Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Altered Tpp-1 Expression In Human Neural Progenitor Cells, Nitisha Gajavalli, Julia Langman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Batten’s Disease or neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) is a pediatric autosomal recessive, neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder due to a deficit of the lysosomal protease tripeptidyl peptidase (TPP-1). The lack of TPP-1 leads to an accumulation of lysosomal waste and cell death. The disease is characterized by language delays, seizures, cognitive and motor decline, blindness, as well as early death. Currently, a clinical trial of the experimental treatment Brineura® (Cerilponase Alfa) is the only approved treatment for CLN2. The clinical trial involves infusion of human recombinant TPP-1 (rhTPP-1) into the ventricles of the brain. Diffusion models suggest the protein …

Effects On High Fat And Ketogenic Diet On Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Pathology In Male And Female Mice, Nitish Dundigalla, Shalet James, Iliana Uribe, Zachary Lawrence, Ariana Hernandez, Blanche Tamiya, Eleanor Wind

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where excess fat builds up in the liver, affecting 25% of Americans. Interestingly, NAFLD is associated with neurological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction/dementia. Given the high rates of these diseases, understanding risk and protective factors for NAFLD is crucial. Individuals with obesity, Type 2 Diabetes and related conditions are prone to NAFLD. While consumption of high fat/Western diet increases risk, there is evidence to suggest that ketogenic diet, which is high in fat but low in carbohydrates, may protect against NAFLD. Biological sex may influence NAFLD, but the evidence is conflicting …

Impacts Of Social Enrichment On Shelter Operations And Canine Welfare, Julia Capirano, Apoorva Bommanaveni, Robyn Hugh Sam, Emily Jiron, Raquel Walton

Undergraduate Student Symposium

~2,000,000 dogs are adopted from shelters each year; many have long and stressful residencies and ~10% are returned after adoptions for behavioral or other complications. Social enrichment programs aim to reduce shelter residencies and improve adoption placement success by providing stress-reducing social enrichment to resident animals. In this study, we test whether these programs measurably impact stress biomarkers in dogs, and whether they result in more rapid or successful adoption outcomes. We will use public data from Broward County Shelter (including the focal dogs’ in-shelter enrichment regimes), to test our hypothesis that enrichment expedites adoption and/or increases the likelihood of …

Implications Of Covid-19 In Global Anatomy And Physiology Education: A Comprehensive Analysis, Sneh Patel, Sean Mahajan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Owing to the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the higher education sector worldwide saw a significant disruption in several disciplines – especially the ones in STEM and healthcare sciences that require active, experiential learning via practical application of concepts centering around Anatomy and Physiology. Dynamic instructional and technological interventions took place rapidly in an effort to minimize the adverse repercussions of moving away from traditional means of education in these critical scientific fields. COVID-19 necessitated administrators, faculty, students, and interns at colleges, universities, medical/healthcare science programs and residencies to pursue teaching, learning, and assessment of Anatomy and Physiology courses/curricula through …

Investigating Structural Alterations In Antagonistic Peptides For The Development Of Orally Bioavailable Pcsk9 Inhibitors, Pritika Vemulapalli, Bhavya Soni

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal genetic disease that causes elevated blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL). One of the leading causes of FH is gain-of-function mutations in the gene coding for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). The PCSK9 protein binds to LDL receptors (LDLR) on the surface of hepatocytes and promotes their degradation, preventing the recycling of LDLRs and thus increasing LDL blood levels. Monoclonal antibody therapies that bind to PCSK9 inhibiting LDLR binding are currently only available as an injection. However, several orally bioavailable PCSK9 inhibitors have been formulated and are undergoing clinical trials. One such therapy …

Postpartum Depression: The Effects Of Misdiagnosis On Maternal And Infant Health, Karen Jurando-Lopez, Shreya Madhudi, Niral Paveen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Postpartum depression is a psychiatric disorder that has been recognized since 460 B.C., thousands of years before it was officially classified in 1926. Although awareness of postpartum depression, its signs, and treatment of women affected by the disorder has been increasing throughout the century, around 66% of postpartum depression cases are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Postpartum depression negatively impacts the development of mothers and optimal development of a child as it fosters an unhealthy environment. Detecting postpartum depression at an early stage, such as the postnatal period, allows for it to be treated as soon as possible to minimize the …

Sex-Specific Effects Of High-Fat And Ketogenic Diets On Cognition And Hippocampal Neurogenesis In C57b16/J Mice, Shalet James, Zachary Lawrence, Iliana Uribe, Ariana Hernandez, Eleanor Wind, Blanche Tamiya, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Natalia Noto, Yazmin Restropo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Poor diet and metabolic diseases (obesity, Type 2 diabetes), are associated with increased risk of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression. Previous studies suggest that high-fat diet results in sex-specific effects in mice, including adult hippocampal neurogenesis, neuroinflammation, and performance on cognitive-behavioral tasks. The ketogenic diet, a popular weight loss regimen, is characterized by a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet. Under carbohydrate restriction, the body enters ketosis, producing ketones bodies as a source of energy. While the ketogenic diet is very high in fat content, it may also possess neuroprotective properties against brain aging and neurodegenerative …

Synthesis Of Antimicrobial Polymers Via Raft Polymerization, Naga Ganti, Saipranavi Reddy Kethireddy, Rehan Contractor, David Kurian

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antimicrobial polymers are important in the field of medicine as they are able to kill bacteria and reduce bioburden by mechanisms that differ from traditional antibiotics. Due to their different mechanism of action, antimicrobial resistance is less likely to occur, and many antimicrobial polymers show great biocompatibility with eukaryotic cells, reducing potential side effects. Most antimicrobial polymers are inspired by naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides which typically contain nitrogen cations that can break up the negatively charged cell wall of bacteria, ultimately leading to cell death. The main purpose of this study is to synthesize several different antimicrobial monomers that are …

The Impact Of Playing Music In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Amaya Allen, Angela Razo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at increased risk for developmental delays, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, parents and caregivers are susceptible to an increased risk for trauma due to the hospital admission. This occurs secondary to the medical environment, including negative medical touch and unnatural motoric and sensory stimulation to the developing brain. The purpose of this scoping review of the literature, is to determine if music therapy in the NICU decreases stress and trauma.

A scoping review will be completed of peer reviewed articles assessing the impact of music therapy on infants in the NICU and …

The Tale Of Traditional Tobacco As Told Through The Hummingbird Brings Back Tobacco Cherokee Legend, Natalie Toops

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Hummingbird Brings Back Tobacco is a Cherokee legend which emphasizes the cultural, spiritual, and medicinal properties of tobacco. The plot of this story will align with the research of, and presentation on, traditional tobacco. The story begins with a connected community praying for healing and wisdom through tobacco rituals. Suddenly, the community suffers as their tobacco was stolen by the Dagul’ku geese who wanted the benefits for themselves. In the end, the heroic hummingbird reclaims the community’s tobacco thus restoring their spirit. The paradox of tobacco for many Native American communities confounds anthropological study. Tobacco has been revered as a …

Synthesis Of Metal Binding Polymers For Water Purification, Meha Pandya, Francisco Castro Wetzstein

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Water is one of the most precious resources on our planet, making up roughly two thirds of the earth’s surface. Despite the abundance of water, access to clean water has become increasingly difficult. Decades of industrial activities and neglect for the environment have contributed to water pollution. Heavy metals, a common water pollutant in drinking water, are known to cause damage to multiple organs and are one of the major causes of cancer as well as other life-threatening conditions. Removal of heavy metal contaminants is a critical part of water purification. While several methods exist, the use of polymers to …

Synthesis Of Polymer-Drug Conjugates For Transdermal Delivery Of All-Trans Retinoic Acid (Atra), Esha Sultana, Ashley Guillen-Tapia

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Vitamin A and its derivatives are heavily used in the cosmetics industry to improve the appearance of skin discoloration, texture, as well as to treat skin disorders. Better known as retinoids, these substances are marketed for their anti-aging and anti-wrinkle effects. A common retinoid, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), generically known as tretinoin, has diverse biological activities including promoting keratinocyte proliferation, preventing trans epidermal water loss, inhibiting metalloproteinases, and stimulating angiogenesis within the dermis. Despite its various benefits, ATRA is often toxic and highly unstable in its natural form and as a result, is complexed with proteins or chemically conjugated to …

The Democratization Of South Korea: A Study Of The United States Involvement Pre- And Post-Korean War, Amenia Farraj

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The United States has an extensive history of foreign intervention, especially during the latter half of the 20th century. While most Americans know this involvement includes Vietnam, the Middle East, and Latin America, the impact of the United States on South Korea is studied less, earning the Korean War its moniker as the forgotten war. The initial involvement of the US in the development of South Korea began following World War II and continued through the end of the 20th century into the 21st century. The similarities between South Korea and the United States demonstrate the build-up of South Korea …

The Impact Of Nsu's Social Media On Recruitment, Tamia Gray

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Currently, universities are relying on social media to recruit future students, and scholarship points to brand awareness leading to higher enrollment (Mindzak et al, 2022; Roya-Velo & Hünermund, 2016). Currently, NSU uses multiple forms of social media to communicate with and recruit students for general enrollment and for more specific departments or programs; however, it is not well known how impactful that presence is on new student enrollment. This project will examine NSU’s social media presence and its influence on current student enrollment by analyzing a corpus of texts compiled from comments on the @NSUFlorida Instagram account and collecting responses …

The Relationship Between Minority Communities, Health Care, And Sexual Literacy, Samantha Grady

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Within the medical field, there is evidence of disparities related to the race/ethnicity of individuals, specifically in minority communities (Guzzo & Hayford, 2012). This issue is highly prevalent, and multiple studies have been conducted attempting to find the root cause (Richardson & Norris, 2010; Guzzo & Hayford, 2012). This study aimed to not only understand the background between minority communities, sexual literacy knowledge, and healthcare access but to also conduct a pilot project that spread information about reproductive health to a predominantly Latinx community in Sarasota, Florida. Additionally, the values and culture of those communities were investigated to identify the …

The Relationship Between Race And Factors Related To Poor Mental Health And Suicide Ideation Among High School Students: An Analysis Using 2019 Yrbss & Samhda Data, Brandi Rado, Pranav Iyer, Alex Worts

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The correlation between age and mental illness among adolescents is relatively high. There is a noteworthy amount of research into the prevalence of suicidal ideation, and attempted suicide within this age group, however, there is a need for research into the relationship between suicidal indicators, display of symptoms, and actual diagnoses of mental illness. Previous research show trends between minorities and females leading to higher rates of mental disorders and suicide, but there is little evidence to make a prediction about differences in regard to specific race and suicidal indicators. This study aims to analyze the correlation between race in …

A Review Of Treatment Options For Women Facing Hereditary Breast Cancer, Ilan Nedjar, Rathika Manikandan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are tumor suppressor genes, which produce proteins that aid repair damaged DNA. Women who carry a pathogenic mutation in BRCA1/BRCA2 genes have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Furthermore, BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic mutations are associated with more aggressive breast cancer types (i.e., triple negative) and higher recurrence rates (10.5%) than for breast cancer of non-carrier patients. Consequently, BRCA1+/BRCA2+ breast cancer patients require a specialized treatment approach. The objective of this literature review is to summarize the various treatment options offered to BRCA1+/BRCA2+ breast cancer patients. Peer reviewed articles were found through multiple databases such as PubMed and …

An Examination Of The Social Reponse Of Children With Autism, Shriya Reddy, Shreeya Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) lack the ability to engage with others and make correct social predictions. Therefore, they misinterpret cues and exhibit incorrect social responses. The study’s aim was to compare the response of children with neurotypical development and children with ASD when presented with a friendly social interaction stimulus. Neurotypical children and children with ASD were recruited from public events and educational programs. Data were collected using Tobii Pro Nano eye-tracking device to measure eye movement while children’s autism risk was assessed with the MCHAT tool. Eye-tracking data were analyzed using Tobii Pro lab and statistical data …

An Impartial Supreme Court? Evaluating The Role Of Public Opinion In Supreme Court Rulings, Alexis Lass

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Susceptibility to public opinion is a phenomena faced by most political leaders, whether that be in City Halls or the United States’ Senate. Regardless, when separation of powers was conceptualized and the Supreme Court of the United States was created, the intent was to have a particular branch that didn’t make the law, but interpreted it, impartially, with a lack of partisanship opinion. In recent years, researchers have noticed a pattern of Supreme Court rulings aligning perfectly with public opinion, making field experts and citizens alike, question the integrity of the institution. The current study seeks to better understand the …

Associations Between Parent Country Of Origin And Mental Health Help-Seeking, Samhita Doranala, Shannon Parma, Zahra Aziz, Ariana Ali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mental health stigma is a barrier to help-seeking behaviors. Cultural attitudes and beliefs and about mental health can both influence and perpetuate that stigma. Research suggests that a family ethnic origin may contribute to mental health stigma. This study aims to investigate the relationship between parent country of origin and mental health help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy pilot project at private university in South Florida. Parent country of origin (U.S. vs. non-U.S.) was used to examine the likelihood of participants (n=246) to report on seven attributes related …

Characterizing The Types Of Representations Subject To Research Studies And Interventions Centered Around The Representational Competence Framework Within Chemistry Education, Nabiha Atiquzzaman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Since its introduction, the Representational Competence Framework by Kozma and Russell has captured the attention of many researchers and practitioners in science education. According to this framework, representational competence is a set of skills and practices that allow a person to reflectively use representations, singly or together, to think about, communicate and act on chemical phenomena. Furthermore, developing representations has been suggested to be essential for developing expertise in subjects like Chemistry. Thus, as part of a large collaborative project among three universities, we have been working on reviewing the literature on the use and incorporation of the Representational Competence …

Closing The Racial Academic Achievement Gap In The United States Through Culturally Responsive/Relevant And Social Justice Pedagogical Practices In Mathematics Education, Travis Roberson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Due to the lingering effects of the United States' centuries-long state-sanctioned oppression and segregation of African Americans, African Americans and other minorities have consistently underperformed academically compared to white students, also known as the “racial academic achievement gap.” Research suggests that culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP), a relatively new theory in education, has been known to increase participation, engagement, and academic achievement in classrooms, especially in mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this literature review is to synthesize connections between CRP and the racial academic achievement gap to discover whether utilizing CRP in the classroom on a nationwide basis is a viable …

Decoding Phages: Complete Genome Sequence Analysis Of Two Novel Bacteriophages, Alyssamiracle And Fribs8, Mansi N. Gandhi, Bianca A. Gonzalez, Anjaly Kappen, Samantha Lopez, Elisabeth Loranger, Oren Gaston Nedjar, Alyssa Ortiza, Shivani K. Patel, Vir J. Patel, Narindra Ramnath-Manohar, Joel A. Sanchez, Bhavya Soni, Autumn Taylor, Sadhika Uppalapati, Sarah Ballarin, Naitik K. Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Bacteriophages (phage) are viruses that infect bacteria and are considered the most abundant biological entity in the world. Recently, phage has been utilized in biotechnological applications including their use as biocontrol agents in food preservation, sanitizers, wastewater treatment, bioremediation of oil spills, and combating antibiotic resistance. Therefore, decoding and analyzing the genetic composition of novel bacteriophages is critical to their potential use in these emerging applications. Through the SEAPHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) program at NSU, our goal was to analyze the genomes of two recently discovered bacteriophages, Alyssamiracle and Fribs8. These phages infect Gordonia …

Differentiation Of Stress Response In Children With Autism, Devanshi Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) process stressors differently than children with neurotypical development and have a poor response to stress. Furthermore, it is not clear if children with ASD are able to regulate appropriately in order to bounce back from a stressful experience. As such this study appraised results from big data in order to examine the stress response of children with neurotypical development compared to children with ASD. Data from a previous study in which neurotypical children and children with ASD were recruited from public events and from educational programs were analyzed using machine learning methods as a …

Exercise As A Natural Kappa Opioid Receptor Antagonist To Treat Binge Drinking Withdrawal, Eleanor Wind

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Binge drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States that is especially prevalent among college students. The results of a national survey reported 33% of full-time college students aged 18-22 engaged in binge drinking during the previous month. Positive results have been demonstrated in clinical trials that treated alcohol abuse with aerobic exercise. Research in animal models aims to answer remaining questions regarding implementation across sexes and age groups by studying underlying neurobiological mechanisms. One such mechanism is the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) of the endogenous brain opioid system. In animal models, administration of a KOR antagonist …

Mathematics Models For Aedes Albopictus Population Pattern In Miami-Dade, Triet Doranala

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Miami-Dade’s humid tropical climate is conducive to an outbreak of vector transmission diseases. To protect their residents, cities in those areas enforce spraying schemes to keep the mosquito population under control. However, collecting data from mosquito traps alone cannot provide sufficient information for an effective and efficient spraying system. Hence, this research seeks to find mathematical models that reflect a dominant mosquito Aedes Albopictus population in South Florida’s areas. We determined the parameter of life span, oviposition, juvenile survival, and development rate models driven by the temperature using computer simulation. For further study, we compared Aedes Albopictus and Aedes Aegypti. …

Minimum Blockers Of 123-Avoiding Permutation Matrices, Megan Bennett

Undergraduate Student Symposium

A blocker of �� × �� permutation matrices is a set of positions in an �� × �� matrix that intersects each permutation matrix at least once. A blocker is minimum if removing any position makes it no longer a blocker. The Hankel cyclic decomposition implies that each minimum blocker of 123-avoiding permutation matrices must have a cardinality of at least ��, and minimum blockers containing exactly �� positions are called minimal blockers. The well-known Frobenius-König theorem characterizes the minimal blockers of permutation matrices: any �� × �� submatrix is a minimal blocker of all permutation matrices if and only …

Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries And Increased Dementia Risk: A Pilot Study Investigating Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy As A Mechanistic Link, Nikhila Paleati, Nika Kozar Yazmin Restrepo, Nitish Dundigalla, Aishwarya Muppoor, Natalia Noto, Blanche Tamiya, Roshini Bodicherla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is estimated to affect ~69 million people worldwide each year. Mild TBI’s are the most common form of brain injury, characterized by little-to-no time unconscious and minimal observable deficits immediately post-injury. Mild brain injuries are commonly attributed to participation in contact sports and military service. Even mild TBIs, especially repeated injuries, have devastating long-term consequences, including an increased risk of stroke and dementia. Therefore, it is of great interest to determine the mechanisms that drive the relationship between different types of TBIs and various aspects of dementia-associated neuropathology, so that targets for intervention may be identified. …

Sex-Specific Differences Resulting From High Fat Diet Observed In Microglial Responses Across Varying Brain Regions, Divya Komandooru, Divya Papaiya, Anshika Motiani, Shalet James, Zachary Lawrence

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Microglia are the resident immune cells in the nervous system, as they activate and release cytokines in response to immune challenges and maintain brain homeostasis. Consumption of a high fat diet and resulting metabolic disease (e.g. obesity and type 2 diabetes) alters microglial activity; however, studies have yet to explore sex differences in the effects of high fat diet/metabolic disease on microglia across several brain areas concurrently. This is vital given the heterogeneity of microglial distribution, morphology, and function across various pathological states. Male and female C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a low fat (LF; 10% fat) or high fat …

Social Vulnerability, Built Environments Conducive To Physical Activity, And Adult Obesity Int He State Of Florida, 2021, Shreeya Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Social vulnerability, or a community’s ability to respond to stressors on health, might contribute to disparities in obesity rates. For officials to better target anti-obesity efforts, it is also important to understand the contextual factors surrounding social vulnerability from an environmental justice perspective. This study’s purpose is to investigate the role of social vulnerability and environments not conducive to physical activity on adult obesity at the county level in Florida. We conducted an ecological, cross-sectional study among the 67 Florida counties. To measure county-level social vulnerability, we utilized the 2020 CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Environments not conducive to physical …