2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University
2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University
2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University
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Abstracts<br />
Session N Paper Presentation Competition III South Voyageurs<br />
Fuzzy Logic and Fuzzy Intervals<br />
The traditional binary system of logic uses only two values, true and false, which can be represented as 1 and 0 respectively. Paradoxes<br />
can arise from the use of binary logic. The specific paradox that will be dealt with here is the Liar‘s Paradox, which can be set up as<br />
follows: sentence S1 says that sentence S2 is false, and S¬2 says that S¬1 is true. This leads to contradicting truth values for S1.<br />
Differing from binary logic is fuzzy logic, which instead uses the continuum of all values between 0 and 1. Using fuzzy interval theory,<br />
which allows for a statement to have a truth interval [a,b] within this continuum as opposed to a single value, a solution to the Liar‘s<br />
Paradox can be found. This presentation will deal with that solution.<br />
Presentation Index: N1<br />
Time: 2:00 p.m.<br />
Department: Mathematics<br />
Project Sponsor(s):<br />
<strong>St</strong>udent Presenter(s): Braith, Justin<br />
Walk, <strong>St</strong>ephen<br />
4-Nonylphenol Binding to Glass as a Possible Toxicity Mechanism in Diatoms, an Important Aquatic Producer<br />
4-Nonylphenol (4-NP) is a ubiquitous estrogen mimic found in many aquatic environments. It is produced and used in large quantities as<br />
commercial surfactants to facilitate the mixing of lipophilic compounds with water. Due to its high use, the compound is often detected in<br />
wastewater effluents in low ìg/L concentrations. Previous research shows that sensitivity to 4-NP is not universal across aquatic primary<br />
producers. Freshwater algae diatoms have consistently shown a greater sensitivity to 4-NP then other members of the aquatic primary<br />
production community, including green and red algae. Clearly there is some feature of diatom physiology that induces a greater sensitivity<br />
to this chemical than is seen in other algal groups. Diatoms are characterized by a siliceous frustule that surrounds the bulk of the cell,<br />
and through which the cell interacts with its environment. The hypothesis put forth is that 4-NP binds to this glass frustule of the diatom,<br />
interfering with the extracellular matrix, and the diatoms ability to interact with its environment, ultimately culminating in cell mortality. The<br />
goal of this project is to identify if 4-NP does indeed bind to glass and to what degree. This confirmation would provide a mechanism for<br />
the pattern of its greater impact on diatoms when compared to other aquatic primary producers. This is a particularly important process to<br />
understand, as diatoms are a vital component in all aquatic ecosystems. Aside from the loss of the diatom as a food source, the binding<br />
raises concerns for a potential bioaccumulation pathway to higher aquatic trophic levels.<br />
Presentation Index: N2<br />
Time: 2:20 p.m.<br />
Department: Biological Sciences<br />
Project Sponsor(s):<br />
<strong>St</strong>udent Presenter(s): <strong>St</strong>ephanek, Josh<br />
Julius, Matthew<br />
Amending Our Morals<br />
Throughout history, political and policy advocacy groups have attempted to impose moral standards on the American people by amending<br />
the U.S. Constitution. By and large, these efforts have met with limited success. In fact, with the exception of the 18th Amendment<br />
(Prohibition), the constitutional amending process has been used successfully only to address the federal government‘s structure, power,<br />
and level of involvement in citizens‘ private lives.<br />
Despite this fact, there is still no shortage of proposed amendments that seek to regulate moral behavior. Voters in the 2006 election, for<br />
example, were asked to consider an astonishing 200 ballot initiatives in their states. The most controversial initiatives included limiting<br />
access to abortions and defining marriage as between one man and one woman. These ballot measures represent the latest attempts by<br />
reformers to legislate ―moral‖ behavior by amendment. The mere fact that there are so many such initiatives should prompt the nation to<br />
question the legitimacy of this form of liberty-limiting legislation. Indeed, we should learn from our past mistakes: the 18th and 21st<br />
Amendments demonstrate why citizens should think critically before voting for morality-based constitutional proposals. Our experience<br />
with Prohibition offers important lessons regarding the detrimental societal effects of such legislation. These lessons are both timely and<br />
relevant to current efforts to impose moral standards on ―we the people‖ by amending our Constitution.<br />
Presentation Index: N3<br />
Time: 2:40 p.m.<br />
Department: Political Science<br />
Project Sponsor(s):<br />
<strong>St</strong>udent Presenter(s): Thompson, Rose<br />
Uradnik, Kathy<br />
High Speed Optical Data Link<br />
This project is a two semester design of an optical data link with 25 MHz bandwidth which is designed for use with high speed internet<br />
applications. The digital signal is converted to a 2 VPP signal using OFDM methods. To accomplish this, a BEL 0804-5000-03 Powerline<br />
Module is used in conjunction with an ASIX AX88178 Ethernet controller. The design utilizes both a transmitter and receiver used to pass<br />
a 2 VPP analog signal through the air a distance of 10 feet. The transmitter is based on a design commonly used for fiber-optic<br />
communication. It utilizes two transconductance amplifiers to convert the voltage signal to a current. The current is biased and used to<br />
drive an LED. The receiver is comprised of a series of amplifiers used to receive the signal from a photodiode. The receiver uses an<br />
automatic gain control amplifier to adjust the gain of the circuit for various distances between the transmitter and receiver.<br />
Presentation Index: N4<br />
Time: 3:00 p.m.<br />
Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering<br />
Project Sponsor(s):<br />
<strong>St</strong>udent Presenter(s): Zimmerman, James; LeClaire, James; Mikkelsen, Brent Vogt, Timothy<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Cloud</strong> <strong>St</strong>ate <strong>University</strong> <strong>St</strong>udent Research Colloquium 47<br />
April 22, <strong>2008</strong>