Abstract: Public relations practitioners require thorough and ongoing intercultural public relations training, enabling them to communicate effectively on a global basis. The Internet has erased geographical borders, creating a global market. Foundational multicultural communication processes should be introduced in an academic setting, and enhanced thereafter within professional realms.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: One of the most interesting and recent developments in the field of Public Relations is that in Education,specifically, secondary education. This study will focus on the roll of the ROPE (Research, Objectives, Planning and Evaluation) process in terms of functioning PR programs in secondary schools in Northwest Indiana. Most importantly the evaluation will focus on the critical efforts of several schools, the process that is used in PR and the results of these efforts. Examples may include promoting academics and/or athletics, the image or mission of the school's daily functions of the departments, or internal PR practices. Our goal is to determine the current status of PR programs in secondary schools, and also the opportunities that will be available in the near future. PR in secondary schools is growing more important and will be better funded and evaluated as it is increasingly becoming vital to the success of school districts.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: Summerfest is an annual festival located in Milwaukee in which people migrate from surrounding areas and states to take part in 11 days and evenings of music, food, drinks, and other entertainment. It is an opportunity for Milwaukee companies and businesses to gain recognition from customers for long-term patronage. This special event requires many resources and the impact is important to assess. To clarify the degree to which the key participants (the special event organizers and sponsors and the audience) communicate with each other, a co-orientational analysis will be made. The analysis will focus on the degree of agreement and accuracy of perceptions. The sample reflects key players involved with Summerfest and the citizens of Milwaukee. The results suggest there may be some slight modifications needed to assure the sponsors and the attendees are communicating fully.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: In the past few years there have been public reports of bias motivated incidents in Northwest Indiana. The occurrence of these incidents has raised questions to the general pattern of these events. In order to address these questions, an exploratory study was conducted to examine bias motivated incidents in Northwest Indiana. To do this, all published reports of bias motivated incidents from January 1, 1990 - December 31, 2001 in The Times Online, an online account of The Vidette Times, a regional newspaper serving Northwest Indiana were examined. Only incidents that occurred in Lake and Porter Counties, as well as a few cities bordering Lake County in Illinois were included. A total of fifty-eight accounts were identified and were organized according to type, severity, location, and conclusions were drawn from the data such as to see if incidents were becoming more common, whether there was a rise in certain types of incidents, and whether Lake or Porter Counties were both being affected by the rise, as well as other results stemming from the examinations. The results allowed us to map the location, severity, & trends in these incidents.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Larry Baas
Abstract: There is little attention to the role of public relations in sports. Sports information Directors usually do not have training in pr because there are few
undergraduate schools offering such a focus. Due to the lack of training, SID's are unaware of the functions conducted by pr. SID is a male dominated field presently and that is in contrast with the female dominated public relations field, where over 50% of their membership are woman. Surveying members of PRSA and CoSIDA provides insights into the needs for strengthening the pr and sports relationship, particularly in terms of gender issues. The finding suggests that sports management and pr must work together to improve sports pr and to increase
opportunities for woman in the field.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: This study examined flavor discrimination in conditioned taste aversion. Past studies have indicated the effectiveness of preexposure in reducing generalized flavor averison. The effect of aversion is strong at immediate test, but seems to weaken at longer delay intervals. Interestingly, the position of delay intervals seems to play a big role. The present study included both Training to Test delays and Preexposure to Training delays in a single experiment to allow direct comparison of the effects. Subjects were placed into four groups according to position of delay. All were preexposed to vanilla (A) and strawberry (B) flavored milk. After preexposure, taste aversion was conditioned by injection of LiCl after chocolate milk (C) consumption. After training, consumption of flavors (A, B, C,) was measured. Subjects experienced No Delay, Training to Test Delay, Preexposure to Training Delay, or Preexposure to Training to Test Delay. Finding of a 4x3 factorial ANOVA indicated a significant main effect of Flavor. All groups showed consumption of preexposed flavors (A and B) to be greater then that of training flavor (C). However, a significant delayxFlavor interaction was found. Subjects experiencing a preexposure to training delay drank significantly more of flavor C than subjects who did not. It appears that stimulus discrimination is attenuated in groups experiencing a preexposure to training delay. Overall, results demonstrated that delays in the conditioning situation could result in reduced discrimination. Delay between training and test had little impact on memory for learned discrimination. However, delay between preexposure and training seemed to reduce discrimination as subjects consumed more of the training flavor.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Angela Vernon
Abstract: In the standard model of star formation, UV radiation from OB stars or supernovae shockwaves compress the cold material in giant molecular clouds. Dense cores collapse due to self-gravity and accrete material until there is enough pressure to ignite nucleosynthesis, marking the beginning of the proto-star phase. This model successfully describes large conglomerations of stars. However, the spatial distribution of stars in the universe cannot be fully explained if stars only form in large clusters. Thus, effective star formation in isolated molecular clouds, far from the massive complexes but most likely still induced by them, offers an explanation for the observed distribution of stars. The region around NGC 1788, ~50 pc west of the Orion OB association, is such an isolated cloud. We conducted a multi-wavelength survey of the NGC 1788 field to characterize how star formation proceeds in isolated molecular clouds. We present color-magnitude diagrams for stars in this region, including correlations between the optical, near-IR, and X-ray sources. In addition we have obtained optical spectra of the X-ray source counterparts. The majority show Li l6708 absorption, confirming their status as young objects associated with NGC 1788. This research was supported in part by the NSF through the CTIO REU program.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bruce Hrivnak
Abstract: Little is known about sports publicity and promotions at the collegiate level. This specialized public relations field tends not to be taken seriously by PR practitioners around the country. These two fields must come together and learn how to work cooperatively in order for Sports Information Directing (SID) to grow into a respected division of public relations. To learn more about the gap between sports management and public relations, we will illustrate potential possibilities for integrating the two fields, through results obtained from survey research and interviews with sports information directors, other sports enthusiasts, and PR professionals.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: This paper will address the change in socio-culture during the French Enlightenment in regards to gender, as demonstrated through Hubert Robert's painting 'Young Women Dancing Around an Obelisk,' 1798. An investigation of the symbols and meanings found in this painting will reveal the artist's and quite possibly the greater public sphere's reaction to the shifting roles of women in contemporary French society. A feminist's perspective, based largely on the concept of the "Other" as presented by Judith Butler, will be employed in the deconstruction of these symbols in order to ascertain a deeper understanding that would otherwise be lost and of which the implications are still relevant today.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Nina Corazzo
Abstract: A debate exists about the effectiveness of Demerol. Many healthcare workers believe that Demerol is ineffective and unsafe, however, the medication continues to be frequently prescribed. This author
observed frequent administration of Demerol
and became interested in the conflict about this medication. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of Demerol as it is used for pain management. The sample consisted of 10 patients being treated for pain in the emergency room. Demographic data, dose of demerol, diagnoses,and any adverse effects/side effects were recorded on a questionnaire designed for this study. This author oriented emergency room nursing staff about the study and elicited their assistance in completing the questionnaire when they cared for a patient receiving Demerol. The findings of this study are consistent with the literature. Due to the limitations related to sample size and data collection from only one unit, further research related to this topic would be beneficial. However, findings from this study and the prevailing literature support that Demerol is not the medication of choice for acute pain
management.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Janet Brown
Abstract: The goal of my research project is to observe a binary star system and to determine the period and brightness change of the system. I researched binary stars in general and then looked through several reference sources to find possible system candidates. Several criteria were used to narrow my search down from about 75 candidates to the binary chosen (EQ Tau). I then carried out literature searches to find the results of previous studies of this binary, which are few. Over a span of several weeks in January and February I observed EQ Tau at the VU Observatory, taking images of the binary and the surrounding stars using the CCD camera mounted on the 16-inch telescope. A total of 544 images of the binary were taken through a yellow and a red filter over the course of 6 nights. After completing the observations, I used an astronomical image-processing program to reduce the observations and measure the relative brightness of the binary on the different images. These were then used to determine the period of change and to compile a light curve showing the change during a complete cycle. The period and brightness changes that I determine will be compared with the results of previous studies of this binary star.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bruce Hrivnak
Abstract: We report on experiments applying fluorescence spectroscopy to biochemical systems. The experiments involve four protein systems: HIV-1 protease, an antigen-antibody system, fatty acid transport and DNA. The binding of drug-like molecules to proteins (equilibrium) and reaction rates (kinetics and inhibition) are two concepts considered. The HIV life cycle involves hijacking the replication machinery of a host cell. The proteins produced during replication are all tethered together by a short peptide chain. As long as the proteins are tethered, they (and the disease itself) are inactive, so activation requires cleavage of the peptide tether. The last protein produced is a protease, which is designed to cut the tethers. We studied the inhibition of HIV-1 protease using a protease inhibitor and a special ¡§fluorogenic¡¨ substrate. The substrate ¡§lights up¡¨ when the protease is active, so we follow the activity (or lack thereof) of the protease using fluorescence.
ƒÒ-lactoglobulin (BLG) is a protein found in some mammalian milk. BLG transports water-insoluble fats and vitamin A. BLG looks like an open barrel, with a huge cavity looking to get filled. Fats fit nicely into this cavity. The protein is water soluble, so it can transport fat. We used laurdan, a fluorescent dye with a long tail. This tail fit into the open hole of BLG, giving laurdan a moderately strong affinity for BLG. The binding was observed and quantified using fluorescence spectroscopy and a curve fitting data analysis.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Michael Bradley
Abstract: We have created two functions that take as input music (arrays of frequence and spectrum values) and perform fractal transformations on the music data. We are using the Quatern fractal and DFA fractal for the transformations. These functions output chaotic images that are modified by the musical input. Our most receint work, and future work, deals with the use of pixel and vertex shaders to exploit parallel computing on common PC's via the graphics processing unit.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Doug Limmer
Abstract: The PSS program provides a framework for testing random-number-generating algorithms in the context of the problems they are intended to solve. Many methods already exist for testing such generators, but are primarily useful for the generators' designers, as they provide objective measures of the randomness of the algorithm itself. This project supplements those tests by giving users a tool with which they can choose the best algorithm for a particular problem. The users can test several random number generators against each other and subjectively determine which is "best" for the conditions in which it will be used. To make this determination, the user supplies a test algorithm which uses random methods to determine a known value. The PSS program runs the test with each random-number generator the user wishes to examine, calculating how closely the generators approximate the known value, thus allowing a quick determination of which generator is "best for the job."
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Jim Caristi
Abstract: Anton Webern's Five Movements for String Quartet, op. 5, Sehr langsam (IV) is an excellent example of the techniques used in twentieth century music to create a musically unified movement despite atonal sonorities and rhythmic ambiguities. Through the use of palindromic pitch class sets, intervallic thematic material, referential sonorities and texturally divided sections within the piece, Webern creates a musically unified and very structured movement. This movement also shows the role reversals of the traditional string quartet's four voices; essentially the second violin has taken over the role of the first violin and the cello functions as part of the melodic motion rather than the traditional supporting bass line. By bringing together the techniques used to create a unified musical structure within twentieth century music and the reversal of the traditional roles of the quartet's voices in Sehr langsam, Webern introduces a fascinating experience to the listener. Despite Sehr langsam's musically structured style of composition, it is aurally perceived as being composed without structure. My paper explores in detail the techniques used to create this musical unification and structure within a more musically free twentieth century style as well as analyzing the role reversals within the quartet's four instruments.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor John Bernthal
Abstract: The present study employed a modified "policy-capturing" approach to assess the relative importance of several factors on friendship, dating and marriage preferences of male and female participants. Thirty-two profiles of hypothetical target persons (TP) were constructed depicting varying combinations of low/high levels of masculinity, femininity, commitment, physical attractiveness, and income. Participants were asked to assume that each profile described a member of the opposite sex, to form impressions of each TP as either a potential friend, dating partner, or marriage partner, and to indicate how likely they would be to become friends with, date or marry the TP. Results indicate that femininity, masculinity, and commitment were more important determinants of friendship, dating, and marriage preferences than were attractiveness or income. Participants perferred androgynous partners over gender-typed partners, high-commitment/low-income partners over low-commitment/high-income partners, and high-commitment/average-looking partners over low-commitment/good-looking partners. Commitment level influenced marriage preferences, but not friendship or dating preferences. Men preferred good-looking partners more than did women. Results suggest that college students are more concerned about internal than external characteristics of potential partners, and that male and female college students are more similar than different in their preferred characteristics of potential partners.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Daniel Arkkelin
Abstract: A graph is a set of objects, called vertices, with the relationship among the objects illustrated by the edges between the vertices. A new family of graphs can be defined using the paths of an m x n lattice as its vertices. If two paths share k + 1 or more edges, then the corresponding vertices share an edge. We can determine the order of the graphs (how many paths or vertices), when they are connected, and when they are trees (connected with no cycles). The number of edges of the graph can be determined for n = 1, and we are currently investigating the size when n = 2 and when n = 3.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Rick Gillman
Abstract: Throughout the 1990s, rock group U2 shifted thematic and musical styles, becoming a virtual microcosm of the postmodern movement. Such a shift was typical in the early 1990s, and for many bands, it was merely a way to stay alive in a commercially fickle entertainment world. For U2, however, this exercise in postmodernism was a way to challenge previous notions of art, of politics, of Christianity, and of Truth itself. The original paper uses U2's journey (with words, images, and music) through the movement as an illustration of postmodern concepts as well as an analysis of its strengths and failures. This particular poster is a spotlight on the 1997-98 period and U2's attempt - and struggle - to create a modern-day worship center with their PopMart tour. The presentation emphasizes the strengths of the tour, but admits and invites criticism with an eye toward the radical changes that would occur in the next phase of U2's career.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Margaret Franson
Abstract: Habitat selection of migratory birds during migration is a relatively unstudied process. One reason is the difficulty in observation during the rapid migratory process. The woodpecker Sphyrapicus varius, or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, offers a possible solution to this problem by leaving a visible "footprint" in the form of sap holes as it feeds. The birds cross the Northwest Indiana region in the spring and fall each year, using forests throughout the area. I compared use of the Indiana dunes and Valparaiso moraine. Sites in each habitat were analyzed based on how much the trees were attacked. Preliminary evidence indicates that the trees in the Indiana dunes are more heavily attacked than the moraine. This study will give an indication of migratory habitat selection.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Laurie Eberhardt
Abstract: The primary focus of the research conducted discovered the relationship of the similarities and
differences of public relations, marketing and advertising.
This research serves as an opportunity, rather than
response to a problem, to inform the general public about
the individual funtion of each division of communication.
To approach this communication opportunity, interviews with
several professors in specialized fields of study revealed
information about communications in education. In addition,
interviews with a selection of companies offered an
analysis showing the appplication of internal management
strategies for each different division- public relations,
marketing and advertising. This research found a
correlation between the communication information taught in
schools and what is actually applied in the corporate
world.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: The European Union is faced with a variety of challenges in the current period. Not only is the EU engaged in political and monetary integration, but also it is in the process of screening new applicant nations for membership into the union. In light of these developments, the EU must come to a consensus as to focus of its integration and expansion: should the EU be focused on creating a "United States of Europe" or instead a confederation of sovereign European states? This question must also be considered within the context of secession and terrorism in many EU states. I will explore two regional case studies as microcosms of this situation. These two regions, Northern Ireland and Basque Spain, exemplify strains on national sovereignty in favor of integration with another national body and secession respectively. The outcome of this study will address the viability of these nationalist projects from an economic perspective and offer insight into the future regional/national division within the EU political/economic system.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Jaishankar Raman
Abstract: In this study, I analyzed migration data for Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula) banded at Miller Woods in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. I analyzed dates at which males and females arrived to show that differential migration occurs across the migratory route of this species. I compared these data with a study in South Dakota and with expected values derived from Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) data. I also analyzed fats scores to study how energetics affect the differences between the sexes in fall migration. As cold-hardiness does not differ significantly between the sexes, I suggest the arrival date hypothesis as the concept that dictates differential winter distribution in this species. This study suggests that females migrate faster in the fall than male Kinglets, arrive first on the wintering grounds, and males therefore winter further north. Although more work is needed, this study suggests that males may actually partially catch up with the females over the course of the fall migration.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Laurie Eberhardt
Abstract: People now have the ability to purchase specialty license plates in the state of Indiana. For the past year, we have been trying to formulate a system that would analyze and predict the short and long term trends in the plate sales. We have varied Markov Chains which generally model closed systems to take new plates entering the system and plates retiring from the system in consideration. We are in the process of creating a transition matrix that is functional with our set of data to model the license plate behavior. Our newest endeavor is to create a system of equations for the data that is unavailable to us so that our results will be more accurate. Our ultimate goal is to create a model that we will be able to give to the Indiana Bureau of Motor vehicles so that they can determine which plates will continue to sell and which will eventually die out. We will present the development of the model we have constructed and introduce any new findings on our poster.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Karen Whitehead
Abstract: Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are proteins which are heavily involved in regulating cellular processes. PTPs appear to play central roles in diabetes, cancer, and cellular and viral replication. The phosphatase we study, Yop-51, is derived from a close relative of Yersinia pestus, the pathogen responsible for the Black Death. PTPs operate by cutting a phosphate off of a protein, which turns off the affected protein. In diabetes, the insulin receptor is shut down; in the Black Death, T-cells are shut down.
The active site of Yop-51 contains a critical amino acid (cysteine) which binds to the phosphate, activating it for cleavage. A flexible amino acid loop covering the active site must open for the target phosphate to enter. This closes for catalytic removal of the phosphate to occur. This loop contains a fluorescent amino acid, tryptophan. When the protein is exposed to UV-radiation, this tryptophan emits light which reports on the open/closed status of the loop.
Vanadate binds to Yop-51, but does not undergo reaction as there is nothing to cleave. We add vanadate to Yop-51 and observe how this alters the fluorescence. Using high pressure and variable temperatures, we determine the thermodynamics (entropy, enthalpy, and volume change) of the protein-vanadate complex upon binding. These are fundamental parameters for Yop-51, and PTPs in general, which have broad applications in drug discovery involving inhibition of PTPs (diabetes and cancer research).
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Michael Bradley
Abstract: Traffic monitoring is an indispensable element of federal, state, and local governments. Data gathered through volume counts, truck weight collection, and classification counts of the numbers and types of vehicles on the road serves many purposes. Private industry, safety engineers, highway planners, maintenance workers, and the government all use the collected data for their own purposes. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has a classification count program in place designed to gather classification count information in accordance with Federal standards and State-wide data needs. However, the Federal government's Traffic Monitoring Guide proposed new data recommendations in 2001. NYSDOT needed to conduct a review of their classification count program's collected data and collection processes and address any problems they would have complying with the new data recommendations. Constrained by personnel and financial limits, NYSDOT was in no position to comply with the Federal recommendation as of the summer of 2001. Filling in missing data, placing new classification counters, and integrating the efforts of various departments within NYSDOT were the key recommendations arising from data study.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Rick Gillman
Abstract: Microbes possess incredible talent when it comes to synthesizing organic compounds quickly, cleanly and cheaply. Thus, if microbes could be harnessed to make the compounds which the chemical industry currently produced "chemically," then there is the potential for the industry to reap the benefits of enormous increases in synthetic efficiency. We are working on one small piece of this endeavor - the production of enantiomerically pure lactones from the corresponding racemic hydroxyamides. Our immediate goal is to prepare three chiral lactones which are insect pheromones. We are working in collaboration with Professor Steve Taylor at Hope College, who is the leader of this project, and Professor Min-ken Liao, a microbiologist at Furman University. To date, we have prepared several samples of the desired chiral lactones with up to 80% enantiomeric excess (ee), but have been vexed by poor reproducibility.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Tom Goyne
Abstract: In order to have an efficient nonprofit organization, an effective internal public relations program must be in place. Our research will center on what internal public relations methods help and what methods hinder an organization. Through a review of literature and interviews of nonprofit organizations on their current internal public relations programs, we will be comparing and contrasting data received. In the course of analyzing this data, we will determine what is needed to have a strong internal public relations program for a nonprofit organization.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: This project is part of a large collaborative effort to develop efficient biocatalyts that can be used to make a family of molecules called lactones. A catalyst is a molecule which facilitates a chemical reaction without itself being used up or changed in the process. A
biocatalyst is simply a catalyst which comes from a biological source. The lactone family of molecules is of commercial interest for two principle reasons: 1) several members of the family serve as building blocks for important pharmaceutical agents and 2) other members of the family are insect pheromones that could potentially serve as environmentally friendly alternatives to insecticides. Although there
are well established 'chemical' methods for making lactones, a biocatalytic method offers the potential advantage of cleaner, cheaper
operation. The specific goal of work reported here is to use genetic engineering to prepare one of the needed biocatalysts. More precisely, we intend to use genetic engineering techniques to produce a new strain of E. coli bacteria that will make large quantities of the desired
biocatalyst on demand.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Tom Goyne
Abstract: The Valparaiso University ISSAC 2002 dream team has built a new type of search engine: "DredgeNet." Rather than sending search request to one large centralized search engine, DredgeNet builds and optimizes a search network in which individual servers receive search request and process them based on localized data. The project encompasses multiple fields within computer science, including, but not limited to Artificial Intelligence, Databases, Networks and Parallel Computing.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Jim Caristi
Abstract: Communities often have individuals and families with limited access to health care due to the lack of health insurance and low income. To promote healthier lifestyles in this population, it is important to identify health concerns and provide educational resources. The purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate health-teaching modules, for and underserved and uninsured population at a nurse managed center. The sample included 90 clients seeking health care over a two-month period. The research team developed an instrument, the Hilltop Health Center Questionnaire (HHCQ), to assess demographic information, value of health education, perceived health status, and effectiveness of learning modules. The HHCQ contained both open and closed ended items measured on a Likert scale. It was found that age and education were not related to reported value of health. While subjects believed health education was important, only 48% viewed the videotapes and 66.7% read the pamphlets. Use of health information was positively correlated with perceived heatlh status (p<.01). Further study should emphasize how to increase clients' use of educational material and the material's impact on specific health outcomes.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Elise Alverson
Abstract: They came from the sororities, the Chapel, the arts, the sciences, the administration, and everywhere in between. But mostly, they came: women who wanted to break the silence that too often shrouds many issues specific to women, and those who supported them in these efforts to end the silence, and together we celebrated our community.
This paper discusses doing Third Wave Feminism through involvement in "Celebrate You!" A campus collaborative effort in the most complete and far-reaching sense, this series of events, held throughout the spring at Valparaiso University, was designed to raise awareness about women's issues among women and those who care about women in our community. Issues addressed through the series include eating disorders, women in art, date rape, depression and suicide, sexual violence, body image, and the objectification of women. As one of more than 500 schools in the V-Day 2002 College Campaign, the main event was a student-run production of The Vagina Monologues.
The presentation will focus on answering the question: "If feminism is a dirty word, how do you say 'vagina' at a private, Christian university?" In addition, specific topics to be discussed include the challenges encountered in undertaking this project, the collaborative effort involved, the organic growth of the series (which began as one and became seven), lessons learned in this whole process, community reactions, and why these events were so important to present in the first place, with attention to the future and where we can and want to go from here.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Nandini Bhattacharya
Abstract: The significance of contextualization, the process of discussing a concept within its culture, is becoming increasingly important in international public relations as the world market expands through globalization. In order to bridge cultural goups around the world, corporations must increase research about the countries they wish to engage in business. Here a comparative analysis of the integrated communications by the Coca-cola Corporation in various cultural contexts demonstrates this important adaptation process. This study applies case study research techniques to discover the diversity and multicultural factors critical to various cultures.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: This project analyzes the variation in the shape of emission nebulae as viewed in different emission lines. The project contains seven nebulae: five planetary (M 27, M 57, NGC 1514, NGC 2371, and NGC 2392), one HII region (M 42), and one supernova remnant(M 1). The nebulae were observed through narrow Ha and [OIII] filters, in addition to wide yellow and red filters. Initial results for M 57 and M 42 reveal the Ha to be the strongest in the outer region of the nebulae, and the [OIII] emission to be concentrated in the inner region of the nebulae. The [OIII] images of NGC 2392 show a faint uniform halo around the bright inner part of the nebula, while Ha images show a non-uniform halo with a bright Ha emission region. The images for each of the nebulae will be presented and discussed in this project.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bruce Hrivnak
Abstract: The GPS-enabled lawnmowing system is able to cut a specified area of grass-evading static obstructions-by employing a navigational system together with a defined and coded algorithm; when programmed, this autonomous robotic vehicle pilots itself through a surface coverage path while allowing the customer to be removed from direct contact with the mower, all at a reasonable consumer cost.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Douglas Tougaw
Abstract: A cyclic group is a set of integers with an identity element, inverse elements, and associativity that is closed under modular addition. In a cyclic group, one can easily construct a sequence of numbers that has a sum of zero, otherwise known as a zero sequence. Minimal zero sequences and the constants that can be derived from them have been a popular subject in recent mathematical research. This paper explores the cross numbers of minimal zero sequences of selected cyclic groups and presents several theorems regarding patterns in these cross numbers sets.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Rick Gillman
Abstract: Since colon cancer is a leading cause of death in our society, and is incurable in approximately one-half of all patients found to harbor this malignancy, the search for strategies to prevent the development of cancers in this organ is intensely important. A protein called Protein Kinase C alpha (PKC-a) is a known regulator of cell growth. Previous work has shown that alterations in the biochemical activity (how it works) and expression (how much of it there is) of PKC-a have been implicated in cancerous changes in several organs, including the colon, in both humans and experimental animals. Tissue culture cell lines, derived from human colon cancers have been engineered to increase or decrease expression of PKC-a. Utilizing these cell lines, we are investigating the effects of PKC-a on other regulatory proteins of cellular proliferation. To date, we have shown that one such regulatory protein, Cyclin D1 appears to be affected by the altered expression of PKC-a. Elucidating any path to malignancy will afford researchers and clinicians insight into preventative measures as well as potential cures.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Beth Scaglione Sewell
Abstract: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," was a phrase we all heard often enough in our childhood, but in reality, relatively few stars vary significantly in brightness and not fast enough for us to see in the course of one night. Those that do vary in brightness, however, provide us with an opportunity to learn more about their
internal structure. We have investigated the possible variabilityof a new class of stars, so-called proto-planetary nebulae,for which Prof. Hrivnak has been one of the discoverors. These are stars near the end of the life cycle of stars.
Continuing on the eighth year of this project, our research
team of three students observed about 50 of these stars over the course of the summer and continued to collect data. By analyzing the data, we found that some stars have a definite period to their variability. These periods range from 25 to 140 days. Some stars vary on a shorter time scale but definite periods have not been found for these.
For those for which we could not find a period, we tried to assess the general trend that each star's brightness followed over time.
The results of this study will be displayed. When this
multi-year study is complete, it will provide valuable new insights into this stage in the life cycle of a star.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bruce Hrivnak
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the social problems facing Valparaiso University students. This study investigates the responses of fifty college students to two corresponding questionnaires. Each student was required to list the social problems important to him or her and then offer three possible solutions to each. The top three issues raised by students will be presented, along with the corresponding solutions. Additionally, each solution correlates to one of the three classical sociological perspectives; the functionalist, the conflict and the interactionalist. Along with the results, interpretations and implications of the social problems and their solutions are discussed.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Dot Nuechterlein
Abstract: In the pursuit of an accurate understanding of past societies, documents surviving from these eras serve as the historian's most useful source of information. More specifically, legislation passed by a society's representative assembly provides the modern researcher with a wealth of information concerning the group in question; logic dictates that the political will, norms, and values of a society will be reflected in that population's elected congress. I will convey accurate deductions concerning New York society from 1695-1705 based solely on the acts passed by the General Assembly during this same time period. Just as a natural scientist studies fossils to deduce characteristics of an extinct crustacean, I will analyze these records to form my conclusions. However, my fossils are not pieces of rock, but legislation; in both cases, crustacean and society have imprinted themselves on a medium that can be studied today. I will address important colonial interests, such as security, as well as prominent perceptions ranging from slavery to relations with native peoples. Additionally, placement of power provides startling insight into a society. These ends can be achieved by studying not only the content of legislation, but also the frequency of issues and language used in the legislation.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Elizabeth Lewis-Pardoe
Abstract: Length scales that characterize turbulent boundary layer flows are used extensively by engineers to predict heat transfer between a surface and a fluid. This same length scale information might be used by meteorologists to model atmospheric boundary layer flows in order to predict heat, moisture, and pollution transfer that affects local weather. However, these length scale correlations are not commonly used in meteorological weather models because of difficulties in gathering necessary information in the atmosphere. A recently developed calculation technique allows for length-scale calculation using accessible parameters. In March, 2000, engineering and meteorology students from Valparaiso University, as members of a Multi-disciplinary Undergraduate Research in Turbulence (MURT) team, traveled to the Argonne National Laboratory Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment (ABLE) facility in Whitewater, Kansas to collect data for calculation of atmospheric length scales. Using hot-wire anemometers located at 2 and 11 meters from the surface, MURT members collected velocity measurements at high sample rates. We coupled this information with ABLE atmospheric data to calculate turbulent length scales. Our poster describes the technique used for atmospheric velocity measurement and the length-scale calculation method and results and discusses possible application of these results in turbulent flow correlations for modeling atmospheric boundary-layer flows.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Michael Barrett
Abstract: Neurospora Crassa is a filamentous fungus that is
useful as a model organism in genetic studies. During
vegetative growth, N. Crassa is characterized by the
proliferation of diffuse, thread-like tubes referred to as hyphae. Periodically, hyphae form branch points from which two hyphae emerge. This allows the organism to infiltrate
a food source. Part of the usefulness of N. Crassa is the availability of numerous mutant strains. In this study, we focus on a mutant strain known as col-16. In contrast to the diffuse branching of wild-type strains, col-16 mutants
demonstrate tighter branching. Our goal was to induce second-site mutations in col-16 strains that would mask the effect of the branching mutation. In genetic studies, these second-site mutations are known as suppressors. To induce these mutations, asexual spores (conidia) from
col-16 were exposed to UV radiation and plated onto a
growth media. Colonies demonstrating more diffuse
(wild-type) growth were selected as possible suppressed strains. From roughly 10,000 col-16 conidia exposed to UV radiation, 20 strains were isolated as possible suppressed
strains. Subsequent crosses suggest that 2 of these
strains carry a suppressor for the col-16 mutation.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Michael Watters
Abstract: Everyday children are born. The doctor looks at the genitalia of the child, names the child a boy or girl and then wraps him or her in the corresponding blue or pink blanket. From that day on, the child is raised to conform to the behaviors we, as Western society, name male or female. Most of us conform, without question, to this process, but some of us cannot. Some of us feel so cheated by being named a certain gender that we change it and a few of us even change our sex to match it. The purpose of my study was to learn about the people who have the courage to do this and about this intriguing and pressing social issue. I read literature published on this topic, interviewed an expert in sexual behavior, had an interview online with a transgenderist and surveyed a handful of others. I concluded that, the more we, as human beings, come to understand this issue, the more accepting we will be of those who choose this path of change in becoming who they feel they are truly meant to be. This topic will encourage open-mindedness and acceptance toward all people, like or unlike ourselves.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Lissa Yogan
Abstract: The purpose of this project is to examine survey data in order to compare and contrast differing stances on public policy and social issues based on respondent's gender. The issues range from an evaluation of services provided by the city to how tax money should be spent. Cross-tabulation of the data from a citywide survey was used as the method to look at the differences of opinion between genders. These cross-tabulations showed that there are numerous public policy and social issues where there is a differing opinion between males and females. In some cases there appears to be some level of agreement on many issues, but disagreement as to the level of importance of the issues. In many cases women felt much more strongly about an issue than men, and vice versa. There are also several issues where a larger gender gap is apparent, which is not based solely on the level of importance attributed to an issue simply by feeling more strongly about it. This will be the focus of the study; examination of the differing opinions of respondents based on their gender. Studying the differences in opinion between the genders allows a community to better understand what can be done in order to meet the needs of everyone without seeming to favor a particular section of society; and it also gives citizens a forum to express their opinions more as individuals rather than having them lumped together with the opinions of groups which differ greatly from them.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Larry Baas
Abstract: This poster addresses how and why Walsh Hadamard Matrices generate pseudo noise sequences that can be used to "spread" data transmissions in CDMA technology. It features an inductive proof of why Walsh Hadamard Matrices perform efficently and a discussion of their implication on communications.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Mary Treanor
Abstract: We have detected the elementary particle reaction K- p---> Sigma Pi0. The neutral particles sigma and pion are very short-lived and decay into photons and a neutron. To identify this particular reaction, we
had to reject "background reactions", that is, other reactions which the high energy kaon beam produced along with the desired reaction. This "background" consisted of particles such as the lambda and neutral
kaons among many others. We describe how this background of unwanted particles was eliminated by identifying critical "cuts" then used to
filter the data. We thereby enhanced the detection of the desired reaction. Our approach used Monte Carlo simulation of various
reactions so as to determine critical cuts to filter the data.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Robert Mannweiler
Abstract: Every ten years, the United States goes through a time period in which states, counties, and cities are redistricted in order to ensure proper representation. As the 2000 Census data becomes available, it is possible to accurately determine the populations of these areas and to redistrict them if necessary. For cities such as Valparaiso, Indiana, which are divided into council districts, it is required that the council districts are of approximately equal size in order to guarantee that each voter has the same degree of influence in city affairs as a voter in a neighboring district. The purpose of this project is to examine the equality of each of Valparaiso's five council districts, and if the districts are found to be disproportionate, propose a plan to redistrict Valparaiso. The new plan should not only make the council districts more uniform, but should also better reflect city neighborhoods by drawing district lines in a more compact and contiguous fashion.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Larry Baas
Abstract:
Faculty Sponsor: Professor