The Augustana Symposium

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Student Presentations -- 2005

Oral presentations

Session 1

Barbara Andersen: "Autonomy versus Maleficence in Psychiatric Medicine" (Arthur Olsen)
(1:00-2:25, MC 201)

Respecting patient autonomy within psychiatric settings presents problems and dilemmas not encountered in other medical settings. Informed consent is especially difficult to ensure, because by their nature psychiatric illnesses adversely affect emotional and cognitive abilities, frequently rendering patients unable to make an informed decision. Denial of the chronic nature of the disease state and subsequent refusal of ongoing treatment frequently results in return of debilitating symptoms. Desire for the “high” of the manic state entices some patients to discontinue treatment. Similar situations could lead to self-harm or harm to others. Nevertheless, appropriate autonomy must be respected. The problem lies in the scope of words like “appropriate,” “harm,” and even “autonomy.” What is meant by “appropriate?” What does “harm” include? And when does respecting autonomy actually deny autonomy, and vice versa ? This paper will discuss these issues, and further issues created by possible solutions to these.

Michael Amolins and Justin Norberg: "Cation and Anion Stability in Quaternary Ammonium Methyl Carbonates" (Gary Earl and Duane Weisshaar)
(1:35 - 150, MC 201)

Several hundred million pounds of quaternary ammonium compounds are produced annually and used in a variety of products including conditioners, fabric softeners, germicides, corrosion inhibitors, lubricant additives. Current production methods use agents such as methyl chloride and dimethyl sulfate (DMS), which are known carcinogens and cause chronic health problems in industrial workers as well as those in the surrounding communities. Earl's group has developed an industrially viable synthesis using more eco-friendly dimethyl carbonate. The study presented here focused on the stability of the anion and the tributylmethyl ammonium cation under a variety of conditions. NMR and FTIR analysis indicated that the anion was stable under most conditions, but it did break down in the presence of aqueous strong base and most acids. GC-MS analysis of the head space of the reaction mixture indicated that the cation was stable to Hoffman elimination under most conditions.

Jason Dybsetter: "Creation and Evolution: Going Beyond the Debate" (Richard Swanson)
(1:55 - 2:25, MC 201)

The debate between Creationism and Evolution that began with Charles Darwin's publication of The Origin of Species in 1859 has continued to be a significant political, cultural, and religious disturbance even in the twenty-first century. The debate certainly is not the first between religion and science. Centuries ago, there was dispute as to whether or not the earth is round, or whether or not the earth is the center of the universe. Unlike these earlier religion/science debates, however, Creationism refuses to concede victory to Evolution, in spite of a convincing amount of evidence in support of the latter.

Nevertheless, the goal of this paper is not to argue in favor of either Creationism or Evolution as the “correct” viewpoint. Rather, this paper hopes to get at why the debate has had such longevity and why it has been a particularly American problem. It also intends to demonstrate the deficiencies in both sides of the argument. Much of the research for this paper comes from the works of philosophers of science and theologians, such as Richard Bernstein and John Haught. For far too long, this argument has only succeeded in sending people to hell or calling people ignorant. With an understanding of the importance of the debate to each side and an establishment of the weaknesses of each side, however, I will attempt to propose protocols that will enable the debate to become more productive, and perhaps even enlightening.

Session 2

Kelsie Betsch : "Applying Principle Control Analysis to Optical Pulse Shapes Optimized for Selective Fragmentation of Clusters" (Eric Wells)
(1:00 - 1:30, MC 202)

Principal control analysis has been applied to the results of a learning algorithm search that optimized optical pulse shapes for selective fragmentation of S8 clusters. This technique reduces the
control dimensions needed for pulse shape optimization for this multiphoton process. Pulse shapes optimized for ionization/fragmentation generally require more control directions than the stimulated Raman scattering processes explored by White et al [1]. Thus, despite using principal control analysis, it still appears difficult to extract information about the quantum dynamics of higher order processes from the optimized pulse shape.

1- J. L. White, B. J. Pearson, and P. H. Bucksbaum, J. Phys. B 37, L399 (2004).

Data obtained in collaboration with C.W.S. Conover and R.R. Jones at
the University of Virginia.

Nick Josten: "Critical Theory Representations in The Town without Syntax" (Patrick Hicks)
(1:35 - 1:50, MC 202)

My presentation investigates how ideas pulled from Dr. Hicks' English 380 Literary Critical Theory have aided in the composition of my play, The Town without Syntax. Theories such as de Saussure's signified-signifier relationship are used to investigate how language functions in society and can cause misunderstanding and misinterpretations of meaning. The premise of the play has a group of adolescents eliminating syntax from speech with their parents reacting in increasingly violent and absurd ways. Eventually, the town falls apart and their society is decimated, but whose fault is it? For the adults, language is the center of their cultural identity, and when their kids threaten it, they overreact. However, syntax cannot be eliminated from speech, only changed. The kids still use syntax, but it is a slight variant of the normal Standard American English. The parents refuse to understand their kids' new form of finding meaning, thinking the non-syntactical dialogue dangerous. My concluding idea looks at how language is misunderstood in society and how varying cultures are misperceived within the larger, often times more powerful, members of society.

Annmarie Kowalczyk: "Developing Writing Teachers and Student Writers" (Mark Hallenbeck)
(2:30 - 3:15, MC 253)

From September through January, Augustana education professor Mark Hallenbeck and Sioux Falls fifth-grade teacher Cynthia Nelson have collaborated on a qualitative study of effective writing instruction in an elementary classroom. The researchers have implemented a powerful strategy, Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing, within the Writing Workshop format in order to develop and investigate a best-practice instructional model that enables all students to learn and internalize the writing process. Research data include fieldnotes, student interviews, audiotaped teacher modeling and collaborative student dialogue, and student writing products. Augustana student Annmarie Kowalczyk has served as research assistant in all stages of the project.

Now in the analytic portion of the study, all three researchers believe the data will show improvement in the students' writing. Data analysis includes comparing scores of the pretest and posttest papers, examining student attitudes and comments exhibited throughout the process and during individual interviews, using other assessments such as the state and district writing papers, and coding the fieldnotes and conferring group interactions. Transcriptions of the interactions between conferring group members will provide insight into how well the students internalized the writing process. Thus far, during the interviews, the students offered insights about the process detailing aspects of the study they liked or that were helpful, and the class as a whole improved significantly on the district writing assessment in February compared to the state assessment in September.

Session 3

Peter Olsen: "The Destruction of a Regiment: The Effects of Combat and Campaigning on the Fifteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry" (Geoffrey Dipple)
(1:00-2:25, MC 253)

The Civil war was in its third year by the late summer of 1863. By the Battle of Chickamauga in September, the men of the Fifteenth Wisconsin Infantry had little more than a year left in their three year enlistment period. In the previous two years, the Fifteenth participated in a handful of large battles and skirmishes. But on only one prior occasion did the regiment take significant casualties. Quickly, the Fifteenth earned a reputation as a unit that held the line in battle.

But at the Battle of Chickamauga, the Fifteenth found itself caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Chickamauga became a turning point in the morale and existence of the Fifteenth Wisconsin. The decimation during this single battle and the subsequent hard campaigning in the year that followed left a mark visibly on the regiment's ranks and in the minds of its soldiers.

This story of the Fifteenth Wisconsin was recorded in the letters and diaries of the men who served in the regiment's ranks. These personal documents showed a change in the attitude and morale of the regiment's soldiers during their service. After two bloody days at Chickamauga, the Fifteenth Wisconsin was never again the same.

Derrick Veurink: "Deployment in C++, C#, and Java" (Stephen Shum)
(1:55 - 2:25, MC 253)

This presentation will compare and contrast two deployment techniques: C++ and C# deployment using Visual Studio .Net and Windows Installer, and Java deployment using Java Web Start. A brief step-through of each of the deployment techniques will be given, as well as an examination of each techniques's advantages and disadvantages. The information provided in this presentation has been culled from official documentation released by Microsoft and Java, as well as additional programming guides on the languages.

A. J. Franken: "Shaping a Continent: The U. S. and the Berlin West African Conference" (Joel Johnson)
(2:30 - 3:15, MC 253)

In 1884, German Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck called a conference to discuss the issue of trade in the Congo River basin and future territorial acquisitions in Africa. The conference became a very important event in the shaping of the Africa we see today. In its wake, King Leopold II of Belgium would gain a detrimental grasp on the Congo basin, Europe would reassert its colonial desires, and the interior of Africa would be more successfully exploited for its natural and human resources, fueling a renewed industrialization of Europe. Political scientists, investigating the subject for the last 120 years, have slowly gained a clearer picture of the major European powers at work at the conference and each of their goals. What is often overlooked is that the United States was also a member of this conference, taking its seat for the first time in a diplomatic conference in Europe.

This work is an attempt to look at the domestic and international factors that acted upon the United States and how these forces shaped their actions at the conference, with specific attention given tho the implications of the Monroe Doctrine on the conference. Furthermore, I will attempt to highlight both positive and negative impacts that the United States delegation had on the conference, the resolutions brought forth by the American delegation, and offer speculation into alternative outcomes of U. S. action.

Session 4

Anna Amundson: "Norwegian Civilian Resistance during World War II" (Margaret Preston)
(3:20-3:50, MC 201)

My paper will use accounts from Norwegian resistance leaders and civilians who lived through the years of the war to analyze the actions of the civilian resistance movement in Norway in World War II. Everyday Norwegian citizens – members of sports clubs and professional unions, mothers, teachers, and students – played a particularly active role in resisting the German occupation, making the Nazis almost powerless in the country. This paper will suggest a broader way to define resistance to oppression.

Aaron Graumann: "Examination of the Synthesis of Nitroalcohols and Nitroalkenes to Yield Precursors for ISOC Reactions" (Jetty Duffy-Matzner)
(3:55 - 4:10, MC 201)

Research was conducted in the synthesis of a 3,4-tetrahydrafuran derivatized tetraester macrocycle that may mimic the ionophoric properties of nonactin and thus act as an antibiotic. To this end, we examined the multi-step synthesis involved in the production of a precursor to the proposed compound, a dihydrofurocarbaldehyde. In synthesizing these dihydrofurocarbaldehyes, the current method involves five distinct steps, while a tentative method was developed that employs one less step. The goal of the research is to improve the overall multi-step synthesis by increasing purity, yield and any other methods that facilitate the production of the proposed compound.

Andrea Halverson: "Ordinary Virtues – Humility at America's Founding and in Modern Times" (Joel Johnson)
(4:15 - 4:45, MC 201)

How was virtue intended to function within the American regime at its founding, and what role does it play today? This paper will delve into the appearance of an “ordinary” virtue, humility, deemed necessary for the development of America's uniquely republican form of government. Humility marks the very nature of America's republican political system. Its existence and habituation has changed expectations for the American citizen, building upon egalitarian aims while allowing for enough pride to promote good citizenship.

In this presentation I will argue that America is a republic founded upon virtue. To develop this line of inquiry, I will use the specific example of how humility has changed from America's creation to today. Both necessary and ordinary, humility must be counteracted with proper amounts of pride to function properly. Finding the Aristotelian mean between the two links this virtue to proper behavior. Whether Americans can, or should, claim humility as a distinctly American virtue yet today will depend on finding the precarious balance between humility and pride. My paper will develop the foundational goals for the cultivation of humility as well as an investigation into its modern incarnations.

Session 5

Nathaniel Johnson: “Ethics of the Mean” (Michael Waddell)
(3:20 - 3:50, MC 202)

This presentation will be looking at Aristotle's Doctrine of the Mean and its application to ethical problems. The first focus of this paper is to consider data in which the doctrine of the mean provides clear support. Issues such as temperance and liberality fall under this category. The bulk of the paper deals with issues in which the doctrine of the mean is problematic. Areas in which there is no mean (e.g. murder) or in which the mean is not easily determined, if in fact there is one. This portion of the paper also deals with questions of intention and purpose and their role in the doctrine of the mean.

Ryan Otto: "Environmental Policy of New Zealand" (Joe Dondelinger)
(3:55 - 4:10, MC 202)

Much of the current literature available on Sustainable Development is very theoretical and mentions only a few practical, real-world applications. In 1991, New Zealand stepped up to lead the world in developing a practical policy concerned with sustaining the environment. New Zealand's government created the Resource Management Act, which completely overhauled its previous environmental policy. The RMA asserts ideas that are not only practical but, in many ways, radical as well. For example, the government grants approval for a proposed building project not on the basis of appropriate zoning districts but of the positive and negative effects a project has on the environment. In 2004, the New Zealand government held a review of the RMA to examine its successes and problems and to consider necessary amendments to the Act.

Laura Anderson: "Camp Dewey and Sioux Falls: An Unforgettable Aspect of Life" (Gary Olson)
(4:15 - 4:45, MC 202)

This paper, Camp Dewey and Sioux Falls: An Unforgettable Aspect of Life , focuses on Camp Dewey, a Spanish-American War mobilization site and training camp that was located in Sioux Falls. Congress declared war against Spain on April 25, 1898, and volunteers from across South Dakota began arriving at the camp on May 1. Twelve companies formed the First South Dakota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The regiment remained at Camp Dewey until it was shipped out to San Francisco on May 29 and on to the Philippine Islands.

The paper tells of the arrangements and financial difficulties that the state went through in establishing a mobilization site in Sioux Falls. It also offers a glimpse of the daily life and the conditions the men experienced during the month they spent at Camp Dewey. These men encountered many difficulties, besides the foul weather. Supplies, including blankets, uniforms, and guns were in short supply.

Another aspect of this paper is the relationship Camp Dewey had with its host city. Both Sioux Falls and the First South Dakota soldiers benefited from this relationship. Visitors came to see the men every day, but Sundays became especially exciting. Thousands of local citizens and distant visitors came for Sunday excursions to see the regiment's dress parades. The soldiers of Camp Dewey also benefited from the kindness of Sioux Falls' citizens.

The sources employed for this research paper were mainly newspapers, county histories, and personal accounts.

Session 6

Blake Rife: "A Look at the Repercussions of the Griswold Decision" (Joel Johnson)
(3:20 - 3:50, MC 253)

The forging of new Constitutional territory came in a 7 to 2 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1965. With the foundation of the Griswold v. Connecticut decision the court cast new light on how Americans view the Constitutional Amendments and how the ninth amendment is more specifically interpreted. Without question the Griswold case laid important foundations for the court to construct all post privacy cases. The purpose of the presentation is to look at the roots of a constitutional right to privacy in America and the response that ensued from the decision.

Three areas will be discussed in detail during the twenty minute presentation time. The first will be the response generated from the mainstream media. This is important because it shows how most of America is responding to the decision. The second area of research is under the umbrella of special interest groups. If there was an attempt to get an abortion ruling out of the Griswold decision then special interest groups would be very concerned with the language in the case. The last area that will be discussed during the presentation is the response from the legal community. It is possible to argue after looking at the research that a vast majority of Americans were very comfortable with the decision in Griswold and that the public and an overwhelming majority of specialized persons did not see an abortion decision coming out of a right to privacy as set up by the Court.

Stuart Ness: "Satellite Data Program Calibration" (Daniel Swets)
(3:55 - 4:10, MC 253)

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), which NASA launched aboard the Terra Satellite platform in 1999, can be used to deliver Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) that describes characteristics of the land cover. For approximately five years the MODIS data had the same spatial and temporal coverage as an older sensor Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). However, the MODIS data is significantly different from AVHRR. Due to the differences in the sensors on the satellites, simple arithmetic operation will not correct the data discrepancies. Through regression analysis of seasons, NDVI relationships, land cover types, and direct comparisons, we hope to be able to find a way to compare the data through the use of formulas and conditions that accurately resolve the discrepancies between the two satellite data sets.

Nora Johnson: "Fast Proton Collisions with Hydrogen Molecules" (Eric Wells)
(1:00-2:25, MC 202)

A cold beam of hydrogen molecules was ionized by 4 MeV protons. A small fraction of the single ionization events reaches the vibrational continuum of the electronic ground state of H 2 + . A three-dimensional momentum imaging technique allows isolation of these ground-state dissociation fragments and the determination of the molecule orientation at the time of the collision. There are at least three different, contradictory theoretical predictions for the angular distribution of the fragments relative to the ion beam. Our preliminary results show a relatively isotropic angular dependence for the single ionization cross-section.

Posters

Louisa Anderson: "Analysis of the DH-112 Fragment of Ranid Herpesvirus-1 and Its Link to Lucke Renal Carcinoma in Rana Pipiens " (Maureen Diggins)

Renal Herpesvirus-1 has been linked to the formation of renal carcinoma in the frog Rana Pipiens. In order to deduce which fragment of the virus is carcinogenic, the virus was cut by a variety of restriction enzymes and a library was made. All the fragments were injected into sections of carp epithelium to determine if a tumor would form. Only two fragments, DH90 and DH112 were found to be carcinogenic. The fragment DH90 was sequenced in 2003 and was found to encode for a DNA-binding protein called a RING finger protein. This protein could be involved in tumor formation. The research done this past summer attempted to sequence the other fragment: DH-112.

The first step in DH-112 analysis was to determine the integrity of the stock DNA. The DNA was run on an agarose gel alongside its original host plasmid. After this gel was run, we planned to sequence the fragment using dideoxy sequencing. Unfortunately, it was determined that our stock of DH-112 to was not viable and we spent a majority of the summer trying to re-isolate this fragment from the stock vial.

The implications for this research are important because there seems to be many similarities between Herpesvirus-1 and other viruses such as HPV and the other herpesviruses. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Leslie Baehr, Jon Engbers, Amanda Johnson: "Measuring Gene Expression of the High Molecular Weight Glutenins in ‘Chinese Spring' Wheat Using RT-PCR" (Michael Wanous)

The high-molecular weight (HMW) glutenin genes, located on the group 1L chromosome arms, are a major determinant for baking quality in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). We previously identified chromosome regions influencing the expression of the HMW glutenins at the protein level (Wanous et al., 2003. Theor. Appl. Genet. 106:213-220 ). Now we have extended this analysis to expression of these genes at the transcriptional level using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Primers and protocols for PCR amplification of the HMW glutenin genes were designed. The amplified products ranged in size from 175 to 409 bp and targeted transcribed segments of the genes, making them well suited to gene expression studies utilizing RT-PCR. For Glu-B1-1 , Glu-B1-2 , and Glu-D1-2 , primers were designed from sequences in Genbank, available on the NCBI website, using Lasergene MegAlign software (DNASTAR) to find differences between the HMW glutenin genes, and Lasergene PrimerSelect software to design the primers. The Glu-D1-1 primer sequences were obtained from D'Ovidio et al. (1995). The primers and PCR protocols designed for each HMW glutenin gene were transferred to a Smart Cycler ® II (Cepheid) instrument and optimized for RT-PCR. RNA was isolated from wheat endosperm for gene expression analysis using RT-PCR. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Larissa Beck: " Cilia Regeneration in Sand Dollar Embryos: A Model System for Ciliated Epithelium Repair" (Leland Johnson)

The surfaces of sand dollar and sea urchin embryos and larvae are ciliated epithelia. Because these cilia are essential for survival and growth, the ability to replace lost cilia is adaptive. Embryos and larvae can be experimentally induced to shed cilia by brief osmotic shock, and they quickly replace lost cilia and resume swimming. The cell physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of embryonic cilia regeneration have been studied extensively, but environmental effects on the process have not.

We examined temperature effects within the normal environmental temperature range as well as effects of brief high-temperature stress pre-treatment. Cilia regenerated faster at the temperature at which embryos were reared than at a somewhat higher or lower temperature. Embryos that were given a period of high temperature stress before de-ciliation recovered cilia function more quickly than did control embryos. This effect may be due to activation of molecular chaperones such as Heat Shock Proteins which facilitate the regeneration process.

Our results provide information that may enhance the usefulness of embryonic cilia regeneration as an experimental model system for study of repair of damaged ciliated epithelia in general, including the ciliated epithelia of vertebrate animals such as humans and other mammals. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

William Buchanan: " The Synthesis of Nitroalcohols and Nitroalkenes to Yield Precusors for ISOC Reactions" (Jetty Duffy-Matzner)

Various methods to form nitroalcohols were examined (classic nitroaldol and newer methods of green synthesis). All the methods examined used nitromethane and aldehydes as starting compounds. An efficient method for synthesizing nitroalcohols was determined. Also the preparation of the nitroalkenes was examined. This involves the dehydration of the nitroalcohols to nitroalkenes. Additionally the synthesis of nitroethers was done, by reacting nitroalkenes with propargyl alcohols.

Sarah Demke: "Characterization of the Expression of an AAV-Serotype 2-Contained Transgene in Rat Brain" (Maureen Diggins)

Corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF, is a key molecule in the global stress response of an organism - it coordinates autonomic, endocrine, immune, and behavioral stress responses. It has been previously shown that administering CRF intracerebroventricularly to rats causes many of the same effects that a stress stimulus would, but exactly how CRF functions remains largely unknown. Many methods have been tried to understand CRF function, including lesion studies, pharmacology studies, and knockout studies; however, none have allowed satisfactory spatial and temporal resolution to precisely decipher the role of CRF in the stress response. A new method for gene knockdown, the use of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector to deliver a transgene encoding a small piece (21 to 29 base pairs) of double-stranded RNA that starts the process of RNA interference (RNAi) can be used to help us better understand the functional role of CRF. RNAi has already proven successful in mice and rats (Hommel et al., 2003; Konishi et al., 2004), and the expression of the AAV vector has been previously characterized in mice. The goal of this project was to characterize the expression in the rat brain of a transgene packaged in an AAV-Serotype 2 vector so the AAV vector may be used in the future with RNAi to knock down CRF expression in various parts of the rat brain, including the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). This will allow the details of the role of CRF in the stress response to be discovered and may lead to possible new therapies for depression, PTSD, sleep disorders, and even stress-induced relapse to drug-seeking behavior. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Emily Doss and Heidi Underberg: "Pressure-Area Isotherms of Langmuir Monolayers" (Brian Moore)

We are conducting research on Langmuir monolayers with a homemade device feasible for any undergraduate laboratory. Our work has focused on a homologous series of fatty acids (C 14 , C 15 , C 16 , etc.) made into a solution with a quickly evaporating solvent. A hydrophobic trough is created by coating the original glass trough in store purchased paraffin (GulfWax), in which purified water is added, this acts as the system where data is taken. A homemade shelf unit was created specifically for this experiment, upon the top shelf an analytical balance (with capability of weighing from underneath) and a wire suspends a Wilhelmy “plate” (2 cm square of filter paper). After the Wilhelmy plate has equilibrated in the water, 2-3 mM prepared solutions of the fatty acid are deposited in 2-10 µ L increments, and mass is recorded. By calculation and graphical representation phase transitions can be seen in the system with the isotherm's addition; for example the gas, liquid expanded, and liquid condensed phase can be seen when a pressure-area graph is complied. Further research will also include creating and visualizing Langmuir-Blodgett films on mica.

Laura Gooch: "GATA Transcription Factor Expression in Cancer Tissue" (Maureen Diggins)

GATA is a family of transcription factors found in virtually every organism on the planet. Its locus is on 10p15, a part of the human genome altered by the Human Papilloma Virus. An absence of GATA was found by immunohistochemical staining of seven cancer tissue types. GATA downregulation was found in all tissue types, however variation was seen among different specimens of the same type. More accurate pathological review will be necessary to determine the number of positive and negative slides. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Kara Leemkuil: "The Effect of Judgment Frequency in Causal Learning" (Martin Dennis)

Most theories of learning about causal relationships between events hold that people's judgments of the strength of those relationships depends on the statistical contingency between the events. The initial covariational evidence presented--cases of joint cooccurrence or joint absence, or of individual occurrence--has previously been shown to have a lasting effect on causal judgments at the end of a trial sequence. One theoretical proposal suggests that the effect of this initial evidence depends on the frequency of judgments within the trial sequence. To test this proposal, trials were shown of cases with a possible causal event and an effect, in which there was a switch in statistical contingency midway through the trial sequence. The strength of the causal relationship was judged after each trial. Further methodological manipulations included the presence or absence of a prompt to consider all of the observed trials, and the presence or absence of a mark to denote previous judgments. Results showed that participants followed the most recent statistical contingency in sequences regardless of the manipulation of prompt or marker. These results suggest that frequent causal judgments, with the focus on recent information that they elicit, overcome any effect of initial evidence.

Paul Marshall : "Developing Parallel Algorithms for Seasonality Analysis" (Daniel Swets)

Temporal NDVI images are derived from data produced by NOAA and NASA satellites to show the change in vegetation over time. Scientists from NASA, NOAA, USGS and the CDC utilize these temporal images for land cover/land use change analysis, drought monitoring, fire management, weather prediction, flood analysis, and even the study of viral outbreaks, such as the Hantavirus outbreak in the southwestern United States. Seasonal metrics and vegetation characteristics, such as the start and end of season, the integrated NDVI, and others must be calculated from these temporal images to enable the application of space-borne sensors to the studies of biological processes. We have developed a highly efficient software system to provide these seasonality metrics. The first phase of our project involved writing software to extract the metrics from each pixel. Due to the enormous size of the images we found that processing pixel by pixel required far too much running time to complete. Therefore, the second phase of our project implemented a threaded algorithm to enhance the speed and provide for overlapped file I/O. The third phase of our project revolves around a clustering package to enable an unlimited number of networked computers to process different parts of the image. We have also written a Java interface to help control and monitor the processing of the images. Threading, overlapped file IO, and clustering will help NOAA, NASA, and USGS scientists calculate metrics closer to real time which will enhance their ability to perform regional and global biological studies.

Matt McDougall: "Obesity, Leptin Resistance, and Infertility in the Lethal Yellow Mouse" (Maureen Diggins)

The lethal yellow mutation is found at the agouti locus on chromosome two of the mouse genome. When the mutation is heterozygous (Ay/a), it causes mice to exhibit a collection of characteristics known as the Lethal Yellow Syndrome. The Lethal Yellow Syndrome causes yellow coat color, adult onset obesity and progressive infertility.

The lethal yellow mice do not have extreme hyperphagia; much like the overweight population in our society, they eat just a few more calories than they need to every day. This, when combined with their increased ability to synthesize calories into fat, causes the mice to develop the characteristic adult onset obesity and diminished reproductive capability.

The key objective of this study is to define the link between increasing weight, leptin and infertility. Leptin, which is a hormone secreted by fat cells, becomes greatly elevated in obesity. In addition to its role in regulating metabolism, leptin is also necessary for reproduction. It acts on the hypothalamus and ovaries to affect reproductive hormones. Receptors for leptin are found in the hypothalamus and in ovarian follicles.

Excess leptin can impair reproductive function. A possible explanation for this paradox is leptin resistance, in which the receptors on the ovaries fail to respond to circulating leptin. Since leptin is known to promote angiogenesis in ovarian follicles, leptin resistant follicles may have an impaired blood supply (Bouloumie et al, 1998). This may adversely affect the developing oocytes due to decreased oxygen and nutrient supply.

In conclusion, this research project utilizes the adult onset obesity of the yellow mouse to study the mechanism by which obesity affects reproduction. Hopefully if this mechanism is understood it will help society to understand that weight management is key in order to sustain healthy conditions for reproduction. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Abbey Mello: " Fatty Acid Synthase Expression in Rat Liver in Response to Estrogen" (Maureen Diggins; Kathleen Eyster, USD)

Objective: Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) is a multi-functional protein that catalyzes the production of palmitate from malonyl-CoA. Data from microarray demonstrated an increase in FAS expression in the mesenteric arteries in rats injected for 4 days with estradiol benzoate compared to control. The purpose of this study was to determine whether FAS expression increased in response to estrogen in the liver as well as in the mesenteric arteries.

Methods: Ovarianextomized Sprague Dawley rats were treated by gavage or by ip injection for 2, 4, or 21 days with vehicle, estradiol benzoate, or ethinyl estradiol.

Results: Analysis with Real-Time RT-PCR (using the formula 2 - ?? Ct ) demonstrated an increase in FAS expression in the livers of rats treated by gavage for 4 days with estradiol benzoate (4.5-fold) compared to control. FAS expression also increased in the livers of rats treated by ethinyl estradiol (8.0-fold) or estradiol benzoate (2.2-fold) for 21 days compared to control. FAS expression decreased in the liver in rats gavaged for 2 days with ethinyl estradiol (0.7-fold).

Conclusions: These data suggest that FAS expression is stimulated by estrogen, and that the length of time with treatment with estrogen (2 vs 21 days) is more important in the stimulation of FAS expression than mode of administration (gavage vs injection) of estrogen. (Supported in part by NIH HL69886 and South Dakota BRIN 5P20RR01647904).

Kari Pabst and Heidi Underwood: "Use of Remote Sensing Technology to Characterize Re-growth of Vegetation Following Forest Fires in Glacier National Park, Montana" (Craig Spencer & Don Ohlen, EROS Data Center)

We studied post-fire re-growth of vegetation following the forest fires in Glacier National Park. Re-vegetation was remarkably rapid, with early dominance by wildflowers (forbs), grasses, and shrubs.
After 5 years, conifer trees, especially lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), began to dominate. In addition to photographing various burn sites, we also monitored re-growth by analyzing a series of Landsat satellite images taken over the years following the 1988 Red Bench fire. The severity of this fire varied throughout the fire perimeter, as was clearly evident on the early satellite images. After preparing a burn severity map from satellite images, we monitored re-vegetation rates in areas of different burn intensity. High intensity burn areas had lower re-vegetation rates than moderate severity burn areas for the first several years. This relationship switched from years 5-10 post-fire, with the high intensity burn
sites showing the higher re-vegetation rates. After 16 years post-fire, the overall rate of re-growth was comparable in the various burn severity zones. Post-fire recovery of forest vegetation was remarkably rapid in Glacier National Park, and appeared to be much faster than some other areas including the Black Hills and Yellowstone National Park.

Brian Rekken: "HPLC Analysis of Biofriendly Quaternary Ammonium Synthesis" (Gary Earl and Duane Weisshaar)

Several hundred million pounds of quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) are produced each year which are used in products such as fabric softeners, conditioners, lubricants, etc. This group explored a biofriendly synthesis of these quats. My primary focus was the development of a chromatographic separation method to follow the reaction. A literature method for separating mixtures of quats was adapted to achieve baseline separation for all of the quat/amine pairs we have investigated (tripropyl to distearylmethyl derivatives) which requires only a slight adjustment in the eluent's ionic strength. 

Heidi Sabol: "Phosphatidylinositol-3 Kinase p85-Interacting Protein Inhibits Expression of Myelin Basic Protein in Oligodendrocytes" (Maureen Diggins)

Phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) is an enzyme involved in the signal transduction pathway of many cellular processes. PI3K consists of a regulatory subunit, p85, and a catalytic subunit, p110. In processes such as cell division, the p85 subunit transmits a signal to activate p110. The p85 signaling pathway that leads to myelination of axons by oligodendrocytes is unknown, but overexpression of the p85 subunit of PI3K increases the expression of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) without binding to p110. We are studying the signal transduction pathway that leads to MBP expression in oligodendrocytes. Studying the signals that control MBP expression may reveal the signals important for the terminal differentiation of oligodendrocytes. Screening a cDNA library revealed that p85 is capable of binding p85-interacting protein (p85IP). In order to follow p85IP through the cell, an epitope tag was attached to the amino terminus of p85IP. The cell line CG4 was used to transfect the DNA encoding p85IP into cells in the presence of MBP-Luciferase. A Dual-Glo Luciferase Assay was used to measure the effect of the expression of p85IP on MBP expression. We show that p85IP inhibits expression of MBP upon differentiation of CG4 cells. We also expressed p85IP in bacterial cells to make recombinant DNA, which will be used to further study the interaction between p85 and p85IP. If the pathway to MBP expression can be determined, or inhibitors of MBP expression discovered, pharmaceutical companies could use this knowledge to market drugs that block inhibitors of MBP, which would then allow MBP to be expressed and myelin to be produced. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Robert Van Demark: " Effect of L-Thyroxine on CHF in SHHF" (Maureen Diggins)

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the inability of the heart to pump blood at a rate required for the metabolic demands of the body. Multiple factors including diastolic dysfunction, systolic dysfunction, inflammation, and neurohormonal regulators then produce compensatory mechanisms that maintain short-term cardiac function. However, when prolonged, these mechanisms lead to maladaptive processes. One such example involves left ventricular (LV) remodeling, which results from the alteration of myocyte shape in response to volume and pressure overload.
The spontaneously hypertensive, heart failure (SHHF) rat used in the study is shown to compensate the increased systolic wall stress with concentric hypertrophy. At approximately 6 months of age, a switch to myocyte lengthening occurs, and ventricular dilation results. The LV dilation then produces the low cardiac output seen in heart failure.

In a previous study, Dr. Gerdes et.al observed a decrease in blood and tissue T3 levels and an increased conversion of T3 to inactive rT3 in untreated dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters. This indicates maladaptive thyroid hormone metabolism may be linked to CHF.
In this study, a one month treatment with L-Thyroxine (T4) pellets implanted subcutaneously in Wistar Furth and SHHF rats (aged 4 months) was used to obtain a baseline data set regarding thyroid hormone (T3, rT3, T4, TSH) serum and tissue levels. Work in progress includes a comprehensive study of deiodinase activity within the various chambers of the heart. Equally important is the correlation of the data to overall cardiac remodeling and cardiovascular function. (Supported by NIH BRIN 5P20RR01647904.)

Amber Carlson, Chris Zuraff, Marie Hoogeveen, Kami Siemonsma, Megan Moline, Hans Aaraas, Peter Olsen, John Schneiderman: "The Wink of a Madman" (Richard Swanson)
(5:00 - 5:30, Actor's Studio, Edith Mortenson Center)

There are many themes which can be examined in the Gospel of Luke, and many ways to go about exploring them. “The Wink of a Madman” is a performance which examines Luke's gospel through the lens of madness. This play aims to make the madness in Luke apparent and poignant, thus opening the doors to new ideas about the meaning of Luke's Gospel in the midst of madness. “The Wink of a Madman” also incorporates texts from The Gospel of John, The Gospel of Mary of Magdala, as well as Elie Wiesel's Twilight and Town Beyond the Wall .