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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 …

Kinematic Analysis Of The Golf Swing In Collegiate Golfers Using Titleist Performance Institute (Tpi) Screen And Motion Capture K-Vest System, Anabella Duran

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Back pain has become a common injury in today's society. Not only does it affect the general population, but it has been found to largely affect golfers, greatly affecting their performance and ultimately their career. However, screenings such as the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) screen and motion capture systems,K-Vest, have been developed to test golfers for certain postures to prevent injury from occurring. The purpose of this project was to assess the physical and kinematic sequence of the golf swing in male and female collegiate athletes as an injury prevention method. 10 male and 9 female collegiate golfers were tested …

Mastering Aes: A Deep Dive Into The Advanced Encryption Standard, Diana Dancea

Undergraduate Student Symposium

AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard, and it serves as the most popular symmetric encryption algorithm to date. The term ‘symmetric’ implies that the same key encrypts and decrypts; this is an important detail for the design and implementation of the algorithm. Encryption is crucial in today’s world since it plays an essential role in everyday life. Wi-Fi, Online Banking, and many more, all rely on encryption to keep them secure. Some of the more technical processes that AES typically works with include HTTPS and SSL/TLS protocols, since they handle the authenticity and data integrity part of digital certificates and …

Mother-Calf Contact Exchanges In Bottlenose Dolphins, Savanna Duda

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The relationship between a dolphin mother and her calf has been well studied, but details regarding tactile exchanges within these dyads are limited. Contacts between five adult female bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and their calves were examined from video collected in October 2017, 2018, 2019, and January 2018. Of the 312 contact events documented, 289 had a clearly initiating dolphin, who started the behavior. Calves initiated 65.7% of contacts, with 82.6% categorized as affiliative, initiating with body parts besides rostrum or fluke, while 77.8% of mother-initiated contacts were affiliative. Therefore, the overall trend for mother-calf contacts was affiliative. …

Munkgeeroachy: A Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophage Isolated From Soil, Ashley Janke

Undergraduate Student Symposium

There are many bacteria that are growing resistant to antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies. Bacteriophage therapy, the use of viruses to treat bacterial infections, is a promising alternative. The goal of this project was to isolate and identify phages from soil samples that infect Gordonia rubripertincta. G. rubripertincta is a gram-positive bacterium that is typically found in soil and aquatic habitats. Gordonia species are rapidly becoming associated with human and animal diseases. Infections of G. rubripertincta have typically been found after various surgical procedures such as the applications of catheters, or the use of …

Nfl Draft Trainee Performance Profiling By Position, Maria Berrocales, Aidan Rohman

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this study was to profile NFL draft trainees on physical and performance characteristics. Fifty-four players were categorized into Big, Big-skill, and Skill groups. We measured body fat (BF%), lean body mass (LBM), total mass, sprinting forces and ground contact time (GCT), jump height (JH), jump absolute (AJP), and relative (RJP) power, and reactive strength (RS). ANOVA determined between-group differences. Profiles were viewed via Z-score radar plots. There was a significant between-group difference in characteristics, F(24, 76)=5.18, p<0.001;Wilk's Λ=, partial η²=0.621. Post-hocs showed Skill had greater JH (p<0.001), RJP (p<0.001), and RSI (p=0.005) versus Big. Big had greater values versus …

No Evidence Of Recovery After The Dwhos In The Abundance Of The Five Dominant Families Of Micronektonic Crustaceans In The Gulf Of Mexico, Theophilus Herbet

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Micronektonic crustaceans are an essential element of the global marine food web. A number of studies conducted between 2011 and 2015 indicated that the was a significant decrease in all families of micronektonic crustaceans sampled on these cruises. The sampling was in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which may have contributed to the die-off. Two datasets from 2021 and 2022 were analyzed in the current study to determine if there have been any signs of recovery. Statistical analysis determined that there was no significant difference between the 2021 and 2022 datasets, even though the abundances for three …

Nutraceutical Supplementation Effects On Perceptive Fatique Symptoms In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systemic Review, Rajvi Patel, Emanuella Brito

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a seriously debilitating disease characterized by long lasting fatigue and exhaustion that does not improve with rest. ME/CFS is reported in individuals of all ages and various racial, socioeconomic, and ethnic groups. This condition has no standard treatment but supplementation with vitamins and other nutraceuticals have been recommended by clinicians to manage the patient symptoms. The evidence of efficacy of these nutraceuticals or diet strategies are however absent from the current literature. The intent of this systematic review is to evaluate the ClinicalTrials.gov, a registry of clinical trials run by the United States National …

Photodynamic Inactivation (Pdi) Of Microorganisms With Nitrogen Substituted Meso-Pyridyl Porphyrin Structures, Tiffany Pakela, Sanjana Sivaiah, Trisha Jaganathan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Photodynamic Inactivation (PDI) is an antimicrobial approach targeting pathogens independent of antibiotic resistance. The growing international concern for the rise in drug resistant microorganisms has driven for research in approaches that will keep these microbes from developing any immunological adaptations. Photosensitizers are molecules activated by light that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) lysing and causing cell death in structures of microbes and in diseased mammalian cells. The photosensitizers applied in this experiment are meso-Tetra(N-methyl-_-pyridyl)porphine tetrachloride structures. Three variations of the nitrogen placement were used to understand the interactions between such and the bacterial cell wall of Escherichia coli. These …

Pilot Study Of A375 Melanoma Xenograft In Nu/Nu Mice, Samaya Danthurthy, Trisha Seal, Velayutham Sadeeshkumar, Maab Sultan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Pilot studies play an important role prior to conducting a full-scale research study as they determine crucial components of the study, such as sample size and whether or not randomized control trials (RCTs) will be feasible. In this pilot study, 5 male and 5 female Nu/Nu mice that were approximately 25 grams and 7 weeks old were injected with 2 million A375 cells in 0.2 mL of the right flanks of the mice. Once the tumors became palpable, their volumes were measured three times per week using a caliper. Upon completion of the study, average tumor volumes and standard deviations …

Reassessing Taxonomic Classification Of The Zoantidean Epizoanthus Giveni Using Marginal Musculature As A Defining Character, Mackenzie Magyar

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The ability to identify species as individual units of evolution determines our capacity to link individuals to all knowledge of structure, function, and evolution of biological systems. Species that are misclassified will be linked to the wrong catalog of knowledge, errors which may propagate through the literature in unpredictable ways. Zoanthidean taxonomic classifications are commonly determined using histological sections of the marginal musculature, which is responsible for polyp retraction and has diverse structural components unique to different taxa. Although classification defined by marginal musculature has been used over time, publications since 2015 have increasingly expanded the working knowledge of this …

Red Dog Loess, A Last Glacial Dust Deposit, White River Badlands, S.D., Lakshmi Srikari Ravulaparthi, Ian Chang, Haley Perkins, John Nichols, Curtis Frye

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Understanding the detrimental effects of prehistoric climate change is essential to understanding our potential for future global climate disasters. During the Last Glacial Period (LGP) beginning around 70 thousand years ago, as Earth’s temperature dropped, the midcontinent grew increasingly dry, resulting in the ecological collapse of the Great Plains grassland ecosystems. Due to the breakdown of the grasslands, wind eroded the Great Plains, depositing vast amounts of windblown dust (loess). These loess deposits form valuable midcontinental agricultural deposits in Nebraska and Iowa. This study aims to identify the origin of the loess found on mesas in the White River Badlands …

Reducing Inoculum Effect By Modulating Growth Productivity Through The Superpathway Of Purine, Pyrimidine And Histidine Synthesis In Escherichia Coli, Melissa Marzouk, Daniella Hernandez, Allison J. Lopatkin Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is estimated that by 2050, 10 million people will die annually due to infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria. An understanding of the mechanisms that bacteria use to resist antibiotics is essential for extending the usefulness of our existing antibiotics. One mechanism that bacteria use to resist antibiotics is the inoculum effect (IE). During IE, high-density bacterial populations require higher concentrations of antibiotics to be killed compared to low-density bacterial populations. Recently, it has been discovered that growth productivity, defined as the relationship between ATP and growth rate, can explain IE for multiple antibiotics. If growth productivity is sufficiently …

Regulatory Roles For Stress Responsive Transposable Elements In Rice, Jenna Handal, Michael Egozi, Andy Pereira Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Transposable elements, or mobile DNA sequences, are known for their structural and functional roles in the rice genome. As sources of genetic variation and drivers of evolution, transposable elements have been extensively studied for their regulation of gene expression and alteration of phenotypic traits. In addition, transposable elements are shown to be activated in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. As the global temperature rises, heat stress threatens crop production worldwide. Research has shown that heat stress hinders optimal rice growth, development, and yield. Concern for food security amidst a growing population calls for development of novel methods to …

Research In Anatomy And Physiology During Covid-19: Global Lessons Learnt And Future Recommendations, Jeet Patel, Harsh Chheda

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The persistent Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused significant disruptions of research studies within the fields of Anatomy and Physiology. As the pandemic resulted in many governmental and institutional restrictions, it became increasingly challenging to pursue research in general. Disciplines like Anatomy and Physiology that require kinesthetic/tactile application of concepts or testing hypotheses through hands-on active engagement were either halted or slowed down, as the new social guidelines and risks to certain groups of people hindered up-to-date researchdata collection. This called for the design and adoption of innovative scientific and technological research tools and protocols. An effort to help …

Sargassum Accumulation At Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Giavanna Iglio, Jarod Johnson, Kayla Jones, Kaleb Myers, Juliana Ottens-Rivera, Aidan Pflieger, Manuel Ploner, Kevin Rafferty, Maura Wondra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sargassum is a typically floating phaeophyte (brown alga) with important ecosystem functions. It is a producer, generating biomass via photosynthesis, and providing habitat for small epipelagic organisms in the open ocean. In August 2022, large amounts of Sargassum were seen on the beach at the northern end of Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park (VDMEJSP), Dania Beach, Florida, up to 152cm thick. This disturbs the intertidal environment, which is typically composed of carbonate sands, and smothers infauna. Furthermore, this creates ephemeral habitats for species not typically associated here. The extent of Sargassum deposits was measured from 7 September through 25 …

Semantic Priming Across Many Languages, Ramsha Ahmed, Aishwarya Muppoor, Michelle Gruboy, Ishani Patel, Riya Patel, Sneh Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a globally distributed network of labs that conducts studies with the goals of inclusion and transparency. Crowdsourcing data worldwide enables research to be generalized through diverse participants with unique language backgrounds providing worldwide multilingual data. The PSA makes opportunities available for researchers to network and replicate studies. We have been collecting data on a study organized by the PSA. In addition to data collection, we helped to verify translations of the consent form and protocol information from English to different languages. The study examines semantic priming, which occurs when a semantically related prime (e.g. …

Sleep Health Matters For All: Wellness Intervention For The Pediatric Down Syndrome Population, Mahima Dave

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Down syndrome (DS) is the most prevalent chromosomal disorder in which an extra copy of chromosome-21 disrupts the development of intellectual abilities. Unique physical manifestations places children with DS at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which repeated blockages of the upper airway cause difficulty breathing during sleep. 80% of children with DS are afflicted with OSA, and this increases incidences of nocturnal sudden cardiac arrest by 2.57-fold compared to the general population. Manifestations of OSA, such as cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease, are common in the DS population. However, this often obscures the diagnosis. During May 2021, …

S-Prg Eluate Downregulates Osteoclastogenesis: S-Prg's Possible Indication For Subgingival Caries, Janaki Chandra

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) is a new bioactive filler that has been used for the restoration of tooth decay. S-PRG’s unique property to release six types of bioactive ions, including fluoride (F−), prevents the adhesion of dental plaque to tooth surface while suppressing tooth demineralization. Although S-PRG may be potentially used for subgingival caries restoration, the possible effect of S-PRG on the pathogenically promoted bone absorption in periodontitis remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible inhibitory effect of S-PRG eluate on osteoclasto-genesis (OC-genesis) in vitro. S-PRG elute at the sublethal concentrations, which were formerly …

Synthesis Of Metal Binding Polymers Via Raft Polymerization Of Activated Ester Monomers And Post-Polymerization Functionalization, Francisco Castro Wetzstein, Meha Pandya

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Poly pentafluorophenyl acrylate (PPFPA) is an activated ester polymer used for the binding and removal of toxic metals out of solution through filtration. PPFPA was synthesized via reversible additionfragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using pentafluorophenyl acrylate (PFPA) as the monomer to create linear and hyperbranched polymers. RAFT polymerization allows control over molecular weight and the molecular architecture of PPFPA. H-NMR and F-NMR spectroscopy was utilized to assess monomer purity, polymer conversion, and confirm the structure of the final polymer. The purpose of this study is to synthesize PPFPA, a chelating polymer, as well as to functionalize said polymer with different …

Synthesis Of Polymer-Drug Conjugates For Controlled Transdermal Drug Delivery, Ashley Guillen-Tapia, Esha Sultana

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Polymer drug conjugates represent a novel approach for drug delivery belonging to polymer therapeutics. These nano-drug delivery systems consist of biocompatible monomers covalently linked to drug molecules. One of the most recently developed methods of drug delivery is transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS). A non-invasive alternative to needle injections, TDDS offers many advantages as it exhibits high drug loading and controlled drug release. While transdermal drug delivery systems based on polymeric micelles have been previously studied, there is limited knowledge of how polymer block length and micelle size affect the drug loading and drug release profile. This project aims to …

The Abundance Of Streptococcus Mutans Within The Oral Cavity Of University Students And Implications For Disease Etiology, Esha Manku

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Microorganisms within the human oral cavity are part of a healthy ecosystem but can also contribute to disease states by increasing the severity of dental caries, the incidence of gingivitis, and the onset of periodontitis. In particular, patients with poor oral health exhibit a significant increase the pathogenic microbe Streptococcus mutans. However, research shows that S. mutans abundance may be related to a SNP within the human genome (an A/G substitution at rs7294985 in the microsomal glutathione-Stransferase 1 (MGST1) gene). Here we address the role of S. mutans abundance and SNP genotype ratios within a healthy student population (n …