Volume 4 • 2010 THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA at the universityBIRMINGH of alabama at birminghamA | Minquiro • 1 Inquiro © 2010 The rights to the papers published in this work are retained by the authors. Authors may publish their work in any other media, with the exception of another undergraduate publication. This is an internal document of Front cover art: Ingrid Pfau, senior Environmental Science Filmmaking major Inside cover art: Helen Lin, junior Biology major, Molecular track 2 • inquiro | no. 4 | 2010 Volume 4 • 2010 Founded and staffed by undergraduate students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Inquiro is an annual research journal produced as an outlet for the publication of undergraduate scientific research. UAB is an excellent undergraduate research university, and with the addition of a journal such as Inquiro in which to publish their findings, the package is complete. Any undergraduate student at UAB, as well as any student participating in a summer program at the university, is eligible to submit research. The rights to every paper published in Inquiro are retained by the author, leaving each individual free to submit to and publish in a larger national journal or magazine. Students are invited to submit research papers, short reports derived from posters or research narratives throughout the year. the university of alabama at birmingham | inquiro • 3 inquiro staff from the editors Chief Editors Inquiro: to search; to know. Curiosity about the natural world has been Andrew Buie a defining trait of our species since the beginning of time. Ancient civilizations all Shweta Patel over the world developed methods to harness the power of nature and to explain the mysteries of the universe. The human spirit of discovery has survived millennia Assistant Editors and flourishes now more than ever before. As we uncover the secrets of the human genome, the laws of modern physics, and the delicate balance of our environment, Khushboo Jhala we embark on unprecedented journeys into the unknown. Furthermore, it is Rachael Rosales a journey that allows us to escape national borders, age differences, and even language barriers. This journey is for all humanity. Staff Writers The journey of inquiry flourishes on the campus of the University of Alabama Atbin Doroodchi at Birmingham (UAB) through the cultivation of inquiring minds with dedication to scientific research. This environment entices students and faculty members Timothy Fernandez alike to find solutions to countless issues throughout the world. Once discov- Helen Lin eries have been made, an important part of research is the sharing of these Natalie Mitchell findings. Shweta and I have experienced this desire to explore the unknown Kavita Nadendla and have since decided to continually provide UAB an outlet with which to Ashruta Patel share their passion for research. This outlet assumes the form of a yearly pub- lication known as Inquiro. Toral Patel Timmy Wang Within the first year of our undergraduate education, Shweta and I experi- enced the publication of the first volume of Inquiro in 2007. The launch of the journal initiated the beginning of our involvement with it. Both of us realized the impact such a journal has on the surrounding community, and we quickly pursued positions on the editorial board in 2008. Organized, edited, and published solely by undergraduates, we would be partially responsible for the success of the editorial. Already prepared from previous experiences with high school publications, the entire Inquiro process of editing and reviewing submissions, writing articles, and conducting interviews was very appealing to us both. We were specifically enthused about its relatedness to the scientific world, as we were both set on obtaining degrees in this field, Shweta in Biol- ogy and I in Chemistry. After a successful second issue of Inquiro, we wanted to remain a part of the editorial board. Our growing passion for the journal and constant need to seek the next tier of challenges motivated us to apply for the Chief Editor posi- tions. Receiving this position, we were overwhelmed with excitement to play an integral part in the publication of the journal. We had ambitions of making the journal bigger and more diverse, a feat we like to think we accomplished. The third volume of Inquiro exceeded all of our expectations, providing us with more submissions than previous years. These submissions came in a variety of disciplines, allowing us to publish the first ever computer science and neu- roscience paper in that year’s journal. Ultimately, the admiration and support of the journal received from students, faculty, and administration convinced us that we were successfully continuing the legacy started two years prior. The success of Inquiro stands as a testament to the unique atmosphere at UAB that encourages undergraduate students to participate in research. Convinced that Inquiro would only continue to grow as a publication, we chose in 2010 to remain as Chief Editors for the fourth issue. Working as Editors in Chief the previous year had left Shweta and I with a sense of com- 4 • inquiro | no. 4 | 2010 mitment, and we desired to maintain the success and wellbeing of the journal for as long as our undergraduate careers would allow, especially through the transition Volume 4 • 2010 from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics to the College of Arts and Sciences. In this past year, table of contents we have witnessed yet another increase in submission Letter from the Editors 2 number, a greater diversity in the types of submissions, Science News 4 and even more submitted research narratives from Research Narratives 12 outside of the editorial board. This year’s journal boasts Faculty Interview: Dr. Nandor Simanyi, Mathematics 20 a psychology paper, a public health highlight, and the Short Reports journal’s first physics paper, allowing this edition the Bizarre Parosteal Osteochondromatous Proliferation (Nora’s 21 honor of being the largest and most diverse issue pub- Lesion): A Report of the First Case Originating in Soft Tissue 23 lished thus far. The Effects of Temperature on Growth of Endophytic Antarctic Algae in Culture Orthodenticle Homeobox 2 (OTX2) and Its Influence 25 Because UAB is research-oriented, Inquiro was estab- on Mammalian Development: A Scientific Review lished from the need of an outlet through which UAB un- 30 Upregulation of the 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Receptor dergraduates can display their groundbreaking research. in Neonatal Brain Injury Every year, students have the opportunity to work in Faculty Interview: Dr. Asim Bej, Biology 34 research labs, whether it is through summer programs, Papers: Biology departmental honors, or independent studies. Although Use of a Modified Surface Killing Assay to Test the 36 many university departments hold research symposiums Killing of S. pneumoniae Serotype 3 Strain WU2 throughout the year, such as the annual UAB Expo held Using an Anti-PspA Monoclonal Antibody 41 in April, it is rare for students to have the opportunity to Sex-ratio Predictions of Eretmochelys imbricata Nesting display their work before peers and faculty from other Beaches in Nicaragua and the Republic of Seychelles DNA Methylation Analysis of the Maspin Gene in the 47 disciplines, as well as to the university community as MCF10 Breast Cancer Progression Model a whole. These symposiums provide undergraduates Tear Component Interference in Cytometric Bead Based 51 ample opportunity to perfect their presenting skills; Assay of IL-8 and IP-10 55 however, Inquiro allows undergraduates to polish their A Screen Designed to Identify MKS-like Genes Yields a scientific-writing skills. While undergraduates may work Novel Allele of mks-5 A Pioneering Look at Current Trends in Nuclear Medicine 62 in labs for a few semesters or a summer, it is unusual for Clinical Equipment in the State of Alabama students to publish their work in internationally peer- The Effects of Apolipoprotein Mimetic Peptide 4F on 69 reviewed journals, simply due to time constraints. Paraoxonase-1 Activity and Levels Faculty Interview: Dr. Alan Eberhardt, 75 This fourth issue of Inquiro helps to embody the unyield- Biomedical Engineering ing legacy of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Paper: Biomedical Engineering This journal gives students the opportunity to partake Simultaneous Mapping of Membrane Potential, 77 in the scientific process and prepare their research for Calcium Transient and Wall Motion in an Isolated Heart publication. Each paper is reviewed by at least one or Faculty Interview: Dr. Aaron Lucius, Chemistry 81 two faculty members, so that students get a feel for Paper: Chemistry submission and revision processes, preparing them for Stability Studies of Novel Oligodeoxynucleotides 82 the graduate and professional world. Other universities in TLR-9 Mediated Cellular Invasion such as Harvard, Columbia, and Yale have previously Faculty Interview: Dr. Barrett Bryant, Computer Science 84 embraced the concept of the undergraduate journal. Paper: Physics With the continued success of Inquiro, UAB students Near- and Mid-Infrared Spectra of Cosmic Ice Analogues 86 now have the opportunity of ascending to the under- Subject to Ultraviolet Photolysis graduate publishing ranks with the best and brightest Faculty Interview: Dr. Andrei Stanishevsky, Physics 91 students in the nation. Please join us as we blaze the Paper: Psychology trail for the future of undergraduate research at the Uni- The Effects of Fatigue and Difficulty on Cardiovascular 93 versity of Alabama at Birmingham! Response to Aerobic Exercise Challenge: An Obesity Simulation 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Recipients 98 —Andrew Buie and Shweta Patel Submission Guidelines for 2011 99 Chief Editors Inquiro staff 100 Acknowledgements 102 the university of alabama at birmingham | inquiro • 5 science news The Perils of Natural Gas Helen Lin ith the recent trend towards en- Wergy independence, natural gas is becoming a popular alternative. There are an estimated 100 years worth of natural gas reserves within the United States, and it is cheap – cheaper than gasoline.