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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Student Poster Presentation
Student Research Colloquium Student Paper Presentation

Annual St. Cloud State University
Student Research Colloquium 2001

Colloquium Medal

Session H Abstracts

The Effects of Regular Voluntary Exercise of Pregnant Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats on the Development of Hypertension in the Subsequent Offspring

Jenny Fields and Chris Busse
Sponsor: Penny Knoblich
Minnesota State University Mankato, Biology

Abstract was not available at the time of printing.

Presentation Index: H01


Distribution of Exon 2 Mutant Allele of Human Class-3 Aldehyde Dehydrogenase

Bruce DeGrote and Jacie Swanson
Sponsor: Lakshmaiah Sreerama
St. Cloud State University, Chemistry

Cytosolic class 3-Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH3A1) is an enzyme that is currently the subject of extensive research. ALDH3A1catalyzes the detoxification of xenobiotic (carcinogenic) aldehydes as well as some widely used anticancer drugs known as oxazaphosphorines, e.g., cyclophosphamide. This process results in the protection of cells from toxic effects of aldehydes and leads to anticancer drug resistance in tumor cells. We have recently cloned the complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) coding for ALDH3A1 from two cell types: (1) Human normal stomach mucosa (nALDH3A1 cDNA), and (2) Human breast adenocarcinoma (tALDH3A1 cDNA). The two cDNA's show a six base difference. Two of these transversions, one in exon 2 (base # 35 cytosine-->guanine) and the other in exon 4 (base # 400 thymine-->guanine) leads to an amino acid substitution (proline-->arginine and serine-->alanine respectively) in ALDH3A1 proteins. Further, tALDH3A1 detoxifies cyclophosphamide 10-fold more effectively than does nALDH3A1. How these base transversions effect anticancer drug detoxification is being investigated. The ultimate goal of this research is to define the physiological role of polymorphic ALDH3A1. In this regard, the research presented here in attempts to establish the presence and determine the frequency of distribution of ALDH3A1 alleles in normal human populations.

Presentation Index: H02


Substrate Specificity of Human Class-3 Aldehyde Dehydrogenase

Melissa Link
Sponsor: Lakshmaiah Sreerama
St. Cloud State University, Chemistry

ALDH3A1 catalyzes the detoxification of endegenous and xenobiotic aldehydes including widely used anticaner drugs such as cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide and mafosfamide. The presence of ALDH3A1 in normal cells will protect them from toxic effects of aldehydes. The presence of ALDH3A1 in tumor cells causes a resistence to anticancer drugs. ALDH3A1 is usually not found in the liver, however, it is found substantially in the gastrointestinal tract, saliva, the cornea, certain tumors and tumor cells. ALDH3A1 is inducible by xenobiotics like phenolic antioxidants and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This may play a role in cancer chemoprevention and in carcinogenesis. ALDH3A1 is polymorphic in nature. There have been two recently polymorphic forms identified: normal cell ALDH3A1 (nALDH3A1) and tumor cell ALDH3A1 (tALDH3A1). tALDH3A1 detoxifies the anticancer drug, cyclophosphamide 10 fold more efficiently. The goal of this study is to gain an understanding of structure function relationship of aldehydes detoxified by tALDH3A1. Methodology used included purification of tALDH3A1 and testing >50 aldehydes as substrates for this enzyme utilizing a spectrophotometric enzyme assay. Purified tALDH3A1 was obtained by Reactive Blue-2 affinity chromatography procedure. The source of the enzyme was human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells treated with catechol. Many of the aldehydes tested were substrates for ALDH3A1. The aldehydes of importance are long chained fatty aldehydes and acrolein. Acrolein is an intermediate in the metabolic activation/detoxification of cyclophosphamide. Our results indicate that tALDH3A1 exhibits differential substrate specificities towards endogenous and xenobiotce aldehydes. A comparison of the substrate specificities of nALDH3A1 and tALDH3A1 is expected to reveal differential catalysis of aldehyde oxidation by these enzymes and differential detoxification of aldehyde in the person expressing these polymorphic forms.

Presentation Index: H03


Error Analysis of the ASOS HTB PAS During Cold-Weather Precipitation Events

Jacob Gontesky
Sponsor: Tony Hansen
St. Cloud State University, Earth Sciences

The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) is widely regarded as one of the great advancements in meteorological technology in recent decades. It has provided detailed, cost effective surface weather observations from a wide range of sites on a frequent basis. However, with the reliance on this technology, some drawbacks have been discovered. The automated instruments have shown some biases over previous manual observations. One of the instruments showing a systematic error is the heated tipping bucket precipitation accumulation sensor. This instrument consists of a heated funnel which collects and melts frozen precipitation. Once collected, the liquid is funneled into the tipping bucket apparatus. The tipping bucket then records the accumulated precipitation. Observations provide strong evidence that the heated tipping bucket instrument under-reports cold-weather precipitation accumulation. This research consists of measurements taken during precipitation events during the 2000-2001 cold season in St. Cloud, Minnesota. ASOS precipitation accumulation data was recorded during each precipitation event. A standard, 4" Tenite rain gauge was mounted approximately 30 meters from the St. Cloud ASOS station. Manual observations were taken from this instrument following each precipitation event. A regression analysis is performed comparing the data from the two gauges. A statistical model is constructed for correction of the ASOS measurements.

Presentation Index: H04


Short-Term Memory: Effects of Long-Term Activation

Angela Nelson
Sponsor : Leslie Valdes
St. Cloud State University, Psychology

The current study examines the effects of presentation and type of word on recognition performance. Participants were 34 introductory psychology students who reported normal or corrected to normal vision. Participants viewed a word list that consisted of color-related and color-unrelated words and completed a recognition task. Presentation was manipulated in the multi-color (experimental) group. Color-related words were presented in congruent colors (i.e. red blood) or incongruent colors (i.e. blue blood). The color was further manipulated so the words were either presented in the same or different color at study and test. The monochrome (control) group was tested on the same words but the words were all presented in black. The results of the current study did not support the hypothesis that presentation would affect recognition performance. The results of the current study may be attributed to the nature of the instructions. That is, participants were told of a recognition task possibly cueing them to ignore the color of the word.

Presentation Index: H05


BroadBand 3G Wireless Communications

Nadeem Chaudhry and Fahd Habeeb
Sponsors: Zheng Yi and Aiping Yao
St. Cloud State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

The revolution in wireless communication is bringing fundamental changes to data networking, telecommunication, and integrated networks. Some of the most common implications of wireless technology are wireless LAN, mobile radio networks, and cellular systems. The wideband wireless communication system, third generation (3G) wireless, provides Internet accessing ability to a portable device. The 3G systems provide up to a bandwidth of 2MHz mobile applications. Considering that it is applied in a moving environment with a small device with an omni antenna, 2MHz is wideband comparing to current small portable devices with a bandwidth at KHz ranges. The 3G technology is still in the research development stage and may be implemented in the next few years. The objective of our Senior Design project is to design and develop a mobile broadband wireless communication system, operating at 2.4GHz, using most advanced wireless communication technologies including Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). OFDM is a relatively new technology, which transfers band-limited signals to orthogonal signals for multi-channel transmission, with the minimized Inter-Channel Interference (ICI), and Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI). Our system sends data from a PC via USB bus to a digital signal processing board and code the data in T1 format. T1 signal will be sent to a transmitter that codes the data by the QAM and CDMA and transmit the coded as radio frequency (RF) signal at 2.4GHz. Simulation for OFDM code will be done in the PC or the digital signal processing board prior to the transmission. At the receive terminal, the data will be decoded and converted from T1 to binary format and send to a receiving PC through the digital signal processing board and the USB interface. The final goal of the project is to transmit data from PC to PC, through our wireless system at a rate of up to 1.544 Mega bits per second. The project will evaluate the performances of the QAM, CDMA, and OFDM for wideband wireless communication systems and its applications for the 3G technologies.

Presentation Index: H06


Teen Peace Fair

Carla Berg
Sponsor: Elizabeth Scheel
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

This research project deals with teens finding peace in their communities. In order to open up the teen's minds to the idea of peace within the community, we put together a Teen Peace Fair. The peace fair let the teens have an opportunity to listen to live music, play games and participate in fun activities emphasizing the importance of teen peace. Throughout the peace fair I interviewed teens on the most important lesson the fair taught them, how they are going to promote peace in their community and what their goals are for the future. I also handed out surveys that let the teens confidentially express how they feel about teen peace. The most significant finding was that teens have a lot of input that can positively influence the community, they just need to be asked.

Presentation Index: H07


YMCA Donations

Sarah Williamson, Missy Hansen, Krista Jorgensen, Alison Seevers and Nicole Propson
Sponsor: Elizabeth Scheel
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

Abstract was not available at the time of printing.

Presentation Index: H08


The Effects of Gender on Toxicology of 14 Days of Ribose Ingestion

Angela Frelich
Sponsor: John Seifert
St. Cloud State University, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport Science

Ribose has been used only recently as a supplement. However, there is little toxicological data available on its use. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the hematological and hepatological differences between males and females following 14 days of ribose ingestion. Nineteen healthy subjects (female = 8, male = 11) volunteered to ingest 20 g/day of ribose. Ribose was divided into 2 feedings of 10 g that were taken with breakfast and dinner. Venous blood samples were collected at the same time of day on days 0, 7, and 14. Females exhibited lower values than males for Hb (13.4.08, 15.2.06 g/L), Hct (39.8.2, 45.0.2 %), RBC (4.5.03, 4.9.02 million), platelets (2333.0, 2412.3 K/uL), uric acid (2907.6, 3575.8 mM/L), ALKP (65.2.9, 70.4.7 U/L), GGT (15.01.2, 25.21.0 U/L), ALT (20.11.4, 28.51.1 U/L), and AST (15.91.3, 23.61.0 U/L). Conclusion. Ingestion of 20 g/day of ribose over a moderate duration (14 consecutive days) did not result in significant interactions of gender x time in hematological or hepatological variables. For most variables, however, females exhibited lower concentrations than males.

Presentation Index: H09


Pressure Measurement During Ambulation Under Two Prosthetic Socket Conditions

Tracy Beil
Sponsor: Glenn Street
St. Cloud State University, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport Science

Daily residual limb volume loss, which can be up to 10%, can create problems for an amputee with fit of the prosthetic socket. Proprioception is reduced and pressure points on the limb can result in painful sores. TEC Interface Systems of St Cloud, MN has developed a vacuum-assisted socket (VAS) that has been shown to allow below-knee amputees to maintain normal limb volume during activity. Our hypothesis is that the VAS produces different pressures on the residual limb than the traditional total surface bearing socket (TSBS) allowing volume maintenance. In order to test this hypothesis, urethane liners were instrumented with sensors to document pressures on the residual limb during walking. Force sensing resistors were placed on five areas of soft tissue labeled proximal posterior, distal lateral and medial, proximal lateral and medial. One air pressure sensor capable of recording negative pressures was placed at the distal end of the liner. Nine unilateral below-knee amputees participated in the study. Peak negative and positive pressures achieved during each step were averaged for each walking trial. Four trials were averaged to attain one value for each sensor. A Student's t-test was performed to compare pressures at each sensor location. Negative pressures seen during swing phase were found to be significantly lower in the VAS condition by p-value < .01. The VAS averaged -33.0 kPa during the swing phase of walking while the TSBS averaged -25.7 kPa. Peak positive pressures seen during the stance phase were not found to be significantly different, although there was a trend for impact pressures with the VAS to be lower than those of the TSBS. It is thought that lower pressures seen during both stance and swing phases using the VAS either reduces the amount of fluid forced out or increases the amount of fluid drawn into the limb, thereby preventing volume loss.

Presentation Index: H10


YMCA Memberships

Heather Gerdin and Tara Hanson
Sponsor: Elizabeth Scheel
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

We have completed a research project on why people become members of the Young Men's Christian Association. Throughout our project, we gathered data through survey and secondary analysis. The data that we gathered included information such as what qualities the YMCA holds that attract members, the types of memberships that the members hold, and who the members are. We then used this information to help the YMCA determine how to attract new members and keep the members that they are currently serving. We found that the current members of the YMCA would like to see improvements in equipment, as well as programs. We feel that we have influenced the YMCA to make appropriate changes in order to keep its' current members as well as attract new ones.

Presentation Index: H11


Sand Prairie Vegetation Analysis

Matthew Nelson
Sponsors: Craig Anderson and Jorge Arriagada
St. Cloud State University, Biological Sciences

The response to stress includes changes in the secretory function of the adrenal cortex and testis, and perturbation in the glucose metabolism. Nitric Oxide (NO) is synthesized by oxidative de-amination of the amino acis L-arginine by isoforms of the regulated enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Nitric oxide is implicated in the changes induced by stress in some organs. Two isoforms of NOS are known: a calcium dependent form that is synthesized constitutively (cNOS) and a calcium independent type that is inducible (iNOS). In preliminary study we have observed that immobilization stress increases corticostersone, reduces both plasma and testicular testosterone levels, and increases blood glucose concentration. Most of these effects are prevented by inhibiting NO synthesis. This project will show, using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, expression of cNOS and iNOS mRNA in testicular and brain tissue from aged rates that are subjected to immobilization stress.

Presentation Index: H12


Memory Strategies for Mental Health Practitioners

Joy Fitzsimons
Sponsor: Leslie Valdes
St. Cloud State University, Psychology

It has been shown with experimental stimulus, that an individual is more likely to remember events that took place at the beginning or end, rather than events that occurred during the middle (e.g., Crowder, 1976; Greene, Prepscius, & Levy, 2000). Sehulster (1989) found similar results for the memory of opera seasons. This study focuses on the memory of mental health practitioners of their clients. My hypothesis is that practitioners will remember their clients better from early in their career or their last/current clients more than they will remember the clients they saw during the middle of their career. From the 99 surveys distributed only 29 were returned from the mental health practitioners. These participants were asked 18 questions from a mailed survey. Information about their age, gender, type of job location, degree, how long they have been practicing, caseload, and their approach to therapy were collected. To assess their memories for their clients, participants were asked to rate their memory from their first year of practicing, 1998, 1999, and present. The remaining questions were designed to gather more information about memory retrieval cues and strategies they use. The results found a correlation between how practitioners were trained to remember their clients and the strategies that they used to remember them. Lastly, only a recency effect occurred, which means they remembered their current clients the most. It is a benefit to know what memories are more memorable and easily retained. The more information we can learn about what makes events or people easier to remember, the better we are able to advise practitioners about using their memory rather than use notes or other external memory aids. It is to their clients' benefit that practitioners use their memory to reduce the possibility of intrusions of their clients' confidentiality.

Presentation Index: H13


Non-Board Volunteers

Craig Schapira and Amanda Pfalzgraf
Sponsor: Elizabeth Scheel
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

Our research question was "What is the profile of St. Cloud YMCA staff volunteers from 1997 to the present and which activities are these volunteers most likely to be involved in?" Our dependent variable was volunteerism and our independent variables were religious affiliation, age, gender, race, career, marital status, YMCA's appreciation programs and how many hours they volunteered. Much of this information we found from volunteer applications, however, the information not found on the applications was received through a survey we mailed to the volunteers who we had applications for. We reported on if our independent variables did in fact have an influence on those who volunteered at St. Cloud's YMCA. The study has future implication for studies on who volunteers, as well as an influence on how the YMCA recruits their volunteers in the future.

Presentation Index: H14


YMCA Board Members Research

Brandon Maki and James Burkham
Sponsor: Elizabeth Scheel
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

Our poster project has been done for the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). Our objective for this project is to take past YMCA board member meetings that have been logged by previous board members and manipulate the information in order to be processed into a new Microsoft Excel computer program provided by the YMCA. The methods that we used to manipulate the recorded data were to individually sort through the past documented issues and code them into specific categories and sub categories. These categories included: Board Development, Agency Development, Staff Development, Finance and Maintenance Issues and Resolutions, and Volunteerism. The purpose of categorizing these topics was to provide the YMCA a clearer understanding of what occurs during the various meetings as well as track reoccurring topics in an efficient manner. In summary, we have found what issues have been discussed regularly, the effectiveness of the resolutions stemming from the issues, how effective the members on the board are, and what measures the board can take to be more efficient in the future.

Presentation Index: H15


Students' Identification of Stuttering

Amy Magnuson
Sponsor: Shelley Brundage
St. Cloud State University, Communication Disorders

Stuttering is a complex speech disorder. The complexity of stuttering has lead to difficulty in defining and measuring it. Current research is exploring new, more reliable ways of measurement. This study is a replication of a previous research study on stuttering identification (Cordes and Ingham, 1995). Students in Communication Disorders and Education served as subjects. Subjects in this study were asked to make yes/no judgments of presence of stuttering within short intervals of speech. We then calculated the subjects' intra- and inter- reliability of stuttering identification. Results of this study will be compared to similar studies in which experts in the field of stuttering and speech-language pathologists were asked to complete the same task..

Presentation Index: H16


The Effects of a Heat-Exchange Mask on Physiological Function in EIA Subjects

Jeremy Frost
Sponsor: John Seifert
St. Cloud State University, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport Science

Alterations in heat and water exchange in the respiratory tract appear to be important factors in reducing pulmonary function during exercise in the cold. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a heat exchange mask (HE) on physiological function during exercise in the cold. Eight EIA subjects performed two trials, a HE and no intervention (NI) trials. All subjects refrained from inhaler use for 8 hr prior to each trial. Subjects sat for 30 min at -15°C then walked at 5 kph for 40 min. Data are mean (±SD). At rest, NSD were observed for change in SaO2, IC, ERV, FEV1, FEV1%, or FEF25-75. Change in HR, systolic BP and MAP was less for HE than NI, -0.01 (3.2) bpm, 0.25 (3.0) mm Hg, and 0.2 (1.5) mm Hg vs. -15 (3.2) bpm, 17.5 (3.0) mm Hg and 7.5 (1.5) mmHg. Change in ERV was also less for HE (0.2 ±.2 L) than NI (-0.4 ±.2 L). During exercise, NSD between treatments was observed for HR and FEV1. SaO2 was lower at 40 min for NI vs. HE (96.0 vs. 97.5%). FVC was greater (4.51 vs. 4.20 L), IC was greater (3.48 vs. 2.94 L), FEV1% was greater (88.2 vs. 83.4 %), and FEF25-75 was greater (4.17 vs. 3.70) for HE than NI. Conclusions. A HE mask worn during rest in cold temperature maintained cardiovascular function. During exercise, however, HE maintained pulmonary function while the NI trial demonstrated significant reductions in pulmonary function.

This study was funded by PolarWrap, Inc.

Presentation Index: H17


FI Schedules and Web Courses

Emily Rudrud
Sponsor: Eric Rudrud
St. Cloud State University, Community Psychology

Lindsley (1977) and Imel (1998) suggested technologies have changed to become more learner-centered and allow learners more control over their learning environment. However, student procrastination in completing assignments is an issue (Crosbie & Kelly, 1993). Student success (lack of procrastination) has been attributed to personality variables such as "external locus of control" and "high self-regulation". The purpose of this study was to examine student access of course material on an Internet delivered course, Introduction to Behavior Analysis. Results of the study indicated that student access of course material was characteristic of performance on Fixed Interval Reinforcement Schedules rather than "personality" traits. After a unit test, students exhibited low rates of access of materials, followed by an increase in rate of access as the next test approached. Suggestions for increasing student accessing material are discussed.

Presentation Index: H18


Eyewall Examination of a Rapidly Intensifying Tropical Cyclone: Case Study of Hurricane Bret

Amy Weinzierl
Sponsor: Tony Hansen
St. Cloud State University, Earth Sciences

Tropical cyclones can undergo rapid intensification in which the system's central pressure drops a dramatic 42 mb/day or where the pressure falls more than 20 mb in a six-hour period. Rapid intensification of tropical cyclones is believed to occur by dynamical interactions occurring between the system and its environment. These dynamical, interacting processes include: upper-ocean (air-sea) interactions, atmospheric environmental influences, and eyewall dynamics. Eyewall behavior can affect the intensity of a hurricane by convective and physical processes. Hurricane Bret is the only tropical cyclone in which measurements were taken inside of the eyewall while the cyclone underwent a period of rapid intensification. Data acquired from the flight missions into Bret can be used to determine important physical and dynamical processes that were involved with its rapid intensification. Predicting rapid intensification of tropical cyclones is important to operational forecasting because the largest errors currently reported with tropical cyclone intensity changes occur in those particular cyclones which rapidly intensify.

Presentation Index: H19


Quorum Sensing and Pseudomonads

Eric Hjelm
Sponsor: Gordon Schrank
St. Cloud State University, Biological Sciences

Pseudomonads are opportunistic bacterial pathogens that grow in many environments including soil, water and on vegetation. Psuedomonas aeruginosa is a leading cause of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections and infects the damaged skin of burn patients and the lungs of about 90% of cystic fibrosis patients. One of its several virulence factors is the production of quorum sensing compounds. Quorum sensing provides the organism with the ability to sense its own cell density, communicate with other cells and to act as a population of cells instead of single unrelated organisms. P. aeruginosa uses acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) as a signal to control the expression of several virulence genes. In the present study, efforts were directed at isolation procedures for collecting and studying quorum sensing in pseudomonads isolated from the environment. Quorum sensing is a mechanism that enhances survival of bacteria by allowing the organisms to establish biofilms. Study of these factors in environmental isolates allows for testing compounds that may inhibit quorum sensing. Such inhibition might provide treatment strategies in patients with pseudomonad infections. A reliable protocol for isolating and testing these organisms is described along with preliminary studies of inhibition of quorum sensing.

Presentation Index: H20


Error Analysis of the Next Generation Radar Storm Total Precipitation Estimates

Jonathan Conder
Sponsor: Tony Hansen
St. Cloud State University, Earth Sciences

One of the earliest quantitative uses of meteorological radar data was the measurement of rainfall. The radar's ability to scan rain showers and thunderstorms over large areas very quickly makes it a valuable tool for weather and flood forecasting. The Next Generation Radar, NEXRAD, has a great advantage by sampling large areas nearly simultaneously, but it measures the rainfall rate above the earth, not at the surface. Fifteen convective rainfall events occurring across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin have been chosen during the warm season months of May through September for 1999 and 2000. Storm Total Precipitation estimates made by the WSR-88D Doppler Radar located at Chanhassen Minnesota will be compared to the ground truth of the National Weather Service Rain Gauge Network. This study will yield a statistical analysis of the uncertainty and quantify the amount of error of Storm Total Precipitation estimations. It is to be expected that the WSR-88D radar at Chanhassen will over estimate rainfall rates for ranges less than 30 nautical miles do to beam over sampling of the atmosphere. Under estimations at long ranges greater than 60 nautical miles will also be expected due to the overshooting effect of the radar beam of the precipitation induced by the curvature of the earth.

Presentation Index: H21


Predicting Heart Rate and Blood Lactate in a Roller Ski Biathalon Race Using Field Test Data

Steve Vrieze and Megan McNair
Sponsor: David Bacharach
St. Cloud State University, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport Science

Sponsor: P. Bednarski
MN Community Olympic Development Program, Minneapolis, MN

The purpose of this study was to determine if a series of field tests can be used to accurately predict race pace heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (La) during competition. Five male subjects (19.3±2.9 years) participated in monthly field tests (June-September, 2000) consisting of five 1.5 km loops that progressively increased in intensity from base/recovery training through developmental endurance, threshold, race pace, and finally maximal effort. Values for HR, blood La and time to complete each loop were recorded. The HR, and blood La obtained from the race pace loop was then used to predict HR and blood La during competition. In mid-October, the subjects completed a 12.5 km Biathlon roller ski competition consisting of five 2.5 km loops with shooting stages between each loop. Skiers were stopped near the middle of the loop and blood La was sampled either during the third loop (n=2, ~6 km) or during the fourth loop (n=3, ~9 km). Each skier also wore a Polar HR monitor with HR being averaged and stored using five-second intervals for the entire race. Mean blood La level during competition (8.0mmol ±.8) compared to the predicted race pace La level using the field test (7.6mmol ± .6) was not different (t=1.0, P<.18), nor was HR during competition (183 bpm ± 10) as compared to the predicted HR of the field test (185 bpm ± 7) (t= 0.5, P<32). These data suggest that a series of field tests could be used in lieu of traditional lab testing to predict competition HR and La levels during a Biathlon roller ski race.

Presentation Index: H22


Can Digitizing be Used to Detect the SSC in Squat Jump that Cannot be Detected with the Force Plate?

Tal Amasay
Sponsor: Glenn Street
St. Cloud State University, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport Science

The stretch shortening cycle (SSC) is a sequence of muscle contractions common in all human movement. The SSC is an eccentric contraction followed by concentric contraction (Komi, 2000) that increases muscle power output. In the Human Performance Lab at SCSU the amount of countermovement in the SSC that is needed to maximize squat jump height is being studied. The initial results showed that as you eliminate countermovement, the height of the jump as a percent of the max countermovement jump height falls to approximately 70%. A question arose as to the ability of the force plate to detect a small SSC of the muscle. The purpose of this pilot study is to see if there is any evidence of the SSC during squat jumps where there is no detectable unweighting on the ground reaction force tracing. Five subjects will be instructed to perform a squat jump without countermovement. The subjects will be given time to practice the task before data are collected. The subjects will perform the jumps on an AMTI force platform. The trials will be filmed with a 60 Hz video camera. Five locations will be marked side view (head of metatarsal II, lateral malleolus, femoral condyle, greater trochanter and glenohumeral axis)(Winter, 1990) and digitized. The angles of the hip, knee and ankle will be calculated for each field. The two sets of data will be compared to see if any joint motion occurs during trials with no measurable unweighting before the concentric phase.

Presentation Index: H23


The Glycemic Index of Sports Bars

Julia Devonish
Sponsor: David Bacharach
St. Cloud State University, Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport Science

Previous research has reported that foods with a higher glycemic index (GI) improved glycogen resynthesis rates. The purpose of this study was to assess the GI of various sport 'energy' bars. Twelve healthy, nondiabetic subjects volunteered to participate. Subjects ingested either a 50g glucose control beverage (GL), a bar with CHO added to equal 50g CHO (C5), a bar with 39g CHO (CC), and a bar with 44g CHO (AC) on four different days. All testing took place in the morning hours following a 12 hour fast. Blood samples were collected at 10 min intervals from 0 min (pretreatment) through 40 min, at 60 min, 90 min, and 120 min following treatment ingestion. The GI was derived mathematically by calculating the area under the respective curves. Results are reported as mean(SD). The GI of GL, C5, CC, and AC were 100, 83, 64, and 69 respectively. The 20, 30, and 40 min blood glucose concentrations for the three bars were greater than baseline values. However, blood glucose concentrations from 10 to 60 min were all greater than baseline in the GL trial. Average blood glucose concentration for GL, C5, CC, and AC was 5.4(.1) mM/L, 5.0(.1) mM/L, 4.7(.1) mM/L, and 4.8(.1) mM/L, respectively.

Presentation Index: H24


Junior High Students Get a Peace of Fun

Derek Schack and Kate Lawrence
Sponsor: Elizabeth Scheel
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

On March 30, 2001 the second annual peace carnival was held. The purpose of the carnival was to involve youth in fun activities that promoted positive attitudes about peaceful living in a diverse world. Our objectives for this research project was to determined the success of the peace carnival for junior high aged students. We collected qualitative and quantitative data through survey, observation, and interview. The purpose of our research was to evaluate activities that teach peace and to gather information about new ideas to teach peace from junior high students perspective. We believe our research demonstrated that students can learn about peace through interactive activities and provided suggestions for future peace carnivals.

Presentation Index: H25


Determining Extinction Coefficients at St. Cloud State Observatory

Sarah Reed, Kortlan Storm and Peter Crandall
Sponsor: Maria Womack
St. Cloud State University, Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering Science

We determined extinction coefficients specific to the St. Cloud State University Observatory. Extinction coefficients indicate how much of an object's light is attenuated due to scattering or absorption by the atmosphere before reaching the observer. To obtain the coefficients, we observed and imaged various stars as they traveled from zenith to horizon. We used a Meade LX200 sixteen-inch reflecting telescope, along with an Apogee AP7 CCD (charged-coupled device) to make the observations. The images were corrected for pixel variations in the CCD chip via a process known as "flat-fielding" and they were also corrected for thermal noise. Extinction coefficients were determined by fitting a line to data points of observed magnitude vs. zenith angle for a star. The derived extinction coefficient will be used to calibrate the brightness other images that are taken from the observatory.

Presentation Index: H26


A Nuclear Fireball with Flow

Judith Peters
Sponsor: Kevin Haglin
St. Cloud State University, Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering Science

When two nucei collide in an ultra-relativistic collision, the resulting system resembles a hot nuclear fireball comprised of possibly thousands of subatomic particles. Conditions are extreme as temperatures are of the order of a trillion Kelvin and densities reach a thousand trillion grams per cubic centimeter. The system rapidly expands into the near vacuum surrounding the collision site; we refer to this expansion as "flow". We model the fireball with kinetic theory and study the effects of flow on such dynamical details for the light particle species as average separation and wavelength so as to identify a boundary between classical and quantum mechanical behavior. Graphical and numerical results of the model with and without flow will be presented.

Presentation Index: H27


Headspace Solvent Microextraction

Aaron Theis
Sponsor: Michael Jeannot
St. Cloud State University, Chemistry

A hanging microliter drop of 1-octanol is shown to be an excellent preconcentration media for headspace analysis of volatile compounds in an aqueous matrix by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Model compounds benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene (BTEX) are conveniently and rapidly preconcentrated in the microdrop. An internal standard, decane, is present in the organic extracting solvent, and linear calibration curves of relative peak area versus aqueous concentration are obtained for the four model compounds. Stirring of the aqueous phase has little effect on the rate of mass transfer, and equilibrium and kinetic models are proposed to explain the observed extraction behavior. The very low vapor pressure of 1-octanol results in minimal evaporation of the microdrop during the extraction time. This system represents an inexpensive, convenient, and precise sample cleanup and preconcentration method for the determination of volatile organic compounds at trace levels.

Presentation Index: H28


Solvent Microextraction Combined with High Performance Liquid Chromatography

Philip Tourand
Sponsor: Michael Jeannot
St. Cloud State University, Chemistry

The direct coupling of solvent microextraction (SME) using one microliter of 1-octanol suspended from the blunt tip of a plunger-in-needle type syringe with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. Octanol is an appropriate solvent for SME-HPLC because it is only slightly soluble in aqueous solutions, enabling extraction times of up to 10 minutes with less than 5% drop dissolution. Furthermore, octanol is readily soluble in methanol/water mobile phase mixtures containing up to 40% water. Although conventional wisdom precludes the use of solvents stronger than the mobile phase for sample introduction, the resulting bandbroadening causes no problems for quantitation of extracted analytes provided they can be resolved. Excellent precision and linearity are obtained for the analysis of a model compound, caffeine. Naphthalene is used as an internal standard in the extracting solvent to compensate for difficulties in reproducibly injecting such a small volume with the HPLC valve. Very short extraction times (e.g. 1-5 minutes) are sufficient for maximum sensitivity.

Presentation Index: H29


Peoples' Attitudes Towards AIDS and How They Attribute to Homophobia

Beth Hecker
Sponsor: Joseph Melcher
St. Cloud State University, Psychology

This experiment investigated how people perceive someone for having AIDS. How the person contracted the disease (through blood transfusion or sexual contact) and the person's sexual orientation were manipulated. The participants completed the Homophobia Assessment Scale (Bouton, 1989) which also included some filler questions unrelated to homophobia. Then the participants viewed one of the following four videotaped interview: a homosexual man with AIDS through sexual contact, a homosexual man with AIDS through a blood transfusion, a heterosexual man with AIDS through sexual contact, and a heterosexual man with AIDS through a blood transfusion. The participants were then given two more surveys. The first survey assessed the participant's understanding of the video. The second survey was the Pre-Judicial Evaluation Scale (St. Lawrence, 1990) that measured the participant's degree of blame they assigned to the victim in the video. It was hypothesized that people would view homosexuals who contracted AIDS through sex, would be blamed more. Implications for theories of homophobia are discussed.

Presentation Index: H30


MDM1: A Question of Efficacy in Regard to Heat-inducible Degron

Dylan Wojchouski
Sponsor: Richard Heil-Chapdelaine
St. Cloud State University, Biological Sciences

Temperature-sensitive mutants retain the function of a gene at low temperatures but not at high temperatures. Development of a temperature-sensitive (TS) mutant makes possible the analysis of physiological changes caused by the inactivation of specific genes of interest. A major limitation of the TS approach in gene inactivation is that it is uncertain as to whether a given gene can be mutated to produce TS product. It is the goal of this research project to produce genes using a novel approach. Specifically the research will be testing the efficacy of this method with the yeast gene MDM1: the function of which is not well understood.

Presentation Index: H31


Gender Effects on the Sentencing of Criminals

Michelle St. Clair
Sponsor: Joseph Melcher
St. Cloud State University, Psychology

In our criminal justice system everyone should be treated equally and be given a fair trial without bias or discrimination. Unfortunately there are many factors that lead to discrimination in the criminal justice system. This experiment investigates how the gender of the defendant can effect the sentence they receive. This experiment consists of two scenarios: one of a murder and one of stolen property. The gender of the criminal is given in each scenario and half of the participants receive a male criminal version and the second half receives a female version. After reading each scenario the participant is asked to choose a sentence. They are given the choice of 5 sentences for the murderer and 4 for the thief. The possible sentences for the murderer range from 3-10 years to death. The possible sentences for the thief range from probation to 5-8 years. After sentencing the criminal the participant is asked whether the criminal should be eligible for parole. The main purpose of this experiment is to see whether there is a double standard in the sentencing of men and women when they had committed the same crime, the exact same crime in this case. Only the gender of the criminal was changed between the two versions. The results of the pilot study indicate that there is a double standard and that after a certain point participants will no longer sentence women but they have no problem sentencing men beyond that point.

Presentation Index: H32


Wireless Millennium LED Light Bar with PC Interface

Deq Hussein and Roman Marjamaa
Sponsors: Zheng Yi and Peter George
St. Cloud State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

The need for power efficiency in Emergency Vehicle lighting has prompted research into alternative sources for Emergency Vehicle lighting. An Emergency Light designer and manufacturer located in St. Cloud, Minnesota has already begun the transition from incandescent bulbs to Light Emitting Diodes (LED) for Emergency vehicle lighting. They have developed the Millennium LED Light Bar, an all LED light bar for law enforcement vehicles. To further promote the flexibility and efficiency of this solid state Light Bar, we have come up with a design for a remote RF controller interface and a touch-screen PC laptop interface for the Millennium LED Light Bar. The RF controller gives the law enforcement officer control of the light bar when the officer is not in the vehicle. The touch screen laptop interface can be installed on the already existing police laptops thus eliminating the need for additional physical controls that take up valuable space on the police vehicle dash. A solid-state interface module that communicates with the Millennium, the PC interface, and the RF interface, eliminates the need for power packs and relay switches needed for analog controllers.

Presentation Index: H33


An Investigation of Precipitation During the Winter in St. Cloud, MN

Jeffrey Luxford
Sponsor: Tony Hansen
St. Cloud State University, Earth Sciences

The advent of modern society and its associated technology have resulted in large amounts of anthropogenic pollution being continuously deposited into the environment. One consequence of this has been the contamination of precipitation with various chemical compounds. This happens when pollutants act as condensation nuclei or are scavenged from the air by falling precipitation. Because of this, precipitation is continuously monitored by organizations such as the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to document specific precipitation components such as pH, sulfate ion concentration, and nitrate ion concentration. Sulfate and nitrate ion concentrations are most closely associated with depressed pH values in precipitation (Baez et al. 1997, Pratt et al. 1984). I collected precipitation samples on the campus of St. Cloud State University and measured their pH, filtered them, and measured the pH again. Then, I measured the concentration of sulfate and nitrate ions in each sample. I have found that there are variabilities in the chemical make-up of precipitation in St. Cloud, MN. Other studies have shown that precipitation composition is affected by prevailing wind direction (surface and aloft) before and during precipitation, precipitation type, and time of week (weekday as opposed to weekend). Measurements taken in this study support the theory that prevailing wind direction directly affects precipitation chemistry in St. Cloud, MN.

Presentation Index: H34


Statistical Modeling of the Interarrival Times of Packets in a Computer Network

Sara Felten
Sponsor:
David Robinson
St. Cloud State University, Statistics

Frequently networks suffer from poor design. Simulation can be highly effective in planning a network design. In this paper, a model is proposed for a computer network's packet inter-arrival time distribution using a Markov Chain. This methodology was chosen because random events often cause conditions of a system to change with time. In the case of the Markov property, each outcome depends only on the one immediately preceding it. It is of interest to determine the influence an inter-arrival time has on later inter-arrival times. A Markov model can provide an additional level of detail in computer simulation methodology through its transition probability matrix. Certain characteristics of Markov chains are difficult to study theoretically. In these cases, simulation is the only practical method of obtaining information about these characteristics.

Presentation Index: H35


Rights of Human Subjects

Taryn Cochran
Sponsor: Tracy Ore
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

An ethical concern in sociological research is protecting the rights of human subjects. "The process of conducting a sociological research must not expose respondents to substantial risk of personal harm. Informed consent must be obtained when the risks of research are greater than the risk of everyday life" (American Sociological Association, 1989). The purpose of this paper was to determine the protection of rights of human subjects from disadvantaged populations. Specific areas that were looked at were non-consenting individuals who were deemed mentally incompetent, participants who are at a disadvantage based on their given situation (i.e. prison population) and individuals who are studied and observed without knowledge of it. The research method used was Secondary Analysis. Based on existing studies many researchers hold the belief that public benefits outweigh that of individuals. The findings imply there is a justification in researchers exploiting disadvantage population when our larger social world benefits from it.

Presentation Index: H36


Innocent until Proven Guilty: The Practical and Ethical Dilemmas of Wrongful Convictions

Matthew Steinbrink
Sponsor: Tracy Ore
St. Cloud State University, Sociology and Anthropology

In our society, we live by, are governed by, and held accountable to the laws that prevail over us on a daily basis. Furthermore, the ideologies of justness, equality, impartiality, and accuracy within the U.S Justice System have been instilled in the minds of Americans since its inception in order to gain support and acceptance from society. Moreover, we, as a society, have been asked to embrace the laws and decisions made by the courts of this Nation on an unconditional basis. Although noble and dignified in scope, often times the members and laws of this system contribute to the arrest, persecution, prosecution, conviction, and punishment of one who is factually innocent of the crime for which he or she has been accused. The truth of the matter is that justice is not blind; it has a very keen set of eyes and scrutinizes those who lack the financial or physical means to defend themselves or their beliefs. Over the past 20 years, the incidence of exposing a wrongful conviction and subsequently, proving that person's innocence has markedly increased. Thus, the scope of this analysis was to identify the incidence of wrongful convictions, victims of the wrongfully conviction, the ethical dilemma, which faces those involved in the process, and solutions to this problem. I expected to find a correlation between the incidence of those wrongfully convicted and the racial, ethnical, and financial background of the accused. In order to accomplish this study, I utilized a comprehensive search and review of literature, refereed journal publication, and other media sources. The aforementioned search and subsequent review has yielded results, which indicate that race, ethnicity, and financial factors do play a significant role in this injustice. In our society, we live by, are governed by, and held accountable to the laws that prevail over us on a daily basis. Furthermore, the ideologies of justness, equality, impartiality, and accuracy within the U.S Justice System have been instilled in the minds of Americans since its inception in order to gain support and acceptance from society. Moreover, we, as a society, have been asked to embrace the laws and decisions made by the courts of this Nation on an unconditional basis. Although noble and dignified in scope, often times the members and laws of this system contribute to the arrest, persecution, prosecution, conviction, and punishment of one who is factually innocent of the crime for which he or she has been accused. The truth of the matter is that justice is not blind; it has a very keen set of eyes and scrutinizes those who lack the financial or physical means to defend themselves or their beliefs. Over the past 20 years, the incidence of exposing a wrongful conviction and subsequently, proving that person's innocence has markedly increased. Thus, the scope of this analysis was to identify the incidence of wrongful convictions, victims of the wrongfully conviction, the ethical dilemma, which faces those involved in the process, and solutions to this problem. I expected to find a correlation between the incidence of those wrongfully convicted and the racial, ethnical, and financial background of the accused. In order to accomplish this study, I utilized a comprehensive search and review of literature, refereed journal publication, and other media sources. The aforementioned search and subsequent review has yielded results, which indicate that race, ethnicity, and financial factors do play a significant role in this injustice.

Presentation Index: H37


Aviation Emergency Locator Receiver with GPS, Digital Compass, and a PC Graphical User Interface with Geographic Mapping Capability

Bradley Ryan Westphal and James Robert Range
Sponsor: J. Michael Heneghan
St. Cloud State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Airplanes in the United States contain Emergency Locator Transmitters, which are utilized in the unfortunate event of a crash. Our Senior Design Project was to develop a Personal Computer to Emergency Locator Receiver Interface, which can be installed in an automobile. Once installed, its purpose is to aid in search and rescue missions by locating crashed airplanes on a digital geographic map. The above system operates in the following manner. The distance and direction of the crashed airplane, relative to the vehicle with this system installed in it, is determined by using Radio Direction Finding Triangulation. The personal computer can be a laptop or an in-car-computer. The personal computer interfaces to a Microcontroller, which in turn interfaces to an Emergency Locator Receiver, Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver, and a Digital Compass. The Windows Graphical User Interface in the personal computer contains geographic mapping software that plots a dot indicating the automobiles current location, and another dot indicating the location of the wreckage of the airplane.

Presentation Index: H38


Short-term Fasting Effects on Plasma and Central Motilin Release in Cows - A Preliminary Report

Jason Lunden and Burton Afonja
Sponsor: Oladele Gazal
St. Cloud State University, Biological Sciences

Motilin is a 22-amino acid polypeptide that is secreted by cells located in the gastrointestinal tract in mammals. Evidence also supports motilin synthesis by brain cells. Whereas the function of plasma motilin is known, it is not clear what this peptide does in the CNS. Further, there is no information as to the relative levels and pattern of secretion of motilin in systemic blood and the central compartment. The objectives of this study were to determine the relative levels of motilin in plasma and CSF of cows during well-fed and fasting states. Three ovariectomized cows were fitted with both external jugular- and cerebroventricular cannulae to permit simultaneous blood and CSF collection. Animals were maintained on full-feed and sampled for 6 h. Motilin was injected icv at either 0, 100 or 300 µg midway into the sampling. Animals were then fasted for 48 h and then sampled for 4 h. Plasma and CSF motilin were determined by RIA. Plasma motilin was significantly greater ( p <.001) than CSF motilin at all sampling times. Feed restriction increased plasma but not CSF motilin in 2 of 3 cows. In motilin-injected cows, CSF motilin was elevated and this increase was sustained for 48 h. There was a paradoxical increase in CSF motilin in the saline-injected cow but this increased was not sustained for 48 h. The increase in CSF motilin did not induce a concomitant increase in plasma motilin. These results suggest that motilin secretion into systemic blood far exceeds central motilin secretion. Furthermore, the effect of fasting may be exerted at the level of gastrointestinal and not the level of central motilin secretion.

Presentation Index: H39


Wireless Web Cam

Hoon Yoo, Tony Dehn and Nick DeLisi
Sponsor: Lekhakul Sura
St. Cloud State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

With modern technology advancing towards wireless products making life easier to communicate with people and machines. Incorporating these high tech devices with the personal computer has become a fixture for every day life. As computer technology advanced, the roles of imaging on the computer have become very important. Many companies sell their products through the Internet showing their product images on the computer as well as individuals. A lot of people put their picture or their own materials on the Internet using a web cam. The wireless web cam will be more convenient to individuals who need to put images on the computer. A Wireless web cam will benefit the user by having a greater range from the computer for more applications. A standard web cam will be connected to a separate board containing a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port for the web cam to connect to. Then on this board a number of applications will take place for gathering and sending the data wirelessly to another board that is connected to the personal computer (PC). The board that is connected to the PC will gather the sent data and send it via USB to the computers USB port to display onto the screen. The standard protocols for USB 1.1 will be used for gathering the information on the two boards. The board that contains the connection for the web cam will be powered by batteries, therefore making it so that the camera can be placed anywhere within a 100 feet of the computer. The directional controller will be added to the web cam to move web cam in all direction. USB board will send signals to motor driver to move web cam.

Presentation Index: H40


Amplification and Expression of Cellular Binding Protein

Bryan Meade
Sponsor: Nathan Winter
St. Cloud State University, Chemistry

The purpose of the project is to alter the protein cellular retinal binding protein II (CRBPII) in order to make it easy to purify. The gene for CRBPII will be amplified using the Polymerase Chain Reaction. After amplification, the CRBPII coding DNA will be digested and ligated into a similarly digested plasmid vector that will code for a poly-Histidine leader sequence. After ligation, a strain of E. coli will be transformed with the newly developed plasmid through the classical calcium chloride and heat shock treatment. The bacteria will then be used to express CRBPII with the poly-Histidine leader sequence attached to it. This will allow for easy purification of the CRBPII through the use of polar side chains of the Histidines. The modified CRBPII can then be isolated and purified by metal chromotography.

Presentation Index: H41


Testicular and Brain Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) Gene Expression in Aged Immobilized Rats

Yaiza Diaz-De-Durana
Sponsor: Oladele Gazal
St. Cloud State University, Biological Sciences

The response to stress includes changes in the secretory function of the adrenal cortex and testis, and perturbation in the glucose metabolism. Nitric Oxide (NO) is synthesized by oxidative de-amination of the amino acis L-arginine by isoforms of the regulated enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Nitric oxide is implicated in the changes induced by stress in some organs. Two isoforms of NOS are known: a calcium dependent form that is synthesized constitutively (cNOS) and a calcium independent type that is inducible (iNOS). In preliminary study we have observed that immobilization stress increases corticostersone, reduces both plasma and testicular testosterone levels, and increases blood glucose concentration. Most of these effects are prevented by inhibiting NO synthesis. This project will show, using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, expression of cNOS and iNOS mRNA in testicular and brain tissue from aged rates that are subjected to immobilization stress.

Presentation Index: H42


Individual Differences in Attention and Memory: Use of Quantitative Electroencephalographs

Alyssa Braaten
Sponsors: Leslie Valdes and Tim Tinius
St. Cloud State University, Psychology

This study examines the relation among attention, short term memory, and brain activity. Sustained attention is the ability to focus and maintain one's concentration (Sandford & Turner, 1995). These two elements of sustained attention are measured separately with the Intermediate Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance test (IVA). Memory was assessed using a questionnaire about everyday occurrences of memory failure (Broadbent, Cooper, Fitzgerald, & Parkes, 1982) and a behavioral test of memory, the Wechsler Memory Scale Revised (WMS-R). If the mental processes involved in attention and memory are similar to each other, individuals with a greater ability to focus their attention should have fewer memory failures in daily living and perform better on memory tests than those who have a harder time focusing their attention. Quantitative Electroencephalographs (QEEG) should also be able to differentiate individual differences in attention and memory.

Presentation Index: H43


Wireless Vote Tallying

Ahmed Rashed, Karin Fazlul, and Ghias Amer,
Sponsor: Peter George
St. Cloud State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Members of Parliament when voting have to leave their chambers to vote to have their 'Aye' and 'No' votes recorded by tellers sitting beside each chamber. According to BBC, each vote takes 12 to 15 minutes to complete and senators are forced to queue. The Wireless Vote Tallying System will record the senator's vote electronically and total the amount of votes on the personal computer. The speaker of the house will be able to look at his personal computer for the total number of votes received and depending on the majority vote, pass a ruling on the motion. The whole election process will save time, will be web linked and the result will be available in real time to the public. The system will be implemented using PIC chip, radio frequency transceiver, serial link and graphic user interface. The master controller will control the keypad on the senator's desk and the radio frequency transceivers will be used to transmit and receive signals back and forth from the senator's keypad and speaker's desk. After the senator votes using his keypad, the radio frequency transceivers will transmit the signal to the speaker's desk. Serial link will be used to communicate with speaker's personal computer. The graphic user interface application will show the names of the senators and provide information to the speaker on the type of vote placed by each senator. Anyone will be able to access the graphic user interface through web link and see the election results in real time. To secure the information on the system, we encrypt the signal information using code division multiple access technology. The wireless keypad can only be used once after the speaker resets the system from his personal computer. The transceiver can be run on batteries.

Presentation Index: H44


Remote Controlled Robotic Arm

Nabin Sharma, Hieu Nguygen and Hanh Vo
Sponsor: Michael Glazos
St. Cloud State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering

This project entails the construction of a Remote controlled robotic arm. A personal computer (PC) provides a graphical user interface (GUI) to the robotic arm. The GUI window includes movement command buttons such as forward, backward, up, and down. The robotic arm has two degrees of rotational freedom and is actuated by two stepper motors. The stepper motors are controlled by a resident microcomputer employing an 8-bit micro controller. The microcomputer receives movement commands from the PC, via infrared serial link, and in turn controls the motion of the robotic arm. The robotic arm employs an electromagnet as and end effector to pick and place metal objects in order to demonstrate dexterity.

Presentation Index: H45


Perceived Mother-Infant and Father-Infant Attachment During Two Feeding Situations

Krista Dillman
Sponsor: Marlene DeVoe
St. Cloud State University, Psychology

Surveys rating the perceived attachment of parents with their infants in four feeding situation pictures were completed by forty-one university students, thirty-two females and nine males. The four situations depicted were (1) the mother breastfeeding her infant, (2) the father in a supportive role of his infant being breastfed, (3) the mother bottle-feeding her infant, and (4) the father bottle-feeding his infant. There were five questions in relation to each feeding situation picture rating the perceived attachment of the parent and infant on a four point scale. Results showed a difference between male and female participants' responses.

Presentation Index: H46


Chinese English Tense

Xie Huimin
Sponsor: Marya Teutsch-Dwyer
St. Cloud State University, English

The study examines 1) The influence of learner's first language on the acquisition of English tense (focus on past tense), aspect; 2) The hypothesis that the English learners tend to mark the foreground information rather than the background in a narrative. The subjects are two groups of speakers of English as a second language, whose mother tongues are Chinese and Japanese, respectively. Data were collected by oral and written production tasks: an oral narrative of personal experiences in English; a written narrative of the same experience in English; a written narrative of the same experience in Chinese and in Japanese. Chinese is a language whose aspect (perfective, progressive) and tense are not marked morphologically. Instead, they are marked through lexicons and narrative principles, unlike English and Japanese, where tense/aspect are marked by both lexicons, narrative principles and morphological inflection of verbs. The finding so far suggests that the distribution of morphological markers of Chinese English speakers varies, depending on the data elicitation task and emotional state.

Presentation Index: H47


The Effects of Declining Temperature Gradations on the Viability of Harmonia Axyridis

Melissa Olson and Brandie McCray
Sponsor: Ralph Gundersen
St. Cloud State University, Biological Sciences

The multicolored Asian Lady Beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera:Coccinellidae), has been used by the United States Department of Agriculture for biological control measures in the southern U.S. However, recent congrigations in Minnesota have suggested the possibility for using them as a biological control method in northern latitudes. In order for this to be an effective biocontrol method, the lowest temperature threshold needs to be quantified to determine the sustainability of the population over a wintering period. The results will show the potential effect of severe climate on the success of H. axyridis in Minnesota. It will also determine the extent of the species range and identify whether it can be a stable member of the community.

Presentation Index: H48


P31 NMR Studies of the Reaction Catalyzed by Creatine Kinase

Joe Dunbar
Sponsor: Nathan Winter
St. Cloud State University, Chemistry

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a high-energy phosphate used by the body's muscles to store and release energy. The ATP molecule contains two phosphoric anhydride linkages, which can be broken to release quick energy in the body. ATP with creatine is converted with an enzyme called Creatine kinase to Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and creatine phosphate. This is an easily reversible reaction that allows the body to regenerate energy from the creatine phosphate and ADP, making ATP/ADP a versatile energy shuttle device. The equilibrium constant for the enzyme-catalyzed reaction is ~1. We attempted to determine the concentrations of ATP and ADP using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR), from this we could determine the equilibrium constant. First we had to identify the NMR spectra of ATP and ADP, and then be able to accurately quantitate them together in a buffered solution. Knowing how to do this will allow us to perform the reaction with creatine kinase and then calculate the equilibrium constant.

Presentation Index: H49