Brazil and the United States: The Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Elisea Estela Avalos, Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri
Dr. F. Rosenthal School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

In the two decades since the first reports of the disease, AIDS has become a global epidemic. Worldwide, an estimated 42 million people are living with HIV, including an estimated 2.5 million children under the age of 15. According to the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), 5 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2003 and 3 million people died from AIDS. Many HIV/AIDS prevention programs have been implemented both here and abroad, in an attempt to reduce HIV/AIDS incidence and prevalence rates. While some of the programs have had little or no effect, others have had a tremendous impact. Although every prevention program is unique, research reveals that successful prevention programs have specific strategies and practices in common. The CDC has recently published a list entitled "The Eleven Elements of Successful Prevention Programs." While prevention programs differ in content from country to country, common strategies may be what make some prevention programs more successful. This study looks into the different types of HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the United States and Brazil . Comparisons and contrasts between the different HIV/AIDS prevention programs were made in an attempt to understand which prevention programs are successful and why.

Social Influence and Sexual Disposition among Middle-School Children
Asha Barber, Hampton University, and
Professor Kenneth F. Ferraro, Department of Sociology and the
Center on Aging and the Life Course

Parents and peers often represent competing influences on the sexual disposition of young people. Drawing from social learning theory, this research compares the influence of parents and peers on early adolescent sexual disposition among middle-school boys and girls and the conditions under which the influence is strongest. This project makes use of the PEERS Middle School Survey: 2002-2003 data from 6,787 Indiana middle-school students and ecological data on selected schools (including the number of student suspensions and academic performance). For comparative purposes, parallel analyses were conducted between females and males. Controlling for level of parental education and extracurricular activities the analysis revealed that although middle-school adolescents report parents as their strongest source of influence, adolescent sexual knowledge and attitudes most commonly reflect that of their respective peers. Based on comparative regression analyses, the sexual knowledge and attitudes of both female and male adolescents were strongly influenced by peers. Results of this study suggest that innovative formal educational programs need to be developed that highlight the influential role of peers on the sexual disposition of middle-school children.

Evaluating the Potential Success of Value Added Agricultural Businesses
Magnolia Barnes, University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff and
Professor Joan Fulton, Department of Agricultural Economics.

Agriculture is indeed the backbone of our economy providing much to our food supply. Throughout time, agriculture has changed with the innovation of new technology, production, and marketing processes. Since the 1990s, the value of farm products has declined thus increasing an interest in "adding value" and challenging producers to find ways to create and capture value through the development of value added businesses. Value added businesses may allow producers to obtain more of the consumer's dollar thus improving income profitability, in addition creating new markets and jobs enhancing economic sustainability in many communities. However, recent studies of new business start-ups indicate these agricultural businesses fail during the first year. Prospective entrepreneurs and innovators often struggle with the assessment and development of the proposed ventures or new innovations. The objectives of this project include: assessing the benefits of value added agriculture and evaluating of factors affecting success of new value added enterprises. Components of the project include: literature reviews, evaluations of financial and business development sources, and generation of resource guides to identify key elements in successful value added entrepreneurship. This research will aid entrepreneurs and producers in their exploration of value added agriculture by developing tools that these future business leaders may utilize in evaluating their new business ventures.

Controlling the Pore Size in Microparticles Using a Suspension of Nanoparticles
Selasi Blavo, Clark Atlanta University and
Professor Michael Harris, University Faculty Scholar, School of Chemical Engineering .

There is an increased interest and demand for well-defined silica nanoparticles. Although industrial use is widespread, further processing of these nanoparticles will extend their use to high-tech industries as well. Industries such as the computer and biotechnology industries have high demands for monodisperse silica nanoparticles and this demand is paralleled by the upsurge of new cutting edge technologies. The base-catalyzed hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate [Si(OR) 4 or TEOS; R=C 2 H 5 ], or Stober synthesis, forms monodisperse, spherical nanoparticles which meet the industry standard.

The primary objective of this project is to form stable concentrated dispersions of metal oxide nanoparticles in an aqueous media. This can be achieved after successful synthesis of monodisperse silica nanoparticles. Upon creation of the dispersions, surface and solution chemistry on the pore structure of microparticles can be studied.

Herein are presented details of the project thus far, as well as anticipated future work. Synthesis and sizing results are included as well as microscopy analyses of the nanoparticle suspensions.

Relocalization of Ras Using Lovastatin and Farnesyl Pyrophosphate in Jurkat T Cells
Alex Chiaghana, Purdue University and
Professor Marietta Harrison, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology.
Purdue Cancer Center NCI CURE Program

Ras is a small protein that is important for cell growth by functioning as a bridge point in key cell signaling pathways. This 21-kDa protein is a membrane-bound GTPase that functions by cycling from its GDP-bound (guanine nucleotide diphosphate) inactive form to its GTP-bound (guanine nucleotide triphosphate) active form. When its GTPase activity is decreased due to mutations, Ras remains active, which leads to a dramatic increase in cell growth and ultimately to tumor formation. Ras has been found mutated in several kinds of cancers including pancreatic, colon, and lung cancer. Ras exists as four isoforms: N-Ras, H-Ras, K-Ras4a, and K-Ras4b. Ras has a 165 amino acid region that is highly conserved across all isoforms. The remaining 23-24 amino acids at the carboxy terminal are known as the hypervariable region, which determines where the isoform is localized within the membrane. The last 4 amino acids of this region have the same motif across all Ras isoforms and are known as the CAAX (C = cysteine, A = aliphatic, and X = any uncharged amino acid) box. All isoforms must be farnesylated by the enzyme farnesyl transferase in order to attach to the plasma membrane and function. If not farnesylated, Ras is cytoplasmic and does not function. The purpose of our project is to set up a system through which we can deliver analogs of farnesol into cells with the hope of influencing Ras' localization, and thus its signaling. The localization of Ras within discrete patches of cholesterol-enriched parts of the membrane called lipid rafts is influenced by the structure of the farnesol group. Ras modified with analogs of farnesol that contain bulky side chains is predicted to be excluded from lipid rafts, while those with straight acyl chains will be more easily incorporated into lipid rafts. In order to establish a cell system to modify Ras, we first had to inhibit endogenous farnesol production. This was accomplished by using lovastatin, which is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. To determine whether non-farnesylated Ras could be refarnesylated by the addition of the analogs, we used farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) as a control. Treatment of lovastatin-treated cells with FPP should relocalize the non-farnesylated cytosolic Ras to the membrane. Using subcellular fractionation we determine the localization by Ras in: 1) control cells; 2) cells treated with lovastatin; and 3) cells treated with lovastatin followed by incubation with FPP. Preliminary results indicated that: 1) lovastatin treatment was successful in inhibiting Ras farnesylation and, 2) FPP at different concentrations could relocalize Ras back to the membrane. Since curing cancer with these methods is possible in mice, we hope to be able to control most cancers in humans through drug delivery.

Folate-targeted delivery of p38 MAPK inhibitors as Therapeutic Agents for Inflammatory Diseases Radames JB Cordero-González, University of Puerto Rico, Arecibo, and
Wilfredo Ayala-López and Professor Phillip S. Low Ph.D., Department of Chemistry.
Purdue Cancer Center NCI CURE Program

p38 is a protein kinase with has 4 main isoforms (a, ß, ?, and d) that are mainly expressed in response to stress signals and cytokines. The a isoform is ubiquitously expressed in the body, with high expression on leukocytes, liver, spleen, bone marrow, thyroid, and placenta. This MAP kinase is responsible for the activation of transcription factors involved in the regulation of multiple genes, cytokine production, and the control of apoptosis. Pyridinyl imidazole compounds have shown high selectivity in the inhibition of MAPK proteins, and some show strong specificity for the p38 MAPK. An important role in the reduction of inflammation has been reported for many of these inhibitors, yet the majority have not been approved for clinical trials. The reason for this is because they are highly hydrophobic and can also inhibit p38 on practically any cell in the body, resulting in intolerable systemic toxicity.

By conjugating the p38 inhibitor to a folic acid molecule using a highly hydrophilic linker, both problems can be overcome. The folic acid will direct it to the FR + activated macrophages, and the linker will increase the solubility of this compound in aqueous solutions.

For the synthesis of the MAPK inhibitor (RWJ67657) we will follow the procedure published in the World Patent [WO9847892]. For the peptide portion (6-mer) of the linker we will use solid phase chemistry (SPPS), and for the no-peptidic portion we will induce the formation of a disulfide bond between 2-mercaptoethanol and a mercaptopyridil group.

The potential for treating inflammatory diseases is very high, and upon success many other pyridinyl imidazole compounds may be conjugated in a similar manner, and will increase the spectrum of potential anti-inflammatory drugs available for clinical trials.

Spike Lee: Portrait of a Controversial Black Director
Crystal Dahl, Purdue University, and
Professor Ben Lawton, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

Spike Lee is unquestionably the most famous African American director. He is also, arguably, the most controversial. In his public pronouncements and even in the name of his production company, Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks, Lee is pro-Black. He is outspoken in his condemnation of the pandemic racism that has cast a shadow over the history of this country. But in his films he frequently depicts aspects of the African American community in a manner that is less than flattering. Why this seeming contradiction? The purpose of this research project is to better understand why Spike Lee is so controversial and the impact his films have had on viewers. This task was completed by researching and reading articles, books, and interviews by and about the filmmaker as well as viewing all of Spike Lee's films. An annotated filmography was written on each film and an annotated bibliography was written for every book, article, and interview read. Also, in order to see if and how age, gender, ethnicity, and race affect perceptions of the filmmaker, several of Spike Lee's movies were screened for participants in the Marc/Aim program as well as for members of the Purdue community .

Optimization of growth for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens by fiber optic immunosensor
Miniayah DeBruce, Alabama A & M University, and
Professor Arun Buhina, Department of Food Science.

L. monocytogenes is one of many food borne pathogens that causes 325,000 hospitalizations and 500 deaths a year, and is also the source of Listeriosis. Immunocomplised persons, such as elders, infants, pregnant women, and AIDS or cancer patients can easily to be infected by this bacterium. L. monocytogenes can survive in temperatures ranging from body temperature to below freezing temperatures (20 0F). The temperature at which it grows best is of 50 0F, including refrigeration temperatures. Therefore is can be transmitted to foods that have been kept refrigerated. Detection of L. monocytogenes by traditional methods is slow (3-5 days) and easily to be interfered by other competitive micro flora.

Therefore, development of a specific culture medium with fast growth of L. monocytogenes is necessary. The effect of changes in antimicrobial supplements (acriflavine or Fosformycin) in buffered Listeria enrichment broth (BLEB) with low levels (1-220cells/ml) inoculation of bacterial cells was monitored by growth curve and immunoassay (ELISA). Taken from the data obtained from the ELISA procedure, BLEB with 5mg/L Acriflavine had the highest absorbance 1.5, which was significantly greater that that of BLEB with 10mg/L or 20mg/L Acriflavine. In the growth curve test, BLEB without Acriflavine had the shortest lag phase, compared to BLEB with different concentrations of Acriflavine after approximately 10 hours, L. monoctyogenes reached its stational phase. The cell concentration will be determined by using a plating method at 2h intervals up to 24 hours. Once the growth conditions are intensified the fiber optic immunosensor for Listeria will be used to detect the Listeria pathogen in less than 12h.

The Use of Degermed, Dehulled Corn to Reduce Phosphorus Excretion in Broiler Chicks
Marquita Dill, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and
Professor Todd Applegate, Department of Animal Sciences

Phosphorus is an essential component of the diet for chickens. The majority of phosphorus (P) in the grains and oilseeds is in the storage form of phytate-P. However, chickens have very small amounts of the enzyme phytase which is necessary to hydrolyze the phytate-P for adequate utilization of P by the bird. Thus, much of the undigested and unutilized P is excreted into chicken litter. This undigested P in chicken litter has been linked to many environmental problems, primarily water pollution. An experiment was conducted to compare nutrient excretion and growth performance of broilers fed diets containing normal corn and degermed, dehulled corn. Degermed, dehulled corn is produced by a novel dry milling process in which 80% of the corn phytate-P is removed resulting in a low fiber feed ingredient. Two dietary treatments were fed from 1-42 days of age with eight replicate pens per treatment and 8 birds per pen. Diets were mixed so that diet A consisted of the normal corn while diet B consisted of the degermed, dehulled corn. Inorganic P assays, percent nitrogen and dry matters for diets and excreta for each pen were completed. Broiler chicks fed the diet containing the degermed, dehulled corn excreted significantly more nitrogen (6.1g) than the chicks fed the normal corn diet. The broilers fed the degermed, dehulled corn diet also consumed more throughout the trial and were significantly heavier at 17 and 32 days of age. However, broiler chicks fed the degermed, dehulled corn diet excreted less P compared to the birds fed normal corn diet

Assessing Plant Responses to Copper in the Environment
Susan Edionwe 1, Sharifa Llemit 1, Jacqueline Bruce 1, Tatiana Cordova 1, Michael Reyes 1, Charisse Lloren 1, John Thomas 3, Wendy Peer 2, Angus Murphy 1,2,

1. Department of Biology, University of Texas Pan American, Edinburg, TX
2. Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
3. Department of Biology, University of Michigan, Dearborn MI

Copper is a micronutrient that is essential to plant growth, but excessive levels of copper pose a threat to terrestrial, aquatic, and marine plants. Although severe incidences of copper pollution are toxic to almost all organisms, lower levels of copper resulting from agriculture runoff, industrial production, and the use of marine anti-fouling compounds can result in destruction of marine habitats, native plant species, and natural wet. A small number of plants exhibit the ability to tolerate elevated levels of environmental copper or even accumulate copper in their tissues. Others are particularly sensitive to copper and might be utilized as early warning bioindicators of copper contamination. At the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA) located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, we are assessing the mechanism underlying the copper tolerance found in Mimulus guttatus , a California native plant that exhibits extraordinary cellular copper tolerance. Further, we are investigating the accumulation of copper and manganese in the marine sea grass Thalassia testudinum which characterizes one of the largest enclosed marine areas in the world, the Laguna Madre. In addition we are studying known accumulator, indicator, and non-accumulator plants from zinc and nickel-rich soils to better understand how to study copper and manganese tolerance with the underlying goal of using these findings to propose ways to address environmental concerns of the Rio Grande Valley . Those involved in the project traveled to Purdue University in Indiana to learn techniques used for the quantization and detection of metals as well as those used to assess oxidative stress caused by copper in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and Mimulus guttatus . All techniques learned will be employed in our studies at UTPA during the upcoming academic year. Our work and training at Purdue has been focused in five areas: comparison of metal tolerant ecotypes and related species, measurement of stress indicators, identification of potential copper ligands, methods to determine metal content of plant tissues, and expression and analysis of metallothionein proteins.

Comparison of metal tolerant ecotypes and related species (presented by Sharifa Llemit)

Plant species growing on metalliferous soils have evolved tolerance to transition metals present in the soil; they exhibit altered metabolism, growth reduction, and metal accumulation. Tolerant species can be categorized as excluders, indicators, accumulators, or hyperaccumulators according to the ratio of metal found in their aerial tissues compared to the soil. Previously, the leaf metal content of Arabidopsis thaliana a non-accumulator; A. arenosa . A. lyrata , indicator speices; A. halleri , a hyperaccumulator; and Mimulus guttatus copper-tolerant (cv Copperopolis) and sensitive (cv Arboretum) ecotypes were determined. Here, various characters that may confer metal tolerance were examined. The Fe(III) chelate reductase activity, pH of root exudates, and QRT-PCR of MTP1 and MTP2 were compared among Arabidopsis species in response to Cd stress. The amounts of thiols in Cd-treated Arabidopsis species and Cu-treated M. guttatus ecotypes were also determined. Experiments and techniques employed using the molecular tools developed in Arabidopsis will be continued in M. guttatus and applied to the sea grass Thalassia testudinum.

Measurement of stress indicators (presented by Jacqueline Bruce and Susan Edionwe)

During metal-induced oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed. ROS are harmful to the plant though oxidation of lipids and proteins via free radicals. The amount of ROS can be quantitated with T-BARS and visualized with 2´-7´-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) and epifluorescence microscopy. In this study we used Mimulus guttatus metal-tolerant (cv Copperopolis) and metal-sensitive (cv Arboretum) ecotypes, and Arabidopsis thaliana flavonoid mutants ( tt4 contains no flavonoids, and tt3 contains extra flavonols). Flavonoids are known to bind copper and to act as anti-oxidants, and differences in T-BARS and ROS staining were observed among M. guttatus ecotypes and A. thaliana flavonoid mutants. Carbonyl groups are also markers for protein oxidation, and carbonylation assays were performed. These studies provide insight into the tissue-specific and cellular mechanisms that are disturbed by copper-induced stress.

Identification of potential copper ligands (presented by Tatiana Cordova)

One mechanism of copper tolerance is the ability of the plant to bind and sequester the copper to reduce the amount of oxidative stress generated from exposure to the metal. Potential copper ligands known include flavonoids, thiols, and metallothioneins. The copper binding ligands of copper-tolerant (Copperopolis) and copper-sensitive (Arboretum) ecotypes of Mimulus guttatus will be determined. Flavonoid profiles of copper-treated plants were compared to control plants to determine if the profiles change in response to copper treatment using TLC, spectrometry, HPLC, and LC-MS. Isoflavonoids were detected in M. guttatus ; this is the first report of isoflavonoids in this species. Differences in flavonoid profiles were also observed in copper-treated M. guttatus cv Arboretum. As specific flavonoids are known to bind copper, the flavonoids and isoflavonoids will also be analyzed for bound copper by AA or ICP-MS. Organic acid profiles of M. guttatus ecotypes will also be examined. Techniques to isolate, derivative, and isolate organic acids will be presented. These experiments will help elucidate the mechanism of copper tolerance observed M. guttatus cv Copperopolis. The techniques used here will be applied to Thalassia testudinum.

Measurement methods and metal quantitation (presented by Michael Reyes)

The ability to detect copper within the plant at the tissue and cellular levels is important component of studying the mechanism of copper tolerance. In order to utilize the most appropriate techniques, this project consists of an initial understanding of ICP-MS followed by a biosensor design which may be monitored remotely via the internet. The experience gained during the summer is intended to supplement an ongoing project at the University of Texas - Pan American. In Texas, the goal is to construct an apparatus for detecting metals in living tissue through the use particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE). The challenges and techniques of dealing with living organisms in the metal detection process observed over the summer will provide an insight to the most effective PIXE design.

Expression and analysis of metallothioneins (presented by Charisse Lloren)

The objective for this experiment is the purification of metallothionein (MT) proteins which will allow us to conduct metal binding and prenylation studies to help explain what role these proteins play in the mechanism of copper tolerance. Metallothioneins (MT) are metal binding proteins which bind to copper. There are three types of MTs (MT1, MT2, MT3) in Arabidopsis thaliana , each with a distinct, low molecular mass. Metallothioneins are not only known for the metal binding characteristics, but are also known to be expressed in plants under different types of stresses - climate, poisoning, and plant injuries. For metallothionein expression, pMAL vector inserted into pLys expression strain bacteria was used to obtain a maltose binding fusion protein (MBP) of about 47 to 51 kD, depending on the MT that was attached. IPTG was added to the cells and incubated for 4 hours to induce the tac promoter and express the fusion protein. Purification was done by affinity chromatography using amylose resin columns, and fractions containing pure fusion proteins were collected. The next stage is to cleave the fusion protein using factor Xa, and extract the metallothioneins to be used for the different types of assays. The metal binding assay will give us information on whether each type of metallothionein has a different metal binding profile. Also, a prenylation assay will inform us whether the MTs undergo protein prenylation, a post-translational modification involving covalent attachment of a farnesyl or geranylgeranyl to the cysteine residue near the carboxyl terminus end of the protein, before localizing around the cell walls of the plant.

Critical properties of multicomponent systems in the supercritical fuel injection process
Alejandro Galindo, Southern University and
Professor Paul Sojka, School of Mechanical Engineering .

Super-critical fuel sprays for use in high-Mach turbine combustion chambers are being examined. Of particular interest is the quality of the fuel and air mixing process, which directly affects engine performance parameters such as the combustion efficiency and thrust. By finding the radial index of refraction pattern in such sprays, it is possible map the fuel-air concentration profiles, thereby evaluate the mixing process for combustion. To this end a Schlieren device was used to make an RGB image of a super-critical CO 2 jet, which was converted into a grayscale image. From this a column vector of light deflection values for the spray was created. A MATLAB algorithm based on Abel's inversion approach (which includes geometric optics, calculus, and matrix operations concepts) was written to process the light deflection values and transform them into the spray's radial index of refraction data. The MATLAB algorithm results were checked against synthetic data to ensure its accuracy. Sam ple light deflection results data are included, and discussed in terms of fuel-air mixing.

Laser Diodes for Atomic Physics Applications
Mesfin Getaneh, University of New Orleans and
Professor Dan Elliot, School of Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Laser diodes are becoming very common in atomic physics experiments. Their reliability, power, wavelength coverage, amplitude stability, and their inexpensive price make laser diodes preferable over other types of lasers. Laser diodes have a lot of applications in our day to day life such as in optical fiber systems, compact disk (CD) players, laser printers, remote control devices, and intrusion detection systems. They are also used in a lot of atomic physics experiments, for instance, optical pumping, atomic clocks, frequency modulation, atom lithography, and trapping and cooling atoms. Therefore, study of laser diode basic characteristics as well as how to control them is essential in order to successfully use them. The purpose of this project is to stabilize the wavelength of different laser diodes by tuning temperature and current as well as to analyze the characteristics of the laser diode ' s beam using an optical spectrum analyzer and wavemeter for later application in atomic physics. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a new type of neutral atom beam source whose velocities are all distributed within a very narrow range. This beam source, based upon techniques developed by other groups around the world for cooling and trapping atoms, is critical for implementation of various schemes for neutral atom lithography.

A laser diode wavelength is determined by the band gap of the semiconductor material and then by the junction's temperature and current density. The band gap is controlled by the manufacturer of the laser diodes. The current injected into the laser diode is easily adjusted with a commercial laser diode controller. Using a Thermo-electric cooler, the temperature of the laser diode can be easily adjusted to a temperature that eventually produces the desired wavelength. After successfully adjusting the temperature and current, the laser diodes are tuned to a required wavelength, is measured with an optical spectrum analyzer and a wavemeter. The laser diodes are tuned to the required wavelength which is going to be used in developing a new type of neutral atom beam source. A great deal of knowledge in field of optics has been acquired by the author in understanding and setting up the laser diodes and the temperature controllers and interfacing them to a computer controller.

Establishing an Assay for Screening Compounds that Inhibit Ebola Glycoprotein-pseudotyped
Retrovirus Entry
José A. González Feliciano 1,4, Nina Gorenstein 2, David Avram Sanders 2, and Elisea Estela Avalos 3
1 University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla, 3 Truman State University and
2 Professor David Sanders Department of Biological Sciences.
4 Purdue Cancer Center NCI CURE Program

A pseudotyped virus, a virus in which the outer shell originates from a virus different from the source of the genome, is a great resource to find treatments for dangerous viruses without concerns for high-level safety measures. In this study a pseudotyped virus that contains the protein core from the Moloney Murine Leukemia virus (Mo-MuLV) and displays the Ebola glycoprotein ( Zaire subtype) on its envelope was used. The pseudotyped virus carries a recombinant genome encoding the green fluorescence protein (GFP). Measures of the fluorescence of cells transduced by an Ebola GP pseudotyped virus is an assay of the capacity of the Ebola virus to enter the cell. The goal of the project was to discover compounds that inhibit viral entry. We wished to establish an assay that would allow us to see a reduction of fluorescence after viral transduction if the compound was able to inhibit the entry of the virus. By observation of the absorption and emission spectra of the Aequorea victoria and Renilla renifromis GFPs, it was found that the A.victoria GFP is more appropriate to use in the fluorescence reader.

Complementary Water Disinfection using Ultraviolet Radiation and Iodine
Andy Hai Ting, Howard University and
Zorana Naunovic, Kelly Pennell, and Professor Ernest R. Blatchley III PhD, Civil Engineering
Sponsoring Program: ALS/NSCORT

Long term space missions often mean limited resources available aboard the spacecraft, hence it would be desirable to recycle as much of the onboard resources as possible. One important component required on this mission would be drinkable water, for obvious reasons. NASA has been using iodine as its primary water disinfectant for decades. However, it has been observed that there are some iodine-resistant bacteria present in spacecraft water supplies. Thus, a complementary disinfection process using UV radiation as well as iodine is now being considered. UV radiation was selected as there is no chemical component and only generates small amounts of by products. UV inactivates waterborne microorganisms through photochemical changes in nucleic acids and proteins and has been proven to be effective against a wide range of microorganisms. Iodine was selected here because of its low reactivity and proven success as a disinfectant. It also serves a secondary role as a monitor to verify that UV disinfection does take place. The purpose of this research was to characterize the susceptibility of a common waterborne microorganism ( Bacillus subtilis spores) to UV radiation, iodine, and the two disinfectants in combination.

Impact of predation on early season population growth of the soybean aphid,
Aphis glycines Matsumura.
Jeffory Head, Florida A & M University Bio Control and
Professor Robert O'Neil, Department of Entomology.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines is a native to Asia and is a recent insect pest of soybean in North America . The aphid was first discovered in North American soybean fields in the Midwest during the summer of 2000. Since its discovery, soybean aphid populations have spread throughout the soybean-producing areas in the United States and Canada, and have had a considerable negative impact on soybean yield. Natural predators have been shown to significantly effect populations of soybean aphid population dynamics and pest impact. One predator that is abundant during the early season at the time of aphid invasions is the Minute Pirate bug, Orius insidiosus (Say). O. insidiosus can have a significant effect on soybean aphid population densities, potentially reducing soybean aphid densities below economic threshold-when control of pest is necessary to prevent economic damage. The ability of Orius to decrease aphid population growth depends on the presence of the alternative prey, soybean thrips, which act to sustain the predator in soybean fields when aphids are not available. My research project focused on two aspects of predation of soybean aphids:

•  the spatial and dynamic relationships among thrips, predators and soybean aphids

•  the effect of aphid distribution on Orius predation.

Gaining insight into Orius predation will provide a better understanding of the role it has in suppressing aphid populations and help us develop a more sustainable soybean production system without the use of chemical agents.

Isolation of a Listeria monocytogenes Specific Bacteriophage
Preciaus Heard, Alabama A&M University, and Mindy Shroyer,
Professor Bruce Applegate, Department of Food Science.
Sponsor Program: ALS/NSCORT

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram positive food borne pathogen responsible for the severe illness known as listeriosis. The bacterium usually causes septicemia and meningitis in patients with supressed immune function. ( http://medic.med.uth.tmc .

edu/path/00001447.htm). Listeria monocytogenes is able to grow in a wide variety of environmental conditions from high acidity to extreme cold. Rapid inexpensive detection systems for foodborne pathogens need to be developed to ensure a safe food supply. A Listeria monocytogenes specific bacteiophage was isolated for future use in a rapid simple test for the detection of multiple foodborne pathogens including Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli 0157:H7 , Listeria monocytogenes , and Camphylobacter jejuni . Strain specificity of bacteriophage make them exellent reagents in the detection of pathogenic bacteria. The expression of a modified surface protein in the progeny phage allows the progeny from an infection of a wild type organism to be differentiated from the phage added to the assay. Several species of Listeria monocytogenes were screened to isolate a Listeria monocytogenes specific lysogenic bacteriophage. Supernatants and lawn cell from overnight cultures (grown in BHI) were cross screened using plaque assay for phage recovery. Listeria monocytogenes Scott A and Listeria monocytogenes F 1109 produced phage more efficiently when L. M. Scotta A supernatant was plated against L. M F1109 lawn cells.

Innovation in Indiana's Melon Industry: Market Research for a Value-Added Product
Quintrell Hollis, Alabama A & M University, and
Professor Maria Marshall, Department of Agricultural Economics.

Cantaloupe and watermelon production is important to the economy of Indiana . Over 250 farms throughout the state are devoted to the production of both crops which account for over $29 million in farm gate value each year. Melon growers are increasingly feeling the strain of market pressures due to: decreased farm gate prices for their products, increased competition from international and domestic producers, industry consolidation through the supply chain, and, stagnant consumption of their products. This has increased the desire for the development of a value added melon product, and melon growers have identified fresh-cut melons as a potential product. For this product to be successful in the marketplace, it is necessary to conduct research on the tastes and preferences of consumers for such a product.

Our project includes a market research study for a fresh-cut melon product. A survey was prepared to assess the important attributes of the melon product and the consumer's willingness to pay for that product. The marketing research tool we selected to do the study was choice-based conjoint analysis. With choice based conjoint analysis, consumers are confronted with a choice between alternative products, where the products are defined by several attributes. The attributes considered important when making a purchasing decision of a fresh-cut fruit product were: price, brand (including a fictitious brand for Indiana melons), package design, fruit mix, and fruit leakages (fruit juices that accumulate after time). These attributes had four levels each. The levels of attributes were randomly selected to create melon products that would then be presented to potential consumers.

As part of the larger project, the MARC-AIM participants were surveyed with respect to their tastes and preferences regarding fresh-cut melon products. A multinomial logit model was used to estimate the statistical significance of the model and the attributes. The preliminary results indicated that price and brand were the most important attributes to consumers when making a purchasing decision. The results also indicated that the Indiana melon product when compared to a multinational company brand (Del Monte), a regional company brand (Ready Pac), a store brand (Meijer) could potentially captured a 25% market share of the fresh-cut melon sales.

Discerning When a Zero is Truly a Zero
Timesa Hoover, Grambling State University, and
Professor Yssa DeWoody, Departments of Mathematics and Forestry & Natural Resources.

The goal of this research is to modify nestedness statistics to account for the probability of detection being less than perfect.

Species extinctions are occurring at an unprecedented rate. Conservation efforts can be aided by accurate assessments of which species are at risk and why. The nestedness temperature calculator is one tool used in this determination process. Nestedness refers to the nonrandom distribution of species among habitable sites, and the nestedness temperature (0° to 100°) refers to the degree of nestedness inherent in the system. Consider an array of isolated habitat fragments that, before fragmentation, consisted of a common assemblage of species. If extinctions occurred in a predictable fashion that depended on site attributes (e.g. area), then species-poor sites should consist of assemblages which are proper (i.e. nested) subsets of species rich sites, corresponding to a cold temperature. Whereas, if extinctions were random and independent of site attributes, then there should be no discernable pattern among the species and site, corresponding to a warmer temperature. These temperatures are classically calculated from a site x species matrix of presence-absence data (1=presence, 0=absence) collected from a single survey. First, this matrix is packed by rearranging the sites/rows in descending order of species richness, and the species/ columns in descending order of incidence. Next, an extinction or occurrence threshold that separates the ones and zeros is computed for a matrix of perfect order based on the fill and dimensions of the matrix. The temperature is then calculated based on the unexpected absences above and unexpected presences below the threshold. This temperature is then tested for significance based on the temperatures of random matrices. However, the presence/absence matrix is often inflated with zeros due to failure to detect the species not its non-occurrence. However, If repeated visits are made to each site, it is possible to replace all the zeros in the presence/absence matrix with the predicted probability of occurrence, p , based on the Zero Inflated Binomial (ZIB) model, which corrects p for imperfect detection, q<1 . We have extended these nestedness statistics to accept the probability of occurrence, p in [0, 1], versus the exclusive binary data obtained from a single snapshot. We have created Matlab scripts to calculate these statistics and analyze their significance. This procedure allows ecologists to have a more accurate understanding of the species most at-risk for extinction.

Redundant Matrices for Linear Transformations
Maya Johnson, Lincoln University, and
Professor Carl Cowen, Department of Mathematics.

Linear transformations are central in the study of Linear Algebra. All linear transformations can be represented by a matrix. Taking a linear transformation T on a space V , for a specific basis for V , the matrix for the transformation is unique. For a linearly dependent spanning set there are many matrix representations for the same transformation. A redundant matrix for a transformation is constructed in the same way as the usual matrix for a transformation only using a spanning set instead of a basis.

A symmetric matrix is one that is equal to its own transpose. Symmetric matrices are useful in problem solving for many reasons; however, the most important reason is because they cause considerably fewer errors than other matrices in computer computations. Because of their usefulness and special qualities, we would like to determine for which transformations and spanning sets do there exist a symmetric redundant matrix.

The focus of this project is mainly on transformations on two-dimensional spaces because they are the easiest transformations to start with, and we are hopeful that we can apply some of what we find on them to transformations on spaces with greater dimension. The first condition we find for these transformations is that they need to be diagonalizable with real eigenvalues if there are symmetric redundant matrices for them. This is because symmetric matrices are diagonalizable with real eigenvalues.

Knowing the necessary conditions for the transformations, we look at the necessary conditions for the redundant matrices to be symmetric. Here we find that these conditions are dependent on the spanning sets associated with these matrices. This means that we must choose our spanning set in a way that allows us to make the redundant matrix symmetric. For this problem we use only spanning sets with three vectors, and we find that the problem of choosing a proper spanning set can be reduced to finding real roots of a quadratic equation.

After solving this problem we were able to show that for a transformation T on a two-dimensional space if T is diagonalizable with real eigenvalues, then there exists a spanning set such that the matrix for T is a symmetric redundant matrix. We aspire to show that this is the case for transformations on n-dimensional spaces.

Built-In Current Sensors (BICS) for Energy-Efficient Systems
Jeff Josiah, University of New Orleans, and
Professor Yung-Hsiang Lu, School of Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Exploring methods of energy conservation has become a very important issue with the increasing use of portable devices. In recent years, several power indicators have been proposed and implemented in various power-management schemes. One of these power indicators used in high-performance computing is thermal sensors. Thermal sensors allow a system to scale back performance during operation whenever a predefined temperature threshold is exceeded. This lowers the power consumption of the system along with the associated heat. Unfortunately, the use of temperature has two major drawbacks. First, temperature can be directly affected by environmental conditions. Second, temperature is a lagging indicator since heat is produced only after a substantial amount of current has been consumed.

In this work, we offer an alternative power indicator to thermal sensors. We present a built-in current sensor (BICS) design that consists of a simple current mirror with an integration unit. The BICS is placed in series between the circuit under test (CUT) and the system ground. This placement provides a method of measuring the circuit current and enables an understanding of the power dissipated by the CUT. This information can then be used in an intelligent manner to dynamically adjust the power consumption of the circuit. We have conducted HSPICE simulations to verify the effectiveness of our BICS design under various loads. Preliminary analysis of a 7-stage, cascaded inverter load as well as a 4-bit Full-Adder load, has shown very accurate results with little performance degradation in the CUT. Future work consists of further tests with the BICS accuracy and design, in addition to the full implementation of the power-management architecture.

Expression of ABA hydroxylase in yeast cells
Maat Lands, Tennessee State University, Janani Varadarajan, and
Professor Ronald Coolbaugh, Department of Botany & Plant Pathology.

A graduate student in our lab has some preliminary evidence that the Arabadopsis gene ABAH encodes an enzyme that metabolizes Abscisic Acid ( ABA). The purpose of this project is to obtain supporting evidence by expressing this enzyme in yeast to show that it is translated into a protein, and that the protein has enzymatic activity to hydroxylate ABA .

This gene and enzyme may be very important in plants. Plants cannot flee from potentially harmful conditions such as drought or the approach of winter. ABA is a hormone that is formed to help protect a plant against stress. The enzyme ABAH provides that mechanism because hydroxylated ABA does not protect a plant against stress. Through genetic engineering we may be able to manipulate a plant's response to environmental stress.

The first specific objective was to prepare copies of the ABAH gene using the PCR method with specially designed primers. In order to make the copy of the gene fit into the new plasmid we digested the ends of the insert with restriction enzymes. Moreover, to prepare the yeast vector for the insert it was digested with the same restriction enzymes. After these were purified, they were joined using the enzyme ligase. The next objective will be to transform yeast with this new plasmid. Finally, we will attempt to measure the expression of this gene in yeast cells. This will be done by growing the yeast cells in the presence of ABA and monitoring the ABA hydroxylation by HPLC.

Using vortex generators in the Mach-4 tunnel to interfere with the shock/boundary-layer
interaction on the nozzle walls
Gregorio Monge, Iowa State University, and
Professor Steven Schneider, Department of Aero & Astronautic.

Results are presented regarding the starting of a Mach 4 Ludweig Tube wind tunnel with flow over slab delta models of various sizes, at high angles of attack. Methods of data acquisition include flow visualization techniques used concurrently with pressure measurements from the windward surface of the model. The reproduction of previous test results in a Mach 6 Ludweig tube tunnel is considered first, with possible solutions to a shock-boundary layer interaction being later discussed.

The activity of the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase,
a putative mammary, prostate, and pancreatic tumor suppressor
Francis Morah, Texas Southern University, and
Associate Professor David Riese II, Department of Medicinal Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology.

ErbB4 is a member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases. This family includes the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/HER1/ErbB1), ErbB2 (HER2/Neu), ErbB3 (HER3), and ErbB4 (HER4). ErbB4 expression correlates with mammary cell growth inhibition and differentiation. ErbB4 is expressed in normal mammary tissues and its expression is highest during a period late in pregnancy that is characterized by terminal differentiation and growth arrest. ErbB4, however, is not found in a significant portion of mammary tumor samples though its expression correlates with a favorable prognosis in breast cancer patients. In order to study ErbB4 signaling effects we have created a constitutively active ErbB4 mutant (ErbB4 Q646C). However, we are not able to create cell lines that stably express this constitutively active ErbB4 mutant since it is a tumor suppressor. Therefore, my goal is to develop systems for conditionally regulating ErbB4 expression and activity in vitro.

One approach is the TET-ON expression system. This system consists of recombinant retroviruses that encode a tetracycline inducible transcription factor and ErbB4 under the transcriptional control of a tetracycline inducible promoter. I subcloned a kinase deficient ErbB4 Q646C mutant (ErbB4 Q646C kin - ) into the pREV TRE vector. I created a doubly-infected stable cell lines expressing both TET-ON and one of three pREV TRE constructs including pREV TRE ErbB4, pREV TRE ErbB4 Q646C, and pREV TRE ErbB4 Q646C Kin - .

The other approach consists of an ErbB4 mutant that is defective for tyrosine kinase activity (ErbB4 Q646C R847A) but whose activity is predicted to be rescued by treatment with imidazole. The mutant is created by replacing Arginine 847 with an Alanine in the catalytic loop thus disrupting ErbB4 kinase activity. To characterize this mutant I performed experiments designed to answer the following two questions. Does the R847A mutation abolish ErbB4 kinase activity? Does the addition of imidazole rescue ErbB4 Q646C activity? To answer these two questions I plated cell lines that express wild type ErbB4, ErbB4 Q646C, ErbB4 Q646C R847A, and ErbB4 Q646C Kin - in 100mm tissue culture dishes. When cells reached confluence I placed all the cells on ice. I aspirated the media and washed the cells with cold PBS and treated two of the plates from each cell line with varying concentrations of cold imidazole in PBS++ for 30 minutes. I lysed the cells, assayed for protein concentration, and immunoprecipitated ErbB4 from 1mg of total protein for each sample. I resolved the samples on an SDS-PAGE gel and blotted for tyrosine phosphorylation. The R847A mutant in the absence of imidazole should display phosphorylation levels comparable to ErbB4 Q646C Kin - . The levels of ErbB4 Q646C R847A phosphorylation should increase with imidazole treatment.

These systems will allow us to obtain a large number of cells that express the active ErbB4 tumor suppressor. The cells can then be used to identify signaling events that lie downstream of ErbB4 and couple its signaling to tumor suppression and growth arrest.

Chromate VI and Toluene after Desiccation
Tiffanny Newman, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and
Professor Cindy Nakatsu and Dr. Marti Varga, Department of Agronomy.

A major factor in maintaining a functioning ecosystem is its ability to degrade waste. In highly contaminated soils at waste sites, where contaminates are unnatural and/or toxic it is imperative they are degraded or transformed into less toxic forms. Bacteria are usually involved in the bioremediation of the soil, meaning they can remove toxic substances, or make them less toxic. Bacteria that live in highly contaminated waste site soils are obviously resistant to contaminate to which they are exposed and may have resistance to other contaminates. The purpose of this study was to isolate bacteria involved with the bioremediation of chromate and toluene in the presence of radiation. However, bacteria that are resistant to a multitude of contaminates, such as: heavy metals, organic substances and radiation are uncommon, and difficult to isolate. Bacteria were isolated on medium containing chromate and toluene using desiccated soils from a long-term contaminated site and pristine site. Research has shown that radiation resistant bacteria tend to also be desiccation resistant. Exposing bacteria to radiation is time consuming and problematic therefore desiccation was used as an alternative means to obtain radiation resistant bacteria. Bacteria were identified using colony morphology and 16S rRNA gene analysis. Total culturable bacteria numbers ranged from 10 6 to 10 8 CFU g -1 soil, in both the contaminated and uncontaminated soils. On media containing only chromate the numbers were 100-fold or more lower, ranging from 10 4 to10 5 CFU g -1 soil. In most cases the number of colonies growing on toluene was even lower, ranging from 10 3 to 10 5 CFU g -1 soil. No colonies formed on media containing chromate and toluene, from soils after desiccation or from the original sample. Surprisingly the fraction of chromate resistant bacteria from the pristine soils from a Malaysian rainforest was similar to those from the contaminated soils but none were able to definitively degrade toluene. Enzyme digestion of PCR products of 16S rDNA of the toluene degraders indicated about 4 to 6 different genera were isolated. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated the bacteria are phylogenetically diverse. In conclusion, as expected the Malaysian isolates, were not able to degrade toluene, however some were resistant to chromate. As theorized, bacteria found from the contaminated waste site were resistant to toluene and chromate, but unfortunately none were both toluene degraders and chromate resistant. Radiation exposure on the sequenced isolates still needs to be performed to accurately determine whether or not they are radiation resistant.

Education and Outreach Project Plans for NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training in Advanced Life Support (ALS/NSCORT)
Lenwood Purce, Alabama A & M University, and
Ms. Julia Hains-Allen, NSCORT Outreach Coordinator.

ALS/NSCORT Education and Outreach has developed and pilot tested a standards/inquiry based teaching and learning module that introduces 5 th -8 th grade students to the interdisciplinary fundamentals of science, technology, and engineering that underlie advanced life support research. The " Mission to Mars" module captures the mission of the education/outreach department of ALS/NSCORT by inspiring the next generation of explorers. Through this mission NASA has made a commitment to reach out into the communities near and far to let young people know that careers in Science are endless. The module seeks to execute this mission with "Explore Mars Now" as each student who engages in this technological based experience sees the limited space that astronauts have to maneuver around in a spacecraft. They will also understand why "what will we take?" is such a BIG question. Students also understand the role that plants play in our survival as they grow their own plants in a self-designed and constructed lighthouse. Did you know that all microorganisms are not bad? Many of them are actually good for our health because they are what helps to sustain us as well as many of the things in nature that surround us. Young talented investigators will continue to conduct their own research as they learn about "Cleaning Water On Mars" using microorganisms that they have grown overtime. Through another very interesting activity called "Is It Alive?" very brilliant future scientist will be able to determine whether yeast is "Alive." To culminate this entire research experience students will be "Off to Mars" as they learn the importance of using bio-degradable materials on Earth as well as on Mars where space is very limited. Through this exciting module NASA is leading the way to greater and brighter future in research.

An evaluation of the Murdock Elementary School FOCUS program
Darryll Ramsey Jr., North Carolina A & T, and
Professor Bill McInerney, Department of Educational Studies Aadron J. Rausch, State Extension Specialist, Purdue Cooperative Extension .

The Murdock Elementary FOCUS program is an after-school program for disadvantaged youth in grades kindergarten to fifth in the Lafayette, Indiana area. These students exemplify inappropriate behavior in and outside of the school setting, poor social skills, low attendance records, and low academic performance on individual assessments and state standardized tests. This program is significant for its focus on raising the competencies of the above stated characteristics of these participating students that will ultimately manifest both in the school and the community. The evaluation will be a comprehensive design looking at program outcomes as well as program processes. It will involve identifying desired behavioral and attitudinal outcomes, evaluation methods, and subject recruitment in addition to administering and analyzing data from surveys and focus groups. Through the establishment and implementation of quantative and qualitive evaluation measurement tools, formative and summative data can be collected in conjunction with vital information retrieved from interviews with key project personnel and analysis of archival data. It can tentatively be inferred that the students in the program will have positive changes in behavior and cognitive well-being based on the implementation of sessions with a focus on conflict resolution, aggression management, tutoring, cultural and family enrichment, life training skills, and self-concept building.

What did you say mommy? Infant Word Learning and Comprehension
in Varying Levels of White Noise
Fatimah Rashad, Hampton University, and
Professor George Hollich, Department of Psychological Sciences.

Infants often face noisy situations. From infants attending day care, to infants in communal child rearing situations, to infants in mutigenerational households, noise is an ever-present part of their daily lives. Despite this fact, little research has been done examining infants' abilities to comprehend speech or even individual words in the face of noise. In the current studies, we examined this issue. We report dramatic decreases in the abilities of young infants (ages 14-26 months, n = 48) to comprehend familiar words and learn new ones (spoken at 70dB) in two levels of white noise (60dB and 70dB) versus a quiet situation.

This experiment made use of the splitscreen preferential looking procedure. Infants sat on their mother's lap and watched a video on a 56-inch LCD projection display. While they were watching the video, their responses were recorded on a video camera for subsequent offline, frame-by-frame, coding of looking preferences to two objects on either side of the screen. There were two phases. In the familiar phase, infants were tested on the names for familiar objects (e.g. ball/book). In the unfamiliar phase, infants were taught and tested on the names for computer generated novel objects (e.g. a blue striped triangular object labeled a "boog," and a ball/stick object labeled a "booch").

In the familiar phase, infants were first familiarized with a name and a picture of one known object (i.e., book). In the consecutive trials, they were shown a picture of both the original object and the additional object (i.e., ball), and were asked to "look at the book," or "look at the ball." Mean looking to the requested familiar object is graphed by noise level in Figure 1. Across all conditions, infants looked longer at the targeted familiar object. However, there was a significant linear trend such that infants performed better in the quiet condition than in each of the noise conditions.

Results in the unfamiliar phase were even more striking. In this phase, infants were familiarized with the names and pictures of the unfamiliar objects and subsequently tested on their ability to recall the word-object pairings (as indexed by looking longer to the requested object). Despite significant looking preferences to the requested object in the quiet condition, infants in the two noise conditions showed no evidence of having learned the words at all (see Figure 2), even trending toward looking at the incorrect object.

Thus, although infants can understand familiar words and learn new ones in quiet conditions, even a little bit of noise is devastatingly detrimental to their language abilities. These results are more troubling in light of the fact that the level of noise in the lowest noise condition was comparable to that of many home and daycare environments. Ongoing studies are examining the ways in which infants may cope with these levels of distraction and the compensatory mechanisms involved.

Genetic Dissection of Aerenchyma Formation in Maize
Tiffany Smith, Fort Valley State University, and
Professor Guri Johal, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology.

Our laboratory has been interested in studying how programmed cell death (PCD) is regulated and executed in maize. One PCD process that we have been focusing on is the formation of root aerenchyma, a spongy tissue comprised of gas-filled spaces. In maize aerenchyma is an adaptive response to flooding, and its function is to provide an alternative aeration system for obtaining oxygen in an environment in which air diffusion is impeded. Maize aerenchyma results from the death and dissolution of root cortical cells by a process in which ethylene appears to play a key signaling role. We are using a genetic approach to screen for maize mutants, in which aerenchyma formation in response to flooding is altered (suppressed, for example). This screen has the potential to identyify at least two kinds of mutants: those that are defective in mechanisms involved in cell death and dissolution per se , and those that are defective in ethylene biosynthesis and/or perception. Our procedure to identify these mutants relies on screening of M2 populations that have been generated by EMS mutagenesis. Twenty kernels from each M2 family are grown in the greenhouse and/or the lab and screened for altered aerenchyma response under the microscope. Two discoveries have been made that have not been seen in maize before: aerenchyma may be genotype dependent and temperature may have an effect on the speed and growth of aerenchyma in roots.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Specialized Center of Research and Training in Advance Life Support (ALS/NSCORT) Education and Outreach Program
Shandra Stafford, Alabama A & M University, and
Ms. Julia Hains Allen, NSCORT Outreach Coordinator.

Through interactive lessons, ALS/NSCORT Education and Outreach aims to inspire the next generation of explorers.

The " Mission to Mars" module facilitates science instruction that actively involves students in meaningful experiences that provide opportunities to develop inquiry abilities and understanding to promote scientific literacy. Module activities are based on cutting-edge research that is ongoing in the ALS/NSCORT. Teachers and students are engaged in relevant, authentic research driven experiences as they explore futuristic concepts using materials and methods that are familiar, cost effective and obtainable.

This particular type of research includes internet research, lab experiments, and teacher workshops. It focuses on five lessons in the module: Mars Ecosystem, AstroVenture, Chemystery, Microbe Column, and Density Straws.

ALS/NSCORT Education and Outreach provides an avenue to engage and educate students by increasing the scientific literacy of 5 th -8 th graders. This is done through the " Mission to Mars" module.

Roller Compaction Project
Leslie Thompson, Purdue University . and
Professor Teresa Carvajal, Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy.

The formulation and manufacture of compressed solids is a complex process, requiring several steps to render powders compressible, yet easily dispersed.

The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and excipients constitute the formulation component of medicines. These components are usually powders. Drug powders are not easily compressible. In some cases, the small quantity of API that needs to be dispensed requires the addition of excipients for bulking the product; however, the addition of these compatible bulking agents may render the mixture less compressible. Powders characteristics such as particle size, surface area and interparticulate friction make keep the powder from flowing. This issue is not acceptable in the development of tablets. Therefore, powders can be converted to granular form by wet granulation or by roller compaction.

This research summer project is related to roller compaction. The objectives of the project are various. The long range goal of this project is to determine and evaluate NIR sensors for real-time monitoring and control of roller compaction. In this work, granulations and tablets prepared from the granulations (ribbons) were tested for physical properties and drug dissolution. Accelerated and ambient stability tests were performed on prepared tablets.