Compton, California
Xavier University
Junior
Physics & Electrical Engineering

Research Mentor:
Dr. Thomas Robertazzi, Associate Professor
Dept of Electrical and Computer Engineering

This article describes how to protect the rights of developers of algorithmic intellectual property through a brokered e–commerce market utilizing advance mobile agent technology. Specifically next generation e–commerce, where all negotiation and transactions are autonomously performed using multiple intelligent mobile agents, is considered. Features and open questions for such a unique multi–agent system are discussed. An overview of intelligent mobile agents is provided. The needs & uses of vendor and user agents and the design of MATBE our proposed multi–agent system are reviewed. Also discussed are possible security infrastructures for a multi–agent system.

Nesconset, New York
Binghamton University
Junior
Environmental Studies

Research Mentor:
Heather Throop, Graduate Student
Dr. Manuel Lerdau, Associate Professor
Department of Ecology & Evolution

Anthropogenic activities such as fossil fuel combustion and high–intensity agriculture have increased the concentration of inorganic nitrogen compounds in the atmosphere far above pre-industrial levels (Harvard, 2001). This increase has led to atmospheric nitrogen deposition to land, water, and plant surfaces (Ecological Society of America, 1997). In most temperate, terrestrial ecosystems, nitrogen is a limiting agent to growth and plays an important part in controlling productivity, biodiversity and nutrient cycling, but excess levels of nitrogen can damage plants (Ecological Society of America, 1997). Nitrogen is also necessary for insect growth and reproduction. High nitrogen levels in their host plants have been shown to increase the number of offspring insects produce and speed up their rate of sexual maturity (Dixon, 1985). Human activities during the last decade have resulted in the deposition of high levels of inorganic nitrogen onto the earth and the affects of this deposition on ecosystems are not fully understood yet. I will investigate how Uroleucon tuataiae aphid populations are affected by living on A. artemisiifolia plants receiving different levels of simulated nitrogen deposition. My hypothesis is that there will be an increase in aphid population density from the lowest nitrogen treatment to the second to highest treatment level, but there will be a drop in aphid population density on the plants receiving the highest nitrogen level. The knowledge from this experiment will not only give as a better understanding of the effects that nitrogen deposition has on these two organisms but it will also give us a better understanding of how nitrogen deposition will affect ecosystems as a whole.

Brooklyn, New York
Stony Brook University
Sophomore
Chemistry

Research Mentor:
Dr. Nancy Goroff, Assistant Professor
Zachary Katsamanis, Graduate Student
Department of Chemistry

Organic molecules that are conjugated and aromatic have interesting properties. One such property is that they can act as semiconductors and thus make ideal candidates for use in electronic materials. Our target molecule is a cylindrical aromatic carbon belt 1 and is an example of this class of compounds. This molecule has yet to be synthesized. We are applying a scaffold technique to the synthesis of 1. The proposed scheme utilizes the rigid cylindrical geometry of the cyclodextrin molecule 2 as a scaffold to build the target belt. In essence the cyclodextrin will be used as a framework to build the belt upon. The cyclodextrin has two faces with different levels of reactivity, which allows us to treat each one separately. Because of this property we will be able to attach aromatic groups to one side only. These aromatic groups will then be aligned for reaction with each other, which will form the target belt. We have proposed 3 as an aromatic group candidate and have begun synthetic work.

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3

Bronx, New York
Stony Brook University
Sophomore
Engineering Science

Research Mentor:
Dr. Miriam Rafailovich, Professor
Luckner John Jerome, Graduate Student
Department of Materials Science & Engineering

Polymer immiscibility is the major problem hindering recycling efforts. Sorting of polymers in the recycling sludge is very expensive. Failure to separate immiscible polymers causes mechanical failure of components fabricated from recycled polymers. On the other hand when polymers are miscible, combing them enhances the properties of the materials. Since most polymers are immiscible, a third component known as a surfactant must be found which will induce miscibility. The goal of this study is to develop a surfactant that is both effective in compatibilizing a large variety of polymers and is sufficiently inexpensive as to make it economical to use in recycling. To achieve this goal we selected an equal mixture of polystyrene (Styrofoam) and polymethylmethacrylate (Plexiglass) since they are common plastics used in our everyday lives. Thin films of polymer blends were prepared on modified silicon substrates by spin casting. Inorganic nanocomposites such as surface modified clays (Cloisite 6A, Southern Clay) were added to some of the mixtures. The films were evaluated after annealing by atomic force and friction force microscopy in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the clay in inducing compatibility.

Hinesville, Georgia
Savannah State University
Incoming Graduate Student
Biology

Research Mentor:
Dr. Azzedine Ibrahimi, Research Scientist
Department of Physiology & Biophysics

Dietary fatty acids are metabolized by beta oxidation in the mitochondria to provide a major source of energy to the cell. The first step in fatty acid metabolism is uptake across the plasma membrane. The membrane protein, CD36, has been implicated in long chain fatty acid uptake by cells. This protein binds and transports long chain fatty acids from the extracellular medium into the cell where they can be utilized. In order to determine the physiological role of variable levels of CD36 in the membrane the effects of its overexpression in muscle were determined in mice. Muscle tissue depends on fatty acid for a major part and up to 70% of its energy needs. Transgenic mice with muscle overexpression of CD36 were generated using the promoter of the muscle creatine kinase gene (MCK) which directs expression specifically to muscle. These transgenic MCK-CD36 mice exhibited a leaner body mass than the wild type; as well as lower levels of triglycerides, fatty acids and cholesterol in the blood. When compared to wild type, muscles from the transgenic mice exhibited a greatly enhanced ability to oxidize fatty acids in response to stimulation/contraction. In this study we examined whether the enhanced ability to oxidize fatty acids influences muscle performance and could delay the onset of fatigue during vigorous exercise. We used two methods of exercise and compared the endurance of wild type, control mice to that of mice overexpressing CD36 in muscle.

Hinesville, Georgia
Stony Brook University
Junior
Physics

Research Mentor:
Dr. Harold Metcalf, Professor
Dr. John Noe, Instructor
Department of Physics

Charged Coupled Device (CCD) cameras, are a new development in electronics that are rising fast as an indispensable tool in optical research. They provide a fast way to gather information about the intensity of laser light. Since this data is stored in a digital format, the manipulation of this digital array is a fast and easy process. However, the researcher has to be careful in the equipment that it is chosen. The recording and storage of the information is never a hundred per cent accurate, because every electronic device has a maximum level of resolution and a signal to noise ratio. This is all due to the inherent accuracy limits of any sensor device and in some cases due to design or manufacturing flaws. There are many kinds of CCD cameras, each with different properties. This paper will concentrate on the differences between CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon) Vs C.C.D. cameras, Black and White Vs Color cameras, Full Frame transfer Vs Interline transfer Vs Frame transfer, and Commercial Vs Research Grade. All the different analysis will center around a HeNe 632.8 nm laser and how they respond in doing interferometry on an interference pattern produced by this laser.

Brentwood, New York
SUNY New Paltz
Senior
Cell Biology

Research Mentor:
Dr. Elizabeth Rieder, Research Scientist
Dept of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Coxsackieviruses and polioviruses belong to the same genus within the Picornavirus family. These viruses have been clustered together based on their genome sequences, however they cause completely different diseases (poliomyelitis vs. respiratory disease). Picornaviruses are characterized by a positive stranded RNA genome that is flanked at either end by a non-translated region (NTR). The poliovirus 5´NTR has been implicated in both, RNA replication and the translation of the virus polyprotein. The 5´NTR of Coxsackie A virus type 18 and 21 (CAV-18 and CAV-21) share a 80-85% sequence homology to polioviruses. We have set up experiments to understand functions encoded in the 5´NTRs of coxsackievirus and its relation to the poliovirus counterpart. To this end we have replaced the 5´NTR of poliovirus with that of the CAV-21, in the backbone of a poliovirus subgenomic replicon and also using an infectious cDNA clone of poliovirus type 1. We are currently in the process of evaluating the viability of the chimeric genomes by looking at progeny of the virus following transfection in competent cells and translation efficiency by measuring Luciferase activity.

Quebradillas, Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico, Humacao
Incoming Graduate Student
Coastal Marine Biology

Research Mentor:
Dr. Glenn Lopez, Professor
Marine Sciences Research Center

Little is known about the filtration rate of serpulid worms. Preliminary estimations suggest that an oyster shell covered by these worms may be able to filter more seawater than a live oyster of the same size. Serpulid worms have been found in Great South Bay growing on dead hard clam and oyster shells. Hard clam shells and oysters were, at one point, the main suspension feeders in South Bay but have recently been found in much lower concentrations. The decline in numbers of the principal filter feeders (oyster and clam) in the Bay, seems to have brought smaller filter feeders that were not considered very important years ago. Now these smaller filter feeders might be the principal filterers in the Bay. Since the decline in hard clams in Long Island Sound, harmful algal blooms have also been seen in the area and polychaete worms were noticed for the first time growing in large numbers on top of oyster shells. This scenario made our laboratory consider the environmental factors involved in hard clam growth and reproduction. We are interested in learning about the role of the serpulid worms in the Bay and how they might be taking the place of the hard clam Mercenaria mercenaria. Our results actually reflect a much higher filtration rate for the dead shells covered with serpulid worms than that of a live oyster.

Brooklyn, New York
York College
Senior
Biology

Research Mentor:
Dr. James Konopka, Associate Professor
Amy Warenda, Graduate Student
Dept of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology

Candida albicans, an opportunistic eukaryotic disease-causing agent, normally affects people with compromised immune systems, especially those suffering from HIV and cancer. This yeast´s genetic makeup is very similar to the non- pathogenic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, except that S. cerevisiae is capable of sexual reproduction while C. albicans is not. Mating occurs in yeast when environmental conditions are hostile, leading to greater genetic variability of offspring. However, C.albicans is a budding yeast, and it is questioned whether the genes for mating in S. cerevisiae have been converted to genes for pathogenicity in C. albicans. Previous studies have shown that the STE2 receptor, which is involved in S.cerevisiae mating, was also found in C.albicans. Since C.albicans has not been observed to mate, the function of the receptor is unknown. In addition, the STE2 receptor is membrane localized, leading to the conclusion that it is important for some cellular function. The objective of this project is to knockout the STE2 gene as a means of studying the receptor´s function.

Bronx, New York
Stony Brook University
Sophomore
Biochemistry

Research Mentor:
Dr. Dale Drueckhammer, Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry

Glucose sensors are chemical devices that measure the glucose concentration in the blood. There has been growing interest among chemists to synthesize glucose sensors because they would be useful for people suffering from diabetes. Colleagues in the research lab that I am working in along with other research labs have had limited success in developing an efficient glucose sensor. The sensors synthesized by my colleagues consisted of arylboronic acids that bound too tightly with glucose, forming a complex that is too stable and therefore inefficient. This results from the high electron affinity that the arylboronic acids display when binding to glucose and other simple sugars. My research project focuses on synthesizing a sulfonate analog that would replace one of the arylboronic acids and decrease the binding affinity to glucose. Theoretically, this would result in a more stable sensor that would make measuring glucose levels in diabetics easier and more accurate.

Mamaroneck, New York
SUNY New Paltz
Junior
Computer Science

Research Mentor:
Dr. James Glimm, Professor
Erwin George, Graduate Student
Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics

It is big and deep and easy to get lost in; but it is also an immense amount of fun. The Internet has revolutionized the computer world like nothing before. The World Wide Web is information linked together in various ways on the Internet, available for us through a browser. The web is successful in providing so much information because the information is distributed globally across thousands of web sites. Several different computers languages are used to display web pages such as HTML, Perl, Java, and Java Script. My project is to build web pages dealing with research in math science. It consists of displaying a Front Tracking calculator that calculates density, pressure, velocity and other physical quantities resulting from a certain gas of interaction. To achieve this I will make use of Html, Perl, Java and CGI. Html stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. The Html code is a very simple language used to display different kinds of documents. Java was the first way to include inline sound and animation in a web page and it also lets users interact with a web page. Perl is a language optimized for scanning and can be used to scan large amounts of data quickly. This language is easy to use and efficient. CGI stands for Common Gateway Interface, a method for running programs on the web server based on input from a Web browser. Designing this web page will help not only students from Stony Brook but also students from all over the world by letting them use the calculator to perform complex calculations and obtain results faster and more efficiently.

Macon, Georgia
Savannah State University
Senior
Biology

Research Mentor:
Dr. Raafat El-Maghrabi, Associate Professor
Department of Physiology & Biophysics

In mammals, liver cells are capable of synthesizing glucose, by a process known as gluconeogenesis. The two processes of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis allow the body to maintain blood glucose levels within a normal range after meals and between meals. Studies have shown that fructose-2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P2) activates glycolysis and inhibits gluconeogenesis. After meals, Fru-2,6-P2 levels increase and glycolysis predominates, while between meals, Fru-2,6-P2 levels decrease and gluconeogenesis predominates. The enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of Fru-2,6-P2 is called 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase, and Fru-2,6-P2 hydrolysis is catalyzed by a fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase. Both activities are part of one protein (6PF2K/Fru-2,6-P2ase) i.e. it is bifunctional. The liver and skeletal muscle 6PF2K/Fru-2,6-P2ase forms have identical kinase and bisphosphatase domains, but differ at their amino terminals. The amino terminal of the liver form is 32 residues long and contains a protein kinase phosphorylation site, while the muscle amino terminal is 9 residues long and does not contain a phosphorylation site. These differences are reflected in very different kinetics of the two enzyme forms. In addition, phosphorylation of liver 6PF2K/Fru-2,6-P2ase results in the inhibition of the kinase and the activation of the bisphosphatase. However, the structural changes in the kinase domain associated with phosphorylation, or with the two different amino terminals have not been determined. In this study, a bacterial plasmid that codes for muscle 6PK2K/Fru-2,6-P2ase was constructed to contain an eight-histidine carboxy-terminal tag for purification, and a thrombin cleavage site between the kinase and bisphosphatase domains. The enzyme was then expressed in Escherichia coli, purified by histidine-tag affinity and the purified enzyme was cleaved with thrombin. This process allows the 6PF2K domain of the enzyme to be observed in isolation, and its kinetics studied. This study will provide information on changes in the kinase structure with phosphorylation, as well as with the different liver and skeletal muscle amino terminals.