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Articles 1141 - 1170 of 2906

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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

A Comparison Of Statistical Software Packages In The Analysis Of Survey Sample Data, Landon Sego, Dr. Howard B. Christensen, 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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The Spectroscopy Of Divinvltelluride, Brent A. Horn, S. R. Goates Feb 2014

The Spectroscopy Of Divinvltelluride, Brent A. Horn, S. R. Goates

Journal of Undergraduate Research

0rgano-tellurides are industrially important compounds. One of these compounds which has been studied at BYU is divinyltelluride (DVT). Dr. Noel Owen and colleagues from the Department of Chemistry have done extensive studies on the stable molecular conformations of DVT using quantum mechanical calculations and matrix-isolation FT-IR. Our goal is to learn more about the structure and properties of DVT by probing the electronic energy levels of the molecule. We wanted to focus on obtaining laser-induced fluorescence from supersonic jet expansion of DVT molecules. Molecular beams are excellent for doing laser fluorescence experiments because many of the line broadening mechanisms that …

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The Iron Release Mechanism Of Azotobacter Vinelandii: Tracking Heme Mediated Electron Transport, K. R. Pitts, G. D. Watt Feb 2014

The Iron Release Mechanism Of Azotobacter Vinelandii: Tracking Heme Mediated Electron Transport, K. R. Pitts, G. D. Watt

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I ron is an essential mineral nutrient required by all living systems. How Iron Is taken up, stored, and utilized by living systems is relevant to the understanding of life In general, and the relationship Iron metabolism has with human health. Azotobacter Vinelandii bacterial ferritin (AVBF) represents the bacterial protein molecule Involved In Iron storage and regulation. The 24 protein subunits and 12 heme groups that comprise A VBF arrange themselves structurally to form a hollow sphere in which AVBF stores Iron. The arrangement of protein subunits create channels roughly 50 nm in diameter that traverse the protein shell. These …

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The Location And Role Of Phosphate In Horse Spleen Ferritin (Hosf), Joseph Johnson Feb 2014

The Location And Role Of Phosphate In Horse Spleen Ferritin (Hosf), Joseph Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Although iron Is necessary for life, It Is toxic If left free In most organIsms. To control Its toxic effects and still have iron available for biological use, organisms use ferrltins. Ferritins are similar throughout the biological world. Each ferritin is a roughly spherical, hollow protein with a thin, negatively charged shell that can hold up to 4500 Iron atoms. This shell is composed of 24 nearly Identical subunits. Junctions between three or four subunits form channels, 3-fold or 4-fold respectively, that traverse the protein shell. The hydrophilic 3-fold channels are believed to be the key pathway for the uptake …

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Synthesis Of A Potential Photoaffinity Labeling Agent, 4-Nitr0-3- Trinuoromethylbenzyl Phenyl Sulfide, Christina Johnson, Dr. Steve Fleming Feb 2014

Synthesis Of A Potential Photoaffinity Labeling Agent, 4-Nitr0-3- Trinuoromethylbenzyl Phenyl Sulfide, Christina Johnson, Dr. Steve Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Photoaffinity labeling is a useful methodology for determining the active site of a given enzyme. It is also a very important tool in discovering what roles different enzymes play in the human body. Our research group has been involved in a continuous effort to develop new and more effective photoaffinity labeling reagents. I A photoaffinity labeling model compound currently under investigation is the target molecule 4-nitro-3-trifluoromethylbenzyl phenyl sulfide.

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The Synthesis Of Novel Chiral Pyridino Crown Ethers, Steven L. Castle Feb 2014

The Synthesis Of Novel Chiral Pyridino Crown Ethers, Steven L. Castle

Journal of Undergraduate Research

0ur research group has been interested in the synthesis of chiral pyridino crown ethers for some time. Many chiral pyridino crown ethers have been shown to exhibit enantiomeric recognition for chiral ammonium salts.1 In other words, the crown compound forms a more stable complex with one enantlomer of the chiral ammonium salt than It does with the other enantiomer. Recent results from de Mendoza, Echegoyen and coworkers’ led us to believe that a new type of chiral pyridino crown ether would exhibit even greater enantiomeric recognition than what was observed with previous compounds. So, my project was to prepare chiral …

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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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Bdd Based Tautology Checker, Michael Jones Feb 2014

Bdd Based Tautology Checker, Michael Jones

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As computer systems become an integral part of society, ensuring that systems perform correctly will become more important. Proofs of correctness based on formal logic are one approach to the correctness problem in computer system design. Unfortunately, these proofs are often large and difficult for industrial size projects. The Higher-Order Logic (HOL) [GM93) automated proof assistant helps manage the details and validate the accuracy of large proofs.

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