Life Sciences Commons^™

Making Scholarly Activity Available To The Masses: The Scaffolding Of Scholarship Throughout The Undergraduate Curriculum, Michael Savarese, Trent R. Brown, Carolyn Culbertson, Anna Carlin

Florida Statewide Symposium: Best Practices in Undergraduate Research

Florida Gulf Coast University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) focuses on improving student critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication. Rather than developing these skills through traditional methods (e.g., through senior-level, independent research), these learning outcomes are practiced through scholarly experiences. Traditional undergraduate scholarship manifests itself through terminal, senior capstone or research experiences. These, because of the economy of scale, typically reach a minority of students, often just honors students or those approached by faculty mentors. At FGCU, however, scholarly experiences are a part of the curriculum throughout the program of study, and scaffolded to build greater depth and sophistication. Presented …

Fractal Analysis Of Dna Sequences, Christian G. Arias, Pedro Antonio Moreno Phd, Carlos Tellez

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Synchronization Of Coupled Neurons Via Robust Feedback, Hector Puebla, Ricardo Aguilar-Lopez, Priti Kumar Roy

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Ionic Basis Of Ventricular Action Potentials, Ariel L. Escobar

Science Seminar Series

Dr. Escobar will talk about his cutting-edge approach to understanding molecular mechanisms underlying electrical activity in the heart.

Increasing Maize Tolerance To Drought And Flood With Seed Coating Treatments, Jacob E. Bennett, Achint Sanghi, R. P. Kingsly Ambrose

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The lack of irrigation in regions prone to drought, and flooding due to high rainfall or lack of drainage affects seed viability and the subsequent germination and crop establishment. Seed treatment in the form of coatings shows promise as an effective method to preserve the viability of corn (Zea mays) seeds in drought and flood conditions. Chemical formulations may help improve the seed corn vigor under these stressed conditions. This study examined the efficacy of β-aminobutyric acid [BABA] and N-isopropylacrylamide [NIPA] in inducing drought resistance, as well as the ability of lanolin and linseed oil to provide flood …

Nanobubbles Provide Theranostic Relief To Cancer Hypoxia, Christopher M. Long, Pushpak N. Bhandari, Joseph Irudayaraj

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Hypoxia is a common motif among tumors, contributing to metastasis, angiogenesis, cellular epigenetic abnormality, and resistance to cancer therapy. Hypoxia also plays a pivotal role in oncological studies, where it can be used as a principal target for new anti-cancer therapeutic methods. Oxygen nanobubbles were designed in an effort to target the hypoxic tumor regions, thus interrupting the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) regulatory pathway and inhibiting tumor progression. At less than 100nm, oxygen nanobubbles act as a vehicle for site-specific oxygen delivery, while also serving as an ultrasound contrast agent for advanced imaging purposes. Through in vitro and in vivo studies, …

A Compact System For Photon Counting Based On Silicon Photomultiplier, Youngwoo Cho, Youngkee Jung, Euiwon Bae

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

A compact and portable detection system is necessary to measure the amount of pollutant from environmental sample by detecting and quantifying the light emitted by bioluminescent reporters. This silicon photomultiplier based project is hoping to acquire even more accurate data at a far lower light level than previously developed smartphone based system. After pre-amplification and comparator, the signal is separated from the internal noise present in the overall circuit. Next, the microcontroller counts the number of pulses generated by the comparator in a set amount of time and transfers the data to the Bluetooth module for the smartphone to receive …

Assembly Of Nucleic Acid-Based Nanoparticles By Gas-Liquid Segmented Flow Microfluidics, Matthew L. Capek, Ross Verheul, David H. Thompson

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The development of novel and efficient mixing methods is important for optimizing the efficiency of many biological and chemical processes. Tuning the physical and performance properties of nucleic acid-based nanoparticles is one such example known to be strongly affected by mixing efficiency. The characteristics of DNA nanoparticles (such as size, polydispersity, ζ-potential, and gel shift) are important to ensure their therapeutic potency, and new methods to optimize these characteristics are of significant importance to achieve the highest efficacy. In the present study, a simple segmented flow microfluidics system has been developed to augment mixing of pDNA/bPEI nanoparticles. This DNA and …

Role Of Sumoylation In Mitochondrial Division In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Ramya Modi, James Forney

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

SUMOylation is a post translation modification that involves the addition of a small protein called SUMO, Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier to a target protein. It is an important mechanism for the regulation of gene expression, the maintenance of genomic stability and in modifying nuclear proteins. More recently evidence has emerged for its importance in regulating mitochondrial fission and fusion in mammalian cells. This study evaluates the parameters for optimal staining of Tetrahymena thermophila mitochondria using two different dyes and then examines different cell lines with defects in the SUMOylation pathway. The first staining method uses Mitotracker Green, a vital stain that …

Mechanical Reliability Of Implantable Polyimide-Based Magnetic Microactuators For Biofouling Removal, Christian G. Figueroa-Espada, Qi Yang, Hyowon Lee

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder that typically requires a long-term implantation of a shunt system to manage its symptoms. These shunt systems are notorious for their extremely high failure rate. More than 40% of all implanted shunt systems fail within the first year of implantation. On average, 85% of all hydrocephalus patients with shunt systems undergo at least two shunt-revision surgeries within 10 years of implantation. A large portion of this high failure rate can be attributed to biofouling-related obstructions and infections. Previously, we developed flexible polyimide-based magnetic microactuators to remove obstructions formed on hydrocephalus shunts. To test the long-term …

Dawn Or Doom: The Risks And Rewards Of Emerging Technologies, Diana Hancock, Steve Tally, Gerry Mccartney, Michele Arthur

Purdue P-12 Networking Summit & Poster Session

Dawn or Doom is a free and open to the public conference at Purdue where we focus on benefits and risks surrounding some of the technologies that are both the most disruptive to current practices and being adopted the fastest. A collection of Purdue faculty experts and some outside speakers showcase their many perspectives related to this technology explosion, explore conditions that will foster innovation and investment into the next generation, and address the big-picture issues where both optimism and pessimism are warranted.

Modelling Short-Latency Disparity-Vergence Eye Movements Under Dichoptic Unbalanced Stimulation, Agostino Gibaldi, Guido Maiello, Peter J. Bex, Silvio P. Sabatini

MODVIS Workshop

Vergence eye movements align the optical axes of our two eyes onto an object of interest, thus facilitating the binocular summation of the images projected onto the left and the right retinae into a single percept. Both the computational substrate and the functional behaviour of binocular vergence eye movements have been the topic of in depth investigation. Here, we attempt to bring together what is known about computation and function of vergence mechanism. To this aim, we evaluated of a biologically inspired model of horizontal and vertical vergence control, based on a network of V1 simple and complex cells. The …

2016 Symposium Overview, Cedarville University

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Click the "Download" button in the top right corner to view the abstract booklet.

Squeaver, Cole Stonebrook, Matthew Frana, Samuel Tabor

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Overhanging limbs pose a threat to many homeowners with trees in their yard. If these limbs fall, property damage and personal injury are a major possibility. Currently the two methods used to cut and remove these limbs are hiring a tree service to use a boom truck to lift an arborist up to the limb or having a tree climber cut and lower the limb. Both methods are unsafe and expensive. Our design will be a tree-trimming device that can be rented from an equipment rental facility and operated by the homeowner. The machine will have the capability to extend …

15th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar Honors College, presents student projects through presentations, papers, films, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments and independent projects. Project presentations can represent any stage in a concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature review to fully completed and realized scholarly work. As in past symposia, …

Designing A Mobile Space Habitat Analog, Victor Kitmanyen, Matthew Burkhard, Timothy Disher

Human Factors and Applied Psychology Student Conference

No abstract provided.

Design Of A Mobile Shade And Cooling Structure For Grazing Dairy Herds, William Barbour, Ellen Moore, Jay Mcmillan

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

The U.S. organic dairy industry has experienced significant growth in recent years: over 10% growth annually since 2009 and 14.5% from 2010 to 2011; total market share is approximately 5% in the United States. The USDA places certain requirements on diary products that are certified organic, some of which are aimed at grazing practices. One challenge farmers must overcome to comply is keeping the cows in optimum conditions in a free-range grazing scenario; poor conditions such as excessive heat can decrease milk production and pose an economic burden on the dairy. The proposed system intends to control environmental conditions for …

Channel Movement, Error Analysis, And Impacts For Neighboring Landowners: A Lower Bear River, Ut Case Study, Russell Babb, Kellie Shawn, Todd Brown, Ayman Alafifi, David Rosenberg

Spring Runoff Conference

The Bear River Fellows program is a unique learning experience for undergraduate students giving hands-on experience in collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing environmental and ecological data. The Bear River is an important resource that provides water to farms, reservoirs, wetlands, wildlife, and hydropower generation. Because of the river’s value, it is important to understand how the Bear River channel moves and how that affects the surrounding landscape, which is a topic of interest for local land owners but especially conservationists in protecting wetlands and river ecology. We collected hydrological, topologic, and vegetative data from three persisting research sites along an 8 …

Seasonal Flow Rates Along The Lower Bear River, Ut, Todd Keniry, Dahlia Curiel, Dylan Anderson, Ayman Alafifi, David E. Rosenberg

Spring Runoff Conference

The goal of this research is to identify how flow on the Bear River in Cache Valley has changed over the last three years and how flow changes seasonally. Identifying flows is important to manage water resources along the Bear River. We collected and processed water pressure data every 30 minutes using HOBO transducers at two sites in Cache Valley (Morton, just downstream of highway 142, and Confluence which is located at the confluence of the Bear and Cub Rivers) south of the Idaho‐Utah border in 2015. We also measured flow and water stage up to three times per year …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

1. Fecal Coliforms and E. coli Levels in Surface Waters from McConnell Springs, 2011-2015, David Price, Division of Water Quality, Lexington-Fayette County Government
2. Buried Soils as an Important Control on C Storage along Human-Impacted Floodplains in Kentucky, USA, Ashley Casselberry and Gary Stinchcomb, Dept. of Geosciences & Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
3. Buried Soils are an Important Chemical Interface Controlling Mineral Weathering and Solute Gradients along River Corridors, Gary Stinchcomb, Ashley Casselberry, and Abigail Smith, Dept. of Geosciences & Watershed Studies Institute, Murray State University
4. Geospatial Evaluation of Sewer Gas to Indoor Air Pathways Relevant for Vapor …

Track 2: Stream Restoration, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Bankfull Open Channel Flow Model: Development and Applications for Stream Restoration Design, Charles Davis and Brian Belcher, Beaver Creek Hydrology, LLC, Lexington, KY
• Using Stream Restoration for Pollution Reduction, Wanda Lawson, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc, Louisville, KY
• KDFWR Hatchery Creek Stream and Wetlands Restoration Project - A Unique Opportunity to Maximize Trout Habitat, Create Recreational Opportunities and Provide Mitigation Credits: Planning & Design, Oakes Routt and others, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Louisville, KY
• KDFWR Hatchery Creek Stream and Wetlands Restoration Project - A Unique Opportunity to Maximize Trout Habitat, Create Recreational Opportunities and Provide Mitigation Credits: Construction …

Track 2: Environmental Impact, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Toward Rapid Detection of Phytophthora cinnamomi in Appalachian Streams, Kenton Sena and others, Dept. of Forestry, University of Kentucky
• Arsenic in Water and Risk of Cancer in Humans, Steven Lamm and others, Center for Epidemiology and Global Health, Washington, DC
• Examining the Impacts of Valley Fills in Stream Ecosystems on Amphibian and Aquatic Insect Communities in Southeastern Kentucky, John Bourne and Stephen Richter, Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD and Eastern Kentucky University
• The Wetlands Prioritization Tool, Caroline Chan, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY

Track 2: Soils, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Controlled Drainage in Western Kentucky: Mitigating Water Stress and Reducing Nutrient Loss to Surface Waters in Grain Crop Production, Ethan Snyder and Carrie Knott, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
• Comparing Simulated Soil Properties to Field Derived Values in Forested and Grassland Catena of MLRA 120, Trinity Baker and others, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky
• Soil Infiltration Rates in Six Agricultural Fields of Western Kentucky, Landon Gibbs and Iin Handayani, Dept. of Agricultural Science, Murray State University
• Investigation of the Climate Modeling Factors Impacting Forecasted Streamflow for Central Kentucky, …

Track 1: Source Water Protection, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Kentucky's Source Water Protection Assistance Program, Robert Blair and James Calhoun, Watershed Management Branch, Kentucky Division of Water and Jessica Moore, U.S. EPA, Dallas Texas
• Source Water Protection Assistance Program, Trimble County Water District #1 Customer Outreach Program, Andrew Stark, Trimble County Water District #1, Bedford, KY
• Kentucky Rural Water Association and Water Utilities' Efforts in Protecting Drinking Water Sources, Jack Stickney, Kentucky Rural Water Association, Bowling Green, KY
• Source Water Protection for the Riverbank Filtration System, Kay Ball and Rob Newman, Louisville Water Company, Louisville, KY

Track 1: Karst, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Characteristics of Cover-Collapse Sinkholes in Kentucky, James C. Currens, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Data and Model Investigation of a Fluviokarst System in the Bluegrass Region: Water, Sediment, and Carbon Interactions, Admin Husic and others, Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky
• Sourcing and Dynamics of Karst Hydrologic Inputs on Harmful Algal Bloom Occurrences in Kentucky Lakes, Robert Schaefer and Jason Polk, Dept. of Geography and Geology, Western Kentucky University
• Investigation of Fecal Contamination in the Little River Basin, Kentucky Using Microbial Source Tracking and Fecal Indicator Bacteria, 2013-2014, Mac A. Cherry, USGS, Kentucky Water Science Center

Track 1: Groundwater, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Proposed Bill to License Closed-Loop Geothermal System Vertical Borehole Well Drillers, Bart Davidson, Kentucky Geological Survey, David Jackson and Scotty Robertson, Kentucky Division of Water
• Using Oil and Gas Data to Assess the Distribution of Fresh and Saline Water in Northeastern Kentucky, Ethan Davis, Kentucky Geological Survey
• A Pilot Study to Assess Baseline Groundwater Chemistry for the Berea Sandstone and Rogersville Shale Play Area, Eastern Kentucky, Junfeng Zhu and others, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Investigation of Limestone Aquifer Characteristics in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky Area, Chuck Taylor and others, Kentucky Geological Survey

Plenary Session: Working With Flint Residents: Lead Discovery And Citizen Science In The Flint Water Crisis, Min Tang

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

No abstract provided.

Proceedings Of 2016 Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

This symposium was planned and conducted as a part of the state water resources research institute annual program that is supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number G11AP20081 from the United States Geological Survey. The contents of this proceedings document and the views and conclusions presented at the symposium are solely the responsibility of the individual authors and presenters and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USGS or of the symposium organizers and sponsors. This publication is produced with the understanding that the United States Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes.

Food Processing In Haiti, Maggie R. Del Ponte

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Automatic Food Expiration Notification System, Nikolas-Viktor P. Doukas, Ozan Celebi, Lindsey E. Colgrove, Michael D. Werner, Tre Commings, Christopher M. Zatek, Daniel E. Odihi

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.