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Student Research Poster Symposium

April 8, 2011Villanova University

Sigma Xi Research Poster Symposium, April 8, 2011 2

Proceedings of the 2011

Student Research Symposium

April 8, 2011

Villanova Room

Villanova University

Villanova, PA 19085

USA

Supported by:The Villanova Chapter of Sigma Xi,

the Scientific Research Society

Sigma Xi Research Poster Symposium, April 8, 2011

This volume is also available electronically on the Sigma Xi chapter’s website,

http://www.csc.villanova.edu/~sigmaxi/


http://www.csc.villanova.edu/~sigmaxi/

Welcome from the Poster Symposium Organizers

Welcome to the 2010 Villanova University Sigma Xi’s Student Research Poster Symposium! Sigma Xi is the international honor society for research scientists and engineers. The Villanova chapter of Sigma Xi is proud to sponsor this poster symposium event to recognize and celebrate the research work accomplished by our students, and to give students an opportunity to further develop their skills in communicating those accomplishments.

This book contains abstracts of 56 contributed posters. Outstanding posters will be recognized in the form of poster awards. Many thanks to all students who contributed to this symposium. We gratefully acknowledge the dedicated poster judges who committed to evaluating the research posters and providing written feedback at the end of the symposium. Special thanks for their time and commitment to promoting research at Villanova University!

Congratulations to all!

Mirela Damian Sigma Xi Chapter PresidentAnil Bamezai Sigma Xi Chapter President-ElectSridhar Santhanam Sigma Xi Chapter Secretary-Treasurer

Sigma Xi Research Poster Symposium, April 8, 2011

Table of Contents

Astronomy and Astrophysics (5)

Ultraviolet Spectral Synthesis of HgMn Stars. Ronald BallouzUGand Edward Fitzpatrick _______1

Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Three Long Period Nova-Like Variables. Alexandra C. BisolUG and Edward M. Sion _______2

A Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Analysis of the Old Nova Q Cygni. Craig P. KolobowUG and Edward M. Sion _______3

Methanol and Methanol in Water: Exploring the Spectra. Janine A MyszkaUG, Rachel M Mastrapa and Ashley S CurryUG _______4

Evidence for the Shrinking Orbit of the 2.2-day Transiting Hot Jupiter Exoplanet HD 189733b. Thomas SantapagaUG, Edward Guinan, Ronald BallouzUG , Scott Engle and Laurence DeWarf _______5

Biochemistry (4)

Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a Putative Cyclooxygenase from Nostoc punctiforme. Kevin J. BackusUG, Huasong Tang UG and Barry S. Selinsky ______6

Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a Putative Cyclooxygenase from Nostoc punctiforme.Kasey JohnsonUG, Victoria Pisciella UG and Barry S. Selinsky______7

Sequence Analysis of Mouse Mammalian Tumor Virus Integration Site. Chong Wai TioUG and Janice Knepper ______8

Determining the Regulatory Sequence of the PHO1 Promoter in Phosphate Starvation. Tom RuffinoUG and Dennis Wykoff ______9


Biology (16)

The Effects of Tmem170 Expression on Mouse Mammary Cell and Tumor Growth. Lauren AcostaUG and Janice E. Knepper ______10

The Role of avUCP in Short-term and Long-term Cold Acclimation of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Caitlin ArmstrongUG and John Olson ______11

Close encounters of the unkind: the role of male aggression in reproductive isolation between sympatric damselflies. Thomas CastleUG and Vikram Iyengar ______12

Sca-1/Ly-6A is involved in sex-specific murine B lymphocyte development. Sean DeWolfUG and Anil Bamezai ______13

The Effects of Nitrogen Addition and Depletion on Invasive Species and Herbivory. Kathryn DevineUG and Samantha Chapman ______14

Ontogenetic growth and development of pectoralis muscle in precocial Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica) . Courtney FoxUG and John Olson ______15

The role of Brd2 in the control of proliferation during zebrafish development. Eliza FradkinUG and Angela DiBenedetto ______16

The effect of zygotic Brd2 knockdown on the susceptibility to epileptic behavior in a zebrafish (Danio rerio) seizure model. Hayley HanbyUG and Angela DiBenedetto ______17

Determining the role of IP7 in the phosphate signal transduction pathway in S. Pombe. Charles P. HannonUG, Dennis Wykoff and Christine Kerwin ______18

Observing the Rate of Carbon Dioxide Concentration on Sphagnum fuscum. Michelle HarrisUG, Kelman Wieder, Markus N. Thormann and Kimberli D. Scott ______19


The Effects of Herbivory and Microarthropods on American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) Leaf Litter. Antonio PullanoUG and Samantha Chapman ______20

Effect of diet and migration on ketone body metabolism in European starlings. Agnes ReschkeUG and John Olson ______21

Malaria Transmission in Regards to Climate Change. Christina RileyUG and John Olson ______22

An analysis of the potential effects of the phytoestrogen genistein as an endocrine disruptor in reproductive tissues in the mouse. Kelly ThomasUG and Louise Russo ______23

DNA Binding Activities of the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium YdcI Protein. Antonio Nathan VillamorUG and James Wilson ______24

Song repertoire composition and structure in Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis): implications for mate choice within hybridizing populations. Karen E. ZusiUG and Robert L. Curry ______25

Civil & Environmental Engineering (7)

Section Properties of the Girder-Slab System: Phase II – Component Testing. Matthew J. BandeltG, Shawn P. Gross, David W. Dinehart and Joseph Robert Yost ______26

Tensile Capacity of Grouped Anchors with Overlapping Failure Areas. Adam BeckmannG, David W. Dinehart, Shawn P. Gross and Peter Carrato ______27

Structural and Material Behavior of Alkali Activated Fly Ash Concrete. Stephen A. ErnstG, Michael SaleraG, Joseph Robert Yost and Aleksandra Radlinska ______28

Ductile Behavior of Open Web Steel Joists: Phase III. Timothy HarringtonG, Joseph Robert Yost, David W. Dinehart and Shawn P. Gross ______29


Material Properties of Adobe Blocks Made with Recycled Paper.Shane B. MoranG, Aleksandra Radlinska and Jonathan S. Price __30

Utilizing Arching Action in Concrete Decks for more Economical Bridge Design. Christopher RaponeG, David W. Dinehart and Shawn Gross ______31

Material Properties of Alkali Activated Fly Ash Concrete.Michael SaleraG, Aleksandra Radlinska, Joseph Robert Yost and Stephen ErnstG ______32

Computer Science (10)

Tier 1 Help Desk Reporting System. Nathan AcheyUG and Barbara Zimmerman ______33

Communication Graphs for Wireless Networks. Jenny LiangUG, Lauren McDermottUG, Kristin RaudonisG and Mirela Damian ______34

Computing Ensemble. Ravindra Raju KolahalamG, Kiran BhaskarReddy and Lillian Cassel ______35

Undirected Connectivity of Sparse Yao Graphs.Abhaykumar KumbharG and Mirela Damian ______36

Modeling and Simulation of a Re-entrant Manufacturing System Using Color Petri Nets. Carmen NigroUG and Vijay Gehlot ______37

New Jersey State Police Gang Survey Project. Carmen NigroUG, Mark SetzerUG, Allison CohenUG, Anthony DovelleUG and Cory KnoblerUG ______38

Yao Graphs Span Theta Graphs.Kristin RaudonisG and Mirela Damian ______39

An Ontology of all of Computing: An Update on Challenges and Approaches. Narsimha Sandeep SreerambhatlaG,Lillian Cassel and Siva Kumar InguvaG ______40


The Manchester Mummy Project Database.SaiPhaneendra VadapalliG , Sukeerthi ShagaG, PavitraKaveri RamnathG, Michael Zimmerman and Barbara Zimmerman ______41

Public Speaking Engagement Automation.Juan C. VegaUG and Barbara Zimmerman ______42

Electrical and Computer Engineering (2)

Underwater Acoustic Channel Estimation using Least Squares Method. Nagarjun ChakilamG and Bijan G. Mobasseri ______43

Multipath Time of Arrival Estimation in an Underwater Acoustic Channel. Shruthi SankepellyG and Bijan G. Mobasseri ______44

Mechanical Engineering (4)

Cardiovascular Modeling and Diagnosis.Ali JalaliUG, C. Nataraj, Vyom Jain and G.F. Jones ______45

A Study of EEG Signals Using FFT and Wavelet Analysis.Parham GhorbanianG and Hashem Ashrafiuon ______46

Molecular Dynamics Predictions of Thermal Conductivity in Graphene for Phase Change Energy Storage Applications.Masoud H KhademG and Aaron Wemhoff ______47

Autonomous Vessel Trajectory Tracking Experiments in High Sea States. Farshad MahiniG, Hashem Ashrafiuon, Kevin BurkeUG and Leonard DiWilliams ______48

Physics (1)

Mössbauer Spectroscopy and its Application to Iron Coordination Compounds of Biological Relevance. Heather PetrocciaUG, Georgia Papaefthymiou, Arthur J. Viescas and Todd C. Harrop ______49


Sociology & Criminal Justice (7)

Optimal Marital Happiness. Michael D'antonioUG, Amanda HostlerUG, Garrett ScanlonUG and Brian Jones ______50

Are the 2008 Farm Bill Spending Allocations Promoting the USDA’s Commitment to Develop Sustainable Agriculture?Alexandra FrantzUG and Jennifer K. Gilbert Jenkins ______51

Race and Income Effects of Murder Rates in United States Counties. Chelsea MoylanUG, Adriana ParenteUG

and Brian Jones ______52

Does Race Affect Social Trust?Claire MulhernUG, Warren HoweUG and Brian Jones ______53

Racial Differences in Family Formation Patterns.Amanda NymanUG, Kelly MorrisseyUG and Brian Jones ______54

The Effects of Church Attendance on Marital Happiness. Ashley ThompsonUG, Lauren NolinUG, Brittany MayUG and Brian Jones ______55

Stay-at-Home Parenting is not as Effective as Previously Thought. Rebecca TucciUG, Zach LeBlancUG and Brian Jones ______56


Ultraviolet Spectral Synthesis of HgMn Stars

Ronald BallouzUGand Edward FitzpatrickDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Villanova University

We present a detailed analysis of the ultraviolet spectrum of HgMn stars. Using the SPECTRUM code of Gray and Corbally (1994) we perform a high resolution, order by order, analysis of archival spectroscopic data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE). The data set used here consists of IUE spectrophotmetry obtained using the high-resolution echelle observing mode with both the short-wavelength (1150-2000 Angstroms) and the long-wavelength (1900-3200 Angstroms) cameras. This study builds upon detailed spectral synthesis work of the A0V star Vega by Fitzpatrick (2010) and the analysis of HgMn star IUE spectra by Smith (1993) . Through a chi2minimization routine the analysis yields detailed abundances, effective temperatures, radial velocities, surface gravities, and microturbulence velocities. Thusly, we improve on the parameter determinations for HgMn and comment on the abundance patterns of these chemically peculiar B-stars. This work is supported by the Villanova University Research for Undergraduates Awards Program and NASA programs.


Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopy of Three Long Period Nova-Like Variables

Alexandra C. BisolUG and Edward M. Sion Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Villanova University

We have selected three nova-like variables: V363 Aur, RZ Gru and AC Cnc, all of which are UX UMa types, having similar orbital periods well beyond the 3 to 4 hour range where most nova-likes are found. All should have very similar secondary stars given the fact that they their physical parameters are so similar. V363 Aur is a bona fide SW Sex star, and AC Cnc is a probable one, while RZ Gru is not a member of the SW Sex subclass. Our objective is to carry out the first synthetic spectral analysis of far ultraviolet spectra of the three systems using state-of-the-art models both of accretion disks and photospheres. Therefore we shall compare the distances we obtain from the best fitting synthetic spectral models to other distance estimates in the literature. We present model-derived accretion rates and distances for all three systems. The FUV flux range of RZ Gru and V363 Aur is dominated by radiation from an optically thick, steady state, accretion disk but for AC Cnc, we find that a hot white dwarf accounts for ~ 70% of the FUV flux. We compare the FUV characteristics and physical properties of these three long period nova-like systems to the properties of other nova-likes at shorter periods.


A Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Analysis of the Old Nova Q Cygni

Craig P. KolobowUG and Edward M. Sion Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Villanova University

Q Cygni (Nova Cygni 1876) is one of the oldest old novae with a long orbital period of 10.08 hours and spectroscopic peculiarities in the optical including the presence of variable wind outflow revealed by optical P Cygni profiles in the He I lines and H alpha (Kafka et al.2003). There has never been a far UV spectroscopic analysis of this system. Therefore, we have carried out a synthetic spectral analysis of a far ultraviolet IUE archival spectrum of Q Cygni using our optically thick, steady state, accretion disk models and model white dwarf photospheres.


Methanol and Methanol in Water: Exploring the Spectra

Janine A MyszkaUG, Rachel M Mastrapa and Ashley S CurryUG

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Villanova University

Recent observations of TNOs and other outer solar system bodies such as Centaur 5145 Pholus (see Figure 1), include possible detections of CH3OH (methanol) from absorptions in their infrared spectra. Previous measurements of pure materials and mixtures have demonstrated that absorptions can shift in location and change in shape and strength when materials are mixed and compared to pure material spectra (Bernstein, et al 2005).

This summer we completed a series of experiments measuring the infrared spectra from 1 to 20 μm of pure CH3OH and mixtures with H2O. Here, we will concentrate on the changes in the absorptions in the region from 2 to 2.5 μm, as these are the most commonly used regions for detection of methanol from ground-based observing of objects in the Solar System. Since there are multiple stable phases of CH3OH at the temperature range seen on TNOs, we will explore the possibility of detecting different phases of these ices.


Evidence for the Shrinking Orbit of the 2.2-day Transiting Hot Jupiter Exoplanet HD 189733b

Thomas SantapagaUG, Edward Guinan, Ronald BallouzUG, Scott Engle and Laurence DeWarf

Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Villanova University

HD189733A is a K2V star which hosts a transiting exoplanet. HD189733b has an orbital-period (P = 2.22-days) and is 0.031AU from its host star (Buchy et al. 2005). Measurements of the K2V star's P(rot) of 12-d, Lx 1028 ergs/s, and Ca II-HK emission, indicate an age 0.6 -1.0 Gyr - inferred from our rotation-age-activity relations. This age is discrepant with the older-age inferred from the star's low Lithium-abundance ( 1/10 Solar.). However, the age-rotation-activity determination assumes no tidal-effects from close companions. Recently Gaspar et al. (2006) discovered a dM4 companion star. X MM-Newton observations of the HD 189733 A&B carried out recently by Pilliteri et al. (2010), revealed that HD 189733B shows no X-ray emission, with an upper limit of 9*1026 ergs/s. Using activity-age relationships for dM-stars, we expected a Lx of an order of magnitude higher for age <1.0 Ga. This apparent discrepancy can be resolved by the supposition that the K2V-star has been spun-up by its nearby planetary companion, and that its age determined from activity-rotation relationships is invalid. This is supported by the recent Kepler mission 300+ exoplanet candidate systems discovered thus far (Borucki et al. 2010). The analysis of this data has revealed that tidal locking between the planet and host star has occurred for a significant number of exoplanet with short orbital periods. We explain the fast rotation of the K2 star via the transfer of the planet's orbital angular momentum to the star via tidal and magnetic interactions.


Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a Putative Cyclooxygenase from Nostoc punctiforme

Kevin J. BackusUG, Huasong Tang UG and Barry S. Selinsky

Department of Chemistry, Villanova University

The use of sequence-dependent profile searches of bacterial and fungal genomes have uncovered the existence of open reading frames encoding proteins predicted to be similar to mammalian cyclooxygenase (COX) proteins. In this study, a putative COX from Nostoc punctiforme was identified, expressed, purified, and characterized. The gene (Npun_R5469) was cloned into an expression plasmid with an N-terminal small ubiquitin related modifier (SUMO) fusion partner, and overexpressed in BL21(DE3) cells. The largely soluble fusion protein was purified by Ni2+-affinity chromatography, cleaved with SUMO-hydrolase, and further purified by removal of the SUMO fusion partner. Kinetic characterization of the Nostoc protein product is in progress, and should provide insight into the evolutionary origin of mammalian COX enzymes.


Expression, Purification, and Characterization of a Putative Cyclooxygenase from Nostoc punctiforme

Kasey JohnsonUG, Victoria Pisciella UG and Barry S. Selinsky

Department of Chemistry, Villanova University

Nostoc punctiforme contains in its genome a series of three open reading frames encoding for putative ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). Between the first and second ORF lies a 121 amino acid sequence with over 40% homology to the first 120 amino acids of the three LGIC homologs. The objective of this work is to clone and express this peptide, and possibly perform a structural analysis. A 91-residue peptide (minus a predicted signal sequence) was cloned into an expression plasmid with an N-terminal small ubiquitin related modifier (SUMO) fusion partner, and overexpressed in BL21(DE3) cells. The largely soluble fusion protein was purified by Ni2+-affinity chromatography, cleaved with SUMO-hydrolase, and further purified by removal of the SUMO fusion partner. Characterization of the purified protein is ongoing, including an attempt to generate protein crystals for structural analysis.


Sequence Analysis of Mouse Mammalian Tumor Virus Integration Site

Chong Wai TioUG and Janice Knepper Department of Biochemistry, Villanova University

Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV), a retrovirus, causes the formation of mammary tumors by insertional mutagenesis, resulting in activation of nearby oncogenes. The integration of MMTV is random. Insertional mutagenesis occurs when MMTV integrates at close proximity, the promoter or enhancer region, of a potential oncogene. Integration at the promoter region of a gene often leads to upregulation of both mRNA and protein level. The methodology used to determine the integration site of MMTV and the potential nearby genes involves manipulating the DNA extracted from MMTV induced tumors, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifying the DNA, transformation into bacteria, colony PCR cloning of the integration site, and extraction of plasmid DNA from bacteria that is to be sequenced. The identities of those sequences are determined by comparison to the NCBI GenBank database. Some of the sequences obtained from this experiment show integration at mouse chromosome 6 and mouse chromosome 16. Those two integration sites represent endogenous proviruses carried in the germ line. One particular sequence obtained shows integration at mouse chromosome 5 near a gene SRPK2. SRPK2 is a serine arginine protein kinase that plays a role in regulating splicing.


Determining the Regulatory Sequence of the PHO1 Promoter in Phosphate Starvation

Tom RuffinoUG and Dennis Wykoff Department of Biology, Villanova University

Phosphate is an essential resource in biological system and is a critical requirement for DNA in phosphodiester bonds and as well as phospholipids. For instance, phosphate is found in adenosine phosphates such as ATP and ADP. These compounds are the main energy currency of the cell. Lack of phosphate can be lethal; however, cells have pathways to compensate for the absence of phosphate. The phosphate signal transduction (PHO) pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or brewers yeast, is well defined genetically, and allows cells to adapt and survive to phosphate starvation(Lenburg and O'Shea 2001). PHO5 encodes a phosphatase that is transcriptionally induced during phosphate starvation and allows for the scavenging of phosphate from a cells environment. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe, or fission yeast, PHO1 is a homolog of PHO5 and it is regulated in a similar manner - i.e. induced during phosphate starvation (Wykoff and O'Shea 2001). However, the transcription factor that regulates this induction is unknown in the Sz. pombe pathway. We believe a zinc finger protein binds to the promoter and drives transcription during phosphate starvation, because in low phosphate conditions there is little transcription of PHO1 in Zn finger mutant strain.


The Effects of Tmem170 Expression on Mouse Mammary Cell and Tumor Growth

Lauren AcostaUG and Janice E. Knepper Department of Biology, Villanova University

Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus (MMTV) is a retrovirus that induces mammary tumors through insertional mutagenesis. When the provirus integrates adjacent to a protoncogene the integration can drive up-regulation of nearby genes resulting in tumor growth. The Knepper Lab identified a potential oncogene in mouse mammary tumor cells, Tmem170 (transmembrane protein 170). In one tumor cell line the expression of Tmem170 was found to cause increased proliferation compared to control cells. When introduced into mice, cells which lacked Tmem170 caused smaller tumors than cells expressing Tmem170. To better characterize the oncogenic potential of Tmem170, I focused on knocking out expression of Tmem170 within a second tumor cell line (CV1A 01-51) to ascertain its role in cell growth. A siRNA vector was used to knockout expression of Tmem170. Knockout of Tmem170 was confirmed using PCR. Cell number was monitored for knockout and control cells at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. Knockout cells grew at a decreased rate compared to control tumor cells. Knockout and negative control cells were injected into contralateral mammary glands BALB/c mice. Tumors were measured by palpation 4 weeks after injection and weighed 6 weeks after injection.


The Role of avUCP in Short-term and Long-term Cold Acclimation of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata)

Caitlin ArmstrongUG and John OlsonDepartment of Biology, Villanova University

Avian Uncoupling Protein (avUCP) in skeletal muscles may serve as a mechanism of regulatory non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). If so, avUCP would be restricted to subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) to minimize disruption to coupled metabolism for ATP production for contraction and shivering. Alternatively, avUCP primarily may protect against damage from reactive oxygen species (ROS); here, it would be more prevalent in intermyofibrillar mitochondria (IFM), close to contractile myofibrils where catabolic rates are high. Further, avUCP protein may be upregulated only transiently during cold exposure. This study examines expression of avUCP in pectoralis muscle after both short- and long-term cold acclimation in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Adult, male Zebra Finches (n= 24) were exposed to cold (down to 5ºC) for up to 7 or 21 days (short- and long-term cold acclimation, resp.). Pectoralis muscles were collected from 4 birds pre-exposure, and at days 1, 3, 7, and 21. Samples were weighed, homogenized, SSM and IFM fractions isolated, and avUCP expression assessed with standard Western blot analysis using a rabbit anti-human UCP3 antibody. Interestingly, muscle mass relative to body mass decreased with 21 days of cold exposure. Preliminary results suggest avUCP is located in SSM, in contrast to previous results in the Olson lab.


Close encounters of the unkind: the role of male aggression in reproductive isolation between

sympatric damselflies

Thomas CastleUG and Vikram Iyengar Department of Biology, Villanova University

We studied the precopulatory forces that prevent interspecific matings -specifically, intrasexual aggression by territorial males to gain insight into reproductive isolation among sympatric damselflies. Two field sites (Route 13 and Groton Avenue) were selected based on similar appearance and abiotic factors, only differing in relative abundance of C. aequabilis and C. maculata. To test relative abundance we measured 100 meters of the stream and collected as many males as possible during a one hour period. Then we measured the spot size area of the hind wings of each individual. Finally, we tested the aggression of C. maculata and C. aequabilis by using tethered live damselflies as intruders near territorial males. The intruders were tied to a fishing line and moved towards the perched territorial male starting from 2 meters away. Then the furthest distance of approach was measured. The data shows that the relative abundance for Route 13 changed significantly from June to July while Groton Avenue remained the same. The C. aequabilis male individuals at both sites were less aggressive for small spotted C. aequabilis and C. maculata, but were more aggressive for large spotted C. aequabilis (Route 13: 47.6%; Groton Avenue: 66%). Also at Groton Avenue the C. maculata was 71.7% less aggressive towards the small spotted C. aequabilis than the conspecifics and small-spotted C. aequabilis.


Sca-1/Ly-6A is involved in sex-specific murine B lymphocyte development

Sean DeWolfUG and Anil Bamezai Department of Biology, Villanova University

In the present study, I examine the role of a GPI (Glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-anchored cell surface protein named stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1, also known as Ly-6A) in the development of important cells in the adaptive and innate immune response in a context of sex-determined immunity. Sca-1/Ly-6A is an excellent marker for hematopoietic stem cells and an important molecule for cell signaling and cell-cell adhesion. However, its role in the development of immune cells is not fully understood. Using Sca-1/Ly-6A knockout mice as an experimental system, I uncovered a connection between the loss of Sca-1/Ly-6A and sex-specific effects in the development of B lymphocytes and Natural Killer (NK) cells. The loss of Sca-1/Ly-6A affected the development of these cells in an opposite manner, with B cells being decreased and NK cells increasing only in females. This change was not observed in males. T cell development was not affected in either sex, indicating that the effects of Sca-1/Ly-6A are restricted to B and NK cell development. This connection between Sca-1/Ly-6A and sex-specific development of important immune cells could serve as a model to better understand the differential immune functions observed between the sexes, not only in mice but in humans as well.


The Effects of Nitrogen Addition and Depletion on Invasive Species and Herbivory

Kathryn DevineUG and Samantha Chapman Department of Biology, Villanova University

Invasive plant species and nitrogen deposition are major and devastating aspects of global change. As environments around the world become susceptible to nitrogen deposition and the encroachment of invasive species, it is important to understand how these global changes impact ecosystems. I examined how nitrogen availability impacted plant community composition, herbivore damage and species preference of herbivores. Treatment conditions included 20 grams per meter squared and 10 grams per meter squared of nitrogen, 750 grams per meter squared of sucrose, and a control treatment. I applied them to plots of understory plants in Ridley Creek State Park and took percent cover, herbivory measurements, and nitrogen concentrations monthly. Regardless of treatment, native percent cover was lower than invasive cover. This trend was also seen through time. I determined that invasive richness increased with moderate nitrogen addition. Also, moderate nitrogen increased the ratio of herbivory to percent cover. Decreasing nitrogen increased the herbivory on invasives and decreased their percent cover. High nitrogen also decreased percent cover of invasives but the decrease was not seen until the end of the growing season. My results show interactions between nitrogen availability, invasive plant species, and herbivores, which changes community interactions of ecosystems.


Ontogenetic growth and development of pectoralis muscle in precocial Japanese Quail (Coturnix

japonica)

Courtney FoxUG and John Olson Department of Biology, Villanova University

Precocial birds hatch capable of locomotion and some thermoregulatory capabilies, allowing partial independence from their parents. Both capabilities improve after hatch. Previous studies have established that 22d-old quail achieve metabolic scopes during cold exposure that are similar to those achieved by adult birds. The quail at this age also are experiencing their fastest instantaneous increases in body mass after hatch. In addition, aerobic and glycolytic catabolic profiles of pectoralis muscle change markedly after hatch as well. Because skeletal muscles are a primary site for regulatory thermogenesis in birds, knowledge of morphological changes in skeletal muscle development is crucial for understanding these developmental trends. This study explores changes in the ultrastructure of pectoralis muscle of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) during posthatching development, and tests the hypothesis that changes reflect improvements in thermoregulatory, locomotor, and catabolic capabilities. Japanese quail eggs were incubated through hatching, and chicks were reared in the lab under thermoneutral conditions. Once the quail reached 9d, 14d, 22d, and 35d of age, the pectoralis muscles were dissected, fixed, and prepared for electron microscopy using standard techniques. Micrographs were analyzed to determine myofibrillar and mitochondrial (and cristae) densities, and SR:myofibrillar area ratios using ImageJ software and stereographic techniques. Preliminary results indicate that significant changes occur commensurate with the changing needs for thermoregulation.


The role of Brd2 in the control of proliferation during zebrafish development

Eliza FradkinUG and Angela DiBenedetto Department of Biology, Villanova University

Brd2 belongs to the bromodomain-extraterminal domain (BET) family of transcriptional coregulators and acts as a scaffold for chromatin modifying complexes at promoters of target genes. In Drosophila, the Brd2 homolog is a maternal effect embryonic lethal gene needed for proper segmentation, while in zebrafish and mouse, Brd2 is necessary for proper apoptosis and central nervous system (CNS) morphology and subdivision. Brd2 is also known to act as a mitotic regulator in adult mammalian tissues. It is unclear, however, whether Brd2 acts as a mitotic regulator either in non-mammalian species, or during development. To address this, I assess the progression of cells through the mitotic cycle during development of Brd2 knockdown zebrafish embryos. I hypothesize that Brd2 is necessary for adequate cellular proliferation and therefore proper tissue size and morphology of the CNS during development. S phase and mitotic cells, labeled by anti-BrdU and anti-phosphohistone H3, respectively, and detected by immunoflourescence microscopy, are present at similar levels in both control and knockdown embryos. However, spatial patterns of cells in morphants are highly disorganized. Quantification of cells at each phase of the cell cycle by flow cytometry will test this qualitative assessment.


The effect of zygotic Brd2 knockdown on the susceptibility to epileptic behavior in a zebrafish

(Danio rerio) seizure modelHayley HanbyUG and Angela DiBenedetto

Department of Biology, Villanova University

Brd2 is a member of the bromodomain-extraterminal domain (BET) family of transcriptional co-regulators, which recruit transcription factors and chromatin modifiers to target promoters. Brd2 is a maternal factor in both invertebrates and vertebrates, and is required for oogenesis and proper segmentation in Drosophila and for normal brain development in zebrafish and mice. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter of the human Brd2 gene have been linked to increased susceptibility to juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), an adolescent onset generalized epilepsy; this suggests that misexpression of Brd2 results in brain abnormalities that predispose to epilepsy. This project directly assessed the role of Brd2 in epilepsy susceptibility by testing zebrafish deficient in Brd2 for sensitivity to the convulsant agent PTZ, using a previously established seizure model in this organism. Zebrafish mutants created by anti-Brd2-morpholino knockdown exhibit no difference in susceptibility to convulsant of varying concentration when compared to wild-type. Since morpholino knockdown works by translational block of mRNAs, and Brd2 protein is detected in zebrafish oocytes by immunohistochemistry, it is possible that maternal protein persists in early embryos and adequately protects against epilepsy susceptibility in Brd2 morphants.


Determining the role of IP7 in the phosphate signal transduction pathway in S. Pombe

Charles P. HannonUG, Dennis Wykoff and Christine Kerwin


Inorganic phosphate is an essential nutrient that is used by all organisms to synthesize key molecules such as nucleic acids, ATP, and phospholipids. The phosphate signal transduction pathway, activated in response to phosphate starvation, has been studied in many model organisms, but is not well studied in Schizosaccharomyces pombe (S. pombe). During phosphate starvation a gene encoding a secreted acid phosphatase, PHO1, is transcriptionally upregulated and the phosphatase cleaves phosphate off of organic compounds. However, the molecular regulation of this gene, PHO1, is unknown and has only been recently investigated. The only known regulators of PHO1 are a SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex and a zinc finger transcription factor. This project will investigate the role of a potential key regulator of PHO1, IP7, inositol heptakisphosphate. Over 100 million years ago, S. pombe and S. cerevisiae shared a common ancestor. Each organism has developed distinct regulatory mechanisms to inorganic phosphate starvation. However, IP7 is the only transcriptional regulator found in both S. pombe and S. cerevisiae. A yeast strain was created with the S. pombe promoter regulating the phosphatase gene, PHO5, in S. cerevisiae. Plasmid constructs with transcriptional regulators from S. pombe were transformed into this strain to monitor phosphatase activity and ultimately determine the role of IP7.


Observing the Rate of Carbon Dioxide Concentration on Sphagnum fuscum

Michelle HarrisUG, Kelman Wieder, Markus N. Thormann and Kimberli D. Scott


Studies have provided evidence that fungi are the principal decomposers in peatlands being able to degrade polyphenolic-rich, lignin-like compounds found in the cell walls of Sphagnum species. Qualitative studies have been done that focus on species richness and support a fungal succession. It is suggested that zygomycetes colonized peat first, followed by ascomycetes, and then basidiomycetes. This purpose of this study is to investigate how CO2 concentration varies amongst the different phyla in order to tease apart their respective quantitative contributions in the decomposition process. The experiment was designed as a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with the two factors being section (top and bottom of peat monolith) and treatment (combinations of the 3 fungal groups). A 484.96m3 core of Sphagnum fuscum was placed into a pint sized mason jar, autoclaved, and treated with 2- 1cm2 of fungus based on the treatment. CO2 measurements were made on an infrared gas analyzer (IRGA) over one minute intervals up to 6 minutes. While the results showed there were differences amongst the treatments, further research is needed to support the theorized fungal succession.


The Effects of Herbivory and Microarthropods on American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) Leaf Litter

Antonio PullanoUG and Samantha Chapman Department of Biology, Villanova University

In all ecosystems, nutrients pass from organisms to the environment through the process of decomposition. Herbivores and microarthropods both have the ability to influence nutrient cycling by affecting decomposition. Using American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) leaf litter decomposition, I explored the effects of leaf damage prior to senescence and of microarthropod presence during decomposition. After collecting leaf litter from Ridley Creek State Park, I buried 160 mesh bags (litterbags) with F. grandifolia leaves. The litterbags were made with two mesh sizes to control the presence of microarthropods and contained either herbivore-damaged or undamaged leaves, resulting in four treatment groups. All bags were buried during June 2010, with forty bags removed during each of four, subsequent extraction dates through February 2011. The average percent mass loss and average percent nitrogen for the first two dates exhibited no statistical differences between sample groups. At this early stage of decomposition I found that neither the presence of mechanical damage nor the presence of microarthropods significantly influences the decomposition rate or the rate of nitrogen release of American Beech leaf litter. In the future, I will continue to process the remaining litter to determine long term effects. This research will help advance our understanding of how organisms at multiple trophic levels, herbivores and macrofaunal decomposers, can regulate nutrient cycling.


Effect of diet and migration on ketone body metabolism in European starlings

Agnes ReschkeUG and John Olson Department of Biology, Villanova University

European Starlings are capable of flights lasting several hours during migration. Such high endurance flights require efficient and sustained mobilization of substrate. Fat is the primary substrate for ATP production, due to its higher energy per unit mass than either carbohydrates or proteins. High fluxes through -oxidation produce a lot of acetyl-CoA, and some may be shunted toward the production and export of ketone bodies (acetoacetate and -hydroxybutyrate). This study tests the hypotheses that (1) birds fed a diet higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have a higher capability to metabolize ketone bodies than those fed a diet higher in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA); and (2) capabilities are further enhanced in birds trained to fly long distances. Diets of all birds were augmented with vitamin E, allowing comparison to birds in a companion study. Activities of HMG-CoA-synthase and oxoacid-CoA-transferase were assayed in liver, kidney, heart, and pectoralis muscle and indicated the capacity for ketone body synthesis and use (resp.). Although final analysis of all subgroups is pending, results reveal that enzyme activities in birds fed a high Vitamin E diet are higher than their low vitamin E counterparts, indicating the potential for high catabolic fluxes in the former group.


Malaria Transmission in Regards to Climate Change

Christina RileyUG and John Olson Department of Biology, Villanova University

In 2007 the Gates Foundation called for the elimination and eradication of the tropical infectious disease malaria. Malaria currently causes >1 million deaths annually, 89% children and an enormous cost of DALYs. With real and projected changes in rainfall and temperature globally, and most critically in parts of Africa, climate change is hypothesized to significantly increase epidemics and proliferation of disease, making the goals of eradication ever more important. Among the effects are increases in the geographical ranges of mosquito vectors and concomitant exposure of more vulnerable human populations with lower immunity. This could further lead to increased rates of reproduction and transmission of Plasmodium in both human and mosquito hosts due to a longer and more intense transmission season, and a greater statistical probability of genetic recombination events in Plasmodium DNA in the ookinete resulting in new clones/strains. Climate change will likely affect human migration, a huge complicating factor in malaria eradication, and exacerbate well-being in vulnerable states where malaria transmission is already a challenge. These “environmental refugees” burden the economy, agricultural sector, and environment; an approach that effectively integrates economics, sociology, politics and public health is necessary if we are to mitigate negative effects of climate change on malaria.


An analysis of the potential effects of the phytoestrogen genistein as an endocrine disruptor in

reproductive tissues in the mouse

Kelly ThomasUG and Louise Russo Department of Biology, Villanova University

Recent epidemiological data has shown that breast cancer rates have been historically lower among Japanese women as compared to U.S. women. Much of this decreased risk has been attributed to the vast difference in the amount of soy women consume in these two countries. For example, Japanese women consume about 20 to 50 mg/day while U.S. women consume about .15 to 3.0 mg/day. While epidemiological data preliminarily points to a potential benefit, genistein, soy's primary isoflavone is a xenoestrogen which can bind estrogen receptors and affect expression of estrogen responsive genes. In order to better understand how genistein acts in vivo, I will be examining the dose dependent effects of genistein on several morphological and gene expression endpoints in both mammary gland and uterine tissues that are known to be affected by estrogen in an adult ovariectomized (OVX) mouse model system. To achieve this, OVX mice were treated for seven consecutive days via oral gavage with either different dose levels of genistein, estrogen or vehicle. Mammary glands and uteri were removed following sacrifice for morphological and RNA expression analysis.


DNA Binding Activities of the Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium YdcI Protein

Antonio Nathan VillamorUG and James Wilson Department of Biology, Villanova University

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a Gram-negative bacterium known to cause infections in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of humans. It utilizes various proteins to survive its host's defenses. In low fluid shear conditions that may be found in the GI tract, some proteins possess increased expression. The Wilson lab characterized one such protein, called YdcI, as a transcriptional regulator that has a role in stress resistance. The lab also found that YdcI binds to a portion of its own promoter, labeled as the H3 probe. One experimental goal is to determine the DNA sequence of the specific binding site in the H3 probe. Purified YdcI protein was used to complete gel shift assays to assess binding to two different possible binding sites within the H3 probe. The gel shift results did not show YdcI binding to either proposed site. This suggests YdcI may bind to other sites or requires the whole H3 probe. In addition, a chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was performed to observe whether YdcI binds to the H3 probe in vivo. The ChIP assay did not show YdcI binding to the H3 probe because of issues with technique. Future work is needed to refine the technique.


Song repertoire composition and structure in Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis):

implications for mate choice within hybridizing populations

Karen E. ZusiUG and Robert L. Curry Department of Biology, Villanova University

In songbirds, female mate choice is driven by a variety of factors, especially male song performance. I investigated individual song structure in a population of Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) in Pennsylvania to describe the use of songs in relation to both a nearby hybrid zone between Carolina and black-capped chickadees and populations of pure black-capped chickadees. Pure black-capped chickadees transpose a single song type up and down a range of frequencies, while hybrids perform a non-transposed version of the black-capped song and one Carolina-like song. I recorded and analyzed 169 Carolina songs for note pitch and duration, and determined that they have two distinct songs sung by all males which are quantitatively separable. Carolina chickadees use these two song types during dawn chorusing in patterns of long runs that do not resemble the patterns recorded in the hybrid zone (an average of 36.8 ± 4.9 SE, N = 50, and 10.2 ± 5.7 SE, N = 37, for the two pure Carolina types, compared to 14.5 ± 16.7 SE for both hybrid songs, N = 221). My results suggest that the structure of the Carolina repertoire is different from that of the hybrid, although sampling from contexts other than dawn chorusing is necessary to further evaluate this relationship.


Section Properties of the Girder-Slab System: Phase II – Component Testing

Matthew J. BandeltG, Shawn P. Gross, David W. Dinehart and Joseph Robert Yost

Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Villanova University

The Girder-Slab System is a structural framing system that is a hybrid of steel girders, precast hollow core concrete slabs and cementitious grout which form a monolithic structural slab assembly. The geometry of the system allows for a large reduction in floor to floor height and is beneficial for use in mid-rise residential construction. Previous research studies have provided baseline section properties of the system which are used by design engineers to estimate deflections and stresses of the non-composite and composite systems. Three steel D-Beams, which are the primary structural element of the system, were tested in four-point bending to study the behavior of the non-composite system with reduced steel strength and weld lengths. Three 16 ft x 12 ft composite specimens were tested in flexure to determine the section properties of the composite system. These specimens were designed to verify properties of the current system, and develop section properties of the composite system with reduced grout strength and embedment. Initial analysis of the test results show that the improved systems behaved exceptionally and have similar properties to the standard system. Experimental test results and analytical cross section models will be used to develop a simplified and refined design approach.


Tensile Capacity of Grouped Anchors with Overlapping Failure Areas

Adam BeckmannG, David W. Dinehart, Shawn P. Gross and Peter Carrato


In order to safely design concrete structures the American Concrete Institute (ACI) issues a document every four years containing building code requirements and equations for structural concrete. ACI 318-08 Appendix D of this code recommends the use of the concrete capacity design (CCD) method to evaluate the tensile capacity of grouped anchors. This study compares predicted values of the CCD method and the cone method used by ACI 349-85 to experimental results for grouped anchors with overlapping failure surfaces. A total of twelve specimens were tested, including seven with a four bolt pattern and five with a nine bolt pattern. The embedment depth of the four bolt grouping varied between 3 in. (7.6 cm) and 6 in. (15.2 cm) while all nine bolt pattern specimens had a 3 in. (7.6 cm) embedment. Half of specimens were supported from below the sample and no tie downs were placed on the sample surface. The remaining specimens were restrained from the top of the sample surface. The researchers concluded that ACI 318-08 code equations underestimated the tested capacity of most nine bolt samples while ACI 349-85 code equations significantly overestimated the tested capacity of all specimens.


Material Properties of Alkali Activated Fly Ash Concrete

Stephen A. ErnstG, Michael SaleraG, Joseph Robert Yost and Aleksandra Radlinska


Alkali Activated Fly Ash Concrete (AAFAC) is an alternative form of concrete that contains no portland cement. Rather, fly ash is used as a 100% substitute for portland cement. Replacing portland cement with the by-product of fly ash creates a “green” alternative, as the fly ash material is being reused and the production of portland cement avoided. Portland cement production accounts for approximately 5% of CO2 emission and NOx emission; with over 116 cement plants in the U.S. If this 5% could be reduced or removed through the use of alternative concrete the impact would be great. The mixture for AAFAC is typical of a normal concrete mix in that it contains coarse and fine aggregates, with the addition of the fly ash, activator solution, water, and some chemical admixtures. This study focuses on the fabrication and structural behavior of AAFAC for precast structural elements such as emergency shelters and other structural components. The research scope entailed developing an AAFAC mixture design, investigating AAFAC material properties, and fabrication and structural testing of full scale steel reinforced AAFAC beam samples. Included as well was fabrication and testing of ordinary portland cement beams to act as a control.


Ductile Behavior of Open Web Steel Joists: Phase III

Timothy HarringtonG, Joseph Robert Yost, David W. Dinehart and Shawn P. Gross


Open web steel joists are prefabricated truss assemblies typically used in supporting floor and roof systems. In accordance with the current design specifications set forth by the Steel Joist Institute, joists are designed to meet strength requirements for a given design load. However, no consideration is provided for controlling the limit state. The purpose of this research is to develop a design methodology for joists with a ductile limit state. Such ductility is characterized by yielding in critical tension members prior to buckling in compression members. Yielding in a steel tension member retains the load carrying capacity as inelastic deformation occurs, whereas a compression buckling limit state results in a sudden drop in load carrying capacity. Large deformations while maintaining load are desirable, as they offer visual warning for evacuation or load removal. To achieve this, a series of ductile design joists were tested to failure at Villanova's Structural Engineering Teaching and Research Laboratory. The experimental results strongly show that a ductile design is achievable, as all 18 joists demonstrated tension member yield with significant deformation prior to a secondary buckling failure. Importantly, the joist strength was not compromised, nor was the cost of the joist increased.


Material Properties of Adobe Blocks Made with Recycled Paper

Shane B. MoranG, Aleksandra Radlinska and Jonathan S. Price


The need for affordable housing has led to an increased interest in strong and durable materials that are low-cost, yet still environmentally-friendly. Papercrete is a new sustainable construction material that is typically comprised of cement, sand, and recycled newspaper. This material has successfully been used to build homes throughout the Southwestern United States, but little scientific research has been conducted to verify builder's claims that papercrete is suitable for two-story construction. Eight mixture designs with varying cement content, sand content and partial cement replacement with supplementary cementitious materials were evaluated in this work. The investigation included a calculation of the average compressive strength, elastic modulus, modulus of rupture, thermal conductivity and thermal resistance of each papercrete mixture design. Based upon compressive strength results, the ideal papercrete mixture design was identified as a 1:2:5 ratio of paper:cement:sand by weight, while optimal thermal properties were obtained for a mixture with a ratio of 1:1.5:1.


Utilizing Arching Action in Concrete Decks for more Economical Bridge Design

Christopher RaponeG, David W. Dinehart and Shawn Gross


According to the 2009 ASCE Report Card for America's Infrastructure, the nation's bridges received a C, which can be attributed to a lack of substantial investment in the infrastructure. Traditional design of concrete bridges consists of concrete deck slabs that are reinforced with steel rebar. Concrete, being poor in tension, requires the steel reinforcement because steel's material properties make it suitable for tensile applications. The steel reinforcing in bridge decks can corrode which can require costly repairs. Current design codes ensure overly conservative bridge decks due to an internal phenomenon known as arching action or compressive membrane action. Arching action is achieved when a concrete bridge deck is confined in both the longitudinal and transverse directions. One possible way to alleviate the problem of corrosion and improve our infrastructure is to remove the steel in the deck and rely on the arching action present in the structural system. Currently, the objective of this research is to review the completed studies and the real-world applications that have been constructed in the US and Canada utilizing this technology. A review of the potential benefits of this application including reduced principle and life cycle costs of future structures is presented.


Material Properties of Alkali Activated Fly Ash Concrete

Michael SaleraG, Aleksandra Radlinska, Joseph Robert Yost and Stephen ErnstG


Concrete is the most widely used building material in the world. The production of portland cement, the main concrete ingredient, results in large carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere that account for 5% of the global emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In order to mitigate this negative environmental impact, industrial byproducts such as fly ash and slag have been successfully used as a partial replacement of cement in concrete materials. The objective of current research is to develop a new formula for concrete mixture that would be solely based on fly ash as a 100% cement replacement. The fly ash, when activated by alkaline solutions undergoes an alkali-activation reaction to form a binder with similar or even better performance characteristics than traditional concrete. This innovative use of waste materials has been the fuel for this research. The material and structural properties of Activated Fly Ash Concrete (AAFAC) were evaluated for possible use as a viable alternative to ordinary portland cement for precast applications.


Tier 1 Help Desk Reporting System

Heather Nathan AcheyUG and Barbara ZimmermanSchool of Business, Villanova University

The purpose of this project was to create an automated reporting system that will allow Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School to monitor and see trends in the call volume of both escalated and handled calls to their tier 1 technical support desk. This System will monitor in two specific areas, an online web portal for high level Board of Trustees report, and a detailed reporting supplied by Access front end.


Undirected Connectivity of Sparse Yao Graphs

Abhaykumar KumbharG and Mirela Damian Department of Computer Science, Villanova University

Given a finite set S of points in the plane and a real value d > 0, the d-radius disk graph Gd contains all edges connecting pairs of points in S that are within distance d of each other. For a given graph G with vertex set S, the Yao subgraph Yk[G] with integer parameter k > 0 contains, for each point p ϵ S, a shortest edge pq from G (if any) in each of the k sectors defined by k equally-spaced rays with origin p. Motivated by communication issues in mobile networks with directional antennas, we study the connectivity properties of Yk[Gd], for small values of k and d. In particular, we derive lower and upper bounds on the minimum radius d for which Yk[Gd] connected, relative to the unit radius for which Gd is assumed to connected. We show that d =√2 is necessary and sufficient for the connectivity of Y4[Gd]. We also show that, for d ≤ 5-(2/3)√35, the graph Y3[Gd] can be disconnected, but Y3[G2/√3] is always connected.


Computing Ensemble

Ravindra Raju KolahalamG, Kiran BhaskarReddy and Lillian Cassel

Department of Computer Science, Villanova University

Problem: Establish access to broadly distributed educational resources without unnecessary duplication or complex modification to the existing collections.

Approach: Invent a wormhole connection between distributed sites allowing users to observe more than one aspect of a resource collection at the same time.

Background: Ensemble is one of the US National Digital Library (NSDL) Pathways, which is working to establish a national, distributed digital library for computing education, and is supported by National Science Foundation (NSF). Computing Ensemble provides access to a broad range of educational resources for computing like AlgoViz, CSTA, Citidel. The wormhole model allows the Ensemble project to add services to partner sites, including the ability to do commenting, rating and tagging. At the same time, this model allows visitors to the Ensemble site to see the partner site in real time. Ensemble respects web accessibility standards. Ensemble is accessible by people of all abilities and disabilities.


Communication Graphs for Wireless Networks

Jenny LiangUG, Lauren McDermottUG, Kristin RaudonisG

and Mirela Damian Department of Computer Science, Villanova University

Motivated by communication issues in wireless networks with directional antennas, we study the suitability of sparse neighborhood graphs as wireless communication networks: If directional antennas available at each wireless node are oriented to point in the direction of neighborhood graph edges, do these antennas always induce a connected communication graph?

Our research contribution is twofold. First, we develop an interactive graphical software package for constructing and visualizing neighborhood graphs. Second, we show that an antenna radius equal to L (the lower bound imposed by the bottleneck edge in the Minimum Spanning Tree) may render disconnected neighborhood graphs. We conjecture that an antenna radius equal to 1.5L renders neighborhood graphs that are always connected. Our experimental results support this conjecture.


Modeling and Simulation of a Re-entrant Manufacturing System Using Color Petri Nets

Carmen NigroUG and Vijay Gehlot Department of Computer Science, Villanova University

This project involved the use of Colored Petri Nets (CPNs) in the simulation and analysis of re-entrant manufacturing systems with inspections. Inspection stations in a manufacturing system are designed to enhance product quality and process performance. Examples of such systems include semiconductor manufacturing processes, especially wafer fabrication line. We consider a model in which there are three possible outcomes at the end of each inspection: accept, reject, or re-enter the system at a previous stage. The performance measures of interest are cycle time, queue length at each buffer and utilization of each work cell. We use CPN Tools, a graphical software tool and interface used to create, edit, simulate, and analyze CPN models.


New Jersey State Police Gang Survey Project

Carmen NigroUG, Mark SetzerUG, Allison CohenUG, Anthony DovelleUG and Cory KnoblerUG


In 2010, researchers from the New Jersey State Police contacted Villanova to see whether students could help visualize the results of a statewide survey on gang activity. Researchers hoped that visualizing the results on the web would help make the survey data accessible to the general public, raise awareness of and influence public policy related to gangs within the state. Throughout the 2010-2011 academic year, we have created and deployed a web-based application to help realize these goals, utilizing our knowledge of software and requirements engineering best practices.


Yao Graphs Span Theta GraphsKristin RaudonisG and Mirela Damian


The Yao and Theta graphs are defined for a given point set and a fixed integer k > 0. The space around each point is divided into k cones of equal angle, and each point is connected to a nearest neighbor in each sector. The difference between Yao and Theta graphs is in the way the nearest neighbor is defined: Yao graphs minimize the Euclidean distance between a point and its neighbor, and Theta graphs minimize the Euclidean distance between a point and the orthogonal projection of its neighbor on the bisector of the hosting cone. We prove that, corresponding to each edge of the Theta graph (k = 6), there is a path in the corresponding Yao graph whose length is at most 8:82 times the edge length. Combined with the result of Bonichon, Gavoille, Hanusse and Ilcinkas, who prove an upper bound of 2 on the stretch factor of the Theta graph, we obtain an upper bound of 17.7 on the stretchfactor of the Yao graph.


An Ontology of all of Computing: An Update on Challenges and Approaches

Narsimha Sandeep SreerambhatlaG, Lillian Cassel and Siva Kumar InguvaG


Computing Ontology is a collection of concepts attempting to reflect the wide spread areas of computing domain. These concepts cover areas from computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, information systems and information technology. The terms originally abstracted from documents related to computing education are arranged as Ontology. The primary application of computing ontology is to understand the interdependencies of layers of computing disciplines which help in making curriculum recommendations. This poster provides an update on the computing ontology describing the tasks associated with Ontology development, the problem we faced and the steps we took to resolve it and the challenge of boundaries between computing and other disciplines.

Problems Faced 1. The Ontology had 17 classes with less degree of abstraction.2. Inconsistency caused by redundancy among terms having

same meaning. For example, Quality where ever it is present would mean the same irrespective of its parent class. Such terms should be located at a single location and should used at other required locations.

Fixes to Problems

Now we are working to create a new Ontology with the same content but in a more organized with only 7 top level classes which takes care of the abstraction issue. As a solution for the inconsistency the duplicates are removed and the term is present in only one level liking to other locations.


The Manchester Mummy Project DatabaseSaiPhaneendra VadapalliG , Sukeerthi ShagaG,

PavitraKaveri RamnathG, Michael Zimmerman and Barbaral Zimmerman


The Manchester Mummy Database reflects one aspect of the work being done by the KNH Center for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester. This work of the Center is the study of living conditions, health and disease in ancient Egypt. An international Egyptian mummy tissue bank was established at Manchester in 1996 and Dr. M. Zimmerman of the Villanova Biology Department contributed 3,000 specimens and microscopic slides to that tissue bank.

The Manchester mummy database being developed by Villanova's Computing Sciences Department will reflect material stored in the tissue bank at the University of Manchester.

The database itself is being generated as a relational model. A web based front will allow selection of data from the database to be used by researchers around the world studying all aspects of health and disease in ancient Egypt.

The database will be updateable by the KNH team at the University of Manchester. A reporting feature will be added to make report generation easy for Egyptologists. When completed the database itself will be transferred to the KNH Center for their maintenance and use.


Public Speaking Engagement AutomationJuan C. VegaUG and Barbara Zimmerman


The Public Speaking Engagement Automation project provides the ability for a Lead Minister to manage the speaking engagement assignments at various locations on specific dates. The system provides functionality for: (i) Date & Time Assignments (ii) Ability to circumvent double-booking situations (iii) Provides volunteer speakers to report exceptional circumstances for which they may not be available on a specified date (iv) Unavailable volunteer speakers may swap dates with other available volunteers using an automated approval mechanism (v) Auto-suggest dates and locations for volunteers based on history and rules-based restrictions (vi) Automates schedule generation per period. Additional features include: (i) Ability to export to PDF (ii) Web hosted environment for easy access (iii) Export data to Microsoft Excel.


Underwater Acoustic Channel Estimation using Least Squares Method

Nagarjun ChakilamG and Bijan G. Mobasseri Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Villanova

University

Acoustic communications in underwater channels has several challenges due to the presence of fading, multipath, reverberation and refractive properties of sound. Various applications of underwater acoustic communications include, target range and velocity measurement, ocean surveillance, etc. In all of these applications, the signal has to be transmitted over the channel. The receiver observes the transmitted signal corrupted by the channel due to its complex properties. In order to have better receiver performance, the effect of the channel on the receivedsignal has to be compensated. For this reason, the receiver has to possess the knowledge of the channel.

In this research we propose an approach for underwater channel estimation based on the least squares method. Channel estimation using training sequences acquires the information about the channel. In minimum least squares sense, the channel is estimated as a multi-tap filter. The best fit in the least-squares sense is used to determine the number of filter taps.

An underwater channel with 200m depth, 6km separation between the transmitter and receiver, 5 multipath and constant speed profile is considered here. The algorithm has been verified by comparing the estimated signal with the desired output. With these estimated filter coefficients, the receiver can acquire the knowledge of the frequency response of the channel.


Multipath Time of Arrival Estimation in an Underwater Acoustic Channel

Shruthi SankepellyG and Bijan G. Mobasseri Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Villanova

University

In a typical underwater channel, the sonar signal propagates via multiple paths which may arise because of ray bending, scattering and reflections cause by sound speed gradient. Therefore the time taken by sonar echo signal to return is unpredictable and makes estimation of time of arrival very critical for the receiver synchronization.

Two scenarios, one with resolvable and the other with non resolvable multipath exist. Maximum likelihood Estimator is an effective tool for time of arrival estimation for resolvable multipath scenario. It is tested here on real data obtained from underwater channel. The range of the channel was 492m. Transmitter was placed at depth of 109m and receiver at 52m. The estimator did a good job in estimating the time of arrivals from the real data. Inverse Correlation Method (ICM) is used for non resolvable multipath scenario. A shallow water channel of a 2000m range, and 200m depth is simulated and a chirp of 1s duration is passed through it. ICM is then performed on the received signal and it did a good job in resolving closely placed multipath.

Thus algorithms for time of arrival estimation for different multipath scenarios are implemented and results were found to be satisfactory.


Cardiovascular Modeling and Diagnosis

Ali JalaliUG, C. Nataraj, Vyom JainUGand G.F. Jones Department of Mechanical Engineering, Villanova University

Cardiovascular disease is any of specific diseases that affect the heart itself and/or the blood vessel system, especially the veins and arteries leading to and from the heart. As of 2007, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.

The main goal of this research is to develop an algorithm in order to predict diseases in cardiovascular system. Our research covers a wide variety of different approaches in cardiovascular modeling and fault diagnosis. We implemented lumped parameter modeling of hypo-plastic left heart syndrome in parallel with computational intelligence techniques to predict occurrence of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) in neonates after the Norwood surgery. Listed below, is brief review of different areas in cardiovascular modeling and fault diagnosis, which are covered in our research:

Heart Arrhythmia Detection Cardiovascular Regulation Modeling Prediction of PVL.


A Study of EEG Signals Using FFT and Wavelet Analysis

Parham GhorbanianG and Hashem Ashrafiuon Department of Mechanical Engineering, Villanova University

In this study, we analyze and compare the power of brain electroencephalogram signal (EEG) δ, θ, α, β, and γ frequency bands using Morlet wavelets analysis and FFT spectral analysis. A series of standard sequential eyes-close and eyes-open EEG signals were recorded from several individuals at different times. The data is then filtered based on the sampling rate and large magnitude signals (> 4.5σ) are removed and reconstructed based on FFT interpolation of the trailing and following data. A sliding Blackmann window based FFT analysis shows statistically significant α band dominant peaks for eyes-close compared to eyes-open trials. Correspondingly, the power ratio of geometric means of eyes-close over eyes-open in the σ range has a statistically significant peak. Further, a secondary β band peaks is observed for eyes-close power spectra compared with eyes-open trials. The wavelet analysis shows statistically significant dominant scales in the scale range of 8 to 13, which corresponds to the α band, for eyes-close compared with eyes-open. In addition, statistically significant dominant scales are observed for eyes-open compared with eyes-close in the scale range of 30 to 60, which corresponds to the δ band. The wavelet analysis results are consistent but more distinguished compared with those of the FFT analysis and reveal additional differences in the δ range.


Molecular Dynamics Predictions of Thermal Conductivity in Graphene for Phase Change Energy

Storage Applications

Masoud H KhademG and Aaron Wemhoff Department of Mechanical Engineering, Villanova University

Additives of highly-conducting nanoparticles such as graphene to a phase change material (PCM) improves PCM heat diffusion, which in turn produces better energy storage than pure PCM. Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (EMD) simulations with Green-Kubo relations are used to predict the thermal conductivity of graphene sheets of various sizes and using different ensemble formulations. The Tersoff potential function has been implemented to model the covalent bonds between carbon atoms. The MD simulations predict an increase in thermal conductivity with graphene sheet size, and the predictions for the canonical (NVT) ensemble are consistently larger than those using the microcanonical (NVE) ensemble. The autocorrelation functions for the NVT simulations converge to zero for large sampling periods, which is not the case for NVE simulations.


Autonomous Vessel Trajectory Tracking Experiments in High Sea States

Farshad MahiniG, Hashem Ashrafiuon, Kevin BurkeUG and Leonard DiWilliams

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Villanova University

An experimentally implemented real-time robust sliding-mode control algorithm is presented for trajectory tracking and obstacle avoidance of under-actuated autonomous surface vessels (USV) at sea condition which is robust to environmental disturbances. In this method, ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are used to define transitional trajectories that can avoid obstacles and reach the final desired target. The stationary obstacles are approximated and enclosed by elliptical shapes. The experimental vessels are small boats which have two propellers in an indoor pool. The position and orientation of each boat are measured by a computer using a camera, positioned on top of the pool, which detects two infrared diodes attached at the front and the back of each boat. After processing the image taken by camera and determining the position and orientation, the computer calculates the control forces, and their corresponding input voltages, and sends the control signal to wireless receivers on the boats using Bluetooth. Numerous experiments have been conducted in our lab where the vessel accurately follows the targeted boat moving in any desired path. In order to simulate wind and wave similar to the sea state, a wave generator was constructed and two fans were installed on the corner of the pool.


Mössbauer Spectroscopy and its Application to Iron Coordination Compounds of Biological Relevance

Heather PetrocciaUG, Georgia C. Papaefthymiou, Arthur J. Viescas and Todd C. Harrop

Department of Physics, Villanova University

57Fe-Mössbauer spectroscopy is a powerful spectroscopic tool based on the resonant absorption/fluorescence of nuclear γ-ray radiation by iron containing compounds. Iron plays an important role in biology implicated in mass transport, oxygen storage and oxidation/reduction processes facilitated by iron proteins. Nitrogen monoxide participates in numerous physiological processes, including muscle relaxation, neurotransmission and immune regulation. Ferrous/ferric heme nitrosyls are significant for nitric oxide reactivity and toxicity in biological systems. The broad biological chemistry of NO involves an array of interrelated redox forms: nitrosonium cation (NO+), nitric oxide (NOo) and nitroxyl anion (NO-). The latter forms transient iron-nitroxyl intermediates in enzymatic cycles of heme proteins. These intermediate or transient states are difficult to characterize, as they cannot be isolated. One approach is to characterize small molecules that can serve as synthetic analogues of the active sites of heme proteins. To this end, we are investigating the Mössbauer spectroscopic signatures of [Fe(LN4)(NO)] compounds. Here the designed LN4 ligand was synthesized as a simple pseudo-heme analogue modeling the electronic chemistry of porphyrins. We present a brief introduction to Mössbauer spectroscopy and its application to the electronic characterization of the redox couple [Fe(LN4)(NO)] ↔[Fe(LN4)(NO)]- of relevance to biological chemistry.


Optimal Marital Happiness

Michael D'antonioUG, Amanda HostlerUG, Garrett ScanlonUG and Brian Jones

Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

The divorce rate is so high that it makes sense to research what actually goes in to making a married couple happy. The information used to conduct this study was taken from the 2006 General Social Survey or GSS. The GSS contains a standard 'core' of demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal questions, plus topics of special interest. Many of the core questions have remained unchanged since 1972 to facilitate time-trend studies as well as replication of earlier findings. It has tracked the opinions of Americans over the last four decades. The GSS is widely regarded as the single best source of data on societal trends. We used the self reported amount of marital happiness as the dependent variable, and age, race and the number of children a couple has as the independent variables. Using chi square and analysis of variance as our statistics we found significant relationships between our variables. We also used a cross-tabulation of marital happiness with number of children to discover that the happiest couples had no children, while those with children were happiest with one and two children. There are many variables to choose from and we hope to find the optimal conditions for marital happiness.


Are the 2008 Farm Bill Spending Allocations Promoting the USDA’s Commitment to Develop

Sustainable Agriculture?

Alexandra FrantzUG and Jennifer K. Gilbert JenkinsDepartment of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) made a commitment to integrate more sustainable practices and initiatives into America’s agricultural policy. To determine the extent to which Congress is enabling the USDA to carry out this goal, this research focuses on the way in which the funding distributed to the USDA through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, or Farm Bill, promotes sustainability. The Farm Bill was evaluated and I found that 52 programs in 10 titles promote sustainable initiatives. These 52 programs were then categorized by funding type: mandatory, discretionary, or lack of funding. I determined that 8.58% of total mandatory funding was allocated to sustainable programs. Although this percentage reflects the introduction of programs and increases in funding, it draws almost exclusively from the Conservation title and is dwarfed by funding allocated to initiatives within the Nutrition and Commodity titles. The structural burden of placing the Nutrition title in the Farm Bill and the ability of the appropriations system to cut discretionary or even mandatory funding prevent the allocation of the amount of funding necessary to achieve the USDA’s sustainability goal and significantly deflate the initial force of funding suggested by the 8.58%.


Race and Income Effects of Murder Rates in United States Counties

Chelsea MoylanUG, Adriana ParenteUG and Brian JonesDepartment of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

This project looks at murder rates in counties of the United States and the affect the racial and economic composition of the counties has on murder rates based on data collected in 2000. Using regression analysis, the independent variable, the percentage of the county's population which is black, and the dependent variable, the county's murder rate per 100,000 members of the population are analyzed. The analysis reveals a strong positive association between the two variables. Further analyses introducing statistical controls will be discussed in terms of how they affect this basic relationship..


Does Race Affect Social Trust?

Claire MulhernUG, Warren HoweUG and Brian JonesDepartment of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

We are interested in the relationship between race and social trust. We are testing the relationship between the independent variable, race, and dependent variable trust, defined as the response to the question, “Can people be trusted?” We are interested in the control variable education, college educated versus non-college educated, and whether this has an effect on reported level of social trust. We are using General Social Survey Data from 2000-2008 to complete this investigation. Through analysis of variance, we have determined that there is a large racial difference in that blacks are significantly less trusting than whites. When we introduce the education control, this effect remains intact and, in fact, widens.


Racial Differences in Family Formation Patterns

Amanda NymanUG, Kelly MorrisseyUG and Brian JonesDepartment of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

This research focuses on racial differences in family formation patterns. Using data from the 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008 General Social Surveys we saw that there is indeed a significant relationship between race and family formation. Using analysis of variance, the relationship was statistically significant even after controlling for social class. This suggests that race does indeed have a powerful effect on marriage rates and family type. These results are relevant as research has shown that people who are married with kids lead vastly different lives than those with other family patterns. Thus, if there is a racial difference in family types, than we can assume that this has drastic effects on other aspects in society.


The Effects of Church Attendance on Marital Happiness

Ashley ThompsonUG, Lauren NolinUG, Brittany MayUG and Brian Jones

Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

Our research focuses on the effects of church attendance on marital happiness. Our independent variable is church attendance and our dependent variable is marital happiness. We will be using the General Social Survey encompassing the years 2000-2008. We used chi-square analysis to determine the statistical significance of our findings. We have found that as church attendance increases, marital happiness does as well. We controlled for sex and found that these findings remain true, however, the effect is greater for males than females. Our future research will look at the effects of age on this phenomenon.


Stay-at-Home Parenting is not as Effective as Previously Thought

Rebecca TucciUG, Zach LeBlancUG and Brian JonesDepartment of Sociology & Criminal Justice, Villanova University

It is a widely held belief that children who have a parent at home while they are growing up have lower rates of delinquency. We will be testing the relationship between the independent variable, percentage of children with both parents in the work force, and the dependent variable, percentage of youth in juvenile institutions. The data source is the counties data from 2000. In the analysis, we will be using a scatterplot to demonstrate our findings. Our main finding was that there was no relation between the percentage of children with two working parents and their residence in juvenile institutions.


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