2008 Proceedings - St. Cloud State University

Abstracts
Session ZD Science and Engineering IV North Voyageurs
Mechanical and Manufacturing Design Projects for Vascular Solutions, Inc
Ethylene glycol ethers (EGEs) especially 2-ethoxyethanol and 2-butoxyethanol (BE) are excellent solvents. Accordingly they are used in
many industrial and commercial products. Upon human use these solvents are discharged into waterways. Given the use and discharge
of EGEs, both humans as well as aquatic animals are exposed to EGEs. Exposure to EGEs results in various toxicities including
encephalopathy, hemolysis, and metabolic acidosis in humans. In addition to these toxicities, carcinogenesis and mutagenesis is also
observed in animal models. Actual concentrations of EGEs in waste water discharges are not clearly established accordingly, the
objectives of this research project is to develop methods to determine the presence of butoxyethanol (BE), one of the most common EGEs
used, and its possible metabolites butoxyacetaldehyde (BAL), and butoxyacetic acid (BAA) in waste water sample. We are currently
standardizing a gas chromatography mass spectrometry method for this purpose and are in the process of developing a high performance
liquid chromatography method.
Presentation Index: ZD3
Time: 5:40 p.m.
Department: Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Yang, Phillip; Lim, James; Yee, Jong-Shan
Baliga, Bantwal
Session ZE Social Sciences II North Glacier
State Mandates and Health Care
Every state in the US has different laws mandating that certain services, or benefits be provided by the employer‘s healthcare plan.
Mandate laws range from statutes that require health plans to cover services by particular types of providers, requirements to cover
specific diagnostic or treatment services or laws to extend benefits to certain populations. While providing more access to services, the
increasing number of laws mandating healthcare plans causes prices for employers to insure their workers to increase significantly. There
has been concern whether all the mandates will be too costly and effect how many people are insured. This paper considers the
relationship between the amount spent on healthcare in each state and state mandates. The main issue is the large and growing amount
of money being spent on healthcare, the potential budget busting effect this growth could possibly have, and the role state mandates play
in creating and perpetuating this problem. Two types of analysis are done, one testing the effect of the more costly mandates (as defined
by benefits costing more than one percent of estimated cost) on the amount spent on healthcare, and the second testing whether how
many mandates a state has affects the level of healthcare spending.
Presentation Index: ZE1
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Department: Economics
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Bargabus, Kathryn
Grossman, Philip
The Colonial Legacy in Africa
A significant amount of challenges facing the African continent today are in large part, a direct effect of the colonial experience brought
upon the African peoples by the European powers. There are many historical factors which have greatly impacted the continent. This
presentation seeks to examine the causes and consequences of colonialism in Africa in order to provide a better understanding of
contemporary Africa. The presentation concludes by suggesting ways in which Africa, Europe, and the entire global community could
collectively share the responsibility of finding ways to construct a promising future for the African continent and its peoples.
Presentation Index: ZE2
Time: 5:20 p.m.
Department: Political Science;
Project Sponsor(s):
Student Presenter(s): Franzen, Angela; Winscher, Damon; Kanenza, Benita
Nyendu, Morgan
St. Cloud State University Student Research Colloquium 76
April 22, 2008