Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Biomarkers Of Ptsd: A Case For Measuring Psychotherapy Efficacy And Mtdna Cn Involvement, Ariana Ali, Aidan Kunju

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in individuals who witness or experience a traumatic event. Many PTSD treatments have a focus on direct alterations of emotion and thought responses due to trauma. Some of the leading psychotherapy treatments for ptsd include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). Eye Movement Desensitization and Realization (EMDR) Therapy has greater focus on altering memory storage in the brain. EMDR differs from other psychotherapies in that the reprocessing of trauma engages both hemispheres of the brain via bilateral stimulation. EMDR along with other psychotherapies …

Investigating The Specific Phosphorylation Sites Of The Human Mineralocorticoid Receptor Using Phospho-Mapping, Valentina Guidi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The purpose of this project is to confirm the specific sites where G protein receptor kinase 5 (GRK-5)- mediated phosphorylation of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) of aldosterone occurs. The significance of the study stems from prior findings indicating that e-cigarette vapors induce lung inflammation and tissue destruction. While research has typically focused on the effects of tobacco use, the detrimental influence of e-cigarette vapors, which accumulate in the airway epithelium, must also be identified. This may include desensitization of the beta2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), a protective receptor against airway inflammation and fibrosis and the only AR subtype expressed in human bronchial …

Re-Discovery Of Microatolls In The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Amber Orr

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Microatolls are coral colonies with a signature ring-like shape. They form in shallow water where depth limits vertical growth, allowing them to be utilized as indicators of current and past sea level. Additional contributors to their formation include accumulation of sediment on the colonies which smothers corallites in the center of the structure, overgrowth by algae, and upper surface abrasion by bioeroding organisms. Microatolls occur at numerous locations in the Indo-West Pacific, however, they are reported at only two known locations in the tropical eastern Pacific: Caño Island, Costa Rica and the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. More than 50 Porites lobata …

Skill Position Football Players Have Greater Vertical Jump Kinetic Asymmetry But Better Performance Than Big Skill And Big Position Players, Ashley Mcdonough, Ayoub Ziani

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The vertical jump (VJ) assesses lower limb power and is tested in players entering the National Football League’s (NFL) draft. Limb asymmetry of ≥10% has been linked to injury and poor performance. Assessing VJ performance and kinetic asymmetry by player position may guide group-based training programs. We sought to determine if VJ performance and kinetic asymmetries were different between football position groups, Skill Players (SP), Big Skill Players (BS), and Big Players (BP). Sixty participants (age, 22.7 1.1yrs;± ht, 186.4±6.8cm; mass, 103.6±21.2kg) training for the NFL draft performed VJ on dual uniaxial force plates. Performance variables of reactive strength (RSI-mod) …

Raising Awareness About Recognizing Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Associated With Down Syndrome: Developing A Health Education Program, 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 compared to only 2-5% of the general pediatric population. OSA increases incidences of nocturnal sudden cardiac arrest by 2.57-fold compared to the general population. Common signs of OSA include snoring, restlessness during sleep, night waking, and daytime tiredness. Manifestations of OSA, …

The Halls Of Power, Janay Joseph, Graciel Quezada, Bianca Vucetich

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“The Halls of Power” is a documentary short film about the life and work of Elijah Manley, a young politician and activist in South Florida. The main story focuses on Elijah Manley’s life and political activism as the youngest person to ever run for the Florida State Legislature. The second storyline will follow other young activists and organizers within the community. The goal of the documentary is to inform the audience about this activist and demonstrate how one can get involved in politics. We hope to encourage the young demographic to be more engaged with their local politics. Because politics …

Understanding The Origin Of Mutations Using Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics, Supratik Pasupuleti, Anthony Bianco

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Proton transfer within DNA base pairs is a possible origin for mutations which can ultimately lead to cancer. To better understand this potential source of mutations we have modeled this process using Ab Initio molecular dynamics simulations of model systems for DNA base pairs in water. These simulations have provided insight into how often and when proton transfer occurs in these systems while also highlighting the relationship between the likelihood of a proton transfer event and the way the water molecules are coordinated around the model system for DNA. This in turn has allowed for a greater understanding of potential …

Caribbean Reef-Building Coral-Symbiodiniaceae Network: Identifying Symbioses Critical For System Stability In A Changing Climate, Mackenzie Magyar, Brady Estrada, Timothy Swain Ph.D.

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Coral reef bleaching events across the globe are increasing following intensifying marine heatwaves and higher ocean temperatures. The frequency and intensity of bleaching events are expected to rise over the next 100 years. An increase in coral mortality has been observed in the Caribbean between 1970-2012. Our objective is to produce a network of all Caribbean hermatypic coral-Symbiodiniaceae associations and analyze it in the context of increased temperatures and coral bleaching events. The available scientific literature was explored and inspected to evaluate whether these papers included relevant data for building the network, including the coral host, host depth, sample location, …

Endoparasite Community Of Common Wood-Warblers (Family Parulidae) In Southeast Florida, Skylar Olsen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Wood-warblers are small insectivorous passerine birds in the family Parulidae. They are among the first migratory birds in North America to begin their southward migration during the early autumn months and southeast Florida serves as a wintering ground. Although wood-warblers are common and widespread, knowledge of their endoparasite community composition is severely underrepresented in current literature. Carcasses were opportunistically collected from wildlife rescue centers in southeast Florida. The digestive tract of 90 birds representing 5 common wood-warbler species were examined for endoparasites: Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas), Ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), Black-and--White Warblers (Mniotilta varia), Palm Warblers (Setophaga palmarum), and American Redstarts …

Investigating Alternative Induction Of The S. Aureus 80a Prophage, Jody Caretti

Student Scholar Showcase

Widespread antibiotic resistance has quickly become one of the most concerning crises affecting modern medicine, especially in cases of Staphylococcal infections, which have become resistant to all ��-lactam antibiotics. As a result, research into alternative forms of treatment for bacterial infections is a top priority. Bacteriophage therapy is a popular candidate for replacing antibiotics, due to the way the viruses interact with the bacteria. The 80�� prophage integrates its DNA into Staphylococcus aureus strain 10616 via the lysogenic cycle, and replicates with the bacterial cell. When stressed, the bacteria stop replicating and the prophage stimulates the lytic cycle, activating transcription …

First Annual Research Symposium Program With Abstracts, Office Of Research Affairs, Boonshoft School Of Medicine

Boonshoft School of Medicine Research Symposium

The program booklet is a compilation of abstracts from oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's First Annual Boonshoft School of Medicine Medical Research Symposium held on April 6, 2022.

Feasibility Of Tubulin As A Control For Gene Expression Following Transfection In Mouse Monocyte/Macrophage-Like Cells, Ankita Chabra

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Transfection, which is the ability to modify host cells’ genetic content, has broad application in studying normal cellular processes, molecular mechanism of disease and gene therapy. There are several transfection techniques, and all require either a control or a reference gene. Commonly used controls for transfection experiments are housekeeping genes, which maintain expression for a given cell/tissue, experimental conditions, and treatment. However, recent research has uncovered that expression levels of housekeeping genes may vary depending on the gene, cell type and experimental conditions. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that housekeeping genes are inadequate internal standards for measuring gene expression …

Mapping Yellow Fever Epidemics As A Potential Indicator Of The Historical Range Of Aedes Aegypti In The United States, Nicole S. Fijman, Donald A. Yee

Faculty Publications

Background: Yellow fever (YF) plagued the United States from the 1690s until 1905, resulting in thousands of deaths. Within the US, Aedes aegypti is the only YF vector and almost no data exists for the location of this species prior to the early 1900s.

Objectives: To determine the historical range of Ae. aegypti we examined the occurrence of YF epidemics across time and space. We hypothesized that historically Ae. aegypti was driven by human population density, like its contemporary range suggests.

Methods: To test this hypothesis, we compiled a list of YF cases in the US, human population density, location, …

Atg9a And Atg13 Cooperate To Drive Basal Autophagy, Daniel Morgan Poole

Theses and Dissertations

Autophagy, as the name suggests, is a cellular process of self-eating in which cytoplasmic debris is engulfed by a double membrane vesicle dubbed the autophagosome and is ultimately degraded and recycled by proteases in the lysosome. The process is initiated by a group of core ATG proteins, including a multi-pass transmembrane protein called ATG9A. Although ATG9A has been shown to be essential for both stress induced and basal autophagy, its mechanism and interaction network remain largely illusive. Our current study employs BioID proteomics to identify a network of interactors, including regulators of membrane fusion and vesicle trafficking, such as TRAPP, …

Assessment Of College Students In Understanding Beliefs, Behaviors, And Key Levels Of Influence Regarding Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake, Olivia Rosemary Hernandez, Antonio J. Gardner, Leah B. P. Pylate, Barry P. Hunt

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: As Covid-19 causes increased morbidity and mortality, vaccination status is at the forefront of preventive action. However, approximately 52% of residents still need to be vaccinated in Mississippi. These rates are even higher among the 18–24-year-old demographic, where only 38% have reported full vaccination.Purpose: This study aimed to assess the underlying reasons for COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among college students in the 18-24-year-old demographic.Methods: A 21-item survey was administered to college students at a large southeastern university to assess their beliefs and vaccination status regarding COVID-19.Results: Regarding safety, intention, and severity of COVID-19, statistical significance was found between those college …

Launching A Human Papillomavirus Vaccination (Hpv) Campaign On A College Campus During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Eric Pittman, M. Allison Ford, Marie Barnard, Emily Tschumpter, Sally Earl, Joshua Gautreaux

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

No abstract provided.

Individual Correlates Of Covid-19 Concerns, Prevention Behaviors, And Experiences Among College Students, Samantha Cohen-Winans Ms, Kaitlyn Armstrong Ms, M. Allison Ford Phd, Hannah K. Allen Phd

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a public health crisis, and college campuses and areas in the southern U.S. are high-risk environments for disease spread. Purpose. This study examined variation in COVID-19 concerns, prevention behaviors, and related experiences among college students at a large, public university in the southeast region of the U.S. Methods. A sample of 544 undergraduate students completed an online survey in the final weeks of the Fall 2020 academic semester. Subgroup variation in level of COVID-19 concern by history of COVID-19 diagnosis and associations between individual correlates and COVID-19 outcomes were explored. Results. Students were …

Nursing Students’ Perspectives On The Covid-19 Vaccines: Moderna, Pfizer, And Johnson And Johnson, Savannah M. Workman

Honors College Theses

There are very few things that everyone in the world shares in common, but there is one thing that has recently plagued our entire world and has impacted each person’s life. The first case of COVID-19 occurred in the United States in January of 2020. In the United States during March of 2020, life as we knew it changed. Restrictions were put in place, schools closed, food and supply chain shortages occurred, travel was banned, and we were warned to stay away from others as they could be symptomatically or asymptomatically carrying the novel coronavirus. Since the time of quarantine …

Formulating New “Hand+Electronics” (All-In-One) Sanitizers For Safer E-Learning Practices During The Covid-19 Crisis, Miguel Camara

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This research aimed to explore new methods of designing all-in-one sanitizers by means of a literature review, lab experimentation, quality assessments, and reporting findings. By combining scientific concepts such as chemistry and microbiology, new ingredients of sanitizers were investigated through the development of lab samples and tested on both hands and personal electronic devices.

Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake Among College Students, Erin Hoening, Elizabeth Morse, David Phillippi, Krystal Huesmann

DNP Projects

Background: Public health strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among college students living in residential communities varied, some universities opted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines while other universities opted to promote and influence the choice for vaccination.

Purpose: This descriptive, cross-sectional study examined the voluntary uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among residential students on a college campus in the southeastern U.S. that elected an evidence-driven health promotion strategy that included strong health promotion messaging coupled with coordinated efforts to make the vaccine accessible and appealing to students on campus.

Methods: Analysis of vaccine uptake was derived from campus electronic health records during …

Healthcare Simulation: A Key To The Future Of Medical Education - A Review, Omair Ayaz, Faisal Wasim Ismail

Medical College Documents

Aim: Simulation originates from its application in the military and aviation. It is implemented at various levels of healthcare education and certification today. However, its use remains unevenly distributed across the globe due to misconception regarding its cost and complexity and to lack of evidence for its consistency and validity. Implementation may also be hindered by an array of factors unique to the locale and its norms. Resource-poor settings may benefit from diverting external funds for short-term simulation projects towards collaboration with local experts and local material sourcing to reduce the overall cost and achieve long-term benefits. The recent shift …

Covid-19 Newsletter (Vol. 113), Center For Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College

COVID-19 Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Safety And Efficacy Of Colchicine In Covid-19 Patients: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Control Trials, Farah Yasmin, Hala Najeeb, Abdul Moeed, Wardah Hassan, Mahima Khatri, Muhammad Sohaib Asghar, Ahmed Kunwer Naveed, Waqas Ullah, Salim Surani

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: Colchicine has been used an effective anti-inflammatory drug to treat gout diseases. Owing to its pharmacodynamic of inhibiting interleukins, it has been repurposed to target the cytokine storm post-SARS-CoV-2 invasion. The goal of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety profile of colchicine in COVID-19 patients using the gold-standard randomised-control trials.

Methods: Electronic databases (Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane) were systematically searched until June 2021 and RCTs were extracted. Outcomes of interest included all-cause mortality, COVID-19 severity, mechanical ventilation, C-reactive protein and D-dimer levels. Using a random-effects model, dichotomous outcomes were pooled using odds ratios (OR) through the generic …

Overcrowded Housing Increases Risk For Covid-19 Mortality: An Ecological Study, Karan Varshney, Talia Glodjo, Jenna R Adalbert

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Objectives: Overcrowded housing is a sociodemographic variable associated with increased infection and mortality rates from communicable diseases. It is not well understood if this association exists for COVID-19. Our objective was hence to determine the association between household overcrowding and risk of mortality from COVID-19, and this was done by performing bivariable and multivariable analyses using COVID-19 data from cities in Los Angeles County.

Results: Bivariate regression revealed that overcrowded households were positively associated with COVID-19 deaths (standardized β = 0.863, p < 0.001). COVID-19 case totals, people aged 60+, and the number of overcrowded households met conditions for inclusion in the backwards stepwise linear regression model. Analysis revealed all independent variables were positively associated with mortality rates, primarily for individuals 60 + (standardized β1 = 0.375, p = 0.001), followed by overcrowded households (standardized β2 = 0.346, p = 0.014), and total COVID-19 cases (standardized β3 = 0.311, p < 0.001). Our findings highlight that residing in overcrowded households may be an important risk factor for COVID-19 mortality. Public health entities should consider this population when allocating resources for prevention and control of COVID-19 mortality and future disease outbreaks.

Overcrowded Housing Increases Risk For Covid-19 Mortality: An Ecological Study., Karan Varshney, Talia Glodjo, Jenna Adalbert

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Overcrowded housing is a sociodemographic variable associated with increased infection and mortality rates from communicable diseases. It is not well understood if this association exists for COVID-19. Our objective was hence to determine the association between household overcrowding and risk of mortality from COVID-19, and this was done by performing bivariable and multivariable analyses using COVID-19 data from cities in Los Angeles County.

RESULTS: Bivariate regression revealed that overcrowded households were positively associated with COVID-19 deaths (standardized β = 0.863, p < 0.001). COVID-19 case totals, people aged 60+, and the number of overcrowded households met conditions for inclusion in the backwards stepwise linear regression model. Analysis revealed all independent variables were positively associated with mortality rates, primarily for individuals 60 + (standardized β

Antibody Dependent Enhancement Of Infectious Bronchitis Virus In Poultry, Zachary Hamilton, Barry Simpson, Donald L. Reynolds

UCARE: Research Products

Avian infectious bronchitis (IB) is a coronavirus infection of chickens that causes respiratory disease and reproductive problems in chickens. Currently, there are vaccines that are effective against IB. However, new variants and strains of avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) routinely emerge. A vaccine that is not the same strain as the virus is not completely effective in protecting against other variants because the vaccine will not allow the host antibodies to completely neutralize the strain. This is a problem because it makes IB difficult to control and diagnose.

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a phenomenon whereby non-neutralizing antibodies, or low levels …

Climate Change And Infectious Diseases, Brennan Haggerty, Jake Lynott, Carsyn Hamstra, Taylor Mccarthy

Celebration of Research

The impact of climate change on human health is a relatively new topic within the field of research. Several research studies indicate rises in temperature, droughts, increase in vector-borne diseases, and heatwaves are becoming more prevalent. Despite the fluctuations in climate, little information is being conveyed to the public regarding the effects of such on human health. This review sought to identify and assess what is currently understood about climate change and the impacts of it on human health. A literature review was designed and conducted using EBSCOhost and Worldcat. Out of all the articles identified, ten articles met the …

Feminism, Sexuality, Gender, Labour: Invisible Stigma Of Sex Work And Menstrual Labour In India, Soma Mandal

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article attempts a feminist analysis of understanding sex workers' limitation to command holistic living practices at all points in their life, based on degenerative quality of sexual labour and degree of violence involved. Combined with the practical limitation of bodies' usage and experiential ways of negotiating routine sexual tasks, the intersecting issue of menstruation in sex workers' lives stands as one of the fundamentally neglected aspects of women's health care service in red light areas. Based on assumptions of the degenerative notion of labour, the stigma associated with sex work and menstrual-related pollution it will explore how gendered, informal …

Economic Losses From Covid-19 Cases In The Philippines: A Dynamic Model Of Health And Economic Policy Trade-Offs, Elvira P. De Lara-Tuprio, Ma. Regina Justina E. Estuar, Joselito T. Sescon, Cymon Kayle Lubangco, Rolly Czar Joseph T. Castillo, Timothy Robin Y. Teng, Lenard Paulo V. Tamayo, Jay Michael R. Macalalag, Gerome M. Vedeja

Mathematics Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic forced governments globally to impose lockdown measures and mobility restrictions to curb the transmission of the virus. As economies slowly reopen, governments face a trade-off between implementing economic recovery and health policy measures to control the spread of the virus and to ensure it will not overwhelm the health system. We developed a mathematical model that measures the economic losses due to the spread of the disease and due to different lockdown policies. This is done by extending the subnational SEIR model to include two differential equations that capture economic losses due to COVID-19 infection and due …

Developing Methods For The Production Of Antiviral Vhh-Fc Antibodies In Pichia Pastoris For Fast Pandemic Response, Chiara Lonigro, Loes Van Schie, Sandrine Vanmarcke, Katrien Claes, Simon Devos, Wannes Weyts, Wim Nerinckx, Bert Schepens, Xavier Saelens, Nico Callewaert

Microbial Engineering II

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