Constructing the Remote Observatory for Variable Object Research

by

Jason A. Gilbert and Dr. J. Ward Moody, Physics and Astronomy Scientists who attempt to unravel the mysteries of the universe have some physical limitations to deal with in their quest. For example, an observer must stay up all night to operate the telescopes that record the data. There are now automated telescopes that allow […]

Investigating HIV Trapping By Follicular Dendritic Cells

by

Benjamin E. Farnsworth and Dr. Gregory F. Burton, Chemistry and Biochemistry The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets immune cells, specifically CD4 T Cells. Infection of these cells by the virus eventually renders the immune system incapable of proper function, and ultimately results in the death of the patient. Highly active anti-retroviral drug therapies (HAART) have […]

Measurement Techniques and Computational Methods for Acoustic Data in Concert Halls

by

Gordon Dix and Dr. Tim Leishman, Physics and Astronomy Designing and constructing a world-class concert hall is the culmination of many different, yet interrelated, disciplines. The architects must make the building structurally sound, while preserving its aesthetic beauty. Electricity, water, air conditioning, heating, and many other aspects of the inner workings of the hall must […]

Homing Behavior of the Limpet Species Collisella scabra Living on the Limpet Species Lottia gigantea

by

Lee F. Braithwaite, Integrative Biology Limpets are one-shelled marine mollusks that live on rocky beaches in the intertidal zone. The limpet species Collisella scabra is also found living on the shell of the limpet species L. gigantea. C. scabra exhibits an interesting phenomenon known as homing. This means that while not feeding, C. scabra are […]

The Role of Defects in Interlayer Cation Exchange in Clay Minerals

by

Laura Cardon and Dr. Barry R. Bickmore, Geology Clay minerals comprise a large portion of the abundant sediment that covers the earth’s surface. As such, they have a significant impact on society in regard to land development and also water and mineral resources. The purpose of this study was to help unravel the mysteries of […]

The Surface Charging Behavior of the Gibbsite (001) Surface: An Evaluation of the MUSIC Model

by

T.J. Campbell and Dr. Barry Bickmore, Geology The struggle to find and maintain sources of clean water faces billions of people throughout the world. Increases in groundwater contamination have made this problem even more severe. It is therefore of great importance to understand how contaminants travel and interact in the subsurface. Chemical reactions with the […]

A Practical Approach to Specific Heat-Phonon Spectrum Inversion

by

Thomas C. Butler and Dr. William E. Evenson, Physics and Astronomy Inverse problems have long provided researchers in a variety of disciplines with fruitful and challenging problems with immense applicability. However, as early investigators discovered, most of these problems are ill-posed.1 This means that the existence of the solution is not guaranteed, and even if […]

Finite Size Effects in Isolated Systems of Hard Spheres

by

Scott Burt and Dr. Randy Shirts, Chemistry and Biochemistry Chemical modeling is an increasingly important tool in modern research. Despite vast improvements in computational speed, most systems of interest are so complex that simulations must be carried out on very small model systems. However, such simplified systems often contain constraints that do not apply to […]

Follicular Dendritic Cells as Reservoirs of Diverse Human Immunodeficiency Virus: A Phylogenetic Analysis

by

Trever Bradley Burgon and Dr. Gregory F. Burton, Chemistry and Biochemistry Introduction Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the retrovirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), currently infects over 42 million people; more than three million of them are children under the age of 15. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS calls the current AIDS epidemic: […]

Determining Ruthenium’s Optical Constants in the Spectral Range 11-14 nm

by

Luke J. Bissell and Dr. David Allred, Physics and Astronomy Introduction Computers are getting faster, and as they do, computer chips are getting smaller. Photolithography is a process used to design nanoscale patterns on a computer chip. In photolithography, the image of a circuit pattern is transferred from a mask to the semiconductor wafer. This […]