Abstract: Human serum albumin (HuSA) is one of the most important transport proteins in the human body. The heart-shaped protein has at least five hydrophobic binding sites that bind insoluble molecules like fats and therapeutic drugs. The delivery to a target organ and the ultimate metabolism of pharmaceuticals is controlled in part by their binding with HuSA. One fluorescent amino acid, tryptophan, is located at the base of the heart, where the two halves of the protein join. The fluorescence from this tryptophan provides information about the deformation of HuSA under high pressure. The transport function of HuSA can be tested using the fluorescent molecular probe anilinonaphthalenesulfonate (ANS). ANS has a low amount of fluorescence when free in solution, but fluoresces strongly when bound. We combine tryptophan and ANS fluorescence studies to monitor the effects of high pressure and varying temperatures on binding. From this data, we determine the entropy, enthalpy, and volume change of the HSA-ANS complex upon binding. These are fundamental parameters for HSA, which have applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Warren Kosman
Abstract: Popular fashion magazines promise so much: Better Buns in 10 Days! Get This Close to Him! The Truth About Bikinis! But are these magazines providing more to the reader than just fashion and beauty tips? This study will help to identify the degree to which the body image of college aged women is influenced by popular fashion magazines as opposed to magazines of a different genre. Also examined will be how the women's perceived body type affects the results. Using a sample pool of women ages 18-22 attending Valparaiso University during the 2002-2003 academic year, a quasi-experimental design will measure the women's baseline perceptions of their body image and the effects of each intervention.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Matthew Ringenberg
Abstract: The challenge to each generation of Christians is to discern how Christ is applicable to their time and culture. Two American novelists attempted to do this through their writing. Both sons of Congregationalist ministers, Charles Sheldon and Bruce Barton each attempted to modernize the message. While Sheldon brought Christ into his time by having his characters ask, "What would Jesus do?" and then act that way, Barton instead made Christ into the prototype of the modern American businessman. By examining both the intent of the authors and the response of the audiences, as well as the historical and theological contexts in which they were writing, I attempt to see how successful each of these authors was in reaching the people of their time as well as remaining faithful to the original conceptions of Christ. I examined the conceptions of Christ that each novel portrays, as well as the conceptions of Christ that were present in the cultural environment in which the novels were written. I also examined the works as they relate to the Social Gospel movement and other events in theology at the time.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor James Albers
Abstract: This project demonstrates the need for undergraduate degree programs in the field of sports information. Currently, there are few degrees in sports information (Neupauer 1997). Students must find a related major and receive their education while taking the majority of courses in another department. Sports Information Directors (SIDs) work with media, coaches, athletes, administrators, alumni, and donors, with the goal of promoting the school and the athletic program. The hypotheses developed the need for a sports information undergraduate degree in colleges and universities throughout the nation. The data for this project was obtained through interviews with SIDs and assistants, surveys of SIDs and assistants, professors in sports management and public relations programs. Our findings established few undergraduate degrees available for college students in the U.S in sports information, per se. Most SIDs receive their degrees from another field where much of the curriculum may not be relevant. We also found the demographic information on SIDs at the Division 1 and Division 1AA levels and the history of sports information supports this finding. The data established sports information students might fit better with a public relations major than sports management. SIDs clearly have different goals and need a new academic home.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: An extensive literature review of articles regarding the current state of international public relations was conducted. (Heath 2001; Heyamoto 2003; Strenski 1985; Tomkins 2001) This review provided the foundations for analyzing several global public relations agencies. Besides information on the current state of international public relations, the literature supplied essential actions for international relationships. The case studies examine each agency for how language and cultural differences were recognized and used, the influences of technology, research and other preparatory efforts, media relations, marketing, government relations, and internal communication. These case studies provide evaluative information for each of the agencies, as well as a deeper understanding of the global public relations arena.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: The effects of confederate answers on cognitive dissonance were investigated. Twenty-three college students (7 males and 16 females) answered ten sample General Education Degree Questions in one of three conditions: no confederate, confederate answered incorrectly, or confederate answered correctly. Results demonstrated that there was no significant difference in latency between groups or genders. In addition a group by gender interaction was not significant. There was also no significance for correctness on the three questions that the confederate answered incorrectly. There was however, a significant difference between groups on the confidence level for specific questions. Basically, these results demonstrate that latency, correctness, and confidence were not robust measures of cognitive dissonance.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Angela Vernon
Abstract: The structural team is composed of five members, and the group is divided into three separate groups. One group deals with the design of a clubhouse. The second group designs any foundations that need to be constructed. The third group is designing a highway overpass.
The clubhouse sub-team is charged with working with an actual golf club owner to determine a rough architectural plan for a clubhouse. Then, dead loads due to the weight of the structure, snow loads, and wind loads must be calculated. This team spends much of its time performing a structural analysis of the building to ensure that member sizes are adequate for the given loads. The foundations specialist on the team ensures that the foundation is structurally adequate for the given soil conditions and loads on the foundation.
The bridge sub-team is tasked with estimating loads on the bridge, and designing a sound bridge that will cross over an interstate while maintaining a minimum clearance. To make the project realistic, the team is attempting to solve the problem with different bridge materials and plans to compare the costs to achieve the most economical solution.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carmine Polito
Abstract: Moravian composer Leos Janacek (1854-1928) wrote two works for string orchestra early in his career; Suite for String Orchestra (1877) and Idyll (1878). To date, these early works have not been heavily analyzed. My research focuses on the commonalities, but most importantly, the marked differences between the two pieces. I will survey the ways in which Janacek's style changed from the writing of the Suite to the Idyll, as well as studying the major sources of inspiration for these works. Sources of inspiration include works of other composers, Janacek's other recent works, and Moravian folk music.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Joseph Bognar
Abstract: The Study questioned the role of flavor preference and preexposure context on expression of generalized flavor aversion. Previous findings indicated asymmetrical generalized aversion in CTA situations where stimulus discrimination has been produced by flavor preexposure. Does this asymmetrical aversion depend on context or preexisting flavor preference? To answer this question, subjects were placed into three groups (IMM Control, No Context Switch, or Context Switch). Groups were preexposed to Vanilla Milk (Flavor A) and Strawberry Milk (Flavor B) for 15 minutes on alternating days. The IMM Control and No Context Switch groups received Flavor A in a dimly lighted room and Flavor B in a dark room. The Context Switch group received Flavor A in a dark room and Flavor B in a dimly lighted room. During the training phase, groups were given a third flavor, chocolate milk (Flavor C) followed by an IP injection of .75M LiCl. Training and testing occurred in the dimly lighted room. During test, subjects were given 15 minutes access to a stimulus flavor (A,B, or C) to determine the level of aversion. Results indicated that asymmetrical generalization of flavor aversion was influenced by context of training, but not by initial preference for a preexposed flavor. That is, a higher level of aversion was expressed for the preexposure flavor presented in the context of training and test. Overall, initial flavor preference did not play a role in gereralized flavor aversion.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Angela Vernon
Abstract: Ralph Nader stated it best when he said. "In this nation, where the ultimate power is said to rest with the people its is clear that a free and prompt flow of information from government to the people is essential." Nader's description of successful communication efforts is utilized here as the model for an effective government relation campaign. In 1987, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration launched the Indiana Manpower and Comprehensive Training program (IMPACT). This program was the result of Food and Security Act in 1985 and the Family Support Act of 1988. The main objective of IMPACT was a program designed for "People Helping People Help Themselves." However, research shows the Indiana government had many disruptions in their chains of communication. This case study is an example of how government relation campaigns, a form of public relation, needs to be re-evaluated before the results are disseminated.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: As part of the civil engineering senior design project, the transportation group has several assigned tasks. These include designing an interchange off I-94, a road which will lead to this interchange, and a road which leads to the golf course. Also, we are in charge of the design of a parking lot, and access roads for our facility. The end product will be a design for full access to our golf course. The interchange that is being designed by our group is a diamond interchange, and the roads are basic 32' wide roads, that are enough to service our minimal traffic count. The parking lot design will be state of the art, with a design similar to Porter Memorial Hospital in order to suit the fact that the entrance to our golfing clubhouse is 12' off the ground. The final product will be a design that works, serves its purpose, proves aesthetically pleasing, and will allow people to access their golf course.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carmine Polito
Abstract: Among the many images of God found in the MT, one of the most poorly understood is the image of God as a "rock" in whom one is to "take-refuge." The English word "rock" appears 115 times in the NASB. The word (swr) appears 84 times in the Hebrew Bible. It appears with meaning referring to a physical place 45 times and referring to God at least 33 times. God is a "rock." What did that mean to an ancient audience? Is God a small rock, perhaps one used as a projectile? Is he a boulder? A cave or an outcropping in the desert? God as a (swr) does not associate him with ideas permanence or stability, but instead this image has a very direct purpose as the object in which one puts one's faith and trust. This paper will present an argument demonstrating that God as a "rock" as a "refuge" is directly referring to a type of barrier on one side of which are humans, and on the other side of which exists evil. More specifically this paper will draw parallels that show that both textual and contextual support for (swr) to indicate an ancient retaining wall formation.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carolyn Leeb
Abstract: A graph is a collection of points (vertices), some of which are connected by lines (edges). Cover pebbling is a game played on graphs with pebbles. The game starts by player 1 identifying the number of pebbles to be used. Then player 2 places stacks of pebbles on as many vertices as (s)he wants. Player 1 wins if (s)he can place a pebble on every vertex at the same time using legal pebbling moves. We are interested in the minimum number of pebbles that guarantees that player 1 can win. We study several different graphs to answer this question.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Zsuzsanna Szaniszlo
Abstract: The literature confirms that public relations and marketing are two distinct yet interrelated functions in academic training and organizational function (Hutton, 1998). Yet what transpires in academia may not reflect the practice in the field. To establish an understanding of the two disciplines from an undergraduate point-of-view, the functions for each as practiced in the field are identified for a corporate setting. Research conducted on undergraduate business and communications students indicated students are clear about the responsibilities for each field. Yet the research indicates the cooperative, integrated learning of these functions is not really presented. Corporate organizations are contacted to confirm the functions found in this setting. The purpose of this study is to establish is the gap between marketing and public relations studies that presents a problem later for student entering the workforce. The results suggest an integrated study of public relations and marketing is essential for the full benefit of understanding how these functions are operationalized in an organization.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: Compelling evidence shows that children of depressed parents have significantly increased rates of depression and other emotional and behavioral problems. An intervention that is successful in reducing the likelihood of the development of problematic behavior in children of depressed parents could have critical implications on future demands for mental health services. The purpose of this study is to compare the results of the Vermont Raising Healthy Children Program with the results of similar intervention programs for children of depressed parents. The participants in the Vermont Raising Healthy Children Program experienced a greater reduction in the amount of expressed behavioral and emotional problems than their peers in similar intervention programs. The results of this comparison provide evidence that an intervention that includes depressed adults, their spouses and children can more effectively reduce behavioral and emotional problems in children of depressed parents than an intervention that only includes the child.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Angela Vernon
Abstract: Being a member of a safe and productive community is an important aspect in any individual's life. The area in which an individual lives often symbolizes his or her personal beliefs and standards. Using community relations guidelines that focused on the "power of public opinion" stressed the ongoing development process that is unique to the role of public relations in community relations (Neff 2003). This research study focused on the ways in which two very different cities, Valparaiso and Gary (Indiana), are currently undergoing specific changes in hopes of creating a more positive atmosphere. Each is participating in various measures, from commercial development to neighborhood improvement, to enhance their reputations with both residents and consumers. By combining research from residents and applying principles of community relations, a case assessment established the importance of a community understanding the function of public relations in society.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: Family visitation in the intensive care unit is frequently limited. However, families can be a source of support for patients. Using a literature search, six nursing students sought to answer the question, Can liberal visitation have a positive effect on patient, family, and nurse's psychosocial health and satisfaction of adult patients in the critical care units? Articles, selected by conducting a CINAHL search using the keywords of critical care visitation, visitation policy, and open visitation, were reviewed and critiqued by members of the group. Six articles were included for analysis. The group also reviewed the ICU visitation policy of Porter Memorial Health System. Our overall findings suggested a more tolerant visitation policy structured to benefit patient, nurse, and visitor satisfaction. Incidental findings indicated that children and pet visitation contributed to an increase in patient satisfaction. After writing a protocol to change practice based on these findings, a plan to implement a more liberal visitation in the intensive care units was developed.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Nola Schmidt
Abstract: Studies of blowing snow over Antarctica have been limited greatly by the remoteness and harsh conditions of the region. Space-based observations are also of lesser value than elsewhere, given the similarities between ice clouds and snow-covered surfaces, both at infrared and visible wavelengths. It is only in recent years that routine ground-based observation programs have acquired sufficient data to overcome the gap in our understanding of surface blowing snow. In this research, observations of blowing snow from visual observers' records as well as ground-based spectral and lidar programs at South Pole station are analyzed to obtain the first climatology of blowing snow over the Antarctic plateau. Occurrence frequencies, correlation with wind direction and speed, typical layer heights, as well as optical depths are determined. Blowing snow is seen in roughly one third of the visual observations and occurs under a narrow range of wind directions. The near-surface layers typically a few hundred meters thick emit radiances similar to those from thin clouds. Because blowing snow remains close to the surface and is frequently present, it will produce small biases in space-borne altimetry; these must be properly estimated and corrected. This research was conduced at NASA-GSFC.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Teresa Bals-Elsholz
Abstract: Suppose you have k people sitting at each of n tables. They are allowed to get up and rearrange themselves under the following conditions: 1. No person may sit at the same table more than once. 2. No two people may sit together more than once. How many times (x) can a new seating be produced. We have solutions for this when k = 1, k >= n,and n = p^t where p is some prime number.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Rick Gillman
Abstract: Soccer is a sport that requires intermittent bursts of speed. The physiological demands of soccer are not well researched. Even less research has been done involving women's soccer because it is a recent phenomenon. Past research suggests that women run 8471 meters (5.26 miles) during the course of a game. The current study found that on average a player runs a total distance of 7.85 miles per 90 minute game, that's slightly over 5 mph for 90 minutes. Measurements where taken using digital pedometer readouts after each half. Later calibrations yielded the total distance traveled. Slight variations were seen comparing first half distance versus second half distance but were non-significant. These results support the vigorous physiological demands of the sport of soccer. The results are a testament to the level of fitness a soccer player must maintain to play the game at such a hi-level. In the future coaches and players are challenged to meet these fitness requirements that make the sport so unique and challenging.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Dan Carl
Abstract: Inadequate functional health literacy may lead to excess hospital costs ranging from 8 to 15 billion dollars a year and may be associated with increased levels of illness (Marwick, 1997). Low levels of health literacy are a national as well as local problem. In a study completed at a local hospital with campuses in Gary and Merrillville, IN, researchers found that 23% of the studies population had marginal or inadequate levels of functional literacy. In response to the need for more readable patient information materials, nurses modified the current handout given to mothers post partum. However, patient input was needed. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to field test a post partum information sheet. Field testing was conducted according to the guidelines provided by Doak and Doak (1996). A sample of 10 patients from each hospital campus were interviewed to determind if they understood the handout on post partum care. Findings revealed that while all patients could relate the topic of the handout, more revision was needed to meet the perceived needs of the patients.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carole Pepa
Abstract: An understanding of German Romantic composers such as Schubert and Wagner is enriched by an understanding of what their music was based upon - the music of the Meistersinger. In medieval Europe, when Christianity was spreading rapidly throughout the continent, the musical traditions of chant in the church spread along with it. As these traditions began to permeate the society of Europe, they began to come into use in non-liturgical ways. Traveling poet musicians carried their song throughout the countryside and in Germany were known as Minnesinger. Hundreds of years later, musical enthusiasts wishing to preserve the Minnesinger tradition formed guilds and called themselves Meistersinger. Meistersinger guilds were comprised mostly of the developing burgher class. These guilds viewed their art as a means to not only preserve history, but to educate the middle and lower classes in all things sacred and secular. Meistersinger guilds became so rooted in German culture that they were frequently run by town councils. The forming these guilds in the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries led to a lasting effect on German music for hundreds of years to come.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Linda Ferguson
Abstract: In the field of education, the effectiveness of different approaches to teaching is widely debated. This study examined inquiry-based differential equations classes as compared to traditional classes. The inquiry-based classes were offered at Purdue University-Calumet while their traditional counterparts were at Valparaiso University. Additionally, we collaborated with researchers from Portland State University, Scottsdale Community College, and Ewha Women's University. We investigated how inquiry-based learning would affect students' attitudes, beliefs, and understandings of differential equations. To examine possible changes, we analyzed a survey given on the first day of class versus one given at the end of the semester. The survey was based on Marilyn Carlson's Views About Mathematics Survey, designed at Arizona State University, to explore how students view mathematics knowledge and learning. The surveys also contained free-response questions relating to mathematics understanding and important concepts and strategies they used in class. To help understand our analysis, we read other studies concerning experimental teaching methods. This presentation will explain our findings. For example, we found that although students' initial views about mathematics were similar, at the end of the semester what students believed was important for learning mathematics differed between comparison and experimental classes.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Karen Whitehead
Abstract: Nature is an efficient and fascinating chemist. The different biological systems found in nature contain vast numbers of enzymes that serve as biocatalysts in the processes necessary to all life. These enzymes found in nature are incredibly energy-efficient while also non-harmful to the environment. If these enzymes could be used to catalyze reactions crucial to industries such as the rapidly-growing pharmaceutical industry and the food and chemical industries, they would provide a relatively inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way of running a diverse collection of reactions. This project is one piece of a large, ongoing collaborative effort that includes students and faculty at Hope College (Holland, MI) and Furman University (Greenville, SC). The overall goal of this project is to use biocatalysts to generate a class of molecules called lactones. A number of lactones are insect sex pheremones and thus have potential to be used in environmentally friendly insect control. Lactones are also widely used as building blocks in the preparation of many pharmaceutical agents. Specifically, I have been developing a colorimetric assay to monitor our enzyme reactions and synthesizing substrates to react with our enzyme.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Thomas Goyne
Abstract: Communities have individuals with limited access to health care due to a low income and a lack of health insurance. These individuals frequently demonstrate life-styles with detrimental health behaviors, which include actions and/or inactions that negatively affect health status. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between health status, health behaviors and life-style among the uninsured and underserved clients at a nurse-managed center. Bruhn's (1988) framework of life-style and health behavior was used to guide this study. The SF-12 Health Survey was used to measure health status. A convenience sample of 83 men and women aged 19 to 64 were recruited. A questionnaire was developed to measure the multiple factors that influence the development of life-style and health behaviors. Pearson correlations revealed significant negative relationships among weight, medication usage, medical conditions, and physical, mental and general health status (p<.001). Weight was negatively correlated with medication usage and medical conditions (p<.001). There were significant differences in health status for gender, smoking habits, screening behaviors, and use of "street" drugs (p<.01). These results provide support for the links among life-style, health behaviors, and health status. Nurses can use the findings as empirical evidence in future assessments and interventions with underserved and uninsured clients.
Faculty Sponsor: Professors Elise Alverson and Teresa Kessler
Abstract: As researchers, our primary education focus is in business, but our secondary area of study is in public relations. By examining closely the role of external public relations in the success and failure of the steel industry and the integrated approach to these fields provides a more complete perspective. Through thorough study of the role of public relations in the current business world, specifically the steel industry, the implementation of external public relations can be analyzed to assess the overall success or failure of a steel mill. Considering that the steel industry has been around since the early 1800's with a long successful existence, the role of public relations developed more slowly as part of the organization. By interviewing key officials within the steel industry, the research explores the efforts in several areas of external public relations, specifically in media, community, and investor relations. The primary concentration illustrates the role of public relations with U.S. Steel as our model of a successful company in the industry and Bethlehem as the example of a less successful steel organization.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: What do Samuel Danforth (a seventeenth-century Puritan minister), Abraham Lincoln, and Senator Robert Byrd (D-W.V.) have in common? All three employed the jeremiad as a rhetorical device. A jeremiad is a sermon, made popular in Puritan times, that blames the problems of a society on that society's sinfulness and calls for a renewal for the covenant with God-a renewal that will lead to a better way of life. Given their societies' problems, it seems natural that these men would employ the jeremiad to get their people back on track. And yet Lincoln was not a Christian. This observation would therefore question a strictly religious motivation for employing the jeremiad; a close examination of jeremiads by both Danforth and Lincoln actually shows that establishing authority was one of their primary concerns. The fact remains, however, that they chose a form of religious rhetoric to establish this control, a fact that suggests that political and social control in the United States are inextricably linked to religious language. This theory sheds light on Senator Byrd's jeremiad about prayer in schools and gives us insight into how and why religious discourse is used in America today.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Andrew Murphy
Abstract: Kate Chopin, a late nineteenth-century author best known for her novel The Awakening, is often studied in the context of feminist or gender studies because of her daring stories about women and sexuality. The richness of Chopin's fiction, however, can best be appreciated and understood when other themes and ideas in her writing are examined as well. One such theme addresses art and music in her writing. This study examines this very theme, focusing specifically on Kate Chopin's own ideas about art, possible influences on her thoughts about art, her ideal portrait of an artist, the role art and music play in her fiction, and similarities between Chopin's fiction and other types of art such as painting and music. This overview of art and music in Chopin's fiction will not only show the complexity and depth of her writing, but it will also help to place Chopin in the literary movement of modernism, a movement very concerned with aesthetic issues similar to those Chopin herself addresses.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor John Feaster
Abstract: The senior Civil Engineering class is designing one large project together. This project is the design of a golf course, clubhouse, and other facilities over a landfill. The project that "Fair-Way Design" is submitting for the conference covers the landfill cover, gas collection and treatment, a septic system for the clubhouse, and the Environmental Impact Statement of the entire senior class project. The landfill cover design includes the thickness of the cover, its layers, and what they are composed of. The design of the gas collection system involves the location of the gas extraction wells, where the gas will be treated, and how it will be used. The septic system design includes the design of the septic tank and absorption field. The Environmental Impact Statement will cover the purpose and need for the project, the significant issues related to the project, a discussion and comparison of the alternatives (chosen and eliminated), the effect on the environment, and public participation.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carmine Polito
Abstract: One of the biggest challenges in forecasting weather events is not forecasting the arrival of an event, but forecasting which storm systems will bring large amounts of precipitation and which will not. Storms bringing more than half an inch of precipitation to the cities of Chicago, Cleveland, St.Louis, and Minneapolis in the years 2000 and 2001 were examined. The NCEP-NCAR reanalysis data set was used to investigate synoptic patterns durring, just before, and just after theses events. The flow patterns at the 500hPa level are a good indicator of the storm track associated with each system. After typical storm tracks are determined using the maps of high-precipitation events, other maps will be analyzed to determine other atmospheric conditions that are necessary or common in these storms. The results will be presented.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Teresa Bals-Elsholz
Abstract: Since previous research on group performance has shown that groups usually do not perform at their maximum level, and individuals tend to loaf in group settings (social loafing), the stepladder technique was developed to increase group performance. This technique creates a more structured decision-making process by breaking it into steps, beginning with only two group members, and successively adding one new member where they can present their decision without interruption. The present study examined whether it was necessary for group members to make an intermediate decision at each step in the process, specifically looking at the effect of an intermediate decision on the quality of group decisions as well as on the social loafing effect. Three experimental conditions were compared, a stepladder group without intermediate decision, a stepladder group with intermediate decision, and an unstructured/control group. It was predicted that the stepladder groups without intermediate decision would produce more accurate decisions than the other two experimental groups as well as their best group members. When comparing group accuracy, the results were inconclusive because the random assignment of individuals to experimental conditions failed, and groups started off with differing abilities to perform the task. However, the stepladder groups with intermediate decision had the scores closest to the best member scores. Analyses of survey questions showed that the social loafing effect might have been reduced in stepladder groups.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Jennifer Winquist
Abstract: Glutamine is part of a multi-pathway system that helps to protect cellular proteins from various stressful conditions. When cellular injury occurs, glutamine levels drop in the body. Studies indicate that supplementation with outside sources of glutamine makes a patient less prone to death and infection. One of glutamine's protective roles occurs through a class of highly conserved proteins called heat shock proteins that were discovered because of their induction by heat. It is hypothesized that increased glutamine levels in an organism will decrease the amount of heat needed to produce the same amount of heat shock proteins that are observed at higher temperatures. This hypothesis was tested using rats that were treated with either glutamine or saline control at either 39 or 41 degrees Celsius. Hearts, lungs, and livers of each animal were harvested and their tissue proteins were analyzed by Western blotting. The initial data indicates that increased glutamine levels do decrease the level of heat needed to produce more substantial heat shock protein levels. More samples have been gathered to further develop the correlation and show the relationship more accurately and definitively.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Beth Scaglione Sewell
Abstract: Binary star systems are among the most useful objects in astronomy. They are also one of the most common. It is estimated that 50-80 percent of the star systems in our galactic neighborhood have a binary companion. Using observational evidence from binary systems, astronomers have been able to determine masses, orbital radii, stellar radii, and orbital periods. These systems allow astronomers to accurately determine the characteristics of stars that are much too far away to be measured by more direct methods. This research project used the Valparaiso University Astronomical Observatory to observe an eclipsing binary star. The star I observed is EQ Tau, a W UMa-type contact binary star system. I compiled a complete light curve of the star's repeated variation over time. From these observations, measurements were made of the timing of minimum light and used to determine a reliable value for the period of the star's variability. This value was compared with other historical values for the star, and graph of the star's light curve was compared with previously observed light curves of the system.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bruce Hrivnak
Abstract: For the past three years, I have been working with The Caring Place, Inc. (CPI), a shelter and resource center for victims of domestic abuse. Throughout the past year, I noticed a lack of support from Christian churches towards abuse victims. Some abuse victims that come through the shelter feel ignored by their congregations, others feel shamed and ridiculed. Within several congregations today there has been a big push towards social outreach ministry. Why then is domestic violence a social concern that is often overlooked in churches, even though, in Porter County, it is more prevalent than homelessness? The first issue that needed to be tackled was why churches, as a whole, were not responding to this sub-set of the population, then they needed to be called to action. My attempt with the project is to educate congregations about the effects of domestic violence, make them aware that it can and does occur within their own churches and show ways they can help fight this social ill individually and as a community dedicated to peace and justice.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor David Weber
Abstract: Team Tornado has developed a virtual prototype for a fire-fighting robot to compete in the Trinity College Fire Fighting Competition. The robot is comprised of two circular levels of acrylic plastic with a diameter of 6 inches each. These two levels are connected using threaded rods that give the robot a total height of 11.046 in. The robot will be able to traverse a maze without operator contact under the control of a PIC microcontroller. Using its UV and sonar sensors the robot will detect the location of the candle and move to within 30 cm of the flame. It will then use its DC powered fan to extinguish the fire. The robot will also be able to read the state of a switch in order to select two different solution algorithms. This function will be used to show prospective students the versatility and intelligence of our robot.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Doug Tougaw
Abstract: The text of Isaiah 5:1-7 is one that contains wonderful poetic structure in the Hebrew language. This poetic structure leads to ambiguity within the meaning of the text. The speaker, the audience, and the meaning of the poem are all open to interpretation. This project is aimed at mapping out the possibilities for each the speaker, the audience, and the meaning of the poem. The Hebrew text is analyzed so that the understood history of Israel can be applied to the poem. Three distinct possibilities of who the speaker and audience are, and what the meaning of the poem is, are juxtaposed so that one can determine the strengths and weaknesses of each position. The project then determines which possibility is more likely by the standards of the Masoretic text, and the redactions of the of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carolyn Leeb
Abstract: Colon cancer, a leading cause of death within our culture, is an incurable disease for more than half of the patients diagnosed with it, causing the need for increased understanding of the events which lead to such a condition vitally important to the lives of many. By finding out how such a disease develops, researchers may then implement strategies to prevent the cascade of events leading to the formation of malignant cells within the colon. Protein Kinase C alpha is a known cell regulator, that has been shown to play a role in the development of cancer in the colon. It has been displayed that changes in how this protein works and how much of this protein is present within the cells both lead to an increased incidence of cancerous cells. Dr. Beth Scaglione Sewell, in previous research, has developed cell lines with varied expressions of Protein Kinase C alpha. Using these cells, we have examined the pathways of regulation of Protein Kinase C alpha. Specifically, we have looked at the role that Protein Kinase C alpha plays in regulating Cyclin D1 and p21Waf1, both key proteins involved in the cell cycle. Preliminary data indicate that both may be altered by differences in PKC alpha expression. By gaining a better understanding of the role that PKC- plays in regulating these proteins, a greater knowledge of the cascade that leads to rapid cell proliferation within the colon will develop, leading to new strategies to combat this malignancy.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Beth Scaglione Sewell
Abstract: To the ear alone, minimalist composer John Adams' piano solo "China Gates" may sound like a conglomeration of pretty but unrelated patterns. However, comparison of the score and Adams' gating chart (his graphic representation of the piece) reveals his careful organization of the work. Adams uses mirroring techniques to structure the work on multiple levels, including formal organization, pitch sets, the timing of individual sections, and even the rhythmic and melodic patterns of certain passages. Thus, while "China Gates" has the fluid, timeless quality so characteristic of American minimalism, that timelessness has been carefully crafted to create coherence.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Joseph Bognar
Abstract: The instrument we know as the modern French Horn has not always taken the familiar shape that we associate with it now. The earliest ancestor of the French Horn,
dating from the Sixth Century BC, seems hardly related to the orchestral horn of 1800. The driving force behind the evolving shape of the French Horn was the simultaneous change in function it was undergoing. The new developments allowed the horn to become more expressive and versatile. This project traces the changes in the shape of the Horn, showing the evolution from the earliest times to the concert horn we know today, through the use of standard historical secondary sources and images from primary documents. This project aims to give the viewer a better understanding of the French
Horn as an instrument and how it developed into what we are familiar with today.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Linda Ferguson
Abstract: This is a pilot study that seeks to isolate suppressor alleles responsible for counteracting colonial hyphal branching behavior in the Col-16 mutant of the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. The morphology of Neurospora crassa was generally characterized as either one of two forms: colonial or non-colonial branching behavior. The Col-16 mutant strain, which exhibits colonial branching, was radiated with UV light in order to induce suppressor mutations. These phenotypically wild-type double mutants were then crossed to a genotypically wild-type strain in order to separate the suppressed alleles. The meiotic products from that cross were recovered using shooting galleries for octad analysis. Isolation of the Col-16 mutant strain will allow for further characterization, such as gene mapping, cloning, and sequencing.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Mike Watters
Abstract: This study assessed the relative importance of a variety of factors on dating and marriage partner choices of men and women. Participants were shown hypothetical target persons (TP) who exhibited varying levels of masculinity, femininity, commitment, physical attractiveness and income. Participants indicated how likely they would be to choose each TP as either a dating or marriage partner. A previous study demonstrated that intrinsic qualities (personality and commitment) were more important determinants of choices than were extrinsic qualities (attractiveness and income). Since the previous study recruited students from Valparaiso University, it is possible that the greater importance of intrinsic factors may reflect the particular values of the kinds of students that this university attracts. Thus, the current experiment was posted on the internet, resulting in a much larger and more diverse sample from literally all over the world. The results of this internet-based study replicated the greater importance of intrinsic than extrinsic factors on partner choices. Commitment was especially important in that participants preferred high-commitment partners over low-commitment partners, even when the high-commitment partners were less attractive and had lower income than did low-commitment partners. Minimal sex differences were obtained. Thus, the results supported social constructionist theory, which argues that the sexes are more alike than different in the emphasis on commitment and egalitarian gender-roles as the most-sought qualities in partners. Minimal support was obtained for evolutionary theory, which argues that men seek attractive partners while women seek partners that offer security. In this study, the choices of men and women were generally more similar than different. The only sex differences obtained concerned the effects of attractiveness and income. Men preferred good-looking partners more than did women, and women preferred high-income partners more than did men. In spite of these differences, both men and women still placed greater weight on the intrinsic factors than on either of the two extrinsic factors.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Mike Dan Arkkelin
Abstract: Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is an intervention to stabilize infant physiologic status with use of skin-to-skin contact. Students questioned whether there would be a positive correlation between KMC and weight gain in low birth weight(LBW)neonates. Weight gain is an important indicator of infant well-being. Using a guided search of the literature, five senior nursing students obtained 13 studies involving KMC. While analyzing the studies, students evaluated the merits of and indications for KMC. Synthesis of the studies demonstrated that all neonates gained weight, although this weight gain was not significantly different from neonates not receiving KMC. The studies, done primarily in developing countries, demonstrated positive outcomes for infant-parent relationships and thermoregulation while reducing hospital length of stay and costs. Based on the synthesis, a decision to implement KMC with clinically stable LBW neonates was made, and a policy was created to offer guidelines for using KMC as a nursing intervention. A plan to implement and evaluate the KMC policy was proposed.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Nola Schmidt
Abstract: How do Chinese parents experience raising children? What parenting attitudes do they hold, and how stressful is the parenting experience in contemporary mainland China? Furthermore, how do parental stress and parental attitudes relate to each other? In order to begin investigation of these questions, correlational research was carried out in Hangzhou, a mid-sized Chinese city, to investigate the possible presence and nature of relationships between parental stress and parenting attitudes in mainland China. As part of an undergraduate field research seminar, Likert-style questionnaires were administered to parents of 8-10 year olds and 15-17 year olds enrolled in public elementary and high schools in Hangzhou. The relationships between parental stress scores and parental attitudes were examined, as well as the influence of other variables, such as parent's gender, child's age, family income, and parent's occupation.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Stanley Hughes
Abstract: This study is a continuation of work done last year investigating a family of graphs created from essentially equivalent lattice paths. To obtain these graphs, each path in an m x n lattice corresponds to a vertex in the graph; two paths are considered equivalent if they share more than k edges and therefore their corresponding vertices in the graph are connected. We denote such a graph by G(m, n, k). This year we identified some interesting complete sub-graphs and determined the number of edges in G(m, 2, 0), G(m, 2, 1), and G(m,2,m-1). We also generated data sets giving the number of edges to use in further investigations of this type.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Richard Gillman
Abstract: In countries such as the United States, where history has been overall a tale of national victories, success is largely defined by positive gains measured in material wealth, fame, or power. However, this is not globally the case. For example, in Hungary, revolutions, battles, and history have in general become a losing fight, while those who achieved their goals for the nation on a large scale are few and far between. Nevertheless, many national heroes pervade the country's heritage and are honored as "successful". Through literary and political commentary as well as personal experience, my research presents a dialogue to lay the foundations of a possible alternate definition to success that adapts to a tragic history such as that of Hungary.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Mel Piehl
Abstract: This semester I am working at Professor Neff's research assistant. We are researching the changing role of Public Relations in society. Public Relations courses offered at universities are multiplying and careers are growing. People educated in P.R. are in demand. As the business world deals with crisis and scandal, P.R. practioners are there to help business and society. Through my research with Prof. Neff, I plan on compiling data that represents P.R.'s changing role at universities and in the workplace. We have plans to submit a paper for publication and present finding at this conference and possibly others.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: Public Relations is a field of study that is rapidly changing, adapting to options available through the Internet, and gaining company attention as they locate in China. E-commerce and online business are center stage on the global market and in the economies of China and East Asia (Wymbs and Pettit 2003). The presence of the Internet in China affects the field of Public Relations. Evidence shows the Internet has influenced communications and business as well as the culture in China. The presence of computers and cyber cafés show that the Internet is diffusing into the general population.
The evolving landscape of Public Relations can be analyzed in several ways. Through surveys completed by more than 150 Chinese young people and interviews with Chinese business people and PR experts in Hangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, conclusions support the presence of the Internet is affecting China's PR. Nevertheless, the Internet is still a wild youth without established boundaries or a solidified identity throughout China and has yet to launch PR to a new level.
Internal and external sources describe the Internet as an unstoppable force and as a catalyst for change affecting many aspects within Public Relations as business, government, and culture increase their need for PR functions in China.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: The Crystal Ball Collaboration has collected data to study the neutral final states of K- p and pi- p and interactions. The data were collected at momenta between 500 and 750 MeV/c at AGS at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. One of the K- p reactions, K- p -> Sigma 0 + gamma, results in a final state of a neutron and four photons. The backgrounds for this reaction come from K- p -> Lambda + pi0, K- p -> Ks + n, and K- p -> Sigma0 + pi0, which have a neutron and four or five photons in their final states. Methods used to reduce the background and analyze the data will be presented.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Shirvel Stanislaus
Abstract: During embryonic morphogenesis of Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog), the migration of certain tissues is made possible by differential cellular adhesion. Best quantified as surface tensions (sigmas), cellular adhesions enable in vivo and in vitro flow of tissues in liquid-like fashion from one configuration to the next. Normal morphogenesis and movements in organ culture suggest that subsurface presumptive endoderm from the yolk plug (YP) and blastocoel floor (BF) possess dramatically different surface tensions, with sigma YP > sigma BF. If so, when aggregates of YP and BF are placed into contact in organ culture, the aggregate with the lower sigma (BF) should slowly envelop the aggregate with the greater sigma (YP). To test this, due to the similarity of both tissues, the YP was first tagged by submersion in a solution of fluorescent DiI to trace its migration. DiI is a lipid membrane-specific fluorescent probe, which glows fiery-red under blue-green light (545nm). When labeled YP was placed in contact with the unlabeled BF, the BF enveloped the YP, masking the tracer. After fixation in formaldehyde and subsequent cracking of the fused aggregate, DiI tracer was found within, indicating that the BF had indeed swallowed the YP. Reciprocal tests are underway.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Grayson Davis
Abstract: Canaveral Harbor, Florida, includes various harbor features constructed during the past 48 years, including two jetties constructed in 1954 for protection of the channel entrance. Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is investigating the sand tightening and extension of the north jetty in order to stop sand into the harbor, since the current jetty is no longer acceptable. Looking for a better solution, the Jacksonville Army Corps of Engineers sponsored a project to find that solution at a better price than what their plan offered.
Valparaiso University assembled a Value Engineering team to investigate the current north jetty plans. It consisted of five upperclassmen civil engineering students and a faculty advisor. Value Engineering includes brainstorming and researching new problem-solving ideas while checking if they can be cost effective without sacrificing value. After brainstorming, one combination of ideas was planting sea oats, using Geotubes instead of a jetty extension, and pressure grouting the existing jetty. The other combination included planting sea oats, pressure grouting, and driving vinyl sheet piles for the new jetty instead of proposed steel sheet piles. Both combinations had advantages and disadvantages. They were presented to the Corps, who looked upon the work favorably and are in the process of considering the options.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Zuhdi Aljobeh
Abstract: The civil engineering senior design project involves designing a golf course on top of an existing uncapped landfill. The group of students was broken up into smaller, specialized groups. The hydrology and water resources group has many exciting challenges including designing detention systems for runoff control and an irrigation system to keep the golf course looking nice and green. Many possible alternatives are currently being investigated to control the runoff, such as an underground detention system. This will also include native grasses to help promote infiltration. This is all necessary to tie into the project as a whole, since there are so many aspects of civil engineering in a single project. Every group depends on each other to make sure that information is properly shared with each other, since everything in civil engineering ties together.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carmine Polito
Abstract: Top public relations agencies differentiate themselves and reach industry dominance through big image clients. The study on the reputation, image, history, and strategic aspects of top Chicago PR firms generated an understanding of what distinguishes prominent agencies. The results indicate strong image clients are crucial to launching PR agencies to heightened reputation and dominance in their field.
Research was conducted through one-on-one interviews at agencies including Weber Shandwick Worldwide, Fleishman- Hillard, Hill & Knowlton, Ketchum, and Edelman (listed as the top firms in PRWeek 2002). Surveys of professionals outside the agencies were used to determine the image of the selected agencies. The internal surveys established the image of the agency from their employee perspectives. "Research shows that companies with a 'winning' corporate reputation enjoy an enormous perceptual advantage over their less-regarded competition" (Cox, The Strategist, 1998). The concluding evidence supports the theory that the energy PR firms direct toward securing big image accounts is essential to the development of a PR agency's prestige.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: As civil engineers, we are a part of the senior design project of constructing a golf course on a landfill. We are using Deercroft Landfill as our model. There are five teams of students, including Environmental, Geotechnical, Hydrology, Structural, and Transportation. As the Geotechnical Team, we are in charge of several components of the design. Our group must do soil profiles at each point in which building is being done; help the environmental team with the landfill cover; determine the foundations of the clubhouse; find the number of piles and the pile capacity; calculate the amount of earthwork which will need to done; and calculate the earth pressures for the garage of the clubhouse.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Carmine Polito
Abstract: Women are increasingly becoming part of the economic world. In order to accommodate their new role, many countries have established "family friendly" policies to enable them to both develop their careers and care for their children. These policies particularly reflect slowly changing reforms in child-care availability, affordability, and necessity. These policies are also often a reflection of the local culture. Some cultures are composed of a "nation of families," in which they attempt to maintain the traditional family lifestyle. Other cultures consist of a "nation of individuals" and desire to satisfy both the career and family desires of women. Not all workplace policies can be entirely successful due to differing ideals, but some offer more incentives in order to encourage women to establish careers without compromising their fertility. A comparison of the policies that other nations have successfully established may help the United States to develop similar family-oriented workplace policies. These policies may lead to a rise in national fertility rates after several decades of decline.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Mike Johnson
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to compare working mothers in Japan to those in Finland. Especially, the choice they make between quitting or continuing to work after giving birth. This paper will focus on two main points. First, the circumstances of Japanese working mothers will be discussed. Recently, women have become more active in Japanese society in terms of pursuing their careers. However when they get married and become pregnant, most of them tend to face the issue of whether or not to give up their jobs in order to raise their children. Within Japan, women when faced with this issue, still find it very difficult to choose to continue working. Therefore this paper will explain why this is such a problem for Japanese women. Second, the circumstances of Finnish working mothers will be analyzed. In stark contrast to Japan, Finland is well known for its established concepts of sexual equality. Within Finland, many women are very active in their working lives and continue to work even after giving birth. Therefore this paper will also explain the reason why Finnish women are easily able to continue working while raising their children.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Dot Nuechterlein
Abstract: The present study examined the causal relationship between self-focus and negative affect. Specifically, self-focus on private and public aspects of
the self was manipulated to determine the effect of self-focus on anxiety and depression. Furthermore, social support, body image, and perfectionism were measured to determine if these additional variables influence the
relationship between self-focus and affect. This study manipulated self-focus at five
different levels: positive-private, negative-private, positive-public, negative-public, and a control group. It is predicted that negative
self-focus will result in more negative affect and positive self-focus will result in less negative affect. It is also predicted that social
support, body image, and perfectionism will moderate the relationship between self-focus and negative affect. Specifically, it is expected that people who have a positive body image, high level of social support, and low
levels of perfectionism will be less influenced by the induced self-focus than other people.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Jennifer Winquist
Abstract: Public relations in non-profit organizations serves a central role in the organizational infrastructure (Heath 2002). Our study reviewed the key public relations functions established in the literature and applied this model to six national non-profits. The results indicate public relations is vital to the operation of a non-profit. The results further indicate public relations is best studied from a functional approach (Neff 2000). Marketing and public relations roles can easily be confused due to their efforts in communication, persuasion, and relationships (Heath 2002). Due to the overlap in functions, public relations and marketing responsibilities can make departments less effective. The non-profit organizations examined and completed on a national and a local level included the American Red Cross, the American Youth Hostels (also called Hostelling International), the Boys and Girls Club, ELCA, Habitat for Humanity, and the YMCA. Although each organization uses different titles for their public relations positions, all successful non-profit organizations utilize public relations functions.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Bonita Neff
Abstract: The MicroMouse is a robot that is capable of navigating a selected maze and completing ten runs in ten minutes without human intervention. The MicroMouse must adhere to contest rules and specifications for the APEC, the Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition. APEC is a leading worldwide event for practicing power professionals. The basic function of the MicroMouse is to travel from the start square to the destination square. This is otherwise known as a "run". The time it takes to travel from start to destination is called the run time. However, the maze time is the total time from the first activation for the MicroMouse until the start of each run is measured. The scoring of the contest rewards speed, efficiency of maze solving, and self-reliance of the MicroMouse.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Wes Stone
Abstract: U.S. and China relations were essentially frozen prior to Sept. 11th, 2001 due to the accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy and the surveillance plane incident in the South China Sea. Relations between the two countries have dramatically improved since the terrorist attacks. The purpose of my project is to examine the Chinese response to September 11th and the subsequent shift in U.S. foreign policy. I hypothesize that the Chinese are sympathetic to the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks, but they are also wary of the increased hegemonic influence of U.S. foreign policy around the world. China has experienced its own form of terrorism in the form of Islamic separatist movements within its own borders. The final components of my research include an analysis of the Chinese definition of terrorism and how they view their country's role in the global war against terror. To further supplement my research, I will be conducting interviews in China. Furthermore, I will also conduct a 40-question survey using the Likert scale. Due to the political sensitivity of this issue, my data will not be representative of the entire Chinese population. However, it will provide an insight into how Chinese urban intellectuals view this issue.
Faculty Sponsor: Professor Robin Visser