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Articles 1321 - 1350 of 3436

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Representations Associated To The Group Matrix, Joseph Aaron Keller Feb 2014

Representations Associated To The Group Matrix, Joseph Aaron Keller

Theses and Dissertations

For a finite group G = {g_0 = 1, g_1,. . ., g_{n-1}} , we can associate independent variables x_0, x_1, . . ., x_{n-1} where x_i = x_{g_i}. There is a natural action of Aut(G) on C[x_0, . . . ,x_{n-})]. Let C_1, . . . , C_r be the conjugacy classes of G. If C = {g_{i_1}, g_{i_2}, . . . , g_{i_u }} is a conjugacy class, then let x(C) = x_{i_1} + x_{i_2} + . . . + x_{i_u}. Let ρG be the representation of Aut(G) on C[x_0, . . . , x_(n-1)]/〈x(C_1), . . . …

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Mentoring Undergraduates Via Organic Synthesis, Steven L. Castle Feb 2014

Mentoring Undergraduates Via Organic Synthesis, Steven L. Castle

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This report summarizes the results of the mentoring environment in my laboratory that were generated from January 2012 to present. During this period, a total of seven undergraduates performed research in my laboratory. Their names and accomplishments are listed below.

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Glacier Sensitivity In The Bhutanese Himalaya: Present And Future, Summer Rupper Feb 2014

Glacier Sensitivity In The Bhutanese Himalaya: Present And Future, Summer Rupper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The primary scientific goal of this 2011 MEG grant was to determine the current melt-rates for glaciers in the monsoonal Himalayas and how these rates will affect the size of glaciated areas and water resources in the next few decades. The target region was the Kingdom of Bhutan. The primary mentoring purpose of this proposal was to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to participate in this multi-institutional, international research project, contribute to science that is of direct, societal importance, and be part of a unique cultural experience.

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Mimics Of Antimicrobial Peptides And Glycolipid Immunology, Paul Savage Feb 2014

Mimics Of Antimicrobial Peptides And Glycolipid Immunology, Paul Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The primary objective of this project was to provide a research experience for as many undergraduate students as possible in a laboratory involved in research in fields spanning chemical, immunological and microbiological disciplines. By working closely with senior graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, undergraduate researchers learned how research is conducted in academic laboratories and were able to contribute to this research.

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Using Mechanical Resonance To Overcome Van Der Waals Forces In Optical Trapping Experiments, Nathan B. Terry, Dr. Justin B. Peatross Feb 2014

Using Mechanical Resonance To Overcome Van Der Waals Forces In Optical Trapping Experiments, Nathan B. Terry, Dr. Justin B. Peatross

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The laser trapping of microscopic particles has many applications, especially in chemistry, biology and physics (1). It is of special interest to utilize optical trapping to levitate small objects for interferometry work. The levitation of a glass microsphere requires first that the Van der Waals forces between the sphere and the surface on which it rests (the contact surface) must be overcome. The first stage of this experiment examines overcoming these Van der Waal forces by mechanically vibrating the contact surface.

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Thermodynamic Studies Of Technologically Significant Silicides, Rebecca Stevens, Dr. Juliana Boerio-Goates Feb 2014

Thermodynamic Studies Of Technologically Significant Silicides, Rebecca Stevens, Dr. Juliana Boerio-Goates

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Vanadium, molybdenum, and tungsten silicides are inorganic materials that have many practical applications at high temperatures and high pressures1. Eight compounds which are of particular interest are found in Table 1. Accurate thermodynamic data aids in the synthesis of high purity, single phase materials. For example, knowledge of the Gibbs free energies as a function of temperature and pressure allows one to predict relative stabilities of the binary compounds. Calculation of this thermodynamic property requires the enthalpy of formation of these materials as well as their entropies and heat capacities. The enthalpies have been reported for many of these compounds …

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Isolation And Structural Elucidation Of Cancer Therapeutic Agents In Rhamnaecae Ziziphus Obtusifolia, Matthew Woll, Dr. Noel Owen Feb 2014

Isolation And Structural Elucidation Of Cancer Therapeutic Agents In Rhamnaecae Ziziphus Obtusifolia, Matthew Woll, Dr. Noel Owen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Many important and useful biological compounds are found in plants. Extensive work has been done on evaluating anti-cancer 1, 2, anti-malarial 3, and anti-viral 4 properties of plants. The Yaqui Indians of northern Mexico have traditionally used many natural products to cure various diseases. Gloria Moroyoqui, the daughter of a Yaqui Indian shaman (medicine man) explained to us some of the plants and their uses as medicine. The Yaqui Indians have used Rhamnacae ziziphus obtusifolia, commonly known as graythorn, as a cancer chemotherapeutic agent.

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Ultrafast/Nonlinear Optical Studies Of Cdse Nanocrystals, Kevin C. Wright, Dr. Bret C. Hess Feb 2014

Ultrafast/Nonlinear Optical Studies Of Cdse Nanocrystals, Kevin C. Wright, Dr. Bret C. Hess

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This research project has been much more time-consuming than I anticipated. Because the required lasers and optical elements are very sensitive and highly susceptible to accidental misalignment and damage, many parts of the multi-stage laser amplification system had to be rebuilt from the ground up several times during the course of this research. This was a great hands-on learning opportunity for me, even though it did impede the progress of my research somewhat. I have still been able to accomplish most of the objectives outlined in my proposal. Specifically, I have completed all but the final stage of the proposed …

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Web Browser For The Visually Impaired, Corey Wride, Dr. Parris Egbert Feb 2014

Web Browser For The Visually Impaired, Corey Wride, Dr. Parris Egbert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The original purpose of this project was to make the incredible resource of the Internet available to the visually impaired. The main contribution, however, has been a human-realistic text reader.

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Help For The Stereogramically Challenged, Brian R. Zaugg, Dr. Robert P. Burton Feb 2014

Help For The Stereogramically Challenged, Brian R. Zaugg, Dr. Robert P. Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although single-image stereograms were invented in 1979, they were virtually unknown until the 1990’s. The last eight years have seen an explosion in stereogram popularity. Stereograms have become the subject of books, posters, calendars, screen savers, and more. Stereograms are images which have 3D information hidden within them. At first glance, most stereograms looks like nothing more than a jumble of colors and repeated patterns. When properly viewed, however, a stunning 3D image becomes visible. Proper viewing is the trick. Unfortunately, many people have difficulty seeing the 3D images hidden within the stereograms. The aim of this project was to …

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Utah Valley Air Sample Measurements, Ryan Hamilton, Dr. Lawrenece Rees, Dr. Nolan Mangelson, Dr. Delbert Eatough Feb 2014

Utah Valley Air Sample Measurements, Ryan Hamilton, Dr. Lawrenece Rees, Dr. Nolan Mangelson, Dr. Delbert Eatough

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In an effort at reducing the carbon monoxide levels in the atmosphere, Utah has mandated the use of oxygenated fuels during winter inversions. While the fuel additive has been shown to reduce CO levels by as much as 4%, the unique chemistry of the air in Utah Valley has raised concerns about the oxygenated fuels contributing to air pollution in the form of fine particulate matter–a pollutant recently brought under tighter regulation by the EPA. To diagnose the problem, air samples from around Utah Valley were taken during the winter, both in times of inversion and in times when there …

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A Comparison Of Y Scuti And Y Doradus Variable Stars, Matthew B. Garvin, Dr. Eric Hintz Feb 2014

A Comparison Of Y Scuti And Y Doradus Variable Stars, Matthew B. Garvin, Dr. Eric Hintz

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the course of this summer, I observed a possible ã Doradus/ä Scuti variable star, V927 Herculis. Observations of this star were made using the David Derrick 16 inch telescope located on the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus in the Orson Pratt Observatory. Due to the often inclement weather, five nights of time-series photometry data were obtained. The data were compared to the known characteristics of the ä Scuti and ã Doradus class of variable stars. V927 Herculis was found to have characteristics similar to both classes. Spectroscopic data need to be obtained to make a clear distinction of which …

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Atomic Force Microscopy Manipulation Of Cadmium Selenide Nanocrystals, Taylor D. Grow, Dr. Robert C. Davis Feb 2014

Atomic Force Microscopy Manipulation Of Cadmium Selenide Nanocrystals, Taylor D. Grow, Dr. Robert C. Davis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cadmium Selenide Nanocrystals are semiconducting particles that exhibit very interesting and as yet not understood quantum properties. These particles also fluoresce with very high efficiency. In order to study how the quantum state of these particles affects their flourescent properties Dr. Davis has designed an experiment where a single nanoparticle needs to be isolated between two gold electrodes. In order to do this I used a Digital Instruments Atomic Force Microscope to develop a procedure to move these particles (Fig. 1).

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Statistical Analysis Of The Comet Assay Using A Mixture Of Gamma Distributions, Bryan E. Shepherd, Dr. G. Bruce Schaalje Feb 2014

Statistical Analysis Of The Comet Assay Using A Mixture Of Gamma Distributions, Bryan E. Shepherd, Dr. G. Bruce Schaalje

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The comet (single cell gel electrophoresis) assay is a highly sensitive method of detecting cellular DNA damage that is often used in cancer research. The “tail moment” is the most widely used measurement of DNA damage in the comet assay. A higher tail moment indicates more DNA damage. In almost all cases the tail moments of a sample of cells do not follow the normal distribution, and often the variation of tail moments between samples of cells exposed to different treatments is unequal. This causes difficulty when performing statistical analyses because these assumptions are necessary in order for t-tests or …

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Cyclooxygenase 1 And 2: Development Of Canine Invitro And Whole Blood Assays For Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Nicole L. Hatch, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Feb 2014

Cyclooxygenase 1 And 2: Development Of Canine Invitro And Whole Blood Assays For Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Nicole L. Hatch, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) are the basis for a multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical market. Their target, Cyclooxygenase (COX), might from an economic standpoint be considered the most important enzyme known to man (1). NSAIDS inhibit COX from producing arachdonic acid, a precursor to prostaglandins (2). Prostaglandins have been indicated in platelet aggregation, cancer, the processing of pain information in the spinal cord, septic shock, smooth muscle contraction during ovulation, cell proliferation, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammation.

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Photodynamic Therapy As A Cure For Ick, Spencer C. Davis, Dr. James Thorne Feb 2014

Photodynamic Therapy As A Cure For Ick, Spencer C. Davis, Dr. James Thorne

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a new technique currently used to treat malignant cancer tumors in humans. This treatment uses the principles of light in a manner similar to types of radiation therapy. In PDT a photosensitizing dye is injected intraveneously diffusing to all cells. Tumor cell absorption of the dye is targeted by tailoring chemical properties of the photosensitizer, concentrating it in the tumor. The sensitizers absorb light energy, producing an excited singlet oxygen that readily reacts with double bonds and oxidizes adjacent molecules. PDT is very effective because the extremely reactive singlet oxygen travels only a short distance before …

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Synthesis Of Bioconjugate Dimers Used To Probe The Structure Of Pglycoprotein, Emily Parker, Dr. Merritt B. Andrus Feb 2014

Synthesis Of Bioconjugate Dimers Used To Probe The Structure Of Pglycoprotein, Emily Parker, Dr. Merritt B. Andrus

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Chemotherapy is one of the primary treatments for cancer today. A patient’s life may depend on its efficacy, so when he or she develops multi-drug resistance (MDR) the results can be devastating. MDR, a clinical condition manifested by the failure of chemotherapy, is primarily due to the expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a membrane-bound small molecule transport protein which is found normally in some cells but is greatly over expressed in drug resistant cancer cells1. It is believed that after chemotherapy drugs diffuse into the cell, Pgp effluxes them out using energy from ATP hydrolysis, thus imparting drug resistance.

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The Process Of Creating Microsolvated Ions Using Electrospray Ionization And Fourier-Transform Ion Cycoltron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Laura Cunningham, Dr. David V. Dearden Feb 2014

The Process Of Creating Microsolvated Ions Using Electrospray Ionization And Fourier-Transform Ion Cycoltron Resonance Mass Spectrometry, Laura Cunningham, Dr. David V. Dearden

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Microsolvation is the process of attaching solvent molecules to a host molecule in the gas phase, creating a system which exhibits characteristics between that of gas-phase and solution-phase systems. Study of these microsolvated systems can help us to understand the difference between gas-phase and solution-phase behavior, and uncover the conditions under which an ion may be considered solvated. Using electrospray ionization and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, our team studied the best methods for creating microsolvated systems between alkali metals and various solvents.

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Quantization Using Dithering For Palette Selection, Thomas Howard, Dr. Bryan S. Morse Feb 2014

Quantization Using Dithering For Palette Selection, Thomas Howard, Dr. Bryan S. Morse

Journal of Undergraduate Research

When performing image quantization, palette selection has always been a difficult problem. All methods, although they may produce acceptable result for some images, perform poorly on others. The problem lies in deciding which colors are best to include in the quantized palette. For example, when quantizing an image that has a large gradient sky and multiple colors, a computer scientist is faced with a difficult choice. Either he can choose to allocate the colors of the palette to have a wide range of colors or he can give most of the colors to the gradient areas. The first will produce …

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An Efficient Reductive Amination Protocol Using Benzylamine-Borane As Reducing Agent, Adam M. Bowman, Dr. Matt A. Peterson Feb 2014

An Efficient Reductive Amination Protocol Using Benzylamine-Borane As Reducing Agent, Adam M. Bowman, Dr. Matt A. Peterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Reductive amination is an important method used to generate amines from aldehydes or ketones. This process occurs in a two-step in situ reaction. First, an iminium intermediate is formed when the carbonyl compound condenses with ammonia or a primary or secondary amine. This intermediate is then reduced by a reducing agent already present in the reaction mixture (Scheme 1).

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The Piecewise Parabolic Method In Plasma Simulation, York E. Young Feb 2014

The Piecewise Parabolic Method In Plasma Simulation, York E. Young

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Aware of the large number of insights which may result from a better understanding of non-neutral plasmas, the Brigham Young University plasma group currently explores the electrostatic normal modes of oscillation in confined plasmas. Researchers at BYU currently perform computational studies of waves In non-neutral plasmas confined in real geometries in support of experiments both here and elsewhere.

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A Study Of Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna (Rapd) As Markers In A Linkage Map Of Peromvscus Using Two Inbred Strains, Dan Ririe Feb 2014

A Study Of Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna (Rapd) As Markers In A Linkage Map Of Peromvscus Using Two Inbred Strains, Dan Ririe

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the mouse genus Peromyscus there exists many pericentric inversions containing linkage groups, genes which do not recombine. It has been hypothesized that genes inherited together provide the selective pressure which has caused speciation within the genus. The purpose of this project was to aid ongoing research in the lab of Dr. Duke Rogers in finding genetic markers in the mouse genus Peromyscus. From these markers a linkage map will eventually be developed, It is this linkage map which can help answer several evolutionary questions concerning this genus.

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Creation Of Mutations Of The Human Cdc34 Gene: A Regulator Of The Cell Division Cycle, Craig Rogers Feb 2014

Creation Of Mutations Of The Human Cdc34 Gene: A Regulator Of The Cell Division Cycle, Craig Rogers

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the yeast strain Saccharomyces cerevlslae, the gene CDC34 encodes for a ubiquitln ligase necessary for the transition from GI to the S phase of the cell division cycle.

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Thick Target Applications Of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (Pixe), Renee Williams Feb 2014

Thick Target Applications Of Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (Pixe), Renee Williams

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) accomplishes simultaneous multiple- trace element analysis with samples weighing less than one milligram. Having such rare capabilities, PIXE has applications in many disciplines. Environmental, industrial and medical fields span only a few of the areas where PIXE has been used. Brigham Young University has conducted PIXE research in these disciplines and others for over 25 years. One of the current research projects involves the elemental analysis of lichens from Federal lands in the Intermountain west. During this project, weaknesses in the existing PIXE system became more apparent which sacrificed the precision of the method. Research …

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Na+/K+ Atpase Concentrations In Pregnancy-Related Tissues, Sarah M. Buck, Dr. Steven Graves Feb 2014

Na+/K+ Atpase Concentrations In Pregnancy-Related Tissues, Sarah M. Buck, Dr. Steven Graves

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Na+/K+ ATPase, or sodium pump, is an integral protein that is essential in maintaining proper intracellular concentrations of Na+ and K+. The sodium pump exists in three isoforms which are present in varying numbers and relative distribution in different tissues. As the pump moves the ions in and out of the cell, it creates a cell membrane potential. When this potential decreases, muscle contracts. It is proposed that this may be a factor in the initiation or the sustaining of labor status. This study is concerned mainly with determining a possible correlation between sodium pump concentrations in pregnancy-related tissues and …

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Voxel-Selected Ray Tracing, Darwin Baines, Dr. Robert P. Burton Feb 2014

Voxel-Selected Ray Tracing, Darwin Baines, Dr. Robert P. Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Voxel-Selected Ray Tracing (VSRT) is a technique that uses undersampling to reduce the computation time necessary to render realistic looking animations. Although undersampling tends to reduce the quality of an image, VSRT includes error checking techniques that minimize the reduction in quality of the animation. I produced a basic working model of VSRT that reduced the number of voxels calculated. I explored a way to improve the algorithm even further by making the sampling adaptive so that we could find more similarity between picture frames and therefore reduce the number of calculations. Although I found it possible to implement such …

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Transfected Rna Used In Determining The Location Of Splicing In The Cell And As A Treatment For Disease, Weston E. Spencer, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Feb 2014

Transfected Rna Used In Determining The Location Of Splicing In The Cell And As A Treatment For Disease, Weston E. Spencer, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Among the fastest moving areas of research today is that of RNA splicing and protein synthesis. Recently, a new gene (Cyclooxygenase-2) was discovered that encodes a protein in chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF-147) believed to be involved in the synthesis of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are naturally occurring fatty acids that can lower blood pressure, regulate acid secretion of the stomach, regulate body temperature, control inflammation, and can affect the action of certain hormones. This novel gene is found in tumor cells in the colon. When the tumor cells become malignant the gene becomes extremely active, thus producing more of its corresponding protein …

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Report On Redox Centers In Ferritin, Daren Heaton Feb 2014

Report On Redox Centers In Ferritin, Daren Heaton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As described in my research proposal, I Investigated the redox centers In ferritin. Thanks to the creative activities scholarship, I was able to spend a significant amount of time In this investigation. Some of my work was influential in a grant proposal submitted by Dr. Gary Watt. This proposal received a good rating by NIH and will likely result in future funding for this project.

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Preventing Asteroid Impact By Deflection: A Numerical Simulation, Rebecca J. Carlson Feb 2014

Preventing Asteroid Impact By Deflection: A Numerical Simulation, Rebecca J. Carlson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Small objects from outer space collide with the earth’s atmosphere every day. Most of these are small enough to burn up completely before hitting the ground. A few, however, reach the earth’s surface as meteorites. On occasion, an asteroid large enough to cause serious darnage impacts the earth. Although impacts large enough to destroy cities only occur once in a thousand years or so, if such an event were to occur there would be great loss of life and damage of property (Rather 1992). Because of this, it is important to develop plans to deter an asteroid on a colllslon …

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A Comparison Of Statistical Software Packages In The Analysis Of Survey Sample Data, Landon Sego, Dr. Howard B. Christensen, Dr. Stephen J. Bahr Feb 2014

A Comparison Of Statistical Software Packages In The Analysis Of Survey Sample Data, Landon Sego, Dr. Howard B. Christensen, Dr. Stephen J. Bahr

Journal of Undergraduate Research

To investigate and quantitatively document the differences between analyzing survey sample data with traditional statistical software (SAS) and with statistical software designed for the analysis of survey samples (SUDAAN).

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