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First Annual UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM FORDHAM COLLEGE AT ROSE HILL April 16, 2008 PROJECT ABSTRACTS

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Page 1: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUMugrconf/documents/... · 2008-05-01 · undergraduate research symposium fordham college at rose hill april 16, 2008 ... joanna dritsas jay c. wade

First Annual

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

SYMPOSIUM

FORDHAM COLLEGE AT ROSE HILL

April 16, 2008

PROJECT ABSTRACTS

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Presenter(s) Mentor(s) Department Title Page

Christopher P. Avanzato Ipsita Banerjee Chemistry METAL OXIDE NANOCOMPOSITES AND THEIR APPLICATIONS 1

Irene Brew Steve S. Di Lonardo

and John D. Wehr Biological Sciences

STREAM FLOW, NUTRIENT, AND BACTERIAL CONCENTRATION IN

KENSICO RESERVOIR TRIBUTARIES DURING STORM EVENTS

2

David Carretero Kunal K. Das Physics NON-LINEAR DYNAMICS OF ULTRACOLD ATOMS: THE BEC

REGIME TO THE TONKS GAS REGIME

3

Maria C. Chiappelli John J. McMahon Chemistry REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL PLATINUM CATHODE IN A FUEL

CELL WITH PHOTOCATALYTIC SILVER/SILVER IODIDE

4

Jackie Coughlin James Lewis Biological Sciences 5

Ashley R. Coventry Gary M. Weiss Computer and

Information Sciences THE GENERATION OF WELL-BEHAVED LEARNING CURVES

6

Melanie Dabakis Ipsita Banerjee Chemistry PEPTIDE MISFOLDING AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

7

Alex Dorey Damian Lyons Computer and

Information Sciences

DISTRIBUTED LOCALIZATION AND MAPPING OF ROBOTIC

SENSORY DATA

8

Joanna Dritsas Jay C. Wade Psychology PERSONALITY FACTORS AND TREATMENT COMPLIANCE IN

TRAUMATIC UPPER EXTREMITY PATIENTS

9

Matthew Galligan Kunal K. Das Physics NANO-CURRENTS WITHOUT A VOLTAGE VIA QUANTUM

PUMPING: A WAVE PACKET APPROACH

10

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Presenter(s) Mentor(s) Department Title Page

Antonio A. Giaimo Robert Ross Biological Sciences THE ROLE OF PERIOSTIN AS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR OF

METASTASIS AND INVASION IN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMA

11

Marsiyana M. Henricus Ipsita Banerjee Chemistry BIOCOMPATIBLE SELF-ASSEMBLED MICROTUBULES THAT MIMIC

BONE MATRICES

12

Christa Iwanowski and

Thomas Lobasso

Shahrokh Saba and

Donald D. Clarke Chemistry

A DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH THE REGIO- AND

STEREOCHEMICAL OUTCOME OF ALKENE HYDRATION

13

Jeff Kadegis William B. Thornhill Biological Sciences

GLUR6 ION CHANNEL C-TERMINUS AMINO ACID DETERMINANTS

AFFECT TRAFFICKING; INVESTIGATING INTERACTING CELLULAR

PROTEINS

14

Simon Kaluza Petr Shibaev Physics LIGHT SENSITIVE MOLECULAR MOTORS MOVE CRYSTALS AND

PARTICLES IN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE MATRIX

15

Megan E. Keating John D. Wehr Biological Sciences

A LABORATORY STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRIENT

INPUTS ON THE GROWTH OF AN INVASIVE BENTHIC

CYANOBACTERIUM LYNGBYA WOLLEI

16

Jessica Leszczynski and

Daniel Blessing Kunal K. Das Physics

MODELING NONLINEAR, STOCHASTIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES

WITH THRESHOLD BEHAVIOR BY TIME-OF-FIRST-PASSAGE

17

Kyle Lotfi Petr Shibaev Physics FUNDAMENTALS OF LASING FROM THIN CHOLESTERIC FILMS 18

Salvatore Marsico Petr Shibaev Physics COLOR CHANGING AND LASING STRETCHABLE CHOLESTERIC

FILMS

19

Bill Maughan Edward Dubrovsky Biological Sciences MUTAGENESIS OF THE tRNAse Z GENE IN DROSOPHILA

MELANOGASTER

20

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Presenter(s) Mentor(s) Department Title Page

Sakinah Miller James Lewis Biological Sciences 21

Cristian G. Pieretti Ewelina M.

Hankiewicz Physics

KEEPING MOORE'S LAW VALID: NOVEL TRANSPORT EFFECTS AT

THE NANOSCALE

22

Justin R. Pool Amy Tuininga Biological Sciences

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON VIRULENCE OF SINGLE OR

COMBINED SPECIES OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI TO BLACK-

LEGGED TICKS

23

Paul Ryan Damian M. Lyons Computer and

Information Sciences

THE AI IN FAITH: A STUDY OF RELIGION USING ARTIFICAL

AGENTS

24

Christine T. Schwall Ipsita Banerjee Chemistry INTERACTIONS OF PEPTIDE HORMONES WITH NANOTUBES AND

NANOVESICLES

25

Marc D. Tambini Berish Rubin Biological Sciences ALTERNATIVE RNA SPLICING AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE 26

Niki Tsamis Masaaki Hamaguchi Biological Sciences MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF RHOBTB 27

Christina D'agrosa and

Rabeka Alam James A. Ciaccio Chemistry

TAKING THE "NIP" OUT OF CATNIP: AN UNDERGRADUATE

EXPERIMENT INVOLVING ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF

NEPETALACTONE DIASTEREOMERS FROM COMMERCIAL

SAMPLES OF Nepeta cataria L

28

Dan DiPasquale Cris Poor Mathematics LATTICES 29

Samantha N. Gons James S. MacDonall Psychology MAGNITUDES OF REINFORCERS AND THE STAY/SWITCH MODEL 30

Marin K. Kurti Dr. Jay Wade Psychology POPPING TO SUCCEED: ILLICIT AMPHETAMINE ABUSE AMONG

UNDERGRADUATES AT FORDHAM COLLEGE AT ROSE HILL

31

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Presenter(s) Mentor(s) Department Title Page

Jacqueline P. McMahon James S. MacDonall Psychology CHOICE BETWEEN TOPOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT RESPONSES 32

Natalie G. Robiou Bettina C. Fries Immunology and

Microbiology

PREVALENCE OF ENTEROTOXINS IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

(SA) ISOLATES FROM THE BRONX, NY

33

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2008- 01

METAL OXIDE NANOCOMPOSITES AND THEIR APPLICATIONSChristopher P. Avanzato and Dr. Ipsita Banerjee*

Marsiyana M. Henricus

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

The efficacy of formation of different nanocomposites of germania was examined in the

presence of several biocatalysts such as sequenced peptides and specific amino acids to

selectively mineralize germania. Studies related to germanium dioxide are relatively

uncommon even though many properties of germanium are similar to those of silicon and

thus open new avenues for investigation at the nano level. The shapes and sizes of the

nanocomposites formed were found to be dependent upon the pH of the growth solutions,

temperature, concentrations of the precursors and the types of precursors used. In some cases

highly crystalline materials with high surface areas were formed. The growth of the

nanocomposites was monitored by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron

microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Calcination of the products led to highly

crystalline materials. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were characterized by

fluorescence, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Depending upon the types of the

nanocomposites prepared, we also examined several applications of the nanocomposites

such as antibacterial activities, sensors and catalysis. We have further extended our methods

for preparation of diverse nanocomposites comprising of metal-doped silicate materials,

alumina and titanium oxide extensively due to their enhanced properties and applications.

Such new materials could be potentially useful for the development of highly sensitive

sensors, catalysts and optical devices.

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2008- 02

STREAM FLOW, NUTRIENT, AND BACTERIAL CONCENTRATION

IN KENSICO RESERVOIR TRIBUTARIES DURING STORM EVENTSIrene Brew and Dr. John Wehr*

Dr. Steve S. Di Lonardo† *

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES † NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION,

VALHALLA, NY

The relationship between nutrient and bacterial concentrations in three perennial Kensico

Reservoir tributaries was investigated over four summer storm events. Depending on

stream, storm size, and antecedent conditions, storm events may elicit elevated bacterial

concentrations via nutrient enrichment as a result of watershed runoff, or decreased cell

concentrations as a result of dilution from increased stream discharge.

Storm sampling was performed using Teledyne ISCO auto-samplers fitted with 24, 1-L

polypropylene bottles; discharge was monitored and recorded using a Bruck pressure

transducer which relayed measurements to a Campbell Scientific data-logger. Water

samples were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), NH4

+, NO3

-, soluble-reactive

phosphorus (SRP) and total bacterial concentration (DAPI direct counts). Bacterial

concentration and nutrients differed significantly among storms (based on rainfall amounts)

and streams (likely based on watershed size and characteristics), and there were clear

patterns between bacterial and DOC concentrations (but P > 0.05). Both nutrients and

bacterial concentrations seemed to show evidence of a non-linear relationship with stream

discharge. In addition, some sites, especially during larger storm events, seemed to show

evidence of dilution.

Future research topics include monitoring the influents and effluents of Best Management

Practice (BMP) wet detention basins to determine their efficiency at removing nutrients and

bacteria

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2008- 03

NON-LINEAR DYNAMICS OF ULTRACOLD ATOMS:

THE BEC REGIME TO THE TONKS GAS REGIMEDavid Carretero and Dr. Kunal Das*

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Our research focuses on the nonlinear behavior of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice,

specifically a lattice of parallel tubes of atoms confined by periodic optical potential

generated by counter-propagating laser beams. Each tube is an effective one-dimensional

system. The behavior of the atoms depends on the width of the tubes and the density of

atoms. For wider tubes and higher densities, the atoms behave collectively as a Bose-

Einstein Condensate (BEC), but in the opposite limit of narrow tube-widths and low

densities, we move into the impenetrable Tonks gas limit. Until now only the behavior in

the BEC limit has been well studied, we are therefore exploring the behavior of the atoms in

the Tonks limit, as well as in the intermediate regime of transition from a BEC to a Tonks

gas.

At the quantum level, atoms are collectively characterized by wave functions that arise as

solutions of certain nonlinear Schrödinger equation, instead of classical particle equations.

Thus we are studying the transverse dynamics of the atoms across the lattice using the

evolution of atomic wave packets over time.

We model the collective dynamics with a fourth order Runge-Kutta method implemented

with FORTRAN programs. We have verified the phase diagram and dynamical behavior of

atoms in the BEC limit, and we are numerically examining the difference in behavior in the

Tonks limit with respect to solitons, breathers and other non linear features.

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2008- 04

REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL PLATINUM CATHODE IN A

FUEL CELL WITH PHOTOCATALYTIC SILVER/SILVER IODIDEMaria C. Chiappelli and Dr. John McMahon*

Alexandra Campbell

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

We report construction and preliminary testing of a fuel cell in which the platinized carbon

cathode normally used in fuel cells was replaced with a silver electrode that, upon coating

with silver iodide, has been shown to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction when

irradiated.

The slow kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction, even at platinum, is well known to limit

efficient energy production from fuel cells by as much as 35% below thermodynamic

expectations. Delivery of reducing equivalents (electrons) to oxygen from electropositive

metals requires a large negative overvoltage before significant current (I) can flow. This

drop in the cell voltage (V) reduces the power output (P) of the cell: P = I x V. When a

silver electrode coated with silver iodide, used in place of the traditional platinum electrode,

is irradiated with light current flows without the attendant negative overvoltage. The light

excites an electron transfer from the silver into the silver iodide film leaving a negatively

charged layer that readily delivers reducing equivalents to oxygen.

In this report we compare preliminary current/voltage measurements on an aqueous fuel cell

whose cathode is platinum with one whose cathode is irradiated silver/silver iodide. The

half-cell voltage of the irradiated silver cathode was measured at + 0.536 V indicating that

the important equilibrium at that electrode is the I2/I- couple whose standard reduction

potential (E°) is +0.5355 V. We will also demonstrate a newly constructed prototype proton

exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell in which the cathode is porous silver/silver iodide.

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2008- 05

EFFECTS OF ZINC SUPPLY ON SECONDARY METABOLITE

PRODUCTION IN CROP PLANTSJackie Coughlin and Dr. James Lewis*

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Changes in nutrient availability may cause changes in secondary metabolite production,

which in turn may affect the nutritional value of crop plants. For example, zinc availability

may indirectly affect secondary metabolite production through effects on nitrogen

metabolism. However, few studies have examined the effects of zinc supply on secondary

metabolite production. In this study, we examined the effects of zinc availability on

secondary metabolite production in five crop species. We plan to measure growth and

secondary metabolite production to examine whether nutritional value varied with zinc

availability, and whether the response of secondary metabolite production varied among

species. Secondary metabolite production will be measured by measuring carotenoid and

anthocyanin production, two key groups of secondary metabolites that play a key role in

nutrition by acting as antioxidants.

- 5 -

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2008- 06

THE GENERATION OF WELL-BEHAVED LEARNING CURVESAshley R. Coventry and Dr. Gary Weiss*

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES

The classification of examples is a key task in machine learning and data mining. Examples

are presented to the classification algorithm where the true classification is known and then

the algorithm learns a function to map an example to one of a set of predefined classes. Such

an algorithm can “learn” from data to identify whether someone has heart disease or whether

a stock will increase in value over the next week. The performance of such a classification

algorithm can be measured by the accuracy of its predictions. Since this performance will

vary based on the amount of training data, one can generate a learning curve by plotting the

number of training examples versus the accuracy of the induced classifier.

It is often important that a learning curve varies gradually and “smoothly” as the number of

training examples is varied. For example, this is important if one wants to proactively

identify the optimal amount of training data to use if both training data and misclassification

errors are expensive. We have run a number of learning curve experiments using the Weka

data mining program and have used Microsoft Excel to plot the resulting learning curves. In

our research we created learning curves using a variety of different classification algorithms,

analyzed the behavior of the learning curves generated by different algorithms, and

suggested ways to smooth out the “middle” of the learning curves.

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2008- 07

PEPTIDE MISFOLDING AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN

NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASESMelanie Dabakis and Dr. Ipsita Banerjee*

Marsiyana Henricus Gregory Siroky Evan Smoak Robert Tamayev

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Misfolding of proteins leads to insoluble protein deposits, which eventually causes

neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzhiemers and Parkinsons. We are investigating the

molecular basis of peptide aggregation and protein deposition. The transformation process

from -helices to -sheet structures appear to play a major role in the fibril formation and

aggregation of such peptides. In addition, their binding properties with metals and other

proteins are considered to play a significant role, in particular because there is an abundance

of certain metal ions in brain tissue. In lieu of this, we have studied the binding properties of

-amyloid and -synuclein peptides with several metal ions including Pd, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mg,

Al and Cd ions. The studies may further shed light on the metallochemistry associated with

Alzhiemer’s disease and the impact of secondary structure transformation at the molecular

level. In addition to metal ions, in order to further decipher the mechanism of aggregation,

we have also examined their interactions with synthetic peptide nanovesicles and nanotubes

as a function of pH, and solvent polarity.

The interactions of the aggregating systems were studied using atomic force microscopy,

circular dichroism, transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential measurements, dynamic

light scattering and infrared spectroscopy. Our studies reveal that at certain pH, the -

synuclein can bind to the nanovesicles leading to a reduction in fibril formation. Similar

studies are ongoing with the beta-amyloid peptides as well.

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2008- 08

DISTRIBUTED LOCALIZATION AND MAPPING OF ROBOTIC

SENSORY DATAAlex Dorey and Dr. Damian Lyons*

Heyward Starks

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES

Robotic machinery operating in environments such as search and rescue, reconnaissance,

and surveillance have to effectively process sensor information about unknown and highly

unstructured environments. This places excessive demands on the on-board computational

resources. This study centers around the challenge of developing distributed-architecture

solutions to the environment mapping challenge.

The robotic observer in this case is the Pioneer3 All-terrain robot has a stereo video camera

and a sonar device. Video, video-based stereo and ultrasound distance measurements are

collected on-board the P3. The robot processes the video locally to reduce the data sent over

the connection. Fast video and stereo processing is done locally to simplify the data which is

compared to the sonar. The resulting matrix is sent to the Beowulf-class cluster for mapping

and navigation processing. The complete map and navigation instructions are relayed back

to the robot on an incremental basis.

In this project, we constructed a preliminary implementation of the distributed hybrid

architecture. The system was designed to sense environments in which it should use caution.

The limits of our client-server robot control set up were measured in a series of experiments

we created to measure the bandwidth, information throughput, safety and liveliness

constraints.

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2008- 09

PERSONALITY FACTORS AND TREATMENT COMPLIANCE IN

TRAUMATIC UPPER EXTREMITY PATIENTSJoanna Dritsas and Dr. Jay Wade*

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

This research examined the relationship between personality and treatment compliance in

patients with trauma to their upper extremity. Thirty-three participants with traumatic upper

extremity injuries completed measures of achievement motivation, neuroticism,

conscientiousness, and agreeableness. We also examined self-efficacy regarding being able

to complete a home exercise program. Treatment compliance was assessed using self-report

of frequency of daily exercise and an attendance/absence ratio for attending treatment

sessions from the patient’s medical record. Results revealed that agreeableness related

positively to treatment attendance but negatively to weekly exercise. Achievement

motivation related positively to frequency of exercises completed at home. Implications of

the results for working with upper extremity trauma patients are discussed.

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2008- 10

NANO-CURRENTS WITHOUT A VOLTAGE VIA QUANTUM

PUMPING: A WAVE PACKET APPROACHMatthew Galligan and Dr. Kunal Das*

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

In nanotechnology, the transport of electrons in a controlled manner plays a central role.

There is much current interest in achieving that without applying a voltage bias, by a process

called ‘quantum pumping’, whereby time-varying quantum potentials generate electron

transport. We present a means of studying this mechanism not only in the slow or adiabatic

regime, previously studied, but at arbitrarily fast rates of potential variation.

We evaluate the transmission and reflection probabilities of an electron, modeled by a

wavepacket as it interacts with a moving potential in one dimension as in a nanowire. This is

accomplished through a split-step operator method which alternately propagates an electron

wavefunction in position and momentum space using a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to

convert between the two. The transmission probabilities are evaluated by taking the integral

of the wavefunction in position or momentum space on either side of the origin. To find the

current the reflection and transmission probabilities are multiplied by the mean speed of the

wavepacket.

If the potential is unchanging the net current would be zero as electrons from both sides

would balance out. But in the presence of a time varying potential, there is an imbalance in

the scattering probabilities on both sides leading to a net current. Our simple method not

only provides a way to model the current for arbitrary potentials and velocities, but also

gives an accurate picture of the motion of individual electrons through such potentials.

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2008- 11

THE ROLE OF PERIOSTIN AS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR OF

METASTASIS AND INVASION IN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMAAntonio A. Giaimo and Dr. Robert Ross*

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Neuroblastoma is a cancer in which malignant tumors form from perinatal nervous tissue. It

is the most common solid tumor in children, often appearing in the adrenal, neck, chest, or

spinal cord. Cellular heterogeneity is a prominent feature of human neuroblastoma.

Expression of the secreted protein periostin (PN) is significantly higher in neuroblastoma

tumors from patients with the worst prognosis as compared to patients with good long-term

survival. PN induces cell attachment and spreading and studies have found that this protein

is involved in the complex mechanisms of tumor metastasis and invasion in both pancreatic

and colon cancer.

RT-PCR has shown that PN is differentially expressed among the three tumor cell types. Its

expression is highest in the non-malignant stromal cells that exhibit strong substrate

adherence in culture and lowest in the neuroblastic cell types that attach poorly but are more

malignant. PN expression can be induced with BRdU and TGF 1 treatment. Data also

indicate a direct relationship between PN expression and oxidative stress response.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 9, which digest the extracellular matrix enabling

invasion, are the only MMPs expressed in neuroblastoma tumors. MMP9 is only expressed

in neuroblastoma stromal cells. My proposed hypothesis is that the secretion of PN and

MMP9 by tumor stromal cells is a necessary part of the mechanism leading to malignant cell

invasion. Transfection of an antisense construct into stromal cells, to reduce PN expression,

will be tested in a Matrigel invasion assay along with other NB tumor cell lines to examine

the effects of PN on the invasion potential. These studies may be important for determining

the role of this secreted protein on human neuroblastoma metastasis.

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2008- 12

BIOCOMPATIBLE SELF-ASSEMBLED MICROTUBULES THAT

MIMIC BONE MATRICESMarsiyana M. Henricus and Dr. Ipsita Banerjee*

Monica Z. Menzenski Rose L. Spear

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Research efforts are ongoing to create surfaces that match the topography of the natural

extracellular matrix proteins in bone tissue, facilitate biocompatibility and promote

osseointegration. It is well known that the inorganic component of the bone tissue mainly

consists of calcium phosphate and the mineral calcium is deposited in the organic matrix as

hydroxyapatite crystals. The main objective of this study was to fabricate peptide

functionalized micro and nanotubes using biologically-inspired methods with calcium

phosphate nanocrystals in order to prepare a surface which could mimic the components of

bone tissue. Different methods were used to functionalize the tubular assemblies. In one of

the methods, they were functionalized with the peptide sequence GRGDSP in order to

enhance recognition and adhesion to cell surfaces by specific interaction with integrin cell

receptors. Further, collagen was also incorporated and calcium phosphate nanocrystals were

then grown on the surface. We then examined the biocompatibility of the newly formed

materials in the presence of mouse embryonic fibroblasts and Madin Darby Canine Kidney

(MDCK) cells by conducting in vitro cell-attachment, cell-proliferation and cytotoxicity

studies in cell culture. The studies revealed that the biomaterials were found to be non-toxic

and highly biocompatible. The functionalized tubular assemblies coated with calcium

phosphate nanocrystals mimic the nanoscale composition of natural bone and may

potentially support bone in-growth and osseointegration when used in orthopedic or dental

applications.

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2008- 13

A DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH THE REGIO- AND

STEREOCHEMICAL OUTCOME OF ALKENE HYDRATIONChrista Iwanowski and Dr. Donald Clarke*

Thomas Lobasso Dr. Shahrokh Saba*

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Our students hydrate 1-hexene to make 2-hexanol, illustrating Markovnikov’s rule. Though

it isn’t apparent from their data (bp, 1H/

13C NMR), we tell them the main product is a

racemic mixture of (R)- and (S)-2-hexanol. We describe here an experiment for students to

prove this by reacting their alcohol with a chiral auxiliary. Mosher’s acid chloride is often

used for this in industry but is too expensive for a large class. An affordable chiral reagent is

the chloride of (1R)-(-)-10-camphorsulfonic acid (CSA). Few alkyl esters of CSA are

described in the literature and these are made using metal alkoxides. We deemed that

unsuitable for our students. A procedure was developed where the reactants are mixed with

triethylamine in CH2Cl2 to produce the desired CSA esters of (R)-2-hexanol [1] and (S)-2-

hexanol [2]. These differed by 0.11 ppm at C-2 of the hexyl group in the 13

C NMR spectrum.

Authentic (R)-2-hexanol was converted to 1 and used to identify the diastereomers. The C-2

chemical shift of 1 was less than that of 2. Calculations, using Gaussian, predicted this result

correctly. The rearranged product 3-hexanol is formed also and it can be shown to be a

racemate by making its CSA ester. Supported by a Faculty Research Grant from the

Fordham University Research Council.

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2008- 14

GLUR6 ION CHANNEL C-TERMINUS AMINO ACID

DETERMINANTS AFFECT TRAFFICKING; INVESTIGATING

INTERACTING CELLULAR PROTEINSJeff Kadegis and Dr. William Thornhill*

Ray Alsaber

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

GluR6 protein is a member of the Kainate family of ionotropic glutamate receptor ion

channels. This family of proteins performs a distinctive role regulating certain activities

within numerous neural pathways of the brain. Although other members of this family are

expressed throughout different regions of the brain, GluR6 is also expressed to form

heteromers with other kainate receptors. Therefore, GluR6 is responsible for the majority of

the membrane-bound trafficking of kainate receptors to the cell surface.

Cell surface trafficking is regulated primarily by the amino acid determinants located within

the cytoplasmic C-terminal region of GluR6. We generated mutant forms of GluR6 with

altered amino acid composition at the C-terminus that was identified to be associated with

the trafficking of the protein. When compared with wild-type GluR6 levels, these mutants

displayed a significantly lower level of expression at the membrane of transfected HEK cells

without affecting the overall levels of expression within the cells. We are generating

additional GluR6 amino acid mutations near the C-terminal trafficking determinant to

observe whether these additional mutations will further affect overall membrane trafficking

of the protein. Our future objective regards identifying the unknown cellular protein(s) that

associate specifically with the wild-type GluR6 trafficking determinants and not with the

mutant forms.

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2008- 15

LIGHT SENSITIVE MOLECULAR MOTORS MOVE CRYSTALS AND

PARTICLES IN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE MATRIXSimon Kaluza and Dr. Petr Shibaev*

Veena Ramakrishnan†

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS † BERGEN ACADEMIES, NJ

Novel chiral light sensitive molecules were synthesized and studied in chiral liquid

crystalline matrix (cholesteric liquid crystals). Cholesteric liquid crystals self-organize,

forming planar twisted structures with well-defined helical pitch. Light sensitive molecules

change conformation under the action of light that results in alteration of the helical

structure. The effect is accompanied by the motion of dislocations present in the matrix.

Dislocation lines start to grow/contract under UV light. If small crystallites or particles are

attached to the ends of the dislocation they move along with the dislocation under UV

irradiation. The displacement of crystallites and particles observed in experiments can reach

several microns. By shining light at certain parts of the dislocation it is possible to

manipulate particles and crystallites. This effect was studied by means of polarimetry, UV-

Vis spectroscopy and optical microscopy.

Light induced motion of particles can be used for creation of nano-aggregates with pre-

defined size and shape inside liquid crystalline matrix. The mechanism of the motion is

explained in the framework of the model that takes into account both the elastic properties of

dislocations and the helical pitch changes.

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2008- 16

A LABORATORY STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRIENT

INPUTS ON THE GROWTH OF AN INVASIVE BENTHIC

CYANOBACTERIUM LYNGBYA WOLLEI

Megan E. Keating and Dr. John Wehr*

Alissa A. Perrone Kam Truhn

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

LOUIS CALDER CENTER – BIOLOGICAL FIELD STATION

Lyngbya wollei is an invasive, mat-forming cyanobacterium that has colonized and spread in

many lakes in southeastern United States. It has more recently been found forming

extensive benthic mats in Lake Mahopac, a 242 hectare eutrophic lake in Putnam County,

NY. Previous studies in Lake Mahopac have demonstrated that biomass has increased from

200 to 600 g/m2 between 1993 and 1997, and that nutrient loading from surrounding lawns

enhance its growth. This study aims to find how specific nutrient enrichment of water effects

growth in L. wollei. Experiments examined the growth potential of L. wollei in unamended

lake water (with elevated N and P) versus spring water (similar water source but N, P

limited) in aerated beakers. Algal inocula were ~1 gram fresh mass, incubated at 19° C,

12:12 L/D cycle; for 42 days. Lyngbya grown in lake water increased by 0.86 g ( 91 %),

while algal mats in unamended spring water increased by 0.39 g ( 40%); differences were

significant at P = 0.0018 (student’s t = 4.595), suggesting that elevated nutrients caused

increased growth. An experiment currently underway is testing the individual and combined

effects of elevated calcium, iron, nitrogen and phosphorus (n = 3, 0.5 g initial fresh mass

of L. wollei in aerated 50 mL centrifuge tubes, 19° C, 12:12 L/D cycle). Based on prior

studies, I predict that elevated Ca and perhaps N will stimulate growth rates; no studies to

date have tested the effects of Fe on this species.

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2008- 17

MODELING NONLINEAR, STOCHASTIC BIOLOGICAL

PROCESSES WITH THRESHOLD BEHAVIOR BY TIME-OF-FIRST-

PASSAGEJessica Leszczynski and Dr. Kunal Das*

Daniel Blessing

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

In a variety of biological cells, ion flow activates specific cellular functions. In cardiac cells,

contraction is regulated by calcium signaling according to the flow of ions through channels

in the cell membrane. Nerve cells propagate impulses in a similar way. The whole-cell

behavior in these processes rely on the activity of thousands of individual semi-independent

ion channels, and is therefore amenable to stochastic description. Statistical analysis reveals

that cellular contraction and impulse transmission depend on a critical number of open

channels, which can be determined stochastically.

We have adopted a novel ‘time of first-passage’ approach based on certain underlying

Fokker-Planck equations, and applied it to cardiac calcium channels to demonstrate how

calcium release in the entire cell depends on the properties of individual channels in the cell

membrane. The number of open calcium channels depends nonlinearly on the calcium

concentration itself; that is, the more calcium that enters the cell through the ion channels,

the likelier it is that additional channels would open. The first-passage method is seen to

provide a good analytical picture of the statistical properties and nonlinear response of

calcium dynamics in the cell

Given the success and accuracy of this model, we seek to apply these techniques to describe

similar processes in other biological systems with threshold behavior. As an important step

towards that, we implement a fully numerical solution of the calcium channel activity in

cardiac cells and study the effects of different types of nonlinear behavior.

Note: J.L. and D.B. are equal contributors.

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2008- 18

FUNDAMENTALS OF LASING FROM THIN CHOLESTERIC FILMSKyle Lotfi and Dr. Petr Shibaev*

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Recently, polymer cholesteric materials doped with laser dyes and able to emit light under

laser excitation attracted a great attention in scientific community as promising flexible

lasing films suitable for a number of emerging applications (super bright displays, compact

lasers and etc.). Cholesteric liquid crystals self-organize, forming helical planar structures

with well-defined helical pitch. These structures reflect light with the same sense of

polarization as the cholesteric helix. Light is reflected within the selective reflection band

(photonic band gap). Optical pumping of these materials which are doped with laser dyes,

leads to lasing at the edge of the selective reflection band where photons dwell time is the

highest.

In this communication, we study the theoretical aspects of lasing in ideal cholesteric

materials and cholesteric materials with two types of disorder: i. disorder in a refractive

index inside cholesteric planes, ii. disorder in organization of cholesteric planes. Berreman

matrix method was used to calculate optical properties of cholesteric films. It was found that

the low degree of disorder results in increasing lasing threshold and corresponding shift of

lasing wavelength; higher degree of disorder leads to the appearance of localized lasing

states inside and outside the selective reflection band and drastically shiftss lasing

wavelengths. The comparison between different types of disorder and two fluctuation modes

in cholesteric liquid crystals is made. The theoretical results are confirmed in our recent

experiments.

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2008- 19

COLOR CHANGING AND LASING STRETCHABLE CHOLESTERIC

FILMSSalvatore Marsico and Dr. Petr Shibaev*

Amelia Hueter

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

Polymer materials able to change reflective properties due to mechanical deformation

fundamentally challenge the theory of soft materials and are important for industrial

applications. The most promising of those are chiral lasers. In this communication, we report

novel cholesteric materials that display large color changes from far red to blue and tunable

lasing under uniaxial strain.

Cholesteric liquid crystals doped with chiral molecules self-organize, forming helical planar

structures with well-defined helical pitch. These structures reflect light with the same sense

of polarization as the cholesteric helix. Light is reflected within the selective reflection band

(photonic band gap) centered at the wavelength = nP, where P is the helical pitch of the

chiral liquid crystal, and n = (ne+no)/2 is the average refractive index of the cholesteric

planes.

The shift of the position of the selective reflection band under uniaxial strain from near

infrared to ultraviolet was discovered and studied in mixtures of cholesteric glasses and low

molar mass compounds. Optical pumping of these materials which are doped with laser

dyes, leads to lasing at the wavelengths controlled by strain within the emission interval of

laser dyes of 80 nm. We suggest the following two mechanisms as potential causes for the

observed color changes. Firstly, a contraction of the sample exists along the axis

perpendicular to the surface of the film. Secondly, deformation results in improved

orientation of the liquid crystalline molecules and increase of the twisting power of chiral

dopants.

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2008- 20

MUTAGENESIS OF THE tRNAse Z GENE IN DROSOPHILA

MELANOGASTER

Bill Maughan and Dr. Edward Dubrovsky*

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

A standard mutagenesis and genetic cross method was used to produce point mutations in

the tRNAse-Z gene in Drosophila melanogaster. tRNAse-Z is an enzyme that is known to

play a role in the processing of tRNA molecules and is well conserved from bacteria to

humans. Some specific mutations in the tRNAse Z gene in humans have been shown to

increase prostate cancer susceptibility.

The goal of this project was to create mutations in the tRNAse-Z gene, causing alterations in

different domains of the tRNAse-Z protein. To achieve this, several hundred males were fed

ethyl methane sulfonate, or EMS, which creates essentially random point mutations in the

flies’ DNA. A cross was then used to produce offspring that had the resulting DNA

mutations in all of their cells. About 2,500 second chromosomes were screened for recessive

lethal mutations within a small interval that included the tRNAse-Z gene. A

complementation test was then carried out on all confirmed mutants and with a strain of flies

bearing the null allele of the tRNAse-Z gene. So far, nine mutations have been recovered,

one of which is in the tRNAse-Z gene.

Once multiple strains containing mutations in the tRNAse-Z gene are identified, their

genomic DNA will be sequenced to determine where the mutation occurred in the gene and

which domain in the resulting enzyme is affected. The strains will then be studied in order to

determine how these mutations affect cell growth and proliferation.

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2008- 21

DO HERBIVORY AND SECONDARY METABOLITE PRODUCTION

IN MORNING GLORY VARY WITH DISTANCE FROM AN URBAN

CENTER?Sakinah Miller and Dr. James Lewis*

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

Changes in herbivory associated with urbanization may cause changes in secondary

metabolite production. These changes may in turn affect plant growth. In this study, we

examined herbivory, secondary metabolite production and growth of morning glory grown

along an urbanzation gradient. Plants were grown at five sites that differed in distance from

Central Park. We measured growth, leaf damage and defensive compounds to examine

whether herbivory varied with urbanization and, if so, whether these changes were

associated with changes in growth or secondary metabolite production. Growth and

herbivory appeared to decrease with distance from Central Park to Ashokan (Catskills).

Anthocyanin production was not observed to vary across sites. Our results are consistent

with other studies, and suggest that urbanization may independently affect herbivory and

growth, but may not affect secondary metabolite production. As a result, our data are not

consistent with the theory of defense tradeoffs.

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2008- 22

KEEPING MOORE’S LAW VALID:

NOVEL TRANSPORT EFFECTS AT THE NANOSCALECristian G. Pieretti and Dr. Ewelina Hankiewicz*

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

The exponential increase of computational speed through miniaturization, known as Moore’s

law, seems increasingly difficult to achieve. Based on current power consumption trends,

we could possibly face the so-called problem 2020 where the temperature of a miniaturized

computer would be equal to the Sun’s temperature.

Our research seeks for novel spin-transport phenomena to replace the current electronic

devices by spin-based devices and keep miniaturization trends valid. In this poster, we will

discuss our recent research concerning novel phenomenon under this umbrella: the spin-Hall

effect. The spin-Hall effect is the generation of a steady spin-current perpendicular to an

externally imposed electric field. To apply the spin-Hall effect in everyday use devices one

needs to learn how to manipulate this effect by electric currents. This is the purpose of this

theoretical proposal. Our numerical simulations imitate possible experimental setups where

the structure is attached to electric contacts. To find an optimized device we consider

different geometries (H-bar and trapezoid structures). In our simulations we drive a charge

current through one leg of the H-bar structure inducing a transverse spin current in the

connecting portion due to the spin-Hall effect. Further, due to inverse effect, the induced

spin current generates a voltage in the second leg of the H-bar structure which can be

measured by a voltmeter. We predict that spin-Hall effect can induce a voltage difference of

the order of microvolts which could be easily measured in experiments.

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2008- 23

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON VIRULENCE OF SINGLE OR

COMBINED SPECIES OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI TO

BLACK-LEGGED TICKSJustin R. Pool and Dr. Amy Tuininga*

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

The black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis, transmits the Lyme disease-causing bacterium,

Borrelia burgdorferi. Entomopathogenic fungi are known to control tick populations, and

are most pathogenic at specific temperature and relative humidity (RH) levels. To test

environmental effects on the virulence of these fungi either alone or in combination, field-

collected nymphal black-legged ticks were exposed to commercial products in one lab assay

versus local isolates of the fungi in another lab assay, and death rates of ticks were compared

to a control with no fungus. Ticks were incubated at relative humidities of 75%, 85%, or

100% at room temperature for 2 weeks. At 100% RH, a commercial product containing

Beauveria bassiana was slightly more virulent to the black-legged tick than a product

containing Metarhizium anisopliae. In contrast, the local isolate of M. anisopliae was more

virulent than B. bassiana at higher humidities, while B. bassiana was more virulent at lower

humidities. The combined local isolates killed more ticks than other treatments at all levels

of RH tested. It is likely that RH affects the virulence of native B. bassiana and M.

anisopliae to the black-legged nymphs in situ and there may be different effects when fungal

species are applied alone versus in combination. We tested this and fewer ticks were

recovered from cages treated with both commercial products than in cages treated with

either product alone. Products containing local isolates of several species of fungi applied at

moderate to high humidity levels could be an effective biological control strategy for black-

legged ticks.

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2008- 24

THE AI IN FAITH: A STUDY OF RELIGION USING ARTIFICIAL

AGENTSPaul Ryan and Dr. Damian Lyons*

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES

It is common to assume that a belief that is based on empirical evidence is the only kind that

has benefits for a rational agent. However, in human societies beliefs are often held without

evidence. This study examines the survival benefit of such non-empirically based beliefs.

Using SOAR, an established programming language for cognitive modeling, the project uses

a hunter-gatherer simulation to test the implications of various "superstitions" on the

population of gatherers. Some such superstitions may result in behaviors that have survival

value for the agent that holds them, and this may result in the beliefs being promulgated as a

side effect of the agent’s survival.

By examining which groups survive longest and collect the most food, the study aims to

shed light on why certain superstitious beliefs prosper long after science has proven them

erroneous.

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2008- 25

INTERACTIONS OF PEPTIDE HORMONES WITH NANOTUBES

AND NANOVESICLESChristine T. Schwall and Dr. Ipsita Banerjee*

Marsiyana M. Henricus

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

The improper aggregation of various polypeptides often leads to abnormal physiological

function and has been implicated in diseases such as Parkinsons, Alzhiemers, Prion, and

diabetes to name a few. In this work, we are examining the behavior of two vital hormones

involved in the regulation of blood glucose levels in the body, namely glucagon and insulin.

Both polypeptides glucagon and insulin have a strong propensity to aggregate, thus limiting

their stability and hindering their storage and delivery. In addition, previous studies have

indicated that lipid environments may influence insulin as well as glucagon binding to their

respective receptors. In order to elucidate whether lipid composition and charge can directly

influence binding of the hormones, we studied the interactions of insulin and glucagon with

peptide bolaamphiphiles which self-assembled into nanotubes and nanovesicles. Those

nanovesicles essentially mimic lipid environments. Conditions such as pH and solvent

systems of the growth solutions were varied. The interactions with apolipoproteins, and the

phospholipids were studied below the phase transition temperatures of the lipids. In

preliminary results, we observed that the beta-sheet content and kinetics of the adsorbed

proteins differ significantly from those of the bulk system. These studies may potentially

help in further understanding the molecular basis of aggregation of the hormones and design

new protein based compounds to reduce fibrillation and consequent aggregation.

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2008- 26

ALTERNATIVE RNA SPLICING AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASEMarc D. Tambini and Dr. Berish Rubin*

Evan D. Sheha

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Alzheimer ’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among people age 65 and older

and is a major public health problem worldwide. It has been estimated that there are

approximately 4 million people in the United States who currently have Alzheimer’s and it

is predicted that without any significant advances in medical treatment for this disease, in

2050, 14 million Americans will have Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer's disease disrupts normal

neuronal function and is accompanied by the appearance of beta amyloid plaques and

neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. The mechanism by which these abnormal structures

develop continues to be investigated. Currently, there are two classes of drugs,

cholinesterase inhibitors and a N-methyl D aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist, that

stabilize or slow cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer’s. The biological activity of

several kinases has been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s, including the

mitogen-activated protein kinases and casein kinases. Elucidating mechanisms by which to

compromise the activity of these kinases may provide insight into the development of new

therapeutics for this disease. The field of nutrigenomics has demonstrated the ability of

nutrition to modulate gene expression and recent reports have demonstrated the ability of

natural compounds to modulate the splicing or processing of mRNA transcripts. This latter

observation prompted us to examine the effect of naturally-derived compounds on the

splicing of transcripts encoding the mitogen-activated protein kinases and casein kinases.

We have demonstrated the ability of a naturally-derived compound to alter the splicing of

mitogen-activated and casein kinase RNAs such that the production of the functional gene

product would be compromised and the levels of mitogen-activated protein and casein

kinase activity lowered. Recent studies have suggested that the environment plays a role in

the development of Alzheimer’s. Our research opens the possibility that the progression of

Alzheimer’s might be modulated through the ingestion of commonly consumed foods and

pharmaceuticals that compromise the production of the mitogen-activated and casein

kinases.

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2008- 27

MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF RHOBTBNiki Tsamis and Dr. Masaaki Hamaguchi*

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

RHOBTB contains two distinct functional domains: the RAS domain and the BTB (Bric-a-

brac, tramtrack, Broad-complex) domain. RAS proteins function as molecular switches by

cycling through GTP-bound (ON) and GDP-bound (OFF) states. Many BTB proteins

interact with other proteins through their BTB domains. A current view of RHOBTB

proteins is that they distribute within the genomes of diverse organisms and belong to a

single gene family. However, the conspicuous absence of RHOBTB proteins in

Caenorhabditis elegans raises the question of whether RHOBTB proteins have been extinct

in the worm or two separate events of molecular evolution occurred. In order to obtain a clue

to this question, RHOBTB proteins from 4 organisms were analyzed. Comparison of amino

acid sequences revealed that only Dictyostelium RacA had conserved GTP-binding and

GTPase domains whereas vertebrate RHOBTB had mutations at critical residues within the

functional domain, indicating their inability to bind to GTP. Recombinant RHOBTB

proteins were produced and functionally analyzed, which corroborated the conjecture. Since

GTP binding is essential for G proteins, our findings indicate that vertebrate RHOBTB

proteins are distinct from canonical G proteins and are likely to have evolved independently

from Dictyostelium RacA.

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2008- 28

TAKING THE “NIP” OUT OF CATNIP: AN UNDERGRADUATE

EXPERIMENT INVOLVING ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF

NEPETALACTONE DIASTEREOMERS FROM COMMERCIAL

SAMPLES OF NEPETA CATARIA L.

Christina D'agrosa and Dr. James Ciaccio*

Rabeka Alam

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Student interest is often stimulated by naturally occurring compounds that possess biological

activity. One example known for many years, but not often described in introductory

organic textbooks, is nepetalactone: a monoterpene-derived fused bicyclic enol lactone.

Recognized mostly as feline stimulants, the two major diastereomers of nepetalactone found

in N. cataria also possess the ability to repel some insect species and their potential as

biological control agents have recently been investigated. To independently establish the

essential oil composition of N. cataria our students steam distilled the organic volatiles from

seven brands of commercial catnip to obtain 20-40 mg of viscous oil from 10 g of dried

plant material. Analysis by GC-MS and 1H/

13C NMR spectroscopy, in comparison with

reported spectral data, revealed that five samples contained either the cis-fused lactone (1) or

the trans-fused lactone (2) as the predominant steam-volatile product, along with 1-8% of

the other diastereomer. A sixth sample contained a mixture of 1, 2 (with a 1:2 ratio of

90:10) and significant amounts of several other substances. A seventh, spurious sample

contained predominantly menthol with no detectable amounts of nepetalactone. Lactones 1

and 2 are separable by TLC and visualized using standard methods; thus, even without

access to spectral data each student can analyze their own sample, and by co-spotting their

sample along with those of other students they readily establish that most commercial

sources of catnip contain one of two possible compounds (1 or 2) as the single, predominant

steam-volatile product.

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2008- 29

LATTICESDan Dipasquale and Dr. Cris Poor*

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

The work displayed on the poster will be concerned with lattices, subsets of Euclidean

spaces with a basis over the integers. First, we shall introduce a theorem stating that the

intersection of a lattice of rank n and the parallelotope spanned by n linearly independent

vectors in the Euclidean space is precisely the vertices of the parallelotope if and only if the

n vectors form a basis for the lattice. We will prove that the A2 lattice has optimal packing

density, and mention the An lattice and n-dimensional spheres.

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2008- 30

MAGNITUDES OF REINFORCERS AND THE STAY/SWITCH

MODELSamantha N. Gons and Dr. James MacDonall*

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

In a seminal experiment on choice, Herrnstein (1961) found that the proportion of responses

at an alternative is a function of the proportion of reinforcements at an alternative. He

viewed choice as responding at one of two alternatives. MacDonall (1999) developed the

stay/switch model, where choice is viewed as between staying at and switching from an

alternative. The model says that run lengths and visit durations are functions of the ratio of

reinforcers for staying at and switching from the alternative. Because most research in

choice examined the effect of the ratio of reinforcers on behavior, the purpose of the present

experiment was to vary magnitudes of reinforcement and thereby extend the stay/switch

model.

Six male naïve Sprague-Dawley were run in two standard operant conditioning chambers. A

single RI (random-interval) 60-s schedule arranged reinforcers for staying at the left

alternative and switching to the right. Magnitudes of reinforcers varied by delivering

multiple 20-mg pellets for staying and switching.

The logs of the run lengths and visit durations increased approximately linearly as the logs

of the ratios of reinforcement increased. The run lengths and visit durations of 5 out of 6 rats

were adequately described by the stay/switch model (r <.85).

When applied to magnitudes of reinforcers, the stay/switch model says that run lengths and

visit durations are a function of the ratio of the magnitudes of reinforcers for staying divided

by switching from that alternative, which is what the current experiment found. This

suggests that the stay/switch model extends to choice between magnitudes of reinforcement.

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2008- 31

POPPING TO SUCCEED: ILLICIT AMPHETAMINE ABUSE AMONG

UNDERGRADUATES AT FORDHAM COLLEGE AT ROSE HILLMarin K. Kurti and Dr. Jay Wade*

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

This study investigates the illicit use of psychostimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin)

and amphetamine salts (Adderall) among undergraduates at Fordham College at Rose Hill.

Through availability sampling, fifty students were given surveys with measurement scales

that quantified study behavior, attitudes and worry related to schoolwork. Additional

questions were asked on the history of amphetamine abuse during study periods. This

research found that 20% of the survey sample illicitly used amphetamines as a study aid

(without prescription), while 40% of non-users were offered amphetamine during their

college career. Open ended questions were included to provide insight on the user’s

motivations, which were primarily to increase test scores, and concentration during

“cramming.” This study finds that there is a positive correlation between poor study

behaviors and amphetamine abuse. Finally, 58% of respondents knew someone that had a

prescription for amphetamines, while 48% knew someone who obtained it illegally.

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2008- 32

CHOICE BETWEEN TOPOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT

RESPONSESJacqueline P. Mcmahon and Dr. James MacDonall*

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

Most choices are between response alternatives that differ in size, shape, form, and function.

However, few experiments have been done utilizing alternatives that differ in these ways.

Accordingly, the present experiment examined choice between lever pressing and nose-flap

pushing with rats. Three rats were exposed to a non-independent Random-Interval 20-

second schedule with ratios of reinforcement ranging from 1:9 to 9:1. The data were

analyzed using both the Generalized Matching Law (Baum, 1999) and the Stay/Switch

Model (MacDonall, Goodell & Juliano, 2006) and a time bias and response bias were found

toward the lever in most cases.

McSweeney, Weatherly, and Roll (1995) examined responding on a nose-flap and a lever

with rats and found no bias. However, some unpublished research revealed that rats may

have been biting at the flap, which may have moved the flap and counted as responses.

Therefore, the behavior of the rats in previous studies may not have been entirely under the

control of the schedule of reinforcement. The present experiment corrected for this by

adding a tube around the flap which prevented biting. Interestingly, with the addition of the

tube, both equations adequately described the responding of rats with a bias when choice is

between different topographic responses producing different rates of reinforcement.

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2008- 33

PREVALENCE OF ENTEROTOXINS IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS

AUREUS (SA) ISOLATES FROM THE BRONX, NYNatalie G. Robiou and Dr. Bettina Fries*

Avanish K. Varshney

DEPARTMENT OF IMMUNOLOGY AND MICROBIOLOGY

ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Staphylococcocal enterotoxins (SEs) and PVL contribute to virulence of Staphylococcus

aureus (SA) isolates. Therefore, the objective of our research was to determine the

prevalence of PVL and SEs in all the wound and blood isolates. DNA was extracted from

isolates and then genes for PVL, and 19 SEs (A-E, G-R, U, TSST-1) were determined by

PCR.

Enterotoxin genes were detected in most of the SA isolates as 99.5% of SA isolates

contained at least one SE gene. SA strains often had multiple enterotoxin genes and up to 12

enterotoxin genes could be identified in a given strain. As shown by other investigators,

many of the described SEs are encoded on phages, pathogenicity islands, or plasmids and

can occur in combination. Our enterotoxin data is consistent with several of these previously

recorded observations. PVL positive isolates were predominantly isolated from complicated

wound infections and rarely from blood. On average the PVL positive strains contained

significantly less SEs than the other SA strains. In summary our data demonstrated that

enterotoxin genes are abundant in clinical SA isolates in the Bronx. Both MSSA and MRSA

isolates carry these genes, many of which are in varying combination. PVL + isolates are

much more common in wound isolates and often do not carry any enterotoxin genes which

suggests that at least some of them may be a distinct SA clone. Further molecular

characterization and correlation with patient data will have to be done to determine if the

presence of specific SEs are correlated with poor outcome.

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Presenter Undergraduate Research Symposium

Last First Poster Mentor Title

Avanzato Christoph 01 METAL OXIDE NANOCOMPOSITES AND THEIR APPLICATIONSDr. Ipsita Banerjee

Brew Irene 02 STREAM FLOW, NUTRIENT, AND BACTERIAL CONCENTRATION IN KENSICO RESERVOIR TRIBUTARIES DURING STORM EVENTS

Dr. John D. Wehr

Carretero David 03 NON-LINEAR DYNAMICS OF ULTRACOLD ATOMS:THE BEC REGIME TO THE TONKS GAS REGIME

Dr. Kunal K. Das

Chiappelli Maria 04 REPLACING THE TRADITIONAL PLATINUM CATHODE IN A FUEL CELL WITH PHOTOCATALYTIC SILVER/SILVER IODIDE

Dr. John J. McMahon

Coughlin Jackie 05 EFFECTS OF ZINC SUPPLY ON SECONDARY METABOLITE PRODUCTION IN CROP PLANTS

Dr. James D. Lewis

Coventry Ashley 06 THE GENERATION OF WELL-BEHAVED LEARNING CURVESDr. Gary Weiss

D'agrosa Christina 28 TAKING THE “NIP” OUT OF CATNIP: AN UNDERGRADUATE EXPERIMENT INVOLVING ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF NEPETALACTONE DIASTEREOMERS FROM COMMERCIAL SAMPLES OF NEPETA CATARIA L.

Dr. James A. Ciaccio

Dabakis Melanie 07 PEPTIDE MISFOLDING AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASESDr. Ipsita Banerjee

DiPasquale Dan 29 LATTICESDr. Cris Poor

Dorey Alex 08 DISTRIBUTED LOCALIZATION AND MAPPING OF ROBOTIC SENSORY DATADr. Damian Lyons

Dritsas Joanna 09 PERSONALITY FACTORS AND TREATMENT COMPLIANCE IN TRAUMATIC UPPER EXTREMITY PATIENTS

Dr. Jay Wade

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Presenter Undergraduate Research Symposium

Last First Poster Mentor Title

Galligan Matthew 10 NANO-CURRENTS WITHOUT A VOLTAGE VIA QUANTUM PUMPING: A WAVE PACKET APPROACH

Dr. Kunal K. Das

Giaimo Antonio 11 THE ROLE OF PERIOSTIN AS A POTENTIAL MEDIATOR OF METASTASIS AND INVASIONIN HUMAN NEUROBLASTOMA

Dr. Robert Ross

Gons Samantha 30 MAGNITUDES OF REINFORCERS AND THE STAY/SWITCH MODELDr. James S. MacDonall

Henricus Marsiyan 12 BIOCOMPATIBLE SELF-ASSEMBLED MICROTUBULES THAT MIMIC BONE MATRICESDr. Ipsita Banerjee

Iwanowski Christa 13 A DEMONSTRATION OF BOTH THE REGIO- AND STEREOCHEMICAL OUTCOME OF ALKENE HYDRATION

Dr. Donald D. Clarke

Kadegis Jeff 14 GLUR6 ION CHANNEL C-TERMINUS AMINO ACID DETERMINANTS AFFECT TRAFFICKING; INVESTIGATING INTERACTING CELLULAR PROTEINS

Dr. William B. Thornhill

Kaluza Simon 15 LIGHT SENSITIVE MOLECULAR MOTORS MOVE CRYSTALS AND PARTICLES IN LIQUIDCRYSTALLINE MATRIX

Dr. Petr Shibaev

Keating Megan 16 A LABORATORY STUDY ON THE INFLUENCE OF NUTRIENT INPUTS ON THE GROWTH OF AN INVASIVE BENTHIC CYANOBACTERIUM LYNGBYA WOLLEI

Dr. John D. Wehr

Kurti Marin 31 POPPING TO SUCCEED: ILLICIT AMPHETAMINE ABUSE AMONG UNDERGRADUATES AT FORDHAM COLLEGE AT ROSE HILL

Dr. Jay Wade

Leszczynski Jessica 17 MODELING NONLINEAR, STOCHASTIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES WITH THRESHOLD BEHAVIOR BY TIME-OF-FIRST-PASSAGE

Dr. Kunal K. Das

Lotfi Kyle 18 FUNDAMENTALS OF LASING FROM THIN CHOLESTERIC FILMSDr. Petr Shibaev

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Presenter Undergraduate Research Symposium

Last First Poster Mentor Title

Marsico Salvatore 19 COLOR CHANGING AND LASING STRETCHABLE CHOLESTERIC FILMSDr. Petr Shibaev

Maughan Bill 20 MUTAGENESIS OF THE tRNAse Z GENE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTERDr. Edward Dubrovsky

McMahon Jacquelin 32 CHOICE BETWEEN TOPOGRAPHICALLY DIFFERENT RESPONSESDr. James S. MacDonall

Miller Sakinah 21 DO HERBIVORY AND SECONDARY METABOLITE PRODUCTION IN MORNING GLORY VARY WITH DISTANCE FROM AN URBAN CENTER?

Dr. James D. Lewis

Pieretti Cristian 22 KEEPING MOORE’S LAW VALID: NOVEL TRANSPORT EFFECTS AT THE NANOSCALE

Dr. Ewelina M.

Pool Justin 23 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON VIRULENCE OF SINGLE OR COMBINED SPECIES OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI TO BLACK-LEGGED TICKS

Dr. Amy Tuininga

Robiou Natalie 33 PREVALENCE OF ENTEROTOXINS IN STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (SA) ISOLATES FROM THE BRONX, NY

Dr. Bettina C. Fries

Ryan Paul 24 THE AI IN FAITH: A STUDY OF RELIGION USING ARTIFICIAL AGENTSDr. Damian Lyons

Schwall Christine 25 INTERACTIONS OF PEPTIDE HORMONES WITH NANOTUBES AND NANOVESICLESDr. Ipsita Banerjee

Tambini Marc 26 ALTERNATIVE RNA SPLICING AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASEDr. Berish Y. Rubin

Tsamis Niki 27 MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF RHOBTBDr. Masaaki Hamaguchi