Podium Presentations

Correlation Between Saturation Magnetization, Bandgap and Lattice Volume of Transition Metal (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co or Ni) Doped Zn1-xMxO Nanoparticles

Joshua Anghel — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:56:05 PDT

This work reports on transition metal doped ZnO nanoparticles and compares the effects doping with different transition metal ions has on the structural, optical, and magnetic properties. Zn1-xMxO (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co or Ni) nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical process for x = 0.02 and 0.05 in powder form. The powders where characterized by x-ray diffraction, spectrophotometry and magnetometry. The Zn1-xMxO samples showed a strong correlation between changes in the lattice parameters, bandgap energy, and the ferromagnetic saturation magnetization. Unit cell volume and bandgap, determined from x-ray diffraction and spectrophotometry respectively, were maximized with Fe doping and decreased as the atomic number of the dopant moved away from Fe. Bandgap was generally lower at x = 0.05 than x = 0.02 for all dopants. Weak ferromagnetism was found for all transition metals, with the highest magnetization observed for 5% Fe, giving a similar trend corresponding to the unit cell volume and bandgap. The saturation magnetization reached a maximum of 6.38 memu/g for Zn0.95Fe0.05O. This correlation shows that the transition metal dopant type plays a crucial role in the structural, optical, and magnetic properties of ZnO.

The Unreliability of Philosophical Intuitions

Jordan Park — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:51:16 PDT

Many philosophers, particularly those of the contemporary analytic variety, appeal to intuitions to justify their arguments. This practice is best known through hypothetical stories, sometimes called ‘thought experiments’. Within the story, a certain philosophical concept seems to intuitively apply to an action, state, phenomenon, etc. Basically, our intuitions about hypothetical cases are thought to serve as evidential information that a philosophical theory ought account for. A philosophical theory that does not account for this “evidence” is regarded as false or extremely implausible. A bold assumption is being made that intuitions are the sort of thing that can guide us to philosophical truths. This essay challenges the evidential use of intuitions in philosophy. An epistemic argument is formed to the conclusion that intuitive seemings cannot justify premises in philosophical inquiry. It is argued that philosophical intuitions are not known to be reliable since they fail to meet the conditions for a reliable source of information that we ought (and, indeed, often do) uphold. Philosophical intuitions, therefore, are not admissible as evidence/justification. Yet philosophers need not worry about philosophical progress without intuition, since there are more reliable tools at their disposal.

2010 Japanese Speech Contest

Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Boise State University — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:56:30 PDT

Students from Dr. Tetsuya Ehara's class will provide oral presentations in Japanese. Presenters include: Keegan Cothern - The Importance of Asia, Aubrey Morris - Sumo, Benjamin Reed - Do You think Anime is Good at Teaching Japanese?, and Christopher Sower - My Family's History.

2010 Chinese Speech Contest

Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, Boise State University — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 07:48:42 PDT

The 2010 Madarin Chinese Speech Content will feature students from Dr. Zhen Ruan and Dr. Sharon Wei's classes. Topics will include explanations on why the students are taking the course and descriptions of their instructor. Presenters include: Samantha Lee, Rachel Likins, Maggie Ooi, Melissa Long, Huiying Wu, Casey Montgomery, Janos Cserna, Karina Bashir, Gib Birdsong, Paris Gaudin, Nicole Grey, Carli Visser, Aubrey Brinton, and Adam Keener.

Impacts of Regional Cold Front and Localized Weather Phenomena on Autumn Migration of Raptors and Landbirds in Southwest Idaho

Robert Miller — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:28 PDT

Weather has a significant effect on avian migration but determining if the effect is similar across diverse geographic regions and across all species remains to be determined. We evaluated the impact of regional cold fronts and localized weather phenomena on the autumn migratory timing of multiple landbirds and raptor species in southwest Idaho. The focus of the analysis was on the total landbirds and the top ten individual landbird species by volume along with total raptors and the top eight individual raptor species. Using 13 years of data from the Idaho Bird Observatory in southwest Idaho (1997-2009), including standardized landbird mist-net captures and raptor counts during autumn migration, we determined significant patterns which differ from the established literature with regards to the effect of regional cold fronts on fall migration. Our data show a depression of migratory volumes of most species on the days immediately before, during, and after the passage of a cold front, with peak flights for most species occurring many days later. Wind speed had the broadest impact of ten weather related variables. Lastly, we present hypotheses that could explain the unique impact of weather phenomena on avian migration in the western United States, most notably that most avian species choose to migrate during calm winds, high pressure, and between cold fronts when the opportunity presents itself.

Development of Bioluminescent Mammary Cancer Cells with Knocked Down Expression of OSM for Detection of Bone Metastasis in Vivo

Caleb Sutherland et al. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:27 PDT

Oncostatin M (OSM) is a multifunctional cytokine belonging to the interleukin (IL)-6 subfamily. OSM was originally recognized by its ability to decrease breast and other tumor cell proliferation in vitro. Based on data from our lab, we hypothesize that OSM is a mediator of breast cancer metastasis to bone. For our model system, we are utilizing two cell lines, 4T1.2 and 66c14, which were derived from the mammary carcinoma of a Balb/c mouse. 4T1.2 cells express medium levels of OSM and are highly metastatic to bone, lymph nodes, and lungs when injected into the mammary fat pad of Balb/c mice. 66c14 cells express low levels of OSM and demonstrate low levels of metastasis that is restricted to the lymph nodes and lungs. A small hairpin RNA (shRNA) to OSM was designed and stably transfected into the cells in order to decrease or ‘knock down’ OSM expression. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify levels of secreted OSM protein in both cell lines and confirm knocked down OSM expression. Normal 4T1.2 and 66c14 cells, as well as knockdown 4T1.2 and 66c14 cells, will be injected into the mammary fat pad of female Balb/c mice. To visualize metastasis to bone in vivo, the cell lines are currently being transfected with pGL4, a vector containing a bioluminescence maker called luciferase. The luciferase gene was isolated from the firefly and encodes an enzyme, which along with its substrate luciferin, can be used to image the cells expressing luciferase in vivo. Our aim is to determine whether tumor cell-produced OSM is necessary for breast cancer metastasis to bone by measuring metastasis in cells that have knocked down expression of OSM. If our results confirm our hypothesis, inhibiting OSM and its signaling may be a new target for treating breast cancer metastasis to bone.

Ferroelectricity in Homoepitaxial Off-Stoichiometric SrTiO3 Films Studied by Ultraviolet Raman Spectroscopy

Andrew Farrar — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:26 PDT

Ferroelectrics are materials possessing a spontaneous and switchable electrical polarization, which are exploited for various electronic devices, such as non-volatile memories or tunable microwave devices. Strontium titanate, SrTiO3 is a material, which remains in a non-ferroelectric state down to liquid helium temperatures. However, a slight perturbation, such as strain, oxygen isotope substitution, or doping can lead to the appearance of ferroelectric polarization. Here we study the effect of off-stoichiometry on the ferroelectric behavior of SrTiO3 thin films. We apply ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy, which is a useful tool for the study of ferroelectric thin films, as it probes crystal lattice vibrations, which are directly related to the ferroelectricity. Homoepitaxial SrTiO3 films with Sr off-stoichiometry from 0.8 to 1.25 studied here were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on SrTiO3 (001) substrates. Off-stoichiometry for Sr-deficient compositions leads to the appearance of strong first-order Raman scattering at low temperatures, which decreases with increasing temperature and disappears at about 350 K. This indicates the appearance of spontaneous ferroelectric polarization with the Curie temperature above room temperature. Strontium-rich samples also show strong first-order Raman signal, but the peaks are significantly broader and exhibit a less pronounced temperature dependence, indicating a stronger contribution of the disorder-activated mechanism in Raman scattering.

Continuous Authentication for Secure Mobile Applications

Jason Christensen — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:25 PDT

Mobile devices like smart mobile phones, tablet computers, and netbooks have a key differentiation in usage pattern over traditional computing environments. These platforms are usually "outside of the firewall" and continuously exposed to "hostile" network environments. Therefore, we enter an era of computing that must assume nothing about traditional distributed computing interactions. To address this, I have been researching a cryptographic based mechanism for continuous authentication and data handling. This allows for a number of alternative approaches to traditional security mechanisms. This presentation will focus on describing continuous authentications challenges, applications, and possibilities. We will examine how to use traditional and non-traditional cryptographic techniques to address life outside the perimeter, and look at how we can actually leverage the continuously interactive aspects of modern mobile applications to enhance security.

Representing Propositional Connectives with Modular Polynomials

Shawn Davis — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:24 PDT

This paper explores the relationship between n-valued propositional logic connectives and modular polynomials, namely the representing of logic connectives using modular polynomials. The case for n=2 is explored and a method is developed for finding the coefficients of the unique polynomial that represents any given binary logic connective. Examples are then given for using the modular polynomial representations of connectives to determine the validity of propositional arguments. A similar procedure is shown for when n=3 and an evaluation of the axioms of Lukasiewicz's 3-valued logic is given using modular polynomials. The general case is explored to determine for which values of n the representation holds. It is then shown that mod n polynomial functions are sufficient for representing any n-valued logic connective if and only if n is prime.

Parasite Prevalence Study at the Idaho Humane Society

Emilee Kottcamp et al. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:23 PDT

Background: Intestinal parasites are a frequent problem in domestic animals. There are five commonly recognized parasites found among cats and dogs in the northwest United States. This study observed four of the five parasites: roundworms, hookworms, coccidia, and giardia. Although tapeworms are a common parasite, they were not prevalent in this study. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to observe what parasites were commonly seen at the Idaho Humane Society (IHS) and to determine if there was a difference in parasite prevalence among two sample animal populations. Methods: An owned-animal population and a shelter population were the two populations from which samples were collected by IHS. Fecal samples were collected randomly within the two populations. Fecal samples were sent to Antech Laboratories for testing. Results were entered into an Access database for analysis. Results: Throughout a two week period, 78 fecal samples were collected and tested. Among the 78 fecal samples, 56% were from dogs and 44% were from cats. Overall 15% of the samples were from clinic animals and 85% were from shelter animals. The study found that 6% of the sample population contained parasites, with roundworm being the most prevalent. Parasites were found only in the shelter animals. Discussion: Parasites were detected in six percent of the total sampled population, suggesting that the current ongoing anti-parasite program should continue.

Bed Bugs: Beyond the Nuisance

Lea Duffin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:22 PDT

Public health fears and economic concerns surround bed bug (Cimex lectularius) infestations. A resurgence of bed bug infestations was seen nationwide beginning in the early 2000s, and anecdotal reports from pesticide applicators and health districts in Idaho suggest a similar upward trend; however, the magnitude of the Idaho problem, the geographic distribution, pesticide application practices, costs, and client education practices is unclear. Web-based, electronic, and phone surveys were developed for three groups with a stake in bed bug response and/or control including Idaho Health Districts, licensed pest control operations (PCO), and members of the Idaho lodging and restaurant association in order to assess the bed bug problem in Idaho. Preliminary PCO responses suggest a statewide distribution of bed bugs, with an apparent increase in call volume over the last 12 months suggests this is an increasing burden. Preliminary survey results suggest that complaints were received from all lodging types; however, hotels, shelters, and high-density housing were most frequently reported as problematic settings for infestation. Bed bugs were found extensively throughout these facilities, especially near beds. The inspection and pesticide application process is timely, often requiring repeat application, and costly to achieve elimination. There is a need for Idaho-specific educational materials by both public health and PCO professionals regarding bed bug public health risks and safe elimination practices.

Do High Frequency Oscillation Vests Reduce Vital Capacity in Normal Subjects?

Brad Hughett et al. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:21 PDT

Background: High frequency oscillation vests are an important therapy in numerous disease states. The therapy vests physically compress and shake the chest serving to loosen and mobilize pulmonary secretions. Aerosolized medications are frequently delivered concurrently with vest therapy. Patients receiving aerosolized medications are instructed to breathe deeply. However, the design and operation of the vest may affect a patient's ability to do so. It is our hypothesis that a healthy person’s vital capacity (VC) will decrease with the use of these vests at medium and high pressure and frequency settings.

Method: Our study used four subjects with healthy lungs. We obtained a baseline slow VC using a Medical Graphics Corporation 1085/D Spirometer calibrated following American Thoracic Society guidelines and using BreezeSuite 6.2 software, these measurements served as our control. Participants were then fitted with the Vest ®Airway Clearance System: Model number 104 and slow VC measurements were repeated. We performed measurements at medium settings of 15 Hz, 6 or 60% pressure and high settings of 20 Hz and 9 or 90% pressure. Subjects wore a thin single layer of cotton clothing and were sitting throughout testing. This process was then repeated using the inCourage™ RespirTech Model number ICS-IM-US . Manufactures specific full vests, tubing, and connections were used and fitted according to manufacturer’s instruction for both the inCourage™ and the Vest ®Airway Clearance Systems.

Results: See Table 1

Conclusion: The VC of all subjects was lower when wearing the high frequency oscillation devices. The VC of subject three was significantly reduced. In most cases the high pressure settings resulted in the lowest VC measurements. VC reductions ranged from 50cc’s to 1380 cc’s. We were unable to easily explain the large reduction in VC for subject 3, as vest fit was correct and similar to other subjects and four VC measurements demonstrated reproducibility. These reductions may be clinically significant. Further testing is required to fully realize the impact of combining high frequency chest oscillation vests with nebulized medication therapy.

How Do Tidal Volume and Peep Settings Affect Expiratory Resistance? A Bench Study of the LTV® 1200 Homecare Ventilator

James Matsuura et al. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:20 PDT

Background: Home care ventilators hold a prominent place in the world of mechanical ventilation, and careful selection of ventilator modes and settings profoundly impact patient outcomes. In addition to patient factors, exhalation valves can generate expiratory resistance (ER) and can increase work-of-breathing and contribute to auto-PEEP. Analyzing ER on new homecare ventilators is crucial to patient care. The purpose of this study is to analyze the affects of tidal volume (Vt) and PEEP on ER on the Pulmonetic LTV® 1200 homecare ventilator.

Method: ER was measured on the Pulmonetic LTV® 1200 (LTV) homecare ventilator. The LTV was attached to the Hans Rudolph Electronic Breathing Simulator (HR 1101) using Pulmonetic’s non-heated circuit. Pressure and flow transducers (Hans Rudolph 4700 series) were calibrated using DT Foundry software and a Downs CPAP generator. Both transducers were placed before the exhalation valve, and ER was calculated using the equation (P1-P2/V). P1 = pressure before the exhalation valve, P2 = ambient pressure after the exhalation valve, and V = flow in liters per second. The ventilator was placed in volume A/C mode, frequency 12 breaths/minute, using tidal volumes (Vt) of 300, 500, 700, and 900 mL, ER was measured and recorded at each change. This process was repeated with set PEEP levels of 8, 11, and 14 cmH2O.

Results: See Table 1.

Conclusion: As expected, this study found that ER changed when Vt and PEEP were manipulated. The values for ER in this study are consistent with previous studies which reported ER values of 2.1 – 159.0 cmH2O/L/sec for modern intensive care ventilators. The apparent inconsistency of expiratory resistance values at Vt 500 ml and 900 ml was possibly due to a defect in sampling methods--insufficient time devoted to letting the LTV stabilize after adjusting Vt. Future studies should utilize a longer sampling period. Overall, additional studies are necessary to thoroughly evaluate expiratory resistance in the clinical setting since patient variables may also impact expiratory resistance.

Examining the Connection Between Elevated Triglyceride Levels and Risk for Diabetes in Latino Adults

Jonathan Glogowski et al. — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:19 PDT

Aims: Identify the link, if any, between elevated triglyceride levels and risk for type 2 diabetes in Latino adults residing in southwest Idaho. Methods: Anthropometric measures (height; weight; neck, hip and abdominal girth; thigh skinfold; tricepts and suprailium skinfold on females; chest and abdominal skinfold on males), fasting glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1C and lipid profiles were collected on 148 Latino adults (female n=80, male n=68) from two faith communities. Participants ranged in age from 18-75 years (mean=42.7 years). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the formula m/ht2 where m is mass in kilograms and ht is height in meters. Correlational statistical analyses was carried out with the variables of glucose, BMI, triglycerides, cholesterol and hemoglobin A1C. Background: Diabetes is one of the fastest growing disease classifications within the United States, especially among the Latino population. Nationally 2.5 million Latinos 20 years of age or older, have diabetes. Latino individuals are 1.7 times as likely to have diabetes compared to non-Hispanic white individuals of similar age. These numbers are on a steady increase and only account for diagnosed cases of diabetes. Prevalence rates for the common complications of diabetes imply that developing strategies for early identification of those at high risk of developing diabetes is a critical need. Triglyceride levels were examined as a possible method to provide earlier detection of diabetes risk. Results: A Kendall’s tau b correlation coefficient reveals significant association between glucose, triglycerides and BMI. The correlation coefficient between triglycerides and glucose was 0.277 (p=0.01). The correlation coefficient between BMI and glucose was 0.228 (p=0.01). The only significant correlation of interest with hemoglobin A1C was BMI (0.243, p=0.01). Conclusions: The stronger correlation between triglycerides and glucose as opposed to BMI and glucose suggests that triglycerides may be a more robust predictor than BMI of diabetes risk. However, due to the limited size of this study more research is required in this area to further explore the viability of triglycerides as a single predictor of diabetes risk.

Linguistic Politics: Creating a Communication Canon Post WWII

Erin Miller — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:18 PDT

What does it mean to communicate and how “best” can this action be accomplished? Perhaps the second part of this question, rather than the first, describes the history of approaches to ideas of communication and their practices. The first “official” textbook providing a window on this history reveals a remarkable consensus on what “communication” and related terms should mean, if not directly in models, then in their assumptions and, especially, their orientations -- both of which grew out of World War II and migrated quickly into the 1950’s. The field of communication was nascent when, in 1954, The Process and Effects of Mass Communication was published as educational content for budding scholars. The relevance of this “first” literature for the social sciences of communication is the variety of linearity growing out of that literature’s veiled militaristic language. This paper looks behind the veil.

Factors Influencing International Political Rights: A Multiple Regression Analysis

Regan Charlton — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:17 PDT

For my undergraduate research, I evaluated what factors influenced a nation’s political rights score as determined by the international organization, Freedom House. I conducted this study by developing a multiple regression analysis through Pollock’s Political Analysis SPSS output. The data set contained the political rights scores of 114 different nations. I focused on five major indicators in my analysis of political rights including: the ethno-linguistic heterogeneity of a country, the feelings of each country's population towards religion, the economic development of a nation, the percentage of the a country's population that is rural, and whether the country awarded women's suffrage before or after 1920. The model has an R Square of .779, which means that the independent variables explain 78 percent of the variation in the political rights scores of nations around the world. Other tests confirmed that each of the five independent variables were effective in determining the variation within the dependent variable. Each of my original hypotheses were confirmed by analysis. The model revealed that all other things being equal, as a particular country’s ethno-linguistic hetereogeneity increased, the political rights score decreased; as the percentage of country’s population that viewed religion as “very important” increased, the political rights score decreased; as the economic development of a country increased, the political rights score increased, as the percentage of a country’s population that was rural increased, the political rights score decreased and if a nation awarded women’s suffrage before 1920 it would have a higher political rights score than if suffrage had been awarded after 1920. This project is complete.

Perceptions of Discrimination: An Analysis of Four National Surveys of Latinos; Findings from the Pew Hispanic Center/Kaiser Family Foundation National Survey of Latinos

Jenny Gallegos — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:16 PDT

Objective: Throughout the history of the United States different legal measures have resulted in efforts to deal with immigration issues, and some have resulted in adverse consequences for Latinos in particular. Massive immigration from 1850-1920 arose the historic distrust and suspicion of Anglos toward Mexicans and tended to evoke various kinds of repressive acts, excluding Mexican Americans from political participation (Garcia and de la Garza 1977). After the 9/11 attacks Latinos reported a heightened level of perceived discrimination as well as fear of deportation, even among U.S. Citizens. Methods: Using multiple-regression analysis this study analyzes four datasets of National Survey of Latinos for years 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2007. Individual factors such as gender, citizenship, income level, and marital status were used to determine the impact on perceptions of discrimination among Latinos. Significance: Reasonable perceptions of discrimination, a lack of political trust and sporadic political participation for Latinos suggest troubling prospects for the future of race relations, the American political system, and the entire essence of democracy.

Identifying Student Perceptions: The Effect of Parent-Child Relationships on Attitudes Towards Academic Abilities

Heather Gifford — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:15 PDT

This study expands on research that identifies the many negative effects poor parent-child relationships can have on children by examining how these disadvantages continue into children’s young-adult lives and influence attitudes and confidence levels towards success. This study will focus on young-adult, college students and will specifically consider their attitudes and confidence levels towards achieving self-defined, academic success. The purpose of this research is to determine if participants with weak parent-child relationship face more academic disadvantages due to lower levels of confidence and development of derogatory attitudes towards their capability to achieve in order to identify potential educational disparities related to family background. Twenty-two face-to-face interviews were completed with college students from a Northwestern University in which questions about family background and academic attitudes were asked. Findings indicated the converse of the hypothesis to be true showing that students with the weakest parent-child relationships exhibited the highest levels of confidence in their ability to achieve academic success on their own without any outside influences.

Support for Success: An Exploration of the Support Networks of Latino Students in the College Assistance Migrant Program

Alexandra Ornelas Gonzalez — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:15 PDT

Research on Latino college students finds high attrition and low completion rates at the four-year level. This study explores the support networks of Latino students in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) during their first year in college. Surveys and interviews were used to determine which individuals the students went to for support on academic matters, educational and occupational plans, personal matters, and information on job opportunities. The main goal of this study is to learn about the individuals that form the students’ support networks and the resources that emerge from the ties to those individuals for each type of support. The students were able to gain valuable resources through these ties, which helped them persist in college and navigate the school system. Findings indicate that CAMP staff and family are important sources of emotional and informational support for the students and are helpful in their adjustment and persistence in college.

Personality and Character Selection in World of Warcraft

Ian Mosley — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:13:14 PDT

This study examined the relationship between player personality traits and character selection in the massively multiplayer online role playing game the World of Warcraft (WoW). I hoped to answer the question: can we “derive meaningful information about players from their behaviors online?” (Yee 2006, p. 325). Data was collected from 205 WoW players who participate in a online survey that included the Big 5 Personality Inventory (Extroversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability and Intellect) and portions of the California Personality Index, as well as original questions pertaining to WoW. Statistical analysis showed that although there was not a significant relationship between player personality traits and their class or faction selection, there were significant relationships between personality traits and engagement in player versus player game play.