Post on 30-Aug-2020
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Increasing Robustness in the Bio-Networking
Architecture: A Distributed Approach
Vishakh
Mentors: Tadashi Nakano & Tatsuya Suda
The Bio-networking architecture, which uses
biologically-inspired methods for developing scalable
and adaptive network applications, is being developed
under Dr. Tatsuya Suda at UCI. Inspiration is drawn in
particular from large-scale systems, such as ant and wasp
colonies. Mobile agents, called Cyber-Entities (CEs),
form the architecture and provide services to users in
return for “energy.” One of the issues under
investigation is how to make the architecture more
robust and adaptive. I have developed a model derived
from market economies to constantly propagate
information about population and energy-supply
distributions among CEs, called Price Propagation, to
ensure that more efficient reproductive and migratory
behaviors emerge. CEs continually inform each other
about prevailing conditions in their region. Using this
information, they get a sense of energy supply and
demand trends over the platform and base their
reproductive and migratory decisions on it. This is
similar to how prices are used as indicators of supply and
demand in market economies. A detailed simulation of
Price Propagation has been conducted, with encouraging
results. In all, it is hoped that when these ideas are
adapted fully into the development of the Bio-
networking architecture, we will observe near best-case
performance by the CEs.
Generation of a Recombinant Virus with Delayed
Expression of an Immediate-Early Gene (ICP27) to
Study the Effect on the Levels of Transcription
Kryssia Aguiluz
Mentor: Edward Wagner
Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a human
pathogen that causes recurrent facial lesions. HSV-1 is
an alpha-herpes virus. The viral genes expressed first
during kinetic sequence of gene expression during the
productive infection cycle of HSV-1 are the regulatory
genes. These are called immediate-early genes and are
essential for the expression of the other genes.
Following this, the early genes are expressed. These
genes are necessary for viral DNA replication. Finally,
the late genes, which are structural genes, are expressed.
ICP27 is one of the immediate-early genes. It is essential
for normal DNA replication and has several functions in
the processes of RNA transport, splicing, and DNA
binding. Previous work has shown that altering the
kinetics of expression of the ICP27 gene from
immediate-early to early has little effect on the global
expression of the HSV messages. I am constructing an
additional mutant in which the ICP27 promoter is
replaced with a weak late promoter, the UL 38. This will
provide information on expression where initial levels of
ICP27 are lower and much later than normal.
Development of an Efficient Variable Optical
Attenuator (VOA) Using a Single-Mode Fiber with
Reduced Acoustic Reflection
Mona Ahooie
Mentor: Henry Lee
There is a growing need for a fast tuning Variable
Optical Attenuator (VOA) in a dynamic optical network
with applications in optical blocking and gain
equalization. Currently, VOAs are realized in
microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and silicon-
on-insulator (SOI) waveguide. The fast-tuning VOA
described in this work is based on a broadband all-fiber
acoustic optical tunable filter (AOTF), which has near-
zero insertion loss and is free of optical alignment. The
operation of a single-mode fiber (SMF) AOTF is
characterized by the coupling between the core and
cladding modes. By reducing the cladding diameter of
the fiber to ~21um through chemical etching in a HF
acid solution, and by incorporating a tapered region
between the etched and unetched sections of the fiber to
reduce the acoustic reflection, both ultra-broadband and
large attenuation is achieved, enabling the best
attenuation of ~65 dB compared to previous results of
~18 dB. Cooking oil and soldering oil coatings were also
found to reduce acoustic reflection in the fiber but with
an increase of noise due to its non-uniformity. These
results indicate the dependency of acoustic reflection on
fiber cladding diameter and uniform material coating. The
experimental results show that a VOA based on
acousto-optic coupling on a cladding etched SM fiber
can be achieved by optimizing these parameters.
RASTER: Real-time Adaptive Simplification and
Rendering of Terrain
Mohanned Alhazzazi
Mentor: Renato Pajarola
Efficient interactive 3-D visualization of large digital
elevation models (DEM) with high-resolution satellite image
textures is important in a number of application domains
such as scientific visualization, GIS, flight simulation or
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even interactive 3-D games. The large number of
vertices that define the triangulated terrain surface
require efficient decimation techniques to reduce the
computational load when rendering such large data sets.
In this project, we developed a client-server based
terrain visualization system that uses per-vertex
geometric level-of-detail (LOD) selection and per-
triangle LOD color-texture selection on the client side.
A vertex manager handles requests from the terrain-
decimator process and manages allocation of incoming
vertices form the server into a number of vertex bins.
The vertex bins are used to cache a subset of the entire
DEM stored on the server machine and reduces the
storage to only the vertices required to visualize a certain
region of the terrain. A texture manager selects an
appropriate image resolution for sets of triangles
received from the terrain-decimator process and binds
an appropriate image from the texture pyramid to each
set of triangles. The combination of geometric and
color-texture LOD supports high quality terrain
visualization at highly reduced data complexity, only
requiring a fraction of the full-resolution geometry and
texture detail.
Computing Cancer Growth Parameters
Fatima Alim
Mentor: Vittorio Cristini
The necrotic core, a mass of dead cells, is the majority of
a tumor’s mass. The growth of a tumor is dependent on
pressure, the rate of diffusion of nutrients, and growth
factors. In order to study tumor growth instability, we
took human glioblastoma cells grown in different
concentrations of fetal bovine serum (FBS)(1%, 5%,
10%) varied with different glucose concentrations (High
4.5 g/l, Medium 2.75 g/l, Low 1 g/l) to produce nine
tumors grown in altered nutritional conditions. These
tumors were then sliced to an approximate 6 micrometer
thickness and mounted on slides. The tumor slides were
marked and stained using different assays in order for
three main features of the tumor to be observed: (1) the
number of apoptotic cells, (2) the number of mitotic
cells, and (3) the thickness of the viable rim. It is
observed that the mitotic cells are mainly the viable rim
of living cells of the tumor and the mitotic index is
highest in 10% FBS and high glucose concentration and
lowest in 1% FBS and low glucose concentration. The
trend in apoptotic index however, is not as definitive
under the different serum and glucose concentrations.
The viable rim was thicker in 10% FBS and high glucose
concentration and interestingly, we saw that “budding”
of the tumor occurred from the projection of the viable
rim only, which was more active in the high nutrient and
energy conditions. These results define growth
instabilities of tumors and how these affect the tumor’s
growth and invasiveness.
New York, New York: A look at the New York
Satellite Program
Jenny Alvarez
Mentor: Myrona Delaney
Young actors in Southern California have all the wish
fulfillment and bright shiny lights of Hollywood on
which to pin their dreams. When the drama students at
UCI want to experience professional live theatre,
though, their options are limited to the Pantages, the
Ahmanson and a few others. The New York Satellite
Program allows theater-focused students an opportunity
to spend a month in the home of live theater,
Manhattan. Living only a few blocks away from the
Great White Way, students have the privilege of taking
dance, acting and singing classes from working
professionals. These experiences will propel students
through their future careers and the relationships they
form with teachers and fellow students will help them
throughout their lives, even as career choices change.
For one month, students have the chance to leave the
relaxed pace of Southern California and experience the
quick steps of New York life. The mere opportunity to
have Broadway at their disposal is enough incentive for
the trip. This project uses interviews and video
documentation to bring a bit of the New York
experience back to Southern California so that future
participants can better prepare for the program and
students can reap the full benefits of this singular
program.
The Impact of the Iranian American Community
Upon U.S. Foreign Policy After the September 11th
Attacks
Cyrus Ameri
Mentor: Mark Petracca
As a direct result of the regime change, which took place
during the Iranian Revolution, members of the Iranian
upper class immigrated in droves to the United States
during the early 1980s. Over the course of the past two
decades, Iranian immigrants have maintained a strong
sense of cultural identity, while experiencing tremendous
economic success. However, given its considerable
resources, it remains surprising that the community has
yet to engage in any significant form of political
mobilization. As a result, while numerous ethnic
communities have established formidable lobbying
mechanisms on Capitol Hill, the Iranian-American
community has yet to make any significant impact upon
U.S. foreign policy. The Iranian-American community's
failure to engage in effective political mobilization can be
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attributed to a variety of factors ranging from struggles
in regards to cultural assimilation to the class-based
conflicts which led to the advent of the Iranian
Revolution. Ultimately, the lack of common political
goals can partially help to explain the inability of the
Iranian-American community to establish the
mechanisms required to bring about change in U.S.
foreign policy.
Childhood Abuse and Avoidance Motivation in
Adulthood
Elizabeth Anderson
Mentors: Michael Poulin & Roxane Silver
Avoidance motivation, defined as a pattern of goal
setting geared towards avoiding undesirable outcomes, is
associated with negative aspects of mental health, such
as negative emotionality and neuroticism (Elliot &
Sheldon, 1998; Elliot & Thrash, 2002). Theorists have
posited that avoidance motivation is largely biologically
determined (Elliot & Thrash, 2002). However, to our
knowledge, no research has sought to disentangle the
role of biology from the role of significant life events
early in life. It is possible that childhood experiences
such as abuse or neglect, which also have negative
mental health implications (e.g., Gibb, Butler & Beck,
2003), may lead to increased avoidance motivation
across the life span. The objective of this study was to
examine the association between negative experiences in
childhood and avoidance motivation in adulthood. A
nationally representative sample of 1107 adults
completed a web-based survey on which respondents
were asked questions about the traumatic events they
experienced during their lifetimes, as well as open-ended
questions about their goals for the future. Results
revealed a significant positive correlation between
retrospective reports of childhood abuse/neglect and
avoidance-related goals. Negative early life experiences
may be a non-biological factor in the development of
avoidance motivation.
Synthesis of Terpenoid Estrogen Precursors
Christian Anguiano
Mentors: Birte Feld & Gregory Weiss
Current treatments for the prevention of breast cancer
are associated with undesirable side affects. For example,
estrogen from hormone replacement therapy can bind
estrogen receptors, potentially inducing cancer. The goal
of this project is the synthesis of structural derivatives of
estradiol for improved cancer prevention. Through
synthetic chemistry, we are synthesizing an aromatic
substrate molecule with a phenoxy ring and a
sesquiterpene chain, which can be fed to a library of
terpene cyclases for enzymatic cyclization. The result
would be a library of structures similar to estradiol, but
with modifications potentially improving estrogen
receptor selectivity. Potentially, an analog could bind to
one estrogen receptor, but not other isoforms. The
synthesis of two different estrogen precursor types will
be shown.
Modifications to Reduce Conformation Variation
for Structural Studies: The Truncated Forms of
hsp70 Class Molecular Chaperone HscA From
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Phillip Aoto
Mentor: Larry Vickery
HscA, a 66-kDa molecular chaperone that participates in
iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis, contains a regulatory
ATPase domain and a substrate-binding domain (SBD).
Recently, our laboratory determined the structure of
HscA(SBD) using X-ray diffraction. However, attempts
to determine the structure of the ATPase domain as well
as full-length HscA have failed, possibly due to
conformational variation in the protein. Comparison of
the amino acid sequence of HscA to other hsp70s
reveals an N-terminal extension, and we hypothesized
that these residues may be a source of variation. We
sought to 1) design, express, and purify truncated forms
of HscA, 2) use ATPase assays to determine if
functionality was conserved, and 3) crystallize truncated
forms for structural studies. The N-terminal truncation
resulted in ineffective protein expression, but by altering
the sequence downstream of the start-codon into a
translation enhancer via silent base mutations expression
of the truncated HscA has been successful. The
modified HscA has slightly reduced (1.5-fold) enzymatic
activity but otherwise behaves identically to wild-type,
suggesting that conformational integrity has been
conserved. In addition, preliminary solution NMR
studies suggest the N-terminally truncated HscA is
folded. Efforts to crystallize the truncated protein and
further NMR studies are underway. Additional
truncations to this modified HscA are in progress to
further reduce conformation variability.
Determination of the Effects on Metal Corrosion by
Extracellular Polymeric Substances Produced by
Biofilm-Forming Protective Bacteria
Francisco Arceo
Mentor: Peggy Arps
The biofilms of certain gram-positive aerobic bacterial
strains formed on metal surfaces have demonstrated an
ability to inhibit corrosion in laboratory and field
monitoring experiments. Extracellular polymeric
substances (EPS) produced by these bacteria play an
important role in biofilm formation and may also be
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involved in corrosion protection. However, their role in
corrosion has not been well studied to date. This study
was focused on the corrosion inhibiting properties of
EPS produced by corrosion protecting bacteria. Two
types of EPS (bound and soluble) were extracted from
two different strains of bacteria, each grown in liquid
culture. They were then studied for their effect on the
corrosion of brass, mild steel and stainless steel
specimens using electrochemical corrosion monitoring
techniques. Results showed that soluble EPS from both
strains reduced the open circuit potential of mild steel
and brass and their corrosion rates were lowered
compared to the LB medium and NaCl control
solutions. However, the stainless steel was either
protected or corroded, depending on the strain of
soluble EPS. Bound EPS was extracted from each strain
and then re-dissolved in a phosphate buffer solution for
the corrosion studies. Results showed that both bound
EPS solutions provide no protection to mild steel. In
contrast the corrosion of brass and stainless steel
samples was decreased in their presence. Surface analysis
of the metal samples by scanning electron microscopy
(SEM) gave the same results as the electrochemical
corrosion measurements.
Memories of War and Their Implication in “Old
Europe”
Apollon Argeris
Mentor: Sarah Farmer
The war in Iraq has generated international opposition,
in particular from the nations of so-called “Old
Europe.” Two nations, France and Germany, have
articulated strong opposition to intervention in Iraq.
This opposition is based upon historical experience with
the acquisition, maintenance and ultimate loss of
empires by both nations. France and Germany
discovered that maintaining imperial systems was
corrupting to their societal fabrics and created gaps
within the republican system of government that
shattered Germany apart and overthrew the French
Fourth Republic. The imperial project demands control
over peoples who have no interest in being dominated
by a superpower. The author maintains that the open
creation and maintenance of an American Empire, in the
form articulated by neoconservatives, is detrimental to
the people of the U.S. In researching the themes of this
topic, the creator of this work understood that an empire
always mandates a “civilizing” mission that is regarded
by the conquered party as always inimical to its own
interests, and therefore invariably creates opposition to
the administrators of an imperial system. A documentary
in DVD format will be created of still photographs,
voice-overs and interviews with UCI professors that
relate upon the themes of this documentary and will be
approximately 30 min in length.
Viscoelastic Response of a Two-Dimensional Bead
Raft
Alex Arjad
Mentor: Michael Dennin
A system consisting of plastic beads floating on the
surface of a fluid may be described as viscoelastic,
meaning that its response to a driving force is neither
fully characterized by an elastic response (i.e., Hooke's
law) or by a viscous response (i.e., a retarding force
proportional to the velocity of the particles.) The
purpose of this experiment is to measure to what extent
the system described above behaves like a solid, and to
what extent it behaves like a fluid. The experimental
setup consists of a circular trough filled with water, upon
which plastic beads float. Then, a torsional pendulum is
placed in the bead raft and driven with a force that has
sinusoidal time dependence. From the resulting
response, the viscous and elastic responses can be
determined. In addition, the “packing fraction” (i.e., the
fraction of the space in the trough that the beads actually
take up) of the system was changed by constricting the
outer barrier of the trough. The response was then
measured for several different packing fractions.
Through this experiment, we hope to gain a better
understanding of viscoelastic materials and their
behavior.
A Novel Approach: Pauline E. Hopkins--The
Emergence of The New Woman of Color in the
Late Nineteenth Century
Carole Autori
Mentor: Alice Fahs
The life and works of Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins, one of
the most productive black woman writers at the turn of
the last century, are examined for evidence of her role in
influencing African American women to emerge from
the Victorian “cult of domesticity” and to enter the
modern era as a New Woman of Color. Hopkins’s life
was a testament to her belief in the benefits modernity
offered women. Yet twentieth-century critics have
chastised her seeming acceptance of the “cult of true
womanhood,” charging that she “undermined” her
characters “even as she elevated them.” This paper re-
examines Hopkins’s work within the framework of the
nineteenth century, rather than the twentieth, and finds
she employs her fictional characters, particularly in
Contending Forces, to address two distinct groups of
African American woman. The first group was
descended from free Northern blacks; and, the second,
the freed slaves who migrated from the south. Her
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fictional characters both validate the lives of southern
women as they were integrated into a free society as well
as pattern the more immediate role of the New Woman
Hopkins envisions for middle- and upper-class Northern
women at the start of the twentieth century.
Neural Network for Spatiotemporal Filtering in
Binaural Sound Localization
Ahmed Azam
Mentor: Michael D’Zmura
Natural sonic environments present multiple, spatially-
extended sources of sound replete with reverberation.
Examples include the rustling of leaves caused by wind,
the sounds of passing traffic, and clusters of
conversation at a cocktail party. Extensive research on
sound localization has resulted in both sophisticated
models based on binaural signals and technologies for
reproducing complex sonic environments. I have learned
that many localization models take use of time-lagged
cross-correlation of the two ears’ signals to determine
the azimuthal location of a sound source. With this
procedure, a system can use interaural time delays, an
appreciable cue to source direction for frequencies at
and below about 1 KHz to estimate source azimuth. The
difference in intensity levels of the two ears’ signal
caused by the shadowing of the head, is captured by a
further stage of processing, potentially involved lateral
inhibition. This low-level processing of interaural time
and intensity differences is believed to be applied to
signal components that lie in single frequency bands.
Assessing Potential for Assortative Mating in
Plants: Do Early Bloomers Mate with Early
Bloomers?
Suzanne Badieozzaman
Mentor: Arthur Weis
The purpose of this experiment was to test whether or
not the fundamental condition of assortative mating by
flowering time exists outside a greenhouse environment
in a natural population. It was hypothesized that early-
flowering fathers should predominately mate with early-
flowering mothers, and similarly for late mothers and
fathers. Genetic variation in flowering time should lead
to a shift in the genetic composition of the mating pool
over the course of the season. I also applied the notion
of “gene trap” in an experiment to determine the genetic
composition of the pollen pool over time in a wild
population of Brassica rapa. I used rapid cycling Brassica
rapa�with the yellow leaf (yl) mutation as the "trap plants".Trap plants were placed around the wild populations atregular intervals. Since the maternal genotype of themothers (rapid-cycling B. rapa ) was the same duringeach interval, differences in offspring phenotype would
be due to genetic differences among the fathers makingpollen during each interval. Thus, by looking at theflowering time of the offspring produced during eachinterval, the flowering time of their fathers could beinferred. Offspring fathered by other "trap plants" couldbe eliminated from the analysis based on their yellowleaf phenotype. Preliminary results did not support theidea that early fathers sired earlier offspring, and latefathers sired late offspring (p=0.18) due to the smallsample size, thus these negative results on geneticvariation for flowering time are inconclusive. Contrary toexpectations, the offspring sired early in the seasonflowered later than those sired late in the season(p=0.006); this backward effect could be due to anunusual genetic interaction between the rapid cyclingstrain flowering time genes and those of the wildpopulation.
Strain-Sensitive Array for the Study of Bone Surface
Mechanics
Vasudev BaileyMentor: William Tang
We present results towards the development of animplantable strain gauge array for monitoring strain onsurfaces of bones with high resolution. The mechanicalcharacteristics of thin film metal strain gauges embeddedin a flexible substrate made from poly-dimethyl-siloxane(PDMS) under various loading conditions have beensimulated using ANSYS® finite element analysis tool.Various gauge designs were subjected to stresses fromseveral different directions. Linear relationships betweenfractional change of resistance and nominal resistancewere found for both tensile and compressive stressapplied on the gauges. The simulation indicated thatexternal stresses are effectively transmitted through thePDMS and into the thin-film metal device. Fabricationof the device has begun. Microfabrication masks weredrawn using Macromedia Freehand 10.0 and designswere implemented on flexible transparency films.Approximately 50 nm of gold were sputtered betweentwo 100 um thick layers of PDMS. Electricalconductance was measured. Adhesion tests were alsocarried out to determine which material worked best foradhesion of the flexible gauge to bone. Severalbiocompatible adhesives were tested. Silicone rubbersealant proved to be an effective glue. The device wasattached to the high density rigid Polyurethane Foamusing a uniform layer of silicone gel and was subjected totensile forces. The membrane was subjected to loads upto 90g after which it caused failure, which correspondsto 66.7% strain. Further testing is being done tooptimize the fabrication and to further characterize themechanical properties of the gauge.
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Metaphorical Constructs of Computational
Problems
Courtney BairdMentor: Paul Dourish
Throughout history, philosophers, linguists, andcognitive scientists have argued over how human beingsthink. Linguist George Lakoff and philosopher MarkJohnson claim that the human conceptual system, thesystem by which humans both think and act, “isfundamentally metaphorical in nature.” I interviewed 23students to gain insight on how human beings thinkabout computer science and computational problems.Classes, objects, and reference variables are the buildingblocks to Java. My data demonstrated that beginning ICSstudents often conceptualize objects, classes, andreference variables in a manner that is contradictory tothese building blocks’ functions. ICS students mustknow how to group and sort data efficiently andeffectively. My data indicated that both ICS students andnon-ICS students conceptualize grouping schemes in avariety of different manners--manners that computerscience textbooks usually do not deal with. My data alsoindicated how students conceptualize computationalproblems before they begin solving them.
Gender Differences in Engineering and the Physical
Sciences: Factors Influencing Women
Undergraduates to Switch Into Majors Outside of
Their Departments
Dale Balilo
Mentor: Lisa Torres
Despite women’s entrance into many non-traditional,
male dominated occupations, women continue to be
underrepresented in both the technical and scientific
fields. The number of women with baccalaureate degrees
in engineering for example, continues to be a fraction of
the total degrees earned. Among the various and
competing explanations for this disparity is the notion
that particular fields of knowledge are considered by
undergraduate students to be “gendered.” That is,
undergraduates perceive that some college majors
require personal characteristics or skills that are
“naturally” suited to women (empathy in the social
sciences, for example) and men (analytic ability in
engineering). Students perceive and react to subtle social
cues as to what majors are gender-appropriate through
interaction with peers, family, and educators. At the high
school level, research has shown that socialization by
educators influences the performance and decisions of
males and females entering the science fields. While
studies tend to focus on women’s career decisions prior
to entering college, this study explores the factors
prompting women who declared a major in engineering
or mathematics, but later switched to a non-
science/technical one (approximately during their junior
year). This population provides unique insights into the
factors affecting women’s career decisions post-high
school, but prior to the baccalaureate. “Switchers” are
women undergraduates who initially were committed
ideologically and academically to a non-traditional major
(and presumably a non-traditional career) but for
unknown reasons did not complete the degree. Using
methods of in-depth interviewing and field observation,
I focus on the influence of college educators, peer
groups, individual meanings, and parental influences on
both women and men who have switched majors.
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Gregoria Barazandeh
Mentor: Caesar Sereseres
Significant factors that can enhance academic success
among students with disabilities include appropriate and
reasonable accommodations and ongoing
communication between students and faculty. The more
informed students and faculty are about student
disabilities; the more likely these students will achieve
their educational potential. In investigating this subject,
informal meetings and discussions were conducted with
students with disabilities and faculty to identity their
knowledge about disabilities and level of communication
and interaction with each other. They were also asked
for suggestions. Information was also gathered from
published medical literature and data on physical,
learning and psychological disabilities and academic
accommodations for them, identified by the Disability
Services Center (DSC) as the most common at UCI.
Contact with various disability-related organizations,
agencies, and individuals provided further data
supporting the development of a handbook for use by
students with disabilities, faculty, and administrative
staff. An outline of the handbook’s content and
structure was also developed. The Disability Fact Sheet
Handbook was then created using the collated data. Once
the handbook was complete, a workshop was held to
outline its use to DSC staff and Peer Educators at UCI.
With the generosity of the Donald A. Strauss Public
Service Scholarship Foundation, the Undergraduate
Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and the
Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) at
UCI, this project was expanded by revising the
handbook to meet the needs of other UC campuses. The
handbook’s aim is to increase understanding, reduce
misconceptions by students and faculty, and provide the
campus with information that can modify behavior
positively and create a stronger, more sensitive learning
environment conducive to assisting students with
disabilities even further.
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Protecting the Earth from Asteroids: Planetary
Defense by Airborne Laser Beams
Nella Barrera
Mentor: Haris Catrakis
This project will explore techniques to defend the earth
from the natural threat of space objects, such as
asteroids, that could collide with Earth from outer space.
It will also explore the feasibility of using aircraft
equipped with laser systems to defend against incoming
asteroids. The idea is to launch a laser beam from an
aircraft targeting the asteroid in order to eliminate it or
deflect it enough so that the collision with the earth is
avoided. The research will first focus on evaluating the
accuracy of a laser beam launched from feasible aircraft.
To target an incoming asteroid located in space, a very
high accuracy of the laser beam direction is needed
because the asteroid is at large distances from the Earth
and is moving very fast. This required accuracy will be
evaluated and compared to the accuracy of an airborne
laser. Because aircraft generate air turbulence as they fly,
any airborne laser beam has to be propagated through
aircraft-generated turbulence and this affects the
pointing accuracy of the laser beam. These fluid-optical
interactions, or aerooptical interactions, reduce the
accuracy with which the laser beam can be directed.
Because the aerooptical distortions associated with
aircraft-launched laser beams are relatively large, the
airborne-laser accuracy will likely be much lower than
the required accuracy. In order to improve the airborne-
laser accuracy, it will be necessary to reduce the
aerooptical distortions and this will involve the
evaluation of turbulent-flow control techniques and
adaptive laser-beam control methods. This research,
therefore, will be able to determine what is
technologically necessary and practically feasible to
improve the airborne laser capability for a successful
interception of the asteroid by the laser beam.
Role of Fc Gamma Receptor Polymorphisms in
HIV
Anne Basa
Mentor: Donald Forthal
Fc gamma receptors are transmembrane proteins which
are capable of binding the Fc portion of IgG. These
receptors are found in a subset of leukocytes and their
binding results in cell-specific responses, among them
the release of chemokines. These molecules have
important roles in the immune response. MIP-1α, MIP-
1β and RANTES have been shown to inhibit HIV
infection by blocking the binding of the virus to the
chemokine receptor CCR5 on CD4+ cells. In cells, such
as natural killer cells (NK), engagement of the Fc gamma
receptor by immune complexes (IC) stimulates the
release of chemokines. It has been recently reported that
specific polymorphisms in Fc gamma receptors result in
different binding affinity for antibodies. These
observations have prompted us to investigate the role of
Fc gamma receptor polymorphism in the immune
response. NK cells isolated from healthy donors were
cultured in the presence of different concentrations of
immobilized IgG to stimulate chemokine release.
Samples of cell culture supernatants were assayed by
quantitative ELISA for three beta chemokines: MIP-1α,MIP-1β, and RANTES. Our preliminary data indicates a
consistent release of MIP-1α (1200 pg/ml out of 1X105
cells with 2.5 mg/ml of immobilized IVIG), and MIP-1β(3000 pg/ml). No release of RANTES has been
observed. We are currently establishing whether there is
a correlation between the Fc gamma receptor genotype
and the amount of chemokines released from NK cells.
Rice Paddy Methane Production and Oxidation in a
California Paddy Field Deduced from Carbon
Isotopic Measurements
Kathryn Bearden
Mentor: Stanley Tyler
Knowledge of rice agriculture and its methane emissions
is important to better understand and possibly control a
radioative trace gas that effects our global climate. In
order to manage methane production in irrigated rice
paddies both methane production, oxidation pathways,
the relationship between growing practices, and methane
emissions must be better understood. Last year my
research addressed the question of how rice straw
fertilizer affects rice paddy methane production (and
ultimately emissions) from two field treatments: one in
which a field had the after-harvest rice straw from the
previous fall plowed back into the field, and one in
which the previous year's rice straw had been burned
and removed the previous fall. This year, two more field
treatments were contrasted: one in which a paddy field
was flooded the previous winter and one in which had
no winter flooding. The objective of this research is to
address the question of how winter flooding and rice
straw fertilizer affect rice paddy field methane emissions.
This study is part of the first determination of pathways
of methane production and oxidation in rice paddies
using isotopic measurements of field parameters and
isotopic fractionation factors that incorporate bacteria
and internal plant gas from the very field being studied.
Adding data from the alternate paddy field conditions
will complete this study and give a more accurate
determination of methane emissions in rice paddies.
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Improving College Going Rates in the Coachella
Valley
Priscilla Beas
Mentor: Rudolph Torres
The proposed study will examine college-going rates in
predominately Latino high schools in the Eastern
Coachella Valley area of California. The four-year college
going rates in the area, relative to state standards, are
low. I hypothesized that the college going rates remain
low due to the lack of exposure (i.e. outreach programs,
common culture) to the topic of higher education. I
went about my project by first testing my hypothesis
through survey data analysis and qualitative interview
analysis. The purpose of my study was to discover why
the college going rates are so low and to find ways to
increase the college going rates in this community.
Through my work I learned that my hypothesis held
true; students who participate in outreach programs and
are exposed to the topic of college, generally pursue
higher education. Those who don’t participate in
outreach programs and aren’t exposed to the topic of
college, generally don’t pursue higher education. I think
my work is important because I believe higher education
is a vital factor in attaining a comfortable life (i.e.
financial stability, satisfying career), and through results
of my work I will propose policies that will help increase
the rate of college bound students in this community. I
conclude that in order to increase the college going rate
in this community, middle and high school students
should be required to participate in an outreach program
and the topic of college should be emphasized on a daily
basis at school and in the home.
ATM (Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated) Has a Role
in Mitochondrial Pathway of Apoptosis
Andrew Behesnilian
Mentor: Leman Yel
Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) is a genetic disorder
characterized by immunodeficiency, ataxia and
telangiectasia. ATM (Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated) is
the defective gene in A-T, which shows an altered
programmed cell death (apoptosis). The function of
ATM in apoptosis is not clarified. Since DNA damage
activates the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, and
since A-T cells have defects in DNA damage repair, we
hypothesize that ATM has a role in the mitochondrial
pathway of apoptosis. We examined cell viability and
apoptosis induced by etoposide, an agent that causes
DNA damage, in fibroblast cell lines from two patients
with A-T and one control subject. Cells treated with
etoposide 50 uM were studied for cell viability using an
MTT assay. At 24 hr of etoposide treatment, A-T cells
showed higher cell viability (99% and 84%) compared to
the control (81% and 79%), which was due to decreased
apoptosis demonstrated by Hoechst staining. In A-T
cells, mitochondrial membrane potential (∆ϕ) assessedby JC-1 staining was less than in control cells.
Cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF)
release was determined by immunohistochemistry using
fluorescence imaging. At 24 hr of etoposide induction,
65% of A-T cells released cytochrome c from
mitochondria to the cytosol compared to the 90% of the
control cells. AIF was released in 85% of A-T cells and
95% of control cells. These results show that etoposide
induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway in
A-T and suggest that ATM renders cells with apoptotic
susceptibility through the mitochondrial pathway.
Examining the Impact of President Carlos Salinas
de Gortari’s Reforms on Mexicali, Mexico
Carolina Beltran
Mentors: Vicki Ruiz & Caesar Sereseres
In the past ten years, Mexico has experienced many
social and economic changes. Following the reforms of
President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, most notably the
NAFTA agreement, the different regions of Mexico
experienced changes in varying ways. The residents of
the Mexican border town of Mexicali, have witnessed
firsthand the economic opportunities and restrictions of
free trade with the United States. Some studies on the
impact of Salinas’ term as president and NAFTA have
concluded that although the interior region of the
country suffered a decrease in their living standards, the
northern border region experienced prosperity. These
studies tend to focus on economic indexes such as:
production, investment and growth. In contrast this
research has aimed at gaining a ‘human’ perspective on
the changes that have occurred in Mexicali, which has
shifted from an agricultural base to a foreign-owned
maquila industry. In order to obtain this perspective from
the citizens of Mexicali, oral histories have been
recorded that have indeed demonstrated that despite
economic liberalization and the underlying global trend,
reforms have been perceived as having limited success, if
any, and that Mexicali residents are very aware of the
obstacles that impede not only the development and
growth of their city, but those that impede Mexico’s
advancement as an equal of the United States and other
developed countries.
The Happiest Place on Earth? False Childhood
Memories at Disneyland and Their Consequences
Shari Berkowitz
Mentor: Elizabeth Loftus
Over the last several decades, researchers have
successfully planted false beliefs and memories into the
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minds of people. One question that naturally arises from
this work is whether false memories have long-term
effects. Do false memories affect later thoughts or
behaviors? Do they have repercussions? To address this
question, in the current research, some participants
received information designed to make them believe that
they had a negative experience with a Pluto character at
Disneyland, namely that they had their ear licked in an
uncomfortable and inappropriate manner (Bad Pluto).
Other participants received information designed to
make them believe that they had a positive experience
with Pluto, namely that they had their ear licked in a
happy and playful manner (Good Pluto). Relative to
controls, both groups became more confident that they
had their ear licked by Pluto when visiting Disneyland as
a child. To determine whether there were consequences
of such false beliefs, participants were later asked how
much they were willing to pay for a Pluto stuffed animal.
Those who fell sway to the Bad Pluto suggestion wanted
to pay less for the stuffed animal. Those who fell sway to
the Good Pluto suggestion wanted to pay slightly, but
not significantly more. The results indicate that it is
possible to create both negative and positive false
childhood memories at Disneyland and those false
memories can sometimes have consequences for
participants. Additionally, these results have theoretical
implications for memory distortion research, and
practical implications for the legal system.
Black Identity in a Non-Western Society: An
Investigation of African Self-Consciousness in
Belizean College Students
Doriane Besson
Mentors: Jeanett Castellanos & Thomas Parham
Investigation into the development of racial identity for
Blacks has traditionally focused on the ways in which
Blacks obtain and sustain a connectedness to their
heritage and develop a positive sense of self, in relation
to the realities of residing in a discriminatory and racist
society. Most examinations of Black identity reflect the
development and experiences of Blacks in western
societies where Blacks are the minority and the
dominant culture is White or Eurocentric. This current
study is a continuation of a previous study, which
investigated the Black identity of Belizean college
students in Central America. The previous study
examined the racial identity of Blacks in Belize in order
to investigate how Black identity is reflected in a post-
colonial society in which Blacks are representative of the
dominant culture. In order to further examine Belizean
racial identity, a comparative sample of African
Americans was obtained to compare and contrast
identity formation. The African Self-Consciousness Scale
was administered to both 180 students attending the
University of Belize and 100 students attending UCI and
California State University, Long Beach. It was
hypothesized that there would be a moderate level of
African Self-Consciousness for Belizean students, a
higher level of consciousness for African American
students, and that demographic variables such as
socioeconomic status, political affiliation, and district of
origin would influence their consciousness.
Foreign Policy Attitudes of the Iranian-American
Diaspora
Brian Bezner
Mentor: Wayne Sandholtz
Under the Shah, Iran became a modernized, westernized
state that allowed men and women to enjoy several
freedoms. After the revolution of 1979 the social and
political structure of Iran changed and caused many
people that had grown up under the Shah to begin
feeling as though they did not belong. As many Iranians
immigrated to the United States and began to assimilate
into the American culture many of them began to form
political views toward their homeland. These political
views were greatly influenced by the western ideals that
they had enjoyed while in Iran and the way that the
American culture viewed politics. The foreign policy
attitudes of the Iranian-American Diaspora began to
differ based on age, gender, income level and religion.
By surveying a large cross section of the Iranian-
American community as well as interviewing key leaders
within the community I was able to collect valuable data
that noted the different foreign policy attitudes, based on
the above criteria, within the Diaspora. This information
will allow us to assist the Iranian-American community
in expressing their foreign policy attitudes so that the
United States will form a foreign policy with Iran that
will produce the best result.
Database of Small Molecules Able to Restore
Function to p53 – Collaborative Cancer Research
Effort to Find New Anti-Cancer Drugs
Vadim Bichutskiy
Mentor: Richard Lathrop
Over the past fifteen years, p53 has emerged as the
central tumor suppressor protein that protects humans
from cancer. It plays nemesis to most cancers by
destroying damaged cells or repairing them. Consistent
with this important role, it is estimated that up to 50%
of human cancers show evidence of having this tumor
suppressor protein inactivated due to p53 gene
mutations. The cancers caused by the p53 gene
mutations are the most difficult to treat with standard
chemotherapy and radiation therapy. We believe that the
p53 gene mutations provide a unique opportunity for a
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new, powerful and targeted therapeutic approach:
directly restoring function to the inactive mutant p53
protein. Small molecules that are able to restore function
to p53 would have an enormous impact on how
successfully cancers with such mutations can be treated.
Such a strategy could be further optimized by combining
these novel compounds with conventional
chemotherapies or radiation therapies. The objective
now is to find small molecules that are able to restore
function to p53 and that can be developed into anti-
cancer drugs. Toward this goal, we are developing a
database that is able to integrate small molecules data,
such as computational docking results and assay results,
from different research laboratories into a common
framework accessible by all involved researchers through
the Internet. Such a database would provide for a more
efficient data sharing, increased productivity, and
improved chances of accomplishing our objective.
Identify the Promoter of Pro-Apoptosis AL Gene
Encoded by Herpes Simplex Virus
Huan Bien
Mentor: Guey-Chuen Perng
Gene expression is strictly regulated to maintain
physiological normality in virus-infected cells. Analysis
of promoter regions within a gene will further advance
knowledge of how genes are expressed. A particular
gene encoded in Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), a
pro-apoptotic gene AL has been cloned and sequenced
but the promoter region has yet to be defined. The goal
of my research is to identify the core promoter element
of AL using transient transfection assays. I have
designed three sets of specific PCR primers for putative
AL promoter region. The amplified PCR fragments have
an overlapped at each end and are 1150, 960, and 500
base pairs (bp), respectively. All of these three PCR
products have MluI and HindIII restriction sites to
facilitate the direction cloning of the fragments into
indicator vector, pGL3. These ligation mixtures were
transformed into E. Coli competent cells, plated onto
ampicillin resistant plates, and incubated overnight. The
obvious colonies were picked and inoculated in LB-
medium with ampicillin to amplify the targeted plasmid
overnight. The plasmid DNA was extracted by using
mini plasmid isolation kit, digested with MluI and
HindIII restriction enzymes followed by agarose
electrophoresis. Thus far in my research experiments, I
have successfully obtained two sets of AL promoter
fragments into the pGL3 plasmid; 960 bp and 500 bp,
respectively. I have continually been cloning last piece of
promoter fragment, 1150 bp. After cloning all sets of
primers into the indicator plasmid, I will perform
transfection assays in tissue culture with several cell lines
to measure the promoter activity by measuring the
Luciferase activity.
Women Image Disorders
Briana Bowie
Mentor: Donald McKayle
Women Image Disorders can be seen from all around,
often hidden but never out-of-site or mind.
Unfortunately for women, the mass media tells women
that their bodies are unacceptable. This voice from the
media isn't only heard, but seen and demonstrated
through imagery. The pressures to be perfect have
increased the popularity of plastic surgery as a fast and
easy way to cut off, stuff in, slim down, and tummy tuck
to an ideal body. So I decided to take my talent of dance
and choreography and create a dance that suggests
looking deeper inside oneself to know that self-
confidence and beauty comes from within. To start my
dance I began to brainstorm ideas that would connect
with the audience visually. I decided that the dancers
would dance with knives in hand to further relate to the
topic of plastic surgery. The dancers’ facial expressions
and bodily gestures expressed sarcasm, hunger, and hate
for their knives. It was also very important to me to get
not only the dancers’ point of view on plastic surgery but
other women as well. I wanted to understand the need
or reasoning for seeking such a drastic procedure. I also
asked these women who their role models were, and
while many named women, far too many had no answer.
What I learned during this process is that many women
say that they would not undergo plastic surgery but that
they do have an image disorder because of the media.
The Graham Technique: From the Studio to the
Stage
Alexandra Bradshaw
Mentor: Lisa Naugle
The Martha Graham technique is widely recognized as a
milestone of modern dance. Founded by a pioneering
American dancer in the mid 1920s, Martha Graham's
innovative movement vocabulary, choreographic
brilliance, and concepts of performance craft have
survived long after her death in 1991. Graham-based
modern dance lives and breathes in the canon of
contemporary dance, continuing to be practiced and
performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South
America. During the summer of 2003, I underwent a
rigorous training program in the Graham technique at
the Ailey School in New York City. This experience not
only enriched my artistic appreciation for “Martha’s
genius,” but improved my technical skills to such a
degree that enabled me to participate in Bonnie Oda
Homsey’s re-staging of Martha Graham’s 1936 dance
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work entitled “Steps in the Street,” part of UCI’s Dance
Visions 2004 winter concert. This presentation
introduced the audience to fundamental concepts of the
Graham technique (use of the “contraction,” the
“spiral,” and initiation of movement from the pelvis)
and investigated how these ideas translate to stage
performance. Dancers on stage will demonstrate several
technique exercises with live accompaniment by
percussionist Erik Leckrone. The live demonstration will
be followed by a video excerpt from UCI’s 2004 re-
construction of “Steps in the Street,” which conveys a
powerful message about the devastation of war through
the dancers’ rigid unison and evocative emotional
delivery.
Explorations in Improvisation: Choice and Chance
Anne Brashier
Mentor: Lisa Naugle
Improvisation is choice making in the moment, a
creative process, and method in live performance.
During the past three years, I researched dance and
drama improvisation as part of my own creative process,
and investigated how performing artists throughout
history have used this approach in building their art
form. The focus of my research explores how several
contemporary artists in the U.S. use improvisation in the
development of choreography, while performers rely on
this skill directly in the moments of performance. In
addition to my review of literature on this topic, I
conducted interviews with arts students and faculty at
UCI. These interviews helped me gain insight into how
and why some performing artists choose to incorporate
improvisation into their work, either in addition to or
instead of using “pre-recorded devices” (for example, set
choreography). The results of my research reveal
common experiences between improvisers in drama,
dance and music: the importance of mutual trust among
“players,” gaining a heightened awareness of space and
time, physical flexibility, and strengthening personal
choice-making skills. In my presentation, I will discuss
the significance of improvisation as a necessary part of
dance making and suggest that this skill is valuable to all
people as a way of adapting to a changing world.
Produced by the Global Economy: Thai and
Filipina Migrant Sex Workers in Japan
Jennifer Brooks
Mentor: James Fujii
Recent patterns of migrant labor to Japan reveal that in
the case of Thai and Filipino workers, women
outnumber their male counterparts. Research has well
documented and described how these women are
trafficked into the entertainment industry in Japan.
However, not much work to date helps explain the
prominence of women from these countries in relation
to the general distribution of migrant labor in Japan. The
goal of this study was to reveal the underlying conditions
that support and maintain the trafficking of foreign
women for the sex industry in Japan, with particular
emphases on Thai and Filipina women. Quantitative
literary research alerts us to structural effects created by
differing national levels of economic development, the
effects of a global economy on local and national
employment, and the intervention of international
institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and the
WTO. The present study will explore the intersection
between nation-specific cultural factors and these
structural determinants as a way to better understand the
phenomenon of transnational migrant labor that has
taken shape under the inchoate forces we call
“globalization.” As the renowned scholar Saskia Sassen
has put it, “migrations do not just happen; they are
produced” (Sassen, 1995).
A Comparison Study of Methyl Halide Emissions
from Genetically Modified and Wild-Type
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Lauren Brothers
Mentor: Ralph Cicerone
Soil salinity is not a new problem; it has plagued
agriculture since its inception. Approximately 20% of the
world’s crop land and almost 50% of irrigated land are
affected by the problems of high salinity. There has been
interest to manipulate the genes in plants that control
the trait(s) of salt tolerance. Some success has been
found by over expressing the vacuolar proton-pumping
pyrophosphatase, AVP1, which makes the plants more
resistant to salt- and drought-stress compared to wild-
type counterparts. Arabidopsis has been shown to emit
methyl halides (MeX, X = Cl-, Br-, I-), when there are
high enough concentrations of the salts in the soil
environment. MeX are very important because in the
stratosphere they are broken apart and the halide radical
can catalytically destroy ozone. This project aims to
determine if the overexpression of the AtNHγ1 gene, inplants that were modified previous by another lab, will
have any effect on the plant’s production of methyl
halides. The ability of the plant to survive in conditions
where more halides are available in the soil, gives a larger
source of halides for the plant to methylate. The results
from this study will give a preliminary estimate of the
difference in production rate of MeX in transgenic
plants. If the production of MeX in the modified plants
is large it could have appreciable effects on the total
MeX atmospheric budget, and could lead to a
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disproportionate sources of MeX that could further
destroy the ozone layer.
Synthesis and Secretion of Recombinant Lignin
Peroxidase in the Yeast 0���� ���� �����
Arwen Brown
Mentor: Nancy DaSilva
Lignin peroxidase (LiP) is an enzyme naturally produced
by the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium capable
of degrading many environmental pollutants. However,
there are difficulties in producing enough active LiP for
use in biodegradation: P. chrysosporium produces it only
under starvation conditions, and Escherichia coli does not
have the necessary secretory pathways to produce active
LiP. The yeast Kluyveromyces lactis is a good candidate as a
recombinant host for LiP because it is easy to grow, it
has a secretory pathway similar to that of P. chrysosporium,
and it can perform similar post-transcriptional and post-
translational modifications. I investigated the effects of
different induction strategies on the production of active
LiP in this recombinant system by growing cultures
under different conditions and measuring the activity
using an ABTS assay. Due to the instability of the
system, higher activities were obtained when induction
occurred late in the exponential phase of growth, since
inducing earlier led to excessive plasmid loss. Induction
level variation confirmed earlier research indicating that
a 5/0.5 ratio of glucose to galactose is best for this
system. Although the standard growth time for the
cultures was 40 hr, the activity at 20 hr was found to be
approximately twice as high even though this allows only
about 4 hr after induction for LiP production. The
steady decrease in activity after 20 hr suggests either loss
of enzyme activity or enzyme degradation, and further
research into the cause of this decrease should make it
possible to significantly increase the system’s ability to
produce active LiP.
Systematic Approach for Correction of Design
Deficiencies in Particle Detection Electronics
Jacqueline Bulaclac
Mentors: John LaRue & Richard Nelson
The Coulter Counter is used to count small biological
particles in solution. The original concept was based on
the increase in the electrical resistance of an orifice as
the presence of a biological particle altered the electrical
conduction path. We have worked to adapt this type of
device to MEMS devices. The detection of a particle is
proportional to resistance change and the amplitude of
the excitation. The Coulter Counter is currently used for
sizing DNA fragments and sorting biological cells or cell
fragments. While the Coulter Counter traditionally
utilizes DC excitation, our research group’s Summer
2003 research extended this by implementing an
amplitude modulation and demodulation approach for
detecting biological particles. The results of the Summer
2003 research identified a number of design problems
that become potentially significant as the channel
dimensions were reduced to the low micron or
submicron range. We propose to find solutions to these
problems to support the next generation of devices to be
fabricated by this research group. The identified
problems are as follows: (1) Parasitic capacitances in the
current source circuit construction and the effects of the
channel’s high resistances, (2) The current demodulation
approach utilizes a four-quadrant multiplier and an
active four pole low pass Butterworth filter whose input
DC level can exceed the allowable input voltage, and (3)
The parasitic capacitances or the frequency-dependent
input impedance of the instrumentation amplifier.
The Debate Over Reparations for Black Slavery
Anwar Burton
Mentor: Katherine Tate
In the U.S. there is increasing support among African
Americans for reparations to descendants of American
slavery. Reparation is formally defined as the act of
making amends, offering expiation, or giving satisfaction
for a wrong or injury. The debate over reparations did
not emerge onto the national scene until the late 1990s.
Moreover, it has since become one of the nation’s most
controversial and hotly debated topics. However, it is
highly unlikely that a settlement granting African-
Americans trillions of dollars will be awarded on the
basis of injury caused by slavery. Why? Throughout
history its opponents have effectively silenced the call
for reparations. This thesis attempts to examine the
reparations movement from both a historical context as
well as a political one. I establish a link between history
and the limited success of the movement and examine
current public opinion regarding reparations. In
addition, I examine the likelihood of the descendants of
Black American slaves receiving reparations.
The Ifugao Bale: Built Form and Belief System
Angie Buyayo
Mentor: Sanjoy Mazumdar
The concept of a house differs across cultures and
societies, from highly urbanized cities to small villages.
This study focuses on the vernacular architecture of the
Ifugaos, an indigenous group in Northern Philippines,
and their cosmological view of built form, specifically
their native house, the “bale.” Past data on the Ifugaos
shows an expansive belief system of animistic gods and
deities, revenge rituals (Barton, 1913), and sorcery and
witchcraft interventions between the human and
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supernatural world (Goda, 2001). The goal of the study
is to examine the relationship between the “bale” and
the Ifugao belief system and worldview. Data was
obtained through interviews with native priests and
fieldwork conducted in the local region. This type of
research supports cultural research regarding Ifugao
traditions while it also provides awareness for
continued research in these aspects of indigenous
culture, including vernacular architecture, space, and
world order.
The Effects of Body Image on Student Performance
Nicole Byrd
Mentor: Janice Plastino
Body image is the perception one has about one’s body.
Issues may arise about body image throughout a lifetime.
Actors, dancers, and athletes use and display their bodies
in an art form or a sport and body image and/or self-
esteem problems can occur. Teachers, coaches,
directors, choreographers and psychologists can have a
better understanding of how to approach students with
body image issues by researching problems and solutions
to help those who use their bodies regularly as a tool or
in a profession. My sampling included 138 female actors,
dancers, athletes and normals (control group), ages 18–
38 at UCI. They took a validated survey called the
Multidimensional Body Self-Relations Questionnaire
(MBSRQ, Cash 1992). According to the current study,
body image issues seem to be on the decline since similar
studies were conducted in the 1980s. This new study
showed some issues currently exist among the normals
and the actors. Some responses in this new study found
different conclusions among ethnic groups than those in
studies conducted in the 1980s. The purpose of this
research was to prove that body image affects students’
performance in school. Some correlations were found in
this study. Follow up interviews with the participants
and supplemental surveys may have produced a better
picture of how body image really can affect student
performance.
Spelling Proficiency of Native Speakers of Spanish:
A Look at the Influence of Morpheme Structures in
Spelling Errors
Camille Campion
Mentor: Virginia Mann
This study examines how native Spanish speaking
children make orthographical decisions when spelling in
English. English spellings have a “deep” alphabetic
representation due to their use of both morphemes and
phonemes, while several other languages, such as
Spanish, are “shallow” alphabets that rely solely on
phonemes (Singson, Mahony, & Mann, 2000). Due to
issues of language difference and the written Spanish
language’s absence of morpheme representations, I
hypothesize that bilingual native speakers of Spanish will
have poorer spelling proficiency than native speakers of
English, especially in the case of derived and inflicted
words. This study looks at the spelling proficiency of
intermediate students (6th to 8th grade), both native
speakers of English and native speakers of Spanish. The
students are given a 75 word spelling test, consisting of
three types of words that are 3-13 letters long: 1) words
whose phonetic realization is close to its orthographic
representation (i.e., “shallow” like yam), 2) words
containing an ambiguous segment that require a greater
knowledge of orthographic conventions (i.e.,“deep” like
strapped), 3) and words containing one or more
segments which can only be partially derived through
morphophonemic knowledge (i.e., “irregular” like
tongue). The students also receive an oral cloze test to
determine how well they understand the suffixes of
English. The data analysis will examine the percentage of
errors in relation to word types. It is predicted that
native speakers of English will perform better on “deep”
and “irregular” words and have a better understanding
of derived suffixes.
Fingerprints and Identity: Exploring the Validity
and Certainty of Identification
Karrie Casada
Mentor: Simon Cole
For over 100 years, U.S. Courts have accepted
fingerprints as a reliable, infallible form of forensic
evidence. However, the frequency and accuracy of DNA
evidence is raising questions about the reliability of
fingerprint identification. Specifically, are fingerprints
scientific evidence or identification based on subjective
observation? Review of the literature produced no
published scientific studies of fingerprint evidence, its
reliability, or validity. One unpublished study, conducted
by the FBI, provides a statistic on fingerprint
uniqueness. However, this study was criticized because it
compared an exact copy of a fingerprint to itself. My
research compared a latent (invisible) fingerprint to a
database of known fingerprints using an Automated
Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). I collected 166
ten-print cards from volunteer subjects to build the
AFIS database. I also lifted 371 numerically
corresponding latent prints from objects, mimicking real
crime scene prints. Using the search capability of the
AFIS system, each of the 371 latent prints was run
against the AFIS system. Preliminary results indicate that
the possibility that two or more candidates can be
located for an identification based on a single latent
fingerprint. Using the match score of the AFIS system,
appropriate statistical significance will be developed and
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perhaps provide reliable statistical backing to thescientific question of fingerprints as an accurate form offorensic evidence.
A 40 bps Speech Recognition Scheme with Pauses
Anshuman ChadhaMentor: Cristina Lopes
Traditional speech coding schemes handle acceptable
quality speech at bit rates over 2000 bits per second.
An extremely low bit-rate speech-coding scheme has
been developed to code speech on the order of 40 bits
per second. In order to get such a low compression
rate, all recognized speech is converted into the
morphological level (i.e. the actual words) with low-
level elements such as tone and frequency completely
disregarded. While this technique dramatically reduces
the coding rate, it also decreases understandability.
This project involves the modification of that scheme
to model pauses. Like the methodology of the word
recognizer, the pauses are detected not at the signal
level, but rather at the word level using grammar rules.
Furthermore, the pauses are not coded, but rather
detected while the speech is decoded, and accounted
for when the speech is synthesized. While the pauses
will not affect the coding rate, the addition should
increase understandability of the speech, which will be
determined through future human testing.
Quantitation of LAT RNA Transcript in an HSV-1
Mutant with Deleted Regulatory Element in LAT
Promoter
David Chan
Mentor: Guey-Chuen Perng
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) is a ubiquitous
virus with significant prevalence of health threat.
Following peripheral infection and replication, the virus
establishes latency in sensory neurons of its host lifelong.
Periodically, due to hormonal change, stress, and UV
exposure, the latent virus reactivates causing secondary
infection and clinical symptoms. LAT has been shown
to be essential for high spontaneous reactivation in
rabbit ocular models. Recently, an HSV-1 mutant with a
deleted portion of regulatory element in LAT promoter
(d400) has decreased reactivation frequency. A promoter
is the engine of a gene to be turned on. It is tightly
regulated and this regulation is cell type specific. My
research interest is to measure the levels of LAT
expression in the HSV-1 mutant with the deleted
regulatory element in its promoter in neuronal- and non-
neuronal-derived infected cells. Understanding the
differential gene expression in different cells types can
lead to new treatments of HSV infection. So far in the
course of research, total RNAs were isolated from CV-1
cells infected with wild-type, d400, LAT deletion
(LATdl) viruses, or mock infected (control) for 8-, 16-
and 24-hr after infection. Harvested RNAs were
separated in RNA agarose gel, transferred to membrane,
and probed with LAT specific radio-labeled probe. My
results showed a reduced density of LAT expression
from cells infected with the d400 virus. This implies that
the levels of LAT expression may play a critical role in
the reactivation of HSV. The next phase of my research
will be repeated with the same procedures in neuronal-
derived cell and the actual levels of LAT from d400
infected cells compared with wild type will be
quantitated by real time PCR.
The Effects of Mother-Child Interaction on Infant’s
Cognitive Development
Angela Chang
Mentors: Elysia Davis & Curt Sandman
A child’s experiences early in life may have lasting
implications for development. Maternal depression
during infancy has pervasive influences on development
including impaired cognitive development. This effect
appears to be mediated by disturbances in the quality of
mother-child interactions. Mothers diagnosed with
depression were less sensitive and responsive to their
child. These infants performed poorly on measures of
cognitive functioning, were less cooperative, and were
generally more problematic at later ages (NICHD, 1999).
While previous studies showed that maternal sensitivity
played an important role in child development, these
studies have focused mainly on infants with clinically
depressed mothers. I decided to examine the association
between maternal sensitivity and infant cognitive
development in a normal sample of women and their
infants. My sample consisted of 15 mother-child pairs,
with infants at 6 months of age. The women came into
the lab with their infants and were given instructions to
play with their infants as they would at home while being
videotaped. The quality of the mother-child interactions
were then coded from the videotapes. I used a 4-point
global rating scales that was developed by the NICHD
study on mother-infant interactions in 1999. These sets
of scales rated mother’s sensitivity to non-distress,
intrusiveness, detachment, stimulation of cognitive
development, positive regard for the child, negative
regard for the child, and flatness of affect. Infant
cognitive and motor development was measured using
the Bayley Scale of Infant Development. I expect to find
that mothers which score higher on the sensitivity
ratings will have infants with better performance on their
cognitive testing.
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UCI Dance Exchange
Dorothy Chang
Mentor: Donald McKayle
As the project director for the UCI Dance Exchange, my
personal involvement included developing both the
physical implementation and the intellectual implications
of a collaborative educational dance environment. The
first challenge was to fully realize an event that was
completely new and independent of anything in the
department’s history. As an undergraduate with limited
experience in the field of Arts Administration, such an
undertaking required me to go beyond what leadership
and organizational skills I already had. Besides working
cooperatively with the UCI Etude Ensemble as a
performer, I developed the company’s instrumental role
in the planning stages and execution of a very complex
and comprehensive schedule. Realizing that this sort of
professional development is both possible and
supported within a university setting is a significant and
encouraging discovery. Furthermore, it was important
for me to lay the groundwork for future festivals either
hosted by UCI or other campuses. In addition, there are
several social and cultural issues raised by this project,
including the intersection of the arts and higher
education, intellectual and artistic exchange between
influential institutions, and the short and long term
effects of expanding creative dialogue. The UCI Dance
Exchange is just one attempt to increase awareness of
the arts in Southern California. In essence, this project
examines the social responsibility artists have to their
communities.
Visualization and Analysis of Large Sets of Discrete
Points
Edmund Chang
Mentor: Hong-Kai Zhao
Visualization and analysis of large data sets appear in
computer vision/graphics, image processing, data
mining, and many other applications. For example, the
set of data points can be surface points from a three-
dimensional scanning o fmeasured molecular positions
in chemical experiments. One main task is to visualize
the data and extract important geometric information
from the positions of these isolated points, such as
shape and other features. Current methods, such as
computational geometry and triangulated surfaces are
based on exact interpolation which can be difficult when
the data set is large, non-uniform and noisy. In this
proposed project we attempt to combine the idea of
tensor voting and distance function and apply it to large,
non-uniform and noisy data to see if the results are more
optimal. Currently, progress has been made in
understanding how each method works in detail so that
in the next phase we will combine these two together. In
particular we would like to use the constructed tensor
field to clarify ambiguities in the data set.
Phasing Segmented Telescope Mirrors with a
Mach-Zehnder Interferometer
Loren Chang
Mentor: Gary Chanan
With the introduction of large telescope mirrors
comprised of many individual segments, the problem of
insuring a smooth continuous mirror surface (i.e.
phasing), becomes critical. The vertical (piston) errors
between the individual segments must be reduced to a
small fraction of the wavelength of incoming light. In
one proposed technique, light from the telescope mirror
is split between the two arms of a Mach-Zehnder
interferometer and the two outputs subtracted from one
another; the vertical error (piston error) of each mirror
segment can then be determined from the resulting
fringes at the segment edges. I have implemented this
algorithm via computer simulation and demonstrated
that the dependence of the fringe intensities upon the
piston error goes as a sine function when the light is
monochromatic. In addition, I have also expanded the
original algorithm to work using several wavelengths of
light in a Gaussian spectral distribution. Unlike the
original monochromatic case, the intensities in the
broadband case behave as a sine function modulated
such that it decays to zero as the piston error increases.
This allows for a more robust algorithm that is much
more effective at detecting piston errors greater then one
wavelength.
Pluralism and the Great Depression: The Impact of
Bank Suspensions, Mergers, Liquidations, and
Reopenings from 1929-1939 on Mexican American
Political Power
Jacqueline Chattopadhyay
Mentor: Gary Richardson
This study uses basic econometric methods and data
from Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Census to
examine the relationship between bank failures and
Mexican immigration into and out of Texas counties
from 1929 to 1939. It quantitatively evaluates the
adverse impact that economic scarcity during the Great
Depression exercised on Mexican Americans, which is
documented in repatriation accounts, qualitative
historical sources, and recent scholarly research. In so
doing, it attempts to assess the extent to which the Great
Depression affected the Mexican American middle class
that had emerged in the American Southwest by 1929
and speculates how this economic event contributed to
locating immigration in Mexican American political and
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social consciousness and setting foundations for current
economic and demographic barriers to Mexican
American socioeconomic mobility, political
incorporation, and representation in the United States.
The Relationship of Hardiness, Risk-Taking and
Femininity to Cardiovascular Reactions and Math-
Task Performance
Neil Chauhan
Mentors: Richard Harvey & Salvatore Maddi
Hardiness attitudes of commitment, control and
challenge serve to buffer individuals against
psychological strain such that people higher in hardiness
appraise stressful events as more manageable. Regardless
of sex, age or culture, hardiness theory suggests anyone
can be high or low in hardiness. However, Nealey, Smith
and Uchino (2002) and Wiebe (1991) reported sex
differences in cardiovascular responding (e.g. heart rate)
in reaction to laboratory tasks. This poster examines
links between hardy attitudes, risk-taking, sex,
physiological recovery and cognitive performance after a
difficult paced auditory serial addition task (PASAT). 38
normal, healthy male and female undergraduates, about
half Caucasian and half Asian or Latino (mean age 22.9
years) volunteered in order to receive course credit.
Participants higher in hardiness (as measured by the
Hardiness Personal Views Survey III-R) recovered faster
on measures of left ventricular ejection time (LVET)
compared to those lower in hardiness (p<.05). Main
effects of Hardy attitudes were not observed for
performance on the PASAT. Men and women high in
the trait of femininity (as measured by the Bem Sex
Roles Inventory) who reported a willingness to take a
risk (as measured by a risk-taking index), performed
better on the PASAT (p<.05). This research suggests: 1)
higher hardiness levels reduce the impact of stressful
circumstances on cardiovascular measures (e.g. LVET)
and, 2) among individuals high in trait femininity, risk-
taking attitudes predict better math performance. Future
research is required to more fully elucidate the
interactions between femininity, risk-taking and
hardiness on physical and cognitive outcomes.
The Effects of Irradiation on p21 and p53
Expression in Skeletal Muscle
Aarti Chawla
Mentor: Vincent Caiozzo
Irradiation of skeletal muscle can cause DNA damage in
satellite cells, which then prevents their proliferation into
myonuclei. In this study, soleus muscles of Sprague-
Dawley rats were exposed to 25 gray of gamma
irradiation. The muscles were harvested at the following
time points: 4 hr, 12 hr, 1 day, 2 day, and 3 day. RT-
PCR was preformed using primers for the tumor
suppressor genes, p21 and p53. p53 gene expression
should be upregulated, therefore, causing an increase in
p21 gene expression as well. Our data revealed that,
surprisingly, although there was very little significant
change in p53 expression, there was a significant increase
in p21 expression at the 4 hr, 1 day and 2 day time
points as compared to normal control. We believe that
p53 gene expression did not change because skeletal
muscle cell cycle control may be regulated through the
multiple phosphorolation sites on p53 protein, and not
through transcriptional regulation of the p53 gene.
Stem Cells: Are They Mechanosensitive?
Michelle Chen
Mentor: William Tang
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can further
differentiate into multiple specialized tissue types, and
thus have been thought to have potential in many areas
of health and medical research. Studying how stem cells
transform into more specialized tissue types can help us
understand the complicated processes of cell
proliferation and renewal, which in turn, can help us
manipulate stem cells to benefit our society. Hence,
many research groups have developed their experiments
to explore the genetic or chemical nature of stem cells.
However, the influence of mechanical forces on stem
cells has not been studied, presumably due to lack of
proper tools. In response to this, we have constructed a
tool to study the effects of mechanical forces on stem
cells. The stem cells that we used are from the hydra,
which is a simple water-based organism that is
composed of a head with tentacles and a sticky foot
region. We constructed a 6 ft water column to observe
hydra regeneration, and thus stem cell differentiation
under various amounts of static mechanical pressure.
Several dissected hydras were injected into a poly-
dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) trap and then lowered into
the water column at specific depths. Depending on the
depth, hydra experienced different amount of pressure.
Preliminary results indicate that mechanical forces affect
hydra regeneration rates and quality. These results
provide helpful insight on the mechanical influences on
stem cell differentiation.
Effects of Isometric Training on Skeletal Muscle
IGF-I Expression Under Zero Gravity Simulated
Conditions
Daniel Cheng
Mentor: Kenneth Baldwin
A deleterious side affect that arises from space travel is
skeletal muscle atrophy. Prolonged space flight causes
the skeletal muscle system to lose its size and strength
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and hence its ability to function under normal-weight
bearing conditions. Due to the similar changes seen in
rodent muscles as compared to astronauts under zero
gravity conditions a ground based model using rodents,
known as “Hind Limb Suspension” (HS), can be used to
mimic the effect of space flight on muscles. It has also
been shown that through a mechanical loading process
involving resistance training, rodent skeletal muscles can
be stimulated to increase myofibril protein
concentrations by increasing Insulin-like growth factor-I
(IGF-I) mRNA levels. Using a 2 and 4 day suspension
plus training paradigm, it was hypothesized that by
applying daily mechanical loading of skeletal muscles via
several bouts of isometric contractions, IGF-I levels
would be increased compared to non-stimulated IGF-I
levels. Results show an overall preservation of IGF-I,
with a slight increase in IFG-I levels after 2 days of
suspension with training and a significant increase after 4
days. These results correlate to an increase in skeletal
muscle mass, and indicate that activation of IGF-I can
occur under zero gravity conditions and relatively
quickly following stimulation of muscles, effectively
blunting the muscle atrophy.
Development of Pre-Vaporizer
Joyce Cheng
Mentors: Derek Dunn-Rankin & William Sirignano
Energy usage is an evitable part of our everyday life, and
we are constantly seeking to improve the efficiency of
our energy sources. Miniature combustors using
hydrocarbon liquid fuels have a high potential of
replacing the current power sources for personal usage.
Miniature combustors generate heat from the
combustion of hydrocarbon fuel, and the heat can then
be transferred into electrical energy. For their weight,
hydrocarbon fuels are capable of generating a large
amount of energy compared with the energy sources we
have today. Miniature combustors are small, mobile and
light weight, which make them an ideal energy source.
The energy generated from a miniature combustor may
one day replace batteries, and operate small electrical and
mechanical appliances. If miniature combustors and
energy generators are fabricated, they would be able to
deliver more power than batteries while having a longer
life span and a lighter weight.
Inter-Domain Premium Resource Exchange:
Improving Internet Traffic Management
Marie Chi
Mentors: Tatsuya Suda & Ariffin Yahaya
The current business scheme for premium traffic
requires human negotiations between domains to put
together service level agreements (SLA) and
specifications. Premium traffic is defined to be any
traffic that requires special network treatment such as
audio, video and VPN. Structuring premium flows
depends on the agreement of all domains within the
selected path. The current problems in using SLAs are 1)
parties optimize based on monetary goals, 2) static paths,
3) low propagation of knowledge and responsibility that
translates into low fault tolerance. A solution to these
problems is the Inter-domain Resource Exchange
(iREX), which allows the domains to automatically trade
in network resources and confirm bilateral relations.
With iREX, automated SLAs eliminate time-costly
human interactions and domains that breach their
contracts will be blacklisted and are less likely to be used.
To show the performance between iREX and the
current scheme, the iREX simulator was created as a
simulation tool to get data for analysis and used as a
visual aid to demonstrate the iREX scheme. Based on a
sample of 3,897,396 traffic requests and domains with
the same pricing functions, the iREX scheme resulted
with a higher number of successful deployment requests
and maintained a stable number of link capacity. In
addition, the iREX scheme caters to more requests and
recovers from more faults than SLA. Based on the
statistical data compared between the iREX and SLA
schemes, iREX presents a dynamic and faster system
with domains that have total control and knowledge of
their paths.
Pricing on the Internet
Marie Chi
Mentors: Tatsuya Suda & Ariffin Yahaya
In recent years, the Internet service market has become
highly competitive. Different models and pricing plans
has been attempted, but there is still a struggle to find
the right pricing model that would benefit the users and
the service provider market. In determining an efficient
pricing plan, we must consider the flexibility of users
needs and how the network load is handled. There are
currently two types of pricing plans in the Internet
service provider (ISP) market, flat-rate and usage-based
pricing plans. Under the flat-rate plan, the user pays a
fixed amount over a certain period for unlimited usage.
Though users are able to predict their monthly charges,
some of the shortcomings from this plan are the decline
of service quality through over-usage and the lack of
fairness. With the usage-based plan, users pay for the
period of time they are connected to the Internet. The
usage-based plan restrains further market growth
because users are paying for the time they are connected
to the Internet. A more suitable business model that
would satisfy all types of users is a combination between
the flat-rate and usage based pricing plans. The flat-rate
plan will be used for basic service, and charges for higher
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bandwidth will be based on usage. This plan provides an
efficient network control that can maintain the quality of
service of Internet access. ISPs can meet the demand of
users at any time and receive additional revenues based
on usage of higher bandwidth.
Alternate Construction Methods of Shear Walls for
Seismic Loads
Jeff Ching
Mentor: Charles Hamilton
Timber shear walls are fundamental elements in the
seismic design of wood-framed structures. In order to
evaluate provisions of the 1997 Uniform Building Code
(UBC) governing the design of shear walls with
openings, an experimental program was developed to
determine the efficiency and in-plane lateral
performance of timber-framed shear walls with
openings. Three classes of wood-framed shear walls
were subjected to lateral deformations to simulate
earthquake conditions. These classes were a group of
fully sheathed wall specimens (COLA), a group of wall
specimens with openings using typical methods of
providing continuity around the openings (FW), and
four groups of wall specimens, which employed alternate
methods of providing continuity (SOACM). By
analyzing the experimental performance data including
initial stiffness, drift capacity, and the yield and strength
limit states of the specimens, a quantitative comparison
can be made of the different construction methods. The
results offer an improved understanding of the seismic
behavior of the tested wood frame walls, and provide a
basis for recommending alternate design methods which
reduce the cost of fabrication while maintaining the
seismic performance required by the UBC.
BDNF Protein in the Rat Hippocampus is
Upregulated by a Second Period of Exercise
Gregory Chinn
Mentor: Carl Cotman
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes
plasticity and neuron survival in the hippocampus and is
upregulated by physical and learning activity; however,
decreased hippocampal BDNF is associated with
depression. With voluntary exercise by rodents, BDNF
mRNA and protein levels increase in several brain
regions within hours, particularly in the hippocampal
formation. Previously we reported that after 4 weeks of
wheel running, levels of BDNF protein remain elevated
for several days after exercise has ceased, and return to
baseline after 1 week of sedentary lifestyle. It is not
known how BDNF is regulated by subsequent exercise
after protein levels have returned to baseline (100%). In
this study we examine the effect of a brief second run
session on BDNF protein at 1 and 2 weeks after an
initial priming run of 2 weeks. Immediately after 2 weeks
of running, BDNF is significantly elevated to 140% over
sedentary levels, and decays to 122% and 108%
respectively after 1 and 2 weeks of quiescence of
sedentary lifestyle. A second run session of 2 days,
initiated after 1 or 2 weeks of quiescence significantly
increases hippocampal BDNF to 156% and 153%
respectively, of sedentary levels (p<.05). In contrast, 2
days of running alone in the absence of a prior priming
run, fails to significantly increase BDNF. Animals
undergoing a similar exercise paradigm, (exercising every
other day), followed a similar pattern as their daily
exercising counterparts. Thus, BDNF protein levels
increased by exercise can be maintained even with
infrequent short exercise bouts. These findings are
relevant to the design of exercise and rehabilitation
programs to promote a healthy neural environment, and
may provide information on the benefits of maintaining
an active lifestyle to promote successful aging.
Construction of a Magnetometer for the
Equivalence Principle Experiment
Henry Choi
Mentors: Eric Berg & Riley Newman
For many of the gravitational experiments such as the
Equivalence Principle (EP) experiment, it is necessary to
reduce as much noise as possible from sources that
include the external environment and in particular from
the isolated system where the experiments are being
conducted. Magnetic moments from the components of
the system are one source of noise, which we would like
to measure and minimize. In order to measure the
magnitude and direction of the magnetic moment of a
given material sample, the approach taken was to
construct an apparatus consisting of a hollow chamber
in which a given sample inside a small carrier would be
suspended by a fiber. By rotating a magnetic field about
the sample, it was possible to measure the magnetic
properties of the sample through the relationship
between the torque caused by (1) the external magnetic
field and the sample’s magnetic moment and (2) the
torsional constant κ and the rotation angle of the fiber.Many runs were conducted to obtain the magnetic
properties of several different samples. Magnesium
samples, which will be used for the EP experiment, were
measured on average to have a magnetic moment of
approximately (0.42 +/- 0.05) × 10-8 A • m2, whereas
that of a cubic Beryllium sample was measured to be
approximately (2.01 +/- 0.28) × 10-8 A • m2.
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Social Support and Foster Care Children’s
Adjustment: A Comparison with a Matched
Community Sample
Rebecca Christensen
Mentor: Chuansheng Chen
As of March 2001, there were approximately 542,000
U.S. children that were residing in foster care (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). Due
to the high incidence of foster children in the general
population, it is crucial that research is conducted on this
unique group to determine the implications of living in
such an environment. At the present time, there is a lack
of information on social support systems and its effects
on foster-care youth. This study looks at the relationship
between support from peers, foster- and biological-
parents, as well as children’s psychological well-being
and educational aspirations. A foster-care sample was
compared with a matched community sample of Los
Angeles County adolescents. Results indicated that
foster-care children did not differ from their community
counterparts in self-esteem and depressive symptoms.
However, foster children’s levels of educational
aspirations and expectations were significantly lower
than those of the community sample. It was also found
that levels of peers’ and foster-parents’ warmth were
correlated with self-esteem and depressive symptoms in
the foster care sample. These results highlight the
importance of parental and peer support on foster
children’s levels of adjustment and educational
aspirations and emphasize how valuable a social support
network can be in the lives of foster children.
Response of Cell Cycle Genes p21, MyoD, and
Myogenin in Irradiated Skeletal Muscle
Antonio Christophy
Mentor: Vincent Caiozzo
Irradiation has been shown to cause DNA damage in
skeletal muscle, however the effects of irradiation on
skeletal muscles cell cycle genes is relatively unknown.
Irradiation has also been shown to cause DNA damage
in satellite cells, which in turn prevents satellite cells
from being incorportated into the muscle as myonuclei.
The nuclear domain theory requires that muscles
maintain a specific myonuclei to muscle volume ratio.
Hence, growth of muscle would seem to require the
activation and incorporation of satellite cells into
myonuclei. In this study, soleus muscles of 27 Sprague-
Dawley rats were exposed to 25 gray of gamma
irradiation. The muscles were harvested at the following
time points: 4 hr, 12 hr, 1 day, 2 day, and 3 day. RT-
PCR was performed using primers for the tumor
suppressor genes, p21, MyoD, and myogenin. Data
analysis revealed that p21 was upregulated in the 4hr, 1
day, and 2 day groups in comparison to control group.
Surprisingly MyoD and myogenin (myogenic regulatory
factors) gene expression increased, a result which was
not expected.
Performance Profiling System for a Dynamic
Distributed Java Virtual Machine
Matt Chu
Mentors: Roxana Diaconescu & Michael Franz
This paper details a performance profiling system for a
dynamic, distributed Java compiler and virtual machine
infrastructure. This infrastructure is currently research in
progress, and is built on the Joeq Java compiler and
virtual machine. While there have been numerous papers
published on the topic of performance profiling, this
paper focuses on the unique problems and challenges
faced when developing a profiler in the dynamic,
distributed context. Most compilers attempt to optimize
a program for an idealized execution environment (or do
not take in account the execution environment at all);
my profiler attempts to collect information that provides
the compiler with execution environment specific
information so that it is available for use in its heuristics.
In addition to the general challenges of minimizing
profiling overhead and maximizing accuracy of collected
data, my profiler also collects profile data especially
pertinent to the distribution algorithms such as network
reads and writes, memory usage, and power
consumption.
Development of Biological Tools to Investigate the
Functions of CD93
Dong Chung
Mentor: Andrea Tenner
CD93, a cell surface glycoprotein, modulates the C1q-
mediated enhancement of phagocytosis of antibody- and
complement-coated particles in vitro, and apoptotic cells
in vivo, but the mechanism responsible for this
modulation remains elusive. Therefore, we began to
generate biological tools in an attempt to investigate the
functions of CD93, particularly with regard to the
modulation of phagocytosis by CD93. First, an in vivo
murine model was generated with a uniform genetic
background expressing or lacking CD93 and CD93 -/-
and +/+ bone marrow-derived macrophages from these
mice were used in phagocytosis experiments. Secondly,
construction of in vitro models by retroviral transduction
and transfection of mouse cell lines using human CD93
and the mutant thereof was also initiated. While the
backcrossing produced offspring CD93 deficient
macrophages, these cells showed enhanced phagocytic
activity in the presence of C1q similar to CD93 +/+
macrophages, suggesting that CD93 influences, but is
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not necessary for, C1q enhancement of phagocytosis.
The transduction/transfection of human CD93 led to a
low level expression of CD93 on the cell surface but the
protein was detected in cell lysates. Modulation of
phagocytosis by CD93 and the involvement of its
cytoplasmic domain in signal transduction will be
explored by producing stable CD93 surface expression
in conjunction with the CD93 knockout animals
developed in this study.
Simulation of Electromagnetic Fields Created by
Curved Sheets with Alternating Surface Current
Matthew Compton
Mentors: Roger McWilliams & William Molzon
A model was created describing a particle deflector that
consists of two curved parallel plates with an alternating
surface current. To determine the electromagnetic fields
generated by this configuration, Jefimenko's Equations
were solved numerically. The two equations, one for the
electric and the other for the magnetic field, are integrals
that would be rather complicated for any “real world”
geometry. However, by writing functions using the
numerical integral technique called adaptive quadrature
and a surface integral function (the plates are considered
single sheets of surface current of a finite length) the
vector values for both the magnetic and electric field can
be obtained. These functions are written in C++, along
with a master function that takes a specific point in
space and time, and using the integral functions returns a
vector representing the field. This allows for easy
integration of the field calculator into other functions
that can determine useful quantities, such as the
inductance of the system
Confirmation of Variability in the SU UMA-Type
Dwarf Nova V1504 CYG
Ian Crossfield
Mentor: Tammy Ann Smecker-Hane
The cataclysmic variable V1504 Cyg is observed at the
UCI Observatory for periodic variability, showing that
the observatory is capable of performing time-resolved
photometry on a dwarf nova system. The software
package IRAF is used to calibrate the images and to
measure the flux from the target and several reference
stars with aperture photometry. These same stars are
then used to compute differential photometry of the
target. A statistical test is employed to empirically
determine the presence of variability in the target star.
Finally, a theoretical light curve is fit to the data in an
effort to confirm the known orbital period of the
system.
Women in the Media: The Portrayal of Female
Broadcasters on Television
Nellie Day
Mentor: Matt Huffman
Although female journalists are making great strides in
the broadcast industry, they are still portrayed very
differently than their male counterparts. Because the
world is an eventful, unpredictable place, there is an
extremely diverse range of events/topics aired on the
news daily. While almost anyone could complete the task
of simply informing a certain population of these events,
there are numerous strategies, motivations and
justifications, based on ratings, which influence who will
broadcast specific stories for what amount of time.
Gender can be an extremely influential variable when
making these kind of decisions because it can greatly
affect what the news program’s target audience will be
and whether or not the program will gain the maximal
number of viewers for its particular time slot. Therefore,
in questioning and examining how and why female
broadcasters are portrayed differently than male
broadcasters on television, one can gain significant
insight into the motivations behind gender relations and
gender inequality throughout the broadcasting industry
and perhaps even the workplace in general. One of the
most notable differences is that women must often
adhere to very different aesthetic standards than men.
Although broadcasters can drastically vary in age, it is
significant to note that a majority of male broadcasters
are considerably older than their female counterparts.
Explanations for this age gap tend to center around the
notion that men age better than women. Even among
women there seems to be a certain type of “look” that
producers and executives like a broadcaster to have.
Optimization of Radiofrequency Pulses in NMR
Spectroscopy
Alpay Dermenci
Mentor: A. J. Shaka
In NMR spectroscopy the point of interest is the net
magnetization of the hydrogen nucleus 1H, which can be
manipulated for many different reasons. One way to
manipulate the magnetization is called population
inversion in which the magnetization of unity is taken
from z=+1 to z=-1. Doing so can be useful for spin-
lattice relaxation measurements and decoupling
sequences. However, due to B1 inhomogeneity and
resonance offsets a simple 180ο pulse, which will not
bring the magnetization close enough to z=-1, can be
replaced with a composite pulse. A composite pulse is a
sequence of shorter pulses, which replace a simple 180ο
pulse while at the same time eliminating most of the
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errors due to resonance offsets. Past research shows that
a 180ο pulse sequence of 90
ο(X) 240
ο(Y) 90
ο(X) is one
possibility (A Handbook of NMR, 1988). The objective
of this research was to find a better optimization
program than the existing one and optimize an optimal
180ο pulse sequence. The previous optimization
program randomly generated sequences until the best
one was found, however, resulting in the loss of time
efficiency, usually having to run the program overnight.
On the other hand, using Marquardt’s Method, which is
a combination of Newton’s Method and Steepest
Decent, we can write a program that will optimize a 180ο
pulse sequence with poor starting guesses and within
seconds. Doing just that we got the following sequence:
90.04ο (X) 243.62
ο (Y) 90.98
ο (X). Satisfied with the
results we can now use the program to optimize even
more complex sequences.
Screening of HIV Long Term Non Progressor and
HIV Progressor Specific Peptides, and Their
Potential as Diagnostic Markers for Disease
Progression
Melissa Dionisio
Mentor: Jeremiah Tilles
The difference in the humoral immune response
between HIV progressors and HIV long term non
progressors (LTNP) has been investigated. Peptides
which were predominantly reactive either to sera of HIV
progressors or LTNP were selected by panning magnetic
beads coated with IgG isolated from the sera of LTNP
and HIV progressors with random peptide libraries
displayed on phages (RPLP) followed by differential
immunoscreening. Using this technique, 12 peptides
were isolated. One of these peptides was LTNP specific,
5 were HIV progressor specific and 6 were reactive to
both subject groups to a comparable degree. As
demonstrated from these results, the antibody
recognition patterns were distinct and variable in LTNP
and HIV progressors. Although both LTNP and HIV
progressors make antibodies against HIV, they can differ
in the magnitude of their reactivity to specific peptides.
The understanding of the distinct antibody response
especially in HIV progressors may lead us to a better
understanding why one small group of HIV infected
individuals can control virus infection and disease
progression while the other group progresses relentlessly
to AIDS.
Age Differences in Emotional Memory: A Study of
Context
Natalia Dmitrieva
Mentor: Susan Charles
Memories influence how people evaluate their lives and
regulate their emotions. Prior research has found age
differences in memory for emotional stimuli: younger
adults recall more negative than positive stimuli
compared to older adults. The present study investigates
age-related differences in memory for positive, negative
and neutral information, and examines how framing
information in a positive or negative light affects these
age differences. Younger and older participants read
both a positive and negative story, with the order of the
stories counterbalanced across participants. There were
two sets of each story, identical, except for key words
that made the gist of each story either happy or sad. In
addition, each story included equal amounts of positive
and negative information. After a 20 min distraction task
participants were asked to identify true and false
statements about the stories they had read. We
hypothesized that, consistent with prior research, age-
related differences in memory would be strongest for
negative information. Preliminary results suggest that the
hypothesis is supported when information is framed in a
positive context. For the positive stories young adults
remember equal amounts of positive and negative
information, whereas older adults focus more on the
positive information. This age difference was absent in
stories framed in a negative context, with age differences
displaying in an unexpected direction. For the negative
stories both younger and older adults remember less
negative information relative to positive information.
Findings will be discussed in light of socioemotional
selectivity theory, which posits enhanced emotion
regulation with age.
Urotensin II Induces �1� mRNA Upregulation in
the Rat Brain as Assayed By ������ Hybridization
Dee Duangdao
Mentor: Olivier Civelli
Urotensin II (UII) is a peptide that has a role in the
cardiovascular system. To investigate its role in the
central nervous system, the present study determined
whether UII could induce changes in the levels of c-fos
mRNA expression. C-fos mRNA upregulation was
measured in the rat brain by utilizing in situ hybridization
following intracerebroventricular injections of UII or
saline. The brain area that displayed an increase in c-fos
expression after UII injection, over that of saline
injection, was the medial habenular nucleus. There was
no significant difference seen in the anteroventral
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thalamus and the periaqueductal gray. These results
suggest that UII has a role in the central nervous system
as a neuromodulator.
Pulsed Optoacoustic Interefometric Spectroscopy
(POISe) and Imaging
Samuel Duque Jr.
Mentor: Vasan Venugopalan
Optical properties of tissues such as scattering and
absorption can potentially provide accurate
representations of tissue morphology and composition,
respectively. This enables optical methods to perform
non-invasive imaging and physiological monitoring of
biological tissues. However, due to the strong scattering
properties of these tissues, existing non-invasive optical
methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT)
are unable to provide high-resolution images at large
tissue depths (>3 mm). POISe is a novel optoacoustic
technique developed by my mentor's group, which has
the potential to determine the optical properties of
homogeneous tissue volumes and image heterogeneous
tissue structures. This method uses a time-resolved
interferometric system to measure the surface
displacement of a tissue sample in response to
irradiation with a short (nanosecond) laser pulse. To test
the capabilities of the system, I have constructed both
homogeneous as well as heterogeneous phantoms
(mimicking a pair of blood vessels within a turbid tissue).
These phantoms have optical properties representative
of tissues in vivo. Using the POISe instrument, I have
measured the surface displacement caused by laser
irradiation at several locations on the surface of each
phantom. Optical property determination has been
attempted from the data obtained from the
homogeneous phantoms. At the same time, image
reconstruction was performed using the data acquired
from the heterogeneous phantoms using the delay and
sum method. Some preliminary results derived from
both efforts are shown. This project shows the capability
of POISe to non-invasively determine tissue optical
properties and image tissue structure to depths
approaching 1 cm with a resolution better than 250
microns.
Temperature Measurement From Spectral Lines of
Radio Frequency Generated Argon Plasma
Justin EaganMentor: Roger McWilliams
Some laboratory plasma sources do not have thepossibility of being diagnosed with mechanical probes.For some such plasma sources, it may be possible to useemitted light spectra to obtain information about theplasma electron and ion temperatures. Line intensities
and their ratios are used to calculate the electrontemperature, Te, and ion temperature, Ti, for an RF-generated Argon plasma. The line intensities aremeasured using a Jarrell-Ash Czerny-Turnerspectrometer in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm. Theintensity depends on the frequency of the emittedspectral line as well as on the temperature. Thus, byobserving a wide spectral range the electron temperaturemay be estimated. This diagnostic technique may beuseful since it is non-intrusive, but preliminary resultsshow that this method may not provide desiredprecision in determining temperatures.
V-Day 2004
Janelle EagleMentor: Keith Fowler
Spinning off the success of last year’s show, I againproduced “The Vagina Monologues” at UCI as a benefitproduction in conjunction with the internationalorganization, V-Day. As a producer, I was responsiblefor all operational details business-related affairs. Thisincluded securing funds, performance space, marketing,publicity, public relations, and bookkeeping, as well aschoosing directors and actors. My main focus for thisyear’s show was increased awareness and publicity. I wassuccessful since attendance was drastically higher than in2003. Also, more attention was given to productionvalue and dramatic presentation to further encourageartistic involvement. The final product was solid, well-received, well-publicized, and raised over $12,000 for thebeneficiaries. This show was one of the most powerfulexperiences of my life and while I am no longer eligibleto organize for 2005, I am happy to pass it on to someof my peers who will continue the research.
Art to Educate
Janelle EagleMentor: Keith Fowler
How can we communicate an idea or a lesson withoutusing a blackboard or overhead projector? How can weaffect an audience that may be reluctant to learn? Theseare some of the questions that I asked as I traveled to aspecial summer seminar in Bryn Mawr college this pastsummer. As an aspiring director/producer, my artisticfocus is using theater and film as a means ofcommunication to affect public opinion and encouragesocial change. This is important because it strengthensthe power of theater and allows many to see theater asmore than entertainment and instead, a means ofeducation. At the seminar, I participated in screenings,discussions and workshops that discussed politicallymotivated art and evaluated its success. When I returned,I also did follow up reading. With my seminar
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experience and reading together, I was able to write a
chapter in my thesis: “How to do an Independent
Production.” This document can be used as a guide for
students on college campuses to take advantage of the
resources around them and support their desire to
produce art outside of the available programs and
curriculum on campus.
Mechanism of Inhibition of IL-6 Signaling by the
Microbial Product Madindoline
Amirpasha Ehsan
Mentor: John Krolewski
The goal of our experiment is to determine exactly how
madindoline blocks the IL-6 (interleukin-6) signaling
pathway. IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine, which transduces
signals through a membrane glycoprotein, gp130, to
activate the intracellular JAK/STAT (Janus
kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of
Transcription) signal transduction cascade. IL-6 signaling
regulates various physiological processes including
hematopoiesis, wound healing, immune response and
skeletal development. Excessive IL-6 signaling is
reported to be involved in cancer cachexia, Castleman’s
disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hypercalcemia, and
multiple myeloma (Hayashi et al., 2002). Therefore, an
inhibitor of IL-6 signaling can be a potential therapeutic
agent against these diseases. Studies by Hirose described
the isolation of madindoline as a metabolite of
Streptomyces nitrosporeus K93-0711 (Hirose et al., 2002).
Madindoline is known to specifically inhibit IL-6 and IL-
11 signaling but not IL-2, IL-4, IL-8 or LIF signaling.
IL-6 and IL-11 signal via gp130 homodimer while LIF
signals via a LIFR-gp130 heterodimer. It is also known
that the epitope required for homodimerization is
different from that required for heterodimerization
(Hayashi et al., 2002). We believe that madindoline
specifically binds to the extra cellular domain of gp130
that exerts its inhibitory effect on IL-6 signaling by
interfering with gp130 homodimer formation. We
present evidence that a purified extra cellular domain of
gp130 binds to madindoline directly, thus preventing
homodimerization and blocking the JAK/STAT
signaling cascade. This binding can be inhibited by
competition with free madindoline. We have also
mapped a portion of the molecule that is required for
binding.
Spiritual Expression and Corporeality in /� �2�1 ��1
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0 �#
Alisa Ekk
Mentor: Linda Georgianna
Along with a new emphasis on individuality during the
twelfth century, marriage took on a new, more stipulated
meaning as a monogamous, indissoluble sacrament of
the church, yet theories on legal marriage were not yet
clear. A new doctrine of marriage was set forth in the
thirteenth century, and marriage became the single most
important thing in a woman’s life. Spiritual expression
was consequently effected and became intertwined with
the woman’s status as wife and mother in the thirteenth
to fifteenth centuries, leading to a new affective piety for
women. While the late Middle Ages are often
understood as offering a greater amount of social
possibility for women, their spiritual expression was in
many ways bound by their social status and the resulting
emphasis on women’s corporeality. The lives of two
medieval women, Christina Markyate of the twelfth
century and Margery Kempe of the fifteenth century, are
ideal for study in tracing these important changes.
Christina of Markyate, a hermitess and later abbess,
focused primarily on maintaining the physical ideal of
virginity and was able to cleverly manipulate her material
circumstances to her own advantage, leading to an
affective piety that was personally beneficial to her
unique circumstances. For Margery Kempe, on the other
hand, the many social changes, which had taken place,
led to an idealized understanding of the roles of wife and
mother, and became a hindrance to her individual
spiritual expression.
From Tamil to English: Persistence and Change in
Cultural Attitudes Toward Design
Courtney Endo
Mentor: Sanjoy Mazumdar
Much can be learned about people’s relationships with
space, an area known as Cultural Ecology, by examining
families and their homes. How they classify space,
express religion, show values, create symbolism, and the
meaning of various actions and objects can be
ascertained based on these observations. This is a
preliminary exploratory study of a Southern California
family. The research question was to explore the cultural
conceptions of space by examining how an immigrant
family builds life in the United States and their
adjustments. This paper was developed through
observations of the family home and interviews with
family members. With guidance provided in “Cultural
Ecology and Environmental Design,” in Winter 2004, I
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spent several weeks conducting Naturalistic Field
Research. By collecting and analyzing data I completed
an in-depth study of one family, which revealed
fascinating results. Given more time, I would have
continued this study with other families of the same
origin. The Vijijanaki family consists of two immigrant
parents and their two American-born children. The
study reveals how the family selected a house, how they
“designed” and arranged their house, and how their
house was adjusted when it failed to meet their cultural
needs. One of the persistent themes throughout the
study is how the family compromised between their
native culture and American culture, as well as how they
compromised between the ideals of the traditional
parents and those of their more progressive children.
The study also reveals strong familial bonds and a
pervasive cultural identity reinforced by deeply held
religious tenets and convictions.
Monitoring the Localization of UOL in Herpes
Simplex Virus Infected Cells
Taraneh Esmailpour
Mentor: Guey-Chuen Perng
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is a DNA virus that
generally infects humans. Following the primary
infections, the virus spreads from the infected epithelial
cells to nearby sensory nerve endings and is transported
along the nerve axon to the cell body located in the
trigeminal ganglion. The virus genome enters the nucleus
of the neuron, where it persists indefinitely in the latent
state. The only gene that is readily detectable during
neuronal latency is latency associated transcript (LAT).
The traveled path related to how the virus cycles in and
out of the latent-reactivation states is not well studied. In
order to address this problem, a recently developed
product, the red fluorescent protein (RFP), is used as a
tag to monitor the traveled path of HSV recombinants
virus. UOL gene located upstream of LAT gene
promoter region and is a newly cloned gene encoded by
HSV. It is a late gene and its protein is incorporated into
the virus particle. Because of this, it is a good candidate
gene to tag with an indicator gene, such as RFP, to
monitor the travel path of virus infected cells.
Homologous recombination is done by cotransfection of
pPvul600-UOL-RFP plasmid, a DNA fragment
containing the UOL-RFP fusion gene flanked with HSV
viral genome sequence, with infectious HSV McKrae
genomic DNA into RS cells. The cotransfection mix is
then plated on RS cells to isolate an individual viral
plaque. This allows me to pick and analyze individual
plaques by restriction enzyme digestion and Southern
blot analysis. I have been able to obtain two plaques
harboring the UOL-RFP fusion in the viral genome
during the first round of purification process. The
positive plaques were further purified and analyzed. I am
currently on the second round of the plaque purification
process. I will continue with this process for a couple
more rounds of plaque purification procedures in order
to get a homogenous chimeric plaque. Once I obtain a
homogenous chimeric plaque, various cell lines will be
cultured and these cells will then be infected with the
homogenous chimeric plaque. Red Fluorescence
signals/images will be captured every 12 hr after
infection to monitor the path of HSV-1 infection.
Latino High School Students: A Psycho-
sociocultural Perspective on Coping Mechanisms
and Their Influences on Academic Performance
Veronica Farber
Mentor: Jeanett Castellanos
Above-average grades and high levels of academic
persistence (Gonzalez & Padilla, 1997) characterize
academic performance. In California, where Latinos
comprise 44% of enrolled students and 50% of school
dropouts (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003; NCLR, 2003),
increasing Latinos’ academic performance is of utmost
importance. Previous research has indicated that
academic performance is affected by several interrelated
psychological (self-beliefs), social (social networks) and
cultural (cultural/environmental fit) variables. In
response to each of the variables, students can produce
unique coping mechanisms or techniques used to
manage academic stressors. However, the many coping
mechanisms of Latino high school students are still
unknown in educational research. The purpose of this
study is twofold: one, determine academic stressors by
examining Latino high school students using
psychological, social and cultural constructs; and two,
discover the various coping mechanisms used to
maintain academic performance. It is hypothesized that
as the interrelatedness of the PSC stressors decreases,
the more likely students will have established effective
coping mechanisms. It is predicted that as students
utilize more coping mechanisms, their academic
performance will increase.
Role of Tumor Suppressor Protein KLK10 in Breast
Cancer Progression
Saira Farook
Mentors: Sanjay Dhar & Gregory Evans
The role of various tumor suppressor proteins in breast
cancer has been very well studied. KLK10 (Kallikrein
10), which is also known as NES1 (Normal Epithelial
Cell Specific–1), has also been shown to be a class II
tumor suppressor gene. This gene has been shown to be
highly expressed in normal breast epithelial cells and loss
of expression has been shown in breast cancer cell lines.
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Here, we wished to analyze the expression of KLK10
gene in normal breast tissue, typical ductal hyperplasia,
atypical ductal hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ and
infiltrating ductal carcinoma based on its RNA
expression. We found that KLK10 was found expressed
in normal breast tissue as well as in typical ductal
hyperplasia and atypical ductal hyperplasia specimens.
Ductal carcinoma in situ specimens exhibited weak to
moderate expression of this gene whereas there was
complete absence of this gene in infiltrating ductal
carcinoma specimens. We conclude that loss of KLK10
expressions in normal epithelial could contribute to
breast cancer progression.
An Application of the ‘Swiss-Roll Burner’ Heat
Recirculation Combustor
Andrea Favalessa
Mentor: Derek Dunn-Rankin
Heat recirculation is a field of research of major interest
in combustion technology, since it is possible to achieve
a series of advantages from high preheat of the
unburned flammable mixture before it reaches the
combustion chamber. Among these, it is possible to
obtain a cleaner combustion, with a dramatic reduction
of pollutants produced. One application of this principle
is using such a device to produce breathable air. Our
research was addressed in dimensioning and building a
device able to practically verify the possibility to obtain
this result. Many problems have to be solved in this
process: the mass of air required per person per minute
from normative is too big to be conveniently processed
in this way, and there are some issues related to the
materials to use to reach temperatures so high in the
exchanging channels, since cheap materials such as
stainless steel melt at lower temperatures. The goal to
obtain clean air requires a careful study of the chamber
design and of the operating conditions. So attention has
been paid to the appropriate mass flow rate to process
and to the dimensions of the channels, with the purpose
of enhancing the heat exchange and of obtaining the
‘flameless’ combustion conditions.
Point-Based Multiresolution Splatting for
Interactive Volume Visualization
Matthew Fawcett
Mentor: Renato Pajarola
Interactive visualization of large volume data sets is an
increasingly important research problem with
applications in a variety of domains such as scientific
visualization, medical imaging, physical simulations
and sciences such as oceanography, meteorology, or
chemistry. Of particular interest are scientific
visualization applications in the areas of material
simulations, computational fluid dynamics, blast
simulations, or atmospheric and oceanographic
visualizations. This research project proposes to
develop a hardware-accelerated volume rendering
method using a multiresolution point splatting
approach. The volume data will be organized in a
hierarchical multiresolution data structure that
provides adaptive access and rendering at multiple
levels-of-detail. A user-defined transfer function
assigns color and opacity values to the scalar field.
Volume rendering is performed by projecting the
sample kernels onto the image plane and blending the
color and opacity values, including depth and visibility
attenuation. Hardware acceleration will be achieved by
planar integration of the volumetric blending kernel
and polygonal rendering of samples using alpha
texturing.
The Effects of Diffusion Limits on Capillary Tube
Formation
Adrian Fernandez
Mentor: Steven George
A major limiting factor in the development of three-
dimensional synthetic tissues is the development of a
vascular network within the new tissue. Without blood
supply to nourish the tissue, the size and scope of tissues
able to be created is limited. Understanding capillary
growth is necessary in developing vascular networks for
three-dimensional synthetic tissues. This study
investigates the hypothesis that growth of capillary tubes
is affected by the resistance of diffusion caused by an
increase in the overall depth of the tissue matrix and an
increase in the distance between the fibroblast and the
beads. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells
(HUVECSs) removed from freshly isolated umbilical
cords were subcultured once then seeded onto 150 µmdiameter cytodex beads. The beads were embedded at
the bottom of a tissue matrix and a layer of fibroblasts
was placed in the fibrinogen, separating the beads and
Endothelial Growth Media-2. The overall depth of the
tissue and distance between the fibroblast and the beads
were varied. The data so far indicates that when the
fibroblasts are in close proximity to the beads the
HUVECs primarily form capillary tubes. Moreover, as
the depth of the acellular tissue increases, tube
formation/branching/maintenance does not readily
occur. Capillary tube formation is great affected by the
overall depth of the tissue and the distance between the
fibroblast and the beads.
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Dress Reform as a Failed Social Movement
Kari Ferver
Mentor: Paul Jesilow
The dress reform movement lasted from about 1850 to
1900 and involved groups of women, who wanted to
reform their clothes to be healthier and more
comfortable. The women formed clubs, held
conventions to show off reform clothes, and listened to
many speeches on the issue. The dress reform
movement, however, had a number of problems that led
it to fail. The dress reformers were almost uniformly
from the same social class and circles, they disagreed on
how, why, and to what extent dress should be reformed,
and many of them, even though they supported the
movement, did not wear reformed clothes due to factors
like cost and fear of ridicule. This paper utilizes
newspaper articles from the 1800s to illustrate the
reasons why the movement failed. Most research has
reported on successful social movements, so examining
dress reform adds to our understanding of social
movements by focusing attention on why movements
might fail.
Effects of ZnCON3 Supplementation in a
Transgenic Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Jun FloresMentors: Paul Adlard, Carl Cotman & J. Patrick Kesslak
Previous studies have suggested that low levels of zinc inthe brain may contribute to impairments in nervous,endocrine and immune systems, and this may be relatedto deficiencies in antioxidant defense mechanisms.Furthermore, aged mice show impairments in cognition,one of the characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD)that correlate with decreased levels of zinc. Thereasoning is that high levels of oxidative stress (due tolow antioxidants) may make aged brains susceptible tofree radical mechanisms. While many studies haveexamined the effects of low zinc levels on the brain, weare exploring the effect of high concentrations of zinc inthe brain. Since the mechanism of zinc mimics that ofendogenous calcium, we predict high levels of zinc willalso a have neurotoxic effect. We gave ZnCO3 indrinking water supplementation to double mutatedtransgenic mice (TgCRND8), an animal model for AD,four months following weaning. Then, mice underwentMorris Water Maze testing in conjunction with theAtlantis Platform to test reference memory, followed bythe moving platform task to test for short-term memory.The final day tested for blindness. After sacrificing mice,immunohistochemisty fluorescence was performed todetermine amyloid plaque densities. Preliminary resultsshow high frequency in platform finds for controlgroups compared to the experimental group, which
suggests that the elevated zinc levels have had a negativeeffect on the brain. However, immunohistochemistryrevealed no difference in plaque density among zn+/tgand zinc-/tg groups.
Splice Variants of ALDH3A1 in Human Corneal
Tissue
Joel FreedmanMentor: Donald Brown
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 3A1 (ALDH3A1) is veryabundant in corneal tissues, making up as much as 40%of the water-soluble protein. We found splice variantsfor ALDH3A1 that are highly expressed in humancorneal tissue. We wish to determine if these variants arefunctional in human corneal cells. RNA was isolatedfrom corneal epithelium and stroma and from primarycultures of epithelial and stromal fibroblasts. cDNA wasproduced by reverse transcription of RNA isolated fromthese cells. Sequencing allowed for the determination ofprobable exon/intron structure by comparison togenomic sequence. Full-length cDNA was then cloned,reamplified and inserted into a suitable plasmid. Theplasmid was sequenced to insure that the inserted cDNAwas oriented correctly and contained no mutations. Wefound that three splice variants are produced in humancorneal tissue. The splice variants were a wild type thatwas not missing any exons, a variant lacking exon twoand another variant lacking exons two and nine. It wasshown that exon boundaries were different for the splicevariants. The sequence of the plasmid showed that theinserted DNA lacked mutations and was orientedcorrectly. Based on transfections of a plasmid fromearlier experiments, transfection should be an effectivemeans of introducing these variants into cells. Once thesplice variants have been introduced to cells, we willassess whether the variants produce protein and whetherit is enzymatically active.
Bridging the Gap Between Two Techniques Used
to Assess Brain Activity
Stephanie GadiomaMentor: Ron Frostig
Trying to determine the entire region of the brain thatresponds to a particular stimulus requires the ability torecord from large brain regions. Two commontechniques for such a determination include IntrinsicSignal Imaging (ISI) and single unit recording. ISI offersminimal damage to brain tissue as well as simultaneousrecording of a large brain region with high spatialresolution, while single unit recordings can only assessone point location in the brain at a time and damagescortical tissue. However, ISI is an indirect measure ofbrain activity while single unit recordings can directly
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record from brain cells. In order to allow for a more
direct comparison of results obtained by these two
techniques, it is necessary to find a stimulus that ISI can
use that is common to that of single unit recordings. In
studying the activity evoked in the subregion of the brain
that processes touch information from large whiskers on
an animal’s snout, the stimulus typically used for imaging
is striking a whisker 5 times within a period of 1 sec,
while for single unit recordings, it is a single strike to the
whisker lasting less than 10 millisecond. For this project,
imaging data were collected where two different types of
trials were randomly interlaced, with one trial containing
the typical imaging stimulus and the other trial
containing a single unit recording stimulus of 5
millisecond. Based on the results obtained from this
pilot study, it seems that a stimulus of 5 millisecond does
not evoke a signal that can be reliably detected by ISI.
The Role of Pro-Indigenous Movements Within
Bolivian Resistance to Multi-National Corporations
Rosalba Gama
Mentor: Raul Fernandez
In the 1970s and 80s Bolivian pro-indigenous
movements, like the Katarista movement of 1973,
advocated for bilingual education, traditional medical
practice, recognition of indigenous territory, and cultural
identity while challenging western modernization and
privatization of natural resources. These movements
came after a long history of U.S. reinforcement of anti-
indigenous sentiments and were able to open up the
communication between tribes, encourage active
participation in problem solving and provide the
resources necessary to dialogue with government
officials and hold them accountable. Previous studies
demonstrate that opposition to modernization and
western culture was instrumental in protecting the land
from multinational corporations ready to extract the
natural resources on which the economy depended.
Resistance movements to multinational corporations
were then successful because of pro-indigenous
movements and the preservation of indigenous culture.
Some examples include the 1990 March for Territory
and Dignity protecting the Chimanes forest, the 2000
movement against water privatization under the Aguas
de Tunari concession, and the 2003 uprising to stop the
selling of natural gas to Chile and California.
Democracy in Iraq: The Possibility of a
Functioning Democracy in Post-War Iraq
Matthew Garfinkle
Mentor: Russell Dalton
In the spring of 2003, the United States and British
military coalition removed Saddam Hussein’s regime
from power in Iraq. Roughly a year later, the war seems
to have just begun. Although a date for transferring the
governing power over to the people of Iraq was
scheduled for June, uncertainty about whether a truly
functioning democracy can exist in post-war Iraq has
largely grown. Considering the history of Iraq, and its
present social and political conditions, what is the
possibility of a truly successful democracy existing in
post-war Iraq? This research project was designed to
analyze the current conditions of Iraq and compare them
with the work and theories of political scientists on the
subject of democratic development. From this, I offer
predictions for the future of Iraq and what I believe is
necessary for a functioning democracy in the country.
Reconstructing Manzanar Relocation Center’s
Physical Landscape and its Historical Implications
Marion Gee
Mentors: Sarah Farmer & David Igler
In 1942, the U.S. government forcibly evacuated and
interned 110,000 Japanese Americans in concentration
camps, like the Manzanar Relocation Center. Generally,
historians have considered the environment of these
camps as a backdrop to the drama of internment. Using
the methodology of landscape studies and
environmental history, this paper reconsiders the natural
and built landscape of Manzanar as an historical force,
reconstructing the changes to Manzanar’s natural
environment and how those changes were interpreted.
The government, the internees, and outsiders literally,
aesthetically, and rhetorically manipulated Manzanar’s
landscape for their own respective ends. Government
administrators designed and built the barracks, net
factory, and farms, largely to exploit the land and labor
for war production. To justify and diminish the dismal
conditions this entailed for the internees, the
administrators used pioneering rhetoric, claiming that
reclamation of the desert was a baptism by wilderness
that would prove the internees’ loyalty and patriotism.
The internees made their own improvements to the
barracks, built gardens, and created artwork, which most
importantly reflected a literal and aesthetic landscape of
protest, employing Manzanar’s natural resources to
benefit the internees while resisting economic
exploitation and the erosion of Japanese culture.
Outsiders, who crafted and framed their own vision of
Manzanar in their words, photographs, and memories to
fit their personal understandings of internment, further
manipulated the physical landscape of Manzanar.
Manzanar was a physical as well as a figurative landscape
that held larger meaning and uses for the administration,
the internees, and those outside the barbed wire.
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A New Approach to Evaluating a Hypothesized
Difference in the Size of the Ebbinghaus Illusion as
Measured by Direct Judgments Versus the Grip
Aperture of Reaching Movements
Holly Gerhard
Mentor: Charles Wright
In the Ebbinghaus illusion, two (central) circles of the
same physical size appear to differ in size because they
are surrounded by sets of smaller or larger (inducing)
circles. Previous research claims to show that this
illusion--i.e. the size of the inducing circles--does not
affect the distance between the thumb and forefinger
(grip aperture) when reaching to pick up a central disc,
although this claim has been highly controversial. This
poster presents results based on a new procedure that
eliminates the scaling problems inherent in comparisons
of perceived illusion size and differences in grip
aperture. Implications for the "what/how" theory of
ventral/dorsal dissociation of visual processing are
discussed.
Expression of Aromatase in Cerebral Vessels:
Modulation by Sex Hormones
Amir Ghaffari
Mentors: Sue Duckles, Rayna Gonzales & Diana Krause
Circulating estrogen increases the production of
vasodilator substances in the endothelium of cerebral
blood vessels. Many tissues have the capacity to produce
estrogen locally via the enzyme aromatase. Aromatase
has been detected in some vascular tissues including
aortic smooth muscle; however, it is not known if
aromatase is present in cerebral blood vessels.
Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that aromatase is
present in rat cerebral blood vessels. Given the recent
interest in vascular effects of hormone replacement
therapy (HRT), we also investigated whether aromatase
levels were regulated by treatment with either estrogen
or medroxyprogesterone (MPA), which are combined in
a common form of HRT. We also investigated the effect
of chronic testosterone treatment in males. Blood vessels
and aorta were isolated from whole brain of four groups
of female rats: ovariectomized (OVX), OVX implanted
with pellets of estrogen or MPA alone, and with both
hormones combined. Orchiectomized male rats (ORX)
and ORX rats treated with testosterone were also
studied. Western analysis revealed the presence of
aromatase in cerebral vessels from both males and
females. Chronic hormone treatment did not alter
aromatase expression in cerebral vasculature.
Interestingly, aromatase protein levels were increased by
estrogen treatment in aorta in females, and this was
prevented by the addition of MPA. Our results indicate
that estrogen may be produced locally in the cerebral
vasculature. Furthermore, modulation of aromatase
levels in the aorta suggests the existence of a positive
feedback mechanism in estrogen production.
Release Kinetics of BMP-2 Covalently Bound to
Polymer Substrates
Nareg Gharibjanian
Mentor: Jay Calvert
Bone tissue engineering seeks to develop a viable bone
substitute by combining transplanted cells, a bio-
absorbable polymer scaffold, and growth factors. To
date, growth factors have only been added to polymer
scaffolds by passive absorption; in contrast, we are able
to attach bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) to
polymer by covalent binding. This study examined the
amount of BMP-2 remaining covalently bound over an
extended period of time, and its release kinetics. To
demonstrate covalent binding of BMP-2 to polymer,
poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and polycaprolactone
(PCL) coated microscope slides were prepared by spin-
casting. BMP-2 was bound to the slides by peptide
linkage catalyzed by N-ethyl-N’-(3-
dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDAC). The
binding of growth factor was then visualized by
immunohistochemistry. To determine release kinetics, a
24-well plate was coated with polymer. BMP-2 was
bound to the polymers again using EDAC. The amount
of bound BMP-2 was determined by measuring the
amount of un-reacted BMP-2 by ELISA. The wells were
then filled with osteocyte culture medium, which was
changed daily for 2 weeks. The amount of BMP-2
released into the media each day was likewise measured
by ELISA. BMP-2 was slowly released from PCL over 2
weeks, with 36% remaining bound on day 14; in
contrast, PLGA retained more BMP-2, with 68%
remaining after 2 weeks. In conclusion, BMP-2 can be
covalently bound over an extended period of time to
polymer. While PLGA and PCL both retained BMP-2
for 2 weeks, more BMP-2 remained bound to PLGA.
Commercialization of Miniature Paintings in
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Ayesha Ghosh
Mentor: Bill Maurer
Udaipur, a princely state located in Western India, was
the epicenter of culture and the arts prior to 1945.
However, the dawn of its independence brought with it
an end to the independent kingdom of Udaipur and as a
result the art forms that originated in Udaipur went
through major transformations. These transformations
were further exacerbated by the advent of tourism in the
1960s, which created a commercial market for these
paintings. My purpose is to explore the changes that
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have taken place in the art form of miniature paintings,
especially Mewar miniatures, since Indian independence.
I will be looking at the thematic, visual and technological
changes that have taken place in miniature paintings as a
result of its commodification. I will further explore the
plight of the painters and how their social conditions
have changed due to the commercialization process.
Today, the art industry in Udaipur is comprised of
several middlemen who are responsible for placing a
particular value on the Mewar miniatures. I will explore
how this value-system is determined according to
capitalistic principles and how this has led to the
transformation of art to craft. My research is based on
extensive interviews that were conducted with the
painters at Udaipur, which shed light into their present
conditions.
The Bard’s Trail
Dylan Gibson
Mentor: Keith Fowler
Our objective is the creation, preparation, and
performance of a traveling variety show combining
the spirit of the campfire with classical and
contemporary theatre, which will tour the High Sierra
Territories of Yosemite National Park. Our intention
is to present to an audience that is isolated from
conventional forms of entertainment with an
unexpected and enlightening experience meant to
increase their understanding and appreciation of
established works of theatre, while simultaneously
rekindling the spirit of the campfire.
Characterizing Radiation Patterns and Return Loss
of RF Antennas
Leland Gilreath
Mentors: Franco De Flaviis & Alfred Grau
The antenna is the first part of any wireless device to be
affected by an incoming signal (electromagnetic
radiation), and thus the design of the antenna directly
affects the capability of a device to hold a strong and
stable signal. Antennas are not just randomly made from
a piece of metal; they are actually very precise
instruments that take a lot of time to develop. The basic
goal of the designer is to make the antenna capable of
receiving and maintaining a strong and clear signal, while
at the same time making the antenna as small and energy
efficient as possible. To do this, it is necessary to
understand the radiation patterns and return loss that an
antenna will create at different frequencies. These two
parameters are used in the characterization of all
antennas. Research data of the radiation patterns and
return loss profiles of an antenna is what designers need
to better understand how a given antenna is behaving,
and how they can further optimize its design. Over the
past several months I have written software that we used
with the anechoic chamber (a special radiation absorbing
room which is used to test antennas) at the UCI
microwave laboratory. The software I wrote takes data
generated in the chamber, and creates full reports, which
characterize antenna performance.
Transnational Youth Identity: A Comparative
Analysis of Chicano Punks in Santa Ana, California
and Mexican Punks in Guadalajara, Mexico
Crystal Gonzalez
Mentor: Leo Chavez
Identity has been described as an imaginary type of
ongoing self-portrait. It is imperative then, that we ask
ourselves how and why individuals across borders are
imagining themselves similarly. My research explores the
role of culture, power, and place in the appropriation
and articulation of transnational punk imaginaries.
Through field research conducted in Guadalajara,
Mexico and Santa Ana, CA, I will discuss how global,
transnational and local processes converge and diverge,
producing unique and hybridized punk expressions. I
argue that though Chicano and Mexican punk music and
culture tie back to punk rock, essentially born in Great
Britain in the early 70s as a response to the over-
commercialization and inadequacy of rock and roll,
Mexican and Chicano youth have produced distinct
styles, leisure activities, scenes, and social networks.
These manifestations of punk identity have served to
frame the social and political demands of these youth,
and as sites of resistance, serve to highlight the
relationships of power at play in the negotiation of punk
identity.
The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Michael Gray
Mentor: Ranjan Gupta
Clinicians have remained perplexed as to the molecular
nature of the altered vascularity associated with carpal
tunnel syndrome. Vascular endothelial growth factor
(VEGF) is a potent mitogen for endothelial cells and
previous studies have shown that Schwann cells are the
principle source of VEGF in the peripheral nervous
system. To explore the possibility that Schwann cells and
VEGF play a role in the altered vascularity that occurs
with chronic nerve compression (CNC), we used a
previously described rat model of CNC. Non-
constrictive silastic tubing was atraumatically placed
around the right sciatic nerve of each animal and nerves
were harvested after 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, and 6
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months. Non-isotopic in-situ hybridization (ISH) was
used to evaluate VEGF mRNA expression and
fluorescent immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to
localize protein expression of VEGF and its receptors
flk-1 and flt-1. The number of blood vessels in each
nerve was also counted to determine the functional
effect of VEGF expression. Results from ISH and IHC
demonstrated a marked increase in both mRNA and
protein expression of VEGF. The receptors for VEGF
were also up-regulated in the CNC nerve specimens.
There was a marked increase in the number of blood
vessels present at the 6-month time point, compared to
earlier time points. The data supports that Schwann cells
respond to CNC injury with the up-regulation of VEGF
and its receptors. Future studies will determine if this
response is a direct result of ischemia or serves to
provide neuroprotection for injured neurons.
Where Science and Law Intersect
Christina Green
Mentor: Roger McWilliams
Protecting rights is a fundamental ideal of the United
States. This includes the protection of ideas of a person.
The United States Patent Office is crucial in this process,
allowing anyone with an original, non-obvious idea to
file a patent application, and if approved, prosecute
anyone who has infringed on such a patent. Just as the
Supreme Court makes critical decisions in constitutional
rights, such as with segregation or abortion rights, a
decision on one large patent case may affect the
judgment of other patent cases to come. One such case
was Litton Systems, Inc. v. Honeywell, Inc. in 1990,
which helped define the difference between literal
infringement and infringement by equivalence. After
introducing the patent system, the scientific processes
for making Ring Laser Gyros using an Ion Beam Source
is discussed, with physical specifications and empirical
results. The terms of accused infringement by Honeywell
are also discussed, as well as the outcome of the case.
VizION: The Interface Operating Network
Dirk Groeneveld
Mentors: Tara Hutchinson & Falko Kuester
The rise of ubiquitous computing environments in
which the computing systems merge into the
surroundings has created the need for a software
framework that takes away the intricacies of these
systems from the software developer and lets him focus
on creating new applications instead. The requirements
of such a middleware are numerous and challenging.
Since active spaces usually consist of a large number of
devices, the likelihood of one of these failing is quite
high. The system has to be reliable enough to tolerate
these failures gracefully and ensure the correct operation
of all unaffected systems. Another major requirement is
flexibility, as the number and kind of computing devices
that are part of an active space are almost never
predetermined. The software has to be easy to work with
to encourage developers to use it for their applications,
and it has to scale up as the environment that is being
managed by the framework becomes larger and filled
with more appliances. VizION is such a framework. It
meets the requirements by splitting the system into a
large number of independent entities, called nodes,
which communicate via an Ethernet network. VizION
defines a protocol that all nodes share in order to
facilitate communication between them. An
implementation of VizION has been written in the
programming language Python. This implementation has
been tried and tested in UCI’s own ubiquitous
computing environment, VizClass, a digitally enabled
classroom, where it has been supporting numerous
lectures and meetings since Fall 2003.
Interaction of AMPA Receptor Phosphorylation and
AMPA Receptor Modulators on Glutamatergic
Transmission in Hippocampus ���5����
Stacy Gunawan
Mentor: Gary Lynch
The main objective of the present study was to
determine whether alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-
methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor
phosphorylation levels are altered by AMPA receptor
modulators called ampakines. Ampakines are the first
group of allosteric modulators produced to bind to the
extracellular surface of AMPA receptors and augment its
function by desensitizing the glutamate receptor.
Ampakine-induced glutamate desensitization has been
shown to enhance synaptic current, and thus, being
investigated as a therapeutic tool to improve cognitive
function. Phosphorylation at distinct amino acid residues
on AMPA receptor subunit GluR1, specifically at ser845
and ser831, is thought to be critical in the desensitization
and activation of the AMPA receptor. Therefore, we
hypothesized that ampakine mediated increases in
baseline synaptic responses is caused by a concomitant
increase in GluR1 phosphorylation. To test this, field
excitatory postsynaptic potentials were recorded from rat
hippocampal slices treated with ampakine CX717,
followed by quantitative protein analysis for the GluR1
subunit. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that
baseline synaptic responses increased to approximately
20% above baseline in slices treated with CX717. Slices
treated with okadaic acid, a phosphatase inhibitor, had
minimal effects on baseline synaptic transmission. A
combined treated of CX717 with okadaic acid produced
a 40% increase in synaptic potentials 1 hr after infusion.
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Surprisingly, preliminary data from protein analysis
measured from these same slices show an opposite
effect on phosphorylation than what was predicted.
Western blot analysis revealed a decrease in the level of
GluR1 phosphorylation in slices treated with CX717 and
okadaic acid alone, while a combined treatment of the
two compounds retained phosphorylation levels similar
to control slices. This suggests that AMPA receptor
phosphorylation may be sufficient, but not necessary to
induce increases in AMPA receptor mediated currents.
Labor Supply and the Economic Growth and Tax
Reconciliation Act of 2001
Jeanette Gurrola
Mentor: Sarah Senesky
The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2001 was enacted by President Bush to help the
economy from falling into a deeper recession. At the end
of a ten-year period, this act will provide a tax cut of
$1.35 trillion to taxpayers. The Act was passed to spur
additional consumption. However, the increase in
effective wages caused by the tax change may affect
individuals’ choices of working hours. The purpose of
this study was to examine the influence of the income
tax cut on the labor supplied by individuals in terms of
weekly hours worked. Data from the 2003 and 2002
Current Population Survey March Supplement were
analyzed with a multiple regression analysis in
conjunction with a differences-n-differences approach.
The results suggested that the tax cut actually stimulated
a substitution effect, where taxpayers chose to work
additional hours to accumulate more income.
Defective DNA Damage Response in Mlh3 and
Mlh3/Pms2 Deficient Mouse Embryonic
Fibroblasts
Wayne Hagen
Mentor: Steven Lipkin
Multiple homologues of E. coli MutL participate in
eukaryotic DNA mismatch repair (MMR) processes. In
Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC)
families, MLH1 mutations are common while PMS2,
MLH3 and PMS1 mutations are rare. Furthermore,
DNA-damage response phenotypes in mice doubly
deficient in Mlh3 and Pms2 are indistinguishable from
Mlh1 deficient mice. Our data demonstrate that MLH3
plays a greater role in mammalian cancer prevention
than previously believed. Partial functional redundancy
between MLH3 and PMS2 for mutation avoidance and
DNA damage induced apoptosis may explain why,
among MutL homologues, only MLH1 mutations are
common in HNPCC. Homozygous MLH1, MSH2,
PMS2 and MSH6 (but not MSH3 or PMS1) mutant
human and mouse cell lines demonstrate increased
resistance to cell death and decreased levels of apoptosis
in response to alkylating agents, such as 6-thioguanine
(6-TG) treatment, a DNA alkylation mimetic. Following
6-TG exposure, Mlh3-/- mouse embryonic fibroblasts
(MEFs) displayed increased resistance compared to wt
cells, similar to Pms2-/- MEFs. Of further interest, the
double null Mlh3-/-/Pms2-/- MEFs showed a degree of
resistance greater than either the Mlh3-/- or Pms2-/-
MEFs. To examine whether increased survival was
attributable to lower apoptosis rates, TUNEL assays
were performed. Consistent with previous studies, Mlh3-
/-Pms2-/-, Mlh3-/-, and Pms2-/- MEFs showed reduced
DNA damage induced apoptosis compared to wt MEFs.
These results suggest resistance to apoptosis is an
important mechanism of carcinogenesis in Mlh3 mutant
cells.
Location-Aware Web Services
Amir Haghighat
Mentor: Cristina Lopes
Location-aware systems are systems that display
information according to the user’s location in the
physical space. We have developed a location-aware
system to be used within a building and as an extension
of a Web service. The system can be separated into two
distinct components: the positioning system and the
protocol for exchanging location information between
the clients and the web server. In this presentation we
focus on the latter by introducing Location-Aware Web
Services (LAWS), built on top of the Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (HTTP). LAWS frees the system from having
to maintain a dedicated connection for the exchange of
location information. That information is embedded in
the HTTP requests sent from the roaming device to the
web server.
Childhood ADHD Symptomatology in Parents: A
Risk Factor for Children with ADHD?
David Hallowell
Mentor: Carol Whalen
Perceived sense of parenting efficacy and levels of
parental psychopathology were compared between
parents of children with ADHD who themselves had
childhood symptoms of ADHD, and parents of children
with ADHD who reported few such childhood
symptoms. Children of each parent group were
compared on mood profiles attained using electronic
diaries. 24 parent-child dyads that included children
diagnosed with ADHD who were being treated via a
long-acting stimulant taken once daily were placed into
one of two groups, based on whether or not the parent
reported ADHD symptoms meeting diagnostic criteria