Poster Session A

Monitoring the Electrochemical Activity of Biological Samples Using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Erica Woodall, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

The goal of the project is to develop the Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) as a tool to study the biological effects of oxidative damage on rat pheochromocytoma cells (PCI2 cells). SECM is a useful tool for the analysis of biological samples because the ultramicroelectrode tip of the probe can detect the presence of electrochemically active compounds such as neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine, while simultaneously characterizing the topography of the cell. The topography of the cell was determined by maintaining a constant distance between the tip of the electrode and the surface of the cell. In the collector mode, the potential of the SECM microelectrode can be set to detect dopamine release after stimulation. A spike in current indicated the release of neurotransmitters from the cell. Successful stimulation was observed on both undifferentiated and differentiated PC12 cells.

Pulsed Radiofrequency Neuromodulation of Peripheral Nerve Injury

Alex Willett, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

Pulsed-radiofrequency neuromodulation (PRF) is a pain management technique that involves placing a needle electrode near nerves and generating electrical current pulses in order to modulate the transduction of somatosensory information through those nerves. This technique evolved from a similar radiofrequency (RF) procedure in which constant current is distributed to a nerve or neural structure. RF interrupts nerve conduction and prevents somatosensory information from reaching the brain. In the case of continuous radiofrequency, however, the destructive lesion can cause further complications and unwanted side effects. According to research, PRF, unlike RF, is non-destructive yet still induces analgesia and consequently represents a more advantageous technique. Only a handful of previous studies have attempted to determine the neural effects of PRF. The current study seeks to develop an animal model of PRF using the spared nerve injury model and, through molecular analysis of neurological tissues harvested from rats, examines mechanisms by which PRF causes analgesia.

The State of Hispanic Education: Correlations Between Educational Attainment, Nativity and Language in Illinois

Stephanie Swope, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the levels of educational attainment for Hispanics in Illinois and to gain an understanding of why possible trends occur. The research question is: What is the correlation between English proficiency, nativity and educational attainment for Hispanics as compared with the overall population in Cook and McLean counties? In order to determine the correlation between these variables, data from the 2000 US Census were analyzed for the two population groups. Pertinent data included selected social characteristics, such as levels of educational attainment, nativity and language spoken at home. Though some statistical variation exists based on location, the overall findings indicate that levels of educational attainment are lower for the Hispanic population. Furthermore, as the percentages of the foreign born population and those who spoke English "less than 'very well'" increase, the levels of educational attainment decrease in all three geographic areas. These findings indicate a need to explore bilingual education programs within Illinois, particularly those that focus on English Language Learners.

Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis

Elisabeth Sonta, '13 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

Examining Political Defection: An Analysis of Affective Intelligence, Media Attention, Political Knowledge and Issue Agreement

Kyle Sloan, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

In politics the political party affiliation of the voter often serves as a predictor for the voting behavior of that individual. However, a voter may occasionally vote against his or her political party, an action known as defection. The present study serves two purposes. The first is to compare defectors and non-defectors across a variety of relevant characteristics, including emotion experienced for one's in-party candidate, attention to media, political understanding, and issue agreement between oneself and one's in-party candidate. The second is to examine the correlations between the individual elements of these theories with one another. Results of this study indicate emotion and issue agreement to be significantly different between defectors and non-defectors, while political understanding and media attention are not. Further correlations were found between emotion and the other topics mentioned, suggesting a relationship between emotions and voting behavior.

The Light/Lymphotoxin Costimulatory Family and Lipid Metabolism

Lukasz Sewera, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

Efficacy of a Cocaine-Schizophrenia Model in Rats: Behavioral and Physiological Measures

Andrew W. Ross, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

IR Astrometry and Photometry of the Abell 1882 Supergroup

Derrick Rohl, '12 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

Previously observed characteristics of the Abell 1 882 supergroup show signs of early stages of cluster formation. Supergroups and clusters have already been studied, but the unique stage of Abell 1 882 will aid in understanding the process of galaxy cluster formation. The data set contains observations from the Infrared Side Port Imager at the 4.0-m Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) during May 2010. The data reduction process, unique challenges of working with infrared data, and preliminary results will be discussed.

Rohl worked with Gomez from January through March 201 1 as a research assistant with the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REV) program of the National Science Foundation. The program was hosted at CTIO in cooperation with Gemini Observatory in La Serena, Chile.

Green for Gold: The Real Influences of Olympic Glory

Adebola Olayinka, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

Heritage Spanish Speakers: Self Confidence through Study Abroad

Jordan Menendez, '11 et al. — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 09:00:00 PDT

This study, describes the perception heritage Spanish-speakers have of their language abilities after they have studied abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. Research has shown that many heritage speakers struggle with their confidence in their heritage language, but that after studying abroad, the student's confidence in their language capabilities increases. The research questions include: Do the students have a higher self-confidence in speaking their native language after studying abroad? Do their perceptions of their language abilities change throughout the course of their study abroad experience? What do their heritage Spanish-speaking students feel effected their perceived language change after study abroad: improved vocabulary, pronunciation or knowledge of the general culture? The participants of this study will consist of native Spanish speaking students who have studied abroad in a Spanish-speaking country. The data will be collected through a questionnaire and interviews of native speakers who have studied abroad within the past three years. The conclusions hope to show a direct correlation of to an increase in self-confidence in language capabilities, and studying-abroad.