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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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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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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Preparation Of Green Fluorescent Protein Constructs For The Determination Of The Mechanism Of The Excision Of A Novel Intron, John Daniel Clinger, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons Jan 2014

Preparation Of Green Fluorescent Protein Constructs For The Determination Of The Mechanism Of The Excision Of A Novel Intron, John Daniel Clinger, Dr. Daniel L. Simmons

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent advances have greatly increased the utility of bioluminescence as a qualitative and quantitative tool in scientific research. The genes encoding fluorescent proteins in several organisms have been identified, cloned, modified, and inserted into several different vectors; thus allowing them to be used in a variety of diagnostic techniques. One such protein, isolated from aequorea victoria, is green fluorescent protein (GFP). Since GFP is encoded by a small gene, 720 base pairs, and fluoresces brightly when irradiated by ultraviolet light; it was seen as good candidate for the study of a novel pre-mRNA splicing mechanism.

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Electronic Control Of The Photocycloaddition Of Silyl Tethered Alkenes, Kari Cowdell, Dr. Steven A. Fleming Jan 2014

Electronic Control Of The Photocycloaddition Of Silyl Tethered Alkenes, Kari Cowdell, Dr. Steven A. Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Solar energy is a major reason for the study of photochemistry. Photochemistry is the investigation of the interaction of organic compounds with light. The ability of plants and bacteria to harness the sun’s energy is an example of photochemistry. One area of photochemical research is the synthesis of cyclobutane rings which are found in plant essential oils and animal pheromones. Anticancer drugs such as taxol also have four member rings in their structures. Biological systems are unique in their ability to produce cyclobutane systems with specific stereochemistry that current methods of synthesis require great effort to acquire. It has been …

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Isolation, Purification, And Characterization Of Biologically Active Compounds From Endophytic Fungi, Trisha L. Anderson, Dr. Noel L. Owen Jan 2014

Isolation, Purification, And Characterization Of Biologically Active Compounds From Endophytic Fungi, Trisha L. Anderson, Dr. Noel L. Owen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This project focused on endophytic fungi, fungi that live inside of plants without causing disease, as a source of compounds that may be useful in treating human disease. Endophytic fungi were chosen both because their relationship with the plants in which they live indicates that they provide some benefit to the plant and because they have a more specific relationship with a plant host, making acquisition of future samples of the same fungus more feasible. In addition, these fungal species have been less studied than many other aspects of natural products research. This research centered on the isolation of novel …

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A Statistical Analysis Of Rater Consensus In The Byu Premedical Committee, Alane Izu, Dr. David G. Whiting Jan 2014

A Statistical Analysis Of Rater Consensus In The Byu Premedical Committee, Alane Izu, Dr. David G. Whiting

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The premedical committee at Brigham Young University exists to assist students in successfully applying to medical school. The committee consists of professors from various departments across campus as well as senior premedical students. Two different committee members interview each eligible student in March and April of the year before the student plans to enter medical school. The interviewers rate the student on a continuous scale from one to five in nine different areas: academic performance, MCAT scores, letters of recommendation, written and personal presentation, personal characteristics, reasons for choosing a medical career, extracurricular activities, involvement in community service, and demonstration …

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Sample Survey Of Utah Educators, Ben Saville, Dr. Lara Wolfson Jan 2014

Sample Survey Of Utah Educators, Ben Saville, Dr. Lara Wolfson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In assessing the performance of schools in Utah (or any other state), a critical component of valid assessment of school performance is hard data. In areas such as student performance, that information is readily available from test scores; but in understanding the job burden of teachers in the Utah educational system, very little hard data is available. I proposed to design a sample survey to address issues in which the state of Utah is “data deficient”, impairing the state’s ability to make well-informed decisions about improving working conditions for teachers. Some issues to be addressed include: the amount of money …

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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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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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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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Interactive, Three-Dimensional Web Presentation Of Object-Oriented Java Concepts, Robert Franklin, Dr. Robert Burton Jan 2014

Interactive, Three-Dimensional Web Presentation Of Object-Oriented Java Concepts, Robert Franklin, Dr. Robert Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The advent and subsequent widespread use of the Internet have facilitated and motivated hypermedia distance learning.

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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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Automatic Image Correspondence For Video Clips, Adam Helps, Dr. Thomas Sederberg Jan 2014

Automatic Image Correspondence For Video Clips, Adam Helps, Dr. Thomas Sederberg

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Image correspondence is a powerful method for matching features in two images. It has a wide variety of applications, and can be used to automatically perform complex image manipulation tasks that have previously been done by hand. In this research, image correspondence has been used to manipulate video clips, including morphing and slow motion techniques.

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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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Memory-Guided Exploration In Reinforcement Learning, James L. Carroll, Todd Peterson Jan 2014

Memory-Guided Exploration In Reinforcement Learning, James L. Carroll, Todd Peterson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Traditional reinforcement learning techniques learn a single task by giving the agent positive and negative rewards. In one type of reinforcement learning, called Q-learning, the agent stores Qvalues, which are the expected reward for performing an action in a given state. Task transfer is a method of transferring information learned in one task to another related task. Most work in transfer has focused on classification techniques. The purpose of our research has been to extend classification techniques to reinforcement learning.

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Reconnaissance Evaluation Of The Groundwater Systems Of Skull Valley, Utah, Rachel Henderson, Dr. Alan Mayo Jan 2014

Reconnaissance Evaluation Of The Groundwater Systems Of Skull Valley, Utah, Rachel Henderson, Dr. Alan Mayo

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The proposal, by Private Fuel Storage, a Limited Liability Company representing several utilities, to store solid, spent nuclear fuel in Skull Valley requires that many variables be taken into consideration, one of which is groundwater. Groundwater contamination is not anticipated in the proposed short term storage of the waste. However, it is uncertain how long the waste will be stored in Skull Valley. The purpose of this research is to conduct a reconnaissance investigation to evaluate the nature and interaction of various surface and groundwater systems in Skull Valley, and consequently, the likelihood of groundwater contamination from nuclear waste storage.

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Mathematics In Rural Mexico: Motivations And Barriers For Adult Women Learners, Janel Wilson Williams, Dr. Jacqualine Taylor Voyles Jan 2014

Mathematics In Rural Mexico: Motivations And Barriers For Adult Women Learners, Janel Wilson Williams, Dr. Jacqualine Taylor Voyles

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Math educators have long realized that women in general have shied away from involvement in the mathematical world. Current research in the mathematics education field studies the motivations and barriers women have to studying math. My research extends this topic to a small village in Mexico: La Estancia. By studying factors that encourage or discourage adult Mexican women from studying math in rural settings, important influences can be identified. The identification of these elements can lead to the development of important intervention programs targeted at minimizing negative influences while capitalizing on and strengthening the existing positive influences.

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Physical Vapor Deposition Of Silicon Dioxide From A Silicon Tetraacetate Precursor For Anchoring Nanotubes To Atomic Force Microscopy Probe Tips, Jed Whittaker, Dr. Robert Davis Jan 2014

Physical Vapor Deposition Of Silicon Dioxide From A Silicon Tetraacetate Precursor For Anchoring Nanotubes To Atomic Force Microscopy Probe Tips, Jed Whittaker, Dr. Robert Davis

Journal of Undergraduate Research

It has been previously shown1 that silicon tetraacetate vapor thermally decomposes to a silicon dioxide thin film and gas phase acid anhydride at 160-170°C. Here a method is developed to anchor carbon nanotubes to atomic force microscope (AFM) tips with such a silicon dioxide thin film. Anchoring nanotubes to probe tips allows their high-resolution properties to be exploited in fluids for imaging biological samples. No tips were used as substrates in this experiment however, only silicon wafer pieces about 1 cm square. The silicon tetraacetate vapor was produced by heating it to 100-110°C, just below the melting point. This …

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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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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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X-Ray Fluorescence/X-Ray Diffraction For Forensic Analysis, Brent Kimball, Dr. Larry V. Knight Jan 2014

X-Ray Fluorescence/X-Ray Diffraction For Forensic Analysis, Brent Kimball, Dr. Larry V. Knight

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My proposition was to determine the feasibility of using a combination x-ray fluorescence/x-ray diffraction technology (initially designed to identify strictly inorganic compounds) for the analysis of organic molecules. By modifying a mineralogical device created for NASA it is feasible to identify solid organic compounds such as drugs, harmless compounds like glucose, and some inorganic compounds that look like drugs. Emergency teams, Forensic Officers, and Police Departments and even drug manufacturers will benefit from the applications. I will provide a brief background on diffraction, clearly describe my findings, and provide proposals to further develop a working technology.

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Optical Modulation Of Semiconductor Nanocrystal Transport, Brigham Russell Frandsen, Dr. Bret C. Hess Jan 2014

Optical Modulation Of Semiconductor Nanocrystal Transport, Brigham Russell Frandsen, Dr. Bret C. Hess

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The area of nanoelectronic devices is a rapidly growing field as new devices and techniques are continually developed. This is an important field because it is hoped that devices of this scale will replace the current larger counterparts on computer microprocessors and other components, thus greatly reducing the size, and increasing the capabilities of computers.

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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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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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In Situ Ellipsometry Of Surfaces In An Ultrahigh Vacuum Thin Film Deposition Chamber, Joseph S. Choi, Dr. David Allred Jan 2014

In Situ Ellipsometry Of Surfaces In An Ultrahigh Vacuum Thin Film Deposition Chamber, Joseph S. Choi, Dr. David Allred

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As current microtechnology advances toward building nanosize components for computers and aerospace devices, oxidation of thin films can have dramatic effects on the electronic and optical properties of these devices. In order to understand optical properties of thin film materials and their oxides in a high purity environment, we have been building an ultrahigh vacuum deposition chamber to achieve a base pressure under 10-9 torr. We have incorporated evaporation and sputtering capabilities to create thin films in vacuum, and an in situ ellipsometer to analyze the optical properties and oxidation of the films without exposure to atmosphere. This combined with …

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Spin Current: The Contribution Of Spin To The Probability Current Of Nonrelativistic Particles With Spin, Philip Du Toit, Dr. Jean-Francois Van Huele Jan 2014

Spin Current: The Contribution Of Spin To The Probability Current Of Nonrelativistic Particles With Spin, Philip Du Toit, Dr. Jean-Francois Van Huele

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Introductory quantum mechanics texts seldom treat the quantum mechanical probability current for nonrelativistic particles with spin. The procedure for calculating probability current is most often presented in relation to particles described by the Schrödinger equation, that is particles without spin.1 In later chapters, after having introduced readers to the Pauli equation and its description of particles with spin, the authors rarely return to the topic of probability current. This omission may cause readers to incorrectly infer that the calculation of the probability current for particles with spin follows the same line of argument as is used for particles without spin.

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In-Doping Of Cdse Nanocrystals, Dan Allen, Dr. William Evanson Jan 2014

In-Doping Of Cdse Nanocrystals, Dan Allen, Dr. William Evanson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In recent years much research has focused on the characteristics of metal and semiconductor “quantum dots” or “nanocrystals”. Cadmium selenide (CdSe) semiconductor nanocrystals of diameter less than ~10nm exhibit unique quantum mechanical properties not present in bulk materials. CdSe nanocrystals of 2-5nm in diameter photoluminesce brightly in the visible spectrum, making them attractive for applications such as photodiodes and light-emitting displays. These nanocrystals are also being researched for applications such as single electron transistors, transistors with multiple logic states, and quantum computing. Present commercial applications include single electron memory devices and luminescent tags for biological molecules.

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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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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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