Welcome to the 9th annual Undergraduate Research Conference at Minnesota State University, Mankato. This conference provides an exciting opportunity for the University to showcase the research and creative activity of our undergraduate students. These projects, submitted by 186 students representing six colleges, are the result of collaboration between talented and motivated undergraduate students and their dedicated faculty mentors. This year there will be a total of 127 presentations affording a wide array of on–going, outstanding scholarly and creative activity on our campus. Abstracts of these oral, performance, or visual arts projects and posters accepted for presentation are contained in this formal publication. I applaud the work of these students and the 65 committed faculty members who served as mentors and encourage faculty, students, staff and guests to attend the formal presentations that will take place in the Centennial Student Union on April 23 and 24, 2007. Our vision to be known as a university where people expect to go further than they thought possible is clearly demonstrated by these students and faculty. The entire University community celebrates the achievements of these outstanding undergraduate students and congratulates all participating students and their faculty mentors.
Richard Davenport
President
Minnesota State University, Mankato
The purpose of judging and awarding is to recognize and promote high–quality research and creative activity. Within each oral or poster session, two judges independently rank each presentation, and the mean rank is the final rank. The best presentation in each session receives a “Best Presentation” certificate and a Barnes and Nobel Bookstore gift certificate to be presented at the URC luncheon. Judging of oral presentations is based on delivery and content. Posters are judged while presenters are attending and judges speak with presenters to identify the winner. Judges are graduate students, faculty, or graduate faculty. Judges for each session are identified by the URC Steering Committee. Winners are recognized in the URC online journal.
Richard Davenport — President
Scott Olson — Vice–President of Academic Affairs
Anne Blackhurst — Interim Dean College of Graduate Studies and Research
Michelle Carter — Interim Director College of Graduate Studies and Research
Trent Vorlicek & Gina Wenger — Co–Chairs of the Undergraduate Research Conference
Rachel Collins — Graduate Assistant of the Undergraduate Research Conference
Moderators and Judges
MSU Foundation Grant Committee
Dean Anne Blackhurst and National Conference Undergraduate Research Student Participants
Lisa Mayer
Gregory Boubel
*Abstracts were written by the project facilitator and reviewed by faculty mentors. Any opinions expressed do not represent those of the URC Steering Committee or Minnesota State University, Mankato.
| Monday, April 23 | Schedule of Events | |
| 8:00 – 4:30 | Student Presenter, Moderator and Judge Check–in Coffee and Snacks Available |
CSU Ballroom |
| 8:00 – 5:30 | Site Judges Gathering Room Open | CSU 244 |
| 8:15 – 9:45 | Session 1: Automotive Engineering & Technology | CSU 201 |
| 8:15 – 9:45 | Session 2: Art and Art History | CSU 203 |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | Session 3: Anthropology, Communication Disorders, Early Childhood Studies, and Modern Languages |
CSU 202 |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | Session 4: Psychology | CSU 204 |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | Session 5: Chemistry and Physics | CSU 255A/B |
| 12:00 – 1:00 | Lunch (on your own) | |
| 1:00 – 2:30 | Session 6: English, Philosophy and Political Science | CSU 201 |
| 1:00 – 3:00 | Session 7: Women’s Studies and Mass Communication | CSU 203 |
| 1:00 – 3:00 | Poster Session A | CSU 253/4/5 |
| 1:00 – 3:00 | Poster Session B | CSU 253/4/5 |
| 3:00 – 5:00 | Session 8: Engineering, Math & Statistics and Human Performance | CSU 202 |
| Tuesday, April 24 | Schedule of Events | |
| 8:00 – 11:30 | Presenter Check–in | CSU Ballroom |
| 8:00 – 12:30 | Site Judges Gathering Room Open | CSU 244 |
| 8:30 – 9:30 | Session 9: Performing Arts | CSU 284 |
| 8:15 – 10:30 | Session 10: Business and Marketing | CSU 201 |
| 8:15 – 9:45 | Session 11: Biological Sciences and Human Performance | CSU 203 |
| 10:30 – 12:30 | Poster Session C | CSU 253/4/5 |
| 10:30 – 12:30 | Poster Session D | CSU 253/4/5 |
| 10:45 – 12:30 | Session 12: History | CSU 202 |
| 10:30 – 12:30 | Session 13: Women’s Studies | CSU 204 |
| 1:00 – 2:00 | URC Luncheon and Award Ceremony | Center Ballroom |
Automotive, Engineering, and Technology
Anthropology, Communication Disorders, Early Childhood Studies,and Modern Languages
Chemistry & Geology and Physics & Astronomy
English, Law Enforcement, Political Science, Philosophy, and Speech Communication
Women’s Studies, Mass Communications
Engineering, Math & Statistics, and Computer Information Science
Biological Sciences and Human Performance
| Session 1 | 8:15–9:45 | CSU 201 |
|---|
Integration of a Turbocharged Engine in a Formula SAE Car
Benjamin Reilly, Christopher Grasser, Patrick Lehmann, and Blake Rosengren (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professors Bruce Jones and Gary Mead, Faculty Mentors (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Analysis of An E–85 Two–Stroke Semi–Direct Injected Snowmobile
Aaron Bowen and Stuart Boyd (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Flex–Fuel Prius
Tony Reichel, Jacob Kriesel, Luke Markham, and Jon Liu (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Building of a High Performance Chassis for a Formula SAE Car
Tim Quast, Joe Anderson, and Jacob Gillespie (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Gary Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Constructing a Small Engine Dynamometer
Cory Barwald, Tony Dick, Brandon Kraemer, Branden Loesch, and Dan Prihoda (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Craig Evers, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Benjamin Reilly (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Christopher Grasser (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Patrick Lehmann (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Blake Rosengren (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Gary Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
This project concerns MSU’s entry in the Formula SAE competition. Formula SAE is a contest where 130 student teams from around the world design and build formula style race cars, and then compete for top honors. Included in this presentation is the near completed car, including selected engine, fabricated engine components, selected turbocharger, production cost, weight reduction, methods of engineering and modification results. The engine team focused efforts on a 2001 Honda F4i engine, mated to an IHI RHF4 turbocharger. A specialized intake and restrictor (required by FSAE rules) was designed in Pro/E cad software and built by Stratysis specifically for this application out of Polyphenylsulfone, a polymer with special mechanical and chemical characteristics. The engine was modified to run on E–85, and custom camshaft profiles were determined using Dynomation Engine Simulator. The engine was then tuned and tested to determine the affects of different intake designs and to test the actual results of different camshafts on a Superflow engine dynamometer. Also tested were torque and horsepower outputs as well as noise levels.
[PDF] View Presentation (1.44 MiB)
Aaron Bowen (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Stuart Boyd (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
The project concerns the Minnesota State University Mankato Automotive Engineering Technology Program's entry to the 2007 Clean Snowmobile Challenge. Included in this presentation is the snowmobile model chosen for modification, engine choice, modifications applied, methods used, modification results affecting performance, emission control, noise reduction, production cost, durability, fuel efficiency, safety, and rider comfort. The MSU Mavericks devoted their main focus for the 2007 Clean Snowmobile Challenge to convert a carbureted Arctic Cat 500 Saber Cat two–stroke engine to semi–direct injection (SDI). The engine was tested for emissions, noise, and performance; these test results were then analyzed for advantages and disadvantages.
Tony Reichel (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Jacob Kriesel (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Luke Markham (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Jon Liu (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
The project involved the modification of a 2006 Toyota Prius into a “Flex–Fuel Hybrid Vehicle.” Included within the presentation: testing procedures, available kits, E–85 information, fuel blending procedures, costs, fuel efficiency, emissions outcomes, drivability, performance, and final outcome. The team used the time and money donated to modify a Prius that will be able to use gasoline and E–85 in order to have cleaner emissions and to reduce the dependency on foreign oil. The vehicle was tested for emissions, fuel economy, and performance, including drivability. The results were then analyzed for advantages and disadvantages of the fuels used during the testing period with the Prius.
[PDF] View Presentation (599 KiB)
Tim Quast (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Joe Anderson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Jacob Gillespie (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Gary Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
The project concerns the Minnesota State University Mankato Automotive Engineering Technology Program's entry to the 2007 Formula SAE competition. Formula SAE is a competition where 130 student teams from around the world design and build formula style race cars, and then compete in static and dynamic events. Frame, suspension, drivetrain, and brakes will be discussed to demonstrate how a high performance chassis is built. This includes the design goals, fabrication, analysis, and production costs. The team will also explain how different tests, calculations, and decision matrices were utilized to maximize efficiency, while reducing overall vehicle weight.
[PDF] View Presentation (662 KiB)
Cory Barwald (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Tony Dick (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Brandon Kraemer (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Branden Loesch (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Dan Prihoda (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Craig Evers, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
The project consisted of planning, designing and constructing a fully functional test stand for a 30 horse power DyneSystems Midwest Eddy Current Dynamometer. Included in this presentation will be an outline of how the team approached the project and a step–by–step process leading to completion. The main focus of the project was to construct an easy to use and adaptable small engine dynamometer test cell for future studies and projects using small gas or diesel engines.
| Session 2 | 8:15–9:45 | CSU 203 |
|---|
Imminent Assimilation: A New Interpretation of Etruscan Cultural Material
Lisa M. Mayer (Department of Art History)
Professor Alisa Eimen, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art History)
The Virgin of Guadalupe: The Formation of the Mother of Modern Mexico
Alicia Seewald (Department of Art History)
Professor Aida Audeh, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art History)
An Internship in Art: Learning the Inner Workings of Life as a Professional Artist
Ian Laird, Melissa Seifert, and Chad Gunderson (Department of Art)
Professor Liz Miller, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art)
Reflections on Canvas: Caravaggio and the Development of Optical Style
Eleanor Rae Harper (Department of Art History)
Professor Curt Germundson, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art History)
Merging Glass with Ceramics
Casey R. Hochhalter (Department of Art)
Professor Les Laidlaw Faculty Mentor (Department of Art)
Lisa M. Mayer (Department of Art History)
Alisa Eimen, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art History)
Anthropologists and historians posit that cultural material can be used as a tool to measure geo–political stress on civilizations. I apply this theory to an ancient Italian culture known as the Etruscans (9th century BC to 1st century BC). Study of artistic production during years of increasing Roman contact makes it possible to identify common themes in Etruscan art, which symbolize the social concerns of a waning culture. Analysis of the effects of geo–political stress on artistic representation can determine to what extent an existing artistic practice assimilates ideas and motifs of a colonial power. In particular, this project determines the degree to which Etruscan art reflects social and political changes prior to its cultural decline engendered by increasing Roman dominance. By identifying the motifs used in artistic production during periods of historical conflict, it is possible to pinpoint socio–political events that likely affected artistic choices in subject matter. Using the Etruscan objects collected at Chicago’s Field Museum, I conducted a thorough investigation to determine if Etruscan artists employed specific imagery to express changes in regional autonomy. Placing the museum’s collection into this geo–political context provides a new perspective, emphasizing intrinsic artistic reaction to external pressures. By isolating objects that display concepts related to cultural identity, I reconsider the rate of Roman assimilation (260 BC to 88 BC).
This new approach to Etruscan research contributes to a broader sociological understanding of cultural assimilation and its effect on material production. This method contrasts with conventional art–historical scholarship, which generally favors Greco–Roman culture. The existence of an artistic record of assimilation that focuses on the Etruscans and documents an increasing shift in imagery confirms a social awareness of imminent assimilation. In addition it suggests another method of art–historical research, confirming that cultural material is a viable tool in identifying geo–political stress on ancient civilizations.
Alicia Seewald (Department of Art History)
Professor Aida Audeh, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art History)
During the Spanish conquest of Latin America in the 16th Century, the indigenous peoples were confronted with powerful religious imagery communicating the ideologies of Christianity partnered with the infliction of severe violence. As one 19th Century essayist summarized “España conquistó América a cristazos” (Spain conquered America with blows of the crucifix). Scholarship suggests that colonization used a complex mix of force and persuasion to win over the native peoples. The colonizers also inserted their own ideologies into the daily lives of the colonized population through the use of art. The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, developed out of the reformation of the image of the indigenous goddess Tonantzin, a goddess central to the beliefs of the indigenous populace, served just that purpose in the conquistadors’ colonization of Latin America. However, even though the Virgin of Guadalupe was originally a tool of colonization, She became a symbol of empowerment and liberation for Mexico. This paper will explore the reasons behind the changes in the image of the Virgin from its origins in Europe to the beloved, dark–skinned image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. In order to understand the changes that the image of Mary underwent, we must consider what was happening in the religious art of Europe, particularly Spain, at this time, as well as in native Aztec art before the conquest. In addition to art historical method, this paper will utilize aspects of modern psychology and anthropology to explain the phenomenon of this iconographic change.
[PDF] View Presentation (530 KiB)
Ian Laird (Department of Art)
Melissa Seifert (Department of Art)
Chad Gunderson (Department of Art)
Professor Liz Miller, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art)
The stereotypical idea of the starving and misunderstood artist is an inaccurate view of the reality of being an artist. This semester, we have been employed by Liz Miller, Assistant Professor of Art. Throughout the semester, by working closely with Liz, we have been exposed to the unseen responsibilities there are in being a professional studio artist. There is much more to being an artist than just simply creating work; artists need to operate much like a business. Paperwork must be done for grants and show applications. The organization of slides and/or digital images is crucial for show applications as well as presentations. Having and maintaining a website is a key to success. Creative research for a project is as important as making the work itself. Working together and communicating is crucial for a work to be completed. Figuring out how to ship a work can present unforeseen problems. Finally, the installation of work in a gallery, as the culmination of all of these enterprises, provides an opportunity to work with gallery operators and interact with an audience. An internship like this illustrates the inner workings of the art world. At first glance, the term “Art Internship” may seem like an oxymoron, but it is anything but. An internship in the visual arts is an unequivocal experience and encouraging more of them is vastly important.
[PDF] View Presentation (1.40 MiB)
Eleanor Rae Harper (Department of Art History)
Professor Curt Germundson, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art History)
At the height of his career, Baroque painter Michaelangelo de Mersi Caravaggio was revered for his ability to foster a heightened sense of realism never before seen upon the canvas. However, as recent scholarship and a renewed interest in the history of artistic methodology reveal, the artist may have utilized optical devices such as a single lens to project reflections of his subjects upon the canvas. Due to the limitations of such devices, spacial discontinuity and unnatural proportion are just two of the discrepancies which have affected the realism and overall unity of his artwork. Caravaggio worked with naturalism in mind and therefore would have used the optical device as an aid in heightening the realism of his work. While certain aspects of his paintings such as facial expression and light remained raw and naturalistic the overall unity of the works were compromised, consequentially creating fragmented spaces with subjects who were emotionally and physically disengaged from each other. These aspects can be attributed to the use of the lens, which was only capable of reflecting one figure at a time. Permeating Caravaggio's canvases these discrepancies also influenced his followers, the Caravaggisti. With noticeable visual elements recalling the effects of Caravaggio's optical device, his followers have adopted these discrepancies as stylistic traits within their paintings. This paper will examine Caravaggio's alleged use of optical devices and the subsequent effects which have impacted his followers.
Casey R. Hochhalter (Department of Art)
Professor Les Laidlaw, Faculty Mentor (Department of Art)
The central idea of this creative project was to understand and merge glass with ceramic sculpture. The focus of the research was to understand the structure of glass, the structure of ceramics, and how they react with each other when heat is introduced. Additional research of this project has required a combining of understanding the historical origins and technical accomplishments of glass, and how it relates to ceramics. Fusing glass and ceramic sculpture without the use of an adhesive has proven successful. Vigorous experimentation has led to the creation of a series of fused glass and ceramic sculptures. By developing a process of merging ceramics and glass I have utilized a largely unexplored technique.
| Session 3 | 10:00–12:00 | CSU 202 |
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Payoff Transparency and Reward Desirability in the Prisoner’s Dilemma
Jeff Holden (Department of Anthropology)
Professor Paul Brown, Faculty Mentor (Department of Anthropology)
Men, Women and Children for Sale: The Dichotomy of Human Trafficking in the United States and Abroad
Elizabeth Kolbe (Department of Anthropology)
Professor Paul Brown, Faculty Mentor (Department of Anthropology)
Five Social Problems Originating from the French & British Fur Trade as Expressed in the Dakota of Minnesota
Jeff Brand (Department of Anthropology)
Professor Ronald Schirmer Faculty Mentor, (Department of Anthropology)
Linguistic Comparison of Emergency Department Physician Communication in Urban and Rural Settings
Kirsten Markiewicz (Department of Communication Disorders)
Professor Patricia Hargrove, Faculty Mentor (Department of Communication Disorders)
Effects of Using Spanish–Speaking Staff to Adapt Home Visits on the Language and Literacy Development of Spanish–Speaking Children
Clarin Collins and Yessica Bonfil (Department of Early Childhood Educational Studies)
Professor Lillian Duran, Faculty Mentor (Department of Early Childhood Educational Studies)
Medieval Norwegian Kings and Their Claims to Power
Daryl R. Lawrence (Department of Modern Languages)
Professor Maria–Claudia Tomany, Faculty Mentor (Department of Modern Languages)
Classical Philology Gone Wild! The use of Classical Texts in the Film All Quiet on the Western Front
Tysen D. Dauer (Department of Modern Languages)
Professor Nadja Krämer, Faculty Mentor (Department of Modern Languages)
Jeff Holden (Department of Anthropology)
Professor Paul Brown, Faculty Mentor (Department of Anthropology)
The Prisoner’s Dilemma is an important concept in evolutionary psychology (borrowed from game theory): participants in this game choose whether to cooperate, maximizing group benefit but exposing themselves to risk, or defect, maximizing personal benefit and minimizing risk but also forgoing group benefit. Because of the non–zero–sum nature of the game, it is used as a model for many forms of human interaction. In this study, payoff transparency (i.e. the presence/absence and quality of knowledge regarding the outcome of a given interaction) and reward desirability were manipulated to assess whether either factor had an effect on subjects’ rates of cooperation.
[PDF] View Presentation (340 KiB)
Elizabeth Kolbe (Department of Anthropology)
Professor Paul Brown, Faculty Mentor (Department of Anthropology)
Living in Thailand in 2005 opened my eyes to the real plight of exploited peoples in the world. I was able to experience first–hand the economic and social issues facing potential victims of human trafficking. There are an estimated 200 million people being held in slavery worldwide. Like most Americans, I believed this is a horrible problem facing only people of developing countries. Last year I heard Chong Kim describe her traumatizing experience of being trafficked within the United States. Over 18,000 people are trafficked into the United States yearly for exploitation. In this paper, I will discuss the issue of human trafficking, explain how trafficking affects different countries, including the United States, and address how a holistic, well–rounded approach is need to stop this global problem on all fronts.
[PDF] Article (439 KiB)
[PDF] View Presentation (35 KiB)
Jeff Brand (Department of Anthropology)
Professor Ronald Schirmer Faculty Mentor, (Department of Anthropology)
Fur trade policies of the French and British from 1660 until 1816 had significant impacts on indigenous cultures such as the Dakota. However, the current literature pertaining to the fur trade offers only a limited amount of information about Dakota interrelations with the French and British. A review of the current literature and interviews with professional researchers in this area yielded five reoccurring themes relating to cultural impacts: materialism, intermarriage, substance abuse, language and environmental degradation. Focusing on these impacts can help provide a better understand the complex issues relating to Native/European interaction and acculturation processes.
Kirsten Markiewicz (Department of Communication Disorders)
Patricia Hargrove, Faculty Mentor (Department of Communication Disorders)
Emergency room communication between doctor and patient allows the doctor to gather information for diagnosis and treatment and to transmit information to the patient. In this study, audio tapes of emergency room admissions were transcribed. The transcripts were analyzed using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) and evaluated for linguistic complexity including length of utterances, morphology and frequency of interruptions. Statistics were compared between urban and rural settings to determine differences in linguistic complexity. Results may have relevance to models of social behavior in urban and rural areas, informed consent issues and development of the physician–patient relationship.
Clarin Collins (Department of Early Childhood Educational Studies)
Yessica Bonfil (Department of Early Childhood Educational Studies)
Professor Lillian Duran, Faculty Mentor (Department of Early Childhood Educational Studies)
This research study is examining the short term effects of Spanish–language home based early literacy skills in pre–school aged Hispanic children enrolled in Head Start Home Visiting programs in rural south central Minnesota during the 2006–2007 school year. Head Start is a nation wide, government funded program for pre–school aged children from low income families, operating to better prepare and facilitate children’s readiness for school. In this study a group of approximately 40 children was given exams to measure oral language and early literacy skills in both English and Spanish. These children received weekly home visits from Spanish–speaking paraprofessionals who conducted early literacy activities in Spanish. The paraprofessionals are employed through Head Start and are supervised in the homes by an English–speaking Head Start home licensed visitor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using a Spanish–speaking paraprofessional in pre–school aged children’s educational development and school preparedness, and to determine whether or not children’s literacy skills are higher with Spanish visitors versus those children that just have English–speaking home licensed visitors. This project is important because the Latino population continues to increase and our schools are becoming more diverse, bringing with them the many challenges of language barriers. We need to continue to find solutions to help Latino students better adapt in the classroom, obtain academic achievement levels similar to those of native English–speaking students, obtain high school graduation rates similar to national rates, and to help Latinos become independent, self reliant, and productive members of our society.
[PDF] View Presentation (122 KiB)
Daryl R. Lawrence (Department of Modern Languages)
Maria–Claudia Tomany, Faculty Mentor (Department of Modern Languages)
Long before Norway achieved independence from the Swedish crown in 1905 and established a new dynasty of kings, it had a well–established monarchy that developed as far back as the ninth century. How these first kings claimed power is an interesting study in the development of medieval European states. Although the common themes of warfare and paternal descent were encountered, so were very unexpected ways of coming to the throne. In the haphazard days of the Middle Ages when life and limb were uncertain, a powerful kingship developed along the North Sea. Using Snorri Sturluson’s Heimskringla as the primary focus of this project, the claims to the throne and how kings viewed themselves in the scheme of things became much clearer. The use of this document had quite an impact – the kings could be examined in what has become regarded as the source on the medieval Norwegian monarchy and they could be looked at critically, since Heimskringla added a certain political spin to the lives of these rulers. By a careful examination of all factors, a definitive answer as to how these kings claimed power has finally been achieved.
Tysen D. Dauer (Department of Modern Languages)
Professor Nadja Krämer, Faculty Mentor (Department of Modern Languages)
Studying the texts of the Greco–Roman era has long been a tradition in the West. Works such as The Odyssey, The Iliad, and The Republic were understood to be liberating texts which enabled students to think more critically and as a result live more wisely. Many of the leading scholars in this field of “Classical Texts” (also known as Classical Philology) hailed from 19th century Germany. The 1930 German film All Quiet on the Western Front presented viewers with a classroom scene set at the start of the First World War where selected classical texts were written on the chalkboard, apparently by the teacher. The camera brings the viewer in from a street scene and focuses on a teacher who is lecturing. The teacher, in an increasingly frenzied state, is persuading his students to join the German war effort. He uses the classical tradition represented by the quotations on the chalkboard as ammunition for irrational and self–destructive thinking. He has taken a tradition valued for critical thought and just actions and turned it into an overemotional, anti–rational Nationalist machine. This project sought to understand the means by which the classical tradition was turned on its head and the implications and warnings which it held for viewers then and now.
| Session 4 | 10:00–12:00 | CSU 204 |
|---|
Observer’s Perceptions of Self–Handicappers’ and Sandbaggers’ Motives
Jeannie M. Korngable (Department of Psychology)
Professor Daniel Sachau, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
Trust Formation Across Multiple Levels of Virtuality
Amanda Woller (Department of Psychology)
Professor Andrea Lassiter, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
Developing and Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Training Program for Secondary–Level, Targeted Behavioral Interventions in School
Michael Parry (Department of Psychology)
Professor Kevin Filter, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
The Cultural Construction of Emotional Experience and Subjective Well–Being: The Role of Social Situations in Japan and the United States
Khou Yang (Department of Psychology)
Professor Vinai Norasakkunkit, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
The Effects of Divorce and Its Associated Stressors on Children and Adolescence
Aaron Brownlee (Department of Psychology)
Professor Sarah Sifers, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
School Psychology Practice and Job Satisfaction
Rebecca E. Fenicle (Department of Psychology)
Professor Kevin J. Filter, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
The Impact of Weather Conditions on Mood Variability in Geographically Relocated Versus Non–Relocated Individuals
Jamie M. Scott (Department of Psychology)
Professor Jeffrey A. Buchanan, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
Work and Leisure Attitudes– “Sunday Night Blues”
Vesna Champagne (Department of Psychology)
Professor Lisa M. Perez, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
Jeannie M. Korngable (Department of Psychology)
Professor Daniel Sachau, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
The purpose of the study is to examine how observers perceive the motives of people who sandbag and self–handicap. Sandbagging is a self–presentation strategy involving a false claim of inability. Self–handicapping is a self–presentation strategy involving a true claim of inability. People use sandbagging and self–handicapping so that observers will have low expectations for the sandbagger’s or self–handicapper’s performance. In this study, I asked which of these strategies leads to a more favorable impression? I created sixteen short scenarios where an actor or target in the scenario makes a claim prior to performing in competition. One half of the targets claim an injury, and one half of the targets do not claim an injury. Across these conditions, one–half of the targets are described as actually having the injury (self–handicap), one–half are described as not having the injury (sandbagging). Scenarios were divided once again such that one half of the targets proceed to fail and one half succeed in this 2 (claim/not claim) x 2 (not have/have) x 2 (failure/success) factorial deign. Students enrolled in introductory psychology courses participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned two scenarios to be read. Participants rated the target in each scenario on: likeability, trustworthiness, competence and friendliness. The students also completed the Janis–Field Self–Esteem Scale, the Self–Handicapping Scale, and the Sandbagging Scale. I predicted that there would be a penalty for claiming any injury. I predicted that sandbaggers would be rated more negatively than self–handicappers particularly in success conditions.
[PDF] View Presentation (44 KiB)
Amanda Woller (Department of Psychology)
Professor Andrea Lassiter, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
When team members are separated by offices, cities, or continents, they are considered “virtual.” Virtual group or teamwork is becoming more common in today’s world. Since trust is essential for effective team performance, it is also required for virtual teams. This study looked at the formation of trust in relation to different levels of group virtuality. Participants were undergraduate students from Minnesota State University’s psychology classes and worked in pairs on the game, Command and Conquer: Generals. Teams either worked together face–to–face; met first and then were separated to work together; or were completely separated having to work together without seeing one another. Face–to–face groups were expected to have higher levels of trust than virtual groups, while the group that was allowed to meet first was expected to have higher levels of trust than the completely virtual group. In turn, higher performance scores were expected for groups who had higher levels of trust.
[PDF] View Presentation (34 KiB)
Michael Parry (Department of Psychology)
Professor Kevin Filter, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
An increasing body of research is addressing the validity and effectiveness of secondary–level interventions in school settings. However, there has been limited research directed towards the formal training of school professionals in the implementation of these interventions. Within this research project, a training program was developed on the implementation of secondary–level interventions, more specifically the Check–in/Check–out program. The effectiveness of the training course was assessed using two measures; a) evaluation of trainee satisfaction, b) evaluation of the degree to which the trainee expanded upon their existing knowledge base in regards to the training content. The potential participant pool consisted of 21 schools that were currently implementing School–wide Positive Behavior Support systems. A needs assessment was given to these schools to identify the most apt participants for the current scope of research. The hypothesis of this project was that the training would lead to an increase in knowledge about secondary–level interventions and satisfaction with the training itself.
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Khou Yang (Department of Psychology)
Professor Vinai Norasakkunkit, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
Previous studies indicated that North Americans tend to dominantly experience emotions that are more relevant to non–relational aspects of the self (socially disengaged emotions) while Japanese tend to dominantly experience emotions that are more relevant to relational aspects of the self (socially engaged emotions) and that those categories of emotions divergently relate to subjective well–being for North Americans and Japanese. The role that qualitatively different social situations play in affording culturally divergent emotional experiences and in influencing what constitutes subjective well–being was examined. Japanese and English versions of a questionnaire containing common Japanese and American situations were administered to college students at MSU, Mankato and Japan. Participants were asked to carefully read each situation and then visualize themselves in those situations. They were then asked how each of these situations will impact their emotional experience and their emotional responses were reported by choosing two emotions from a list of emotions – one specific emotion listed in two categories (socially engaged, socially disengaged) and one general emotion listed in two categories (general positive, general negative). In addition, the level of emotional intensity experienced by the participants for each situation were rated using a Likert scale. It is hypothesized that, regardless of the origin of the participants, Japanese situations will more strongly elicit socially engaged emotions while American situations will more strongly elicit socially disengaged emotions. Additionally, socially disengaged situations will be more strongly tied to American subjective well–being while the socially engaged situations will be more strongly tied to Japanese subjective well–being.
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Aaron Brownlee (Department of Psychology)
Professor Sarah Sifers, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
This study investigates how divorce affects the children who undergo the experience. There were four factors looked at to determine whether children of divorce emerge unscathed by their parents’ marital dissolution. Those protective factors were family environment, social support, appraisal of the divorce, and the number of the other events that have been shown to often co–occur with divorce. By utilizing the Family Environment Scale (FES), Life Events Checklist (LEC), Social Support Scale for Children (SSSC), and the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children, second edition (BASC–2; parent and self–reports) we assed how family environment, social support, appraisal and co–occurring divorce stressors played a role in protecting children. Our sample consisted of 91 children and their parents from the Mankato area public school. A linear regression analysis was used to determine which factors acted as significant protective factors. We determined there was a main effect for the appraisal of co–occurring stressors. This result suggested that the greater amount of stress experience by children and adolescence regarding parental divorce predicted a greater inability to function normally. This result suggests that a greater amount of familial stress experience by children and adolescence regardless of parental marital status predicted a greater inability to function normally. Results did not support the hypothesis that family environment, social support, and appraisal of stressors are protective factors or that divorce–related stressors are risk factors for children experiencing parental divorce since there was no indication that children who experienced divorce were any worse off then those who did not experience divorce.
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Rebecca E. Fenicle (Psychology)
Dr. Kevin J. Filter, Faculty Mentor (Psychology)
School Psychology as a profession has been shown in numerous studies to be characteristic of high job satisfaction. There are many factors that influence job satisfaction. This study was concerned with the roles of school psychologists and whether a discrepancy in actual and desired roles may effect job satisfaction. “Survey of the Professional Practices of Minnesota School Psychologists” was distributed to practicing school psychologists in Minnesota through an email with a URL link. The on–line survey contained questions concerning demographics, practices (actual/desired), adequacy of training program, barriers, and job satisfaction. This study analyzed the relationships between practices and job satisfaction.
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Jamie M. Scott (Department of Psychology)
Professor Jeffrey A. Buchanan, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
Weather has long been regarded to influence the mundane mood of the population. A pervasive belief exists that individual’s moods are heightened by warm and sunny days, whereas moods are lowered by cold and cloudy days. Previous research has provided mixed and limited results. However, a void exists in the literature in regards to how identical weather conditions impact individuals from different geographic locations. It is believed that nonindigenous individuals are more susceptible to fluctuations in mood stemming from novel weather conditions than would be indigenous individuals. Sample recruitment consisted of students attending Minnesota State University. The sample consisted of 70 life–long Minnesota residents and 25 individuals who have spent at minimum one year living outside of Minnesota. Participants completed a mood self–report measure, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, online for four consecutive weeks to determine affect levels. This data was then matched with corresponding weather data for the same time period in order to ascertain mood variability differences in response to distinct weather patterns. Between–subjects ANOVAS were utilized to determine variance in mood variability between geographic groups as measured by positive and negative affect. Variance between geographic group’s affective responses to independent weather measures was additionally examined.
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Vesna Champagne (Department of Psychology)
Professor Lisa M. Perez, Faculty Mentor (Department of Psychology)
The term “Sunday Night Blues (SNB)” refers to the negative feelings one experiences toward the end of the weekend upon thinking about returning to work in the morning. Previous research on mood variation has focused on Mondays as being the low point of mood for the week. Unfortunately, the Monday hypothesis was only supported when data was collected retrospectively. Researchers collecting daily reports of mood throughout the week did not find the expected Monday effect. Rye (2005) used retrospective reporting, to show that about 35% of participants reported experienced SNB. Furthermore, Rye (2005) identified that the SNB phenomenon was related to feeling a loss of control in anticipation of the workweek. The goal of this study was to obtain a real time measurement of SNB on Sunday evenings and compare those to real time measurements obtained on Wednesday evenings. We predicted that participants would report a more negative mood and a greater reluctance to return to work the next day on Sunday night, compared to Wednesday night. In addition, we predicted that experiencing a lack of control and job stressors would correlate significantly with SNB and reluctance to return to work on Sunday night. Participants were asked to complete two online surveys, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening. This research has implications for organizations interested in employees’ quality of life.
[PDF] View Presentation (409 KiB)
| Session 5 | 10:00–12:00 | CSU 255A/B |
|---|
Readability Levels of College Chemistry Textbooks from Introductory Chemistry to Physical Chemistry
Elizabeth A. Drommerhausen (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Professor Jeffrey R. Pribyl, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Effect of Molecular Size on the Sorption of Hydrophobic Compounds with Dissolved Organic Matter
John Freiderich (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Professor John Thoemke, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Synthesis of 5–[5–(5–Formyl–2–Thienyl)–2–Furyl]–2–Thiophenecarbaldehyde
Joseph P. Bequette (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Professor Brian L. Groh, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Analysis of OLED performance
Chris Markle (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Professor Hai–Sheng Wu, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Fluid Properties in the Formation of High–Grade Iron Ore in Northern Minnesota
Elizabeth A. Drommerhausen (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Professor Steven Losh, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Investigation of Thermodynamic and Magnetic Properties of Strongly Correlated and Hybridized Electron Systems
Eric Raymer (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Professor Igor Kogoutiouk, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Population, Oil Consumption, and Carrying Capacity
Robert E. Freiderich (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Professor Louis Schwartzkopf, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Measuring Noble Gases in Coma Samples from Comet Wild 2
Jacob Simones (Department of Physics and Astronomy)
Professor Russell Palma, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics and Astronomy)
Elizabeth A. Drommerhausen (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
Jeffrey R. Pribyl, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry & Geology)
The perception of many students is that their chemistry textbooks are difficult to read. Textbooks often present too many concepts at once and contain numerous vocabulary words in a unit. The reading level, also known as the readability level, is an important factor to be considered during textbook selection. My work demonstrates that chemistry textbooks typically are written at a reading level above college students’ abilities. Numerous college chemistry textbooks used throughout an undergraduate chemistry program (from Introductory Chemistry to Physical Chemistry) were analyzed for their readability level using several standard readability formulas and graphs. Results of this work show that organic and biochemistry textbooks are the most difficult to read due to the extensive use of chemical nomenclature. Readability levels of textbooks in the various chemical disciplines will be discussed.
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John Freiderich (Department of Chemistry and Geology)
John Thoemke, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry and Geology)
Synthetic hydrophobic organic compounds are a source of pollution in natural waters and can have effects on biological organisms. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is found within aqueous systems, and hydrophobic organic compounds undergo a sorption process to DOM. Understanding this sorption process is important in determining the environmental transport of these hydrophobic compounds and their bioavailability. A series of probe molecules that absorb visible light were used in an attempt to identify the different properties of hydrophobic species that promote sorption to DOM. An HPLC equipped with a size–exclusion chromatography column was used as a means to partition the prepared aqueous solutions. UV–Vis spectroscopy was used to detect the quantities of probe molecules that eluted from the column.
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Joseph P. Bequette (Department of Chemistry and Geology)
Professor Brian L. Groh, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry and Geology)
5–[5–(5–Formyl–2–thienyl)–2–furyl]–2–thiophenecarbaldehyde (NSC 629035) has been found to possess anti–tumor properties in the NCI Anticancer Drug Screen. A similar compound, 2,5–bis(5–hydroxymethyl–2–thienyl)furan (NSC 652287), has also been found to possess anti–tumor properties. A correlation between the ability to metabolize NSC 652287, hypothesized as NSC 629035, and its cytotoxicity has been demonstrated. The mechanism by which these compounds act is not fully understood. Approximately 3 g of commercially available NSC 629035 ($3,850/250 mg) is required for mechanistic studies. The prohibitive cost demanded the development of a viable synthetic approach to this compound. Two routes for the synthesis of NSC 629035 will be presented.
Chris Markle (Department of Physics and Astronomy)
Professor Hai–Sheng Wu, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics and Astronomy)
A Cesium Fluoride doped Organic Light–Emitting Device (OLED) with the structure of ITO/F4–TCNQ:NPB/S–DPVBi/BCP/Alq3/Alq3:CsF/CsF/Al has been fabricated and characterized. This OLED structure has been analyzed and it performance has been compared to a similar non–doped OLED, with the purpose of ascertaining potential benefits. We found that with the small amount of doping (~ wt 0.5%) of CsF into the Alq3 electron transport/emission layer, the electron mobility of the OLED has significantly increased, and thus its optoelectronic properties, such as the I vs. V curve, luminance vs. voltage curve, have shown dramatic increases as well – more than an order of magnitude increase. The spectrum of the CsF doped OLED has shown a single blue peak at around 473 m, very different from the non–CsF doped OLED, which has shown two convoluted peaks at 450 m (deep blue from BPVBi) and at 550 m (green from Alq3).
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Elizabeth A. Drommerhausen (Department of Chemistry and Geology)
Steven Losh, Faculty Mentor (Department of Chemistry and Geology)
The Mesabi Iron Range in Northern Minnesota has been a major producer of iron ore for over 100 years. Most of the known high–grade ore lies near the surface and has been already been mined. Determining whether more high–grade ore may lie at depth could have significant economic impact on the mining industry in northern Minnesota. To evaluate the likelihood of finding more high–grade iron ore deeper underground, it is important to determine the source of the fluids that are responsible for that ore. I have been examining Morey’s hypothesis in which he proposed that a plate collision event 1.8 billion years ago drove deep fluids upward along faults within the iron formation. In this case, high–grade ore could exist deeper within the iron formation, which is tilted gently beneath the surface. Samples collected in the iron range have been analyzed using various geologic methods. Growth banding, using cathodoluminescence, and the salinity of the fluid from fluid inclusions were used to evaluate the source of the fluid.
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Eric Raymer (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Professor Igor Kogoutiouk, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
We performed a theoretical study of the thermodynamic and magnetic properties of strongly correlated and hybridized electron systems. We used a modified version of the two–band Periodic Anderson Hamiltonian to model behavior of electrons in such systems. Using the improved truncation approximation for irreducible Green functions, we observed the appearance of four spectral density moments and four or five sub–bands in the non–magnetic density of states. Applying a magnetic field resulted in the density of states splitting into additional sub–bands. We also analyzed the influence of the spin–spin and electron hole excitations on the magnetic susceptibility, density of states, and specific heat in the intermediate valence and heavy–fermion regimes.
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Robert E. Freiderich (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
Professor Louis Schwartzkopf, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics & Astronomy)
In this work, I studied the relation between the population and oil consumption from the years 1980 to 2004. While one would expect oil consumption to increase with population growth, I examined a stronger hypothesis. I hypothesized that oil consumption is proportional to population. To understand the true nature of this proportionality, a number of representative countries were chosen and examined from around the world. As a general trend, the total world population has been on the rise with a corresponding rise in oil consumption. Of particular interest is the country of North Korea for which, following the decline of the Soviet Union, there was a rapid decrease in oil consumption. If oil consumption is proportional to population, and the oil consumption falls, so will the population. In fact, there was a famine in North Korea during the mid 1990’s in which 2.5 million people died. My work has determined that oil consumption and population are proportional for most of the representative countries.
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Jacob Simones (Department of Physics and Astronomy)
Professor Russell Palma, Faculty Mentor (Department of Physics and Astronomy)
Since comets are relics of the early solar system, the formation of the solar system can be better understood through compositional analysis of cometary material. In 2004, NASA's Stardust spacecraft used a low density, silicon–based substance called aerogel to collect coma samples from comet Wild 2, which were returned to earth for analysis in 2006. Aerogel not from the spacecraft with no embedded cometary material was investigated to determine the possibility of measuring noble gases in Stardust samples. Gas evolved from heated, non–flight aerogel was measured initially using a residual gas analyzer, then a high–sensitivity mass spectrometer. The levels of helium and neon isotopes observed from both instruments were sufficiently low that noble gases from Stardust samples were measured using the same technique. Helium and neon above background was measured in flight samples containing tracks from comet particle impacts. There was no excess helium or neon measured in aerogel that had no apparent cometary material.
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| Session 6 | 1:00–2:30 | CSU 201 |
|---|
The Decision to Run: The Stories of Women in the Minnesota Legislature
Danielle M. Thomsen (Department of Political Science)
Professor Joseph Kunkel, Faculty Mentor (Department of Political Science)
Religion and the Oppression of Animals
Bailey Breck Rolfsrud (Department of Philosophy)
Professor Craig Matarrese, Faculty Mentor (Department of Philosophy)
Creating a Responsible Media
Alyssa George (Department of Law Enforcement)
Professor Colleen Clarke, Faculty Mentor (Law Enforcement)
An Ethical Debate: Measuring Truthiness in Parliamentary Debate
Joshua Randall and David Brennan (Department of Speech Communication)
Professor James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
Critique of the Appropriation of Black Culture by White Suburban Youth
Julie L. Lemley (Department of Speech Communications)
Professor James Dimock, Faculty Member (Department of Speech Communications)
This Modern Life
Amanda Bingham (Department of English)
Dodie Miller, Graduate Student Mentor (Department of English)
Professor Richard Robbins, Faculty Mentor (Department of English)
This Modern Life
Kelly Biers (Department of English)
Dodie Miller, Graduate Student Mentor (Department of English)
Professor Richard Robbins, Faculty Mentor (Department of English)
This Modern Life
Nathan Klein (Department of English)
Dodie Miller, Graduate Student Mentor (Department of English)
Professor Richard Robbins, Faculty Member (Department of English)
Danielle M. Thomsen (Department of Political Science)
Professor Joseph Kunkel, Faculty Mentor (Department of Political Science)
The underrepresented status of women in legislative positions is an entrenched flaw in the American political system. Although past research has investigated the obvious gender gap, the spotlight has recently shifted toward the preliminary factors affecting a candidate’s political ambition. It has been noted that women have little aspiration to run for office, and are unlikely to even consider themselves as viable candidates. Encouragement offered by political parties and external supporters such as family, friends, coworkers, and community organizations plays a vital role in creating a female candidate. This paper evaluates the impact of outside forces on the female candidate image and how those factors influence women’s final decision to run for office. I interview female legislators in St. Paul, Minnesota, and uncover the motivations for and obstacles to their candidacies. I analyze the themes that emerge from their narratives and share their collective stories as women legislators. With the 2006 elections, Minnesota now boasts the third highest proportion of female legislators in the nation, comprising 34.8% of the legislature. The personal experiences of these women may serve as a recipe to future gender parity in state legislatures and Congress.
Bailey Breck Rolfsrud (Department of Philosophy)
Professor Craig Matarrese, Faculty Mentor (Department of Philosophy)
The thesis for this paper is that the literal view of the Bible, i.e. the view that the Bible should be read directly as it states, rather than thinking about it in a more abstract sense, is wrong. The reason for this view is due to the current oppression (and by oppression it is meant that there is a cruel exercise of power being used by a human against another, either human or animal) of animals. The reason that most people state for the current oppression of animals is the Biblical verse, “Man has dominion over animals” which people take to mean that man has the right to do whatever it pleases to animals. This is a historical issue, due to the fact that there is a history of oppression through Biblical verses. I will show this by giving past oppressive Biblical verses, such as those that held African Americans in slavery for decades, the verse that made Hitler and his followers believe that it was acceptable to murder millions of Jewish people, the verse that held back women in society for thousands of years, and the current verse that makes people believe it is right to oppress the homosexual community. The reason that this is historical is that every single time a Biblical verse is taken literally, a large group suffers tremendously, and for no empirical reason. Thus, the thesis is that the Biblical view that man has the right to “dominion” in the literal sense over animals is wrong, and I intend to prove this through a historical perspective.
Alyssa George (Department of Law Enforcement)
Professor Colleen Clarke, Faculty Mentor (Law Enforcement)
Since the attacks on September 11, acts of terrorism have been increasingly prevalent in the main stream media. Media interest in this subject has had a considerable effect on United States national security and the psyche of its citizens. Terrorism makes a perfect news story; filled with enough drama to keep the public captive focusing on terror and tragedy. This may tempt the media to lose its objective stance of keeping people informed in favor of ratings. This presentation will highlight the serious danger to national security when broadcasting groups compete for the best story regardless of the effect it may have on the nation’s safety, as well as the psychological well being of society. This presentation will explore the relationship of the media’s representation of terrorism and the connection between media and the government and law enforcement agencies.
Joshua Randall (Department of Speech Communication)
David Brennan (Department of Speech Communication)
Professor James Dimock, Faculty Mentor (Department of Speech Communication)
The practice of competitive debate has, since Ancient Greece, been justified as a way of developing critical thinking, public speaking and civic understanding and the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) embraces that vision of debate. Founded in 1992, the NPDA strives to promote civic engagement, leadership and the development of argumentation and public speaking skills through competition in organized, intercollegiate debates. Central to the NPDA’s mission is the belief speakers should be able to debate extemporaneously, without reliance on evidence and files, about a wide variety of subjects and thus in addition to other benefits of debate, it encourages student competitors to be informed and knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics.
As Rutledge (2002) has observed, however, the educational foundation of parliamentary debate is threatened by lying. If student competitors do not know about current events but actually only claims to know, then parliamentary debate not only has no educational value but also actually teaches people how to lie, trick and deceive, practices, which do not support democracy but actually threaten it.
Our research answered Rutledge’s call to see if lying is rampant in the NPDA. This would test the viability of NPDA debate as an educational tool.
Julie L. Lemley (Department of Speech Communications)
Professor James Dimock, Faculty Member (Department of Speech Communications)
This critique is an examination of the appropriation of black culture by white suburban youth as being not only racist, but sexist. This phenomenon is viewed through the lens of hip hop culture as conceptualized by predominately white, male dominated corporations promoting the commercialization to affect an increase in profit by specifically targeting the music to white suburban youth. As hip hop has developed from the origins of rap, the critical content contained within the lyrics has undergone transformation by replacing messages that speak out against race oppression on a systemic level to a focus that objectifies women, encourages violence and glamorizes the consumption of drugs and alcohol through hypermasculinity as a role. In addition, there exists an intentional promotion of luxury consumerism that is far removed from the predominant realities within urban black experience.
This phenomenon is definitively racist and simultaneously sexist as it promotes representations of black culture that reflect the most extreme negative aspects existing within the urban black experience such as drugs, violence and gang behavior by perpetuating white supremacist assumptions about black culture and masculinity. The effects of this phenomenon extend to the domination of women by men in a manner that further marginalizes women by indulging the male fantasy in which females become willing participants in their own objectification. The denigration that women experience from men in this view is more sexist, more violent and more harmful, as approval of women by men increases proportionately to the level of submission by women to men.
Nathan Klein (Department of English)
Dodie Miller, Graduate Student Mentor (Department of English)
Professor Richard Robbins, Faculty Member (Department of English)
For our project, group members explored the theme This Modern Life in its varied interpretations through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. For my project, the theme This Modern Life was addressed through poetry. The piece I wrote was influenced by my own personal reflections in relation to what this current life has imprinted into me. As a theme, This Modern Life implies little, it left me open to consider contrasting and comparing with other ages, or simply to describe things as they currently are. Since I do not have first hand experience of what I would consider a past “age”, I choose to write on how things are now. I took it on an individual level as I felt that the “This” in the title was accurately pointing to something specific, and since I know me best I wrote about my personal perspectives because I thought I would stay consistent with the notion of writing about what is most familiar to me is best. My goal was to inscribe perspectives onto the reader that they may not have come to yet, and show the value of the given view. I accomplished this by searching deep within myself to come up with what I felt was of a highly original quality, and still cohesive and with a strong relativity to everyone’s life. The workshops with peers were something added to the result I came up with.
[PDF] Article (15 KiB)
Kelly Biers (Department of English)
Dodie Miller, Graduate Student Mentor (Department of English)
Professor Richard Robbins, Faculty Mentor (Department of English)
For our group project, members explored different interpretations of the theme, This Modern Life, through various forms of creative writing. I chose to express the theme through fiction. I focused on the ways in which fear is perpetuated and the ways in which fear has affected our society. These fears of modern life were examined through a variety of perspectives. Our group attained our goals through observation, discussion, research, and workshop.
[PDF] Article (30 KiB)
Amanda Bingham (Department of English)
Dodie Miller, Graduate Student Mentor (Department of English)
Professor Richard Robbins, Faculty Mentor (Department of English)
The theme This Modern Life will be shown in our group through poetry, non–fiction, and fiction. We will be showing this based on where we live physically and through the state of mind. Through my fiction piece I hope people will learn about This Modern Life through my perception of the theme both in a physical aspect and state of mind on how the modern world is.
| Session 7 | 1:00–3:00 | CSU 203 |
|---|
The Ups and Downs of Women, In Hollywood Films and American Life
Marcia Hewitt (Department of Mass Communications)
Professor John Gaterud, Faculty Mentor (Department of Mass Communications)
Title IX at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Courtnay VanDeVelde (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
To Vote or Not to Vote: Influences on Young MSU Women Concerning the Decision to Vote
Gillian Gray (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Defining Sexual Assault, A Survey of College–Age Men
Lisa Pohl (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Wonderful: The Power of a Compliment on a Woman’s Self–Esteem
Jennifer Melby (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Essentialism, Experience, and the Transsexual Reality
Brad Freihoefer (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Marcia Hewitt (Department of Mass Communications)
John Gaterud, Faculty Mentor (Department of Mass Communications)
Since the birth of the Hollywood dream machine, movies have both reflected society and influenced it. One example of this is the way Hollywood films have paralleled the progressions and backlashes of the American women’s movement since the beginning of the twentieth century. This project examines these historical connections as well as 15 contemporary films and their relationship to the modern American woman’s experience. In the analyses of these films, several types of women characters were identified and related to the backlash American women have experienced over the last 20 years.
Courtnay VanDeVelde (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Society sets certain standards for women. Only a few decades ago, playing sports was not considered appropriate feminine behavior. This research focused on the experiences of being a female athlete at the establishment of the Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Program at MSU (1964) as well as current female athletes at MSU (2006–07). Through a compilation of oral histories of women athletes and coaches prior to the Title IX implication, an assessment was made about the experiences of women athletes and coaches at a time when mostly men dominated the arena of sports. The focus of this research was to reveal the point of view of women who are now maturing and growing up compared with those who laid the foundation. Through the interviews, the women’s description of their experience explains whether or not a similar experience is being endured between the two groups of women.
[PDF] View Presentation (205 KiB)
Gillian Gray (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Women leaders in the early 1900’s fought to give women the right to vote. I researched how young women are using that right. According to the voting report of the United States Census Bureau, in the 2004 presidential election more people between the ages of 18–25 voted than in previous elections. Yet the percent of young women vs. young men voting decreased. I hypothesize that family, education, and society are influencing young women about their decision to vote as well as whom they are voting for. Using surveys of 400 MSU females and random interviews I hope to determine if young women are uneducated about politics and to understand their process of voting or not voting.
Lisa Pohl (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Sexual assault is a prevalent and serious problem in today’s society. However frequently it occurs, not everyone is in agreement on what exactly constitutes assault. It is quite possible that men and women have very different views on the subject, which in turn, could be a contributing factor of sexual assault. This paper took a closer look at how college–age men (18–22 years old) define sexual assault. Fifty questionnaire surveys were randomly administered on the MSU campus, posing questions on sexual practices, thoughts and opinions on sexual assault, and handling other’s sexual behavior. Past research was also considered. By conducting this research perhaps society can accumulate a more specific definition, therefore working towards ending all sexual assaults.
[PDF] View Presentation (33 KiB)
Jennifer Melby (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Fenton Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Negative words can stay with women for the rest of their lives, but can a compliment help to shape a woman’s self–esteem? Starting out with a short introductory questionnaire and then using a qualitative approach to feminist research, I interviewed women between the ages of 20 and 70 years old. The process started by discussing the subjects’ basic demographics, family structures, relationships, friendships, work and school relationships. I focused on a small sampling of women so as to spotlight the experiences these women have had with compliments and positive words. Among the many questions in the semi–structured interview we discussed how the intention behind compliments and who gives a compliment can change the power behind the word(s). While taking the information from these interviews along with the information gathered from researching feminist song lyrics, feminist journals and spiritual wisdom books, I discuss how compliments can change a woman’s life by positively impacting not only her relationships at home, work or school, but also her relationship with herself and her self–esteem.
Brad Freihoefer (Department of Women’s Studies)
Professor Jocelyn Stitt, Faculty Mentor (Department of Women’s Studies)
Within modern feminist debate, the definition of “woman” has created two different core theories. The essentialist perspective defines a “woman” as needing a certain list of criteria that are required in order to be considered a woman. The experience perspective defines a “woman” by criteria based on experience of the feminine gender expression and society’s response. Male to female transsexuals embody real world scenarios in which the definitions of womanhood are put into practice and challenged. I did in–depth interviews with two male to female transsexuals about their experiences within the workplace. Additional interviews were conducted with their clients during or after their transition in order to gain a better understanding of current perceptions surrounding women’s identity and community in relation to a male to female transsexual throughout transition. Through analyzing these two in–depth interviews, I hope to illuminate alternative definitions of womanhood. Data will be obtained using two methods. The first will be in–depth interviews that will gain personal responses to questions I pose. The second will be through content analysis of articles, books, and discussions surrounding womanhood and what it means to be a woman.
| Session 8 | 3:00–5:00 | CSU 284 |
|---|
E20 Effects on Automotive Fuel Pumps
Thomas Devens, Nathan Hanson, Adam Larson, and Colin Rohde (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Gary R. Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Plug–In Hybrid Vehicle Analysis
Christopher Bahn, Eric Esselman, Nate Starkson, and Jacob Wilson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
ATV Fuels and Emissions Research
Fredrick Anderson, Kurt Gostomczik, and Martin Mogensen (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Gary Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Multialleic Migration–Selection Models
Chad N. Vidden (Department of Mathematics)
Professor Namyong Lee, Faculty Mentor (Department of Mathematics)
Music Compiler: an Exercise in the Use of Coroutines
Samuel Crow (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Professor Leon Tietz, Faculty Mentor (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Automated Visual Inspection for Discriminating Between Heraldic Devices and Text
Ivan A. Marte (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Professor Rebecca Bates, Faculty Mentor, (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Developing Microsoft Word 2007 Add–On Applications
Peter L. Sonnek (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Professor Ann Quade, Faculty Mentor (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Development of a High Gain Double Spherical Helical Antenna for Wireless Communication
Rumman Kabir and Monish Tuladhar (Department of Electrical Engineering)
Professor Ramakrishna Nair, Faculty Mentor (Department of Electrical Engineering)
Nathan Hanson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Thomas Devens (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Adam Larson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Colin Rohde (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Gary R. Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
The State of Minnesota has mandated that 20% of all gasoline is to be made up of ethanol. Before this mandate can be implemented, extensive research must be conducted to ensure compatibility of the fuel systems operating on E20 in all automobiles along with small engine and marine applications. The goal of this study was to compare the effects of E20 versus that of E10 and ASTM Test Fuel C. The E20 fuel pump project focused primarily on automotive fuel pumps, and how E20 affected the performance of the pump in terms of corrosion and endurance.
[PDF] View Presentation (382 KiB)
Christopher Bahn (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Eric Esselman (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Nate Starkson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Jacob Wilson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Professor Bruce Jones, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
The project involves the modification of a 2006 Toyota Prius into a “Plug–In Hybrid Vehicle.” Included in this presentation are the type of battery pack chosen, charger created, methods used, costs, plans to keep drivability, modification results affecting performance, emission control, and fuel efficiency. The team utilized the time spent on the project by creating a clean, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing vehicle that gets great fuel economy. The vehicle was tested for emissions, fuel economy, and performance, including drivability. The results were then analyzed for advantages and disadvantages of a production vehicle.
Kurt Gostomczik (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Martin Mogensen (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Fredrick Anderson (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Gary Mead, Faculty Mentor (Department of Automotive Engineering Technology)
Our test vehicle (1987 Yamaha ATV) will be operated on a dynamometer to conduct emissions testing on an ATV while running through the European standardized drive cycle, ECE R–40. The drive cycle is currently used in the European Communities as a standard to test the output of emissions with various ATVs. This is a transient drive cycle (ATV is tested at various speeds and loads over time) that will be used for the emissions testing since there is not a drive cycle used in the United States that would work well with emissions testing of an ATV. Most small engine emissions testing in the United States is conducted on just the engine in a steady state, rather than the vehicle. With using this drive cycle, the data can be compared to the set standards of the ECE R–40. The California emissions bench (analyzes exhaust gas for pollutants) in the MNCAR lab will be used to test the emissions of the ATV. The emissions that will be tested are Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Carbon Dioxide (C02). To complete emissions testing on the ATV, the motorcycle dynamometer room had to be adapted to test ATVs. To do this a secondary roll was added on the side of the primary roll to accommodate two drive wheels. A platform was also added to the front of the secondary roll to provide an even surface for the four ATV wheels. The motorcycle/ATV dyno is an eddy current dynamometer, which means that it is able to simulate load on the ATV at various speeds. This will allow the emissions data to be successfully tabulated as if the ATV was running in normal driving conditions. The ATV will be operated on three different fuels during testing. The three different fuels will be regular gasoline, a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline (E10), and a mix of 20% ethanol and 80% gasoline (E20). Ethanol blended fuels will be used since Minnesota already requires 10% Ethanol in all fuels sold at the pump. That percentage of ethanol mandatory at the pump is going up to 20% by 2013. Drivability of the ATV will be monitored using hot and cold starts and the ATV’s performance will be monitored during the drive cycle to note any negative effects that the fuel may have on the ATV.
Chad N. Vidden (Department ofMathematics)
Professor Namyong Lee, Faculty Mentor (Department of Mathematics)
Population ecology is concerned with the growth and decay of specific populations. This field has a variety of applications ranging from evolution and survival at the environmental level to the spread of infectious disease at the cellular and molecular levels. Many ecological circumstances require the use of mathematical methods and reasoning in order to acquire better knowledge of the issue at hand. This study considered and analyzed multiple different mathematical models of population dynamics along with their purposes. This foundation was then applied in order to explore the migration of populations from one isolated region to another along with the relationships that those populations have. The following research paper presents the theoretical base, analysis, and specific simulations of this study along with application.
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Samuel Crow (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Professor Leon Tietz, Faculty Mentor (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Conventional music players typically use either interpreters or streamed sound samples. This project presents an alternative to these by compiling a Protracker music file into a stand–alone binary program. The first goal was to create a program that is smaller than a music file that uses a statically–linked interpreter. A secondary goal was to require less overhead than an interpreter or a streamed audio file. The technique of music playback used here is based on coroutines. One coroutine is used for the main music score and additional coroutines are used to perform time indexed special effects for each of the voices. Both the programming language used to implement this compiler and the language of the programs it generates are ANSI C 1989.
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Ivan A. Marte (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Professor Rebecca Bates, Faculty Mentor, (Department of Computer & Information Sciences)
Members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) distinguish themselves through heraldic devices, similar to those used in the middle ages. Members submit a drawing of their heraldic artwork, such as that found on coats of arms and family crests, which is then compared to all previously submitted drawings before approval. Because these devices need to be distinct from all previous ones, it would be useful to have an online catalog for members to refer to in preparing their devices. When creating the catalog, it is important to select only the device from a scanned form because the application forms contain personal information that should not be placed on the web. In order to meet this need, we have developed a system for selecting the picture of the device from a scanned image of the application form. We will present a comparison between an edge–detection–based approach and an approach based on optical character recognition (OCR). The edge detection approach finds the edges of the device and selects only the portions of the image within a large, connected edge. The OCR approach selects the largest single “character” in the file, which would be an unrecognized character that contains the image. Comparisons of program size, cost, and extraneous pixels included or excluded will be presented.
Peter L. Sonnek (Department of Computer Science)
Professor Ann Quade, Faculty mentor (Department of Computer Science)
In 2007, Microsoft released a new version of MS Office that changed the file platform to a universal data format called Extensible Markup Language or XML. XML is meant to be simple, meaningful, and understood by all computer programs. Since Microsoft has moved its file format to XML, tremendous extendibility can be built by software professionals to link MS Office 2007 documents to data not held within the saved documents. This project tested the levels of interactive data between MS Word 2007 and several other XML data sources.
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Rumman Kabir (Department of Electrical Engineering)
Mohnish Tuladhar (Department of Electrical Engineering)
Professor Ramakrishna Nair, Faculty Mentor (Department of Electrical Engineering)
Small size antennas have been continuously developed for mobile communications. Spherical Helical Antenna properties were investigated in many cases for better performance. While many desirable characteristics were discovered such as circular polarization over a broad beamwidth and no–sidelobe radiation patterns, the smaller and more compact size of the spherical helix also offers some advantages over the conventional cylindrical helical antenna under certain situations. In this research, we investigated the properties of Double Spherical Helical Antenna which has double spherical windings of different lengths and diameters for better gain, polarization and range. Our goal was to develop this antenna with minimum size to be used for wireless communications for optimum efficiency and lower cost. The performances of the miniaturized antenna constructed were tested, evaluated, and compared to those of traditional antenna structures.
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| Poster Session A | 1:00–3:00 | CSU 253/4/5 |
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Visualization of The Microvasculature Structure of The Rat Sciatic Nerve
Adam W. Sudbeck and Michael W. Witthaus (Department ofBiological Sciences)
Professor Michael Bentley, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Comparison of Macroinvertebrate Populations Collected with Three Different Methods at Several Location in the Maple River
Tom Burg and Lynn Schultz (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Beth Proctor, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Identification of Proteins that Interact with Actin Capping Protein
Nathan M. Martinez and Kevin Y.E. Strehler (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Marilyn C. Hart, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Fetal Effects of Impaired Aldosterone Secretion During Pregnancy in the Rat
Sara Feldbrugge and Benjamin Sticha (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Penny Knoblich, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Determination of the Optimal Concentration of Medium Supplements Promoting the Recovery of Dormant Mycobateria in Culture
Kelly E. Rock (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Timothy E. Secott, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Adherence of Earthworm Coelomic Cells
Kristy Felske and Julie Milbrett (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Dorothy M. Wrigley, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Fingerprint Pore Structure in the Monkey
Laurie Colson (Biological Sciences)
Professor Michael Bentley, Faculty Mentor (Biological Sciences)
Effects of Cattail and Bulrush Root Extracted with 4 Four Different Solvents on the Germination and Growth of Lettuce Seeds
Jessica Biever (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Beth Proctor, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Comparison of Biotic Indices to Evaluate Stream Health of the Le Sueur River Basin
James Fett (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Shannon J. Fisher, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Antibiotic Resistance of Enteric Microorganisms Isolated From River Water
Elizabeth Mauland and Erik Miller (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Timothy Secott, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Michael W. Witthaus (Department ofBiological Sciences)
Adam W. Sudbeck (Department ofBiological Sciences)
Professor Michael Bentley, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
The vascular supply to the peripheral nerves is important for axon maintenance and survival. Little information is known about the architecture of the microvasculature and capillary beds of peripheral nerves. The microvasculature architecture of sciatic nerves from male adult Wistar Kyoto rats were visualized by scanning electron microscopy. To visualize the vessels, a relatively new PU4ii polyurethane–based casting resin was infused into the aorta. The sciatic nerves were dissected after the resin completely polymerized. The nerves were placed in concentrated potassium hydroxide solution. The resulting casts were critical point dried, sputter coated with gold palladium and analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. The arterial supply and venous drainage were visible running parallel to the sciatic nerve. Capillary networks extended between the longitudinally arranged arterioles and venuoles. The arrangement may have relevance in experimental neuropathic conditions such as diabetes mellitus.
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Lynn Schultz (Department of Biological Sciences)
Tom Burg (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Beth Proctor, Faculty Mentor (Biological Sciences)
Benthic macroinvertebrates (spineless organisms that live in water and are visible with the naked eye) are being used as indicators of water quality. The purpose of our research was to determine if three different methods of collecting macroinvertebrates produced similar information on the number and types of organisms collected. Two different types of artificial substrates (Hester–Dendy (multi plate) and Brick–Scrubby) were placed at four sampling sites in the Maple River. The artificial substrates were collected after 5 or 6 weeks (May 28, 2006–July 5 or 11, 2006) in the water at each site. The day the artificial substrates were collected, macroinvertebrates were also collected using the timed–pick method. We will discuss the similarities and differences between the number, species and feeding groups of macroinverterates found at each site with the different sampling techniques. We will discuss the implications of these results on development of biological water quality criteria standards using macroinvertebrates.
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Kevin Y.E. Strehler (Department of Biological Sciences)
Nathan M. Martinez (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Marilyn C. Hart, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Actin, a component of all eukaryotic cells, plays an important role in maintaining cell structure and contributes to cell motility. Actin is regulated by a variety of accessory proteins including actin capping protein (CP). CP attaches to the barbed end of actin filaments regulating length and stability. CP is composed of two subunits, an alpha (α) and a beta (β) subunit. In vertebrates, three alpha isoforms (α1, α2, α3) and three beta isoforms (β1, β2, β3) have been identified. The β1 isoform is the predominant isoform of muscle, whereas the β2 isoform is the predominant isoform of nonmuscle. Previous transgenic studies indicate that β1 and β2 are functionally distinct in murine myocardium and might interact with novel proteins. We are using a yeast two hybrid genetic screen to identify proteins that interact with β1 and β2. We have generated the appropriate constructs, confirmed their orientation, and expression. We have also amplified a mouse embryonic cDNA library. The screen is ongoing.
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Benjamin Sticha (Department of Biological Sciences)
Sara Feldbrugge (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Penny Knoblich, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
The adrenal gland produces two major hormones believed to be involved in hypertension. Aldosterone is secreted from the zona glomerulosa cells of the outer layer of the adrenal cortex. Aldosterone acts on the kidney’s tubules to increase sodium reabsorption, thus raising total body sodium, blood volume, and blood pressure. Aldosterone has been implicated in the development of hypertension in humans and in animal models, such as the development of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), a rat model of hypertension. Corticosterone, a hormone secreted by the second layer of the adrenal gland, has also been deemed necessary in the development of hypertension in the SHR. The removal of one adrenal gland and the freezing of the outer layer of the remaining adrenal has advantages over previously used methods, such as adrenalectomy or pharmacological blocking agents. Adrenalectomy completely eliminates all adrenal hormones. Mineralocorticoid receptor blocking agents, such as spironolactone, are non specific, and produce undesirable side effects. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of these adrenal hormones in fetal development. At 8 weeks of age, females had either the adrenal–freezing surgery, or the sham surgery, and were allowed 10 days to recover. Rats were mated and fetuses collected on gestation day 20. Fetal number, fetal weights, and fetal kidney weights were recorded. The uterus was inspected for evidence of fetal resorption, which indicates fetal or maternal stress. Finally, blood was collected for hormone assays to confirm the reduction of adrenal hormones.
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Kelly E. Rock (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Timothy E. Secott, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Johne’s disease is a chronic intestinal disease of cattle that is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Mpt). Diagnostic testing is typically unrewarding until years after infection, consequently leading to massive spread of Mpt and substantial economic loss. Previous experimentation showed that reducing oxygen tension through the use of a reducing agent, Oxyrase, or supplementing the medium with Mpt–conditioned medium improved the recovery of Mpt from dormancy. However, while the concentration of conditioned medium that improved recovery was relatively constant, that of Oxyrase varied widely from experiment to experiment. In order to determine whether this was a consequence of the percent of viable cells in dormant cultures, we used a two–color fluorescence assay to estimate cell viability and compare these data with the concentration of conditioned medium or Oxyrase. A standard curve was prepared for Mpt using a BacLight Live:Dead fluorescence kit. The standard curve was used to calculate the ratio of viable to nonviable organisms in dormant Mpt cultures. Two–fold serial dilutions of Mpt conditioned medium or Oxyrase was added to cultures of dormant Mpt in rich medium and growth was monitored by measuring optical density for up to 21 days. A determination of the relationship between cell viability and the effectiveness of recovery promotants is in progress and will be reported.
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Kristy Felske (Department of Biological Sciences)
Julie Milbrett (Department of Biological Sciences)
Professor Dorothy M. Wrigley, Faculty Mentor (Department of Biological Sciences)
Earthworms have a mobile cell population in the coelomic cavity which mediates several defenses against bacterial invasion. One of the defenses is phagocytosis, ingesting and degradation of foreign material. The first step in phagocytosis is adherence of the phagocytic cell to the foreign material. Adherence can be measured through the binding of cells to plastic surfaces. An assay was developed to determine the adherence capabilities of the cells on plastics. Proteins released following inflammatory signals may assist the binding. For this project, coelomic cells were collected from earthworms and placed in plastic wells. After a 20 min to 1 hour incubation, the wells are washed and adhered cells counted. Prior to addition of cells to the wells the wells, were treated with coelomic fluid from worm stimulated with the bacterium Micrococcus luteus, or coelomic fluid from unstimulated worms. Data will be presented on the adherent properties of the coelomic cells.
Laurie Colson (Biological Sciences)
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