Digital Commons Network^™

Acute Toxicity Study Of Novel Melanoma Actives In Mice, Trisha Seal, Samaya Danthurthy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Although there have been promising advances in melanoma drug discovery, the average overall survival of patients with late-stage metastatic melanoma is approximately 3 years, which suggests a need for identifying new melanoma targets. We previously reported a discovery of melanoma actives acting via binding and down regulating human nuclear ribonuclear protein H1/H2 (hnRNP H1/H2), which is a novel target with unknown toxicity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the safety of novel anti-melanoma compounds 2155-14 and 2155-18 in mice. The methodology of the study involved injecting male and female Balb/C mice three times a week for three …

Are Students In Broward County, Fl, Who Get Less Sleep More Likely To Experience Depressive Symptoms?, Kelly Nyman, Alissa Lopez, Lauren Herrera

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is commonly known that sleep can significantly affect overall health in both physical and mental states, but can getting less sleep be an attributing factor to high school students experiencing symptoms of depression? In this study, we will determine whether less sleep is associated with feelings of sadness or hopelessness which are common symptoms of depression. Finding a link between the two could allow us to implement sleep education programs that would lower rates of depression in high school students. Using data collected from the 2019 YRBSS from Broward County, Florida, data was run comparing high school students who …

Analysis Of Errors In Ecgs Data Captured By Patients Using At-Home Device Compared To Qualified Healthcare Professionals, Colin Pulickathadam

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year. General at-home care has been proven to improve patient outcomes and decrease hospitalization rates. The purpose of this presentation is to present pilot data results comparing the electrocardiogram (ECG) readability from patients and their caregivers, who conducted at-home ECGs in the experimental group, versus data on ECG readability from patients at routine office visits, where a qualified healthcare professional takes the ECG readings as the control group. The pilot data involves a sample of 20 patients’ 105 ECG records analyzed using SPSS with …

Assessing Social Humanoid Interaction Across Levels Of Trust, Persuasion, And Empathy, Expert Panel Survey Validation, Nitya Alaparthy, Brigitte Wodrich

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Social humanoids present a wide range of opportunities regarding interactions with humans with the purpose of using artificial intelligence systems to aid with day-to-day activities. Humanoids can be programmed to provide high levels of intelligence for task fulfillment such as assisting caregivers/patients, washing human limbs autonomously, assisting with lift-and-transfer patients, and even delivering blood samples. Additional tasks include carrying objects, opening doors, operating telehealth consultations, providing demonstrations, coaching, and serving companionship for any patients. Researchers are assessing the interactions between social humanoids and patients across levels of trust, persuasion, and empathy. This project aims to explore such interactions in the …

Assessment Of Brain Function And Putting Performance Of Collegiate Golfers, Marissa Bonsangue

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a noninvasive method for assessing brain activity. Significant correlation has been indicated between performance outcome and brain wave measures. During a putting sequence, a golfer requires significant focus to successfully perform the skill, therefore certain brain wave frequencies are more apparent. Male and female golfers (n = 11) from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Program were asked to complete 10 putts at 5 varied hole distances (total- 50 putts) on an outdoor putting surface. EEG was recorded in 4-second epochs and assessed to the extent of power spectral density (PSD). Each epoch was classified …

Assessment Of Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Activity And Faunal Diversity Associated With Tortoise Burrows Using Trail Cameras At Three South Florida Natural Areas, Reginald Kempson Iii, Indaya Byer, Grace Mikus, Emma Pinard, Hiba Ali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a protected keystone species found in our area. The excavated burrows they create are shelter for hundreds of commensal species during wildfires and extreme heat. Nine motion-activated trail cameras (three at each site) were mounted outside burrows in three local natural areas (Fern Forest (FF), Military Trail (MT), and Deerfield Island Park (DI)). Pictures and videos of animals were recorded at burrow entrances intermittently over an 11-month period between January 2022 and November 2022. Cameras were left in the field between 15-30 days at a time before retrieval and exchange of SD …

Association Between School Mental Health And Suicide Prevention Education Policies And Adolescent Suicide Attempts, Sonia Rao

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In the past ten years, the intensity and complexity of declining mental health has been on the rise among high school students. This increasing trend may impact the rates at which students consider or even attempt suicide. In 2019, 10,520 of high school students in the United States reported attempting suicide out of which 8,749 (83.2%) needed medical attention. The current ecological study investigates the association between state-level mental and emotional health education and suicide prevention education policies to suicide attempts among high school students. Secondary data collected from the CDC’s Youth Behavior Risk Surveillance System (YRBSS) and National Association …

Associations Between Minority Status, Culture, And Mental Health Help-Seeking, Ariana Ali, Zahra Aziz, Samhita Doranala, Shannon Parma M.S.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Many cultural attitudes foster a stigma towards mental health. Mental health stigma within minority cultures often leads to limited mental health-related conversations within households, due to the “taboo” nature of the topic. Lack of familial openness can influence an individual’s attitudes and behaviors toward mental health care. This study aims to investigate whether differences exist between minority and White students and mental health help-seeking behaviors and perceived cultural openness to mental health.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy project at a private university in South Florida. We examine the relationship of cultural and familial …

Awareness Of Autism In Black And Brown Communities, Varun Kota

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects a multitude of races and ethnicities as its impact varies from person to person. ASD is typically diagnosed around the age of two to three years old since signs and symptoms of Autism become clinically apparent at that time. Increased reporting of Autism in local communities has surged from diagnostic tools and criteria. However, even with these advancements, the African American community suffers a delayed diagnosis of ASD. This issue poses problems for both the parents and children with Autism and has broader implications for the South Florida community; opportunities are limited for developmental services …

Biopiracy: The Exploitation Of Medicinal Plants From Countries And Communities, James Murray

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Biopiracy is the appropriation of knowledge and biological resources of medicinal plants from indigenous communities. In addition, researchers and organizations secure patents over medicinal plants resulting in a monopoly over the use of them. This has caused local communities where the plant originated from to be excluded from proper financial compensation. Many people are unaware of what biopiracy is and how it may negatively impact communities. The goal of this project is to raise awareness about biopiracy and its harmful effects on indigenous communities. I will discuss two plant species widely known for their medicinal capabilities in the local communities …

Boldness And Endurace In Wild And Domesticated Sailfin Mollies, Claire Scobie

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Environment is known to influence physiological and behavioral differences, even within the same species. We compared the boldness and endurance levels of sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) from domestic environments (pet stores) and wild habitats. We caught wild sailfin mollies from several freshwater sites in the South Florida area and purchased sailfin mollies from pet stores. We then used a boldness testing apparatus with a shelter and obstacles, recording each trial in a series of images. The time fish spent in latency (within the shelter while doors were open) was recorded and the recording of movement around the tank …

Characterization Of Marine Communities Associated With Peanut Island Boulder Reefs: An Educational Outreach Project, Gabriel Droz, Andrew Kuntz, Elena Brooks, Emma Horton, James Puentes, Marlin Postlewait, Morgan Pfeifer

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Peanut Island attracts thousands of Florida residents and out of state visitors annually to enjoy the beaches and snorkel the nearshore marine habitat. The island was created from spoil dredged during the creation of Lake Worth Inlet. The periphery of the island was designated as a county park and includes a manmade boulder reef easily accessible from shore. Few resources are available for visitors to identify the various marine creatures. Surveys using Go Pro camera videos and photos were conducted monthly during high tide between August and November 2022. The data was used to identify and enumerate the fishes and …

Cocaine Use Among White Pregnant Women With Unmet Clinical Depression In The U.S., Calah Martin, Kristen Hay, Militza Mckissick

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Unmet clinical depression during pregnancy could lead women to have an increased risk and prevalence of misusing substances, including cocaine. This is significant in public health because cocaine misuse among pregnant women has been linked to extremely negative health consequences for women and their babies. The objective of this study is to interpret how unmet mental health needs, such as clinical depression, could lead to white pregnant women in the U.S. using cocaine during their pregnancy. It is hypothesized that cocaine misuse during pregnancy could be caused by increased pre-existing symptoms of depression before pregnancy, which then affects their emotional …

Comparing Effectiveness Of Aducanumab And Gantenurumab On Reducing Amyloid-Beta Plaques, Nikhila Paleati, Akhil Godbole, Pranav R. Neravetla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disorder that destroys memory and other important cognitive functions. As time progresses, brain cell connections, as well as the brain cells themselves, atrophy and die. AD is caused by a missense mutation in the amyloid-beta peptide within the amyloid precursor protein (APP). The mutation results in glutamine being replaced with glutamic acid. Previously conducted studies showed that mutated forms of the amyloid-beta peptide fragment have a greater tendency to stick together and form protein clumps or aggregates. The abnormal build-up of aggregates in and around the brain cells has been found to be …

Comparison Of Two Methods Of Post-Activtion Performance Enhancement On Symmetry And Power Output In Elite American Football Players, Robert Rocanelli, Morgan Siegel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Post-activation potentiation performance enhancement (PAPE) refers to acute power increases after near maximal load exercise (e.g., jumps after heavy squats). Maximum effort (ME; low volume, slow bar speeds, high loads) and dynamic effort (DE; high volume, fast bar speeds, moderate loads) are two PAPE training methods. We sought to determine the influence of training method across sets in peak power (PP;W/kg), reactive strength (RS; m/s), jump height (JH; in.), and interlimb asymmetry in eccentric (EIA; %) and concentric (CIA; %) jump phases. Twenty-eight players training for the National Football League draft were separated into ME (n=13, age, 22.9 ±0.9 yrs, …

Countermovement Jump Strategy And Performance Persist During An In-Season Training Mesocycle In Ncaa Division Ii Women's Soccer Players, Harsh Soni

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Neuromuscular status (NS) may be impaired by training and competition and assessment informs coaches and sports medicine professionals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate neuromuscular status during an in-season training block (mesocycle) in university women’s soccer players. Sixteen players (age, 20.3±1.3 yrs; height, 167.6±7.4 cm; mass, 65.6±8.8 kg) performed 3 maximal effort CMJs on dual uniaxial force plates at pre-season and mid-season (after 10 matches). ForceDecks software was used to calculate jump height (JH), reactive strength (RS), peak power for eccentric (EPP) and concentric (CPP) phases, and impulse asymmetry for eccentric (EIA) and concentric (CIA) phases. Paired t-tests …

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy In Pregnant Women From Marginalized Communities, Leona Markose

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Vaccination is known to be one of the most successful public health measures currently available that decreases numbers of mortality and morbidity of various diseases across the globe. Despite the success that has been found in controlling infectious disease through herd immunity from vaccinations, a study published in 2021 in Nature Medicine shows willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine is higher in developing countries (80% of respondents) than in the US (65% of respondents). This demonstrates a rising problem especially prevalent among developed countries of a voluntarily under vaccinated population that do not believe vaccination is a method that is …

Do Intruders Behave Differently When Encountering An Experienced Winner Vs A Naive Fighter?, Naga Ganti, Zayna Motiwala

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Competing is an inherently risky endeavor, but it is a ubiquitous behavior throughout the animal kingdom and beyond. Aside from the factors that motivate competition (e.g. territory and other resources) there are many behavioral and physiological effects of winning and losing. Some of these effects are easily observed, while others require careful histological analyses. Still others are more obvious to the competitors than to any external observers. The Winner Effect is a common phenomenon that posits that experiencing victory increases the odds of winning future competitions. By testing experienced winners (females with three previous victories) and naïve residents with naïve …

Does Football Player Position And Number Of Sets Influence Response To Post-Activation Performance Enhancement?, Ahmad Nasri, Joseph Petruzzelli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Post-activation potentiation enhancement (PAPE) describes the acute increases in explosiveness (e.g., jump power) from pre-loading muscles with high loads in an exercise of similar biomechanics (e.g., squat). Player position and repetitive sets may affect PAPE response. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of position and time on power during a PAPE session. Twenty-nine football players training for the NFL draft representing three position groups, Big, Big-skill, and Skill performed two baseline jumps then four alternating trials of squatting-jumping. Jumps were performed on uniaxial dual force platforms and variables for jump height (JH), peak power, and reactive …

Effect Of Animal-Assisted Prison Programs On Incarcerated Juveniles, Ariel Chery, Trini Somasundaram

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The psychological effect of canine-human bonding has been vastly studied due to the synergetic relationship both species offer to one another. The symbiotic relationship between canines and humans has been prevalent throughout history and is still shown in programs such as Animal Assisted Therapy where the dog and people interspecies dyads prosper. Using qualitative and quantitative data analyses, we expect to examine the symbiotic relationship between dogs and people and its ability to affect recidivism rates in incarcerated humans. This could be studied through canine-based prison programs in which incarcerated humans help train canines for future lives as companions or …

Egg Laying Preference, Larval Survival, And Maturation Of Zebra Longwing, Heliconius Charithonia, On Native And Exotic Passiflora Species In South Florida, Alia Yiskis, Shelynne Restrepo, Melissa Intriago, Jasmyn Todaro

Undergraduate Student Symposium

In this study, three species of passion vine: bluecrown (Passiflora caerulea, exotic), corky (Passiflora suberosa, native), and maypop (Passiflora incarnata, native) were used as host plants to determine egg laying preference, larval survival, and maturation of zebra longwing (Heliconius charithonia), Florida’s state butterfly. The plants were left outdoors for several days to allow butterflies to lay eggs. The plants were then placed inside netted enclosures. The number of eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, and adult butterflies were counted and recorded. After three trials, a total of 56 (bluecrown), 63 (corky), and 14 (maypop) eggs …

Endoparasites In Family Caprimulgidae Birds From Southeastern Florida (Usa), Briana Zaffiro, Caileigh Craddock

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Caprimulgidae are nocturnal birds that mainly prey on insects, which serve as intermediate hosts to several terrestrial parasite life cycles. Information on parasitism in this family remains scarce, and endoparasite community composition and structure have never fully been surveyed. To address this knowledge gap, 68 caprimulgid birds from southeastern Florida (USA) were examined for endoparasites, including Chuck Will’s Widow (Antrostomus carolinensis, n = 44), Eastern Whip-Poor-Will (A. vociferus, n = 5), Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor, n = 16), and Lesser Nighthawk (C. acutipennis, n = 1). Frozen post-mortem at collaborating wildlife …

Establishing The Microbial Volatile Organic Compound (Mvoc) Profile Of Enterococcus Faecalis, A Causative Agent Of Infective Endocarditis, Using Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (Hs-Spme-Gc-Ms), Anjana Reddy

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening infection of the heart which is usually bacterial in nature. The treatment of this disease relies greatly on its early diagnosis, which typically utilizes a blood culture to confirm the presence and identity of the bacteria. However, during the early stages of the disease, a patient’s blood culture may test negative despite having the disease, a phenomenon known as Blood Culture Negative Endocarditis (BCNE). Thus, alternative diagnostic routes must be considered, such as by utilizing the microbial volatile organic compound (mVOC) profile of bacteria that commonly cause IE, such as Enterococcus faecalis (E. …

Evaluation Of Mdm2 Regulation On Aurkb Expression And Cell Death In Lung Cancer, Lohita Sunkara, Saaketh Palli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This research examines the molecular mechanisms by which MDM2 regulates AURKB in lung cancer cells. In the United States alone nearly 238,340 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2023. Hence, the need for new anti-cancer drugs and treatment methods is still persisting to fight against this deadly disease. This study explores the intracellular link between MDM2 and AURKB, to determine how manipulating this molecular mechanism can lead to cell cycle arrest and cancer cell death.

Lung cancer cells were treated with RG7388, an MDM2 inhibitor, and Barasertib, an AURKB inhibitor. Following treatments, the cells were lysed, and western …

Faulty Hip And Pelvis Biomechanics Do Not Differentiate Between 5k Performance In Ncaa Division Ii Cross-Country Runners, Maya Varghese, Shandon Marshall, Isabella Rivero

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Excessive hip adduction (HADD) and contralateral pelvis drop (CPD) angles during running are associated with running-related injuries. Their influence on performance is less known. Therefore, we aimed to determine if HADD and CPD could differentiate between high and low race performers, and if there were relationships between CPD, HADD and race performance. 26 healthy male and female NCAA Division II cross-country runners participated in this prospective study. They underwent 3D motion analysis of their HADD and CPD during pre-participation physical examinations. Times from the first race of the season were converted to International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) points and …

Hipaa And Security Compliance During Telehealth Consultations, Rashel Razo, Caitlin Zeher

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Telehealth utilization trend has been estimated to rise by 70 percent according to a report by the American Medical Association. During pre-pandemic times, only five percent of patients utilized telehealth, compared to 25 precent of patients during 2020. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), telehealth refers to the utilization of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support and promote long-distance clinical and administrative health care services. Moreover, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires healthcare provider entities to observe patients’ data privacy, and security while providing telehealth services. This research in progress aims to investigate …

Identification Of Bacteria And Its Secondary Metabolites From Unique Paleosol, Alana Bertrand, Katrina Maktaz, Adam Sadik, Manas Peddiboyina

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The ‘Golden Age of Antibiotics’ is coming to an end due to chronic misuse and abuse of antibiotics. Bacteria produce novel chemical compounds as a means of defense against other competing bacteria in their natural soil environments. Humans can utilize these compounds as novel antibiotics, as a means of combating pathogens that developed mechanisms to oppose these commonly used antibiotics. Scientists have decided that exploring regions of the earth that have been minimally impacted by human interference may contain answers that the medical field has been after in terms of solving the antibiotic crisis. The answers may exist in soil …

Influence Of Parental Voice Across Modalities In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Brooke Gallo, Preye Ford

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Premature infants are at risk for developing delays including impaired social language, linguistics, and cognitive competencies compared to infants who were born full term. This is primarily due to necessary medical and environmental factors. Premature infants can experience long periods of early separation from their parents and exposed to unnatural noxious auditory stimuli ( i.e. machine alarms). The purpose of this scoping review of the literature, is to determine if early consistent exposure to the parental voice in any communication capacity, including reading, singing, or speaking tasks, decease developmental delays in infants.

Scoping review revealed that early exposure to parental …

Investigating The Mechanisms Of Active Site Mutations To The It8g Wt Mcad Protein To Better Understand Medium Chain Acyl--Coa Dehydrogenase Deficiency (Mcadd), Omar Saleh, Rhea Khatiwala, Jeremy Ignatius

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The human disorder Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD) hinders β-oxidation (catabolizing one’s fats for energy), affecting approximately 1 in 17,000 people in the United States. Once mutated, the Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Medium-Chain (ACADM) gene, which is solely responsible for MCADD, is unable to produce enough MCAD enzymes to metabolize medium-chain fatty acids, causing fats to not catabolize, resulting in symptoms of lethargy and hypoglycemia, as well as damage to the brain and liver due to buildups of unused fatty tissue. The purpose of this project was to investigate the possible and known effects of different amino acid mutations on the human …

Investigating The Metal-Binding Properties Of Chitosan And Bisphosphonate Functionalized Chitosan, Andrew Brandea, Ashley Rodriguez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Functionalized polymers can be used as chelating agents to remove heavy metal contaminants from water. Chitosan is a biologically derived and commercially available polymer with a wide variety of clinical and industrial applications. The primary amine pendant group on the repeat unit of chitosan has the potential to act as a metal binding site due to the presence of a lone pair on the nitrogen atom. The purpose of this study was to functionalize deacetylated chitosan with a tridentate group to enhance its metal binding potential through the addition of more ligand binding sites. Specifically, a multicomponent Moedritzer-Irani reaction was …