Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Inflammatory Cytokines In Alzheimer's Disease, Moha Jayram

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most frequent cause of dementia and disability in the elderly, results in non-reversible neurodegenerative alterations of the brain such as synaptic and neuronal loss, extracellular amyloid deposits, and intra-cellular deposition of degenerate filaments. It has been hypothesized that inflammatory cytokines have been linked to Alzheimer disease (AD) neurodegeneration and disease progression. To test this hypothesis a systematic review and data meta-analysis was conducted from thirty prevalent studies. Identified representative studies from various counties were found using national studies using the search query Alzheimer’s Disease:Inflammation:Cytokines:Dementia:Progression. All of the studies included data from the elderly adult population with …

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 …

Tree Canopy Biodiversity In An Urban Forestry Setting On Nova Southeastern University's Main Campus, Corinne Renshaw, Mackenzie Soligon, Guenevere Coury, James Puentes

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Urban forests are important for the mitigation of flooding and dissipation of heat-island effects, resulting in the offset of energy costs for urban areas. An analysis of tree canopy biodiversity at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU’s) main campus was done to create a baseline of tree biodiversity and study how landscape management can become more sustainable. In 2022, 10 of the 36 zones, from a 2017 hurricane damage assessment map of NSU, were surveyed. In 2023, an additional 10 zones were surveyed, totaling 1,458 trees. The precise location of each tree was plotted on TreePlotter and the diversity data was analyzed …

Understanding The Link Between Parity And Dementia, Chana Vogel, Aditi Gorthy, Isabelly Dos Santos

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Dementias, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, are devastating diseases and as the aging population increases, their incidence does as well. Given the striking sex/gender difference in the prevalence of dementia, it is urgently important to understand the unique social and biological factors that predispose females. There is growing concern over potential impacts of ovarian hormones (e.g., oral contraceptive use and hormone replacement therapy during/after menopause), but reproductive experience is wildly understudied as a risk factor for dementia. Dementia is characterized by cognitive difficulties likely caused by impaired hippocampal plasticity and function. Intriguingly, postpartum females typically experience reduced hippocampal plasticity, volume, …

Usahay, Samantha Carl Selorio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“Usahay” is a documentary short film about the relationship between a grandma with Alzheimer’s and her granddaughter. It explores the bond between the two and the difficulties they face due to the progressive disease. The Filipino word usahay means sometimes and it is reflective of the day-to-day of caregiving: Sometimes things are good, sometimes things are bad. Sometimes she remembers and sometimes she does not. It is in such moments they learn to make the most of what they have. The documentary is directed by Samantha Carl Selorio.

Using X-Ray Crystallography To Inform Small Molecule Drug Design, Ilana Kolomiyets, Shreya Surti

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This project involves organic synthesis, X-ray crystallography, and the design of small molecule drugs. The ultimate goal of this project is to better understand the forces that affect the conformation of small molecules in order to develop more effective cancer therapeutics. The key molecule in this project is in reminiscent of an indole-2-carboxamide, and past research has shown that these molecules have antitumor and apoptotic effects against a variety of cancer cells. The crystals of this molecule were orthorhombic in P2₁2₁2₁ with unit cell dimensions a = 14.0111(1), b = 17.7521(1), c = 45.0224(3) and …

When Having More Can Be Risky: Women's Resources Predict Experience As A Victim, Kortne Bajor, Tamara Bogdanova, Ariana Gonzalez, Nissipriya Pilli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

People accumulate different kinds of resources that they use to solve problems, including the problems of finding, attracting, and retaining a mate. Mate retention behaviors include all behaviors that function to maintain a long-term partner’s investment in the current relationship. Some of these behaviors are benefit-provisioning and function by enticing a person’s continued investment in the relationship by offering gifts, compliments, or other positive inducements. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between men’s resource accumulation and men’s use of cost-inflicting versus benefitprovisioning mate retention behaviors. The objective of the current study is to further investigate the relationship between resources and …

X-Ray Crystallography Of Self-Assembling Materials, Shreya P. Surti, Ilana Kolomiyets, Zachary C. Pizzo

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This research represents an interdisciplinary collaboration between NSU and KAIST, a leading research university in South Korea, and involves organic synthesis, X-ray crystallography, and materials selfassembly. This research informs the design of a new generation of self-assembling materials with improved physical properties for biomedical and technological applications.

Through analysis of the software packages CRYSTALS and Mercury, the structure of the molecule was found. The X-ray crystal’s parameters were found to be triclinic in P1 with a = 8.7008(5), b = 11.5507(7), c = 12.8580(8), a = 69.8418(18), b = 80.9295(18), g = 88.4199(18) and a unit cell volume of 1197.41(7) …

How The Molecular Vibrations Of Water May Prevent Skin Cancer, Colette Costello, Angelina Georg, Jarlynn Ramirez, Jenna Handal, Ramson Munoz Morales

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Studies have shown that when DNA absorbs ultraviolet light it can become structurally damaged leading to a mutation and possibly skin cancer. However, exposing skin to sunlight rarely leads to a mutation. This indicates that after the ultraviolet light is absorbed by the DNA the energy from the light can either cause a structural change to the DNA (a mutation) or be dissipated in a way that does not damage the DNA. Absorption of ultraviolet light causes molecular vibrations in DNA and these vibrations are what likely leads to structural changes in the DNA. One way the structural changes could …

The Effect On Porphyrin Basicity Of Fluorine Substituted Meso Phenyl Porphyrins, Harsh Chheda, Rushi Patel, Amanda Leon, Andersen Cheong

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The protonation of meso-Tetra(2,6-difluoromethylphenyl) porphyrin (2,6-DF), meso-(3,5- difluoromethylphenyl) porphyrin (3,5-DF), and meso-Tetra(2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl) porphyrin (TF) will be studied through UV vis spectroscopy. Protonation is achieved by titration of each porphyrin in toluene with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The depiction of a wavelength shift from the free base Soret to the protonated Soret will indicate the formation of a dication. The data from the UV spectra will be used to calculate the pKa values associated with each porphyrin. Based on the results, the average pKa for 2,6-DF upon protonation was 1.67, the average pKa for 3,5-DF was 1.75, and the average pKa for …

Effects Of Sports Outcomes On Student-Athletes' Stress Biomarkers And Scholastic Performance, Juhi Dalal, Daniela Garcia Arregui, Sara Ali, Yebin Chung, Iftikharun Nissa, Shalet James, Amber Gulau

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The winner effect occurs when the probability of continuing to win increases after winning one game; it has also been shown to involve changes in the hormones and behaviors of winners and losers. Our poster outlines a new research program that we predict will test how winner effects influence stress and academic performance in student-athletes. We present lab validation of qPCR assays of a stressassociated biomarker (mitochondrial DNA copy number; mtDNA-CN), alongside a qualitative survey we developed to give athletes before and after each game. We predict that mtDNA-CN will covary with the recent game outcome(s), and that wins will …

Associations Between Religion, Perceived Family Openness To Mental Health, And Mental Health Help-Seeking Among South Asians, Zahra Aziz, Shannon Parma, Samhita Doranala, Ariana Ali

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Comfortability in discussing mental health within families is a key determinant of help-seeking behaviors. This comfortability can be attributed to or dissociated from mental health stigma stemming from deep-rooted cultural and religious barriers. Research suggests that youth of South Asian descent, in particular, have one of the lowest rates of utilization of mental health resources. This study aims to investigate the relationship between both religious affiliation and family openness to conversations about mental health and help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior among South Asians.

A cross-sectional study was conducted as part of a mental health literacy pilot project at a …

Geographically Based Risk Evaluation Of Disease States And Sleep Disorders Impacting Readiness Across Active-Duty Army Installations From Military Medical Databases In Fiscal Year 2021, Nandan Shastry

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The impact of sleep disorders and disease states on active-duty soldiers’ readiness is a clinically relevant and significant topic. This is due to the high comorbidity of sleep disorders and a wide variety of other condition, ranging from substance abuse to obesity. Patient data collected from military health databases can be used to establish possible relationships. The current study performed a risk assessment of sleep disorders, obesity, tobacco use, and general substance abuse based on geographical distribution of active-duty Army installations through a comprehensive analysis of the Office of the Army Surgeon General Health of the Force (HoF) report, specifically …

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. …

A Scoping Review Of The Role Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas) In Pediatric Populations, Sheril Mathew

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine disrupting chemicals that can have a profound and negative impact on children's growth and development, leading to a higher risk of endocrine-related diseases and disorders. PFAs can be absorbed through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact and accumulate in the body due to resistance to degradation. Furthermore, children have been found to absorb 50% more of these chemicals compared to adults, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, widespread exposure to PFAS has been documented in the US population. …

An Applied Ergonomic Analysis And Comparison Of Laparoscopic Surgical Tool Handles, Sebasthian Del-Valle, Komi Touglo-Midodji, Emmanuel Espindola, Mackensey Mcclendon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which surgeons operate with a camera to view the operating area and instruments inserted through minor incisions. This surgery has many benefits, including faster patient recovery, but it can also be physically demanding for surgeons. Significant muscle fatigue and cognitive effort have been observed in surgeons as they engage in prolonged use of these instruments. The handles of these instruments are not ergonomic. The purpose behind this research project is to design and test an alternative to the standard laparoscopic instrument handles. Applying human factors and ergonomics principles, we sought to …

Does Exercise Reduce Mind Wandering: The Role Of Mood And Exercise Frequency, Divya Mittal, Mahati Dharanikota, Carlos Riveria-Vasquez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Chronic exercise provides various physical health benefits (Penedo & Dahn, 2005) but also results in a variety of benefits to cognitive functioning including improving working memory (Padilla, Perez, & Andres, 2014) and attention (de Sousa et al., 2019). Exercise also releases various endorphin hormones that contribute to increased positive mood (Rokade, 2011). However, less is known about how chronic exercise influences frequency of mind wandering. Mind wandering, defined as experiencing an off-task thought, has been linked to mood such that negative mood predicts higher rates of mind wandering (Smallwood & O’Connor, 2011). The current study examined the relationship between exercise …

Effect Of Methylphenidate On Alzheimer's And Dementia, Smrithi Mukund, Priyanka Prasanna, Aishwarya Muppoor, Maheen Khan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a neurogenerative disorder that causes impairments in cognitive abilities, behavior, and personality. AD is distinguished by extracellular plaques containing beta-amyloid proteins and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Current FDA-approved drugs for AD have questionable efficacy and carry potential risks. Methylphenidate (Ritalin), a stimulant drug currently used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy, has been used off-label to treat AD patients, primarily for relieving the symptom of apathy. While our literature review suggests that relatively short-term (< 6 weeks) use in patients with AD and related diseases is safe and effective in clinical trials, little is known about the longer-term effects of the drug in this population. More work is needed, as there is also a paucity of animal research investigating chronic effects of methylphenidate in rodent models of AD and related disorders. Findings from animal studies in wild-type rodents on chronic use of methylphenidate, as well as cell culture studies, have reported adverse effects of methylphenidate, including increases in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, neurodegeneration, vascular impairments (e.g. blood brain barrier dysfunction), and altered cognitive-behavioral performance. While the clinical significance of methylphenidate treatment in AD patients may be unclear, studies over longer periods of time including testing on animal models will help us understand how methylphenidate treatment can affect our brain activity in the long term and how it can be administered more safely and effectively.

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 …

Neurological-Type Wilson Disease: Epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, And Management, Nathaniel Kipker, Kaitlyn Alessi, Marko Bojkovic, Inderbir Padda, Mayur S. Parmar

HPD Articles

Wilson disease (WD) is a complex metabolic disorder caused by disruptions to copper regulation within the body, leading to an unregulated accumulation of copper within various tissues. A less understood organ affected by the collection of copper is the brain, which further leads to the generation of oxygen-free radicals and resultant demyelination. Healthcare providers must keep the neurological form of WD in their list of differentials when patients present with diverse neurological manifestations. The initial step to diagnosis will be to distinguish the characteristic disease presentation with a thorough history and physical and neurological examination. A high clinical disease suspicion …

Perspectives, Spring 2022, Volume 10, Number 1, Nova Southeastern University

Perspectives

"Perspectives" was the College of Health Care Sciences' official magazine that connects students, faculty and staff from CHCS’s academic programs all over the state of Florida.

Sharksrx Newsletter Spring 2023, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Sharks Rx

No abstract provided.