Student Projects

Segmentation analyses to identify and quantify microglia in 3D image stacks

Abstract: Using time-lapse confocal microscopy to record and observe microgliabehavior in living zebrafish embryos, the Mitchell lab investigates themolecular basis of dynamic migration and phagocytic behavior of microgliain the central nervous system. Microglial cells regulate brain development,maintain neuronal networks, and repair neural injuries. Timelapse imagingprovides crucial insight into the behavior of these cells. Other methods, …

Improving Biometric Data Collection for Female Athletes

AbstractThe innovative field of biometrics has existed for more than a century in the medical and sports fields.In the athletic domain, biometric data are the measurements of physical and physiological informationfor assessment of performance and recovery in sports. Much of the existing biometric-based researchfrom the United State has been conducted on primarily on men which …

Tailocin treatment of American Foulbrood Disease in honeybees

Tailocins are antibacterial proteins produced by some bacteria to kill closely related bacterial strains. In nature, this benefits the microbe by offering a way for them to control the bacterial composition of their environments. However, in a lab setting, researchers can use these tailocins to treat against unwanted bacteria. The purpose of this research project …

Selective Reflections for the Nelder-Mead Algorithm

Background The Nelder-Mead algorithm is used to find the smallest value of a function. The algorithm first evaluates the function at a set of points, called the simplex. Then the algorithm replaces the worst point with a new point generated via a geometric reflection of the worst point through the simplex. The most basic movement …

Anxiety and the Effectiveness of Misinformation Fact-Checks

Abstract As levels of misinformation rise in the United States, so does the threat to efficient and effective policy-making. Most Americans are subject to misinformation, causing them to actively think/behave against the recommendations and empirical findings of experts. That said, in the absence of misinformation fact-checks and the presence of individual defiance toward corrective information, …

The Folk Influences on the Piano Works of Manuel M. Ponce

Abstract – The compositions of musicians from underrepresented backgrounds have gone largely overlooked in the core literature for piano and in academic fields such as musicology and theoretical analysis. The music of Mexican composers such as Manuel Maria Ponce, deserves to be in the standard repertoire of classical piano as his artistic merit could be …

Fire Suppression and Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) Hypothesis Testing

Abstract The Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The prevailing hypothesis for the species decline is encroachment of trees into its habitat due to fire suppression. However, this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested. Using geographic information systems and aerial imaging, I compared changes in abundance …

Precision Agriculture Adoption and Integration Case Study

Abstract — Remote sensing systems for precision agriculture allow for technology and automation to improve the profitability and sustainability of modern farms. The adoption of these systems in the United States has been slow, due to the high cost of and difficulty using them. The University of Idaho, in collaboration with Laurel Grove Wine Farm …

PLC-controlled LED Lighting Gantry Robot

Abstract — Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are tools that often act as an area where mechanical engineering and computer science partner to further research in the field of industrial automation. The application of industrial automation techniques to precision agriculture is an area of large importance for researchers and farmers, allowing for technology and automation to …