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Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Stem Cells In A 3-Dimensional (3-D) Hydrogel, Anastasia Talalenko, Kevin Petersen Apr 2015

Osteogenic Differentiation Of Human Umbilical Cord Derived Stem Cells In A 3-Dimensional (3-D) Hydrogel, Anastasia Talalenko, Kevin Petersen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Introduction: Bone Regeneration in craniofacial region due to traumatic injuries and congenital defects is a major clinical problem. Cleft palate is the second most common congenital defect. Our long-term goal is to regenerate bone in the palatal region using tissue-engineering approaches. Bone tissue engineering utilizes osteogenic cells, osteoconductive scaffolds and osteoinductive signals. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord (HUMSCs) are highly proliferative with the ability to differentiate into osteogenic precursor cells. Objective: The primary objective of the study was to encapsulate HUMSCs in PuraMatrix™ (PM), a peptide hydrogel, and investigate their survival and osteogenic differentiation. PM is an …

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A Day In The Life Of Elvis, Angie Ballesteros Apr 2015

A Day In The Life Of Elvis, Angie Ballesteros

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“A Day in the Life of Elvis” is a short film about a Dachshund dog named Elvis, and his everyday life as a canine. The film follows Elvis from the time he wakes up until he goes to bed. Elvis is a very active dog and loves to play around with his owner. Elvis maintains a healthy life by venturing into the backyard with his owner Dyane, which is where the majority of the film takes place. The film is directed by Angie Ballesteros. Other crew members and actors include Dyane Ballesteros, Stephen Rafferty, Tyler Lindauer, and Elvis the dog.

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Antibacterial Of Natural Plant Extracts And Synthetic Compounds, Joanna Theodorou, Poorandai Sanicharran Apr 2015

Antibacterial Of Natural Plant Extracts And Synthetic Compounds, Joanna Theodorou, Poorandai Sanicharran

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Due to the growing problem of antibiotic resistant pathogens, development of new antimicrobials is a necessity. Biologically active plant extracts have the potential to combat the detrimental effects of pathogens without the risks sometimes associated with synthetic drugs. However, synthetic drugs have the benefit of having antibacterial activity and being well characterized. Mixing a natural plant extract with a synthetic compound could be an extremely beneficial and potent antibiotic. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of various classes of plants and synthetic compounds (2-Oxindole derivatives) against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The antibacterial activity of …

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Attractiveness Perception And The Influence Of Mate Availability, Ashley Stelmaszek, Mariah Chadukiewicz Apr 2015

Attractiveness Perception And The Influence Of Mate Availability, Ashley Stelmaszek, Mariah Chadukiewicz

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Psychological studies on the perception of facial attractiveness have shown that attractiveness perception can be influenced by nonphysical factors, such as relationship status and limited or plentiful availability in the mating pool (Kniffin, K; Wilson, D, 2004), (Madey, 1996). The focus of the present study is to examine perception of physical attractiveness when presented with a manipulated verbal cue that gives an illusion of either a limited or plentiful population of mates. We want to determine if the participants will adjust their perceptions of physical attractiveness when it is implied that there is a limited selection of mates. We hypothesize …

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Changes In Coral Cover (Diaseris Distorta) At Isla Catalana, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Kyle Nixon Apr 2015

Changes In Coral Cover (Diaseris Distorta) At Isla Catalana, Gulf Of California, Mexico, Kyle Nixon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Diaseris distorta is a free-living fungiid coral that typically inhabits dense rhodolith beds in the SW Gulf of California where they are often overlooked in this atypical coral habitat. Diaseris distorta ranges throughout the Indo-West Pacific, however the study site at Isla Catalana is its northern-most limit within the Eastern Pacific. On four dates, June 2008, November 2009, July 2010, and August 2014, population density and mean size were documented. Each survey obtained 30 randomly placed ½ x ½ meter photo quadrats. Live coral presence in each quadrat was quantified using CPCe software, then analyzed for differences using a Kruskal …

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Changes In Population Densities Of Porties Sverdrupi, An Endemic Coral Of The Sw Gulf Of California, Stephan J. Robson Apr 2015

Changes In Population Densities Of Porties Sverdrupi, An Endemic Coral Of The Sw Gulf Of California, Stephan J. Robson

Undergraduate Student Symposium

At Isla Catalana in the SW Gulf of California, Mexico an endemic coral species Porites sverdrupi lives unattached within rhodolith beds. Very little biological and ecological information is known about this species. Where previously described, Porites sverdrupi was found as widely scattered colonies in very low densities (0.0038%). Random walk quadrat sampling was done with a primarily monospecific aggregation of P. sverdrupi. Twenty five (½m x ½m) photo quadrats obtained in August 2014 were analyzed using CPCe software and compared to values in 40 quadrats from 2011. The number of colonies per square meter significantly increased from 54.7 in …

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Correlation Of Nutrient Contamination With Rainfall In The Everglades, Belen Perez Apr 2015

Correlation Of Nutrient Contamination With Rainfall In The Everglades, Belen Perez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this study, we investigated the correlation between concentrations of nutrient contaminants and rainfall in the inflow and outflow from engineered wetlands in the Everglades. These engineered wetlands, referred to as Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs), are designed to remove phosphate (PO4) from water in the Miami Canal and North New River Canal.

Methods: Quality and quantity of water entering (inflow) and leaving (outflow) STAs are monitored by South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and stored in the publicly accessible DBHYDRO database. DBHYDRO water quality data from one inflow monitor (G370) and two outflow monitors (G376B and G376E) at STA3/4 were …

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D.A.R.K., Lauren Mcgarrett Apr 2015

D.A.R.K., Lauren Mcgarrett

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“D.A.R.K.” is a silent, avant-garde short film that highlights the very possible, and commonly unseen, repercussions of our day-to-day positive interactions with others, or lack thereof. The smallest act of kindness often makes the largest difference. The film is directed by Lauren McGarrett.

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Determining The Binding Of Phycocyanin To The Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells By Fluorescence Microscopy, Shona Joseph, Syed Hussain Apr 2015

Determining The Binding Of Phycocyanin To The Lncap Prostate Cancer Cells By Fluorescence Microscopy, Shona Joseph, Syed Hussain

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Phycocyanin (C-PC) is a natural pigment found in blue-green algae known as Spirulina. Since it has antiinflammatory properties, it was speculated that it might also be effective in treating cancers. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to see whether C-PC would bind to the receptors on the cell membrane of cancer cells or penetrate the cell. Furthermore, the study was conducted to see whether the C-PC was able to bind to the membrane receptors with high or low affinity. For our binding and uptake experiments, LNCaP cells were used. After incubating with C-PC, the cells underwent multiple …

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Effects Of Functional Pattern Training On Hip And Knee Kinematics In Healthy Runners, Justin Romanes Apr 2015

Effects Of Functional Pattern Training On Hip And Knee Kinematics In Healthy Runners, Justin Romanes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Faulty running biomechanics such as excessive hip internal rotation and knee valgus have been linked to overuse injuries in runners. Therapy interventions such as hip strengthening and mirrored gait retraining produce inconsistent results. The role of movement pattern training, predicated on Functional Movement Screen™ (FMS) performance has yet to be investigated. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of 6 weeks of functional pattern training on hip and knee kinematics in healthy, competitive runners with low FMS scores. 9 healthy adults [(males, n=6; age, 24.3±8.1 yrs; height, 1.78±0.09m; mass, 68.4±9.3kg)(females, n=3; age, 31±15.6 yrs; height, 1.70±0.06m; mass, …

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Flings And Things: The Effects Of Men's Tattoos And Companions On Women's Short- And Long-Term Romantic Interests, Tair Dar Perl, Fanny Shuster Apr 2015

Flings And Things: The Effects Of Men's Tattoos And Companions On Women's Short- And Long-Term Romantic Interests, Tair Dar Perl, Fanny Shuster

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Women use available cues to determine men’s fitness as long and short term mates. Previous studies have shown that men with tattoos are perceived as more dominant and prone to risk taking. In study 1, women rated men who were electronically manipulated to either have or not have visible tattoos. We hypothesize that tattooed men will be preferred for short-term mating strategies, but less-preferred for long-term mating. Further, a woman’s impression of a taken man includes pre-conceived assumptions that he has compelling qualities as a potential mate. These impressions, however, may be attenuated by how attractive the man’s romantic partner …

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Hawaiian Monk Seals: Record Of Environmental Influence In An Endangered Species, Courtney Cenkner, Krista Colburn, Samantha Mcnear Apr 2015

Hawaiian Monk Seals: Record Of Environmental Influence In An Endangered Species, Courtney Cenkner, Krista Colburn, Samantha Mcnear

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schaundslani) is one of the most endangered species on the planet, largely due to environmental and anthropogenic influences. Analysis of the animals' tooth and bone complexes allows us to ascertain critical information regarding changes to their habitats and the effects on the animals. Tooth and bone samples from 240 naturally deceased Hawaiian monk seals were collected from the Northwest Hawaiian Island chain (NWHI) and Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Stable carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotope rations (δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, respectively) provide a record of dietary and environmental change, …

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Post-Exercise Ice Bath (10 Degrees Celsius) And Athlete Recovery, Sierra Lelii Apr 2015

Post-Exercise Ice Bath (10 Degrees Celsius) And Athlete Recovery, Sierra Lelii

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Coaching professionals implement post-workout ice baths with athletes; however, minimal research exists demonstrating the effectiveness of these practices on athletic performance and recovery. Purpose: To assess the effects of a post-workout ice bath on recovery. Methods: Ten athletic subjects (18-24 yrs; 171.5±11.2 cm.; 68.1±14.9 kg; 23.0±3.5 BMI) were tested for flexibility (sit-and-reach), power (vertical jump), strength (squat), agility (5-10-5), speed (10-m) and pain perception (scale). Following performance measures, each athlete completed a damaging eccentric plyometric protocol. Athletes were randomly assigned into a post-workout ice bath group (ICE), which took a 15 minute ice bath (10° C) following exercise protocol; or …

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Posture And Cognition, Jana Mrkaja Apr 2015

Posture And Cognition, Jana Mrkaja

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This experiment examined how priming and posture influence attention. Previous experiments have shown that different body postures can influence cognitive focus and task performance. For instance, participants adopting an unfocused posture were slower at performing a visual search task (Chisholm, Risko, Evan, & Kingstone, 2013). However, this could be due to the effects of priming on attention (Bargn, Chen, & Burrows, 1996). In the current experiment, participants adopted either a focused leaning, forward upright or an unfocused, back slouched posture. Furthermore, participants were either primed or not primed by indicting that the posture will either increase or decrease their attentional …

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Retention Of Enzymatic Activity Of A Proteinase K-Peg Silica Nanoparticle Conjugate For Use On A Biomedical Point Of Care Device, Nicholas Ledra Apr 2015

Retention Of Enzymatic Activity Of A Proteinase K-Peg Silica Nanoparticle Conjugate For Use On A Biomedical Point Of Care Device, Nicholas Ledra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We wish to report the successful assembly of a nanoparticle silica with proteinase K enzyme using a PEG bridge. The bridge is a hetero-bi-functional activated material which reacts with free amino groups on one end (SVA) and Sulfydryl groups on the other (MAL). This 20,000 molecular weight cross linker was selected to allow for the retention of enzymatic activity.

The nanoparticles that were created are intended for use in clinical diagnostic devices, such that the enzyme is active on large substrates and can be immobilized according to device architecture. We report here that the enzymatic activity of this nanoparticle silica …

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Spatial Analysis Of Uniform Crime Reports, Crime Clearance Rates, And Office Entry-Level Salaries, Laraysa Nugent Apr 2015

Spatial Analysis Of Uniform Crime Reports, Crime Clearance Rates, And Office Entry-Level Salaries, Laraysa Nugent

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this project is to apply environmental criminology theories to spatially examine the distribution of 2013 Part 1 Uniform Crime Report (UCR) offenses and Crime Clearance Rates (CCRs) by Florida judicial circuits (n=20). The goal is to identify judicial circuits with the highest and lowest CCRs; and present a spatial analysis that visually represents statistically significant judicial circuits for the criminal offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle thefts. Additionally, the current study identifies and analyzes cities (n=30) within the 11 th judicial circuit (Miami-Dade county) because it had the lowest CCR; …

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The Dark Side Of Mind Wandering: Examining The Impact Of Emotionally Valenced Task Unrelated Thoughts On Working Memory, Audrey Hood, Samantha Gestido, Abraham Yacaman Apr 2015

The Dark Side Of Mind Wandering: Examining The Impact Of Emotionally Valenced Task Unrelated Thoughts On Working Memory, Audrey Hood, Samantha Gestido, Abraham Yacaman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Working memory (WM) is a dynamic system responsible for maintaining and processing information, and controlling attention (Engle & Kane, 2004). Although WM remains stable during adulthood, it is altered by a variety of factors including affect (Ilkowska & Engle, 2010). However, there remains debate regarding whether the impact of affect on working memory is driven by positive or negative affect. For instance, negative affect impairs WM performance due to increases in Task Unrelated Thoughts (TUTs; Curci, Lanciano, Soleti & Rime, 2013). High levels of TUTs reduce performance on a variety of cognitive functions, including sustained attention (McVay & Kane, 2009) …

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The Devil's Due, Ricardo Lugo Apr 2015

The Devil's Due, Ricardo Lugo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Devil’s Due” is a short film about a husband desperately trying to save his dying wife. He finds a solution, but what will he be willing to sacrifice? The film is written and directed by Ricardo Lugo. Other crew members and actors include Alex Lugo, Andrew McGarrett, Lauren McGarrett, Aaron M. Abelto, Laura Ten Zijthoff, and Addys M. Guerra.

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The Function Of Yawning In Reducing Acute Hyperthermia Following Physiological Stressors, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti Apr 2015

The Function Of Yawning In Reducing Acute Hyperthermia Following Physiological Stressors, Melissa Dauzonne, Yana Prilutskaya, Daniel Garcia, Amani Al Barghouti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The present study attempts to look at the extent to which yawning reduces stress induced acute hyperthermia. When stressed socially or physiologically, body temperature rises with the stressed subject experiencing acute hyperthermia, essentially inducing a brief fever. Thus, after the removal of the stress stimulus, body temperature should begin to decrease and return to baseline conditions, which may be achieved through various thermoregulatory mechanisms. One such mechanism is yawning. Yawning is a deep inhalation of air accompanied by rapid increases in blood flow around the face head and neck. As supported in recent research across a wide range of taxa, …

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Walking With Liz, Paola Zaidi Apr 2015

Walking With Liz, Paola Zaidi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Walking with Liz” is a short film documentary about Elizabeth Burbano, an NSU student with a physical disability. Liz´s life has been an arduous journey to overcome the challenges posed by her disability. However, the surgeries, therapies and pain she has had to endure have not been able to slow her down on the road to achieving her dreams. The documentary is directed by Paola Zaidi.

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Water-A Source Of Life And Disease: The Evolution Of Water Quality In London, Lisa Marie Pace Apr 2015

Water-A Source Of Life And Disease: The Evolution Of Water Quality In London, Lisa Marie Pace

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research was to explore the many impacts and changes that have occurred over time due to the quality of water, and the introduction of public sewer systems. This research begins historically in the city of London, focusing on the Thames River, public wells, and the many rivers that provided a source of water to the citizens of London and branches out into modern day water quality in London. If clean water was made accessible to the citizens of London previously many epidemic diseases, such as Cholera, could have been avoided. By providing clean water many lives …

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What Has Been The Impact Of The Passage Of Policies That Regulate Physician Assisted Suicide In Oregon And The Netherlands?, Chantel Grant Apr 2015

What Has Been The Impact Of The Passage Of Policies That Regulate Physician Assisted Suicide In Oregon And The Netherlands?, Chantel Grant

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact of the passage of policies that regulate physician assisted suicide in Oregon and the Netherlands. In the case of Oregon, data was collected from the Oregon State Health Department and was used to identify the number of participants, demographics, and number of deaths as a result of physician assisted suicide. In the case of the Netherlands, data was collected from a Dutch online publication known as Statline and supplementary information was gathered from an evaluation titled “Law Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide”, which was done with the …

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A Comparative Study Of Microorganism Populations From Storm Water Treatment Areas And Select South Florida Locations, Sabina Joseph, Tamara Gali Apr 2015

A Comparative Study Of Microorganism Populations From Storm Water Treatment Areas And Select South Florida Locations, Sabina Joseph, Tamara Gali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) faculty and students are collaborating with Yale University to discover novel antibiotics produced by soil dwelling microorganisms. Pathogens responsible for many hospital-acquired infections are increasingly resistant to several antibiotics, driving the need for novel antibiotics. Antibiotic producing microorganisms present in soils should change with the concentrations of nutrients found in the soil or interstitial water in soils. To test this hypothesis, we screened for bacteria in samples from nutrient-poor soils in Davie and nutrient-rich soils in storm water treatment areas (STAs) in the Everglades. Soil samples were obtained, serially diluted and then plated on different media. …

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A Novel Assay To Screen Drugs That Target Bacterial Type Iii Secretion Systems, Poorandai Sanicharran, Joanna Theodorou Apr 2015

A Novel Assay To Screen Drugs That Target Bacterial Type Iii Secretion Systems, Poorandai Sanicharran, Joanna Theodorou

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In recent years antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria have increasingly become a problem and pose a global threat. Several problematic bacteria utilize a type III secretion system (T3SS) to infect their host. T3SSs are needle-like appendages on the bacteria used to inject the host cell with toxins which disrupts the cell's defense. Hence, the T3SS would be agood target for a novel antibiotic drug. The goal of this study is to develop an assay to screen for compounds that inhibit bacterial T3SSs. Y. enterocolitica uses a T3SS to cause gastroenteritis and will be utilized as the test organism. A disc …

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Agricom: A Soil Nutrient Additive And Its Effect On Soil Microbial Growth And Tomato Plants, Lisa Marie Pace Apr 2015

Agricom: A Soil Nutrient Additive And Its Effect On Soil Microbial Growth And Tomato Plants, Lisa Marie Pace

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of these experiments was to assess the efficacy of a novel nutrient stimulant in enhancing the growth of plants in the absence of fertilizer. Agricom is a natural mixture that works to increase the nitrogen fixation capabilities of the bacteria in the soil, thus aiding in the growth of the plants. Prior to working with the plants, the growth of the soil bacteria, in the presence of Agricom, was tested using respirometry. Agricom produced a significant positive effect on the overall growth rate of the soil bacteria that had been treated. Next, a series of four different groups …

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An Unusual Meeting, Alessandra Sironi Apr 2015

An Unusual Meeting, Alessandra Sironi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“An Unusual Meeting” is a short film about two strangers who happen to be living the same lifestyle. These two characters have a similar routine every morning; they wake up, stretch, brush their teeth, make coffee, read magazines, navigate the internet, and drink the same brand of coffee, “Café Bustelo.” The two characters live near each other, and they meet while shopping for coffee at the grocery store. The universe and the coincidence of being coffee-holics leads them to fall in love at first sight. The film is directed by Alessandra Sironi. Andres Martinez Paz serves as the principal actor …

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Exhausted From Decision Fatigue: Do Personality Differences Influence Decision Making?, Basmatee Manohar Apr 2015

Exhausted From Decision Fatigue: Do Personality Differences Influence Decision Making?, Basmatee Manohar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Making lots of decisions can result in what is known as decision fatigue. As past research has indicated, decision fatigue happens after contemplating choices while making decisions; this ultimately inhibits our ability to self-regulate and follow through on undesirable tasks. However, there is limited research that shows how the number of decisions people make impacts self-control. In this study, participants either rated how appealing food images looked or made a choice between two food images; the number of ratings/choices was either 10 or 30. Participants then engaged in the self-regulatory task of solving a difficult riddle. We hypothesized that participants …

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Hangings And Body Snatchings: The Exploitation Of Humans In 18th Century London In The Name Of Medicine, Chanice Allen Apr 2015

Hangings And Body Snatchings: The Exploitation Of Humans In 18th Century London In The Name Of Medicine, Chanice Allen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project is an exploration into the cultural and sociological intricacies of 18th century London that allowed for and even necessitated the practice of the procurement of human bodies via public execution, grave robbing, and murder in the name of medicine. This uncommon glance at medicine examines aspects such as economic benefits of the black market activities of body purchasing and grave robbing by the medical profession, how the social hierarchy (and, inherently, religion) of pre-modern London played into corpse selection, and the juxtaposition of the attainment of corpses by medical professionals to the regulation of social order. This …

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Hypoxia Inducible Factor Mediated Human Angiotensinogen Gene Regulation, Nida Rizvi Apr 2015

Hypoxia Inducible Factor Mediated Human Angiotensinogen Gene Regulation, Nida Rizvi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alcohol usage is linked to increased blood pressure and fibrotic transformation of the liver. Angiotensinogen (AGT) is the source of Ang II which regulates blood pressure and participates in fibrotic transformation of the liver after the hepatocyte death. Ang II is produced from AGT by sequential action of renin followed by angiotensin converting enzyme. The levels of AGT are less than the MichaelisMenten constant of renin. Therefore, an increase in blood AGT levels would result into corresponding increase in Ang II levels that might affect blood pressure regulation and liver fibrogenic processes.

Alcohol metabolism by the liver produces oxidative stress …

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Invegstigating The Causes Of Antibiotic Resistance In A Periodic Environment, Haley Mckissack, Uzair Mohammed, Kyle Cahill, Steven Thomas Apr 2015

Invegstigating The Causes Of Antibiotic Resistance In A Periodic Environment, Haley Mckissack, Uzair Mohammed, Kyle Cahill, Steven Thomas

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Misuse of antibiotics, coupled with a lack of new antibiotics being discovered, has threatened our ability to treat bacterial infections. Confounding our ability to effectively combat antibiotic resistance is the myriad of ways in which bacteria can resist antibiotic treatment. One mechanism is the inoculum effect, a phenomenon in which the inhibitory concentration of an antibiotic increases with initial cell density. Previously acquired data has indicated a mutation exclusive mechanism by which resistance arises. However, it is currently unknown as to whether or not the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria due to spontaneous mutation plays a role in the inoculum …

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