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Articles 1441 - 1470 of 3451

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Identification Of The Regulatory Elements Responsible For The Control Of Premrna Splicing Of Intron-1 In Chicken Cox-2, Daniel L. Simmons, Dr. Orlan Kenneth Macdonald Jan 2014

Identification Of The Regulatory Elements Responsible For The Control Of Premrna Splicing Of Intron-1 In Chicken Cox-2, Daniel L. Simmons, Dr. Orlan Kenneth Macdonald

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In order to create a unique clone of chicken COX-2 it was necessary to insert a synthetic DNA tag into the full-length version of the COX-2 cDNA. First, a 21-nucleotide oligo and its complement were produced using a DNA synthesizer. The oligos were purified, phosphorylated and then annealed.

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A Search For An Internal Ribosomal Entry Site In The Human Angiotensin 2, Type 1 Receptor, Joseph A. Garcia, Dr. Terry S. Elton Jan 2014

A Search For An Internal Ribosomal Entry Site In The Human Angiotensin 2, Type 1 Receptor, Joseph A. Garcia, Dr. Terry S. Elton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The study of human genetics has recently exploded into numerous fields and, as a result, our knowledge of genetics and gene related illnesses is growing exponentially. Human DNA undergoes three main levels of control. The first is replication where the genome is reproduced in an exact copy. The second level is transcription, where an RNA polymerase transcribes DNA into mRNA. Finally translation where mRNA, the code for making a protein is recognized by ribosomes. Ribosomes recognize the 5′ region of the mRNA and scan along until they find the start codon to initiate the translation of the mRNA into a …

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Distribution Of Isoforms Of The Sodium Pump In Pregnancy-Related Tissues: Changes For Women In Labor, David S. Faux, Dr. Steven W. Graves Jan 2014

Distribution Of Isoforms Of The Sodium Pump In Pregnancy-Related Tissues: Changes For Women In Labor, David S. Faux, Dr. Steven W. Graves

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The birth of a baby has always been regarded as a miracle. Even today the carefully orchestrated events that result in birth elude the outreaches of scientific research. Among the most important of these events are the contractions of the uterus termed labor. Several factors are known to be important in the initiation and maintenance of labor, including hormones secreted by the placenta and the aminochorionic membranes. The mechanisms or factors that increase secretion and/or production of these activating agents are less well understood.

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Elements Regulating Excision Of Chicken Cyclooxygenase-2 Intron 1, Nathan Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Jan 2014

Elements Regulating Excision Of Chicken Cyclooxygenase-2 Intron 1, Nathan Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cyclooxygenases (COXs) are enzymes that are responsible for the production of a potent class of biological signaling molecules called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are involved in responses such as inflammation, contraction of smooth muscle, and regulation of water balance in the kidney. They are also found in greatly elevated amounts in some types of cancer. This elevation in prostaglandins is the result of increased production of the form of COX known as COX-2. Because COX-2 may play a role in the development of cancer, an understanding of how COX-2 is regulated is important in the understanding of cancer and may give insights …

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Image Tile Compression For Interactive Terrain Visualization With A Slow Network Connection, Brandon Lloyd, Dr. Parris K. Egbert Jan 2014

Image Tile Compression For Interactive Terrain Visualization With A Slow Network Connection, Brandon Lloyd, Dr. Parris K. Egbert

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the 3D graphics lab at BYU we have developed a terrain visualization program called DVIEW capable of handling extremely large datasets. Our largest model is a piece of the Wasatch front nearly 100 miles long and 50 miles wide. The original vision for DVIEW was to provide users with fast internet connections with the opportunity to navigate the model on their home PCs. We have developed methods in the lab that make it possible to render the model at interactive frame rates with commodity hardware. Unfortunately, only a fast network connection can handle the enormous amount of data that …

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Extraction Of Genealogical Information From The Internet, Troy Walker, Dr. David Embley Jan 2014

Extraction Of Genealogical Information From The Internet, Troy Walker, Dr. David Embley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Data extraction is a rapidly growing area of computer science. It focuses on the extraction of pertinent data from large stores of knowledge such as databases or the internet. Data extraction allows us to use existing stores of data in new ways. One application for data extraction is genealogical research. Various commercial and non-profit groups make genealogical data available on line. In addition to these, hundreds of personal web pages contain personal family trees. I wanted to enable the extraction of information from these sources by computer. BYU’s Data Extraction Group (DEG) has developed tools for extracting data from web …

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Image Compression Using Triangular Meshes, G. Thomas Finnigan, Dr. Thomas W. Sederberg Jan 2014

Image Compression Using Triangular Meshes, G. Thomas Finnigan, Dr. Thomas W. Sederberg

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Image Compression is a way of decreasing the amount of space needed to store or transmit an image by removing redundant information. In many ways, compression it like folding clothing – the result takes up less space, but it not immediately usable. Compressing an image means that it is cheaper to store, and faster to transmit, but may take more time to compress and decompress. The best compression methods compress and decompress quickly, but offer a significant savings in the size of the file.

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Human-Robot Interface Design, Jacob W. Crandall, Dr. Michael A. Goodrich Jan 2014

Human-Robot Interface Design, Jacob W. Crandall, Dr. Michael A. Goodrich

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the last few years, there have been vast advancements in robot technology. These advancements have made robots more powerful. However, because of robot limitations, many interesting tasks will probably include humans and robots cooperating to achieve a shared goal. Lessons from process automation indicate that, in many instances, increased machine automation can actually decreased the effectiveness of human operators. This lesson tells robot designers that robots must be designed with human factors in mind. Situations arise where “artificial intelligence” isn’t sufficient and human reasoning can significantly improve performance.

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Determining Optical Constants With An Euv Polarimeter, Fabian Walter, Dr. R. Steven Turley Jan 2014

Determining Optical Constants With An Euv Polarimeter, Fabian Walter, Dr. R. Steven Turley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Characterizing mirrors is of great importance when designing optical devices. In order to control the reflectivity, these mirrors are made of multilayer structures. The index of refraction n, which allows for the calculation of the reflectivity, depends on the wavelength of the light. In the XUV (extreme ultraviolet) regime, n is not well known and experiments to determine it have to be done under vacuum due to the absorption of XUV light by air. This complicates the performing of experiments with light of that wavelength.

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Evaluation Of The Abilities Of Cationic Steroid Antibiotics To Inhibit Microbial Growth In Food, Timothy W. Winter, Dr. Paul B. Savage Jan 2014

Evaluation Of The Abilities Of Cationic Steroid Antibiotics To Inhibit Microbial Growth In Food, Timothy W. Winter, Dr. Paul B. Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Food-borne illnesses are a continuing problem in the US. According to figures from the Center for Disease Control, an estimated one million food-borne infections and 500 deaths occur each year associated with Salmonella. Also reported are the cases involving Escherichia coli O157:H7; the death toll is between 50 and 100 people every year. Currently, the only antibiotic approved for use in food in the US is nisin, a cationic peptide antibiotic (CPA) that is active against Gram-positive bacteria but not Gram-negative (including E. Coli and Salmonella).

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Effects Of Ammine And Hydroxyl Groups On The Fluorescence Of Chemosensors, Scott H. Fredrickson, Dr. Paul Savage Jan 2014

Effects Of Ammine And Hydroxyl Groups On The Fluorescence Of Chemosensors, Scott H. Fredrickson, Dr. Paul Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Diaza-crown ethers have the ability to bind many metal cations. When certain side arms are attached, a fluorescence increase can be observed when the metal binds to the crown.1,2,3,4 Via this increase in fluorescence, presence of metal cations can be detected. For industrial purposes, these molecules may be important in the determination of toxic metal levels in waste streams. The use of different side arms effects the initial fluorescence observed. A side arm similar to 1 is not fluorescent. It is believed that transfer of the hydrogen atom on the hydroxyl group to the pyridine nitrogen quenches fluorescence. When …

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Stable Diode Laser Systems For Laser Cooling And Trapping, Andrew David Ludlow, Dr. Scott Bergeson Jan 2014

Stable Diode Laser Systems For Laser Cooling And Trapping, Andrew David Ludlow, Dr. Scott Bergeson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Laser cooling and trapping has become one of the most widespread and successful research tools within atomic physics in the last twenty years. The idea is to “hit” an oncoming atom with photons of laser light, which slow the atom down. Then, using the appropriate magnetic field in conjunction with the laser light, atoms are not only slowed down to a near stop, but also become trapped and suspended in a small region of space. Since temperature is really only the measure of atoms’ speed, these slow, trapped atoms are very, very cold – near absolute zero. In the last …

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Characteristics Of An Infrared, Slitless, Spectroscopic, Emission-Line Galaxy Survey, Jacob Peter Fugal, Dr. J. Ward Moody Jan 2014

Characteristics Of An Infrared, Slitless, Spectroscopic, Emission-Line Galaxy Survey, Jacob Peter Fugal, Dr. J. Ward Moody

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cosmology has always attracted the minds of those who pursue the burning question of how the universe began. Since Edwin Hubble proved not only the existence of galaxies outside the Milky Way but also that the further away they are, the faster they are moving away, more and more research has given support to the “Big Bang” theory of the birth of the universe. This research includes the discovery of the cosmological microwave background radiation and the agreement of modeled and observed ratios of Hydrogen, Deuterium, Helium, and Lithium seen in primitive areas of galaxies.

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The Development Of An Active Noise Control System For A Small Axial Fan, Kent L. Gee, Dr. Scott D. Sommerfeldt Jan 2014

The Development Of An Active Noise Control System For A Small Axial Fan, Kent L. Gee, Dr. Scott D. Sommerfeldt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Axial cooling fans used in computers, projectors, and printers often contribute significantly to background noise levels in both the workplace and classroom because of the distinct and often annoying tones they produce. These tones are principally caused by spatially unsteady flow through the fan, due to finger guards and other obstructions. Active noise control (ANC) lends itself as a viable approach to fan tonal noise reduction because of the low frequency nature of the noise, which limits the effectiveness and practicality of more traditional “passive” means of controlling noise. An ANC system cancels or attenuates unwanted noise by creating “antinoise” …

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Macrocycle-Substituted Resorcinarenes As Primary Functional Groups In Ion Chromatography, Arlo Mcginn, John D. Lamb Jan 2014

Macrocycle-Substituted Resorcinarenes As Primary Functional Groups In Ion Chromatography, Arlo Mcginn, John D. Lamb

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ion chromatography is an instrumental technique known for its ability to determine and quantify mixtures of ions in solution. In ion chromatography, a solution containing different ions is passed through a column packed with a stationary phase containing active groups (chemical compounds that exhibit binding properties). These active groups show affinity for the various ions in solution. Chemical separations are achieved in ion chromatography by means of electrostatic interactions and coordinate covalent bond formation between the active groups in the stationary phase of the chromatography column and the ions present in the mobile phase or eluent. Strong interactions effectively slow …

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Interaction Of Phosducin-Like Protein With Eukaryotic Cytosolic Chaperonin, Sarah Hart, Dr. Barry Willardson Jan 2014

Interaction Of Phosducin-Like Protein With Eukaryotic Cytosolic Chaperonin, Sarah Hart, Dr. Barry Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Eukaryotic cells employ G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) to detect various extracellular signaling molecules, including many that control cell proliferation. As a result, a knowledge of G protein pathway components and their mechanisms of interaction and regulation is essential in understanding cell transformation. Phosducin-like protein (PhLP) is a broadly expressed regulator of G protein signaling that exerts its effect by binding to G protein âã subunits [1-3]. When a signaling molecule binds to the extracellular surface of the receptor, it results in a conformational change in the receptor. This causes an interaction between the receptor and a heterotrimeric G protein …

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Hybrid Radial Basis Functions For Image Representation, Samuel Payne, Dr. Bryan Morse Jan 2014

Hybrid Radial Basis Functions For Image Representation, Samuel Payne, Dr. Bryan Morse

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My ORCA research topic was 3D shape representation. I proposed research to develop a new method for representing surfaces that combined two current methods. The oldest method (thinplate spline model) was developed by Turk and O’Brien in 1998. The second method (compactly supported RBF) was developed by my mentor, Bryan Morse in May 2001. These methods have complimenting strengths and weaknesses. Therefore I planned to hybridize these two methods to preserve the strengths in both, and thus overcome their respective weakness.

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Agent Decompositions In Reinforcement Learning Architectures, Nancy Owens Fulda, Todd Peterson Jan 2014

Agent Decompositions In Reinforcement Learning Architectures, Nancy Owens Fulda, Todd Peterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Reinforcement learning is a sub-discipline of machine learning in which an autonomous program, called an agent, learns to behave appropriately in its environment. Appropriate behavior is described in terms of numerical reinforcements which the agent receives for appropriate or inappropriate actions. By storing a running average of the reinforcements received for given actions in given situations, the agent learns which behaviors are most desirable.

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Reinforcement Learning Task Clustering, James Carroll, Todd Peterson Jan 2014

Reinforcement Learning Task Clustering, James Carroll, Todd Peterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Reinforcement Learning is a process whereby actions are acquired using reinforcement signals. A signal is given to an autonomous agent indicating how well that agent is performing an action. The agent then attempts to maximize this reinforcement signal. One common method in reinforcement learning is Q-learning where the agent attempts to learn the expected temporally discounted value function for performing an action a in a state s Q(s,a). This function is updated according to:

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Nature Of Calcium Carbonate Precipitate And Chemical Composition Of Water At Blue Lake Warm Spring, Utah, Benjamin R. Jordan, Dr. Eric H. Christiansen Jan 2014

Nature Of Calcium Carbonate Precipitate And Chemical Composition Of Water At Blue Lake Warm Spring, Utah, Benjamin R. Jordan, Dr. Eric H. Christiansen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Blue Lake is located in a remote area of Western Utah, about 25 km south of Wendover, Utah. The lake has a year-round temperature of 23 degrees Celsius. This is due to the lake being fed by warm springs located at a depth of 15 m within the lake. The bottom of the lake is covered with a fine carbonate mud. The multiple inflows, however, are filled with fine sand, predominately quartz, much of which is kept in constant motion by the inflowing groundwater. Contained within this sand, and located directly within the inflows, sometimes actually suspended in them, are …

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Pre-Service University Math Education Programs In Japan, Vonn R. Christenson, Dr. Blake Peterson Jan 2014

Pre-Service University Math Education Programs In Japan, Vonn R. Christenson, Dr. Blake Peterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

For years the United States has lagged behind the international community in mathematical performance at the elementary and secondary education levels. In the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), differences between the teaching style in Japan and the United States were studied, identified and recorded. Through this study, it was discovered that students in the United States “encounter mathematics that is at a lower level, is somewhat superficial, and is not as fully or coherently developed” as the mathematics in Japan.i

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Calculating Cold Non-Neutral Plasma Modes Using Finite Difference Schemes In A Non-Orthogonal Coordinate System, Donald M. Cannon, Dr. Ross L. Spencer Jan 2014

Calculating Cold Non-Neutral Plasma Modes Using Finite Difference Schemes In A Non-Orthogonal Coordinate System, Donald M. Cannon, Dr. Ross L. Spencer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A plasma is a gaseous collection of charged particles. Although the particles move relatively independently, their interactions with each other as well as with externally applied fields result in collective behavior such as waves and turbulence. The complexity of this behavior has been one of the biggest obstacles in the development of nuclear fusion as an alternative power source as scientists have tried to understand and control the plasmas formed in fusion experiments. One of the characteristics of plasma behavior is the existence of normal modes. Just as different harmonics on a vibrating string can combine to form complex wave …

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Development Of Integrated Pumps For Microdevices, Melissa Draper, Dr. Adam Woolley Jan 2014

Development Of Integrated Pumps For Microdevices, Melissa Draper, Dr. Adam Woolley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Miniaturization offers several advantages in regards to protein characterization, including the potential to increase speed and throughput while reducing reagent consumption (and therefore reducing cost) during analysis. In recent years, the Human Genome Project has generated an unprecedented amount of genetic information; it has also instigated several developments in the area of miniaturization. However, one of the greatest advantages of the technique—the possibility of forming integrated microdevices capable of carrying out multiple steps of an assay on a single miniaturized platform—remains relatively undeveloped.

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Improved Synthesis Of 2-Amino-6-Alkoxypurineribosides, Potential Co-Agents For Combination Therapy With Alkylating Anticancer Drugs, Dr. Morris J. Robins, Dr. Theodore C. Jessop Jan 2014

Improved Synthesis Of 2-Amino-6-Alkoxypurineribosides, Potential Co-Agents For Combination Therapy With Alkylating Anticancer Drugs, Dr. Morris J. Robins, Dr. Theodore C. Jessop

Journal of Undergraduate Research

2-amino-6-alkoxypurineribosides are involved in clinical testing as anticancer co-drugs (1); however, current methods for the large scale synthesis of these compounds have proven extremely difficult. The improved synthesis of 2-amino-6-alkoxypurineribosides reported herein allows easy access to these medicinally important compounds.

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Simulation Of A Quantum Algorithm On A Classical Computer, Brent Kraczek, Dr. Jean-Francois Van Huele Jan 2014

Simulation Of A Quantum Algorithm On A Classical Computer, Brent Kraczek, Dr. Jean-Francois Van Huele

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Quantum computation is a recent idea of how to use quantum mechanics to improve computer performance. Although a full quantum computer has not yet been built, a few algorithms have been developed which take advantage of different aspects of quantum mechanics. David Deutsch, one of the founders of quantum computation, claims that “classical computation” is based on the mathematics allowed by classical physics–what we experience in everyday life; quantum computation is based on the mathematics allowed by quantum mechanics [1]. My research centers on understanding the differences between classical and quantum computation through one such algorithm, Shor’s prime factorization algorithm …

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Effects Of Protein Ratio And Concentration On Nitrogenase Catalyzed Substrate Reduction, Kyrsten Ann Crawford, Dr. Gerald D. Watt Jan 2014

Effects Of Protein Ratio And Concentration On Nitrogenase Catalyzed Substrate Reduction, Kyrsten Ann Crawford, Dr. Gerald D. Watt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although the earth’s atmosphere is approximately 80% nitrogen (N2) gas, this form of nitrogen is inert and must be reduced and “fixed” into a useable form of nitrogen through the process of nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen fixation is an important biological process in the earth’s nitrogen cycle because it provides nutrient nitrogen for plants and animals. The enzyme responsible for conducting nitrogen fixation is nitrogenase, which is found only in certain diazotrophic microorganisms. Nitrogenase is also capable of reducing protons (H+) and small substrates that have a terminal triple bond, such as acetylene (C2H2 …

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Establishing A Mammalian Expression System For Cyclooxygenase-2, Nathan K. Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Jan 2014

Establishing A Mammalian Expression System For Cyclooxygenase-2, Nathan K. Evanson, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cyclooxygenases are proteins that make small molecules called prostaglandins, which relay signals from one cell to another, or from one cell to itself. Prostaglandins are involved in many different physiological processes such as inflammation, contraction of smooth muscle, and regulation of water balance in the kidney. Because prostaglandins are involved in so many different things, they are an important topic of research, and therefore, cyclooxygenases are a topic of intense research.

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Polymeric Monolithic Stationary Phases For Capillary Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Of Small Molecules, Kun Liu Jan 2014

Polymeric Monolithic Stationary Phases For Capillary Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography Of Small Molecules, Kun Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Highly cross-linked monoliths prepared from single cross-linking monomers were found to increase surface area and stability. Therefore, seven cross-linking monomers, i.e., 1,3-butanediol dimethacrylate (1,3-BDDMA), 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate (1,4-BDDMA), neopentyl glycol dimethacrylate (NPGDMA), 1,5-pentanediol dimethacrylate (1,5-PDDMA), 1,6-hexanediol dimethacrylate (1,6-HDDMA), 1,10-decanediol dimethacrylate (1,10-DDDMA), and 1,12-dodecanediol dimethacrylate (1,12-DoDDMA), were used to synthesize highly cross-linked monolithic columns in 75-µm i.d. capillaries by one-step UV-initiated polymerization using dodecanol and methanol as porogens for reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) of small molecules. Selection of porogen type and concentration was investigated in detail. Isocratic elution of alkylbenzenes at a flow rate of 300 nL/min was conducted for all of …

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Investigating T-Butyl-Lithium For 13.5 Nm X-Ray Source, Malcom Hicken, Dr. R. Steven Turley Jan 2014

Investigating T-Butyl-Lithium For 13.5 Nm X-Ray Source, Malcom Hicken, Dr. R. Steven Turley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Lithography is the process of focusing light to etch a micro-circuitry pattern on silicon chips. In order to get smaller patterns, and thus more condensed computer chips, bright sources of low-wavelength light are needed. The goal of this project was to produce a bright source of 13.5 nm extremeultraviolet radiation. A paper by J. J. Rocca alerted us to the possibility of using doubly-ionized lithium, whose 2s-1s transition gives off 13.5 nm radiation.1 T-butyl-lithium was selected as a compound that has a relatively high vapor pressure at low temperatures, thus avoiding the more elaborate high-temperature experimental set-up required for obtaining …

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Solving Laplace’S Equation On A Personal Computer, Michael Higley, Dr. Peter Bates Jan 2014

Solving Laplace’S Equation On A Personal Computer, Michael Higley, Dr. Peter Bates

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Laplace’s equation is a differential equations that describes many physical properties in steady state systems. It can be used to describe heat distributions, displacements in elastic media, or electrostatic fields. My interest is in solving an electrostatics problem where the domain—the area in which the equation has physical meaning—is irregular enough that the only way to solve the problem is to use some sort of numerical approximation.

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