2018 Undergraduate Exhibition
| Title | Presenter | Abstract | Faculty Sponsor | Number | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active vs. Motorized Transport and Student Health | James Burton Kauffman |
This study examined how the form of transport to campus(active vs. motorized) was related to college students' health and fitness. Data were collected via an online survey (demographics, transportation habits) and objective fitness assessment, and analyzed using independent samples t-tests. Those who did not use motorized transport more than twice a week had significantly higher aerobic fitness than those who used active transport. Findings indicate that universities should consider enacting strategies to facilitate active transport. |
Dr. Melissa Bopp | 401 | |
| Effects of Maternal Permissiveness and Student Drinking on Mother-student Communication | Dildeep Ghallon and Briannah Tsang |
This study explores the effects of maternal permissiveness (MP) and student drinking (SD) on mother-student communication regarding alcohol use, peer influence, and physical effects of drinking. Students from three public universities participated in a longitudinal study (N=1429). Findings indicate that MP does not predict communication, while SD moderates the effect of MP on communication (peer and physical). Results suggest the amount permissive mothers communicate about these topics varies based on student drinking. |
Rob Turrisi | 400 | |
| Integration site preferences of endogenous retroviruses through linear regression analysis | David Chen |
In order to determine integration site preferences of endogenous retroviruses, my work focused on mapping previously collected genomic sequencing data to spatially determine insertion distance to genes. I then compared the data to previously simulated random distributions and conducted statistical analysis to determine the linear regression models that predict the integration sites. This project was authored in collaboration with postdoctoral scholar Lei Yang and under the supervision of Dr. Mary Poss. |
Mary Poss | 32 | |
| Identification of Heterakis species in game birds in Pennsylvania | Denver Isaac Greenawalt |
Histomoniasis, is a significant disease of gallinaceous birds. Transmission is dependent on the nematode Heterakis gallinarum. Due to the role that H. gallinarum plays in the maintenance of H. meleagridis, it is important to define the host-range distribution. From 2015-2017, ceca were collected from game birds in Pennsylvania. Cecal contents were examined and all Heterakis spp. were identified by morphology. All nematodes were identified as H. gallinarum, except the ruffed grouse, which harbored H. isolonche. |
Dr. Justin Brown | 31 | |
| Ohmic and Shockley Characterization | Victor O Ouko and Olajide Ogun |
This research shows an Ohmic contact and a Shockley diode with given semiconductors to observe Ohmic and Shockley behaviors. In one evaporation there will be coating of a N type wafer, and a P type wafer with aluminum using the same shadow mask. Measurements will be made between current and voltage at differing frequencies. |
Dr. Samia Suliman | 307 | |
| Using an in vivo Functional Approach to Determine Interaction Relationships between an S-Locus F-Box Protein and Two S-RNases of Petunia inflata Involved in Self-Incompatibility | Patrick G Stone | Self-Incompatibility (SI) is a self/non-self recognition mechanism by which pistils of flowering plants reject self-pollen to prevent inbreeding and accept non-self pollen to generate genetic diversity. In Petunia inflata, the polymorphic S-RNase gene encodes the pistil determinant, and 17 S-locus F-box (SLF) genes encode the pollen determinant. I have expressed S2-SLF13 fused with Green Fluorescent Protein in S2S3 and S2S7 transgenic plants to determine the interaction relationships between S2-SLF13 and S3-RNase and S7-RNase. | Teh-hui Kao | 306 | |
| The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse on Moral Development: An Application of Moral Foundations Theory | Brenna Fisher | This study examines the effects of childhood sexual abuse on moral development, by comparing students who were sexually abused prior to age 16 to those who were not on all five of the moral foundations, as described in Jonathan Haidt’s Moral Foundations Theory. Results show that victims of sexual abuse exhibit lower scores on three foundations, which may adversely affect their social cohesion in groups and reintegration into society in the aftermath of sexual abuse. | Eric Silver | 305 | |
| Bayesian Reasoning for Automatic Security Mediation Placement | Zichao Zhang | Security-typed languages use type systems to enable information-flow control and verify the satisfactory of security properties. Many programs exhibit behaviors that require security checks at runtime. Currently, the mediation statements are manually added. Automatic tools can relieve programmers’ job by suggesting candidates for the locations where mediation statements can be placed. In this research project, we will apply Bayes’ theorem in producing accurate security mediation placement suggestions. | Danfeng Zhang | 304 | |
| Associations Among Social Support, Perceived Stress, Physical Activity, and Sitting Time Among College Students | Jamie H Kang | Social support (SS) is associated with increased physical activity (PA) and reduced sitting time (ST), but the role of perceived stress is less understood. Findings suggest that high SS was associated with lower stress (β=-0.188, p=0.00), and lower stress was significantly associated with higher vigorous PA (β=-0.128, p=0.004) and lower ST (β=0.036, p=0.442). Thus, health promotion efforts should include fostering SS along with relaxation techniques to reduce stress and promote PA/reduce ST in college students. | Scherezade Mama | 303 | |
| The Role of Paternal Mental Health Status on Youth Health and Health Behaviors | Kelsey Marie Maguire |
The association between maternal and child health is well established, but the role of the father is less understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between paternal mental health and child health and weight in a nationally representative sample of U.S. fathers and youth (0-17 years). Findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of the role paternal mental health plays on child health outcomes, which will inform intervention efforts. |
Dr. Scherezade Mama | 302 | |
| Converted soil matric potentials across the SSHCZO catchment | Molly Claire Pash | This study was conducted to better understand how soil matric potentials (Ψm) change over time across a catchment area. Time Domain Reflectometry probes were constructed and installed at over 35 sites spread throughout the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory to collect soil moisture data at various depths. Ernest soils were the least saturated, whereas mid-slope Weikert soils were the most saturated, which is counterintuitive based on the location of the soils. | David Eissenstat | 301 | |
| Gamma Delta T cells respond to H-Ras driven tumors through effector molecules IFN-Gamma and IL-17 | Jacob Thomas Bailey | Gamma delta T cells are a subset of T cells that lack conventional major mistocompatibility (MHC) requirements that for the response to self-like antigens such as tumor metabolites and stress-related proteins. These innate-like cells largely reside in epithelial tissues such as the epidermis, suggesting that they may be relevant in the formation of squamous cell tumors. We show here that gamma delta T cells respond to these tumors through effector molecules IL-17 and Interferon-gamma. | Adam Glick | 300 | |
| The Role of the Rcs Phosphorelay in Cefsulodin Resistant E. coli | Corey Moletsky |
Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a multifaceted problem threatening the world’s population and require constant research and development. The Rcs Phosphorelay is a conserved pathway among enteric pathogens and shows promise as a potential antibiotic target. This research aims to determine the role of the Rcs Phosphorelay in intrinsic antibiotic resistance. This was achieved through resistance profile comparisons of Cefsulodin resistant isolates to various beta-lactam antibiotics and kill curve analysis with Cefsulodin. |
Dr. Sarah Ades | 30 | |
| Topological optimization of cooling fins through the use of an evolutionary algorithm for use in additive manufacturing | Joshua D Langer | The advent of additive manufacturing has allowed for the creation of novel cooling fin geometries. Thus, a topological optimizer for cooling applications is necessitated. However, due to the complexities of fluid dynamics this has not been previously possible with traditional gradient based approaches. By using an evolutionary algorithm a simple and robust topological optimizer has been developed. The optimizer has developed several new cooling fin designs, that outperform traditional shapes. | Stephen Lynch | 299 | |
| Seismic Performance of Liquefiable Coal Slurry Impoundments using Large-Scale Shake Table Testing | Daniel Duran Esmeral |
The United States has over 200 coal slurry impoundments classified as having a high hazard for human life, economy, and catastrophe. This research's objective is to use a shake table to liquefy soil (wet coal) in order to find a relationship between its geotechnical properties and its behavior during seismic events, where it experiences both static and dynamic loadings. If proven to be effective, state agencies and industries might prevent future catastrophes with these dams. |
Dr. Ming Xiao | 298 | |
| ODE solver based on Taylor approximation | Chenzhang Zhou | Since most ordinary differential equations cannot be solved in terms of explicit formulas, numerical methods are required to solve them approximately. Runge-Kutta methods are the standard for this. we present a method based on quadratic Taylor expansion of the differential equation. The motivation is to improve accuracy in certain ecological models. In particular, logistic models with harvesting are solved error-free by our methods | Thomas Krainer | 297 | |
| Predicting Creative Ideas Using Individual Differences in Cognitive Style | Katherine Heininger |
Few studies have examined how individual traits affect problem-solving behaviors in engineering design settings. Our study examined the Preferences for Creativity Scale (PCS) and Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation inventory (KAI), and compared it to creativity of the ideas generated and selected. Results show PCS predicted participants’ propensity for creative concept selection. Specifically, team centrality and influence and risk tolerance significantly contributed. KAI predicted generation of creative and original ideas, and propensity for quality concept selection. |
Dr. Scarlett Miller | 296 | |
| Assessing Physical Activity Promotion Among Church Youth Programs | Danielle Ronnie Jones |
This study examined the frequency and methods of physical activity education and promotion within various church youth programs. An online survey sent to church leaders in New Jersey and Pennsylvania assessed demographics and physical activity education and promotion prevalence and methods. Most churches did not have any programs for children regarding physical activity, strategies varied greatly. These findings demonstrate there is an opportunity to improve physical activity education and promotion in churches for children. |
Melissa Bopp | 295 | |
| The Effects of the United States Drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge | Jennifer Bocchicchia | My goal with this presentation is to educate about drilling for oil in the ANWR. I will discuss the background of the ANWR, types of drilling being used or that could be used, potential impacts economically and environmentally, challenges of drilling. I then will conclude with where I believe all of this information leads in terms of if drilling should happen or not. | Karen Jensen | 294 | |
| Dynamics of spherical bubbles rising in an inactive fluid | Kenechukwu Michael Ezenduka |
Bubbles rising in water enlists an everyday example of the nonlinear path that corresponds with the motion of a body engulfed in a fluid. These such paths and its associated velocities is extremely important to science and engineering. This research project, equipped with modern advanced computational methods as well as state of the art facilities aims to model the peculiar behavior of the non-linear motion of bubbles in fluid. |
Dr. Rui Ni | 293 | |
| Understanding Marine Particle Breakup Using Lab and Field Data | Aditya Sanjay Akole |
The rate of settlement of marine flocs depends on their size as they get affected by the drag force of water. Changes in the formation of flocs and their breakup into particulate matter affects a lot of factors like sunlight penetration, availability of organic particles for zooplankton grazing, etc. The goal of this project is to develop a model that describes the strength of flocs by evaluating experimental data and developing plot trends using Python. |
Dr. Matthew Rau | 292 | |
| Properties of Two-Dimensional Materials And Biomolecules For Use in Bio-sensing | Ellison Marie Taylor |
Finding a new combination of two-dimensional material and bio-molecules can allow for a greater biosensor diversity, allowing biosensors to be used in more applications. |
Dr. Shengxi Huang | 291 | |
| Investigation of the Glass Transition Phase of the Conjugated Polymer PPDTBT by Incorporation of T6BT via Random Copolymerization | Michael Grant Gill | The utility of conjugated polymers stem from wide uses in organic photovoltaics, organic field-effect transistors, and organic light emitting diodes. While these polymers have typically been studied for their electronic properties, their glass transition and Tg values have not been studied extensively. Therefore, three polymers were synthesized via suzuki polycondensation under varying T6BT concentrations and had their glass transitions characterized using Differential Scanning Calorimetry. This quantified the effects of random copolymerization on the Tg value. | Enrique Gomez | 290 | |
| Preventative Health: The United States vs. Costa Rica | Serena Carlson |
Comparative analysis in the United States vs. Costa Rica. Preventative Care for geriatrics provides annual week visits four times a year vs. the United State’s one visit. Costa Rica bring healthcare the citizens. 98% of Costa Rica’s population is vaccinated. The United States falls around 91%. Primary Care Technicians visit villages and towns, bringing healthcare to its citizens. They collect health data, social and economic data and make a decision about the family’s care. |
Celeste Newcomb | 29 | |
| Automatic control of microscope for 3D imaging | Manoj Varma Saripalli |
The confocal microscope provides a direct, noninvasive approach to obtain a three-dimensional image of a nanostructured sample. Currently there are no publicly available 3D imaging programs for the microscope, wasting its potential. We worked to develop an algorithm that synchronizes the motion of a nano-positioning stage with the collection timing of optical detectors. We developed code to reconstruct a 2D image of the sample nanostructure. The next step would be to construct a 3D image. |
Xingjie Ni | 289 | |
| Impact of Physiological Neutral pH on Morphology of Francisella tularensis – An Electron Microscopic Study | Catherine Wastella |
Francisella tularensis is an infectious, gram-negative, coccobacilli bacterium responsible for causing Tularemia. Because F. tularensis is a facultative intracellular bacterium, it must function at physiological pH. However, the bacterium has reduced growth rate at pH 7.4 compared to pH 6.4. This study uses scanning and transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate that physiological neutral pH causes F. tularensis to exhibit morphological changes. |
Dr. Greg Ning | 288 | |
| Event Reconstruction in IceCube | Kevin Crust | Data collected by the IceCube Neutrio Observatory’s 5,160 optical sensors can be used to infer information about neutrinos only after the completion of a process called reconstruction. My group is working to make this faster and more streamlined, thereby improving physics analyses of the IceCube collaboration. I implemented more realistic and detailed models of the processes which result from neutrino interactions which can be used to more accurately generate the hypotheses used in reconstruction. | Doug Cowen | 287 | |
| Investigation of Microbial Diversity Within the Mutualistic Symbiosis Between the Hawaiian Squid and Vibrio Fscheri | Rachel Elizabeth Bruning and Joaquim Diego Santos |
The mutualism between Euprymna scolopes and Vibrio fischeri presents a model through which host-microbe interactions can be studied to provide insight into mechanisms that microbes utilize to colonize the host. In this investigation, the phenotypes of two co-isolated V. fischeri strains were determined using bioluminescence and motility assays. Novel V. fischeri strains, RB003 and JDS004, showed dissimilar phenotypes when compared to wild-type ES114, suggesting certain strains have a greater capability to colonize the host. |
Timothy Miyashiro | 286 | |
| Determining Embolus Trapping Efficiency of an Inferior Vena Cava Filter during Exercise | Joshua Mackey Riley | Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters prevent pulmonary embolism by capturing blood clots, or emboli, as they travel through the IVC. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has created a generic IVC filter to compare to current and future IVC filters seeking market approval. This study characterizes the filter's embolus trapping efficiency of nylon and bovine whole blood clot spheres during exercise conditions in an anatomical model of the IVC to validate existing computational models. | Keefe Manning | 284 | |
| Biodegragation of SRT Protiens | Alexandra L Kotrick | Polymeric proteins, such as squid ring teeth (SRT) proteins, hold great promise for industrial usage due to their thermal abilities and broad range of solutions. Evidence in recent studies have shown SRT proteins hold great promise in the production of slowly digested medical meshes. In order to evaluate the time frame in which a mesh will breakdown within a body research was conducted to evaluate the speed at which trypsin could breakdown the SRT proteins | melik Demirel | 283 | |
| Monitoring Ion Channel Gating using Voltage Clamp Fluorometry | Gregory Busey | Ion channels are transmembrane proteins which are ubiquitously expressed within neurons and integral to their function. The voltage-gated subfamily responds to membrane voltage changes on the millisecond timescale. Their essential role makes them attractive pharmaceutical targets, while their low expression levels make them difficult to study in vivo. Here we replicate the ability to record the movement of voltage sensors – mobile protein domains responsible activating voltage-gated ion channels – using two-electrode voltage clamp fluorometry. | Timothy Jegla | 282 | |
| Does Methionine Affect Mosquitoes Survival and Fecundity? | Joash Makalani Lake | The aim of this project was to determine if supplementing human blood with methionine would affect life history traits of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. We fed mosquitoes either human blood, or human blood supplemented with low or high methionine. We tracked the survival, number of eggs laid and the proportion of larvae that hatched following the blood-feeding treatments. The data demonstrated that supplementing with methionine had little effects on survival or fecundity of mosquitoes. | Andrew Read | 281 | |
| The Food, Energy, and Water nexus | Felix Alberto Estevez Hilario | The food, energy, and water nexus is the interconnection between our primary but limited resources. This research seeks to further develop the knowledge between their interconnections along with the limitations which confine them from being. The results of this research will support the determination of embedded resources or virtual flows associated with commodities, the estimation of water footprint values, and the representation and analysis of embedded resource networks. | Cindy Reed | 280 | |
| Communication Between Vibrio fischeri Populations within the Squid Light Organ | Andrew Murtha |
Quorum sensing describes the synthesis and detection of small signaling molecules, called autoinducers (AI), that allow individual bacterial cells to coordinate functions as a group. Quorum sensing regulates cellular activities that are important for survival within a host, such as biofilm formation and virulence. Using the mutualism established between the marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri and bobtail squid, I study the ability of segregated bacterial populations to communicate via AI to promote symbiotic function. |
Tim Miyashiro | 28 | |
| Earth-Pluto Interplanetary Trajectory Design and Orbital Analysis on the Pluto-Charon System | Sung Jun Kim and Arthur Melo Cruz |
This project introduces the method of designing an interplanetary mission to Pluto and exhibits the near-future mission design. It determines the possible launch dates and the corresponding arrival dates to reach Pluto with the gravity assist at Jupiter. Also, it analyzes the orbit at Pluto-Charon system where Charon, one of the moons around Pluto, perturbs the spacecraft’s trajectory by its gravitational potential. |
Puneet Singla | 279 | |
| Photonic Spin-Orbit Interaction Coupling with Spin Hall Effect on Metasurface | Quyen Tran |
The objective of this research is to understand the origins photo-spin current and obtain the current measurements along longitudinal and transverse direction of metasurface. The phase gradient and surface plasmon property of metasurface enhance the spin-orbit interaction, which allowing more observations and analyzations in photon spin manipulating applied in electronic-optical devices. For this research, we reproduce the interaction by employing circular polarization light normally impinging on metasurface and measure the current induced using Lock-in amplifier. |
Dr. Xingjie Ni | 278 | |
| Characterization of HelD, a Novel RNA Polymerase Binding Protein in Bacillus subtilis | Uyen Nguyen |
The goal of this project is to obtain a high-resolution three-dimensional structure of the protein HelD in complex with B. subtilis RNAP to elucidate the structural basis of RNAP recycling by the DNA helicase HelD. Two techniques have been used toward the structure determinations: X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of HelD, and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structure of HelD-RNAP complex. Overall, this project provides a framework for purification protocol of HelD. |
Dr. Katsuhiko Murakami | 277 | |
| NLP for sentence Classification | Weiqin Wang | The qualitative genre analysis methods have similarly been developed and validated in prior work. We propose a model to conduct vector-based sentence classification. The model first uses Word Embedding techniques to vectorize the sentences, followed by the use of a corpus of literature review sections from the ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power . The model will learn the semantics and the dependencies between the sentences and their previously-established genre categories. | Catherine Berdanier | 276 | |
| Measuring Reproducibility of ChIP-exo Experiments Using Time Series Analysis | Jikai Zhang | ChIP-exo is one of the most precise high-throughput technology to map protein-binding detection. However, each ChIP-exp experiment is noisy and has complicated patterns. Measuring the reproducibility of ChIP-exo replicate experiments ensures the reliability of downstream analysis. To assess the reproducibility, our group developed a novel statistical method based on a technique in time series analysis. The method is effective in differentiating signals with different quality. Dr. Qunhua Li and Tao Yang mentored this project. | Qunhua Li | 275 | |
| Investigation of the variability of the duration and altitude of non-specular meteor trail echoes | Oscar De Lima | We still do not fully understand how meteoroid and atmosphere properties affect the evolution of meteor trails. A statistical analysis related to the duration, range difference and average range of the meteoroid would enable the calibration of the existing Non-Specular Meteor Echo Simulator (NSMES). In order to do the analysis, algorithms to detect the meteors, remove their noise and estimate the measurements had to be done. | Julio Urbina | 274 | |
| Characterization of Pelodiscus sinensis Collagen as an Active Biomaterial | Maria Rose Hudock |
Donor organs can’t meet demand, but tissue-engineered alternatives are not yet feasible to treat some of the worst chronic diseases or traumatic situations. Thus, there is a need for developing new biomaterials that will make cost-effective, non-immunogenic, and prolific tissue-engineered constructs a possibility. Pelodiscus sinensis collagen could be one such material but has not been characterized in this context. Here, we examine antioxidant activity of and cellular response to this novel collagen. |
Dr. Jian Yang | 273 | |
| Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for CMOS Gas Sensor Chip Connector Enlargement | Stanley Kwok | Gas sensors are an important tool in detecting potential deadly gases that we can't see or smell. One type of gas sensor uses metal semiconductors. A technique has been developed at Penn State to synthesize nanowires to create a more accurate gas sensor. The nanowires go onto a chip that is too small to physically work on. In my work, I design and develop a printed circuit board that enlarges these connections. | Oren Gall | 272 | |
| Analysis of the oral microbiota as a predictor for development of obesity | Nicole Mi Hwang | The Childhood Obesity Project has identified a significant negative association between the abundance of Fusobacterium in the oral microbiota and conditional weight gain in children. I am working to characterize the Fusobacterium by their species and abundance, as this will help us understand the specific relationships between microbes and child weight gain trajectories. We hope to use the findings from this study to identify patterns in the microbiota that may predispose individuals to obesity. | Kateryna Makova | 271 | |
| Developing Fluorescent Tagged Plant Pathogenic Fungi to Study Plant-Fungal Interactions in Maize and Sorghum | Janelle E Thompson | The purpose of this study is to microscopically monitor fungal invasion and its spread using fluorescent tags.To accomplish, the strains Colletotrichum graminicola, Collectrotrichum sublineola, and Cochliobolus heterostrophus will be genetically transformed with Green and Yellow Fluorescent Protein (GYP and YFP). These fluorescing strains will be selected for pathogenicity testing on host plants. Overall, developing fluorescent tagged fungi will aid in the research focused on understanding interactions of maize and sorghum plants with these strains. | Surinder Chopra | 270 | |
| Twenty-two years of forest regeneration in a Pennsylvanian sanctuary | Nicholas Alan Kremp |
Over the summer of 2017, the vegetation both inside and outside of two deer exclosures in Wayne County, Pennsylvania were studied to measure the impact of deer browsing on forest regeneration. Estimates of groundcover along with surveys of flowers, fruits, and seedlings were conducted. Measurements of stem density and size of sapling and mature trees were also taken. Results indicate that current deer populations severely restrict reproduction of native herbs and regeneration of canopy trees. |
Dr. David Byman | 27 | |
| The effect of Type VI secretion on the development of V.fischeri populations in vitro | Briana Nunez |
Type VI secretion is a contact-dependent killing mechanism used by many gram-negative bacteria. Some strains of V.fischeri, a bioluminescent bacterium known to colonize the Hawaiian Bobtail squid, contain genes that encode for proteins that form the Type VI secretion system. This project further studies the ring phenotype previously observed in competitions between strains containing and lacking the genes for the Type VI mechanism, as well as determining a method to measure these competitions and rings. |
Dr. Tim Miyashiro | 269 | |
| Designing Optimized Protein Molecular Weight Markers Applicable to SDS-PAGE and Western Blot Assays | Yoshitaka Shibata | Molecular weight markers are essential in measuring protein sizes on polyacrylamide gels. However, traditional markers are not detected in Western blots, which use antibodies to recognize specific proteins, because they lack an antibody binding domain. I am developing protein molecular weight markers that contain an antibody binding domain to allow detection of the recombinant proteins in both polyacrylamide gels via Coomassie blue staining and Western blots via antibodies. | Song Tan | 268 | |
| Image reconstruction of a reflecting object within the Human Skull by employing Ultrasound Tomography | Ahmed A Abdou and Cindy Reed |
Simulating Image reconstruction of Ultrasound Tomography (UT) is necessary in optimizing clinical imaging. UT is more cheaper and efficient than other mature imaging modalities such as MRI and CT. Through Simulation an image of a static object behind a human skull is constructed by replicating the behavior of 128 transmit/receive transducers. By doing so it can be shown that an object can be reconstructed clearly from up to 15 cm away. |
Dr. Mohamed Almekkawy | 267 | |
| Ultrasound Computed Tomography and Its Applications in the Imaging of Breast Tissue | Michael Maslakowski | Ultrasound Computed Tomography (UCT) provides a cheaper alternative to mammograms with zero-radiological exposure. UCT currently has faced two major problems in the past poor image processing algorithms and extremely long computation times. In this research a preliminary device was developed to image a single 2D slice of a breast phantom. As the system will be developed it will be given capability to take layered images to render an entire tomographic view of analyzed tissue. | Mohamed Almekkawy | 266 | |
| THE MOLECULAR FUNCTION OF TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEIN 132A AS ITS HOMOLOG DETONATOR IN D. MELANOGASTER | Grace Chon | We studied the drosophila melanogaster homolog to TMEM132a, named detonator (dtn). Using RNAi and TMEM132a-deficient fly lines, we bred offspring with appropriate driver lines to produce offspring with reduced dtn expression, indicated by lethality or a balancer chromosome-induced phenotype. We found that dtn knockdown resulted a reduction in whole wing size in flies bred with MS-1096 driver lines. Dtn knockdown resulted in lethality, as shown by reduced numbers of male offspring in tub-Gal4 driver crosses. | Aimin Liu | 265 |