Parents and Science Researchers at the Perham Open House held on March 5th

Parents and Science Researchers at the Perham Open House held on March 5th, 2004.

Message from a tired Coach Schwar(t)z
March 6 at 7:37 p.m.
Results from M.S.U. Competition

Beth "

Results from the Minnesota Academy of Science State Fair

WOW!!!

Projects:

Purple Ribbons Blue Ribbons Red Ribbons

Kyle Carlson & Danielle Rastedt Kayla Delaney & Jenna Rossow Thea Roman, Lily Weatherhead

Zeb Zacharias Craig Hawes Jennifer Trosvig

Justin Dornbusch Kyle Schoenenberger Josiah Johnson

Nicky Haverland Dee Dee Rastedt Tim Fresonke

Papers

Purple Ribbons Red Ribbon

Kyle Carlson & Danielle Rastedt Justin Dornbusch

Rachel Savaloja

Mary Perrine

Tracy Guck

Special Awards:

Kyle & Dani: Beckman-Coulter, Mayo Graduate School, Minnesota Medical Alliance Society, and Best in Category

Justin Dornbusch: Outstanding 1^st year project, American Meteorological Society

Nicky Haverland: Outstanding 1^st year project

Zeb Zacharias: Outstanding Chemistry Project

Kyle Schoenberger: Acoustical Society of America

Rachel Savaloja, Mary Perrine, Tracy Guck: Best paper in Earth and Space Sciences

Dani Rastedt: Selected to participate in the Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program

Kassia Pawlowski: Selected as an Alternate to the International Science Fair

Beth Schwarz: Seagate Technologies Mentor of the Year

	Thanks for visiting this Grass Roots Web Site. It is such a pleasure to show off the success of Perham's Science competition and the wonderful leadership of Beth Schwarz. Thanks also to you parents and community. Tom Meinhover

Western Regional Science Fair Results! (IN SHORT – PERHAM DOMINATES!) Projects: 14 of 17 projects advance to state. . . . That means 19 of the 23 people qualified for state through the project competition. Those not advancing to state placed either excellent (blue) and good (red) Receiving special awards- Craig Hawes Nicky Haverland Josiah Johnson Rachel Savaloja Justin Dornbusch Kyle Schoenberger Kyle Carlson & Danielle Rastedt Marisa Silbernagel – First Alternate to state Advancing to the INTERNATIONAL (40 countries represented) Science and Engineering Fair: Nicky Haverland Josiah Johnson Kyle Carlson & Dani Rastedt Papers: 4 Advance to State 2 excellent (blue)

	Abstract An Analysis of pH Variation on Ivy Gary Delaney Gary Delaney The effect of pH and/or acid rain has great significance on the environment. Acid rain is caused by air pollution. This pollution is caused by emissions from cars and factories. This pollution mixes with water vapor to create acid precipitate. This is why it is believed that acid rain is harmful to plants. Also there is a common understanding that rain water is better for plants than pure water. This is what lead me to be interested in pH. What started as a test of acid rain, and evolved into a test as to what pH is best for plants. Plants were tested in groups of 72 to determine which solution resulted in the best plant health. By the end of the project the plants treated with rain water ended up with over twice the growth as the other 2 groups.

Abstract by deAnna Rastedt Feline Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Gingivitis Stomatitis (LPGS) is a chronic, painful, rapidly progressive, periodontal The purpose of this research project was to compare the bacteria cultured from the mouths of felines with LPGS and healthy felines. Based on this research, it is hypothesized that healthy felines will have fewer bacteria colonies than felines with LPGS. Felines with LPGS will have colonies with more variety in color than healthy felines. Healthy felines will have more gram-positive compared to gram-negative while felines with LPGS will have less gram-positive and more gram-negatives, and healthy felines will have fewer varieties in bacteria than LPGS feline. 5 healthy and 5 LPGS felines mouths were swabbed for bacteria. Cultures were incubated for 48 hours and then gram stained In conclusion, it was hypothesized that felines will have fewer bacteria colonies than felines with LPGS, the hypothesis was not addressed as there were too many colonies to count. The hypothesis that felines with LPGS will have colonies with more variety in color than healthy felines was correct, LPGS felines did have more yellow colonies compared to white colonies. Additionally, LPGS felines had a higher percentage of gram-negative bacteria. This also supported the hypothesis. The only	deAnna Rastedt

mm Mitch Guck	Abstract An Experiment Testing how Certain Fabric Sprays Affect the Flammability of Cloth By: Mitchell Guck This experiment was performed to find how much everyday fabric sprays raise the risk of burns due the increased flammability. My hypothesis was that the sprays would have a noticeable effect on the flammability of the cloth. In order to test this hypothesis I set up an experiment so that I could measure exactly how long a certain type of fabric took to burn, when sprayed with an assortment of fabric sprays and waiting for different periods of time, I decided to use a cotton/polyester mix of cloth for my tests, I obtained six different fabric sprays and performed three tests for each cloth and three different wait times for each cloth. The results of this experiment were graphed and analyzed in Microsoft EXCEL. After analyzing my data I came to the conclusion that fabric sprays do not appear to increase the flammability of cloth. But they do appear to decrease the flammability of cloth, while the cloth is still wet.

Kassia Powlowski	Abstract Kassia Powlowski Beginning this project, I had a burning desire to learn as much as I could about cancer cells. Discussing the specifics of the NHE exchanger and cell growth only added more fuel to the fire. Going on what my instructor explained to me, I began researching more specific aspects involved. I also spoke with Dr. Mark Wallert, a professor at a local University, who explained what my research would be involving. As the weeks wore on, I found myself learning how to split cells in a sterile environment and eventually how to count the number of cells in a flask and seed a new flask with a certain number of cells. Once I had the procedure down to an art, I was provided the CCL39, PS127, and PS120 cell lines to grow. I seeded four flasks of each with 500,000 cells. Three of each went into the non-CO2 incubator, and the one flask left from each went into the CO2 incubator. Next, I counted out the cells of each flask every three days, and seeded a new flask from each with 500,000 cells. By counting and recording I was able to recognize growth patterns related to NHE. I found that having an excess of NHE does not accelerate growth as hypothesized, however, when NHE is not present, cell growth is slowed, but not blocked.

Abstract Magnetic to Mechanical Energy Converter Craig Hawes After I got my driver’s license, I realized the inconvenience of filling my car with gas. I thought it would be great to have a car that didn’t need to be refueled. With this thought, I began to wonder if I could create a new source of energy that would be more efficient than gasoline. Contemplating the situation, I wondered about the unusual characteristics of magnets. The question came to mind that if the natural attracting and repelling properties could be channeled; would it be possible to design a device using moving magnets to produce mechanical energy? I considered different designs before I started to build. After deriving a general mental image, I constructed a model from Lego pieces. Using this 3-D reference, I made two more models to improve the design. My latest model brought me to a point where the magnets would both repel and attract to create a half	Craig Hawes

Abstract A Study of Food Dye Yellow #5 on Daphnia magna Jennifer Trosvig, Thea Romann, and Lily Weatherhead Yellow dye #5 can be used for a number of different items. One reason why the industry uses it so much is because it can dissolve easily in water. Yellow dye #5 can also cause allergic reactions in some people. In people who are allergic to it, yellow dye #5 causes hives, swelling, sneezing, trouble breathing and many other allergic reactions can happen. The purpose of our project was to find out the food dye on daphnia. The hypotheses was that yellow dye #5 will be less active, have less eggs, and have a faster heartbeat. To test this daphnia were divided into 3 cultures. The first culture had 6 drops of yellow dye #5 and the second culture had three drops of food dye. 10 daphnia were observed under a dissecting scope. The heartbeat, eggs, and activities were recorded for four days. We found out that yellow food dye will slow the activity of the daphnia, heart rate, and the production of eggs.	lily weatherhead, thea romann, jeenif trosvig

	Abstract Ruling on the 5 second rule Tim Fresonke I conducted numerous tests to find out if the 5 second rule is true or not. Tests were done by dropping different types of food on the ground. The foods that I dropped are lunch meat, cheese, bread, jolly ranchers and chips. I dropped them in 2 locations; the carpet in the classroom, and tile in the classroom. After the food was dropped I swabbed it and incubated it for 72 hours. The data showed that food dropped and left on the floor for 5 seconds, has much more bacteria than the controls. This research determined that the 5 second rule should not be followed.

aa Marisa A. Silbernagel	Abstract An Investigation of Increased Water Intake on Adults Marisa A. Silbernagel The purpose of this project was to determine whether or not drinking 64 oz. of water daily would have an effect on overall health. A letter was sent out to teachers at a local high school and middle school. Thirty-six teachers responded to the letter and agreed to participate in the study. A health evaluation sheet was filled out prior to the induction of water and daily checklists, assessed health once the water was given out. The data collected was then organized in spreadsheets and statistically analyzed by T-tests. The results of the project showed that males and females saw a significant difference in the severity of chapped lips, and headaches decreased dramatically. Females also noticed a difference in the dryness of their skin, but the males and overall group did not notice a significant difference. The significance in the findings of this research can not be overlooked. If 24 million Americans are suffering from migraine headaches, missing a combined total of 38.5 million work days a year (Richmon, 2004), could this statistic be lowered by simply increasing the daily intake of water?

Nicole Haverland	Abstract *The effects of organic mercury (thimerosal) on chicken embryos* Nicole Haverland This study evaluated the effects of different doses of organic mercury (thimerosal) – which is found in many children’s vaccines – on chicken embryos. Dosages were determined by the Oral-Rat LD50, which is 75 milligrams per kilogram of body weight and fell into categories of control (only saline solution), low (7.5 x 10^-6g thimerosal to 0.10 mL [10 cc] of saline solution), moderate (7.5 x 10^-5g thimerosal to 0.10 mL [10 cc] of saline solution), and high (7.5 x 10^-2g thimerosal to 0.10 mL [10 cc] of saline solution). Fertilized eggs were divided into four groups and injected with an appropriate dose on day eight. Embryos were then dissected on two separate occasions – one dissection occurring on day twelve, the other on day sixteen. This study showed that there was not a significant difference in length or mass between the groups of the controls and lows or the groups of mediums and highs. There was a significant difference, however, between the combined group of controls and lows versus the combined group of mediums and highs. This study provides strong epidemiological evidence that as the dosage of thimerosal increases, the risk of death, lower body mass, and stunted growth also increases.

Tracy Guck, Mary Perrine, and Rachel Savaloja	Abstract A Comparison of Two Inlets Tracy Guck, Mary Perrine, and Rachel Savaloja A culvert was built on the west side of Little Pine Lake in 1978. Ever since, there has been much debate as to whether or not it has been beneficial or detrimental to the health of Little Pine Lake. Cultural eutrophication has begun to take an effect in the waters of Little Pine Lake, possibly due to the agricultural fields in the surrounding country. Eventually, if nothing is done to stop the pollution of Little Pine Lake, East Ottertail County could lose this natural resource that is so important to the community. The purpose of this research was to determine if Mud Lake serves as a natural filter or pollutes the water entering Little Pine Lake from the Ottertail River. It was hypothesized that Mud Lake serves as a natural filter of the Ottertail River and that the building of a culvert was a mistake. Water samples were collected over a 3 week period and tested for dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates. After the data was organized into line graphs, it was concluded that there was no discrepancy in nitrate levels between Mud Lake and the man-made culvert. Furthermore, the dissolved oxygen and phosphate levels did not show any clear trends. This indicates that further study of the inlets needs to be conducted before drawing a definite conclusion on whether or not Mud Lake is a natural filter.

Abstract Using Arabidopsis thaliana Gene Knockouts in a Functional Genomics Approach to Understanding Newly Discovered Protein Kinase Genes Jenna Rossow and Kayla Delaney Plants are very important to human life: they supply us with oxygen, food, and shelter. Additionally, a quarter of our medicinal drugs now come from plant species (The Multinational Science Steering Committee, December 1994). In this project we used the plant species Arabidopsis Thaliana. The Arabidopsis plant is a commonly used plant that botanists use in order to gain information on the plant kingdom at large. It is a small flowering plant that is used as a model organism in plant biology. Arabidopsis is a member of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family, it is not of great importance to agriculture, but it offers important advantages for basic research in genetics and molecular biology. We studied the Arabidopsis Thaliana by using a process called functional genomics. Functional Genomics is the study of the proteins encoded by the genome to explore the natural capabilities in microbes. Functional genomics is a large-scale experimental method combined with statistical and computational analysis of the results. The purpose of this research was to determine how mutated strains of Arabidopsis react to stress. Specifically the Arabidopsis plants were exposed to water and temperature stresses. It is hypothesized that the mutant strain Arabidopsis will react differently than the wild-type Arabidopsis when stressed. To conduct this research 1440 Arabidopsis plants were planted, 480 controls, 480 At1, and 480 At3. The plants were then broken into three groups of different stresses, one control group, a heat stress, and a drought stress. After stresses were applied, leaves were harvested and tested for chlorophyll content with a spectrophotometer. In conclusion; the data shows that the At3 mutated Arabidopsis gene plays a role in response to drought conditions, but not to heat stressing. The At1 gene does not appear to be related to heat or drought stress.	Jenna Rossow and Kayla Delaney

*Abstract* Feeling the Pressure: Student Behavior and Barometric Pressure By: Justin Dornbusch This purpose of this investigation was to determine if there was any correlation between student behavior and barometric pressure. The research is one look at the advanced field of bio-meteorology, the study of the effect of the weather on the human being. Our environment is a large factor in our health and well-being, and the role of barometric pressure is still not fully defined. It may be that barometric pressure has a very limited effect when other factors such as cloud cover, temperature, wind, precipitation, and humidity are involved. With that in mind, I formulated the following hypotheses: Whenever a sharp increase or decrease occurs, it will cause aberrations in student behavior. When barometric pressure is high I believe students will be performing at a higher level. These hypotheses were based on countless studies that have demonstrated similar results. The data does seem to suggest some correlation between the two	*Justin Dornbusch*

Kyle Schoenberger	*Abstract* *Investigation of the Effect of Sound on Japanese Medaka Fish Embryos* Kyle Schoenberger Today many people are concerned about the increasing amount of noise pollution in the water, caused by boats, sonar, and other water mechanisms, causing strain on the fish and distorting the natural sonar of dolphins and whales. The purpose of this project was to determine the effect of sound waves on Japanese Medaka embryos. I hypothesized that the sound would have little effect on the Medaka embryos. For this project I obtained a 200 KH depth finder and treated experimental groups with sound for five minutes and fifteen minutes. The results of this research did not support the hypothesis. The sound had a dramatic effect on the Japanese Medaka fish embryos; death rates were higher in the experimental groups than the control group. Results indicate a need for further research.