Computationally Modelling the Trophic Cascade in Yellowstone National Park

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Emily Menden and Dr. Sean Warnick, Department of Computer Science Introduction The area of quantitative ecology has been growing in recent years as biologists and mathematicians come together to better understand the ecological dynamics in the systems that surround us. One category of systems that begs to be studied is systems in which species are […]

Measuring Metabolic Responses to Calorie Restriction with Mass Spectrometry

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Nathan Keyes and Dr. John Price, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Abstract Calorie restriction is of prime importance to age related physiology and pathophysiology. It is well established that calorie restriction extends lifetime, however the full mechanism of why this happens is not completely understood. In this study, we attempted to gather kinetic proteomic data […]

Photoluminescence Studies in Arsenic-Doped Cadmium Telluride

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Scott Crossen and Dr. John Colton, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction Thin film photovoltaics are a promising candidate in the search for cheap, efficient solar cells. In particular, cadmium telluride is one of the most widely-used materials for this application because of its leading dollar-per-watt ratio and high efficiency of around 22.3%. However, for […]

Biofilm Testing on Antimicrobial Coating for Endotracheal Tubing

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Tania Nance and Dr. Paul Savage, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Introduction About 50 million patients worldwide are intubated annually with endotracheal tubing to open the airway, to deliver oxygen, medicine or anesthesia, to support breathing, to remove blockages from the airway and to protect the lungs from aspiration. Along with their medical uses, they […]

A relative-age geologic map and geomorphic analysis of Syria Planum

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Michael Lowry and Dr. Eric Christiansen, Geology Department Introduction Mars, especially the region known as the Tharsis Bulge, is replete with volcanoes and other evidences of volcanism. The morphology of these volcanoes and the relative ages of lava flows and other features grant important insight into the history of the planet, the tectonic setting of […]

Net Path and Net Effect of Linear Networks with Dynamics

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Charles Johnson and Dr. Sean Warnick, Computer Science Department Introduction In complicated interconnected systems the consequences resulting from shocks (the effects resulting from causes) are difficult to anticipate. Yet, the vast interconnection of digital age technology with critical infrastructure systems and other elements of the physical world exposes human convenience, property and safety to distant […]

The Effects of Surface Irregularities on Diffraction Grating Efficacy

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Michael Greenburg and Dr. Steven Turley, Department of Physics and Astronomy Introduction The effects of small surface irregularities on a mirror’s reflectivity are fairly easy to calculate, but roughness on the same order of size as the wavelength of incident light disallows the use of some simplifying approximations. As a result, the effects of such […]

Development and Application of Minimum Energy Crossing Point Software Suite for Organometallic Reactions

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Lily Carlson and Dr. Daniel Ess, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Computational studies are critical to the field of organometallic chemistry since many highly reactive and unstable compounds cannot be isolated or observed experimentally. It is well-known that many organometallic reaction mechanisms involve spin intersystem crossing, e.g. singlet to triplet conversion. To estimate the rate […]

Professional Development and Safety Procedures in International Chemistry Education

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Alexander Farnsworth and Dr. Jennifer Nielson, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Introduction For several years Dr. Jennifer Nielson has conducted research with her BYU team in Kampala and in Mbarara, Uganda. The research focuses on teaching chemistry concepts using simple experiments in Learning Chemistry through Experimentation workshops. Chemistry education in Uganda has generally consisted mostly […]