8th Annual Sigma Xi Student Research Conference
Monday, April 9, 2001
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Winning Papers
Birds N Sinc: How Manakin Vocal Groups Sing in Tune
William A. Learn, Computer Science
Dr. Jill M. Trainer, Biology
Dr. David B. McDonald, Dept. of Zoology and Physiology, University of WyomingCorrelations of Bacterial Numbers and Nutrients with Mosquito Production from Iowa Lakes: Implications for Disease Transmission in Northeastern Iowa
Christopher J. Dickerson, Sarah A. Hansvick, Rhiannon L. Huffman, Dr. David R. Mercer and Dr. Nduka Okafor, Biology
Health Assessment of Bosnian Refugees in Black Hawk County, IA All Titles and Participants
Clementine Mukeshimana, School of HPELSHealth Promotion Partnership and Evaluation in Rural Transylvania, Romania
Bryan Byrd, Environmental Programs
Dr. Catherine Zeman, School of HPELS and Recycling, & Reuse Technology Transfer Center
Dr. Diane Depken, School of HPELSNitrates/Nitrites alter lymphocyte functions
Irina Ustyugova, Environmental Science Program
Dr. Lisa Beltz, Biology.Factors Contributing to Success in College Physics
Carl L. Gross, Physics and Mathematics Teaching
Dr. Michael Thoresen, Physics
Dr. Souzan Maleki, Kansas State University, Department of PhysicsToxic and biological effects of a mixture of heavy metals in chironomids larvae
Estelle Pircher, Environmental Programs
Dr. Maureen Clayton, BiologyA Two-Year Comparative Study of Inorganic Ion Distribution in Casey and Silver Lakes, Iowa
Heather J. Bailey, Kelly M. Knight, Aaron L. Janssen and Dr. Mohammad Z. Iqbal, Earth ScienceUniversity of Northern Iowa: Iowa Lakes Project
Leah C. Osterhaus, Environmental Programs
Dr. Maureen E. Clayton, Biology
Dr. William M. Stigliani, CEEE/ChemistryBirds N Sinc: How Manakin Vocal Groups Sing in Tune
William A. Learn, Computer Science
Dr. Jill M. Trainer, Biology
Dr. David B. McDonald, Dept. of Zoology and Physiology, University of WyomingMicrocystin-LR: A Potential Contaminant of Concern for Surface Water Quality in Iowa
Alissa C. Schultz, Leah C. Osterhaus, Dr. Edward J. Brown and Dr. Maureen E. Clayton, Environmental ProgramsA Study of Genetic Programming Efficiency Using a Wall-Following Simulation
Travis Richardson and Dr. Eugene Wallingford, Computer ScienceCorrelations of Bacterial Numbers and Nutrients with Mosquito Production from Iowa Lakes: Implications for Disease Transmission in Northeastern Iowa
Christopher J. Dickerson, Sarah A. Hansvick, Rhiannon L. Huffman, Dr. David R. Mercer and Dr. Nduka Okafor, BiologyEvaluation of Well Water for the Presence of Intestinal Parasites, and Appraisal of Eggs Cheese and Milk for DDT Residuals in Rural Transylvania, Romania
Rick Bauer, Environmental Science/Technology
Dr. Catherine Zeman, School of HPELS
Dr. Marianna Vlad, Regional Associate Director, Romanian National Institute of Public HealthPhytoplankton Abundance and Nutrient Concentrations in Two Small Iowa Lakes
Amanda Troester, Karly Wortmann, Biology
Dr. Maureen E. Clayton, Biology/Environmental ScienceUniformity of Long-tailed Manakin songs from three localities in Costa Rica
Ryan J. Parsons and Dr. Jill M. Trainer, BiologyBacteriological Quality of Water in Two North Iowa Lakes
Nate Werneburg, Eric O’Brien and Dr. Nduka Okafor, Biology
Abstracts
Health Assessment of Bosnian Refugees in Black Hawk County, IA
Clementine Mukeshimana, School of HPELSThe purpose of this study was to assess the health problems of Bosnian refugees in Black Hawk County, IA. The review of the literature on the following topics was included in this study: (a) History of refugees around the world, (b) Causes of refugeeism, (c) The refugee experience, (d) Resettlement of refugees in the United States, (e) Refugee resettlement in Iowa, (f) Bosnian resettlement in Black Hawk County, and (g) Refugee health challenges.
The results of this study were based on the review of existing data from a random sample of 557 existing medical records on Bosnian refugees from People’s Community Clinic in Waterloo. The data were entered and analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of this study indicated that smoking and dental health were the main health concerns in this population. Recommendations on culturally appropriate programming and policy making were made in order to meet the health needs of the Bosnian refugees in Black Hawk County.
Health Promotion Partnership and Evaluation in Rural Transylvania, Romania
Bryan Byrd, Environmental Programs
Dr. Catherine Zeman, School of HPELS and Recycling, & Reuse Technology Transfer Center
Dr. Diane Depken, School of HPELSThe University of Northern Iowa and public health officials in Transylvania, Romania are partnering to assess current health promotion strategies and on going health promotion needs in the Transylvania Region. Through qualitative focus sessions the opinions of doctors and nurses will be solicited. The focus sessions will also coincide with a quantitative survey that will be used to describe the health promotion methods currently being used with an overall goal of improving the health of Romanian citizens.
Nitrates/Nitrites alter lymphocyte functions.
Irina Ustyugova, Environmental Science Program
Dr. Lisa Beltz, Biology.Nitrates present in the environment get into well water. In the body, nitrates are converted to nitrites by bacteria in the gut. Nitrates/nitrites have been associated with a variety of disease conditions including methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome), reproductive toxicity, growth inhibition, and anemia. This project examined the effects of nitrates/nitrites on the immune response, looking for alterations in lymphocyte proliferation and production of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, immune messenger molecules.
A Th1 immune response is associated with resistance to a variety of infectious diseases, while a Th2 response is associated with disease susceptibility. While nitrates had no effect on lymphocyte growth, nitrites decreased lymphocyte proliferation in response to stimuli. In some experiments, nitrates had no effects upon the production of Th1 cytokines (interleukin-2, interferon-? and tumor necrosis factor-ß), while in others, Th1 production was decreased. Nitrites decreased production of all three Th1 cytokines. Both nitrates and nitrites increased production of the Th2 cytokine, interleukin-10.
Factors Contributing to Success in College Physics
Carl L. Gross, Physics and Mathematics Teaching
Dr. Michael Thoresen, Physics
Dr. Souzan Maleki, Kansas State University, Department of PhysicsIn a study involving 350 students at the University of Northern Iowa and Kansas State University, factors that are commonly believed to contribute to success in introductory university physics were studied. Success was measured both by grades in the course and scores on conceptual evaluations such as the Force Concept Inventory and the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation. Consistencies between different measures of success were considered. Factors contributing to success considered in this study include mathematics preparation and prior physics background. Prior physics background was determined by pretest scores as well as any prior instruction in physics. A diagnostic math test, as well as the level of math class previously completed, determined mathematics preparation.
Toxic and biological effects of a mixture of heavy metals in chironomids larvae
Estelle Pircher, Environmental Programs
Dr. Maureen Clayton, BiologyThe environment has been increasingly affected by mixtures of chemicals coming from different sources. Organisms can adapt to and survive in contaminated habitats because of some proteins, enzymes or metabolites that are involved in defense mechanisms. Such compounds can be used as biomarkers and have great potential in exposure assessment.
This study investigated Chironomus tentans (Diptera: Chironomidae) larval mortality, metal bioaccumulation and biomarker expression following exposure to copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) alone and in combination. Cu appeared to be more toxic than Cd to Chironomus tentans larvae: EC20,Cu = 0.14 mg/L; EC20,Cd = 0.36 mg/L. The Cu + Cd mixture appeared to be more than concentration additive for mortality. Metallothionein induction by any of the metals studied could not be detected, perhaps due to the limits of the method employed. On the other hand, high levels of heat shock protein 70 (hsp 70) appeared to be induced by Cd, suggesting that hsp 70 might be a good candidate for assessing Cd pollution. Lower induction of hsp 70 was observed with Cu and Cu + Cd. Cu might inhibit hsp 70 synthesis and mechanisms involved in Cd detoxification when Cu is mixed with Cd. Moreover, a relationship between hsp 70 concentration and mortality was observed throughout the experiments. For Cu and Cd, singly and in combination, an increase in mortality was observed with a reduction in hsp 70 concentration. This finding appears to corroborate the protective role of hsp 70 to organisms.
A Two-Year Comparative Study of Inorganic Ion Distribution in Casey and Silver Lakes, Iowa
Heather J. Bailey, Kelly M. Knight, Aaron L. Janssen and Dr. Mohammad Z. Iqbal, Earth ScienceDuring the summer of 1999 and 2000, the inorganic ion chemistry of Silver Lake and Casey Lake, IA, was studied through the analysis of lake water, bottom sediment and suspended sediment. Preliminary results indicate that for both lakes the concentrations of inorganic ions determined in the 1999 study parallel that of the 2000 study period, with chloride being the dominant anion in Silver Lake and sulfate the main anion constituent in Casey Lake. All anion levels were predictably constant, rarely exceeding 27 mg/L.
A mass balance of nitrate was carried out for Casey Lake during the summer 2000 study. It was found that approximately 41.69% of nitrate was dissolved in lake water, 0.39% was adsorbed in suspended particulates, and 57.92% was confined in bottom sediment on June 1, 2000. It was assumed that the vertical distribution in the bottom sediment was uniform.
During these two years of study, phosphate was below detectable levels (less than 0.1 mg/L) in water. However, both lakes have been mapped to identify phosphate build up areas within the bottom sediment. The analysis indicates high phosphate concentrations in these sediments, ranging between 10 and 119 mg/gm in Casey Lake, and between 8 and 168 mg/gm in Silver Lake in summer, 2000.
It is concluded from this two-year chemical study that both of these lakes are temporally stable and have not had major changes in this time. It is also concluded that the nutrients are being effectively used up by algae and microorganisms to maintain a balance between the seasonal inflows and outflows of lake water.
University of Northern Iowa: Iowa Lakes Project
Leah C. Osterhaus, Environmental Programs
Dr. Maureen E. Clayton, Biology
Dr. William M. Stigliani, CEEE/ChemistryWater quality has become an important issue to Iowans. Lakes, rivers, and wetlands throughout Iowa are being contaminated by non-point source pollution. Of particular interest in an agricultural state such as Iowa are non-point source contaminants related to agriculture, including the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, pesticides, and sediment loading. Lakes may be more susceptible to anthropogenic contamination than rivers and streams since contaminants entering the lake accumulate within the water column, sediments, and biota. Highly contaminated lakes do not support fish and wildlife resources or recreational uses.
The goal of the Iowa Lakes Study was to conduct a water quality monitoring study of Silver and Casey lakes in order to obtain information that would be useful in providing an overall analysis of the two lakes, including the current status of each lake, an understanding of the land use practices contributing to the contamination of the lakes, and input models that could be used to predict the effects of various management strategies for pollutant mitigation. We will discuss the progress on the project to date, as well as future plans.
Birds N Sinc: How Manakin Vocal Groups Sing in Tune
William A. Learn, Computer Science
Dr. Jill M. Trainer, Biology
Dr. David B. McDonald, Dept. of Zoology and Physiology, University of WyomingLong-tailed manakins (Chiroxiphia linearis) have an unusual social system in which teams of two males sing and dance cooperatively during courtship, a normally competitive situation. Especially puzzling is the fact that only the older, more socially dominant of the two males mates with visiting females. One benefit of performing as a nonmating partner might be to gain experience as an "apprentice" to improve the performance of the complex duet song and joint dance. Testing this possibility, we found that singing performance improved with age; older partners' singing was less variable that that of younger partners, and frequency matching increased with the age of the younger partner. Furthermore, we found that well-established, successful teams had better matched songs than teams we simulated by randomly pairing males. The development of frequency matching may be a long-term strategy to increase mating success when "apprentice" males inherit display sites from older males.
Microcystin-LR: A Potential Contaminant of Concern for Surface Water Quality in Iowa
Alissa C. Schultz, Leah C. Osterhaus, Dr. Edward J. Brown and Dr. Maureen E. Clayton, Environmental ProgramsSurface water quality is currently one of the most important environmental issues facing the state of Iowa, since the ecological, recreational and aesthetic values of these water bodies are threatened by non point source (NPS) pollution. The traditional threat to lake water quality from NPS contaminants is eutrophication resulting from nutrient loading. Preliminary evidence from a study of two Iowa lakes, however, indicates that algal species composition may also be altered by nutrient loading. The dominance of cyanobacteria in eutrophic lakes suggests that water quality and human and wildlife health may be endangered by exposure to toxin producing strains of cyanobacteria.
Concentrations of microcystin in two Iowa lakes ranged from non-detectable levels (<0.16 mg/L) to more than 1.6 mg/L, which is consistent with studies of lakes in Wisconsin and Alberta, Canada. Microcystin concentrations were always higher in the highly eutrophic lake than at the control site. There were no significant relationships between microcystin concentrations in lake water or cell lysate and chlorophyll a, total phosphorus or relative cyanobacterial abundance. Future studies should elucidate the species composition and toxin profiles of cells from the two lakes to provide more information on the potential risks to humans and wildlife, and on the relationship between nutrients and toxin profiles.
A Study of Genetic Programming Efficiency Using a Wall-Following Simulation
Travis Richardson and Dr. Eugene Wallingford, Computer ScienceAn effective Artificial Intelligence programming technique for dealing with learning new and changing environments was created by using some of the same processes that biological natural selection uses. Unfortunately, and quite similar to natural selection, the technique known as Genetic Programming[GP] often requires prohibitively large amounts of execution time. I will write a simulation program to study the effect of using different GP parameters and algorithms to try and increase efficiency. The program will simulate a robot that is placed in a room in which it must learn to follow the walls. The room shall have no obstacles and the robot should be able to learn in any room configuration. By adjusting the parameters that guide this simulated robot, and by directing the evolutionary process, the robots rate of learning will be examined. The wall-following simulation will be used to generalize about GP. The results should be insightful to those constructing Genetic Programs, and should give some basis on how to choose parameters and some possible ways to direct the evolutionary process.
Correlations of Bacterial Numbers and Nutrients with Mosquito Production from Iowa Lakes: Implications for Disease Transmission in Northeastern Iowa
Christopher J. Dickerson, Sarah A. Hansvick, Rhiannon L. Huffman, Dr. David R. Mercer and Dr. Nduka Okafor, BiologyDuring the first year (1999) of an interdisciplinary study on Iowa lake quality, mean mosquito numbers were significantly correlated with mean bacterial numbers for a sub-sample of shoreline developmental sites in both Casey and Silver Lakes. Silver Lake produced fewer insects overall but significantly more mosquitoes than Casey Lake. Therefore, during 2000, we estimated bacterial numbers in sample sites to explain mosquito production from the two Iowa lakes. For each of 13 weeks (18th May – 15th August), we identified all insects in five standardized dip samples (375 mL), measured pH, electrical conductivity, water temperature, dissolved nitrate nitrogen, dissolved nitrite nitrogen, dissolved phosphate, total alkalinity, protein, and plate count agar bacteria in putative mosquito developmental sites along the edges of Casey Lake (33 sites, Tama County) and Silver Lake (27 sites, Delaware County).
In Casey Lake, mean mosquito numbers during the season were significantly correlated with mean phosphate concentrations (r = 0.40) and with mean bacterial numbers (r = 0.54). In Silver Lake, mean mosquito numbers were negatively correlated with mean pH (r = -0.51) but not mean bacterial numbers (r = 0.04). The two lakes differed in several of the mean chemical or physical attributes measured and mean attributes differed during the season. However the lakes did not produce significantly different numbers of mosquitoes during the second year of the study.
There were important differences in rainfall between 1999 and 2000, which may explain different patterns of mosquito production relative to nutrient availability. During 1999, the water level in Silver Lake was high enough to inundate lakeside vegetation, providing developmental sites for significantly more mosquitoes. Lower water levels during 2000 in Silver Lake provided no sheltered developmental sites in Silver Lake, therefore mosquito production was lower. By contrast, Casey Lake filled to its manmade drain in both years and mosquito production rates were similar between years.
Evaluation of Well Water for the Presence of Intestinal Parasites, and Appraisal of Eggs Cheese and Milk for DDT Residuals in Rural Transylvania, Romania
Rick Bauer, Environmental Science/Technology
Dr. Catherine Zeman, School of HPELS
Dr. Marianna Vlad, Regional Associate Director, Romanian National Institute of Public HealthStudies have shown methemoglobinemia incidence rates of 366 per 100,000 population in the Transylvania Region of Romania (Ayebo etal., 1997). Recent work done in this region indicates that nitrate levels in the water supplies are a risk factor for methemoglobinemia (Zeman, Vlad, Kross, and Harper, 2000). It has also been suggested that nitrate levels in water may have little if any correlation to infantile methemoglobinemia, but rather the condition is induced by infections or inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal track leading to endogenous nitric oxide production (Avery 1999). This theory is based on the fact that macrophages involved in the inflammatory/defense response of the human body induce the production of nitric oxide radicals. It has been hypothesized that the elevated levels of nitric oxide radicals leads to the formation of excessive levels of methemoglobin through the oxidation of Fe+(Avery 1999).
Most Romanian farms and villages rely on water sources primarily located in the vadose zone. Water taken from these areas is particularly susceptible to fecal material contamination, and thus intestinal parasite infestation. Giardia sp. was found to be the most prevalent cultured organism in the stool samples of the 71 children involved in the study conducted in Transylvania (Zeman 2000). To help determine if giardiasis, or another common parasitic disease cryptosporidiosis, is linked to methemoglobinemia, drinking water sources of these 71 children associated with the earlier study will be tested for Giardia cyst and Cryptosporidium oocyst concentrations.
Methemoglobinemia in infants and high nitrate exposures have been linked to possible developmental complications in the area of motor and learning skills (Zeman, Vlad, Kross, and Harper 2000). This outcome could be further complicated by the exposure to organochlorine pesticides through breast milk and other food sources as demonstrated in a study performed in Mexico (Guillette etal., 1998). Romanian colleagues have suggested that 1,1’-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)-bis[4-chlorobenzene](DDT) has been widely used on Romanian farms in the early 1990’s. DDT was not only used around the Romanian farmhouses as an insecticide, but may have also been used on row crops in many areas of Transylvania. To determine DDT exposure levels significant to the development of the children in this area, a retrospective exposure analysis will be developed. A reconstructive exposure assessment will be performed based on the concentrations of DDT and DDT metabolites detected in eggs, cheese, and milk samples taken from the 71 households under study.
Phytoplankton Abundance and Nutrient Concentrations in Two Small Iowa Lakes
Amanda Troester, Karly Wortmann, Biology
Dr. Maureen E. Clayton, Biology/Environmental ScienceSilver Lake, a small Iowa impoundment lake, does not meet the designated use as a recreational fishery. One potential cause of noncompliance is eutrophication. Primary production was examined in Silver Lake and the control site, Lake Casey, during the summers of 1999 and 2000 by monitoring chlorophyll a concentration and biomass. Phytoplankton populations were compared to levels of available nutrients. In contrast to Lake Casey, Silver Lake does not appear to be phosphorus limited. Efforts to remediate the problems at Silver Lake should, therefore, be designed to reduce phosphorus concentrations in the lake, and to reduce future inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen to the lake.
Uniformity of Long-tailed Manakin songs from three localities in Costa Rica
Ryan J. Parsons and Dr. Jill M. Trainer, BiologyMicrogeographic variation in song is a well documented consequence of song learning in many songbirds, but the relationship between song variation and development in their closest relatives, the suboscines, is poorly understood. Because learning appears to play a role in song development in the suboscine, Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis) we wanted to find out whether manakins also exhibit microgeographic variation in song. We compared songs of Long-tailed Manakins among three localities in Costa Rica using multivariate analysis of variance and canonical discriminant analysis of five song variables. Differences among localities were not significant, and songs from the same localities did not cluster together in a canonical plot. This finding is similar to those observed in suboscine flycatchers whose songs are innate.
Bacteriological Quality of Water in Two North Iowa Lakes
Nate Werneburg, Eric O’Brien and Dr. Nduka Okafor, BiologyWater samples were collected form ten sites in Lake Casey and Silver Lake once a week over an eight week period (June – August) in 1999 and 2000 and studied for plate (total) counts, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and E coli following the procedures in the 19th edition of Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water.
The total bacterial numbers correlated positively (in another study) with mosquito larvae population, which with bacteria, are components of the food chain of fish.
Casey and Silver Lakes are used for recreation. On the basis of the EPA standard for recreational waters of 200 fecal coliforms/100 ml of water, and 126/100 ml for E coli, Casey Lake appears, on a preliminary basis, cautiously acceptable for recreational purposes since the counts of the indicator organisms were generally within the EPA requirements and only occasionally were the maximum numbers exceeded (2 samples out of 1000). Silver lake on the other hand appears less suitable for recreational purposes since it had samples which exceeded the EPA numbers in 26 out of the 1000 samples studied.
The sites examined in Silver Lake had higher populations of all the groups of bacteria studied probably because of the proximity of a hog farm to the former.
