Health effects of weapons production in Britain

Hello everyone! I’ve really enjoyed reading the different blogs and projects going on this Summer. I think this is an awesome opportunity for a lot of people here. I know it is for me. I’ve learned so much over this past month and I’m really enjoying this experience. I’ll start with an introduction: I’m Stephanie Whitley and I’m a rising senior studying History and Political Science. My favorite focuses in History are European History, Medieval History and anything related to World War II. For this program, I have been working with Dr. Thorsheim on a project in British History. The specific topic is: “Environmental and health effects of weapons production in Britain over the past 100 years.” At first I was a little overwhelmed with the reading and the amount of research, but after getting used to it, I really enjoy it. The topic is really interesting because it focuses on something that people don’t really think about. Sure, you hear about United States weapons production, the Atom bomb, etc., but you really don’t think about other key countries such as Britain, Germany and even France playing a part in chemical warfare! With this project, I have been able to look through archived notes and documents containing information on weapons production in Britain. It’s interesting to see what was really going on and how they went about keeping these factories secret. While I’m studying Chemical, Atomic and Biological effects, I believe for the project I will be focusing on Chemical warfare and some of the major factories involved. I look forward to finding out more about these factories in the weeks to come.

Overall, this experience has been amazing. I’ve learned how to time manage, organize and structure my research, much to the help of my mentor! I also have enjoyed the many seminars we’ve attended as scholars. I especially liked the graduate school session because I will be looking into graduate school very soon, so that was extremely helpful! I hope everyone’s projects are coming along great and I look forward to hearing what everyone is working on this Summer!

-- Stephanie Whitley, History

Machine learning

Hey guys, I am Thomas Galloway. I am a systems engineer but I am doing my research in Bioinformatics under Dr. Shannon Schlueter. My interests are in researching the physical sciences and the application of artificial intelligence to model different physical phenomena. The exponential advancements in computational power along with sensing resolution and accuracy need to be met with an equal growth in biological systems modeling. As machines get better at gathering data from the brain I hope to apply artificial neural networks, machine learning and support vector machines to discover underlying patterns or dependencies that are part of how the brain functions. With a better understanding of the brains’ biological and chemical operations, degenerative brain illnesses could be more accurately understood and treated. The goal of my research project is to develop an artificial neural network for the applications discussed above. I have also been given the opportunity to train my network within various accelerated computing environments. I look forward to the following weeks of my project.

For any input or related interests, email me at tgallow5@uncc.edu.

-- Thomas Galloway

Examining Geospatial Correlations in Lightning Frequency

Hi all, my name is Daniel Cunningham and I am majoring in Meteorology. My mentor is Dr. Magi.  The goal of our research this summer is to explore the possible correlations between lightning frequencies below 40˚N and above 40˚N in the boreal regions of Canada.  We are using 15 years of lightning data measured from instruments on NASA satellites.

During the first two weeks of the program I read journal articles related to the satellite instruments and learned about different ways to explore large datasets.  I learned how to use a program called Panoply to study the full 15 years of data (Figures 1-2 are from Panoply), and am now learning about MatLab, a program that can be used to calculate statistics for large datasets. Devoted global lightning observation began in 1995 with the Optical Transient Detector (OTD) aboard the MicroLab-1 satellite, but this detector fell out of orbit in 2000. A second lightning detector, called the Lightning Imager Sensor (LIS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) satellite, has been collecting data since 1998 and is still in operation. LIS collects lightning data between 40˚S and 40˚N. As a result, there is a gap in the data above 40˚N after 2000, which can be seen by comparing Figures 1 and 2.  Using MatLab, I hope to determine whether correlations exist between the latitudes with data from 1996-present and the latitudes with data from 1996-2000.  I can then use the statistical relationships to extrapolate the dataset beyond the year 2000.
-- Daniel Cunningham

Neutron Detection Using the Neutron’s Magnetic Properties

My name is Matt Conway and I am getting a dual degree in electrical engineering and physics. My mentor is Dr. Daneshvar who also has degrees in electrical engineering and physics. Our work crosses into both fields and is a very current and interesting project.

Our main goal is to design an inexpensive neutron detector, using the magnetic properties of the neutron. In particle physics and engineering, most particles have a charge, making it easier to detect, manipulate, and perform experiments on them. The neutron has no charge, which brings up the question of how a neutron can be detected.

There are several ways that are currently being used, but they rely on measuring secondary phenomenon from reactions to incoming neutrons.  These methods include things like neutron capture and proton recoil methods and involve measuring the emitted gamma rays or energy, the energy of recoiling protons, emitted alpha particles, or nuclear reactions that take place when a neutron enters the detector.

There are several other ways to detect neutrons, including quantum dots and giant magnetoresistance techniques. Quantum dots have properties that can cause them to fluoresce when struck by a neutron, a topic of current research. There is also research into a technique called giant magnetoresistance, or GMR, which uses the spin and magnetic moment of the neutron to reverse the magnetic polarization in the top layer of the GMR. This causes the resistance to increase, hence the name, giant magnetoresistance. This resistance change can be sensed directly. GMRs can be made in semiconductor wafers, so that there are many in a small area, allowing 2-D and 3-D location sensing, another area of current research.

These methods all work well, but ones that are developed and currently in use are expensive and cannot measure every neutron. In nuclear physics there is something called a cross section, which is the area that a neutron can hit and react with. Because of the structure of an atom, there is a small relative cross section to most materials, making it very hard for a neutron to be detected. In fact, many neutrons will go through the sensor completely undetected. In addition to the cross section, Helium-3, one of the main gasses used in neutron detection, is becoming scarce, with commercial prices in the range of $2,000 per liter. The reason for the scarcity of Helium-3 is due to several factors, including the way it is produced (in the generation of nuclear weapons) and the unforeseen need of large quantities of it. Helium-3 was, at one point, being emitted into the atmosphere because it was considered practically useless.

The scarcity of Helium-3 caused the price to rise from roughly $100 per liter to $2,000 per liter. The USA currently produces 8,000 -10,000 liters per year, but is selling roughly 14,000 liters per year, with a few spikes based on absolute need and the lack of alternatives. However, the USA’s stockpile of Helium-3 is declining rapidly and in need of alternatives. There are many current research projects to find alternatives to Helium-3 or to find altogether different methods of accomplishing the same goals.

Our research is based upon the idea of using the magnetic moment of the neutron to detect their presence. When magnetic fields are used, a magnetized object will always affect the field, making every neutron sensable. The challenge is to create a sensor that is accurate enough to sense the small magnetic field of the neutron. There are many challenges with this, especially noting that the neutron magnetic moment is -9.66 x10^-27 J/T. We hope to design and begin research into detecting neutrons that are sensitive enough to detect the amount of neutrons that would be emitted by a nuclear weapon, for border control use and look into more sensitive sensing options. During this program, our goal is to design a small, inexpensive neutron detector that can be used at border crossings and other places to check for abnormally high neutron concentrations.
-- Matthew D. Conway under Dr. Kasra Daneshvar

Tam Huynh

Hi, my name is Tam Huynh. I am an honor undergraduate senior in my third year. I major in Biology. My mentor, Dr. Inna Sokolova, is a marine biologist and also the Vice Chair of research in my department. Her focus is about intertidal species and how stressors affect them.

Currently, I am in the middle of my honor program. I start it since the spring semester. It just happened that I heard about this summer research program from my mentor. I think this is a chance to introduce myself to the university community and represent my department of biology (along with two other students) to mingle with people from other departments of various disciplines. So basically, I combined the two programs together, very convenient, right?

I am working as an undergraduate assistant for my supervisor, Sandra, who is a master student from Germany. I was given a small piece of her study which focuses on a species of clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, on the effect of carbon dioxide and metal toxicity on these organisms.

If you check our program’s facebook page, you can see I usually post short updates on what happened to me on a particular day. The blog has the same purpose but I don’t see any link that says “start a new entry” or any similar, so I can’t post the blog on my own, and has to ask Dr. Livesay to post it for me.

-- Tam Huynh

Halide Mitigation in FGD Purge Streams

At week 2, I am finishing up all the preliminary readings and narrowing my focus on developing my own procedures for various methods of testing Halide Mitigation in FGD Purge Streams. It is a bit tedious, but this project is a great opportunity to apply my efforts and abilities to real-world problems in the Energy and Power Industry, and under the guidance of an amazing faculty mentor. Starting from scratch on a research project is tedious, but essential to the understanding of what research really is. It is also giving me a chance to reconnect with other students and faculty I have worked with before, and develop a strong relationship with my department, as well as gaining support, guidance, and assistance for my own project from the research team I have been assisting for the past six months.

For a start to week 3, I got to tour the facility my sample materials for testing came from and was able to ask questions and openly communicate with the people from Duke Power. I learned so much and was able to see where and how my research will be used in the next few years. It gives what I am working on purpose and meaning in a whole new way. Not only that but my visit this morning truly opened new doors for me within the industry. Maybe in the next three to five years, everyone will be seeing the results of some of my experiences from this summer in the way Duke operates and how they work to make the environment better through a proactive, and not a reactive, approach to potential concerns. :)

I had briefly left UNCC before to attend NCSU, and I decided to come back "home." Now, I am so glad that I did because I never would have had this communication, experience, and opportunity at NCSU as an undergraduate student to the extent that I have here. I love being a 49er!!!

-- Bekah Vestal

Making Meaning of Place Value in Early Elementary Mathematics

Hey Charlotte Research Scholars! This is the first time I have ever blogged.:)

My name is Crysti. I pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. I only have a year and a half left before I graduate. The title for my research project is called "Making Meaning of Place Value in Early Elementary Mathematics: Methods and Research Synthesis". My mentor is Dr. Sheets.

We are now in our third week in the Scholars Program. It has been three great weeks! The first and second week I read a book called "Adding it Up: Helping Children Understand Mathematics". I have learned so many things from this book! Every elementary teacher needs to read it. Along with reading the book, I have also written a chapter summary for each chapter read, synthesizing the information within the chapter. I have read three research articles and am in the process of writing a summary for each article. I have also reviewed two websites and written a summary of what I learned from the websites. Below is the itinerary for the rest of my research project.

I. Complete summaries of research articles, book chapters, websites, and videos

II. Creating an instructional model for place value

III. Designing a task-based interview protocol for six to eight year-old children

IV. Conduct the Interview

V. Analyze and report the finding of the interview

VI. Create a power point synthesizing my literature review and my instructional model

VII. Begin preparing for a presentation at the 42nd annual meeting of the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics to be held in October of 2012 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to participate in this research project and work with my mentor Dr. Sheets. I have already learned so much about teaching children mathematics - and there is still 5 more weeks left! Due to this research project, I am considering going to Graduate School. As intimidating and complex as research is, I really do enjoy it. I have always been one to ask questions and dig to find answers. I love learning. I look forward to the 5 weeks we have left and the opportunities that come from participating in this research project.

-- Crysti Wolterman

Research in the Livesay lab

I do not have any actual CRS scholars working in my lab this summer, but I do have two undergrads doing research with me right now so I thought I would quickly summarize their projects. My lab is broadly focused on elucidating the mechanisms that underlie protein function. Proteins are large biological macromolecules that do nearly everything within a cell -- they catalyze chemical reactions, provide structural and mechanical support, relay signals, and are intimately involved in countless additional tasks. In fact, there is not a single biological process that I can think of that is not directly or indirectly affected by proteins.

Due to their size, proteins have interesting shapes (see picture), and the traditional dogma states that these shapes define their function. This is mostly true; however, shape alone is not the whole story. Rather, proteins (like all molecules) have intramolecular motions, what Richard Feynman famously called the “…jigglings and wigglings of atoms." My lab is trying to understand how these motions are related to function. Moreover, we want to determine if these motions are conserved across groups of evolutionarily and/or functionally related proteins.

While experimental methods to characterize protein motions exist, they are expensive and time-consuming. As such, our “microscope” is a computer, and we spend much of our time developing computer code to simulate dynamical properties of proteins. This process requires expertise in chemistry, physics, and computer science, which is typically too much to ask of an undergrad. As such, my undergrad students are working on the application of our model to two different biomedically important proteins. Specifically:

-- Christian Russell (a student from Greensboro College) is working with NDM-1, which is New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1. This is the enzyme that confers antibiotic resistance to a particularly virulent strain of bacteria that led to a number of patient deaths recently. This work is just piece of a larger puzzle that my lab has been working on. That is, we are trying to determine if differences in dynamical properties across the beta-lactamase family can explain antibiotic resistance activities.

-- Mike Ross (a UNC Charlotte student) is working on GAT, which is the GABA-transporter protein. GAT’s function is to clear out the neurotransmitter GABA from the synapse, thus terminating its signal. While not as famous as neurotransmitters like serotonin or adrenaline, GABA is involved in over 40% of all inhibitory processes and altered GABAergic transmission is associated with a number of pathologies, including epilepsy, anxiety, and pain.

So, that’s a snapshot of what we are working on this summer. Visit my website for more information (http://coitweb.uncc.edu/~drlivesa/), or feel free to email me with questions (drlivesa@uncc.edu). And now that I have gotten the ball rolling, hopefully others will also contribute a blog entry summarizing their work.

Happy researching,

-- Dr. Livesay, Coordinator of the CRS program

Introduction

Welcome to our first Charlotte Research Scholars (CRS) blog entry. The CRS program provides summer research fellowships to UNC Charlotte undergraduate students. Guided by a faculty mentor, the scholars are working on research projects from a variety of STEM disciplines, which includes the social sciences. In this, our inaugural year, UNC Charlotte is funding 50 undergraduate scholars. Already looking forward to next year, it is our intention to expand both the size and scope of this program. You can read more about the CRS program here.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a forum for the scholars and mentors to describe their research projects, results, and goals at an informal level. We hope that the blog will become part of the foundation of an engaged and vibrant undergraduate research community here at UNC Charlotte. We also hope that all scholars will post at least one blog entry discussing their research project, but we encourage them to post even more. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to follow a scholar’s progress week to week – both the highs and the lows?

We are also setting up a Facebook page, which will be used to update everyone who is interested about our progress, blog updates, and other opportunities. You can access the Facebook page here.

-- Dr. Livesay, Coordinator of the CRS program