by heating with hydrazine in ethanol. The quantum yield of this novel isoluminol derivative will be compared to other known isoluminol compounds.

Thomas GlassOCCUPY MOZART: CLASS CONFLICT IN W. A. MOZART OPERAFaculty Mentor: Dr. Shersten Johnson I began this project searching for a connection between the vast societal change taking place in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s world and six baritone arias from three of his operas, Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Die Zauberflöte, and that connection was found. However, the myth of Mozart as an acting revolutionary is not supported by the research that I have done.Before I could know what to look for in his music itself, I had to verse myself in the process of creating these operas. By looking through his letters to his father, Leopold Mozart, and secondhand sources, I learned how he created each opera, and the various factors that go into writing the music.By performing an in-depth musical analysis on the aforementioned music, I have been able to surmise how Mozart and his contemporaries portrayed different social classes and how Mozart represented class conflict in his music. This analysis is the bulk of my research and writing.In addition to the musical analysis, I researched Mozart’s connection to revolutionaries and the revolutions of the day. I have found that he had no known connection to individuals who physically fought for social change, and that his motivations may have been the opposite, as those who benefitted from the current state of social classes financed him. However, his Masonic ties factored greatly into his music, most noticeably in Die Zauberflöte.

Ann GoddingCONSUMPTION OF ORGANIC CARBON FROM LAKE SEDIMENTS BY DETRITIVOROUS FISH: IMPLICATIONS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN SHALLOW LAKESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle Zimmer

Shallow lakes have the potential to sequester large amounts of organic carbon in their sediment, but sequestration rates may be reduced by consumption of detritus by detritivorous fish and aquatic invertebrates. Bioenergetics models were used to estimate consumption and assimilation of organic carbon from lake detritus by fathead minnows in three shallow Minnesota lakes. Results showed the three fish populations on average consumed 5.8 kg ha-1 day-1 of detritus (dry weight) from May through August of 2001 and 2002. This represents 2.5 kg ha-1 day-1 organic carbon consumed from lake detritus, with 1.1 kg ha-1 day-1 of the carbon converted to CO2 via respiration of the fish. Estimates of organic carbon sequestration in sediments via sediment cores from similar lakes averaged 1.6 kg ha-1 day-1 (range 0.8 to 2.9 kg ha-1 day-1). The similarity in fish consumption and respiration rates and lake sequestration rates of organic carbon in sediments indicates fathead minnows may influence carbon burial rates in shallow lakes, and management activities that change the distribution and abundance of these fish may also change sequestration rates.

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Terese HeighwaySYNTHESIS OF 2A,8A-DIAZA-12E,12F-DIBORADIBENZO[BC,KL]CORONENEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eric H. Fort

The overall goal of this research project is to synthesize a novel azaborine molecule (Figure 1). Although this BN-substituted molecule is isoelectronic to its all-carbon analog, it is likely to have new and better electronic properties because of the dipole moment created between each boron-nitrogen pair. Therefore, this azaborine molecule has the potential to be a good candidate for organic light emitting diodes and other organic electronics. The proposed retrosynthesis of this molecule involves the formation of a macrocycle, which was the main focus of this summer. Previous unsuccessful synthetic routes include the use of a grignard as well as an aryl lithium. Current synthetic routes include a Suzuki cross-coupling and a Wittig olefination, the latter of which has shown the most potential in synthesizing the macrocycle.

Zach HenselerEFFECTS OF VARIOUS INCUBATION CONDITIONS ON G-WIRE SELF-ASSEMBLYFaculty Mentor: Dr. Thomas C. Marsh

Methods for “bottom-up” construction of nanoscale structures utilize building block components with the ability to self-associate in an organized fashion. Molecular components are held together by intermolecular forces, and are generally supramolecular polymers. Guanine-rich oligonucleotides (GROs) have proven to be prime candidates for this type of nanoconstruction, due to the unique ability of the guanine nucleotide to self-associate into a planar arrangement known as a G-quartet (Fig. 1,2). Particular guanine-rich sequences can assemble into higher-ordered structures known as G-wires (Fig. 3,4). The data presented here show that the ability of a GRO to form a G-wire depends highly on the incubation conditions chosen for self-assembly. Utilizing characterization methods such as polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and circular dichroism spectropolarimetry (CD), the specific contribution each variable has on the extent of G-wire self-assembly was assessed. Our results show loop length, species and concentration of coordinating cation, and presence of Mg2+ all drastically affect self-assembly of GROs into G-wires.

Nicholas Wayne Hermann

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE HYPEREUTROPHIC: A HISTORICAL SEDIMENTARY AND GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF TWO CONNECTED SUBURBAN LAKES IN SCOTT COUNTY, MNFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Theissen

The Prior Lake-Spring Lake system consists of three connected suburban lakes near the Twin Cities: Spring Lake, Upper Prior Lake (UPL), and Lower Prior Lake (LPL). These lakes are vital to residents and nearby businesses for fishing and aesthetics. Spring Lake is overloaded with nutrients, and phosphorus levels averaged 125.2 mg/L between 1996-2006, more than triple the targeted water quality standards. As a result of increased primary productivity, lower dissolved oxygen in Spring Lake has caused periods of anoxia in the last few decades. LPL is considered mesotrophic to eutrophic, with current phosphorus levels averaging 30 mg/L. We used geochemical methods (x-ray fluorescence (XRF), loss on ignition (LOI), Pb-210 age dating) and sediment microscopy to characterize sediments from a multi-core transect from Spring Lake and a deepwater core in LPL to examine historical changes in sedimentation and nutrient levels in both lake basins. Additionally, this allowed us to compare the histories of the two ends of the system that currently are very different in trophic status. Spring Lake has undergone a drastic shift in geochemistry since European settlement. Heavy metals and lake ecology have changed drastically as indicated by changes in plant and diatom fractions. Spring Lake has crossed an environmental threshold in the last decade, as indicated by laminations highly concentrated with centric diatoms and calcite, the result of increased biological productivity and the onset of deepwater anoxia. In contrast, our results indicate that LPL has been the more stable of the two lakes, showing little evidence of the extreme changes that have occurred in Spring

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Lake. However, there was a change in the dominant species in the diatom community in the uppermost portion of the core, and we believe this may be the early signal of a shift in lake quality.

Galen HilgendorfEARTHWORMS’ AFFECTS UPON THE GERMINATION, GROWTH, AND SURVIVAL RATES OF CAREX MUSKINGUMENSIS PLANTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Chester Wilson

The invasion of earthworms has been noted and has been linked to the decline of the thickness in forest floors, diversity of plants in an area, altered distribution of nutrients in the soil, and the germination of different sized seeds. The decrease in diversity of plants in an area is a particular problem and the affects that earthworms have on a particular species of sedge plant, Carex muskingumensis, was studied. In order to determine the relationship between C. muskingumensis plants and earthworms, seeds were distributed among pots containing different densities of earthworms. The germination, growth, and survival rates were studied and analyzed. The median amount of earthworms proved to germinate, grow, and survive the best than those plants growing without any worms. There was no direct harm being done upon the plants by earthworms and the movement of the seeds, competition of the C. muskingumensis plants with other species of plants, and disappearance of species of plants in the presence of earthworms could also display what affects earthworms have upon an environment.

John Hirsch and Laura WillsonIMPACT OF METHIONINE OXIDATION IN CALMODULINFaculty Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Moen Calmodulin (CaM), a calcium-binding protein, plays a role in many cellular and biological functions. It is critical for regulating calcium in muscles; for myocytes to contract, calcium ions are released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via the ryanodine receptor (RyR). The homotetrameric RyR is the largest known ion channel and is regulated in a complex manner by numerous endogenous effectors including CaM. CaM contains a high number of methionine (Met) residues, amino acids that are particularly susceptible to oxidation when exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by cellular metabolism. Oxidation of Met can cause deleterious effects in the protein’s function and interactions with RyR. The working hypothesis is the detrimental effects of CaM oxidation on RyR channel regulation can be traced to definable changes in CaM structure and dynamics that result from the modification of specific Met residues. Oxidative modification disrupts the functional CaM/RyR interaction through changes in structure and dynamics, resulting in reduced SR Ca2+ release and incomplete contractile activation. To illuminate how CaM is affected by Met oxidation, we constructed five different CaM mutants by site-directed mutagenesis: T34C.T110C, L8M109, L8M124, M109Q, and M124Q. The M-to-L mutations protects Met from oxidation while the M-to-Q mutations mimic oxidation of Met to methionine sulfoxide. Cysteine residues are introduced as spin-label sites, necessary to measure structural dynamics. We expressed our mutant CaMs in E. coli cells and purified them using denaturation followed by phenyl-sepharose chromatography. The CaM constructs were then spin-labeled and structural changes were examined using circular dichroism and dipolar electron-electron transfer (DEER).

David HousermanPOPULATION DISTRIBUTION OF GRAPTEMYS, APALONE, AND CHRYSEMYS ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREAFaculty Mentors: Dr. Timothy L. Lewis and Dr. John J. Moriarty

The dispersion of turtles can serve as a surrogate to understanding how previous pollution and current effluents from human-made structures have affected the urban area’s river turtle populations. The Mississippi River National Wildlife

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Refuge has listed river turtles and their nesting areas as a primary management concern. We looked at the population distribution of river turtles on the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. We conducted the survey between the months of June and August 2012. We surveyed 65 km of the river by boat on sunny days between river mile marker 872 (Mouth of Rum River, Anoka, Anoka County, MN) and river mile marker 825 (River Lake, Inver Grove Heights, Dakota County, MN) looking for basking turtles. This area begins in northern residential suburbs, extends between two downtown major metropolitan areas, and ends in southern agricultural and industrial area. We found 111 turtles of three different genera (Graptemys, Apalone, and Chrysemys) in the area we studied. We found that there were no turtles in the downtown urban areas; this pattern of dispersion suggests that there are no turtles in those areas. The heavy increase of urban-pollution on the Mississippi River in the 1950s may still affecting the turtle population distribution and aquatic ecosystems in the downtown urban areas today, alternatively, nesting sites are limited in the urban core.

Kevin B. HovdeHEALTH BENEFITS OF WALKING COMPARED TO VIGOROUS EXERCISEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Bridget A. Duoos Walking is the most common physical activity for adults in the United States (CDC, 2011). Physical activity promotes weight loss and decreases the risk for cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension (Kukkonen-Harjula, 1998). Purpose: This study examines and compares the health benefits of walking compared to those of vigorous aerobic exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 20-60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity 3-5 days/week. Walking is a moderate intensity exercise, which should be performed at a brisk pace for 30 minutes a day. Vigorous exercise such as running, biking, and swimming should be performed 20 minutes a day, three days a week. Methods: Eleven (10 female) previously sedentary, college-aged individuals took part in this study. Four of the subjects participated in a walking program while the other seven participated in a vigorous exercise program. Members of the walking group were issued a Walk 4 Life pedometer to record daily steps. Each participant was given an eight week exercise program which included either a daily step goal or a weekly exercise routine depending on the group they were assigned. Measurements of resting heart rate, VO2max, total cholesterol, and blood pressure were taken before and after the eight week exercise programs. Weight loss was also noted. Results: In the walking group the mean weight decreased 1.9 kg, mean SBP decreased 0.5 mmHg, mean DBP decreased 4.25 mmHg, mean RHR decreased 7.25 bpm, mean VO2max increased 2.75 ml/kg/min, and mean total cholesterol decreased 11 mg/dl. In the vigorous group the mean weight increased 0.1 kg, mean SBP decreased 0.71 mmHg, mean DBP decreased 1.71 mmHg, mean RHR decreased 2.86 bpm, mean VO2max increased 1.08 ml/kg/min, and mean total cholesterol decreased 29 mg/dl. Conclusion: Walking can provide similar health benefits as a traditional vigorous exercise program when performed properly and effectively.

Channing JamesHARVESTING, WORKING WITH YOUTH, AND PERFORMING SOIL ANALYSES OF PH AND NUTRIENTS AVAILABILITY FOR YOUTH FARM AND MARKET PROJECTFaculty Mentor: Dr. Dalma Martinovic-WeigeltCommunity Mentor: John Paul Mason

Urban agriculture provides fifteen percent of the world’s food total food supply. Urban agriculture is growing, yet there are some aspects of growing that can increase both yield and quality of plants. The monitoring of such things as soil pH and nutrient availability is very important to successful plant growing as there are optimal and poisonous levels of each. The purpose of this research is to provide Youth Farm and Market Project with the results of the soil analyses and to offer methods that can be used in order to improve their farms and food production. While performing these analyses, youth, ages 9-18 were involved in order to educate them on these scientific aspects of gardening. During this time, I also worked as Harvest Coordinator for the Hawthorne neighborhood, allowing me to get more involved with Youth Farm and Market Project.

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Sam JensenASSESSING ESTROGENIC AND ANDROGENIC ACTIVITY OF UV FILTER PHOTOPRODUCTSFaculty Mentors: Dr. Kristine Wammer and Dr. Dalma Martinovic-Weigelt

Previous research suggests that some of the UV filters most commonly used as active ingredients in sunscreens may exhibit estrogenic or androgenic activity. When these UV filters are exposed to sunlight, they can break down into photoproducts, which are also potential endocrine disruptors. For example, benzophenone, a once widely used sunscreen ingredient that does not have endocrine disruptor activity, breaks down into two photoproducts that have estrogenic activity. The goal of this project was to study UV filters for which information about endocrine activity of photoproducts was lacking. Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), a very commonly used UV filter, has been shown to exhibit androgenic activity both in vitro and in vivo at high concentrations. Another widely used sunscreen, octyldimethyl-p-amino benzoic acid (OD-PABA), has also been tested for both androgenic and estrogenic activity in vitro but has not been shown to express activity in either category. Here, several UV filters, including OMC and OD-PABA, were exposed to synthetic sunlight to generate photoproduct mixtures. The photoproduct mixtures were characterized using HPLC and LC-MS. Pure UV filters, photolyzed UV filter solutions containing a mixture of photoproducts, and one isolated photoproduct from the photolysis of OMC (4-methoxybenzaldehyde [4-MBA]) were screened for endocrine activity with two transcriptional assays. T47D-KBluc and MDA-MB-453 cells were used to assess estrogenic and androgenic activity, respectively. The endocrine activities of the samples were interpolated by the least-squares means procedure from a nonlinear sigmoidal dose response curve fit to the relative luminescence units of the estradiol/testosterone standards. OMC exhibited low-level estrogenic as well as androgenic activity. The photoproduct 4-MBA showed weak estrogenic and androgenic activity. OD-PABA, as previously suggested, does not exhibit androgenic activity whereas a mixture of its various photoproducts was found to have detectable activity. The estrogenic activity of OD-PABA’s photoproducts has yet to be analyzed.

Steven M. Joerger, Tyler J. Mangan and Joseph M. SpitzerEXPLICIT CHARACTERIZATION FOR TIGHT KNOT CONFIGURATIONSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eric J. Rawdon

To date there have been no explicit characterizations of any non-planar tight knot configuration. We analyze the simplest case, that of a six-edge trefoil knot. Using an approximately tightened configuration from the software program RidgeRunner, we are able to draw observations and make corresponding assumptions that simplify our problem. From there we write the vertices of our knot in terms of variables based on the previously gathered geometric properties of the knot. Piecing this information with that of the knot’s self-contacts—when in a tightened formation—we formulate a matrix. This matrix is then used with two other matrices; one which encodes information on the compression level at predetermined points in our knot and another that holds data on the knot’s ideal movements in order to reach maximum tightness. Using these three matrices we set up a system of equations by way of a standard Ax=b format in order to determine the explicit characterization of the tight six-edge trefoil. We must emphasize that we are seeking an exact solution as approximate values have already been attained.

Cole JohnsonCOMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF MOLECULAR FLUOROQUINOLONE USING GAMESSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Joseph Brom

The electronic structure code GAMESS was used at the Hartree-fock level of theory to compute properties of molecular fluoroquinolone. We are interested in the electronic structure and geometry of the molecule. Various tautomer energies were analyzed, and excited states of the normal lowest energy tautomers and the zwitterion were analyzed. For excited states the DZP+ basis set was utilized and for the ground states DZP was used. The breaking of the C-F bond was observed in the ground state, but the energy level was significantly high. The normal molecule and the zwitterion were

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solvated and analyzed. Many different dissociative, or bond breaking, excited states were observed. Transitions were labeled and geometries were optimized allowing us insight into the electronic structure of the molecule.

Jenna A. JohnsonINTERMOLECULAR CONTACTS INVOLVING HALOGEN ATOMS IN THE SOLID-STATE STRUCTURES OF SOME BIS-BENZYLIDENEANILINES Faculty Mentor: Dr. William Ojala

We define “bridge-flipped isomers” as molecules related by the reversal of a bridge of atoms connecting two major portions of each molecule. Examples occur among the benzylideneanilines, in which the isomerism is Ar-CH=N-Ar’ vs. Ar-N=CH-Ar’ (Ar = aryl). We are examining benzylideneanilines by single-crystal X-ray diffraction to determine what intermolecular interactions influence the solid-state molecular packing arrangements of these compounds. Here we present the crystal structures of some bis-benzylideneanilines bearing halogen substituents and discuss the intermolecular contacts in which the halogen atoms participate. Our goals are to (1) determine whether these contacts occur over a wide range of structures and (2) determine whether similar contacts occurring in two bridge-flipped isomers can facilitate their assuming the same molecular packing arrangement (isostructuralism) in the solid state. In addition, given that centrosymmetric molecules tend to occupy crystallographic inversion centers (centers of symmetry in the molecular packing arrangement) in the solid state, we wish to determine whether this tendency can facilitate isostructuralism between centrosymmetric bridge-flipped isomers. Among the crystal structures described here, the bridge-flipped isomers occupy crystallographic inversion centers and some halogen-halogen contacts are observed; nevertheless, their crystal structures differ, possibly due to differences in such weak interactions as halogen-hydrogen contacts.

Kylee JoostenANALYZING THE USE OF HETEROSEXUAL PERPETRATION TACTICS IN SEXUALLY COERCIVE UNDERGRADUATESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa Waldner

Past research on sexual coercion has emphasized victimization of white, female college students at the hands of male perpetrators. Using survey data collected from an ethnically diverse sample of 453 college undergraduates, this study examined heterosexual sexual coercion committed by both male and female aggressors, in order to determine whether or not there are gender differences in terms of how sexual coercion is perpetrated. Significant overall effects were found for gender and interpersonal control scores (ICS) in terms of using sexually coercive tactics, with 39.7% of the sample (n=138) reporting having perpetrated a coercive tactic against a romantic partner.

Caitlin K. KellyENERGY DRINKS AND RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR IN COLLEGE STUDENTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Roxanne Prichard

Energy drinks have increased in popularity among college students; thirty-six percent of college students have reported consuming at least one within the past two weeks (Marczinski, 2011). There has also been a ten-fold increase in emergency room visits related with energy drink consumption over the past five years (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, 2011). Few studies have been done in a laboratory setting involving the potency and psychological effects of energy drinks. However, circumstantial evidence suggests a positive relationship between energy drink consumption and risk taking behavior such as extreme sports, casual sex, and binge drinking (Miller, 2008). By using a placebo-controlled, double blind, repeated measures design, the present study explored the effect energy drink consumption has on students’ risk taking behavior as tested by the Balloon Analogue Risk Taking Test and the Iowa

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Gambling Task. The correlational data confirmed Miller’s study that higher energy drink consumers display more risky behavior. However, the experimental results showed there is no statistically significant effect from energy drinks on risk taking behavior. The data showed a gender difference: males became more cautious than females after taking the energy drink. The data from the present study suggests that energy drink consumption is common among college students that display more risky behavior and also there may be a difference in how males and females are affected by energy drinks.

Nick KiekenappA HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON JAZZ GUITAR AS TOLD THROUGH REPERTOIRE: A METHOD BOOK FOR DEVELOPING JAZZ GUITARISTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Chris Kachian

This project addresses an intractable problem in Jazz pedagogy, the effective pacing of materials. Extant method books focus exclusively on individual artists’ styles in densely personal voice, often complex and very modern, resulting in an impenetrably complicated compilation of fully formed ideas. Starting in the early 20th Century, Jazz grew steadily complex at a very quick rate, noticeably refining and sometimes recreating itself every 5-10 years. The compositional elements, harmonic extension and progression, melodic improvisation, formal design, and rhythmic diversity, evolved significantly.The author proposes that teaching Jazz guitar technique from a historical perspective of the gradual technical development of the genre is a significant improvement by starting at the beginning (rather than the finish line) when Jazz was in its nascence; resulting in a more approachable methodology. By exposing readers to influential examples, Jazz guitar fundamentals will be learned. Building off one another, each piece represents an important aspect of Jazz guitar in an easily grasped form.This project begins with the earliest genres: Ragtime (1906) through Blues to late Swing (1945). Readers are introduced to the evolution of creative ideas such as early diatonicism into modality, rondo and the 12-bar blues form into the 32-measure Standard, motivic development, rhythm from straight time to swing, and from lower position to a wider instrumental range. The selections are transcribed from recordings and presented in annotated historical order. Further, this approach best accomplishes the aim of exposing the reader to the material through visual contact with the musical elements in a standardized literary fashion of music, modern notation.

Rebecca KummerSYNTHESIS OF A NOVEL ANTIBACTERIAL COMPOUND Faculty Mentor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti

Molecular Topology is an innovative mathematical system that is able to correlate chemical structures to biological properties. Using this system, it is possible to determine structures of compounds that are not analogous to known active compounds, and therefore have a good chance of being effective against bacteria. The synthesis of a compound predicted by Molecular Topology to have high antibacterial activity has been carried out, along with various derivatives of this compound. The overall synthesis employs a convergent synthetic strategy with a two-step procedure to make one half and a one-step procedure to make the other. The final step is a reductive amination to yield the final product. The target compound and derivatives will be tested to determine their antibacterial activity against different strains of bacteria.

Sarah N. LarsonA NOVEL ROUTE TO N-ALKYLATED BENZIMIDAZOLESFaculty Mentor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti

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Benzimidazole derivatives with primary N-alkyl substituents are easily synthesized by first deprotonating a benzimidazole nitrogen and reacting this anion with a primary haloalkane. However, this synthesis yields undesirable elimination products when secondary or tertiary haloalkanes are employed. Benzimidazole derivatives bearing secondary and tertiary alkane substituents have been synthesized in transition metal-catalyzed processes from diazoalkanes, but safety hazards presented by the diazo intermediates make the synthesis unsuitable for large-scale reactions. This study presents a novel synthesis for secondary and tertiary N-alkylated benzimidazoles that is safe and easily scalable. Fluoro-2-nitrobenzene is reacted with a secondary or tertiary amine in a microwave to yield an aminonitro compound that is then reduced to a diamine. The diamine is reacted with triethyl orthoformate to give the substituted benzimidazole.

Sherry Oanh LeEFFECTS OF LUMBRICUS TERRESTRIS (EARTHWORMS) ON ECHINACEA PURPUREA (PURPLE CONEFLOWER)Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chester Wilson

It has been known that the earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) are an invasive species in the Upper Midwest. Earthworm species negatively affect the germination rates of native plants, as well as their growth (Holdsworth et al 2007; Frelich et al 2007; Reich et al 2007). Earthworms will burrow and the researchers believe with that behavior, they will pull nutrients away from the plants and the seedlings farther down the soil, where seedlings cannot germinate (Clause et al 2011, Margerie et al 2011, Langlios et al 2011, Decaens et al 2011, Forey et al 2011). The objective of this project tests whether earthworms affect plants negatively or not. In this study, earthworms (Lumbricus Terrestris) will be used to test, along with the plant, purple coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea). The hypothesis is: earthworms will have a negative effect on the purple coneflowers. The test was set up with forty pots of soil containing twenty seeds of the purple coneflower plant in each pot. Twenty pots had ten juvenile earthworms in them, while the last twenty acted as control and had no earthworms. The number of plants and how many leaves each pot contained were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that in regards to the data with just the number of plants, it was significant and the earthworms had a positive effect on the plants. There were more plants in the pots with earthworms than compared to the pots without earthworms. However, for the data comparing the number of leaves between pots with worms and pots without worms, there was no significance between the two groups of pots. The hypothesis for this study is rejected, because the data showed that earthworms had a positive effect on the purple coneflowers; especially their germination rates.

Amanda LesnikowskiTHE FREEDOM QUILTING BEE IN THE 1960S AND TODAY: THE QUILTERS OF GEE’S BEND AS ARTISTS, MERCHANTS, AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Heather Shirey

In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, quilters from Gee’s Bend, Alabama created the Freedom Quilting Bee to market their work and engage with political issues relevant to African American women. To study this group of artists, I gathered and analyzed primary documents and oral histories relating to the group’s history and contemporary developments. I began by traveling to Alabama and visiting Birmingham and Montgomery where I met with experts and toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Southern Poverty Law Center to gain a deeper understanding of the Civil Rights Movement. Next, I traveled to Wilcox County and visited Boykin. This bend in the river is commonly known as Gee’s Bend and is home to the quilting collective. While visiting the collective, I interview Mary Ann Pettway and Nancy Pettway. Through one-on-one interviews, I observed their methodologies, learned about their families and observed an afternoon in Gee’s Bend. The beautiful quilts created by the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama are recognized throughout the world. The collective consists of approximately thirty-five members, of ranging ages and experiences. The quilts, with their bright colors and bold, abstract patterns, have been featured in major art exhibitions, like at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and on postage stamps across the United States. Reproductions of these quilts are sold across the world, and there are many books on the artists and their work. My research contributes to the scholarship on the quilters of Gee’s Bend by

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focusing on an early period of their history and the development of the Freedom Quilting Bee, a movement which is often ignored in scholarship and museum exhibitions. Merging previous research with my own, I am able to further the study of the Quilters of Gee’s Bend, while encouraging other academics to do the same.

Annie L’HeureuxUSING GIS TO DETERMINE THE CORRELATION BETWEEN URBAN VILLAGES AND PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH IN THE TWIN CITIESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Lorah

The urban village concept has received considerable attention and interest; however, few formal research efforts to define and locate urban villages have been conducted. As this new urban design concept gains popularity, formal analysis on the impacts of an urban village will become increasingly important. This project identifies the location and extent of urban villages within the Twin Cities and analyzes the relationship between urban villages and property values. To identify urban villages in the Twin Cities, my research uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to target neighborhoods possessing characteristics of urban villages. The GIS model will be comprised of three main components: public transportation, natural amenities, and the built environment. I will also analyze property value change throughout the area, targeting areas of relatively high and low property values as well as relatively rapid change in property values. Then, using regression analysis tools, I will analyze the relationship between urban villages and property values.

Tonny Lukabya and Emily Van HeelMODELS OF HISTORICAL SEVERITIES BASED ON INFLATIONFaculty Mentor: Dr. Arkady Shemyakin Every company in the world seeks to be as successful as possible and one way in doing this is by reducing the costs of their losses. It is because of this that insurance companies minimize their losses by creating models of historical severities as functions of historical inflation indicies using both internal company and industrial data. The application of these models is to estimate future trends for each future inflation scenario. Building these models is based on macroeconomic variables such as Consumer Price Index, Wage, Construction Costs, New Vehicle, Motor Vehicle Repair, Medical Hospitals, Medical Physicians, and Unemployment. The goal of this research was to make regression models using the data and analyzing it by looking at the regression equations, p-values, variance inflation factors, and r-squares in Minitab, plus the outliers. Using the mathematical results and comparing them to what realistically happens in the insurance industry, better models were made to explain rational summaries of the data. Copula models are used for inflation scenarios that cannot be accurately measured.

Suzanne MagesTUNABLE RADIOPAQUE POLYMERSFaculty Mentor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti

Polymeric biomaterials are increasingly being used in the medical field to make devices such as stents and catheters. X-radiography is a low-cost and non-invasive technique used in procedures to place such devices, requiring them to be composed of radiopaque materials. But because most polymeric biomaterials contain elements lacking sufficient electron density, they tend to be undetectable by x-ray. Methods to impart radiopacity on polymers without compromising their physical and mechanical properties are currently being researched. Synthesizing a monomer that incorporates 3,4,5-triiodobenzoic acid into its structure and then polymerizing it creates a material with sufficient radiopacity to be seen on x-ray. Also, by copolymerizing this radiopaque monomer with various other monomers, a radiopaque polymer is created with “tunable” properties available for use in medical practices.

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Jack Mason and Kevin ZechEMPLOYMENT PRACTICES LIABILITY MODELINGFaculty Mentor: Dr. Arkady Shemyakin

For this project, two St. Thomas students and one St Thomas professor teamed up with two actuaries from Travelers Insurance Company to create a model of Employment Practices Liabilities for Travelers that they can use for pricing their EPL insurance policies.EPL coverage is designed to protect insured (employer) from liability resulting from employment-related wrongful acts. Typical allegations are discrimination, sexual harassment, and wrongful termination. Other possible allegations include defamation, unfair compensation, and invasion of privacy.Various datasets were used to predict frequency of claims charges. The comparison of the charge/claim data to the employee count data allows us to evaluate claim frequencies (claims per employee) for a number of dimensions of interest (State, Industry, Size of Employer).Multiple statistical techniques were used for the analysis of this data, including cluster analysis, relativities comparisons, and most prominently, Logistic Regression. The statistical software R was used for the Logistic Regression to output residuals and coefficients for the variables in question, and these outputs ultimately became the basis for a pricing model for Travelers’ EPL Insurance.

Simon Mazza and Michael FergusonEFFECT OF LUMBRICUS TERRESTRIS ON PLANTS EXPERIENCING COMPETITIONFaculty Mentor: Dr. Chester Wilson

It is understood that earthworms are largely beneficial to the soil they inhabit, but they can have negative effects as well. Negative effects occur when earthworms disperse into areas they previously did not occupy, such as the forests and savannas of the Upper Midwest, where many plant species decline after arrival of earthworms (Holdsworth et al 2007). Their interactions with the soil may cause favorable conditions for certain species of plants, while worsening conditions for others, leading to a decrease in diversity. Our hypothesis for both experiments was that the presence of earthworms in the soil would have a negative effect on growth of plant species known to decline in the presence of earthworms. Lumbricus terrestris was earthworm species chosen for conducting our experiments. In our first experiment, two different species of plants (Echinacea purpurea and Carex muskingumensis) were planted together in order to create competition. In addition, half of the pots were treated with wild-caught earthworms while the others acted as the control group. Our second experiment was done the exact same way, except we used Elymus virginicus instead of Carex muskingumensis. Our results supported our hypothesis, showing that plants exposed to earthworms were shorter. There was also a significant difference for germination rates between the control group and the experimental group. The experimental group had delayed germination compared to the control, but the resulting number of plants was roughly the same. Also, the average leaf count of Echinacea purpurea was higher in the control group. All of these results were consistent for both experiments. A follow-up experiment could be done to test how the ingestion of seeds by earthworms affects the growth and germination.

Logan McDermottIMPROVING THE SYNTHESIS OF BN-PYRENEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eric H. Fort Boron and nitrogen bonding in aromatic molecules is a captivating concept in organic chemistry. Most aromatic molecules are primarily comprised of the versatile carbon atom bonded together in an extremely stable ring shape. The stability of aromatic molecules is a fascinating characteristic in itself. However, molecules that are aromatic and contain boron and nitrogen have recently caught the attention of chemists worldwide. Boron and nitrogen aromatic molecules have intriguing properties and potential uses in organic electronic devices, making them attractive molecules

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to synthesize. BN-pyrene is a boron and nitrogen aromatic molecule with potential applications in organic electronic devices. However, the synthetic route to BN-pyrene is ill suited and inefficient for future applications. The overall goal of this research is to improve the synthesis of BN-pyrene, and in turn contribute to the synthesis of other boron and nitrogen aromatic molecules. To achieve this goal, it will be necessary to reduce the reaction times by using microwave synthesis, and eliminate problematic molecules that are used to build BN-pyrene.

Annie McNamee and Hannah Volkman IMPACT OF TWO MODELS OF CALORIE RESTRICTION ON PERIPHERAL BLOOD T-CELL POPULATION IN MURINE RETROVIRUS-INDUCED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME (MAIDS) Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jill Manske Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a human disorder caused by the HIV virus, is a disease characterized by depletion of T ceils. AIDS is most prevalent in developing countries where people are often food insecure and undernourished. To explore the intersection of nutrition and HIV/AIDS, we established a model to examine the role of calorie restriction in the development of T-cell depletion in a mouse model of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS). Animals were infected with MAIDS and maintained on diets of 50% or 25% calorie restriction. Peripheral blood T cell populations were analyzed over an 8 week period. MAIDS infection resulted in T-cell depletion by 57% as compared to non infected mice. Calorie restriction by 25% or 50% led to 52%, 37% T cell depletion respectively. Mice infected with MAIDS and maintained on a 25% or 50% restricted diet showed T-cell depletion of 83% and 43% respectively.

Ryan Merry and Kyle EdgrenANALYSIS OF THE TRADE-OFF BETWEEN PHOTOSYNTHETIC CAPACITY AND PHOTOPRO-TECTION Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Verhoeven

Plants require light for photosynthesis, however high light intensities can be harmful and damaging to plant cells. To cope with this issue, plants have photoprotective mechanisms, including energy dissipation and antioxidant systems. The goal of this research was to test the hypothesis that there is a trade-off between photosynthetic capacity and the capacity for photoprotection, such that plants with high intrinsic rates of photosynthesis will have relatively lower capacities for both energy dissipation and antioxidant scavenging ability. In this experiment, plants with a high and low range of photosynthesis were used to test this hypothesis. Measurements were performed on the following three species growing in the UST garden in July of 2012: Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Solanum tuberosum (potato), and Phaseolus vulgaris (bean). The maximum capacity for photosynthesis and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters phiPSII , Fv/Fm (photosynthetic efficiency) and NPQ (energy dissipation) were measured using the LiCor6400 gas exchange system. Additionally leaf discs were frozen in liquid nitrogen for later analysis of antioxidant enzyme activity. The enzymes glutathione reducatase and ascorbate peroxidase were measured spectrophotometrically. Results indicated that potato had a significantly lower rate of photosynthesis than either tomato or bean, which were similar. The data for energy dissipation indicated that Solanum lycoperiscum and Solanum tuberosum both dissipate a relatively high amount of energy compared to Phaseolus vulgaris. The activity of the enzyme ascorbate peroxidase was significantly higher in potato than the other two species, while glutathione reductase activity was not different between the three species. The data for ascorbate peroxidase support the trade-off hypothesis, while the data for glutathione reductase suggest that this enzyme may function primarily in capacities other than antioxidant scavenging.

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Sarah Millholland MODELING AND FITTING EXOPLANET TRANSIT LIGHT CURVESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Gerry Ruch

One of the primary methods of extrasolar planet detection is the transit method. If a planet’s orbit is positioned favorably so that the planet passes between its host star and the observer’s line of sight, it will block a portion of the star’s light when it crosses the face of the star. This periodic dip in the star’s intensity creates a transit light curve (as depicted in the image). The transit light curve can be mathematically modeled and fit to observational data of a transiting exoplanetary system to determine the parameters of the system. We have developed a fully analytic model, which simulates the light curve of a Keplerian orbital system. We have also devised a unique Monte Carlo fitting method, which returns system parameters favorable to those of published exoplanet findings.

Chelsea NackersFAMILY AND PARENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING RESILIENCEFaculty Mentor: Dr. John Buri

The effect of various family and parental factors on the development of ego-resiliency in 115 college students was studied. Family hardiness, authoritative mothering, and parental overprotection were found to significantly correlate with ego-resilience. Parental overprotection inversely correlated with ego-resiliency, while family hardiness and authoritative mothering were found to positively relate. Family autonomy, family intimacy, parental nurturance, and parental intrusiveness, permissive parenting, authoritarian parenting, and authoritativeness of the father did not significantly correlate with ego-resilience. Regression analyses showed that the proportion of variance in ego-resilience explained by family factors proved to greater for females than for males.

Christopher Nathan TOUCH SCREEN SIMULATION: A HANDS-ON INTRODUCTION TO THE PRINCIPLES OF SIMPLE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Marie Lopez del Puerto We have improved upon an existing activity in which introductory physics students will create a simple touch screen simulator out of inexpensive supplies. The simulator will track the position of a student’s finger on an x-y pattern using light emitting diodes (LEDs) - simulating a touch screen display. Through this hands-on laboratory, students will gain an understanding of important electrical concepts. Most importantly, by allowing students to create their own device in a hands-on learning environment, these important concepts become easier to understand as students are encouraged to arrive at their own conclusions through personal experimentation. Christopher Nathan PREDICTING SPECTRAL EMISSIONS OF SPONTANEOUSLY EMITTED PHOTONS OF A HELIUM-NEON LASER: A COMPUTATIONAL LABORATORYFaculty Mentor: Dr. Marie Lopez del Puerto We have developed a computational laboratory in which physics students will take known energy levels of allowed electron transitions for helium and neon (obtained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology—NIST) and write an algorithm to predict and plot the wavelengths of spontaneous emissions in the visible spectrum. These predictions will be compared with the experimental spectrum of a helium discharge lamp, a neon discharge lamp, and the non-lasing light of a He-Ne laser. Students will determine if their predictions are consistent with measured spectral emissions of discharge lamps and a He-Ne laser. By adding a computational component, we are encouraging students to more actively engage in their understanding of these concepts.

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Stacy Ngwesse CHEMOTAXIS OF PSEUDOMONAS PUTIDA F1 TO PHENYLACETATEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jayna Ditty

Pseudomonas putida is a common soil bacterium that is capable of growth on a wide variety of carbon sources, including amino acids, sugars, and aromatic acids hydrocarbons. Studies with various P. putida strains have shown that most carbons sources also serve as chemoattractants. Methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) are the primary receptors that bind chemoattractants, initiating signaling cascades that direct the movement of bacteria towards chemical attractants. In the absence of a direct MCP that detects a chemical compound, organisms can use aerotaxis to sense the energy generated by electron transfer onto O2 as a result of the metabolism of the chemical attractant. Previous work has shown that phenylacetate (PA) is a growth substrate and chemoattractant for P. putida F1. The purpose of this work was to determine the MCP responsible for attraction to PA by assessing metabolic pathway deletion mutants of the paa gene cluster along with the aerotaxis receptor aer2. Based on these results, it was concluded that neither PA nor PA-CoA served as the chemoattractant and that P. putida F1 attraction to PA is a result of aerotaxis.

Amy NiemelaRAP1A AND RAP1B GENE EXPRESSION IN HUMAN CELLS: CELL TYPE- AND CELL CYCLE-SPECIFIC EXPRESSION Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer L. Cruise Expression of Rap1A and Rap1B genes in human cell lines was studied using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (quantitative RT-PCR). Rap genes are of interest due to their involvement in a multitude of proposed signaling pathways including those affecting cell-to-cell adhesion and apoptosis. Human cell lines were cultured in the absence of growth factors until growth arrest, to relate gene expression to the cell cycle. A pooled RNA sample from human fibroblastic cells was validated for use as a reference point among different runs of quantitative RT-PCR, and among cell lines. Special attention was paid to MCF-7, a breast epithelial carcinoma line, and to MCF-10A, a relatively normal breast epithelial line. We found that average expression of Rap1B in the carcinoma line was less than one-fifth of that seen in normal breast epithelial cells. In most cell lines, Rap1A was expressed more highly than Rap1B. There were two cell lines that were high expressors of Rap1B, normal breast epithelial cells and carcinoma prostate epithelial cells, but Rap1A expression was still greater than Rap1B. In addition to baseline comparisons across cell lines, the effect of growth arrest on expression of Rap1A and Rap1B in individual cell lines was measured. In breast epithelial cells, Rap1A expression appears to be diminished in the absence of growth factors, while Rap1B expression increases with growth arrest. This project has set up a biological model of the expression of native Rap1A and Rap1B under different growth conditions. From here we can compare core promoter and enhancer constructs engineered into the same human cell lines to see if they exhibit similar expression patterns. This will allow us to identify the DNA sequences that control expression of these genes.

Luke NolbyAPPLICATION OF THE ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY MODEL TO MINNESOTA’S SHALLOW LAKESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle Zimmer

Island Biogeography Model (IBM) predicts species richness to be highest in larger, more connected habitats. These predictions have been useful in many habitats and provide a foundation for many conservation strategies.In shallow lakes, however, IBM patterns may be negated or reversed for organisms other than fish because some fish species cause the less biologically diverse turbid lake state. Thus, species richness of aquatic invertebrates and plants may be highest in small, isolated lakes.We tested this hypothesis by sampling richness of fish, invertebrates, and plants in 104 shallow lakes of Minnesota. GIS

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was used to measure spatial dynamics including lake size (surface area), connection status, and downstream distance to other surface waters.Using models comprised of the spatial variables lake size, connection presence, and downstream distance we used AICC to determine the most parsimonious model for explaining taxonomic richness of fish, invertebrates, and plants.Fish richness was best explained by both lake size and connection presence in a positive relationship, supporting the prediction of IBM. Invertebrate and plant richness, however, showed no relationship to lake size, connection status, or downstream distance.Our results indicate IBM is useful in understanding fish richness in shallow lakes, but poorly explains richness for invertebrates and plants. We suspect this is because large lake size and connectivity increase fish biomass, and negative influences of fish mitigate benefits of habitat size and connectivity for other organisms. These results highlight the need for managers to consider food-web interactions in efforts to conserve species richness in shallow lakes.

Daniel OseidOXIDATIVE MODIFICATION AFFECTS ACTOMYOSIN INTERACTIONFaculty Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Moen Using site-directed mutagenesis, functional assays, spectroscopy, and computer simulations we have shown that oxidative modification of the muscle protein myosin inhibits actomyosin functional interaction. Endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated through normal cellular processes, but a build-up of ROS can lead to the accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins, contributing to a decline of function in biologically aged or diseased muscle. The thiol-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine are highly susceptible to oxidation by ROS. To examine the effects of oxidative modification in myosin, Dictyostelium discoideum (Dicty) myosin II catalytic domain was used as a model system. Past research has shown that of the nine methionine residues in the myosin catalytic domain, three are susceptible to chemical modification using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidative agent while one residue, M394 located in the actin-binding cleft of myosin, appears to be primarily responsible for the functional decline. We first determined that the oxidation of M394 is reversible by methionine sulfoxide reductase, rescuing actomyosin function. Sequence alignment reveals M394 of Dicty myosin II is a cysteine residue in the human skeletal and cardiac myosin heavy chains. Using Dicty myosin II as a model for redox sensitivity of this Cys residue, the M394C mutant can be both oxidized and glutathionylated in vitro causing decreases in actin-activated ATPase activity, similar to the effects of methionine oxidation. Examining the structural dynamics of oxidized myosin using dipole electron-electron resonance (DEER) and computer simulations reveal a change in the distribution of distances across the actin-binding cleft of myosin, likely contributing to the functional decrease observed. This work suggests myosin may function as a muscle redox sensor, modulating contractile activity through a redox dependent mechanism in response to oxidative stress.

Mark PainterISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE CORE PROMOTER FOR THE GENE RAP1BFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Cruise

Rap1B is a gene found on human chromosome 12 and is a member of the Ras-superfamily. It is known to function in regulation of the cell cycle and also in cell-cell adhesion reactions. Like many genes, Rap1B has been shown to demonstrate abnormal expression in many cancerous tissues, being markedly upregulated relative to expression levels in normal adult tissues. Despite this suggested role of differential Rap1B expression in tumor development, the promoter and other regulatory regions of the Rap1B gene have remained uninvestigated. Using the aid of bioinformatics and the ECR genome browser, we were able to isolate potentially important regions within 1kb of the Rap1B transcription start site (TSS) that could function as regulatory elements for the gene. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we were able to isolate four unique regions around the TSS and create new bacterial clones in the pGLOW vector that had never been studied before. This allows us to analyze the differential ability of the four potential promoters to drive expression of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in vitro, and thus their potential in driving Rap1B expression in vivo. These newly created bacterial clones can now be studied and analyzed to further understand the core essential promoter

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for Rap1B. As my work continues, I have begun to collect data using Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase PCR (qRT-RT-PCR) detailing the functionality of the potential promoter regions around the Rap1B TSS. More data is being collected at this time that will lead to a new and novel understanding of the regulatory regions of Rap1B. In addition, this study provides the groundwork for future analyses of enhancer regions, transcription factor binding sites, and ultimately the potential to control Rap1B expression as a method for limiting the growth and development of cancerous tissues.

Jackson PenningMATHEMATICAL MODELING OF CRANIOSYNOSTOSISFaculty Mentor: Dr. Magdalena Stolarska

Craniosynostosis is a medical condition of newborn infants in which the cartilaginous regions between the plates of the skull ossify prematurely, thereby fusing the skull plates, and thus do not allow the brain to grow and expand properly. While this condition is successfully treated using surgical intervention, the intracranial stresses that develop if surgery is not performed have not been quantified. Through mathematical modeling we wish to determine the magnitudes of intracranial stresses that develop during craniosynostosis to better understand its effects on brain development. To mathematically model this phenomenon, we simplify the brain and skull to a one-dimensional geometry and modeling it as a one-dimensional rod in space with variable material properties representing skull and brain regions. Two modeling methods are utilized: the finite difference formula and the finite element method. The equivalence of these two methods are shown, and the finite element method is used to locate and quantify the stresses of compression in the case of restricted growth of the rod.

Robert M. PoutreCONTINUOUS WAVE DOPPLER EVALUATION OF CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE DURING EXERCISE AND AT MAXIMAL EXERTIONFaculty Mentor: Dr. Bridget Duoos The use of continuous wave (CW) Doppler technology is a novel way to determine cardiovascular performance during exercise testing. CW Doppler technology allows for immediate feedback and the ability to measure the dynamic nature of cardiovascular performance during exercise. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine cardiovascular performance of subjects before and during performance of endurance exercise, and at the point of maximal perceived exertion (RPE). A CW Doppler based system was utilized to measure heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Methods: Data was measured using a non-invasive CW Doppler-based system (USCOM), in 12 healthy adult males between the ages of 20 and 28 during exercise testing. Subjects participated by running on a treadmill at a three degree gradient and self-selected speed for a distance no less than 7 miles, until a level of maximal perceived exertion was reached. Data was gathered from subjects at rest, during exercise, and the point of maximal perceived exertion. Intensity was rated by the individual subjects using the Borg Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale. Data was analyzed at the 0.05 level, using an analysis of means with Minitab 16 software. Results: Mean values and standard deviations of cardiovascular performance parameters are as follows: HR (63.3±8.1 bpm; RPE = 5; 129.58 ± 17.8 bpm; RPE = 10; 164.1 ± 20.9 bpm); CO (4.2 ± 0.46 l/min; RPE = 5; 8.52 ± 1.3 l/min; RPE = 10; 20.3 ± 7.4 l/min); SV (63.8 ± 7.3 ml; RPE = 5; 90.2 ± 7.4 ml; RPE = 10; 118.3 ± 17 ml). Conclusion: Non-invasive CW Doppler measurement of cardiovascular performance is feasible as a method of evaluation during dynamic exercise testing in healthy adults. Further research into different modalities of exercise is needed, and a larger sample size is required for more accurate determination of feasibility.

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Cooper RappTHE EFFECT OF PHOTOPERIOD ON SYNECHOCOCCUS ELONGATUS CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS AND DNA COMPACTION Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jayna Ditty

Cyanobacteria are single-celled prokaryotes that use a circadian clock to efficiently regulate their cellular activity. The kai oscillator genes are responsible for the circadian mechanism and regulate output gene activity. Photoperiods, or the amount of light and dark exposure within 24 h, have been shown to have considerable impacts on circadian clocks in other model systems; however, the effect of photoperiod on the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus is not well understood. Previous work in our lab has shown that the phase of clock gene expression changes based on photoperiod. S. elongatus shows phase delays during long photoperiods and phase advances in short photoperiods when compared to equal amounts of light and dark exposure. In addition, “night and day active” genes range from little difference in circadian oscillation in response to photoperiod to phase advances in both long and short photoperiods, suggesting that photoperiods differentially effect circadian gene expression. Recent work has demonstrated that changes in chromosome compaction are observed as a function of circadian time, with the chromosome being relatively diffuse during the “day” and compacted during the “night”. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the circadian clock communicates temporal information through chromosome compaction, which controls access to particular promoter elements based upon DNA compaction at certain times of day (Smith and Williams, 2006). Therefore, an additional goal of this study is to develop a method to image DNA compaction in S. elongatus at different points in their circadian rhythm to determine if changes in photoperiod are mediated by DNA compaction.

Julie RechGREAT RIVER GREENING: MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AND EVALUATING RESTORED LANDSCAPESFaculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Lorah Community Mentor: Wayne Ostlie, Great River Greening

As the significance of Earth’s natural landscapes gains increasing acknowledgment, many people are beginning to actively work towards making remedial changes to their environments. With these efforts comes the question of how to measure the success of a conservation project. Great River Greening is a non-profit organization promoting and leading volunteer and community based restorative projects right here in Minnesota. They have been asking this very question and have a great interest in understanding the successes among their projects. Through a partnership with this local organization, I worked in the field studying their existing sites and in the Great River Greening office and University of St. Thomas GIS Lab managing the organization’s data. I collected evaluations, formatted datasets, and built geodatabases. This project also had a marketing aspect, which yielded informational maps and graphics for Great River Greening’s use. Ultimately, the value in this project will lie in its potential to be used in the future for evaluations of project sites and maps and for marketing.

Lauren Reuss STABILITY OF ALTERNATIVE STABLE STATES IN SHALLOW LAKES Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle Zimmer

Shallow lakes exhibit two alternative stable states of turbid with high phytoplankton abundance and clear with high abundance of submerged macrophytes. We studied the probability of alternative states and lake stability by sampling 123 shallow lakes across six ecoregions of Minnesota (USA) in July of three consecutive years (2009-2011). We measured total phosphorus levels (TP), estimated the abundance of phytoplankton (as chlorophyll a, hereafter chla), submerged macrophytes, and fish biomass. K-means cluster analysis was used to classify lakes in each year as turbid or clear. We also estimated lake stability by calculating coefficients of variation (CV) for macrophyte mass

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and chla across the three years. Probability of lakes being clear, shifting or turbid was best explained by TP and fish biomass, with clear lakes most likely at low levels of fish and TP, turbid lakes at highest levels, and shifting lakes at intermediate levels. Macrophyte mass CV in turbid lakes was positively related to the CV of both TP and fish biomass (r2= 0.52), while chla CV was positively related to TP CV (r2= 0.50). In clear lakes, macrophyte (r2= 0.28) and chla (r2= 0.31) CVs were both positively related to mean TP. Our results indicate likelihood of a lake being in a clear state is influenced by both TP and fish biomass, but stability of clear lakes is more closely tied to TP levels.

Ashela RichardsonTHE EFFECT OF BIODIVERSITY AND FERTILIZER TYPE ON CROP NUTRIENT CONTENTFaculty Mentors: Dr. Adam Kay and Dr. Jennifer McGuireCommunity Mentor: Kirsten Saylor, Gardening Matters

Biodiversity research in natural systems has shown that when plant biodiversity is increased, soil productivity and above ground growth also increase (Tilman et al. 1996). We can use biodiversity research to solve problems in agriculture. Our population densities in the United States have shifted recently such that over half of the world’s population currently lives urban areas. This gives an opportunity to ask questions about our current food system. The UST Stewardship garden provides the sphere to conduct undergraduate ecological research as well as provide community service by donating produce. This project is designed into four treatments comparing planting method (monoculture vs. diverse) and fertilizer type (synthetic vs. organic) in a vegetable garden. Eight species of vegetables are grown including heirloom tomatoes, bush beans, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, red potatoes, eggplant and basil. To measure yield each plant’s produce was tracked by quantity and weight. At the end of the growing season the plants are harvested one species at a time, dried in the lab and weighed to measure primary (above ground) growth. Samples of produce and plant matter were collected for future analysis of nutrient content. Majority of the produce is donated to a local food shelf, Neighbors Inc. Over the summer, nearly 700 pounds of fresh produce were donated to the food shelf and the rest to volunteers.

Christina RozeskeHYDROBORATION AS A ROUTE TO AZABORINE SYNTHESISFaculty Mentor: Dr. Eric H. Fort

Polycyclic azaborine molecules have great potential for applications in organic electronics and energy storage. Synthesis of these molecules often involves a boracycle intermediate typically synthesized with the use of a tin reagent. Tin is a heavy metal that is environmentally persistent and toxic to humans and aquatic life. Therefore, the goal of this project is to establish a novel tin-free route to azaborine synthesis by investigating carboboration and hydroboration routes to cyclic boranes.

Ben Ruhme EFFECT OF ETHANOL ON BTEX BIODEGRADATION UNDER NITRATE REDUCING CONDITIONSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer McGuire

Gasoline and other petroleum-based fuels with additives in them, such as ethanol, are becoming more prevalent in today’s society and we have a limited understanding of how these chemicals break down together in the environment. Understanding this breakdown, or biodegradation, is critical information to design and evaluate the clean up of petroleum spills and protect valuable natural resources like wetlands from carcinogenic chemicals in petroleum products. The entire process of biodegradation is based on redox chemistry where petroleum hydrocarbons, an organic, carbon rich contaminant is the electron donor and the compounds (NO3, Fe3+, and SO42-) respired by the microorganisms

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are the electron acceptors. In this study biodegradation rates of petroleum hydrocarbons under nitrate (NO3) reducing conditions in a contaminated wetland with ethanol as a co-contaminant were evaluated. The contaminated wetland is part of The National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research site located approximately 20 miles northwest of Bemidji, MN. The site was set up after an oil spill occurred from a pipeline burst there in 1979. In 1983 after initial clean up was complete, about 2500 barrels of oil remain in the sediments and continues to move into the ground water in a liquid phase and as dissolved components. Given the age of the contaminant plume, biodegradation by nitrate reduction taking place naturally was unlikely, so nitrate was added to two temporary drive point wells in the wetland during in situ push-pull tests conducted in Summer 2012. One well also had ethanol added to test its effects as a co-contaminant. Unexpectedly, push-pull data showed almost no nitrate reduction occurring, in both wells. Ethanol had very little, if any effect on the nitrate reduction rate. The lack of nitrate reduction suggests more complicated fate and transport of petroleum hydrocarbons in the wetland that originally hypothesized.

Kayla RyanA NOVEL SYNTHESIS OF ALKALINE-EARTH METAL ORGANIC FRAMEWORKS (MOFS)Faculty Mentor: Dr. Marites Guino-o

Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are compounds consisting of metal centers coordinated with organic linkers or compounds forming structures containing a porous cavity. MOFs have potential for drug transport within the body due to presence and various sizes of pores, which are influenced by the organic linker and metal center. In the past, MOF composition has focused mainly on transition or d-block metals; however, transition metals can be toxic within the body at high amounts. This research is interested in the synthesis of group two MOFs, utilizing magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba) as metals because they are benign in the body. The goal is to synthesize and characterize group two MOFs utilizing hydroquinone, butane-1,4-diol, and 1,5-naphthalenediol as the organic linkers. Methodology of this project involves synthesizing a MOF through thermal synthesis in a chemical oven. This is done through systematic varying of temperature, length of exposure to high temperatures, solvent used in synthesis, and ratio of metal to organic linker. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is utilized to determine bonding groups in reaction products. Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction is used to determine the crystalline structure of the product. This research has shown that in the formation of an Alkaline-Earth MOF, acetate anions, rigid organic linkers, and the use of methanol as the solvent are preferred for products to form. It has also been shown through my experimentation that both temperature and ratio of metal to organic linkers are not as important in the formation of the product. My initial results determined the product is insoluble in common solvents including methanol, ethanol, water, and acetone. This means the product may have been synthesized, as the product should not dissolve in solvents due to the strength of bonds.

Amber SchoeneckerTHE CHARACTERIZATION AND STUDY OF GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN INTERACTIONS WITH TAT PEPTIDE TO AID IN DRUG DELIVERYFaculty Mentor: Dr. Lisa E. Prevette

Cell-penetrating compounds (CPCs) are positively charged molecules with the ability to cross cell membranes. Understanding the interaction between CPCs and certain cell receptors may help scientists to better design drugs for maximum efficacy. The goal for this study was to compare binding between the CPC trans-activating transcription factor (Tat) peptide and five glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), negatively charged polysaccharides that exist to different extents on different types of cells. Interactions between Tat peptide and the GAGs heparin, dermatan sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate A were analyzed. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we determined the binding constant (K), enthalpy (ΔH), and stoichiometry (n) of the interactions. Differences in binding strength were observed, possibly due to the negative charge density or stereochemistry of the GAG.

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Daniel SchubringTHE PHYSICS OF BIRD FLOCKINGFaculty Mentor: Dr. Paul Ohmann

The study of collective motion is a rapidly growing field, which employs techniques from physics to examine systems such as crowds, traffic, and flocks of animals. The interactions of many individuals can lead to complex group behavior, even if the individuals all act according to simple, predictable rules.In particular, the phenomenon of bird flocking has inspired many theoretical models. These models describe the behavior of individual birds in terms of fixed interaction ranges. However, recent empirical investigations of starling flocks suggest that individual birds are only influenced by their nearest neighbors, regardless of the distance between birds.Inspired by this research, a new model was developed in which birds only interact with neighboring birds according to a geometric concept known as Delaunay triangulation. Like previous models of flocking, the model exhibits a phase transition from disordered motion to ordered flocking behavior. However, measurements of scaling exponents indicate that the physics of the phase transition is distinct from earlier models. This new group behavior was found to be quantitatively independent of some of the details of the individual interaction – a phenomenon known as ‘universality.’The starling research had also suggested that the distance over which the birds’ velocities are correlated grows with the size of the flock. Certain features of the group behavior appeared to be independent of the linear size or number of birds in a flock. This surprising behavior was also observed in the new model, and a new hypothesis on the underlying cause was put forward.

Alex SchulteGRAPHS AND RINGSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Michael Axtell

The directed graph (digraph) of a commutative ring is a graphical representation of its additive and multiplicative structure. Using the directed edge relationship (a, b) points to (a+b, ab) one can create a directed graph for every commutative ring. One important concept in our research is an incoming degree. The incoming degree of a vertex is the number of other vertices that point to it. When no other vertices point to a vertex we call it a source. Throughout our research we focused on determining the sources of different digraphs. We found an interesting result linking the sources in the digraph of a factor ring, and the sources in the digraph of the ring. Later in our research, we examined the digraphs of reduced rings. Probably the best result we got from this was finding we can determine if a ring is reduced or not simply by looking at its digraph. This result can be used even if the digraph is unlabeled.

Mark SchwerkoskeSYNTHESIS OF POSSIBLE ANTIMALARIAL COMPOUNDSFaculty Mentor: Dr. J.T. Ippoliti

It has been found that certain quaternary ammonium salts play an active role inhibiting the growth of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, more commonly known as malaria. Through the years the parasite has gained resistance to traditional medications. Variations of quaternary ammonium compounds have shown potent antimalarial properties and have gained attention as a viable new, effective, and relatively cheap malaria treatment. Quaternary ammonium compounds that have a cholesterol moiety attached are not known. A series of 1-bromo carboxylic acids were coupled with cholesterol, and the resulting esters reacted with various diamines and amines to form the desired diquaternary and quaternary ammonium salts. These compounds are awaiting formal testing of their antimalarial properties and could prove to be a new and much needed malaria treatment.

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Gemma ShafferIDENTIFYING NOVEL TETRACYCLINE AND DOXYCYCLINE RESISTANCE GENES USING METAGENOMICSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Justin Donato

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing problem in the world today. Scientists have compiled a database that contains the sequences of some resistance genes, but there are many left undiscovered. In my project I analyzed the DNA of bacteria taken from Alaskan soil to locate the genes responsible for resistance to antibiotics tetracycline and doxycycline. My goal in this project was to locate the resistance genes, find their DNA sequence, and analyze the sequence to see if I had found any novel resistance genes, and to find out what enzymes the genes code for and how they cause resistance. A library of metagenomic DNA had been created prior to the start of my project by cloning the DNA of the soil bacteria and inserting it into E.coli cells. I tested the metagenomic E.coli in the library to find the ones with tetracycline or doxycycline resistance genes. I then used restriction enzymes to randomly segment the DNA, ligated the segments into pUC19 vectors, and located the segments containing the resistance genes. I was able to find the sequences of one tetracycline resistance gene, coding for a monooxygenase protein, and I have one other gene ready to send in for sequencing.

Michael SlittsNI(NHC)2 COMPLEXES FOR USE IN THE CATALYTIC DEHYDROGENATION OF AMMONIA BORANEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Marites A. Guino-o

Due to their effectiveness and integral role in the catalytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane, we seek to investigate triazole based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) nickel metal complexes more thoroughly. We have synthesized a family of these carbenes with varying electronic properties, as well as steric properties, via optimized microwave reactions. The NHC’s were coordinated with nickel to form Ni(NHC)(CO)3. Through infrared spectroscopy, we are investigating the electronic effects of the NHC ligand on the CO stretch frequencies. The sterics of our ligands will be characterized through single crystal x-ray diffraction and the percent volume buried model.

Elizabeth SmithTHE ROLE OF BRAIN DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR AND AUTOCRINE MOTILITY FACTOR RECEPTOR IN DEVELOPMENTAL REWARD-DEPENDENT LEARNING WITHIN THE ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEXFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kurt Illig Past research has shown that the neurotransmitter dopamine plays an important role in developing associations between external environmental cues and the rewards they predict. It has been suggested that the use of addictive drugs mimics this reward-dependent form of learning, only in a much stronger way. Interestingly, adolescents are at higher risk for becoming addicted to drugs than either juveniles or adults. This may suggest that adolescents have stronger reward-dependent learning circuitry than juveniles or adults. However, in some behavioral tasks, adolescents actually exhibit a learning deficit compared to the other age groups. In this research project, I tested whether this is due to differential gene expression in adolescent brains during learning. I profiled the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR), genes previously proposed to play important roles in learning, in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of juvenile, adolescent, and adult rats that had either undergone a behavioral learning task or had not. The results of this experiment show that BDNF and AMFR are differentially expressed across development, and that this expression is dependent on whether the animal has undergone a reward-based behavioral learning task.

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Anthony D. SpanoPROJECTIONS FROM THE ANTERIOR OLFACTORY NUCLEUS CONTACT MITRAL CELLS IN THE OLFACTORY BULB OF RATTUS NORVEGICUSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Kurt Illig The anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) is a cortical structure located posterior to the olfactory bulb (OB) and anterior to the olfactory cortex. Although it is known that the AON has reciprocal connections with the OB, it is unknown if the AON’s projections to the OB terminate on mitral cells, the principal cells of the OB. To investigate whether AON axons target mitral cells, a combined tract-tracing study was performed. Anterograde tracer (phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin; PHA-L) was mixed with retrograde tracer (Fluorogold) and this was microinjected into the AON of rats (Rattus norvegicus). After 7-10 days, the brains were extracted and cross-sectioned. The sections were then stained with primary and secondary antibodies for PHA-L and Flourogold. The tissue was analyzed using a confocal laser scanning system with a 60x oil-immersion objective. The pars principalis was successfully injected, labeling mitral cells red and AON axons green. There was a greater percentage of en passant boutons than stalked boutons in the glomerular layer, while the mitral cell layer contained a greater frequency of stalked boutons. Analysis of bouton light intensity demonstrated an increase in red and green frequency when a bouton and a mitral cell were in close proximity, suggesting direct synaptic contact between the two cells. The results of this experiment demonstrate a direct connection between AON axons and OB mitral cells, providing evidence that the AON could directly inhibit or excite mitral cells.

Caitlin SteeleHARBOR RUINS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN THE DECLINE OF ROMAN HARBOR SETTLEMENTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Ivancica Schrunk

The Roman Empire utilized a complex system of maritime trade routes spanning the Mediterranean. Consequently, the Romans relied upon harbors and the settlements that developed around them and sustained them for trade. Eventually, however, these harbor settlements declined, sometimes centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Each settlement declined for its own unique combination of political and economic problems. However, two environmental processes, silting and rising sea levels, have affected the decline of many such settlements. We studied two Roman harbor settlements as case studies to explore the effects of these influential processes on harbor settlements. One settlement is Ostia Antica, a large ancient city in close proximity to Rome. The other settlement is a small island settlement located near the Bay of Soline on St. Clement, off the coast of modern-day Croatia. Both of these sites were significantly affected by one of the two most influential environmental factors. Ostia was plagued by natural silting, while Soline was affected by rising sea levels. I attempted to explain the causes of silting and rising sea levels, the evidence of these processes at the two sites, and their influence on these settlements and Roman harbor settlements in general. In order to study these effects, I learned about archaeological methods and harbor settlements first-hand by traveling to the site on St. Clement during the summer of 2012 season in order to participate in a yearly archaeological dig. My experiences at the site, along with the archaeological methods used to investigate Roman harbor settlements, are presented in this poster.

Julia StraussSTANDING ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES IN A MICROWAVE OVENFaculty Mentor: Dr. Marie Lopez del Puerto

In this experiment standing electromagnetic waves were visualized in three dimensions using two methods. First, by using Matlab to generate contour plots of the electric field intensity. Second, by placing CoCl2 paper at different heights inside a microwave oven. The CoCl2 paper was pink when wet and blue when dry. By placing the paper in the microwave a pattern of wet and dry spots developed which corresponded to the nodes and anti-nodes of the

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electromagnetic wave, respectively. In comparing the results of each method, it was found that the theoretical predictions did not closely match the experimental results. Theoretical results gave a much greater number of anti-nodes than the experimental results. However, the experimental results did show a variation in intensity from height to height as was theoretically predicted and the intensity varied in a similar way both theoretically and experimentally. Finally, the average distance between anti-nodes and the operating frequency of the microwave were used to estimate the speed of light.

Ryan Streitz METHANOGENIC BIODEGRADATION RATES OF CRUDE-OIL PLUMES WITH ETHANOL AS A CO-CONTAMINANT AT THE NATIONAL CRUDE OIL SPILL FATE AND NATURAL ATTENUATION RESEARCH SITE IN BEMIDJI, MN Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer McGuire

Crude oil hydrocarbon spills pose serious threats to human health and environmental ecosystems. In many instances, the cheapest and most efficient attenuation technique is bioremediation in which bacteria that naturally occur in soils metabolically transform or “eat” oil plumes in the subsurface. Continuing previous progress made by Professor McGuire at the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site in Bemidji, I studied ethanol’s role as a co-contaminant on the rates of methanogenic biodegradation of some of the most common and toxic compounds in oil: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX). I hypothesized that ethanol would stimulate microbial colonies resulting in an enhanced BTEX attenuation rate. To test this, single-well Push-Pull tests were conducted in the wetland soil at the contaminate site to evaluate the rates of methanogenic biodegradation of crude oil in wetland sediments. BTEX and BTEX with ethanol solutions were injected and then “pulled” over time to determine the variables that impact methanogenic biodegradation. Results indicate an enhanced methane production rate in mixed ethanol and BTEX plumes, and no evidence for methane production in BTEX only plumes. Nitrate had little to no noticeable impact on methane production rates. The results from this study serve as the first of its kind to provide in situ information on biodegradation rates with ethanol as a co-contaminant in a wetland setting.

Meghan Talbot

SYNTHESIS OF TRIAZOLYLIDENE LIGANDSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Marites A. Guino-o

The process of dehydrogenation is an effective way to produce hydrogen fuel. As proven by Baker’s group, pairing a triazolylidene ligand to a nickel center acts as an effective catalyst for the dehydrogenation of ammonia-borane. In order to synthesize the triazolylidene ligand, TPT, the literature communicated by Ender was followed. After following the literature procedure, an alternative synthetic technique was implemented in order to synthesize with higher yields and cleaner products.

Toni TeagueEXPLORING MUTATION ACCUMULATION AS A DRIVER FOR SEX: FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES IN MITOCHONDRIAFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Cruise Potamopyrgus antipodarum are snails found in New Zealand lakes. There are several lineages, and some of them are sexual while others are asexual. Maureen Neiman and her fellow researchers at the University of Iowa have spent much time studying mitochondrial DNA in these snails. Their studies have found there to be more mutations in the asexual lineages. This could be why sexual lineages are still present, despite the evolutionary costs relative to asexual reproduction. However, it has not been demonstrated whether these mutations have functional implications for the

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snails’ mitochondria. To examine this, we isolated mitochondria from individual snails and stained them using JC-1 dye. This green dye fluoresces red as it is concentrated in the mitochondrial matrix by the mitochondria’s charge gradient. Thus, if the sample appears to fluoresce red, it can be inferred that the mitochondria has better functionality than if it were fluorescing green. We looked at this with flow cytometry and analyzed the data with FlowJo software. We have compiled data from seven lineages and are still collecting measurements to determine if we can differentiate between lineages. If there is a genetic basis for functional differences between lineages, this project will go on to formally compare sexual and asexual lineages, to determine whether mutation accumulation and functionality are correlated, and to examine the effects of ploidy differences between strains.

Michael J. ThiemQUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT OF A ULTRA SMALL RIBOFLAVIN B FLUORESCENT SAMPLE USING A TITRATION METHODFaculty Mentor: Dr. Gary Mabbott

The scientific community is pushing the frontiers of chemical analysis into the ultra-small (sub nanoliter) samples. The goal of this project is to develop a highly accurate and precise method of measurement based on fluorescence titration of the ultra-small samples. Riboflavin is an intensely fluorescent compound that has its fluorescence quenched when it associates with a riboflavin binding protein (RBP), isolated from egg white. This system has been used to characterize the vitamin riboflavin in a wide variety of food and beverages. The titration methodology proved to work on a milliliter scale using a conventional spectrofluorometer (FluoroMax Spex). Our current experiment is the measurement of an ultra-small riboflavin sample using a microscope Liquid Crystal Tunable Filter Spectrophotometer.

Linnea ThraenIDENTIFICATION OF RESISTANCE GENES ENCODING BETA-LACTAMASES THROUGH METAGENOMIC ANALYSISFaculty Mentor: Dr. Justin Donato The process of natural selection leads to the appearance of bacteria that can survive the use of antibiotics, reproduce, and pass on their resistance genes. A common class of antibiotics to which bacteria have developed resistance is the beta-lactam class of antibiotics. These antibiotics work by preventing the synthesis of the bacterial cell wall. The most common form of resistance is the production of beta-lactamases, which hydrolyze the beta-lactam molecule, disabling it. Through the use of metagenomics, resistance genes were investigated that are present in bacteria, which are unavailable for study under normal laboratory conditions. Bacterial DNA from a Puerto Rican microbial mat was previously purified and used to construct a metagenomic library. Bacteria from this library were exposed to three separate beta-lactam drugs and resistant clones were selected. A restriction digest cut their DNA into pieces. These were cloned and inserted into new bacterial hosts to verify resistance. Resistance genes were identified, sequenced and compared to other known sequences using the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. The sequence was a match for a beta-lactamase gene found in Vibrio sp. Ex25 on chromosome 2.

Daphne WelterONLINE MONITORING OF FERMENTATIONS USING MICRODIALYSIS EXTRACTIONS COUPLED WITH MASS SPECTROMETRYFaculty Mentor: Dr. Tony Borgerding

Microdialysis is an effective sampling method for monitoring volatile analytes in aqueous solutions, but extraction efficiency is low. I focused on coupling microdialysis extractions with mass spectrometry in order to improve the detection limits of this technology and expand its applications. I have interfaced microdialysis probes with several mass spectrometry techniques, including atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, extractive electrospray ionization,

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and proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. Testing has shown that all three techniques have improved detection limits over a GC system. I am monitoring the fermentation of wine to affirm the online monitoring capabilities of these techniques. I have observed the signal due to m/z 47.07 (protonated formula mass of ethanol) rising over time, as well as several other rising signals due to masses from compounds I have not yet identified.

Rob WhiteCHARACTERIZATION OF A TRICLOSAN RESISTANT ENOYL-COA REDUCTASE THROUGH ACTIVE SITE MUTAGENESISFaculty Mentor: Dr. Justin J. Donato

The antimicrobial agent triclosan is found in high concentrations in consumer goods to decrease bacterial contamination. Since the widespread use of antimicrobial agents can lead to resistance, there is need to identify resistance enzymes to understand how to make better antimicrobial agents. A triclosan resistant enoyl-CoA reductase was discovered using functional metagenomics and was determined to have a minimum inhibitory concentration of 100 µM when expressed in E. coli. Molecular cloning was used to attach a histidine tag to the enzyme, and the resulting recombinant enzyme was isolated using nickel column purification. In vitro activity assays of the isolated enzyme using crotonoyl-CoA as a substrate and NADH as a cofactor showed a Km of 700 µM. Overlap extension PCR was used to mutate an active site lysine to an alanine in the resistant reductase at the DNA level. The resulting mutant enzyme conferred a minimum inhibitory concentration of less than 200 nM, which was a 500-fold decrease from wild type, verifying the necessity of the active site for triclosan resistance. In vitro activity analysis will be performed on the mutant enzyme to verify that knockout of enzyme activity is the cause for loss of triclosan resistance. CD spectroscopy of the mutant and wild type enzyme will be performed to verify that the single mutation did not cause a structural change in the protein. This research presents more information on the mechanism of triclosan resistance via the enoyl-CoA reductase, as the enzyme is currently poorly characterized as a triclosan resistance enzyme.

Ryan WilliamsTHE IMPORTANCE OF PATIENT “IDENTITY” DURING TREATMENT PLANNING: EXAMINING THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL IDENTITY THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF MUSICIAN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jean Giebenhain

As social beings, a critical element of the human experience is socialization. We are born to socialize-- spending much of our time in groups. Henri Tajfel and John Turner were the first social psychologists to examine the significance of social groups and their contribution to social cognition and human behavior, with the development of their “Social Identity Theory of Intergroup Behavior” (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). Social identities are characterizations of ourselves based on who we are in the context of the world around us (Haslam, Jetten, Postmes & Haslam, 2010). Social identities may be based on: occupations, relationships, or based on life-altering experiences that are especially important or traumatic. John Turner later delved further into Tajfel’s theory and developed his theory of self-categorization, extending theoretical work in social identity to questions like: how do different individuals embody SI theory in real-life practice? More recent psychological inquiry into social identity combines the areas of social identity and coping research, exploring questions like: in what ways do social identities enable individuals to cope when faced with traumatic or stressful circumstances? This project utilized participant interview data from study of women musicians known as the Life and Livelihood Study, which consisted of thirty-eight over-the-phone interviews regarding participants’ experiences with breast cancer treatment and capacity of work after treatment. (For a more in-depth explanation of the Life & Livelihood Study see Schmalenberger, Gessert, Giebenhain, & Starr (2012). This sample of 38 women offered a unique perspective regarding how social identities might be used to cope with trauma or stress. This project focuses on themes that emerged from the transcripts in the context of self-identity and self-categorization. Social identities of musician, mother, and breast cancer survivor are explored. Implications for the importance of considering patient social identities within healthcare treatment decisions will be discussed.

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Quinn WrenholtA COMPARATIVE SOCIAL ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY GARDENS IN ST. PAUL, MNFaculty Mentors: Dr. Adam Kay and Dr. Elise Amel Community Partner: Melvin Giles

The Stewardship Garden at St. Thomas was established in 2010 to integrate opportunities for research, education, and community service. While it has continuously grown, there is still a need to increase community engagement with the Stewardship Garden. Our objective was to analyze successful community projects, celebrations, and garden programs in the area and then to utilize the knowledge and insight gained to improve community engagement in the UST Stewardship Garden. There are a growing number of community gardens in area neighborhoods, diverse neighborhoods with ever growing populations of Hmong, African, and Latino community members, which provide spaces for individuals of all ages to generate healthy connections with the land, engage in reconciliatory programs, and autonomously produce healthy food in urban settings. With the help of Melvin Giles, a St. Paul community activist who is involved in several urban agriculture projects, I conducted a qualitative and observational study of several St. Paul community gardens, looking to better understand the successes and challenges gardens face as urban community spaces. By engaging in several garden projects and communities, I was able observe the different strategies used by garden leaders to engage surrounding community members. From these experiences and observations, I have developed a series of recommendations – for the UST Stewardship Garden and for Mr. Giles and the community gardens that he represents – for generating more community awareness, involvement, and utilization.

Nicholas YannarellyGEOGRAPHY AND ARCHAEOLOGY ON AN ADRIATIC ISLAND, CROATIAFaculty Mentor: Dr. Ivancica Schrunk

For centuries, the Adriatic has been a major thoroughfare of goods, peoples, and war. From the Illyrians and the Greeks, to the Romans and the Byzantines, the Croatian islands have been a center for such activities. St. Clement in particular, is just one location that has recently been studied, mainly through archaeological excavations of a Roman villa site. However, more research has led archaeologists to believe that the island may have other sites in the surrounding area that must be surveyed. I used Geographic information to identify some of these other possible sites and the fields surrounding the current archaeological site. This survey was done in hopes of finding more ancient human activity on the island. One location in particular included the hill to the southeast of the current archaeological site. Its commanding view of the sea on each side of the island and the fields below make the location interesting to archaeologists. A mound of stones on its north slope could be a prehistoric, Illyrian grave. My work this summer will aid any systematic archaeological survey of this area in the future.

Olga Zamulko SYNTHESIS OF A TOPOLOGICALLY DESIGNED NOVEL ANTIBIOTIC Faculty Mentor: Dr. J. Thomas Ippoliti

Numerous bacterial strains have become immune to the currently available antibiotics. Thus, the need for synthesis of novel antibiotics that are designed to combat multi-drug resistant bacteria is imperative. Recently, the use of Molecular Topology (MT) has been implemented to construct uniquely structured chemical compounds. This revolutionary technology correlates chemical structure to molecular activity to design theoretical compounds with very high antibacterial properties. The research performed this summer utilized a novel synthetic route to develop a drug that Medisyn Technologies Inc. predicted to be effective at combating multi-drug resistant bacteria. The target molecule was successfully synthesized in five steps and was tested for potency against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

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Paul ZerfasEFFECTS OF EARTHWORM DENSITY ON VIRGINIA WILD RYE POPULATION GROWTH RATEFaculty Mentor: Dr. Chester Wilson

Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus) has been seen to decrease in population size within the Northern Hardwood Forests of North America. It is thought that the increasing population of various non-native earthworm species in the area has been a key driver of the Virginia Wild Rye population decline. In this study, the population growth rate before and after simulated herbivory, as well as the dry biomass of aboveground foliage was measured in 33 bins containing different earthworm densities: 0, 15, and 30 earthworms. It was hypothesized that an increase in earthworm density would cause a decrease in population growth, regrowth, and dry mass. The data gathered did not support this hypothesis. Some implications were present that an increase in earthworm density also increased the population growth rate and regrowth rate of Virginia Wild Rye. This continues the already prevalent questions regarding what exactly may be causing Virginia Wild Rye populations to decrease in the Northern Hardwood Forests of North America and whether earthworms play any part in the population declines as well.

Brady ZieglerEVALUATING THE EFFECT OF ETHANOL AND NITRATE AS CO-CONTAMINANTS ON TRANSPORT OF BTEX AT AN AQUIFER-WETLAND INTERFACE USING MODIFIED PUSH-PULL TESTSFaculty Mentor: Dr. Jennifer McGuire

Given the frequency of crude oil spills and the lasting damages they can have on the environment, it is necessary to explore the efficacy and consequences of possible remediation tactics. To do this, we examined how the monoaromatic hydrocarbons, principally benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) were transported at an aquifer-wetland interface in the presence of co-contaminants, namely ethanol and nitrate. These two co-contaminants were of particular interest because of the international interest in using ethanol to complement transport fuels and nitrate fertilizers are frequent environmental contaminants from agriculture runoff. This was examined at the USGS National Crude Oil Spill Research Site in Bemidji, Minnesota, the site of a1979 crude oil spill that released 11,000 barrels of crude oil into the subsurface. To evaluate transport of BTEX in the subsurface, we used a modified push-pull test procedure that involved addition of unique test solutions into four different push-pull wells. After injection, water was extracted from the well for geochemical characterization and quantification of reactants in order to determine if BTEX transport had been inhibited by any physical processes, particularly sorption. Careful interpretation of the data indicates that benzene and toluene behaved similar to conservative tracer that was injected into each well, whereas ethylbenzene and m,p-xylenes were retarded, and consequently did not travel as far throughout the subsurface. Additionally, ethanol did not to increase transport of BTEX, likely due to the wetland subsurface being saturated with respect to decaying organic material. This reduced the number of loci available for BTEX to sorb to sediment particles, effectively inhibiting any major retardation, although minor retardation of m,p-xylenes and ethylbenzene was seen.

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INDEX OF STUDENT AUTHORS

Abrahamson, Tyler .....................1Andrews, Michaela .....................1Annoni, Elizabeth...................1, 2Atnafe, Nebiyu ...........................2Augustin, Ryan C.. .....................2

Beck, Elizabeth W. .....................3Braden, Kristin ...........................3Buelt, Christine ..........................3

Capelle, Brooke ..........................4Chambers, Liz .............................4Chamberlain, Kyle .....................4Chatmas, Emily ..........................5Consoer, Wendy......................5, 6

Dahlstrom, Adam .......................6Daily, Adam ...............................6Dara, Yasin .................................7Dease, Kevin ..............................7De Lambert, Jane ........................7Delaney, Ryan .............................8Dhami, Jaya ...............................8

Edgren, Kyle ............................20

Ferguson, Michael ....................19Fish, Samuel J. ...........................8Francen, Danielle ........................9Frommelt, Mark .........................9Fusco, Scott ................................9

Gehlhar, Rachel ..........................1Gentle, Tom .............................10Glass, Thomas ..........................10Godding, Ann ..........................10

Heighway, Terese ......................11Henseler, Zach ..........................11Hermann, Nicholas Wayne .......11Hilgendorf, Galen ....................12Hirsch, John .............................12Hoffman, Mitchell ......................8Houserman , David ..................12

Hovde, Kevin B. .......................13James, Channing ......................13Jensen, Sam ..............................14Joerger, Steven M. ....................14Johnson, Cole ...........................14Johnson, Jenna A. .....................15Joosten, Kylee ..........................15

Kellen, Dan ................................6Kelly, Caitlin K. .......................15Kiekenapp, Nick ......................16Kummer, Rebecca ....................16

Larson, Sarah N. .......................16Le, Sherry Oanh ........................17Lesnikowski, Amanda ...............17L’Heureux, Annie ....................18Lopez, Nicole .............................2Lukabya, Tonny ........................18

Mages, Suzanne ........................18Mangan, Tyler J ........................14Mason, Jack ..............................19Mazza, Simon ...........................19McDermott, Logan ...................19McNamee, Annie .....................20Merry, Ryan ..............................20Millholland, Sarah ....................21Moffat, Marianna E .....................3

Nackers, Chelsea .......................21Nathan, Christopher .................21Ngwesse, Stacy .........................22Niemela, Amy ..........................22Nolby, Luke ..............................22

Oseid, Daniel ...........................23

Painter, Mark ...........................23Parnell, Tom ...............................6Penning, Jackson ......................24Poutre, Robert M. ....................24

Rapp, Cooper ...........................25Rech, Julie ...............................25Reuss, Lauren ...........................25Richardson, Ashela ...................26Rozeske, Christina ....................26Ruhme, Ben .............................26Ryan, Kayla ..............................27

Schoenecker, Amber .................27Schubring, Daniel .....................28Schulte, Alex ............................28Schwerkoske, Mark ...................28Shaffer, Gemma ........................29Slitts, Michael ..........................29Smith, Elizabeth .......................29Smith, Ryan ...............................4Spano, Anthony D. ...................30Spitzer, Joseph M. .....................14Steele, Caitlin ...........................30Strauss, Julia ............................30Streitz, Ryan .............................31

Talbot, Meghan ........................31Teague, Toni .............................31Thiem, Michael J......................32Thraen, Linnea .........................32

Van Heel, Emily .......................18Volkman, Hannah ....................20

Webster, Nate ............................8Welter, Daphne ........................32White, Rob ..............................33Williams, Ryan ........................33Willson, Laura ..........................12Wrenholt, Quinn ......................34

Yannarelly, Nicholas .................34

Zamulko, Olga .........................34Zech, Kevin ..............................19Zerfas, Paul ..............................35Ziegler, Brady...........................35

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INDEX OF FACULTY MENTORS

Amel, Elise M. .......................................................34Axtell, Michael .......................................................28

Borgerding, Anthony..............................................32 Brom, Joseph ..........................................................14Buri, John ..............................................................21

Carlson, Kerri M. .....................................................8Cruise, Jennifer .......................................2, 22, 23, 31

Ditty, Jayna ......................................................22, 25Donato, Justin J. ........................................29, 32, 33Duoos, Bridget .................................................13, 24

Ellingson, James .......................................................8

Fort, Eric ....................................................11, 19, 26

Giebenhain, Jean ....................................................33Giles, Melvin ..........................................................34Green, Adam ............................................................1 Guino-o, Marites ........................................27, 29, 31

Illig, Kurt ........................................................29, 30Ippoliti, J. Thomas .............4, 8, 9, 10, 16, 18, 28, 34

Jalkio, Jeff ................................................................1Johnson, Shersten ...................................................10

Kachian, Chris ........................................................16Kay, Adam ...............................................1, 4, 26, 34

Lamb, Melissa ...........................................................7Lewis, Timothy.......................................................12Lopez del Puerto, Marie ................................7, 21, 30Lorah, Paul .......................................................18, 25

Mabbott, Gary ........................................................32Manske, Jill ............................................................20Marsh, Thomas C. ..................................................11Martinovic-Weigelt, Dalma ..............................13, 14 Mason, John Paul ...................................................13McGuire, Jennifer T. ..................................26, 31, 35 Moen, Rebecca .................................................12, 23Moriarty, John J. ....................................................12

Ohmann, Paul ....................................................2, 28Ojala, William H. ..................................................15Ostlie, Wayne .........................................................25

Prevette, Lisa E. ..........................................3, 4, 9, 27Prichard, Roxanne ..................................................15

Rajagopalan, Ramesh ...............................................6Rawdon, Eric ..................................................2, 7, 14Robinson-Riegler, Greg ............................................9Ruch, Gerry ...........................................................21

Saylor, Kirsten ........................................................26Schrunk, Ivancica .............................................30, 34Shemyakin, Arkady ......................................6, 18, 19Shirey, Heather .......................................................17Stolarska, Magdalena ..............................................24

Theissen, Kevin ..................................................5, 11

Verhoeven, Amy .....................................................20

Waldner, Lisa .........................................................15Wammer, Kristine H.. ................................3, 5, 6, 14Wilson, Chester ....................................12, 17, 19, 35

Zimmer, Kyle .........................................3, 10, 22, 25

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