University of Utah Undergraduate Research Abstracts, Volume 9, Spring 2009

Honors Program of undergraduate research abstracts vol 9 - Part 1

114 HONORS PROGRAM Message from the Director What distinguishes most an education at a Research I University is the on-going production of new knowledge. What this lends to both classrooms and even the most casual conversations on the lawn in front of the Union building is a freshness, an awareness of what is important and new. Research is what invigorates teaching, scholarly production, and the contribution we might make to the academic community. Research brings students into collaboration with faculty and intro-duces them to processes, ways of knowing, and interpretation and invites them to apply what they have learned in the classroom. The Honors Program believes that every student should have a meaningful experience in research and that excellence in research and writing ought to be celebrated. This is why we are joining with the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program for the sixth annual Research Symposium. In fact, now every student who graduates with the Honors degree and completes an Honors thesis or capstone project participates in this symposium. This day recognizes our commitment to research, our belief in the immense benefit it provides for students, and our involvement in the larger research agenda of this great university. We are also pleased to feature the Honors students' abstracts in the University of Utah's Undergraduate Research Abstracts Journal. We invite you to join us in celebrating the achievements of Honors students in completing their theses, and in mak-ing a contribution to the production of new knowledge at this University. Martha Bradley THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH ADSORPTION OF XENON ON SILVER EXCHANGED ZEOLITES Xenon is a colorless, heavy, odorless noble gas, occurring in the Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts. Xenon has been used as a general anesthetic, although it is expensive. Because of the high cost of xenon, economic application requires a closed system so that xenon can be recycled, with the gas being filtered for contaminants between uses. An additional benefit is that xenon is not a greenhouse gas and so it is also viewed as environmentally friendly. In the Eyring laboratory zeolite samples are studied as to their effectiveness in adsorbing and retaining noble gases. Zeolites are aluminosilicate compounds, and members of a family of microporous solids known as molecular sieves. Zeolites are a unique material in that their arrangement of silicon has many channels and cavities where atoms less than a critical size can fit, much like in carbon nanostructures. Zeolites are also characterized by their unusually high affinity for water coordination, as compared to common metal hydrates. We are in the process of determining conditions where these zeolites, ion exhanged with silver, can adsorb and retain noble gases, and release them. Zeolites are alternately exposed to reducing and oxidizing conditions, to investigate the oxidation state of silver in the adsorp-tion process of noble gases. We have shown that under oxidized conditions certain zeolite samples can retain significant amounts of xenon. When temperatures were raised above 200 degrees Centigrade, the retained gases were released, with almost complete accountability for xenon gas injected. Our experiments have compared silver exchanged chabazite and mordenite samples. We have found the highest xenon retention in freshly dried samples of chabazite, and good retention in oxidized samples of chabazite. Reduced samples had almost no retention. Samples that were exposed to air quickly adsorb water, which eliminates adsorption of noble gases. Reduction eliminates the ability to adsorb xenon. When using mordenite, retention was also low. We are also currently in the process of experimentation and analysis of data to determine the energy of interaction and the binding population between the xenon and zeolite sample. Zinovii Abolnik 115 Zinovii Abolnik (Edward M. Eyring) Department of Chemistry University of Utah Edward M. Eyring HONORS PROGRAM 116 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 CDO VALUATION AND TRENDS Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) are structured financial products used to reduce risk by diversify-ing unsystematic risk. CDOs accomplish risk diversity by creating classes of securities with different levels of seniority. This paper shows how high rates of default affect different CDO tranches, or levels of risk. It also discusses the importance of monitoring the changing environments of correlation of defaults and how the correlation of defaults affects the tranches of the CDO portfolio. Finally, this paper analyzes the trends in the CDO markets as correlation of defaults shift. The paper will also illustrate how investors can take advantage of different correlation environments. Suneeti Agrawal (Robert Dubil) School of Business University of Utah THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND REACTIONS OF A NOVEL ORGANOMETALLIC ACID FLUORIDE The characteristic physical properties of fluorocarbons, a consequence of the great strength of the CF bond, often result in chemical compounds that are useful in industry. Unfortunately, these same proper-ties make fluorocarbons extremely unreactive and thus environmentally hazardous. Hence, there is a crit-ical need to develop chemistry designed to activate CF bonds. Transition metal complexes have proven to be a useful tool for selective CF bond activation under mild conditions. Surprisingly, reaction of [Mn(CO)5]- with perfluorobenzoyl chloride occurred via nucleophilic aromatic substitution rather than reaction at the acid chloride functional group, affording a novel organometallic acid fluoride species: perfluorobenzoyl fluoride manganese pentacarbonyl (Figure 1). Figure 1: Synthesis of perfluorobenzoyl fluoride manganese pentacarbonyl. The identity of this compound was determined by elemental analysis, and interpretation of IR, 19F NMR and Raman Spectra. An ORTEP representation of the molecule obtained by X-Ray crystallography is shown in Figure 2. The regioslectively of the substitution is ascribed to activation of the aromatic ring by perfluorination and the ability of the acid chloride functional group to stabilize intermediates through resonance. In addition the "soft" character of [Mn(CO)5]- appears to favor reaction at the aromatic ring compared to classic "hard" nucleophiles such as hydroxide. Further reactions of perfluorobenzoyl fluoride manganese pentacarbonyl indicate the compound to be fairly reactive. The acid fluoride group undergoes hydrolysis to afford the carboxylic acid derivative, and reaction with aqueous ammonia affords the corresponding amide derivative. Interestingly, the acid fluoride does not react with additional [Mn(CO)5]- to afford a bimetallic complex. Similar reactions with [Re(CO)5]- were also carried out and characterized. The results of this research add to the knowledge base of aromatic fluorine chemistry, CF bond manipulation, and selective chemical syntheses involving highly fluorinated substrates. Figure 2: ORTEP representation of perfluo-robenzoyl fluoride manganese pentacar-bonyl obtained by X-Ray crystallography. Safia Ahmed 117 Safia Ahmed (Thomas G. Richmond) Department of Chemistry University of Utah Thomas G. Richmond HONORS PROGRAM F F F F F (OC)5Mn F F F F KMn(CO) 5 F O Cl O dry THF 118 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 MEMORY AND EXERIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE Architecture must blaze: you can judge just how bad the 70's were when you look at its super-tense architec-ture. Opinion polls and a complacent democracy live behind Biedermeier-facades. But we don't want to build Biedermeier, not now and at no other time. We are tired of seeing Palladio and other historical masks. Because we don't want architecture to exclude everything that is disquieting, we want architecture to have more. Archi-tecture that bleeds, that exhausts, that whirls and even breaks. Architecture that lights up, that stings, that rips and under stress tears. Architecture should be cavernous, fiery, smooth, hard, angular, round, delicate, colorful, obscene, voluptuous, dreamy, alluring, repelling, wet, dry and throbbing. Alive or dead. Cold-then cold as a block of ice. Hot-then hot as a blazing wing. Architecture must blaze -Wolf D. Prix This quote was given to me in my first semester of my major 1 semester. Throughout my architectural explo-rations I have come back to it over and over again. To analysis what is architecture and more importantly why is good architecture good. This exploration is uplifting and infuriating. An open challenge to break away from convention and create truly expressive and experiential space. To do something no one has ever done before. To push the realm of possibility into the realm of dreams and visions. With my designs I attempt to create experience. Design must be expressive and multifaceted, conveying a meaning to everyone. To evoke a guttur-al emotional response on the most basic of human levels. To redefine the urban fabric and the human con-sciousness. However one thing has plagued this endeavor. In modern, minimalist architecture the drive to simplify seems to, by necessity, eliminate the human experience and in many cases creates hostile, and uninhabitable, and sterile spaces. The mind can appreciate beauty in their simplicity but can these spaces for allow interaction: profound experience, an architecture that requires us to realize our humanity. Why does modernist minimal-ism become inhospitable and uninhabitable, and can minimal ascetics and spaces be achieved in a more humanistic and outward looking architecture? In this thesis these are the questions I intend to interrogate. I believe that by looking at the frames of experi-ence and memory of architecture a better architecture can emerge. I have compiled a list of resources on the subject to help me in this endeavor. Each one provides a piece of the puzzle. Christopher Alexander provides a framework, the patterns of ‘good' design. But I must ask why these are ‘good'. How do these elements come together to form experience and how is our definition of good architec-ture and profound experience affected by our memories of similar place, of similar interactions. For this thesis I will concentrate on my own educational experiences and memories of them, as this ties into the Studio project of designing a school. I will first take an inventory, of my memories and experiences of elementary, middle, and high school, and analyze why those memories stick with me, why are they profound, and how did the architecture of those places affect them. I will try to distill these experience down to their root cause, their theory, and attempt to create a similar experience. Secondly I will analyze my most experiential spaces. Spaces that have the most meaning to me, and that evoke the most feeling in me. These spaces are from my Urban Decay photographic explorations into abandoned buildings around the west, as well as some natural experiences of the desert. Finally I will attempt to apply what I have learned from these analyses into my Studio project. Taking the lessons and interrogations, integrating them into a cohesive, successful design. This design will be the capstone, the embodiment of the thesis. Bryan Allen (Julio Bermudez) School of Architecture University of Utah Bryan Allen Julio Bermudez THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH BOREDOM AND NARRATIVE IDENTITY The purpose of this paper is to explore how boredom fits into narrative film. This paper does not look to traditional literary and film "theory" to answer this question, but rather to a variety of diverse fields, including psychology, psychiatry, philosophy and sociology. Each field has its own conflicting views on the nature of boredom and its causes and cures. However, a common vein of a burning desire for a meaningful object of desire runs through the distinct and conflicting fields. Starting from outside film studies, the paper then moves inward by situating existential boredom within the context of narrative identity and cognitive theory. Narrative identity theorists argue that identity is formed as "a story we tell about ourselves."This paper argues that existential boredom corresponds with the crisis of identity that occurs when the self is unable to develop meaningful goals for the future. At this moment, when the self is unable to formulate coherent desires, identity breaks down and boredom sets in. This narrative view of boredom is then applied to Sofia Coppola's 2003 film, Lost in Translation. The film portrays characters who are existentially bored and going through a crisis of identity. Also, the format of the narrative, with its long sequences of wandering, presents a kind of "cinematic boredom."This is where the narrative languishes without clear conflict, goals or momentum. The film is, itself, bored. Joseph E Amici 119 Joseph E Amici (Lien Fan Shen) Department of Film Studies University of Utah Lien Fan Shen HONORS PROGRAM 120 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 MICRO CHARGE PUMP ACTUATION IN SUMMIT V MEMS Micro-Electrical-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) may contain mechanical parts that are often actuated by an external electrical signal. Visual inspection of the mechanical parts may require a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) due to the extremely small dimensions involved. While imaging, electrons interact with the specimen and may generate static electric charge within features of the specimen. Recently, devices have been designed to use the forces generated as a result of interacting static electric charges within features produced during SEM imaging as means of actuating mechanical movement. This study investigates two such MEMS devices designed and fabricated using the Sandia SUMMiT V MEMS process. The first design is a test structure used to quantify the forces and charges generated through the actua-tion process. The test structure utilizes thin beams that bend and store energy. A theoretical beam mechanics model has been created to quantify those forces. After fabrication the test structure was cross sectioned. Actual dimensions were measured using optical and electron microscopes. These dimensions were compared with those expected from design simulations. The actual test structure dimensions were found to be suitable for micro charge pump actuation. The second design is a series of interlocking shelves intended to expand into a stepped pyramid when viewed under a SEM. This pyramid was intended to demonstrate the unique ability of the charge pump method. Unfortunately, the pyramid device was found to be too loosely designed and resulted in steps moving off track likely during final steps of fabrication. When steps were inline, SEM imaging of the pyra-mid expanded only partially. The design has been revised to include beams running perpendicular to and cut into the steps top layer. The beams extend outward from the center of the pyramid. Similar beams extend inward along the bottom layer. The beams lock the structure from rotating about the cen-ter in plane or out of plane and keep steps inline. Also, an additional mechanical layer underneath the pyramid has been added to improve the charging capability, and in turn expandability, of the pyramid. Eric Anderson (Ian Harvey) Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Utah Eric Anderson Ian Harvey THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THE DAY AFTER: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SALT LAKE CITY'S PLANS FOR RECONSTRUCTION FOLLOWING A NATURAL DISASTER Every community lives in the shadow of a natural hazard. Salt Lake City is no exception as it lies along a geologic fault that is expected to produce a significant earthquake in the future. The day after the proverbial and perhaps literal fires have been extinguished, communities are faced with the daunting task of reconstruction. During this period, municipalities have the opportunity to improve the communi-ty beyond conditions before the event. To fully seize this opportunity, communities must develop a quality pre-disaster recovery plan. Adherence to such plans will guide the efficient creation of a quality post-disaster recovery plan as well as organize recovery actions. The Hurricane Katrina experience in New Orleans highlighted the importance of having an effective municipal emergency management plan as well as an often neglected reconstruction plan. Unfortunately, little research outside of case studies has been performed on this topic. This thesis will begin with an examination of the existing literature on natural disasters and recovery. In addition, it will examine the post-Katrina recovery as a negative case study in recovery planning. This framework will inform a critical analysis of Salt Lake City's Disaster Recovery Plan. A revision of the plan is currently underway. Ideally, the principles established in this thesis will serve to inform this update as well as other communities developing such plans. Michael J. Baker 121 Michael J. Baker (Keith Bartholomew) Department of City and Metropolitan Planning University of Utah Keith Bartholomew HONORS PROGRAM 122 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 TEACHING DEAF STUDENTS PERCUSSION It is possible to teach deaf and hard-of-hearing students how to play and become proficient at percus-sion instruments. In fact, these students should be encouraged to learn percussion, for both musical and non-musical reasons. Topics: I. History of deaf/hard-of-hearing students and music education. Things which will be discussed consist of using the piano to teach these students how to speak with more normal speech inflections, music ensembles consisting entirely of these students, and prejudices about these students and music educa-tion. II. How music education can help to integrate deaf/hard-of-hearing students into the mainstream class-room and why they should be. Theories and different integration practices will be discussed. Also dis-cussed will be some of the pros and cons of integrating these students into mainstream music class-rooms along with some of the challenges and rewards. This section will consist of mostly non-musical reasons of why these students should learn percussion. III. How music education can help deaf/hard-of-hearing students develop good social skills with both hearing/non-hearing students. Included in this section are the benefits of these students building social relations with other people in the Deaf community around their age. Also discussed are ways in which interacting with hearing students around their age in an extra-curricular setting can help deaf/hard-of-hearing students learn how to cope when living in the "hearing world". It will be shown how doing both can help these students to build strong friendships. Mostly non-musical reasons for learning percussion are found. IV. How music education can help deaf/hard-of-hearing students to build positive self-esteem. Discussed in this section are ways in which having success in music can help these students to feel confident about themselves, and thus learn to be confident in other areas in their lives. Learning that one can grow stronger from failure before success will also be discussed. Both musical and non-musical reasons are found here. V. Why it would be good for deaf/hard-of-hearing students to learn/become proficient on percussion instruments. Benefits from learning to play percussion, such as discipline, will be addressed. Also talked about are the benefits of being in a percussion ensemble. Both musical and non-musical reasons will be touched on. VI. Techniques which can be used to teach percussion instruments (includes both techniques in current practice and those specific to deaf/hard-of-hearing students. As is obvious from the title, practices which music teachers and private instructors are currently using in their respective areas of teaching will be described, as well as how one may teach these techniques to others. Some specific things dealing with this subject to be discussed will be quoted from Doug Wolf, percussion instructor at the University of Utah, and Dame Evelyn Glennie, a world-renowned percussionist who just happens to be deaf. Risa Baker (Doug Wolf) School of Music University of Utah Risa Baker Doug Wolf THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH BEYOND COMPENSATION: INADEQUACIES OF THE RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT (RECA) This project examines the political and social history of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) - the current legislation available for victims of radiation exposure from nuclear testing in the Nevada desert. During the Cold War, the federal government conducted over 900 atmospheric and underground nuclear tests. This testing exposed American citizens to dangerous levels of radioactive fallout, which resulted in high rates of cancer, birth defects, sterility, and other radiation-induced illnesses. Following the Downwinders' unsuccessful lawsuit against the government, Congress engaged in debate regarding compensation for nuclear victims. The government was hesitant to admit fault and take finan-cial responsibility, causing the scope of the proposed legislation to diminish with each successive bill. In 1990, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Ut) achieved passage of his Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Though this legislation was seen as a political victory for Hatch, it left exposed populations with little to celebrate. RECA allotted compensation only to Downwinders, test site workers, and uranium miners who could provide documentation proving that they lived within arbitrary geographical boundaries and met the medical qualifications. This project researches the history of the legislation, examining the context, creation, and current place of RECA, paying attention to the role local and national politics play in nuclear testing. It raises moral and political questions about the efficacy of monetary payment as "compensation" for victims who have been wronged as severely as the Downwinders. Tori Ballif 123 Tori Ballif (Bob Goldberg, John Francis) Department of History University of Utah John Francis HONORS PROGRAM Bob Goldberg 124 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 PHILOSOPHY OF STRATEGY: A SCIENTIFIC METHOD FOR INVESTMENT STRATEGY ANALYSIS The investment strategies of members of a given society cumulatively represent the principal determi-nant of the economic conditions of the same society. Investment strategy is predicated upon philosophi-cal commitments. By virtue of the economic power of investment strategies, a philosophy of strategy is necessary for the advancement of socioeconomic conditions. For this reason, the purpose of my honors thesis is to introduce a philosophy of strategy, which yields a scientific method for analyzing investment strategy. Strategy constitutes the appropriation of action for an objective, where an objective establishes a target consequence. Strategies and objectives merge to form a priori causal relationships, and the burden of the strategist is to produce a posteriori causal relationships between the two concepts. Analysis of investment strategy denotes the work expended by economic agents to predict the risk asso-ciated with alternative strategies of capital appropriation. Risk is the potential that a target consequence will fail to transpire. Accordingly, the investment strategist must deduce a sufficient sequence of neces-sary conditions by which the investment objective will transpire, estimate the probability of each succes-sive condition coming to fruition, and then generate a valuation of the given investment strategy. Venture capital investment strategy typifies perhaps the most complex and unpredictable of all invest-ment strategies. Less than 1% of new ventures attain congruence with their high growth potential. For this reason the focus of my honors thesis is to demonstrate the application of my scientific method for venture capital investment strategy. If my method can give a reasonable account of the predictable qual-ity of new ventures, then it is likely to have considerable explanatory power in other investment domains as well. Bradley Call Barth (Matthew Haber) Department of Philosophy Bradley Call Barth University of Utah Matthew Haber THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH PERCEIVING ARCHITECTURE: THE EFFECTS OF SENSORAL ENGAGEMENT ON THE PROCESS OF LEARNING Over the history of human development, the use of the senses has been integral in survival. Sensorial engagement was a necessity in the struggle of life, and all senses informed us of the surrounding world. Somehow, however, the value of the information offered by some of the senses has dramatically decreased. Our perception now relies so dependently on vision that our built world is correspondingly sensually bland. All is built to appeal solely to the eye. Why is this troubling? We miss the full potential of experiencing space and time along the spectrum of perception. We learn less and progress through life and space through the narrow frame of vision, unilateral and devoid of a frame of reference. To reinstate the full range of senses in our process of learning will be to rediscover a new perception of existence. Through the character of built spaces this change can occur. In the work The World I Live In by Helen Keller, it is written ". . . our mental worlds are formed not by sepa-rate sensations but by relations and analogies . . ." The process of learning that she underwent is a token of the power of the undervalued senses and particularly their combined use. There in the sense of touch is the ability to understand the tangible nature of surface and materiality. In architecture this can trans-late to texture and the gradients of tactility. The sense of our body in space provides a link between the pressure of space upon us and the simultaneous disturbances of this pressure. Although we are hardly in tune with them, the vibrations created by sound impart valuable information about our surroundings and their character. With all the information it divulges, sound perception is perhaps our second most perceived sense. Taste and smell rather go hand in hand, although the implications of these senses in distinguishing spacer are more intangible. Keller discusses the relationship between smell and memory, "A whiff of the universe makes us dream of words we have never seen, recalls in a flash entire epochs of our dearest experiences." Inducing smell then becomes a tool of experience to establish connections between past and present, affording in turn a better knowledge of both. Materiality and the natural expression of material life become integral in the exploration of smells. Through this account, it becomes apparent that engagement of the senses can establish an architecture of substance and authenticity, an architecture that teaches through broader senses. The theme of learn-ing and teaching becomes the crucial link between the senses and space. Furthermore, the role of this distinct learning process is analyzed in a more specific case: a school for the performance and visual arts. The use of the senses in the experience of learning these arts is inherent to the art itself; the question becomes a matter of reflecting and enhancing this inherency in the architecture that will house this learning. An observation by Keller establishes a conceptual starting point for solving this dilemma: ‘. . . the coolness of a water lily rounding into bloom is different from the coolness of an evening wind in summer, and different again from the rain that soaks into the hearts of growing things and gives them life and body." Perhaps the solution lies in the consideration of the sense on a continuum, each composing a spectrum of gradients. As a diffusion of sensual perception, spaces may begin to provide frames of reference and emphasize the role of an individual sense, providing a learning experience of the true nature of that sense. This thesis will be an inquiry of the methods of reconciling the forgotten senses and informing the learning process through their reincorporation into architecture. 1(Keller, 2003, p. xxix) 2(Keller, 2003, p. 44) 3(Keller, 2003, p. 11) Jessica Batty 125 Jessica Batty (Mira A. Locher, William C. Miller) School of Architecture University of Utah Mira A. Locher HONORS PROGRAM 126 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 A STRUCTURE ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP STUDY OF C-6, A NOVEL COMPOUND WITH SELECTIVE ACTIVITY AGAINST BREAST CANCER TUMOR CELLS Researchers have focused on improving cross-coupling reactions because of their importance in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals1 and natural products.2 The Sigman group developed a unique method for Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, a reductive cross-couplings reaction that has increased the number of possible prod-ucts that can be obtained. (Scheme 1).3 Sigman group member Keith Gligorich, using this novel reductive cross-coupling reaction, synthesized the product C-6 (1). In initial screens performed by the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) on several different com-pounds, C-6 preferentially killed tumor cells (Figure 1). In further studies, C-6 selectively destroyed tumor cells over wild-type cells both in human and mice basal cell lines as well as mouse ER+, ER- and HER2+ breast cancer cell lines. C-6's activity in these different cell lines is significant as current treatments usually are only effective against one cell line. Thus, further research could prove C-6 to be a new candidate for treating a wider range of breast cancers. The above results, along with another characteristic of C-6 seen in in vitro studies, support the hypothesis that C-6 targets a specific protein in tumor cell pathways. According to results from a 3D matrigel drug screening assay developed by Dr. Bryan Welm of the Huntsman Cancer Institute (Table 1), the (d)-enantiomer of C-6 shows greater activity than the (??)-enantiomer. The greater effectiveness of one enantiomer over another sug-gests that C-6's ability to selectively kill tumor cells is due to its structure. These results led to research efforts in structure activity relationship studies to identify C-6's pharmacophore structure, synthesize active analogs for target identification and in vivo studies and to improve C-6's pharma-cological properties. Future research will include synthesizing more derivatives to gain additional information on C6's unique mechanism of action. References 1. King, A.O.; Yasuda, N. Top. Organomet. Chem. 2004, 6, 205. 2. Nicolaou, K.C.; Bulger, P.G.; Sarlah, D. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 4442. 3. Gligorich, K.M; Cummings, S.A.; Sigman, M.S.; J .Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 14193. Carol Bills (Keith Gligorich, Matthew S. Sigman*) Department of Chemistry University of Utah Carol Bills Keith Gligorich Matthew S. Sigman THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TRANSITIONAL SPACE IN ARCHITECTURE: ELEMENTS AND PROFOUND EXPERIENCES Architecture is commonly discussed in terms of individual buildings-the enclosures in our lives which we consider defining "inside." Architectural elements usually demarcate these spaces, but most dialogues typically deal separately with either the interior space created within a building, or the exterior space cre-ated by a building and the surrounding urban fabric. However, the issue specifically addressed in this thesis is the creation of provocative experiences in architectural transitional spaces: the liminal intervals created as a consequence of overlapping interior (building) and exterior (nature), and how they can instill wonder unachievable using only creations of humankind. Throughout history, the ongoing search for "the garden," the pristine landscape, consistently presents us as humans with a seemingly contradictory reality. At one extreme, solitary nature lacks the most basic of human needs: shelter. That which seems perfect is unattainable in this respect, since it cannot sustain human life and mankind's need for progress. On the other hand, the disregard of society for how a city must be formed in harmony with the natural environment has proved to be an agent of poverty, over-crowding, and revolting pollution-a state also not conducive to human dwelling, comfort, and health. This point is what makes transitional space so intriguing and offers the potential for extraordinary archi-tectural space. Transitional space bridges the gap between solely interior and solely exterior. These spaces, in being transitional, take people from "outside" and, through the overlap of nature and building, transfer individuals to a destination defined as "inside." In doing this, transitional space helps to ease architecture's relationship with the natural environment, creating a relationship rather than a conflict. The peaceful resolution of man and nature is, arguably, what we as humans have been attempting to accomplish for all of history. Using the environment as an architectural element is our admitting that nature has produced something more evocative than we can create ourselves. Transitional spaces, while being potential agents of unmatched experiential, intellectual, and sensory stimulators, have also functioned as, and can once again become, the successful mediation of humans upon the earth. The earth, left to its own, regulates itself-it achieves a balance through the interrela-tion of all its systems. It is now understood that humans, as a species, have disturbed this balance through our activities. Transitional space, or, more specifically, overlapped interior and exterior space, has the unique quality as an architectural system of relying on nature without damaging nature. In doing so, transitional space can accomplish what it once did by default: regulate the thermal qualities, create opportunities for illumination, and increase the regional relevancy, etc. of a building without harming nature, but by working in harmony with the environment. Nature has been seen as both euphoric and menacing-an immaculate beauty eternally longed for, and an untamed beast beyond human control. Ironically, the same can be said of the edifices of mankind, and the cities we have created. The result, however, of when the most positive aspects of both are allowed to coexist, to blend in situ, is that they can together become some of the most profound, enlightening, and enduring architectural spaces ever created. This thesis explores how examples of such spaces have endured over time, analyzes their qualitative and quantitative components to gain insight into why they illicit such unparalleled responses, deconstructs natural and manmade elements of transi-tional space to understand the exact effects of one on the other, and proposes conjectures on how this overlap of space can better not only architecture, but architecture's interaction and impact on the world. Christos C. Bolos 127 Christos C. Bolos (Mira A. Locher) School of Architecture University of Utah Mira A. Locher HONORS PROGRAM 128 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI: SHIFTING VIEWS OF SOLDIERS' MASCULINITY AND NATIONALISM DURING WORLD WAR I World War I was a time of great change for the soldiers of the British Army. Many believed that in fight-ing the war, the soldiers were fulfilling the saying, "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori", or "‘tis sweet and proper to die for one's country". They held that the men had a duty to fight for Britain, and that the experience would be rewarding and exhilarating. On the other hand, there were numerous others who argued that the war was damaging to British ideals of soldiers as masculine, moral and nationalistic. While soldiers left for war, handsome in their uniforms and looking forward to using weapons, they returned with amputated limbs, serious wounds, and shell shock. This challenged contemporary ideals of masculinity and male sexuality, as the men who returned from war, though models of British bravery, were no longer whole, nor did they have the sex appeal that they had when they left. The definition of masculinity itself was thus forced to shift throughout and after the war. The sources of the paper, which include journal entries, newspaper writings, and wartime poetry, will allow me to tell a complicated narrative in which the idea of "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" was much disputed in the context of shifting notions of masculinity, character and nationalism. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the ways in which ideals about men's bodies and characters were com-pelled to change as a result of World War I, to describe the complexities that were involved in how sol-diers perceived themselves, and to describe how soldiers themselves came to terms with these changing realities. Aubrey W. Bullough (Nadja Durbach) Department of History University of Utah Aubrey W. Bullough Nadja Durbach THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THE EFFECTS OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON FIRM VALUE Research and development (R&D) has played an increasingly influential role in our lives as industries have been formed to solve complex problems. These industries use R&D to produce technologies that add tremendous value to both companies and society. The intent of the thesis is to address these advancements and perform an analysis of R&D's effects on a company's value. To create a standard measurement, an industry has been chosen with a clear measure of R&D's success; the pharmaceutical industry and the measure of success, that of the FDA clinical trial process. By performing an event study, this paper seeks to test three main hypotheses: first that a firm increases in value the most when the market discovers that a drug will pass phase two clinical trials and decreases the most when the drug fails phase three clinical trials, the third hypothesis is that a firm increases in value with a positive announcement and decreases in value with a negative announcement. After the collection of data including the announcements of drug progress and the adjusted stock return, our pro-jected findings suggest that the third hypothesis was correct, while the other two hypotheses had sug-gestive numbers but after statistical testing, they were not found to be significant. A general trend was found showing that there are large amounts of positive announcements and smaller amounts of nega-tive announcements. Each individual negative announcement has a larger stock price movement than positive announcements, yet the large amount of positive announcements offsets the negative announcements for an overall positive movement in two testing scenarios. Sean Bunker 129 Sean Bunker (Mike Lemmon) Department of Finance University of Utah Mike Lemmon HONORS PROGRAM 130 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 BLIND V. COLOR BLIND: THE INJUSTICE OF STATE FELON DISENFRANCHISEMENT SCHEMES State policies which disenfranchise ex-felons, those who have served their complete sentences, have a long history. While "civil death"was a common punishment for convicts in Europe prior to the coloniza-tion of North America, ex-felon disenfranchisement statutes were adopted by several states, primarily in the South after the Civil War. There is substantial evidence that these statutes were created to exclude racial minorities. These discriminatory effects can still be seen today. Racial minorities in the United States, primarily African Americans, are incarcerated at a much higher rate than their white peers. Once convicted, these persons are often subject to disenfranchisement. Because of the racial disparities in conviction and incarceration, minority communities are often left with a diminished voice in the electoral process. Under the Voting Rights Act, as amended in 1982, any voting qualifications established by a state that result in disproportionate disadvantages for minorities are illegal. As a result, African American voters, who consistently vote for Democratic candidates 90% of the time, suffer from vote dilution due to felon disenfranchisement. Precedent suggests that courts analyzing such state statutes should consider a totality of circumstances, including the historical reasons for enactment and other harms suffered by the community. Because of this ex-felon disenfranchisement schemes are not only a bad policy, but also are incompatible with equal voting rights as embodied in the 15th Amendment, and therefore invalid under law. Lauren N. Carpenter (Daniel Levin) Department of Political Science Lauren N. Carpenter University of Utah Daniel Levin THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH ERP VALUE: THE MARKET RESPONSE TO ANNOUNCEMENTS OF ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING INVESTMENTS This paper evaluates the change in a firm's equity value as a result of the firm announcing that it plans to integrate its operations with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, or a module of an ERP system. Investments in IT are increasing as firms strive to optimize their business processes, and have become one of the largest categories of capital expenditures of U.S. businesses. There is a growing body of research based on evaluating the effects of such IT investments and their contribution to firm value. Using an event study approach, the event being the public announcement of ERP investment, and the measure being the change in stock price, we evaluate if ERP investments increase value for firms. Based on a sample of 89 firms publicly traded in U.S. stock markets during the period between 1999 and 2008, we conclude that ERP investments create an average of .81% (· significance = 0.05) incremental value for firms. We consider typical ERP component systems, and observe that supply chain management (SCM) systems are not rewarded with higher abnormal returns than non-SCM, but observe abnormally high amounts of positive compared to negative returns (normal asymmetry sign test, · = 0.01). We examine ERP investments from well known vendors with established reputations in the market, and find that con-tract announcements with such vendors enjoy abnormal stock market returns of 1.40% (· = 0.01). We then look at firm function, and find that although manufacturing firms gain value (· = 0.05), that non-manufacturing firms do as well (· = 0.10). We evaluate firm size and financial health as attributes that contribute to ERP value and find that both large firms as well as financially healthy firms are rewarded incremental value by the market (· = 0.01). We also consider time period, and find that firms that engaged in post-2005 ERP investments gain significantly more than pre-2005 investments (· = 0.01). Finally, we consider firm and ERP system attributes as independent variables that may contribute to increased firm value as the dependent variable. The paper concludes with discussion about various con-siderations regarding the potential value created by ERP investments. Jacob Case 131 Jacob Case (Uri Loewenstein) Department of Finance University of Utah Uri Loewenstein HONORS PROGRAM 132 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 NAVIGATING EDUCATION THROUGH NETWORKING: UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS' STRATEGIES TO OBTAIN ACADEMIC SUPPORT Access to an education and the fulfillment of this privilege has been seen as the solution to many socie-tal problems in the United States. Who is permitted access to this knowledge has often been the debate of our nation. The debate becomes more ambiguous when identifiers such as race, class, socio-economic status, gender, and citizenship status are taken into consideration because marginalized groups gain access and resources through education that are otherwise denied to them. This research focuses on undocumented students and their strategies to pursue their educational aspira-tions. There is a need for more scholarship in this area because there are approximately 65,000 undocu-mented youth who graduate each year from high school nationally. Using a participatory action research framework, I facilitated two focus groups with undocumented stu-dents to address this very sensitive area. My research reports upon the student's strategies for navigating educational and institutional barriers in their pursuit of higher education. Collectively, we developed a list of solutions to address not only issues in academia but also the collaboration with community to pro-vide knowledge and support for undocumented students. Denise Castañeda (Caitlin Cahill) Department of City and Metropolitan Planning University of Utah Denise Castañeda Caitlin Cahill THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THE ROLE OF DORSAL CA3 RECURRENT COLLATERALS IN CUE-INDUCED PATTERN COMPLETION LEADING TO RELAPSE INTO DRUG TAKING AND DRUG SEEKING BEHAVIORS In the context of drug addiction, relapse is defined as the return to drug seeking and drug taking behav-ior after a prolonged period of abstinence. Relapse is a serious problem that still requires extensive research in order to generate sufficient knowledge of the mechanisms that mediate it. Often, the role of craving is cited as a primary motivating factor for relapse. One possible mechanism that could support this observation is known as pattern completion, a process wherein presentation of an incomplete stim-ulus complex reinstates the complete, previously learned pattern. It has been proposed that during retrieval of information, the dorsal CA3 recurrent collaterals of the hippocampus play a major role in retrieving complete previously learned patterns in the face of an incomplete stimulus complex input to the hippocampus (pattern completion). Support for the operation of a pattern completion process is based on a spatial pattern completion task in which the effects of naloxone injections into the dorsal CA3 sub-region of the hippocampus revealed impairment of pattern completion in the presence of vary-ing numbers of available cues. We used a variant of the conditioned place-preference task in which the number of available cues was parametrically adjusted to assess the role of pattern completion in cue-induced reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior and to determine whether disruption of pattern com-pletion secondary to infusion of naloxone into the dorsal CA3 region disrupts cue-induced reinstate-ment. Results indicate that naloxone will disrupt the reinstatement (preference for cocaine conditioned cues over saline conditioned cues) for one cue, but not for all four cues, suggesting a significant impact on pattern completion within the dorsal CA3 region. Jascha Kennedy Clark 133 Jascha Kennedy Clark (Raymond Kesner) Department of Psychology University of Utah Raymond Kesner HONORS PROGRAM 134 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 A SLINGSHOT OUT OF THE VALLEY: CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE OF THE LOCAL IN THE LOCAL ART SCENE Recent developments in Salt Lake City's visual arts community indicate that a new generation of artists is ready to emerge to an appreciative and supportive audience. Salt Lake's unique position as a growing urban center cultivates upcoming artists, but rarely has a local artist escaped the valley and risen to inter-national prominence. Should ambitious artists stay, or should they go? The journalistic film portion of this thesis briefly portrays important recent developments in the art scene and interviews several artists about their relation to Salt Lake as a place while showcasing their work. The written portion dissects the art situation in art-historical terms, applying the logics of globalism and supermodernity to the idea of Salt Lake as a local setting, questioning if the idea of a local is even neces-sary. Blogs, forums, and video sharing sites like Vimeo help artists form and maintain connections across continents in a fashion much more suited to the global age. These connections are as important to their artistic lives as the local interactions are to their physical lives, and can sometimes have equal rewards in terms of gallery and exhibition opportunities. Within this interconnected existence individuals who are comfortable in a variety of environments and creative circles are the most successful. Artists have two new challenges in the hyperconnected world: To connect to the correct peers and audience to ensure success and continued creativity, and to maintain the semblance of individuality in a world with a decreasing need for the ‘local.' The film portion plays a role in these challenges, in recording the contemporary moment it helps to solidify the local identity. Once disseminated via the same sources the written portion examines, it will provide exposure for these artists to the rest of the world. David Davis (P. Monty Paret) Department of Art History David Davis University of Utah P. Monty Paret THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH EFFECT OF OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE ON THE DIVIDEND DECISION FOR FIRMS OPERATING IN EMERGING MARKETS This paper analyzes whether concentration of ownership impacts the dividend decision of firms operat-ing in emerging markets. I collect financial information for firms in China, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina from the Mergent Online Database for the end of year 2007 and then compare summary statistics for firms from each country to those of firms from the developed market of the United States. Statistical tests are conducted to determine whether the independent variables of ownership structure, profitability, debt management, equity valuation and industry classification have any impact on the dependent variables of payout percentage and dividend yield for firms in these markets. Analysis of the firms operating in China suggests that along with the profitability measures of return on equity and return on assets, the amount of equity held by the majority shareholder is significant in determining the amount of dividends paid. Dividends paid by the Brazilian firms analyzed are also significantly related to the amount of equity held by the majority shareholder as well as the market capitalization of the firm. Data for firms from the other four countries of India, Pakistan, Chile and Argentina did not yield enough information for accurate statistical testing, but summary statistics are included for comparison. Control-ling for other firm characteristics that can impact the dividend decision, the results are consistent with my hypothesis that ownership structure is a significant determinant of the amount that firms in emerg-ing markets choose to pay out as cash dividends. This highlights the importance of understanding own-ership structure when evaluating the financial decisions of firms operating in these markets. Jason DeForest 135 Jason DeForest (Karl Lins) Department of Finance University of Utah Karl Lins HONORS PROGRAM 136 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 HOW HAS THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE REACTED TO AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS? American Presidents can play a significant role in affecting business. For example, President Obama has been a leader in pushing stimulus legislation and "bailout" bills through the Congress. We tried to see how the day after the election one day return in the oldest major U.S.A. stock index (the Dow Jones Industrial Average) was affected in the event of an American Presidential election. We find that there is no statistically significant difference in the day after the election one day returns between Republican versus Democratic Presidents, when there is an incumbent running versus when there is not, when elec-tion results are expected versus when they are close or when there is a Congress that has the same politi-cal affiliation as the elected President versus an opposing politically affiliated Congress versus a split Congress. We controlled for poor economic conditions such as the great depression or the current eco-nomic crisis that may have an effect on results in each scenario and find that the surrounding economic conditions did not significantly affect the results in any scenario. The returns data was taken from the Dow Jones Industrial Average from 1928 to 2008, which consisted of 21 U.S.A. Presidential elections. The data shows more positive returns with a Republican President than a Democratic President and when more election data is available, this may become statistically significant. David Forsyth (Michael Halling) Department of Finance University of Utah David Forsyth Michael Halling THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH CLEAN MONEY AND DIRTY HANDS: EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT ON MONEY LAUNDERING Money laundering is a problem that affects everyone. This problem has been shown to weaken the sta-bility of financial institutions, increase volatility in international capital flows, and allow criminals to infil-trate the highest levels of modern society. While most prior legislation has been aimed at preventing money laundering directly, recent legislation attempts to quell money laundering by taking aim at its predicate crimes. Money laundering is predicated most often by business fraud. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is the largest piece of white collar legislation since the 1930's and targets business fraud. Whether the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is efficacious in preventing money laundering is a question with many implications. In order to understand how Sarbanes-Oxley has affected the money laundering environment, it is pre-requisite that one comprehend how money laundering is done, and how other legislations shaped the pre-Sarbanes-Oxley environment. In addition to academic research sources, prominent international experts on money laundering and one criminal have been interviewed to reveal their observations on how the overall laundering environment has changed. Those experts interviewed feel that measuring money laundering is very problematic. Therefore it is nearly impossible to quantify the effect of Sarbanes-Oxley on the money laundering. In addition, there is a significant amount of disagreement regarding whether money laundering is best fought directly or indirectly through acts like Sarbanes-Oxley. Despite the controversy, there is agreement that legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley is important - especially in countries like the United States which launder a high percentage of the world's money. Although it is not currently possible to definitively measure the effects of Sarbanes-Oxley, it seems that it is helping, and is a step in the right direction. Jonathan Gee 137 Jonathan Gee (Robert Allen) Department of Accounting University of Utah Robert Allen HONORS PROGRAM 138 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 THE PEDAGOGY OF SISTAHOOD: LIVING IN THIS SKIN (LITS) IN THE CLASSROOM Historical and contemporary social dynamics have constructed a ‘commonsense' of Latina youth as sub-missive characters to el macho (the male), in addition to portrayals as sexually promiscuous, destined for marriage and pregnancy, quiet, resistant learners, and as lacking in ambition (Bender, 2003; Hyams, 2000; Bejarano, 2005). These deficit mediated images have done very little to challenge the ‘commonsense' about Latina youth and even less to involve said youth in the process of speaking for/representing the self (Grossberg, 2005). Following the models set forth by youth culture studies scholars (Quijada, 2007; 2008, Inpress) and participatory action researchers (Cahill, 2007) In this Skin was created as a means for bringing together seven high school-aged Latina students identified as "at-risk" by their school, to indi-vidually produce testimonios/testimonies wherein they recount their lived experiences. These youth gen-erated testimonies developed as participants owned classroom space, shared items from home, decided topics of discussion, agreed upon field trips and collectively determined what audience their testimonios will be presented to. It is through an analysis of their testimonios, in class and informal conversations, and my personal observations that I examine the ways in which Latina youth demonstrate personal investment in creating and telling stories that afford a viable critique of deficit mediated portrayals of Latina youth as quiet, submissive, and passive learners. Through a distinct kind of education I call the Pedagogy Of Sistahood (POS), the study demonstrates the ways in which youth participate in creating educative spaces by employing their everyday language and embodied knowledge (‘the flesh') to (re)conceptualize stereotypes and to offer critique of the institutions that maintain their positions of mar-ginalization. The study has implications for (re)conceptionalizing "education" through the relational teaching and learning practices that participants developed in the telling of their stories and through their active involvement with topics that intersected across race, class, gender and sexuality. Reference: Cahill, C. (2007). The Personal is Political: Developing new subjectivities through participatory action research. Gender, Place and Culture, 267-292. Bejarano, C. L. (2005). ¿Que onda?: Urban Youth Cultures and Border Identity. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press. Bender, S. W. (2003). Greasers and Gringos: Latinos, Law, and the American Imagination. New York and London: New York University Press. Hyams, M. S. (2000). "Pay attention in class... [and] don't get pregnant": a discourse of academic success among adolescent Latinas. Environment and Planning , 635-654. Grossberg, L. (2005). Accounting for the Kids. In L. Grossberg, Caught in the Crossfire: Kids, Politics, and Americas Future (pp. 77-108). Paradigm Publishers. Lipsitz, G. (1994). We Know What Time It Is: Race, Class, and Youth Culture in the Nineties. In A. Ross, & T. Rose, Microphone Friends: Youth Music and Youth Culture (pp. 17-28). New York: Routledge. Quijada, D. A. (2007). Marginalization, Identity Formation, and Empowerment: Youth Struggles for Self and Social Justice. In N. Dolby, & F.Rizvi, Youth Moves: Identities and Education in Global Perspective (pp. 207-220). New York: Routledge. Quijada, D. A. (In press). Youth Debriefing Diversity Workshops: Conversational Contexts that Forge Intercultural Alliances Across Differences. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 22 (4). Quijada, David Alberto (2008). Reconciling Research, Rallies and Citizenship: Reflections on Youth Led Diversity Workshops and Intercultural Alliances. Social Justice 34 (4). Yvette Sonia González (David Quijada) Department of Education, Culture, and Society University of Utah Yvette Sonia González David Quijada THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THE ROLE OF DORSAL CA3 SUBREGION OF THE BRAIN AND PATTERN COMPLETION IN ASSOCIATION WITH DRUG RELAPSE Drug relapse is a serious, social issue that requires extensive research in order to understand the mecha-nisms that precede relapse. Craving, the intense desire for a specific object or experience, is an important component of relapse. Drug-associated environment cues (drug paraphernalia or locations where a drug was previously consumed) can elicit cravings and subsequently cause a return to previous behavior. Visu-al- spatial pattern completion (dorsal CA3 subregion of the hippocampus), a process wherein presenta-tion of an incomplete stimulus complex reinstates the complete, previously learned pattern, is a novel mechanism to explain this observation. In this experiment, seven rats are handled daily for a week fol-lowing a baseline preference test (Day 1). Rats are placed in one of two compartments of a Plexiglas box. Each compartment contains four different cues (two sets of cues). The non-preferred side is paired with cocaine (15mg/kg, intraperitoneal) while the preferred side is paired with phosphate buffered saline (1mL/kg, i.p). The order of the pairing (cocaine or saline first) is counterbalanced across treatment groups (Days 2-9). Day 10 preference tests show a strong preference for the cocaine side. Animals are then main-tained for 21 days during abstinence. Four preference tests are given (Days 32, 36, 40, 44) where animals are tested for one or four cue environments with saline or naloxone (3mg/kg, i.p). The goal of this pro-posal is to use a variation of the conditioned place preference task to determine how the number of cues interacts with the role of pattern completion, and subsequently drug seeking behavior. Also, the experi-ment seeks to determine the effects of naloxone on cue-induced reinstatement. Results indicated that naloxone successfully disrupted pattern completion for both one and four cues. Systemic injection is rou-tinely used within the human population, and is a very assessable form of relapse prevention among recovering drug addicts. Isha Gupta 139 Isha Gupta (Raymond Kesner) Department of Psychology University of Utah Raymond Kesner HONORS PROGRAM 140 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 THE EFFECTS OF LACTATE, ATP, PH, AND ADRENERGIC MEDIATORS ON CULTURED DORSAL ROOT GANGLION CELLS Many people struggle to complete the tasks of everyday life due to the debilitating conditions known as Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome's (CMS). The lab utilizes Real-Time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) for quantitative analysis of mRNA extracted from white blood cells of patients suffering from fibromyalgia or CFS. Thus far, the genes of most interest include ASICs, P2Xs, and TRPV1, adrenergic receptors along with various cytokine genes. The mRNA of all of these genes are increased by moderate exercise in CFS and FMS patients at the same time their symptoms are increased the most. Adrenergic receptors appear to play a special role in the fatigue and pain in CFS and FMS, yet the mechanisms by which they enhance fatigue and pain are unknown. Our current experiments are an attempt to deter-mine if these receptors are directly expressed on sensory neurons that could transmit information inter-preted as fatigue and muscle pain by the central nervous system. We extracted lumbar DRG neurons from sacrificed 2-3 week old C-57 black mice. Following incubation these cells were analyzed microscopically using Fura-2 calcium imaging and exposing the cultures to a series of changing concentrations of protons, ATP, and lactate (metabolites produced by muscle contrac-tion). The cells were also exposed to agonists, and antagonists of the · and ‚ adrenergic receptors to determine if these receptors can enhance the DRG neurons' responses to metabolites. If so, and similar mechanisms occur in humans, the increases in mRNA for adrenergic receptors observed in CFS-FMS patients may be part of mechanism causing their enhanced pain and fatigue. Cody Larson, Shane Hawthorne (Alan Light, Ron Hughen) Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine University of Utah Cody Larson Shane Hawthorne Alan Light Ron Hughen THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS AND CAPACITY BUILDING OF A CITRUS GROVE IN BAREKUMA Overwhelming poverty maintains a tight grip on much of the world, preventing those who live with it from progressing beyond their current circumstances. Many of the people who live in rural Ghana do not have access to clean water or adequate food. As a result, they are more susceptible to malnourishment and disease and do not have the means to seek health care. In Barekuma, a village in Ghana's Ashanti region, there is little in terms of excess resources; clean, treated water is available, but most are not able to afford it. To aid in raising Barekuma's standard of living and increasing independence, the University of Utah, students and faculty at the Kwame Nakruma University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as well as local government leaders are all involved in projects within the village. One such project that has the promising intentions of empowering Barekuma's poorest members is the development of a ten-acre citrus grove co-operative where each individual or household in the village would have the opportunity to purchase shares of the citrus grove with cash or through labor. Thus far, the Chief of Barekuma has donated six acres of land for planting, and the region's District Assembly has agreed to guarantee the co-operative's bank loan in case of default. Before planting can commence, the village must secure a loan in the amount of 2,048.00 cedes ($ 1,446.37 USD) with 1,171.00 cedes ($ 838.44 USD) as fixed costs. Prospective figures from a feasibility report commissioned for this project forecast a net present value of 26,716.20 cedes ($ 19,128.80 USD) at a 24% discount rate, an internal rate of return of 86.72%, a return on investment of 683.37%, and an estimated payback period of 1.3 years. Additionally, the project expects to earn 353,534.40 cedes ($ 253,130.63 USD) from citrus production. Despite the plantation's promising returns, there are many challenges that face this project, including the fair distribution of revenue and a possible decrease in regional demand for citrus. The capacity building potential of this venture must also be considered. Indeed, a close look at the project in the context of capacity building brings to light several issues that have yet to be examined. The first issue is how the Barekuma "community" has been defined, and who that definition excludes; the second issue is the severe lack of post-implementation planning that is essential to building capacity in Barekuma. Such planning must address: Who will be trained to maintain the orange grove? Who will be in charge of dis-pensing monies? What the "village fund" will be used for? How, if at all, monies will be used to help the poorest of the poor? And how the co-operative will partner with external agencies such as the Ministry of food and Agriculture and KNUST? Aside from these project-specific issues, there has been no wide-scale planning, which would include improving education, health, and infrastructure (schools, homes, etc), nor has significant technical training been considered for village members - management, account-ing, and legal training - which would be necessary for enabling the village to implement future projects. Thus, the Barekuma agricultural co-operative as designed right now has little ability for capacity building in Barekuma. Andrew Hobbs 141 Andrew Hobbs, Sabrina King, Joseph Marchese, and Meredith Martineau (Steven Alder) Department of Family and Preventive Medicine University of Utah Sabrina King HONORS PROGRAM Joseph Marchese Meredith Martineau Steven Alder 142 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 REMITTANCES, POVERTY, AND INEQUALITY IN NICARAGUA Money or gifts migrants send home to their families, commonly known as remittances, represent a meas-urable and significant effect of migration in countries where large-scale emigration occurs. Among such countries, Nicaragua stands out as a unique case due to its bi-directional migration flows to the U.S. and Costa Rica and due to the large scale of migration. This paper uses data from Nicaragua's 2001 Living Standards Measurement Survey to estimate the net effect of migrants' remittances on poverty and inequality. Models are estimated using ordinary least squares and the sample selection approach described by Heckman (1976) to impute theoretical no-migration consumption for families currently receiving remittances. These estimates are then compared to actual observed data on income and con-sumption to evaluate changes in poverty and inequality as a result of remittances, as measured by the Gini coefficient and by the Foster, Greer, Thorbecke poverty indices. This paper finds that remittances do not significantly affect the rate, depth or severity of poverty, but appear to increase inequality slightly. On average, migrants appear to remit less than they would have earned had they stayed at home and earned money. Since most migrants are from middle-income groups, the relative prosperity of middle-income households is diminished and inequality increases. Andrew Hobbs (Ken Jameson) Department of Economics University of Utah Andrew Hobbs Ken Jameson THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH IFRS AND US GAAP: EVALUATING THE UNITED STATES PROPOSED MOVE TO A NEW SET OF ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Countries around the world are converging toward the adoption of a single set of accounting standards, International Financial Reporting Standards or IFRS. Many developed and industrialized nations have made the move to IFRS. One major holdout in this process has been the United States of America. Experts have considered United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or US GAAP to be the set of accounting standards that produce the highest quality financial statements. The creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the independence of the Financial Accounting Standards Board has had a significant effect on the perceived quality of US GAAP. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a proposing release that, if adopted, will present a significant step towards the US's move to IFRS, perhaps as soon as 2010 for some companies. There are some important issues that need to be considered prior to the US making the change to US GAAP. Is the United States ready to change? Educating preparers, investors, and other stakeholders about the new set of standards will be critical and most likely will have high initial costs. Security market regu-lation is key to adoption and application. Currently, there is a lack of consensus regarding how to best deal with issue. Auditors and the audit profession will need to adapt to a more principle-based set of standards. Although the SEC's proposing release pushes the US toward the adoption of IFRS, it is unclear that the US is ready to make the move in the near term. The move toward IFRS must be made more grad-ually and the International Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board will need to continue to work together to be able to create a converged set of quality standards that will emulate the strength and detail of US GAAP and still appeal to companies around the world. Garry D. Hrechkosy 143 Garry D. Hrechkosy (Marlene Plumlee) Department of Accounting University of Utah Marlene Plumlee HONORS PROGRAM 144 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 AN ANALYSIS OF TC4, A ZEBRAFISH MUTANT WITH IMMUNODEFICIENCY Understanding the developmental underpinnings of the immune system is essential to comprehend how defects in this process lead to disease. T cells are a crucial part of the adaptive immune response and perturbation of T cell development leads to illnesses such as leukemia and immunodeficiency. To understand how defects in T cell development result in disease, we focus our analysis on TC4, a zebrafish mutant lacking T cells. By identifying the mutant genes and characterizing the mutant phenotypes, we will gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying immunodeficiency. Our goal is to use mRNA in situ hybridization to observe which hematopoietic cells are affected in TC4 mutants. Our data shows that TC4 mutants have a severe decrease of T cells. In addition, late hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) are severely reduced as well as neutrophils, but there are no identified defects in any other tissues. These data suggests that a defect is specific to blood cells and occurs early in hematopoiesis to affect both myeloid/erythroid and lymphoid lineages. We are planning to test this hypothesis by performing in situs on younger embryos to observe the hematopoietic cells at a younger stage. To identify the specific blood cells affected, we are also using double fluorescent in situs on TC4 mutants. In addition, we are employing a positional cloning approach to identify the genetic lesion that causes these defects. The data from our study will lead to important insights into the cause and mecha-nism of immunodeficiency and other related diseases. Daniel Hu, (Sarah Hutchinson, Nikolaus Trede) Department of Pediatrics University of Utah Daniel Hu Sarah Hutchinson Nikolaus Trede THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF MUSCULAR FATIGUE ON POSTURAL STABILITY AND MOTONEURON POOL EXCITABILITY IN HEALTHY ADULTS. BACKGROUND: The dynamic effect that fatigue plays on acute neuromuscular excitability has been stud-ied at length without arriving at either an accepted explanation or adequate understanding. Researchers agree that the mode by which fatigue is achieved may contribute to the body's response and recovery. Eccentric exercise, as a method by which fatigue is achieved, is commonly incorporated due to its quali-ties of producing a high muscle strain and low energy expenditure simultaneously. The influence of eccentric-induced fatigue, as it pertains to postural stability and motoneuron pool excitability, is not well understood. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of fatigue on motoneuron pool excitability and postural stability in healthy adults. HYPOTHESIS: Motoneruon pool excitability will be facilitated despite a simultaneous inhibition in postural stability. METHODS: Twelve volunteers (24.4 ± 6.7 yrs; female n=6; male n=6) participated in a single 10-minute bout of eccentric exercise-induced fatigue. H-reflex measurements, used to measure motor pool excitability, and a Limits of Stability (LOS) test, used to quantify postural stability, were administered prior to and immediately following exercise participation. T-tests were utilized to compare eccentric fatigue's effect on the specific neural functions previously delineated. RESULTS: Statistical significance (t11=+2.408, p=0.035) was found on one measure of postural stability, in which there was a facilitation. CONCLUSION: Implications for such findings indicate that eccentric-induced fatigue may more actively be prescribed as part of an appropriate rehabilitation and physical therapy protocol without exposing clients to a risk for increased neuromuscular compromise. Such findings are intended to serve as prepa-ration for extending the investigation to an elderly cohort who may benefit more directly from the inte-gration of eccentric exercise within therapeutic protocols. Joshua C. Irvine 145 Joshua C. Irvine (Bradley T. Hayes) Department of Exercise and Sport Science University of Utah Bradley T. Hayes HONORS PROGRAM 146 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROLIFERATION THEORY AND THE DILEMMA OF IRAN: ASSESSING ACCESSION, RESCISSION, AND LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN CASE International relations scholars have attempted to develop a theory of nuclear weapons accession using three primary frameworks: systemic, domestic, and normative. By rigorously examining Iran's security considerations on the systemic and sub-systemic levels, domestic bureaucratic and organizational behavior, and by looking at international norms that have shaped and constrained it, this paper con-cludes that domestic politics and established norms are more predictive of Iran's nuclear proliferation tendencies. Analysis of Iran's nuclear weapons program under these frameworks depicts its elites as hav-ing pursued a nuclear capability chiefly to promote regime development and also attempting to propel itself to great power status and international prestige. This paper also analyzes nuclear weapon accession and rescission by documenting South Africa's initial pursuit of the bomb, only to eventually withdraw. South African nuclear attainment and reversal is also analyzed through the lens of existing theories on nuclear weapons proliferation. Although causation is difficult to determine, there is an approximate correlation between the change in South Africa's nuclear weapons policy and the state's response to international sanctions and pressure. There are similarities in both the Iranian and South African cases. Domestic politics and status considerations instigated acces-sion policies in both states and susceptibility to international pressure, along with a more favorable per-ceived external security situation, influenced South African rescission and will likely have similar implica-tions for Iran. J. Andrew Jensen (Steven Lobell) Department of Political Science University of Utah J. Andrew Jensen Steven Lobell THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTMENT IN BANKING ORGANIZATIONS: A POLICY REVIEW OF REGULATORY RESPONSES TO THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2008 The financial crisis of 2008, a result of the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis and the ensuing credit crunch, wreaked havoc among financial institutions in the United States and beyond. As a result, the health of these institutions have significantly deteriorated, increasing the risk to their counterparties and creating dramatic uncertainty in financial markets. The broader economy has entered into a recession as a result of this crisis, and bold regulatory action has been taken to help mitigate this crisis. One such effort by authorities has been to update existing regulatory policies surrounding the enforcement of the Bank Holding Company Act, which limited private equity investment in banking organizations. The purposes of this research project are (1) to analyze the regulatory responses taken in order to facili-tate private equity investment in banking organizations, (2) to examine potential ways private equity and banking organizations might work together, as demonstrated by the private equity industry's record of success and by examining case studies of private equity investments in banking organizations, and (3) to draw conclusions as to the potential future of such investments and the effectiveness this will have on the banking industry. This thesis begins by providing background information on the credit and financial crises followed by a discussion of the potential impact of the crises on banking organizations. I then examine banking organ-izations' needs for capital and the potential role private equity investors might play provided policy changes. Next, I give a more detailed account of the specific provisions of the regulatory restrictions lim-iting private equity investments in banking organizations and alternative ways private equity firms have made investments in banking organizations. I then provide an analysis the revised policy statement. Next, I discuss further measures by federal regulators that would facilitate and provide some potential safety measures for private equity investments in banking organizations. I offer case studies of past pri-vate equity investments in banking organizations to foreshadow the potential ways private equity and banking organizations can work together under a more conducive regulatory framework. I speculate as to the future of private equity investment in banking organizations. Lastly, I present conclusions the role private equity investment might play in the troubled banking industry and the effectiveness of regulatory policy responses in this regard. Ryan Jensen 147 Ryan Jensen (Elizabeth Tashjian) Department of Finance University of Utah Elizabeth Tashjian HONORS PROGRAM 2008-2009 The Ruth Eleanor Bamberger and John Ernest Bamberger Memorial Foundation Scholar 148 HONORS PROGRAM SPRING 2009 THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC RECESSION ON MICROFINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES The current economic crisis has had widespread impact on all financial banking institutions worldwide. These institutions range from investment banks to microfinance institutions (MFIs), which provide small loans to business owners and entrepreneurs. MFIs have become an increasingly significant source of alternative funding for small businesses in developed countries, including the US. This paper specifically focuses on MFIs in the US because it is important to better understand how the current economic crisis may affect their business practices. Microfinance is generally known as the institutional lending of small amounts of money to borrowers to help build or grow a small business. Originally created in developing countries, microfinance also has expanded to developed countries. Within the US, MFI borrowers often do not have adequate credit or collateral to secure a small business loan, and/or desire a loan that is too small for traditional banks to justify processing. This paper first reviews the origins of microfinance in its international setting. It then discusses the importance and growth of small business development in the US, providing the framework of federal agencies and local programs on which microfinance in the US has flourished. Next, it discusses key char-acteristics of the microfinance sector in the US, such as its organizational structure, sources of funding, and borrower demographics. It then addresses some of the challenges MFIs in the US faced in its early developmental years. The paper then addresses social trends that indicate a strong social support for the continued growth of microfinance in the US, such as a shift towards social engagement and increased interest in social entrepreneurship. Next, a review of the current economic crisis is given, highlighting key factors such as the tightening of credit by banks and the rising unemployment rate. An analysis of how these and other economic factors may affect the microfinance sector is then provided, suggesting that the economic crisis will serve as a catalyst for growth and support of microfinance in the US. Melinda Keng (Karin Fladmoe-Lindquist) Department of Finance Melinda Keng University of Utah Karin Fladmoe-Lindquist THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH MOVING BEYOND THE LIPSET HYPOTHESIS: EXAMINING THE CORRELATION BETWEEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DEMOCRACY Following the logic of Seymour Martin Lipset's 1959 hypothesis, the main axis of the Democratic Transi-tions debate has long been the strong correlation between economic development and democracy. More recent empirical evidence puts in doubt the direct relationship of economic development and democracy in cases where liberal economies are able to persist without the presupposed necessity for a transition to democracy. This thesis seeks to investigate the inconsistencies of the correlation between economic development and democracy. Specifically, why do some countries fail to transition to democ-racy despite having high economic development, and why do some countries fail at developing eco-nomically after transitioning to democracy? My findings reject the preconceived notion that economic development and democracy are directly intertwined, and propose that certain conditions of political stability and political legitimacy are required to produce the positive correlation between the two. Kevin Khong 149 Kevin Khong (Benjamin Judkins) Department of Political Science University of Utah Benjamin Judkins HONORS PROGRAM