Arts - Buffalo State College

104
Physical Geography, Sciences, and Mathematics
Studies of Growth and Optical Properties
of LuFe2O4 Thin Films
Aaron Sprow, Physics and Anthony Delmont, Physics
Faculty Mentor: Professor Ram Rai, Physics
Our research was primarily concerned with the preparation
method and optical characterization of epitaxial lutetium iron oxide
LuFe2O4 (LFO) thin films. Growth parameters considered included
pellet composition, pellet size, evaporation method, substrate
composition, and substrate temperature. Successful results were
achieved using stoichiometric proportions of Fe2O3 and Lu2O3 that
were ground and pressed into approximately 3 gram per pellet,
followed by sintering at 1100 0C. The LFO thin film deposition
process started with heating the target pellet by an electron beam
for roughly an hour, and then slowly evaporating LFO onto (001)
LNO, (111) YSZ, (001) sapphire, and (001) quartz substrates at 750
0C, to a thickness of about 300 nm. We measured transmittance
and absorbance on the annealed LFO thin films as a function of
wavelength, varying from ultra-violet to near infrared wavelengths
(200 – 3000 nm). The optical data demonstrate that LFO is an
insulator having a well-defined energy gap and several electronic
excitations associated with charge transfer transitions. Estimating
from the absorption spectra, the energy band gap was found to be
about 2.20 eV at 300K.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster VI
Studies of the Gap Junction Protein
Connexin31
Orlando McEwan, BIO 498: Biology Honors
Faculty Mentor: Professor Martha Skerrett, Biology
Gap junction channels allow direct communication between
adjacent cells. Gap junction channels of chordates are composed
of connexins, with six connexins required to create a half-channel,
also known as a connexon or hemichannel in each adjacent cell.
An intercellular gap junction channel is created when a connexon
from one cell docks with a connexon from an adjacent cell. In
humans, twenty connexins are expressed in specific but overlapping
patterns to create gap junctions with a diverse set of properties.
Connexin31 (Cx31) is expressed in the auditory system and skin
of humans where it is expected to interact heterotypically and
heteromerically with several other connexins. Mutations in Cx31
are associated with multiple human diseases including deafness
and erythrokeratodermia variabilis (EKV). The mutation Cx31L34P
causes EKV and this study was designed to further assess the
characteristics of this mutation at a molecular level. The amino
acid leucine at position 34, was modified to tryptophan (Cx31
L34W) using site-directed mutagenesis. Other studies suggest that
the amino acid at position 34 interacts closely with another protein
domain and we aimed to confirm this for Cx31 by substituting
tryptophan for the native leucine at position 34.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster VI
Surface Water Quality and Risk Analysis In
a Peri-Urban Area, Thailand
Jameieka Price, Masters Multidisciplinary Studies
Faculty Mentor: Professor Kim Irvine, Geography and Planning
The Rangsit Canal, Pathum Thani, Thailand, receives runoff and
contaminant inputs from urban and agricultural activities. Water
quality in a section of the canal was examined by comparing sample
results with Thailand’s water quality standards, the approximate
delta method to characterize system metabolism, and a microbial
risk analysis to assess potential for waterborne infections. Dissolved
oxygen and BOD levels did not meet Thailand’s Class 3 standards.
Continuous, automated monitoring of dissolved oxygen revealed a
pronounced diel trend driven by photosynthesis during the day and
respiration at night. Compared to many water bodies, however, the
primary production of the canal was low and can be classified as
heterotrophic. Based on a microbial risk assesment and considering
infection risk standards, E.coli levels measured in the local sewer
system (10^6 CFU/100 mL) and canal (10^4 CFU/100 mL)
produced unacceptably high risk for activities that included
swimming, vegetable farming, fishing, and sewer pump station
operations. E.coli in piped water to an informal community on the
canal was 0 CFU/100 mL in half the samples. The highest E.coli level
(800 CFU /100mL) associated with the piped water source was found
in a tradiontal (uncoverd) water storage jar, which emphasizes the
importance of appropriate water storage.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Science, Mathematics
and Technology
Textural and Structural Connections
Along the Metamorphic Field Gradient In
Philadelphia, PA
Jennifer Wehrfritz, Earth Sciences and Geology and Albert
Tahan, Geology
Faculty Mentor: Professor Gary Solar, Earth Sciences and Science
Education
The Wissahickon schist type locality along Wissahickon Creek
in SE Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), is composed of pelitic schist
(metamorphosed shale) interlayered with psammitic gneiss and
quartzite (metamorphosed sandstone). The type locality is known
for its complete record of [Barrovian] metamorphic zones. The
metamorphic field gradient increases SSE in the creek valley
for 5km from chlorite to second sillimanite zone, and at a high
angle to the trend of the mineral-defined structures (fabrics). The
chlorite zone in the N is within and adjacent to the ENE-striking,
dextral-transcurrent Huntingdon Valley shear zone system (active
at 300 million years ago). A transect along the creek is across
both the metamorphic zones and the structural grain, permitting
documentation of the relations between the metamorphic and
deformation fabrics. We mapped along the east valley slope starting
in the chlorite zone to the SSE for 2.8km, into the kyanite zone.