Program

2:00	Poster Session (list of posters on the following page)
2:15	Dr. F. Daniel Larkin, Provost
2:20	Educational Resource Development Project for Teaching Glacial Geology in High School Classrooms Student: Timothy Stewart | Faculty: P. Jay Fleisher
2:30	Terminal Velocity of Raindrops Students: Erick Adame, Kelly Yates | Faculty: Paul French
2:40	Impact Of Physical Changes Of Post Mastectomy Women From Different Cultural Backgrounds On Clothing Designs: A Pilot Study Students: Stephanie Boll, Annmarie Cardinale, Morgann Lambert, Yuen Ling Wong | Faculty: Annacleta Chiweshe
2:50	An Exploration of the Graphical User Interface of the SUNY Oneonta campus Student John Maas | Faculty: Thomas Sakoulas
3:00	Break\Poster Session (list of posters on the following page)
4:00	Dr. Richard A. Couch, Dean, Behavioral and Applied Science
4:05	Improving the Nutrition Knowledge of Student Athletes: The INKSA Project Students: Lyndsay Cohen, Sharon Silva | Faculty: Jennifer Bueche, William Proulx
4:15	Drowsiness in the Optokinetic Drum Students: Elizabeth Kiniorski, Sherri Kunes, Daniel Loughman, Stepahnie Sclafani, Sara Weider | Faculty: Peter A. Di Nardo, Lawrence T. Guzy
4:30	Environments of deposition as interpreted from SEM images of microtextures from rhythmically bedded sand units, Bering Glacier foreland, Alaska Student: Brendan Kober | Faculty: P. Jay Fleisher
4:45	Determining the Efficacy of Selected Conks of the Aphyllophorales for use as Heavy Metal Biomonitors Student: James G. Wells | Faculty: Donna Vogler, John C. Schaumloffel
5:00	Dr. William Pietraface, Biology
5:10	Invited Presentation: Dr. Kenneth Haymes
5:40	Poster Session (list of posters on the following page)

Invited Presentation: Dr. Kenneth Haymes

Ken was born in Hauppauge, NY and attended SUNY Oneonta from 1984 to 1988. He graduated with a degree in Biology/Pre-Med. He spent his last semester at the William H Miner Center in a special program for in vitro cell biology and biotechnology. After graduation he went to Baltimore where he was working initially at the University of Maryland and then at St. Agnes Hospital Department of Nuclear Medicine.

He went back to graduate school in 1990 at the University of New Hampshire and completed his Master’s degree in Plant biology in December 1992. His field of study was molecular biology and genetics.

He was invited to the Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research in The Netherlands in 1993. While working for the Dutch government he completed his doctorate degree at the University of Wageningen in genetics. He won various grants such as a National Science Foundation Fellowship to continue his work in The Netherlands and a USDA genome initiative grant where he returned to US. While working as a visiting scientist at the USDA in Beltsville Maryland he met Dr. Scott the CEO of D-squared BioTechnologies. He asked Ken to take over the research and development for this start-up biotech company. Since taking over in 2000, the company has expanded into various fields from animal disease diagnostics to vaccine development. They currently have contracts with various groups from the Federal government, M&M Mars chocolates to the turf grass industry.

Biology, philosophy and cultural geography where part of my passions while attending Oneonta. The unique combination has helped shaped me into the research scientist that I am today. The field of biology covers many disciplines from the hard sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) to other fields like math, English, ethics and law. The advent of the biotech revolution has opened many doors and created many types of new job positions from scientist, grant writers, editors, computer programmers, marketing and sales business development to attorneys specializing in biotechnology. Working for a start-up biotech company one has to wear many hats. Initially, we spent all the time developing the products and establishing collaborations with nationally and internationally recognized institutions and now sales and marketing of our products is the main goal. As Director of Research and Development I must interact with people in many different fields and my experience at Oneonta has helped me become the person that I am today. The small grants program was the first step that I took; “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the differences.”

Poster Sessions

Spring 2002 Grant Recipients

The Association of Weather and Climate to Glacier Ablation and Retreat, Bering Glacier, Alaska

Student: Richard Dworak | Faculty: P. Jay Fleisher

Fall 2002 Grant Recipients

“Wandering Objects of Vice and Disgust”: Prostitution and Destitution in New York City, 1835-1840

Student: Karen Green | Faculty: Thomas Beal

Impact Of Physical Changes Of Post Mastectomy Women From Different Cultural Backgrounds On Clothing Designs: A Pilot Study

Students: Stephanie Boll, Annmarie Cardinale, Morgann Lambert, Yuen Ling Wong | Faculty: Annacleta Chiweshe

Analysis of the Pyrolysis Products of Smoked Drugs of Addiction

Student: Timothy Naples | Faculty: Jeremy Miller

Concentrations of Selected Elements in City of Oneonta Reservoirs Over Time

Student: Ralph B. Narain | Faculty: John C. Schaumloffel

Mapping a Rare Earth Element Mine, and Unlocking the Mysteries of Pegmatites in Western Maine (a work in progress)

Students: Fred Krone, Jeremy Silverman | Faculty: Duane Wohlford

Contributed Papers

The Effect of Local Meteorological Phenomena on the Stream Flow of Silver Creek, Oneonta N.Y.?

Students: Timothy Stewart, Steven Fyfe | Faculty: Paul J. Bischoff

Fecal coliform Densities in the Susquehanna River

Students: William Twardy; William Brown, Scott Hocutt | Faculty Paul J. Bischoff

Effects of Various Carbon Dioxide Levels on Corn Plant Growth and Dry Mass in Closed Topped Chambers

Students: Laura Hurteau, Luke Rabideau | Faculty: Paul J. Bischoff

Contributed Papers (Continued)

The Relationship Between Anxiety Sensitivity and Space and Motion Discomfort

Students: Stephanie Sclafani, Daniel Loughman, Elizabeth Kiniorski | Faculty: Peter A. Di Nardo, Lawrence T. Guzy, Steven J. Gilbert

Results of a Seven-Day Sleep Diary with Motion Sickness and Mood Correlates

Students: Theresa Wisnowski, Elizabeth Kiniorski, Sherri Kunes, Daniel Loughman, Stephanie Sclafani, Sara Weider | Faculty: Lawrence T. Guzy, Peter A. Di Nardo

A Naturalistic Study in Episodic Recall: Does Memory Improve Spontaneously Under Certain Conditions?

Students: Angela Tambasco, Julie Smith | Faculty: Mary Howes

Estimation of Serratia marcescens cell number: comparison of plate counts to optical density

Students: Dustin Winn, Karen Norton | Faculty: Sunil Labroo

Estimation of Serratia marcescens cell number: comparison of plate counts to optical density

Student: Amy Mlinar | Faculty: Vicky Lentz

Isolation and culture of molluscan hemocytes from the freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata

Student: Lyn Bullock | Faculty: Vicky Lentz

Measurement of Mercury in Surface Waters

Students: Jennifer Fusco, Theresa Smigelski, Katie O’Brien | Faculty: John C. Schaumloffel, Joseph Tausta

Nutritional Supplement Composition and Trace Elements in Animal Feed

Students: Elizabeth Sutton, Hillary Cimino | Faculty: John C. Schaumloffel

The Oneonta Footprint Project: Watershed Consumption

Student: Nicholas Marrone | Faculty: Donna Vogler

Determining the Feasibilty of Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment, Cooperstown, NY.

Student: Heather Burgess | Faculty: Donna Vogler

Elementary Education Poster Session

Faculty Advisor: Constance C. Feldt

Guided student response journals and secondary students’ fluency and attitude in social studies.

Student: Patrick Broe

Reader’s Theatre and six-grade students’ reading comprehension and motivation to read.

Student: Stephanie Hulbert

Activity-based instruction and ninth-grade students’ comprehension and attitude in earth science.

Student: Mark Kline

Exploring repeated reading and its contribution to the reading comprehension and attitude of primary students with special needs.

Student: Stacia Kruckow

Learning in a paired cooperative setting and secondary students’ attitude and performance in a business computer technology class.

Student: Lorie Lakin

Exploring a paired modular technology setting and seventh-grade students’ attitude and understanding of key technology concepts.

Student: Israel Lorimer

Dramatic play and kindergarten students’ literacy development.

Student: Nicole McCullagh

Scaffolded literacy strategies and seventh-grade students’ summarization skills and motivation in social studies.

Student: Rinda Robillard-Mattice

Exploring TPR (a total physical response strategy) and its contribution to the oral proficiency and attitude of eighth-grade French students.

Student: Domenica Speziale

Explicit teaching strategies and the writing skills and attitudes of at-risk ninth-grade students in an alternative setting.

Student: Betsy Tilley

Student Research Day Abstracts

Patterns of punishment within a society reflect basic cultural attitudes. In this study of the punishment meted out to New York City prostitutes, data from the Police Court records revealed a significant disparity of punishment between street-walking prostitutes and prostitutes residing in established brothels. Brothel prostitutes were affluent, successful businesswomen, and were generally punished for being involved in a disorderly incident. Nearly without exception they were let out on bail, serving little jail time. However, street-walking prostitutes were classified as vagrants and were punished under the New York State vagrancy laws, serving up to six months at hard labor in the penitentiary. Successful, middle-class businesswomen – even those selling sex – were treated differently from the destitute women who resorted to prostitution to survive. Furthermore, a comparison of the sentences received by vagrant prostitutes to sentences received by both male and female homeless vagrants arrested for sleeping in the street reveals a surprising similarity in the length of their penitentiary sentences. These men and women were being punished for the crime of poverty.

There were no laws outlawing prostitution during this period, but homelessness and unemployment was a criminal offense. The rapidly increasing population caused a crisis of inadequate housing and high unemployment, leading to increased numbers of poverty-stricken men and women on the streets of New York. This study presents data analyzing the patterns of punishment meted out to different classes of prostitutes and different classes of vagrants, further illuminating the social dynamic of early nineteenth-century New York City.

Melting snow can have a significant effect on the quantity of water flowing through small, tributary streams. Three of the strongest meteorological phenomena that effect stream flow are precipitation, temperature, and solar insulation. By monitoring these phenomena in conjunction with stream flow levels, we should be able to identify specific relationships between the local meteorological phenomena, the snow on the ground, and stream level. The findings of this study to date will be presented at the Student Research Day.

The aim of this study is to ascertain the differences in density of fecal coliform bacteria with respect to location, relative to the city of Oneonta. Water temperature was also monitored to see what effects it has on the density of fecal coliform bacteria in the upper Susquehanna River basin. Water samples were collected from three locations: Location one, was located approximately two miles upstream from the City of Oneonta. Location two was within the city limits of downtown Oneonta, and location three, was downstream from a sewer treatment plant that is several miles west of town. At the laboratory these samples were analyzed using the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) membrane filtration technique. Preliminary data analysis indicates a higher density of fecal coliform bacteria at location two. Further details will be presented.

The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising. The question arises as to how plants will respond to this constantly changing concentration of carbon dioxide. This research seeks to address how corn plants will respond to projected levels of carbon dioxide 100 years from now, in terms of growth from the first lateral root and dry mass. The height and dry mass are both being examined because the plants may not only grow taller, but they may also grow larger in diameter. These projected levels are worst case (900 ppm), best case (450 ppm) and most probable (700 ppm) scenarios, the control of our experiment was the plants grown at current levels (360 ppm) under the same conditions. Six corn plants were randomly assigned to each condition, and grown in closed topped chambers for one month. Every Tuesday and Friday during the growth period the chambers were opened, to prevent excess growth of mold, water the plants and re-establish the carbon dioxide concentration. The results and implications will be presented at student research day.

Student athletes have many misperceptions about the role nutrition plays in their athletic performance. Research indicates athletes obtain their information from numerous sources including coaches, trainers, parents, supplement manufacturers and the media.

Results from a recent survey by Rosenbloom et al suggest that athletes could benefit from information on the role of carbohydrates and fluids in optimizing athletic performance, how vitamins and minerals impact performance, and nutrition education should go beyond the athletes themselves to provide information to coaches, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches (1).

The importance of proper nutritional practices to short-term athletic performance and long-term health and wellness increases the need for a better understanding of the nutritional knowledge and practice of student athletes. The INKSA Project is an ongoing educational effort that is designed to provide student athletes with a sports nutrition curriculum on the SUNY College at Oneonta campus. The curriculum consists of eight highly interactive nutrition education modules. This project includes a computer analysis of the dietary intakes of 250 student athletes. This information will be used to refine the educational strategies currently be used at SUCO.

This was a pilot study because no research was found on the topic. Letters were sent out to female patients who had been treated for breast cancer at the local cancer clinic in Oneonta New York between January 1987 and December 2002. Twenty-six women who agreed to participate in the research were surveyed. Possible physical changes, clothing needs and body image were studied. In the quantitative investigation the physical changes and clothing related problems were incorporated in a twenty three-item questionnaire which was sent to the patients. The response rate was 80.76%.

Fifty four percent of the respondents were younger than 60 years. 95% were Caucasian and 5% were Hispanic. The majority of the respondents (95%) had undergone mastectomy and 5% lumpectomy. 80.95% of the respondents reported other physical changes after the surgery. These changes included scars, lesions, weight gain, arm swelling, sunken chest, loss of balance and loss of hair. All of the women indicated that they experienced some levels of difficulty finding suitable, convenient and comfortable clothing and the cost was greatly increased. Most women have problems finding ready-made clothing that is stylish and flattering. Specific clothing items mentioned as problematic included blouses, shirts or tops, dresses, bras, and swimsuits. 52% of the respondents preferred garments with front closures. Most patients preferred long and three-quarter sleeves. 76% of the respondents preferred garments with high necklines. 50% of the respondents indicated a problem with social interaction after surgery.

Six respondents from the sample group were interviewed. All six respondents said their self-esteem would improve if they were able to wear clothes that fit them correctly. Clothing designs and garments are being developed for five of the six women who were interviewed. Further research is planned that will include a larger population sample and greater diversity in ethnic groups.

Purpose: Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the tendency to believe that sensations accompanying anxiety or arousal (e.g., increases in gastrointestinal sensations) are harmful. High scores on the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), are associated with higher susceptibility to motion sickness and to space and motion discomfort (SMD). SMD refers to a group of symptoms experienced by some individuals when in situations in which visual or somatosensory cues to not permit spatial orientation. ASI overlaps with measures of other constructs such as general anxiety, negative affect, and illness concerns, so it is important to determine if these constructs are also related to SMD. Method: Seventy-seven undergraduates filled out the ASI, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-Hypochondriasis (ASI-H), the State Trait Anxiety Scale-Trait (STAI), which were used as predictors in multiple regression analyses, and the Space and Motion Discomfort Scale-II (SMD-II), and the Motion Sickness Questionnaire (MSQ), which were used as dependent variables. Results: The predictor variables accounted for a significant percentage of SMD-II variability, but not a significant percentage of MSQ variability. ASI-H and STAI each accounted for a significant portion of SMD-II variability not accounted for by the other measures. Conclusions: Space and motion discomfort and motion sickness are related but distinct. Anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and illness concerns are all related to space and motion discomfort, but illness concerns and general anxiety make individual contributions to space and motion discomfort. To examine the generality of these relationships, alternate measures of these constructs in broader samples are needed.

Purpose: Actual or illusory movement can create classic motion sickness symptoms of pallor, cold sweat, nausea, and vomiting. A more subtle type of motion disturbance, sopite syndrome, is characterized by drowsiness and mood changes. Sopite can occur in the absence of the classic symptoms of motion sickness, and during exposures that that are too brief or weak to induce motion sickness. The purpose of the current study was to determine if sopite symptoms occur in the optokinetic drum (OKD) procedure, and how best to measure these symptoms.

Method: Seventeen undergraduates from Introductory Psychology filled out the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire (MSAQ) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) before and after exposure to the OKD drum. The participants sat inside the drum measuring 91 cm diameter and 122 cm high. The interior surface contains 2.54 cm obliquely oriented alternating black and white stripes. The drum rotated at 5 rpms, and participants visually tracked the stripes.

Results and Conclusions: There was a significant increase in gastric, central and peripheral nervous system symptoms as measured by the MSAQ, but not sopite symptoms. There was no significant increase in ESS, or in PANAS negative mood. However, there was a significant decrease in PANAS positive mood. These findings suggest that reductions in positive mood may be the only manifestation of sopite syndrome in some movement situations, occurring without drowsiness or classic motion sickness symptoms. The PANAS scale appears to be more sensitive to these changes than standard motion sickness measures.

PURPOSE: We examined whether there is a relationship exists between the amount and quality of sleep over a seven day period with a number of psychological factors that include susceptibility to motion sickness, mood, and anxiety.

METHOD: Forty-eight women and men introductory students (Mean Age = 19 years) volunteered as part of a course requirement. The Colleges Institutional Review Board approved the procedure for use of human participants. At the beginning of the semester, our participants were given a packet of questionnaires that were to be completed and returned the following class. Two weeks prior to the end of the semester, they were presented a seven-day sleep diary from the National Sleep Foundation. They were to begin filling in the required information beginning with the next day and return the survey as soon as it was completed. We computed the means for the number of hours slept/day, the frequency of getting up during the night sleep, how they felt upon awakening using a three point scale (refreshed, somewhat refreshed, fatigued), and the elapsed time to fall asleep once they were lying in bed. RESULTS: The average number of sleep hours was 7.9 with a range from 3.6 to 10.6 hours. Participants estimated that it took on the average about 18 minutes to fall asleep. The average number of hours slept was positively correlated with the Positive Affect Scale, r (48) .29, p < .05. The more hours that a person sleeps the more positive was his/her overall attitude. Hours of sleep was negatively related to minutes to fall asleep, r (48) - 0.30, p < .05. Longer sleep was related to feeling more refreshed, r (48) – 0.31, p < .05. Finally, longer number of hours slept was significantly related to rising later in the morning, r(48) 0.58, p < .001. CONCLUSION: Motion sickness susceptibility and anxiety were not related to a seven-day sleep pattern. However, for those participants who had a more positive attitude they slept longer.

Glacial geology is an area of Earth Science that is often overlooked in high school curriculum, but has played a large role in defining many of the geological features in New York State. By going to go to the Bering Glacier, Alaska, I now understand what a glacial environment is like and how glacial features develop. In addition, field research such as this conveys first-hand knowledge for my use in the classroom.

While in Cordova, Alaska I interned with the Prince William Sound Science Center. This was an opportunity to see what kind of research is being conducted in the PWS and it was an opportunity to help this research facility with tasks about the office. Our assistance was greatly appreciated. While at the Bering Glacier, I was involved in several projects. In Tsiu Lake, we conducted a bathymetric survey and collected sediments for identification. On and around the glacier, I photographed many of the glacier features and different glacial environments that are common to piedmont glaciers, making them analogous to the ice sheets that once covered New York State. I also developed a stratigraphic column of a bluff at the terminus of the glacier. Combining these materials I gathered with the experience I had at the Bering Glacier makes for very useful material for teaching Glacial Geology in high school classrooms.

The purpose of this study is to compare surface textures of quartz sand grains from three sand units in the foreland of Bering glacier, south central Alaska.  The Tsivat sand plain is composed of subglacial sands lying in contact with the eastern terminus of the Bering piedmont lobe.  The Footrack member unit crops out as 30 m of rhythmically bedded sand just south of the Tsivat sand plain.  These sands have been radiocarbon dated to 1,000 1,600 years BP.  About 15 km southeast of the Footrack site is a modern coastal bluff also of rhythmite sand.  Scanning Electron Microscope images of these sands were studied to determine transport agent and depositional history.  More then 150 images of approximately 90 quartz grains from representative stratigraphic intervals were studied.  Each grain was magnified and imaged between 150 and 2000 times, viewed and analyzed for surface microfeatures, roundness and sphericity. 

The results show that, in addition to comparable mineral composition, the Footrack, Tidal and Tsivat sands show strikingly similar microfeatures and grain shape.  The majority of grains in all samples have highly etched (chemically weathered) surfaces that have been almost completely effaced by conchoidal fracture and other features indicative of glacial transport.  A few grains from all samples show evidence of fluvial transport superimposed on glacially produced features.  Some Footrack and Tidal grains also exhibit eolian transport features.  Although these features are not abundant, they appear frequently enough and in the proper assemblages, to indicate very brief fluvial and eolian transport.  Many conchoidal fractures are chemically etched (secondary etching).  The greater abundance of secondary etching of Footrack sand is evidence of post-depositional weathering.  Furthermore, there is additional evidence of chemical weathering in the form of solution lines, a feature not previously described in the literature.  They have been interpreted as preferential chemical weathering of secondary conchoidal fracture (hackles).

Our analysis suggests that sand within the Footrack member and Tidal bluff originated from glacially transported sediment that was reworked by glacio-fluvial processes, similar to sand of the Tsivat plain.  Final transportation and deposition by eolian processes, probably within a coastal environment, are consistent with microtextures and rhythmic bedding.

A field study in June, 2002, at Bering Glacier, Alaska, (100 km east of Cordova and 200 km west of Yakutat) investigated the daily relationship between weather conditions and rates of ice-surface melting. In addition, decadinal climate data were compared with annual rates of ice-front retreat.

Morning and evening weather observations (high-low temperatures, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation) were made during a two week period at a station one kilometer in front of the glacier. In addition, high-low temperature readings and daily rates of surface ablation was measured at a station one kilometer upglacier. Ice surface profiles surveyed from this station to the glacier terminus during 5 consecutive years since 1998 show a history of backwasting and downwasting that is directly related to changes in normalized annual climate data from Cordova and Yakutat.

Ice-front position along the eastern sector were mapped using a semi continuous aerial photo record from 1966. These retreat positions are directly related to climate variations during the past few decades.

Objects falling vertically experience air resistance opposite to that of gravity. After a period of time, an object eventually reaches a constant speed where the force of air resistance is equal and opposite to the force of gravity. This is known as the terminal velocity.

We have developed a procedure to determine terminal velocity and the air resistance coefficient using analysis of digital video. Our data provided a reasonable match to the theoretical result that terminal velocity is proportional to the mass raised to the one-sixth power. Our drops had a terminal velocity ranging from 8.0 m/s to 9.0 m/s. The methods used in our experiment may be extended to measure the terminal velocity of other objects.

In calculating terminal velocity, there are two generally accepted models for the air resistance force. Our findings showed that the quadratic model, where air resistance is proportional to the velocity squared, is more accurate than the linear model. Our method predicts the terminal velocity given the drop size.

Using three droppers and a digital video camera, we recorded falling rain drops with masses ranging from 22 mg to 80 mg. By carefully adjusting the shutter speed, lighting, and field of view, we were able to collect useful data. We verified consistency in our methods by comparing independent analyses of our video data by three different people. These data were analyzed using Videopoint and Excel to find velocity, acceleration, the air resistance coefficient, and ultimately the terminal velocity.

The goal of the study was to determine whether natural-episode memory might show improvement over time, in the absence of any additional presentation of the material (an effect known as hypermnesia). An effect of this kind was reported by Underwood (1973), working with random word items. When two lists of word items are presented for learning sequentially, recall of List 1 was lower under conditions of immediate testing than recall following a 6-hour delay. Recall after 24 hours was lower than immediate recall.

In the present study a 20-minute episode in which students held a pizza party in a dormitory was filmed. A second, nontarget film, was also created. Subjects viewed both films once, and were tested for their recall of the content of the first film either under conditions of immediate testing, a 6-hour delay, or a 24-hour delay. Most of the film in the video involved spontaneous behaviors, although some had been scripted to examine certain possible effects on memory. The president of the student video club handled the videotaping the film. Subjects were Psych 100 students. They answered an extended questionnaire that tapped different aspects of memory. Certain forms of recall was significantly higher than other forms, and inferred, inaccurate material was present in most protocols. Hypmnesia paralleling that with random words lists was not found. There are a number of possible reasons for the difference in outcome.

We report on preliminary studies conducted on ferromagnetic Ni and Gd samples using a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) that was assembled here. This VSM uses a 1.0 Tesla electromagnet, a mechanism for sample vibration, and a signal detection system that utilizes a Stanford Research SR530 lock-in amplifier. Currently this VSM is configured for a variable temperature range from room temperature to about 900 K using a Lakeshore model 330 temperature controller. Data is acquired by a PC with an IEEE-488 interface. In this study we measured the room temperature saturation magnetization of the Ni sample to be 4.92 x 10⁵ A/m, which is in close agreement with the accepted value.

There are thousands of different types of bacteria that are found in the environment. Some of these can cause potential health problems if they infect the body. Most however are eliminated by the immune system defenses before they ever become a problem. The aim of this study is to better understand how the body rids itself of unwanted bacteria. To do this we are investigating how mice eliminate opportunistic pathogenic bacteria that have been injected into their bloodstream. The first phase of this project is to develop a simple method to determine the concentration of bacteria in a culture, so that a known number of the bacteria can be injected into the blood of the experimental mice. Broth cultures of Serratia marcescens were grown and the optical density was measured using a spectrophotometer. The number of bacteria in the culture at each of these time points was determined using standard plate count techniques. These numbers were then compared to the optical density of the culture and a standard curve was derived that allows the determination of the number of bacteria in an actively growing culture. The second phase of this project will begin in the near future.

In order to better understand how the human immune system functions if is often beneficial to study how the immune system of other organisms operates. In this study we have chosen to investigate the immune system of the freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata. Molluscs have a primate immune system that is primarily composed of phagocytic hemocytes. We have developed a method to extract hemocytes from the hemocoel of mussels. A small hole is drilled into the shell above the heart region of the mussel and a syringe is used to remove a small amount of fluid containing the hemocytes from the heart cavity. The presence of hemocytes was confirmed using microscopic examination and differential staining. Further studies are now being undertaken to determine the optimal conditions for culturing the hemocytes so that functional studies of the cells can begin.

The chemistry and toxicology of smoked drugs of addiction is poorly understood. In this experiment pyrolysis (burning) products of tobacco and addictive drugs are studied. Analogs to the drugs of addiction methamphetamine and cocaine are smoked in hand rolled tobacco cigarettes in the form of “blunts.” Two types of compounds are expected. The first are simply pyrolysis products of the burned drug. The second are those which form as a result of chemical reactions with one of the many products of tobacco burning/pyrolysis. The smoke is collected and analyzed using first gas chromatography then gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with hard ionization. Compounds are identified and the method is validated. Known components of the samples- Nicotine, menthol, procaine, and p-chloroamphetamine- were all identified by mass-spectrometry. Two simple pyrolysis products in particular were identified- chloroallylbenzene and methyl aminobenzoate.

The monitoring of drinking water quality is crucial to protecting the public health and maintaining safe and effective drinking water treatment strategies. In collaboration with Mr. Stan Shaffer, City of Oneonta Drinking Water Plant, samples were collected between January and April, from six sites along the Oneonta Creek and from the City of Oneonta reservoirs. Samples were filtered with 0.45 micron filter, acidified with nitric acid and then analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) for cadmium, barium, zinc, manganese, calcium, iron, sodium, lead and mercury. ICP-AES is a multi-element analysis technique that will dissociate a sample into its constituent atoms and ions and cause them to emit light at a characteristic wavelength. Lead and mercury were not detected in the samples. The concentration (41.7ppm) of sodium was the highest at site six - Oneonta High School, on February 7, 2003; the concentration varies from 20ppm to 1ppm. Calcium concentration varies from 3ppm to a high of 17.5ppm; this high was also at site six. The quality untreated water from along the Oneonta creek and from the Oneonta City reservoirs is generally high. The concentrations of all the elements tested was below the Maximum Contaminated Level (MCL) set by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency for drinking water, with the exception of manganese. Runoff from the high school appears to significantly influence the concentrations of some elements.

Mercury is a toxic element known to bioaccumulate in the environment. In this investigation, stock solutions containing known concentrations of mercury were prepared to calibrate in Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (ICP). Mercury was determined using by reducing mercury ions in solution to elemental mercury using the cold vapor technique. Samples were obtained from a) a remote Adirondack Lake, b) Hunt Union Pond, c) Susquehanna River, and d) sewage waste entering the Oneonta City Sewage Treatment Plant. Of all the samples tested mercury was detected only in snow samples collected near Ragged Lake in the northern Adirondacks.

Concentrations of various chemical and trace elements in nutritional supplements and animal feed were measured. Trace elements in animal feed are important to agricultural production in livestock. Deficiencies in feed composition can lead to developmental deformities or reduced production of milk, as well as environmental problems with certain elements in excess (ex. Phosphorus). Nutritional supplements are often not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and can be purchased “over the counter” (OTC). Supplements chemical composition may be either a) unknown or b) inaccurately reported to the consumer. Essential, but potentially toxic elements can be found in these supplements and cause detrimental health effects for the user. Each sample tested was digested into liquid form using microwave digestion and analyzed for elements using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The results of the analysis of the animal feed showed that there were excess levels of Phosphorus in the sample of silage. The analysis of nutritional supplements concluded that there were unusually high levels of Chromium in many samples, but mainly in the sample of Dexatrim.

Pollution concentrations in the environment have been heavily influenced as the result of varying anthropogenic activities. This has led to an increase in the realization of the effect of our past and modern lifestyles on the Earth. Along with the growing awareness of the impacts of humankind on our environs, is the growing need for science to determine the amount and type of pollution present in an area through environmentally safe and sound methods. One area that has been receiving a fair amount of attention is the use of biomonitors for monitoring the levels of varying pollutants in an environment. The pollutants of interest in this study were the heavy metals copper, cadmium, lead, strontium, and uranium. These metal concentrations were determined in selected polypores and/or conks in the aphyllophorales family of wood decomposing fungi through microwave assisted digestion followed by analysis through inductively coupled plasma- atomic emissions spectroscopy (ICP-AES) to evaluate the probability that one of such species of fungi could be used as a heavy metal biomonitor. Species type, metal concentrations, specific morphological cons and pros, analytical techniques, statistical data, comparison data between current and old or “vintage” specimens, and hopes for future research will be presented.