Vertices, The Journal of Science and Technology at Duke University

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This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Vertices, Duke University's Undergraduate Journal of Science and Technology. Vertices is a tri-yearly publication of the Duke University Undergraduate Publications Board, highlighting undergraduate scientific writing, with emphases on original research and commentary. Other articles, such as subject reviews, are also published. The publication occupies a unique place among the University's publications and is as much a liaison between the students and faculty as it is a forum for inquiry and opinion.

FROM VOLUME XXI, NUMBER 2

xxxxxxx, by Vanessa Hamer: This past January, Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers ignited a media firestorm by suggesting that the under-representation of women in high-end science jobs may stem from low innate aptitude among women. His remarks, made at a National Bureau of Labor Research conference on diversifying the science and engineering workforce, have caused a stir about biological evidence, discrimination, and academic freedom. While quite a lot has been written on both sides of the issue, substantive discussion has focused more on his sometimes ill-chosen words than on the scientific arguments surrounding innate aptitude itself. Read more...

RNA Interference: The Next Revolution in Gene Therapy, by Emily Heikamp: RNA interference (RNAi) has revolutionized not only the basic field of molecular biology, but also its applications in pharmaceutical research, in which RNAi can be used both to identify drug targets and to treat diseases. While clinical trials are already underway for an RNAi-based treatment for macular degeneration, recent studies have shown promising results for HIV, cancer, and hypercholesterolemia. The strong appeal of this technique is its potency and specificity; its greatest challenge is the delivery of RNAi-based drugs, a process which is still in the nascent stages of research. Read more...

Wait-Loss Strategies: A Mathematical Approach to Theme-Park Optimization, by Predeep Baliga, Adam Chandler, and Matthew Mian: This paper is a presentation of a solution prepared by the authors for the 2004 Mathematical Contest in Modeling. Seemingly everyone has so-called “fond” memories of the Great American family vacation: a trip to a beautiful and elaborate amusement park, children rushing eagerly through the gates with gleams in their eyes and smiles on their faces…alongside thousands upon thousands of other children. The memories are often only humorous in retrospect, with recollections of a three-minute thrill ride being far overshadowed by family bickering and bonding in a 90-minute line for the ride. Waiting for the high-impact, but ephemeral thrills is now a staple of the amusement park experience, and one that makes hot, tired, and irritable parents ask “Why is there not a better way?” Read more...

Genesis of Discordant Alternans in a Discrete Cardiac Fiber, by Matthew Mian: Discordant alternans is an electrical feature of cardiac tissue that recently has been linked to the onset of ventricular arrhythmias. In the following analysis, we extend two existing mechanisms for the initiation of discordant alternans to the physiologically relevant case of a discretized cardiac fiber. Our simulations confirm these mechanisms of initiation, lending support to an existing theory for APD alternans genesis. Read more...

Constructing and Redesigning the Circuitry of Life, by Sihang Liu: Read more...

The Path to a Ph.D., by Yvonne Yamanaka: Along with warm weather and final exams, the end of the school year at Duke brings with it a question perennially posed to seniors: “What are you doing after graduation?” For many, the answer is graduate school. Read more...

INTERVIEW: Dr. Steven White, the First Editor of Vertices: In the fall of 1984, the birth year of many in the Class of 2006, a senior zoology major at Duke University decided to start a publication dedicated to the investigation of student and faculty research and its encompassing issues. With the help of the world-wide web, Vertices located Steven White, currently an Assistant Professor of Asian Business and Comparative Management at INSEAD, a global business school with campuses in France and Singapore. Dr. White holds a Ph.D. in management from the MIT Sloan School of Management, an MA in Japanese Studies from the International University of Japan, and a BS in Zoology from Duke University. He speaks to Vertices about his experiences, advice, and vision for the future of science. Read more...

INTERVIEWS: The 2005 Duke Marshall Scholars: Last December, two Duke students received Marshall Scholarships, full-tuition merit-based awards for two years of graduate study virtually anywhere in the United Kingdom. Implemented by the British government as a celebration of the European Recovery Program (including the Marshall Plan, instituted by former US Secretary of State John Marshall), the Marshall Scholarship program aims to attract students from the United States to serve as intellectual ambassadors to the UK. It is uncommon for two students from the same institution to be awarded such a highly coveted honor in the same year: Marshall Scholarships provide for just 40 American students to study abroad annually, and competition is exceptionally intense. Only six Duke students have won Marshall Scholarships since 1994, and this year is the first time that Duke has had two recipients. Equally remarkable, however, is that both recipients at Duke have distinguished themselves in the natural sciences, particularly through their research endeavors. For this reason, Vertices sat down with both of Duke's newest Marshall Scholars and asked them about issues ranging from the formative role Duke has played in developing their research interests to embattled Harvard President Lawrence Summers's recent remarks on women in science. Read more...