Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Events & Activities

2013 Festival of Scholars

Science Showcase Poster Session

Date: Friday, April 27
Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm
Location: Soiland Recreation Center

Description:

This session highlights research conducted by students in the Natural Science Division. Students present their work in large posters which are displayed around the Soiland Recreational Center (practice gymnasium). Exciting interactions are possible as the audience and student researchers get a chance to discuss the cutting-edge work that the students are doing here at CLU.

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Student Abstracts at this Session

Student(s):
Alethia Alvarado
and Elijah Winton

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Effect of Hand Weights and Stepping Foot on Lunge Mechanics
The lunge is a popular component of fitness training and rehabilitation programs which is used to increase strength in the lower extremities. The lunge is performed with or without the use of hand weights and with either the right or left foot stepping forward to initiate the lunge. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of hand weights and stepping foot on lunge mechanics. Ten healthy regularly active college-aged females performed lunges with their right foot forward and their left foot forward in three different conditions: no weights, weights at shoulder level, weights held at side. Hip and knee joint angles and step length were determined by three-dimensional coordinate data provided by motion capture. Vertical and anteroposterior force data was collected on each foot using two Kistler force plates. Two-way ANOVA was used to determine the effect of weight and stepping foot (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Danielle Amoroso

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Barbara Collins
Comparison of Coastal Sage Scrub Communities and Their Environments Effects on Plant Adaptations
This research aimed to shed new light on the composition of coastal sage scrub communities and how our changing environment has affected them. Three different areas were researched, including the north and south facing slopes of Mt. Clef in Thousand Oaks and the south-facing slope near Thornhill Broome beach. Methods include the quadrat method, soil analysis including bacterial levels and moisture content and chemical analysis of the soil. Textures of plants were also studied under a dissecting scope. Preliminary results indicate great differences in the various areas that were studied. Wild buckwheat was dominant on all three slopes studied, but there was little similarity of species otherwise. Soil moisture and bacteria levels also varied, depending on slope and season, while leaf textures varied depending upon location.
This is an important, endangered plant community that is presently threatened for many reasons and further research is essential.
Student(s):
Taylor Autry
and Channing Fleischmann

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Effect of Support Leg on Single Leg Squat Kinematics and Kinetics
Strength training is commonly used by athletes to enhance their abilities and maximize performance. A single leg squat involves supporting one foot on an elevated surface while the other leg remains on the ground and then flexing the knee to approximately 90 degrees. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the kinematics and kinetics between the dominant and non-dominant support leg in a single leg squat. Ten collegiate athletes performed a single leg squat with their dominant and non-dominant legs providing the support with a 25 lb weight. Motion capture was used to obtain the three-dimensional body coordinates used to compute hip, knee, ankle, and trunk angles. Ground reaction force values were collected with a Kistler force plate to determine the vertical, anteroposterior and mediolateral forces during the squat . Dependent t-tests were used to determine differences attributed to leg (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Nicholas Bague

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Myungsook Klassen
Android Game App Development
With the popularity of smart phones rapidly increasing, there is a higher demand for developers able to create applications for both Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating system. These portable devices are able to run increasingly more complicated programs with an equally large variety of uses such as business applications, everyday needs, and games. My Android application is a simple turn-based game that is reminiscent of rock-paper-scissors. The game is purely for entertainment purposes. Designing this application serves two functions. The first is to familiarize myself with Android application development, one of the two current popular smartphone operating systems. The other purpose is to better understand the capabilities of the Android OS in the realm of game development. The application will be developed within Eclipse using Java and will be majorly debugged within an Android simulator.
Student(s):
Chad Barber
and Isaac Berlin, Jennifer Chun, Kaylen Colegrove, Brooke Cottman, Kyle Eckhart, Luis Jimenez, Kathryn Jones, Kimberly Kolibas, Jennie Lopez, Jaira Muriel, John Mussato, Hongsik Park, Hector Salaverrieta

Faculty Mentor:
Assessing Public Knowledge of Transplantation Biology and Willingness to Enroll in a Donor Registry
Every four minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every ten minutes, cancer takes a life. This is primarily because six of ten patients never received a life-saving transplant. Educating the public on the importance of transplantation biology and their role in becoming part of a national registry of donors is crucial to improving survivorship. We assessed public knowledge and opinion of transplantation biology with survey questions ranging from the biology involved to willingness to donate marrow to a hypothetical patient. Preliminary data shows the majority of people were familiar with common diseases that transplants can help treat, but have never donated blood or bone marrow. Interestingly, the majority of respondents were unaware that race is a factor in tissue-type matching. In an effort to educate the public and enroll donors, we invited the “Be The Match” National Donor Registry to Festival of Scholars.
Student(s):
Bryce Burton
and Hunter Horn

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
Effects of Fatigue and Kicking Leg on a Maximal Effort Soccer Kick
Throughout the course of a soccer match, players must meet intense aerobic and anaerobic demands requiring them to be extremely fit. Despite reaching high levels of fatigue, soccer players are still required to perform at maximal effort for the entire match. The purpose of this study was to investigate how fatigue affects the lower extremity kinematics and kinetics of a maximal effor soccer kick with both the dominant and non-dominant kicking leg. Subjects performed maximal soccer kicks before and after completing a fatiguing workout that mimics soccer activity during a match. Both motion-capture cameras and force plates were utilized to collect data to measure kick velocity, lower extremity joint angles and forces generated by the plant leg. Two factor ANOVA was used to test for differences between the fatigue conditions (pre and post fatigue) and the two legs (dominant and non-dominant) with significance determined with p < 0.05.
Student(s):
Blake Carney
and Chris Hawthorne

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Effect of a Bat Length on Baseball Bat Swing Mechanics
The success of a baseball swing is largely influenced by the bat’s velocity. Most collegiate-level baseball players use a 33 inch, 30 ounce bat, however some use a shorter and lighter bat. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a shorter and lighter bat would have on baseball bat swing mechanics. Eight baseball players performed swings with their normal bat (33 inch) and with a shorter bat (32 inch). Kistler force plates collected ground reaction forces made on each foot. Kinematic data was obtained by a six-camera motion capture system that collected coordinate data for the subject and their bat. Bat velocity and rotation, shoulder rotation, elbow angle and horizontal and vertical ground reaction forces were analyzed. Dependent t-tests were used to determine differences due to bat size (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Melissa Dahl
and Kelly Jensen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Influence of Visual Feedback in Stair Ascent and Descent Biomechanics
Climbing up or down stairs is an everyday activity which may or may not include visual feedback. Knowing more about the control or alteration of stair climbing could help elderly individuals who are at risk of falling, especially the elderly. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of visual feedback in stair ascent and descent. College-aged female subjects with no previous injuries or balance issues were asked to climb up and down a set of four stairs with and without visual feedback. Visual feedback was provided or diminished by subjects carrying a clear plastic tub without or with a lid, respectively. Three-dimensional coordinate data was obtained via motion analysis to measure frontal and sagittal plane trunk lean, speed of ascent or descent, and lower extremity joint sagittal plane angles. Dependent t-test’s were used to determine differences due to visual feedback (p < 0.05)
Student(s):
Morgan Fippinger
and Andrew Gonzalez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
Effect of Kicking Leg on the Mechanics of Roundhouse Kicks in Experienced Martial Artists
Previous studies have investigated joint angles and kicking velocities with varying types of kicks. Martial artists typically have a dominant leg which they prefer to use when kicking. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in the kinetics and kinematics of the lower extremity between maximal effort roundhouse kicks with the dominant and non-dominant kicking leg. Experienced martial artists performed three maximum effort kicks with each leg against a bag whose movement at impact was minimal. Subjects stood with each foot on a Kistler force plate to collect vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces. Twenty reflective markers were places on various body landmarks to enable the computation of kinematic values using a six-camera Vicon motion capture system. Foot linear velocity, hip rotation, hip and knee flexion/extension values were analyzed. Differences between kicking leg were analyzed using dependent t-tests (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Natalie Fischer
and Jessica Reid

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
Prediction of Toe Touch Jump Success from Flexibility and Vertical Jump Kinematic Data
A toe jump is a complicated movement that requires the subject to be flexible and to be able to generate enough power to enable them to touch their toes mid-air. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributions of both hip flexibility and vertical jump ability to the likelihood of performing a successful toe jump. Physically active, but not jump trained, male and female college students performed a sit and reach flexibility test for each hip after appropriate warm up. Subjects then performed a maximum effort countermovement vertical jump and attempted a toe jump. Motion capture and forces plates were used to collect kinematic and kinetic data, respectively. Hip abduction and flexion, trunk forward lean, ground reaction force linear impulse, and flexibility measures were analyzed. Independent t-tests were used to compare between successful and non-successful toe jumps (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Melissa Flores
and Katie Kirchner

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
Effect of Visual Reinforcement on Back Squat Kinematics
Weight rooms generally have mirrors for the purpose of proper technique and to minimize injury. However, situations where visual reinforcement is not available do occur. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of visual reinforcement, in the form of mirrors, on the kinematics of a common lifting move, the back squat. Subjects were shown a video of desired technique. They then performed a back squat with and without visual reinforcement with approximately 50% of their body weight. During each lift, digital video was collected and imported into the computer. Motus software was used to digitize six body landmarks that defined segment and joint angles. Trunk inclination angle, hip, knee, and ankle flexion and extension angles were computed. Dependent t-tests were performed to determine the differences between lifts with and without visual reinforcement (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Lei Guo

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Myungsook Klassen
A Possible Application Solution for Online Signature Verification
In this project, an attempt is made to create a real time signature verification which can identify if a signature is genuine or not. We assume the system will collect several genuine signatures for a person before it available for that person, and the user’s signature will be tested on all genuine ones we stored.The publicly available database SUSIG will be used for the project. An input signature is separated into several segments depending on the writing styles, such as end points and writing speed. Discrete Fourier Transformation(DFT) from the function expressions of the segments is used as the features. The performance of the system will be expressed by average time cost per sample and the error rate.The algorithm was tested by 210 genuine and 300 forged signatures, which gives out an EER (Equal Error Rate) of 3% and 1.5 seconds average processing time per signature.
Student(s):
Wendy Hermansen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Barbara Collins
Effects of Temperature, Rainfall and Flow Rate on the Presence of E. coli in Stream Water and Soil
Esherichia coli is an important indicator of water quality. The effects of temperature, rainfall, flow rate, and pH on the presence of E. coli in the water in Kingsmen Creek will be examined. These factors will also be examined in the adjacent soil. Dilutions will be performed to check for the presence of E. coli in the water and the soil. If E. coli is present, the most probable number will be determined to see if there is any correlation between the effects of temperature, rainfall, flow rate, and pH and the amount of E. coli in the water and the soil.
Student(s):
James Hougen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. David Marcey
Lethal Deficiency Cross Gives Insight into the Extra Eye Mutation
Extra eye (ee) is a novel mutation found in Drosophila melanogaster that causes the development of extra eyes and deformities in the dorsal head region of the fly. The unique characteristics of ee give insight into important developmental processes, as well as complex genetics. Incomplete penetrance and conditional dominance have made mapping the mutation to a specific gene difficult. The mutation is on the 2nd chromosome; however the 1st and 3rd chromosomes of the ee strain also play a role in expression levels. Through the use of a screening technique of the second chromosome, a deficiency was uncovered that proved lethal when crossed to ee. Further investigation has involved crossing ee to mutant genes within the deficiency, and monitoring development of the deficiency cross through egg and larval stages. Genes found in this deficiency may play a role in ee.
Student(s):
Luis Jimenez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dennis Revie
Identification of B and T Cell genes That Change Expression After Hepatitis C Virus Infection
The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is an envelope, positive, single stranded RNA virus that currently infects about 3.2 million people in the United States and 200 million people worldwide. B and T cells, or lymphocytes, are cells that are responsible for the immune response of the body. The purpose of this study is to understand the effects HCV has on different cells and compare uninfected with HCV infected cells and identify differences in mRNA production. Real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to determine the concentration of DNA. From the DNA concentration, mRNA concentration from HCV produced by infected B and T cells can be obtained.
Student(s):
Taylor Joyce
and Neika Maryn

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Effects of Fatigue and Direction on a 90° Running Cut Maneuver
Cutting, or a sudden change in direction, is a common maneuver in many sports such as football and soccer. However, it has also been associated with serious injuries, such as ACL injuries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the mechanics and the forces produced by the plant leg during a 90° running cut maneuver before and after fatigue. Subjects were asked to cut in both directions. Three-dimensional coordinate data and ground reaction forces were collected using motion analysis cameras and force plate data, respectively. Subjects repeated the cutting maneuver if both feet did not fully land on the force plates or if a 90° turn was not achieved. Shoulder and hip twist, knee flexion and extension, step width, and ground reaction force data were analyzed. The effect of approach direction (R or L) and subject condition (with and without fatigue) were determined using two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Kenneth Kile

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Myungsook Klassen
Developing Children's Educational Software Android Application
The Android application I developed is an education program for elementary school children. It will teach children to identify different marine animals, their sounds, a brief description of their traits and how they interact with their environment. This project serves two goals. I will learn how to program Android applications which is a very profitable and commercial area within computer science. I will also be saving kids from the mind numbing nihilism that will result from playing too many mindless games. I will use the Eclipse Android environment program the application. I will use the Android simulator to test the application. When the project is complete I will put it on an Android tablet. I will present my project to testers and see how they react to it, making the necessary adjustments.
Student(s):
Kirsten Larson

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michael Shaw
Monocultures and Co-Cultures of S. Putrefaciens and S. Oneidensis in a Microbial Fuel Cell
The diminishing supply of fossil fuels has led to a global effort to develop novel renewable energy conversion strategies including microbial fuel cells (MFCs). MFCs operate by producing electricity via the breakdown of organic matter by living bacteria. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the electrical output of mono- and co- cultures of the Shewanella Oneidensis and Shewanella Putrefaciens bacterial species. Here we present the design of a novel MFC aimed at rapid screening of assays in MFC experiments. Furthermore, we found that co-cultures exhibited a steady-state open circuit voltage of 0.27V ± 0.02V, compared to 0.16V ± 0.04V for the monocultures, indicating potential synergistic interactions between the two species. Finally, scanning electron micrographs of the bacteria morphologies are presented. We conclude that these results demonstrate the feasibility of co-cultured MFCs comprising Shewanella Oneidensis and Shewanella Putrefaciens bacteria for enhanced output voltage.
Student(s):
Jordan Le
and Elon Goldman

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Effect of a Weighted Implement on Baseball Bat Swing Kinematics and Kinetics
In the game of baseball, hitting is one of the toughest tasks to master and players often try to gain improvements through various training implements. One of these training implements is a weight that fits over the bat, often referred to as a “donut”, that players use prior to their swing. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of bat weights in a warm-up will affect bat speed. Intercollegiate baseball players performed bat swings before and then after swinging with the weighted implement on their bat. Weight distribution and transfer was determined by having subjects stand on two Kistler force plates. A six-camera motion capture system obtained three-dimensional landmark data for the subject and his bat. Trunk and shoulder rotation, elbow extension, bat velocity and rotation, and ground reaction forces were analyzed. Dependent t-tests determined differences due to the weighted implement (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Kao-Tang Moua

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Craig Reinhart, Dr. Chad Barber, Dr. Michael Shaw
The Isolation of Integrins in 3-Dimensional Collagen Matrices with Osteoblasts
Osteoblasts are vital cell lines needed in the production and formation of bones. The cell produces Type I collagen and excess mineral while it reshapes the bone structure. As our country faces ongoing health concerns with an aging population and bone diseases, understanding the properties and molecular pathways of osteoblasts becomes increasingly significant. Our project focused on the production of cell growth under different mechanical properties and strain. The three properties studied were: no hydroxapatite(HA), HA crystals, and HA scaffold. A mechanical force load was applied to each grown scaffold which enabled us to measure protein excretions based on the well plate type. This study will allow us to identify pathway signaling of osteoblasts in in vitro and in vivo environments.
Student(s):
Huong Nguyen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Grady Hanrahan
Parallel Electrophoretic Separation and Characterization of Toluene Urinary Metabolites
Toluene is one the most widely used industrial organic chemicals, with exposure leading to acute and chronic respiratory effects, functional alteration of the central nervous system and chromosome aberrations. The proposed major pathway is driven by the hydroxylation of toluene to benzyl alcohol, which is subsequently metabolized to benzylaldehyde. Thus, there are several potential biomarkers available for assessing internal exposure to toluene, especially as it relates to the industrial setting. The purpose of this study was to accurately determine low-level metabolites to assess potential exposure related to metabolic processing. Experimental methods centered on electrophoretic chemical separation followed by multivariate data analysis examination.
Student(s):
Thet-Myat Noe

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Dennis Revie
Comparison of HCV RNA Sequences From Hemochromatosis and Non-Hemochromatosis Patients
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) contains a single-stranded RNA genome and causes liver diseases. Hemochromatosis can result in the accumulation of excess iron in the body’s organs. In this project, the HCV genome of hemochromatosis patients will be analyzed, and the hypervariable regions of the HCV genome will be compared with those from non-Hemochromatosis patients. HCV RNA was purified from the sera of infected patients with hemochromatosis. The isolated RNA was transcribed into DNA by using reverse transcriptase (RT), and was then amplified by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The DNA fragments were cloned by Topo cloning system. Plasmid DNA was purified from the clones. Gel Electrophoresis showed the correct sized bands of DNA after EcoRI digestion. DNA sequencing will next be done, and the DNA sequences from the two types of patients will be compared to determine if HCV has mutations that cause hemochromatosis.
Student(s):
Alexa Perea
and Elliott Ness

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Michele LeBlanc
The Effect of Fatigue on Maximal Effort Box Jumps in Male College Students
Some sports such as basketball and volleyball require athletes to perform maximal effort jumps simultaneously in the vertical and horizontal directions immediately after landing. Over the course of a game, fatigue may affect the athlete’s jumping performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of fatigue on kinematic and kinetic measures in a series of box jumps. Eight male participants performed jumps off of a 60 cm box, and, upon landing, jumped as high as they could to either their left or right. Subjects performed continuous box jumps until they were fatigued. They then performed box jumps in both directions. Motion-capture was used to obtain three-dimensional body coordinates which enabled the computation of lower extremity joint angles, and force data was collected with two Kistler force plates. The effect of fatigue and jump direction was determined by two way ANOVA (p < 0.05).
Student(s):
Michael Rodriguez

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. John Tannaci
A Computational Approach to the Optimization of Efficiency in Organic Photovoltaic Cells
Organic photovoltaic technology is emerging as a potential competitor to silicon-based photovoltaic cells (PVCs), and their power conversion efficiencies (PCE) can now exceed 6%. There has been progress made in improving the PCE of bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic devices, and experimental connections have been made between the PCE and the HOMO/LUMO band gap, but very little work has been done in the area of theoretical optimization based on these parameters. We will train a computer system to use trusted data to analyze the relationship between the molecular structure and the HOMO/LUMO bandgap. Our goal is to provide as input a novel molecular structure, and receive as output the HOMO and LUMO values for that structure. The long-term goal of this research is to provide the computer system with specific HOMO and LUMO values and return a structure that will possess those values.
Student(s):
Robert Rumer
and Spring 2012 At Home in the Universe Class

Faculty Mentor:
Mr. Robert Rumer
Development of a Marble Machine
For a class project the students design, simulated, and built a marble machine which is responsible for transporting 5/8" steel balls from the top of the machine to the bottom in as interesting a manner as possible. Each student used a three dimensional drafting program, SolidWorks, to design their own module. As a class, they used SolidWorks to design an assembly which included all of their individual modules connected together. Then the modules were built on CLU's new 3D printer and the actual marble machine was assembled. A working marble machine will be on display at the Festival of Scholars.
Student(s):
Michael Schroeder

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Myungsook Klassen
Galaxy Wars - Android Application
The purpose of this application will be to develop, test and implement a complex game for the Android operating system.
The Galaxy Wars app I’m developing is a game that will take place in Space. The goal of the game is to sling an asteroid from your home planet and hit another specified planet. There will be objects in the way of the asteroid such as other planets which your asteroid must navigate. These planets will pull the asteroid towards it simulating gravity. If the asteroid is on the wrong trajectory it could be sent spiraling into space or even crash into a planet. This project will require complex calculations that will occur many times as the app runs. In conjunction with these calculations I will implement animations and various graphics. The goal of this project is to explore and find solutions to the complex algorithms with the android operating system.
Student(s):
Megan Sidana

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Barbara Collins
A Comparative Analysis of the Presence of S.aureus and E.coli Among Southern California Beaches
Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus are increasingly common among our communities today. Both are infamous for causing a variety of diseases, ranging from meningitis to pneumonia, and the increasingly prevalent MRSA or methicillin resistant S.aureus. Over the years both bacteria have been consistently found in coastal water and sand, and due to their strong antibiotic resistance this is quite worrisome. The current study examined the presence and antibiotic resistance for both bacteria, as well as the concentration levels of E.coli at three southern California beaches: Topanga, Zuma, and Malibu. Samples were collected over a nine month period, during times of both high and low tides to provide an accurate comparison. The objective of the study was to determine during what season of the year and what type of tide each bacteria is most present, as well as examine concentration levels for E.coli, and compare antibiotic resistance for both bacteria.
Student(s):
Gabriel Swerdlow

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Steven Hawkins
Effects of Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs on Instantaneous and Anaerobic Performance
The use of over-the-counter Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) in sports medicine has become commonplace. However, these drugs have wide ranging and undocumented effects on exercise. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of a clinical dose of NSAID on acute anaerobic performance and muscle strength. Twelve subjects (aged 22±4yrs) volunteered for this randomized, controlled, double-blinded study. Subjects performed maximal isometric right leg extensions and a Wingate Anaerobic Cycle Test on two different occasions one week apart, following administration of either placebo or 200mg NSAID. Data were analyzed by paired sample t-test (p < 0.05). It is expected that there will be a significant difference between NSAID and placebo groups for peak muscle force, but the effect on maximal anaerobic performance will be insignificant.
Student(s):
Miguel Tenorio

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Nathan Carlson
Pinpoint: The Colors of Graph Theory and Adjacency Matrices
This paper examines ties between graph theory and a game called Pinpoint. This is a game between two players played on a grid where one player attemts to determine the location of the other. I originally saw a video online on Pinpoint where the first player claimed to know where the second would be after a certain number of moves. After participating in the activity, I was curious as to how he was able to do such a trick. After learning what an adjacency matrix is, I became motivated to explore Pinpoint in depth using graph theory. In this paper, we will show the minimum number of moves needed to determine the location of the second player in the original game is 5 and show the same principals hold when the game is played on any graph with a chromatic number 2.
Student(s):
Christopher Theisen

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Chad Barber
Assessing the Role of Beta-1 integrins in Tunneling Nanotube Formation
Tunneling nanotubes are tubular structures made of F-actin used to create bridges between cells (Rustom, et al. 2004). I am proposing a study to establish if β1 integrins, receptors involved in many cell-cell and cell-environment interactions, interact with M-Sec, a recently discovered protein that initializes TNT outgrowth (Hase, et al. 2009). Our hypothesis is that β1 integrins may cooperate with M-Sec in a pathway to produce TNT’s. The experiments to be performed will include cell-based assays, microscopy and molecular techniques. We plan to use 3T3 fibroblast cells to visualize TNT’s and integrins using fluorescence microscopy. We will also measure levels of these surface proteins using Western Blotting. By observing the surface proteins that initialize TNT’s, it will become easier to study and perhaps induce them. A better understanding of TNT’s may lead to new ways in which to use them to fight disease or understand cellular communication.
Student(s):
Jacklyn Whitehead

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Chad Barber
The Role of β-1 Integrins in Endothelial Cell Adhesion, Survival, & Migration
Understanding the characteristics of a vascular bed is pivotal to providing endothelial cells a culture environment that is as close to physiological conditions as possible. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying the interactions of these cells with their environment will help to better recapitulate the process of revascularization in vitro. Integrins are essential for vascular morphogenesis as they regulate lumen formation, a fundamental step in the formation of functional neovessels. Our proposed research will explore gene expression patterns of endothelial cells grown in different matrix materials using RNA microarray analysis. We will collect RNA from wild-type and β1 integrin knock-out cells growing on artificial surfaces to compare genetic programs regulated by β1 integrin engagement of the extracellular matrix. From an analysis of these patterns, we will better understand and therefore be able to promote endothelial cell adhesion and migration through integrins; thus becoming capable of discerning the most effective biomimetic environment.
Student(s):
Hay-Mun Win

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Myungsook Klassen
Blackjack Android Mobile Application Development
With the developing technologies, smart phones are becoming one of the necessary tools in daily life. As the smart phone market has been broadly established around the world, many categorized apps are developed to fulfill those customers of smart phones. These apps are designed for education, entertainment, social networking, utilities, productivity, business, and games. Among them, game apps are the most developing market for the smart phones. The purpose of this project is to develop an application for a blackjack game for Android smart phones and tablets. This app wlould allow a player to play against a dealer. I will use Eclipse Android environment to develop the application and use Android emulator to test the developed program during the process. After it has been fully developed, the app could be uploaded to an Android phone or tablet to run.
Student(s):
Michael Zavala
and Student Support Services

Faculty Mentor:
Dr. Myungsook Klassen
Student Support Services Android Application
I am developing an Android App. (application) for the office Student Support Services. Being a member of S.S.S. for my entire undergraduate time here at C.L.U. I found myself wanting to give back to this amazing program. In order to redeem the benefits of this organization, students must complete 2 workshops and schedule a meeting with their academic counselor. My app will remind students of workshops available on a weekly basis as well as remind them to schedule their academic meeting. This 'reminder' app will eliminate the need for a paper flyer that the S.S.S. office currently uses and allows students to be reminded by their smart phone.
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