Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Alternative Binding Locations Of 5-Ht Antagonist Ketanserin In Microtubules; Implications For Future Research, Caleb Siguenza, Tatum Hedrick

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Recently, it’s been demonstrated that classic psychedelic action is mediated via intracellular mechanisms rather than action at membrane receptors. This intracellular action elicits neuroplastic effect. The conclusion is that these effects are due to activation of intracellular 5-HT2AR based on using ketanserin as a selective antagonist based on its selectivity to bind to the membrane 5-HT2A serotonin receptor. However, neuroplasticity is dependent upon multiple mechanisms and signaling cascades including the dynamics of neuronal microtubules. As the targets of ketanserin’s biological intracellular activity are not fully elucidated, here we investigate the binding potential of ketanserin to domains of the microtubule constituent …

How The Molecular Vibrations Of Water May Prevent Skin Cancer, Jarlynn Ramirez, Angelina Georg, Colette Costello, Mahi Desai, Sandeep Dronavalli

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 …

In Their Own Words: Collaborative Assessment Of Undergraduate Intellectual Curiosity, Amenia Farraj, Jaylynn Sylvain

Undergraduate Student Symposium

For the last decade, college enrollment across the U.S. has trended downward, which has been attributed to factors including increased college tuition and impacts of the pandemic (Welding, 2022). Others predict that digital technologies like AI will end academia as younger generations lean less into their intellectual curiosity (Marche, 2022). Yet, some universities like Nova Southeastern University have seen an increase in enrollment even while college enrollment generally declined by 7% between 2019 and 2022 (Welding, 2022). Much of these educational forecasts do not come from students but from older generations who sense a shift in how students learn. By …

Influence Of Variables On Vaping Behaviors Among College Students, Michelle Tiji

Undergraduate Student Symposium

E-cigarette use among youth in the United States has increased in the past decade, with the majority of vaping advertisements targeting adolescents and young adults. There are a multitude of individual, interpersonal, and community-level risk factors that influence the uptake of vaping behaviors. This study investigated the influence of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and parental/guardian vaping and smoking history on vaping behaviors among undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Additionally, this study evaluated the extent to which vaping history influences the perceived effectiveness of anti-vaping advertisements. A survey was administered to current students to measure their vaping behaviors and …

Modeling The Binding Of Tetrodotoxin And Saxitoxin To The Nav1.7 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel, Smrithi Mukund, Isabella Fiore, Laasya Buddharaju

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Approximately 1.5 billion people suffer from chronic pain, with 68 million people suffering in the U.S alone. Chronic pain is pain that persists longer than 12 weeks despite medication or treatment. Within the U.S. about 5.5 million cancer patients experience chronic pain. Around 20% of these pains have neuropathic origins and develop from radiation therapy. Halneuron, a new drug in development, seeks to provide pain relief to those suffering from chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. This drug includes Tetrodotoxin (TTX), a potent neurotoxin found in species of pufferfish. Our 3D-printed model displays the structural details of TTX as a pore blocker within …

Survivorship And Bleaching Prevalence Of Nursery-Grown Massive Stony Corals In Southeast Florida, Emma Horton

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Coral cover on Florida’s reefs has severely declined due to anthropogenic stressors. A major impact on corals is thermal bleaching, where corals expel their endosymbiotic microalgae, leaving them vulnerable to mortality. Some coral species are more resilient to thermal bleaching and thus may be prime candidates to support coral reef restoration. This study examines post-bleaching survivorship of massive stony coral species in Nova Southeastern University's offshore nursery to identify which species to include in future restoration efforts. In September 2022, 172 fragments (<3cm dia) from six massive species were secured on cement pucks and deployed to mid-water PVC trees in the nursery. Over a 14- month period, the survival and bleaching prevalence of each species were recorded during four monitoring time points. After 14 months in the nursery, total fragment survivorship was 80%, with Pseudodiploria strigosa experiencing the highest survival (100%) and Orbicella favelota experiencing the lowest (61%). Water temperature was …

Assessing Cardiologists' User Experience With Electronic Medical Records And Generative Artificial Intelligence Visualization, Colin Pulickathadam, David Giordano

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year. Artificial intelligence has gained prominence in recent years, and there is a significant interest in exploring how artificial intelligence can improve patient outcomes and decrease hospitalization rates. This study will identify the most critical values that cardiologists consider when evaluating patients’ charts, including factors such as medical history, diagnostic results, and current medications. Additionally, the study explores cardiologists' attitudes towards the integration of AI-generated imagery based on these critical values to enhance the efficiency and quality of patient care. A comprehensive survey will …

Characterization Of Exosomes From Melanoma Cells, Kishan Goli

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Melanoma is a specific type of skin cancer associated with the melanocytes developing into malignancy. Melanocytes produce a pigment that provides protection from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Melanocytes produce this pigment when ultraviolet radiation hits the skin, causing damage to the epidermis. When the epidermis is damaged, it triggers a signal to produce melanin to protect against ultraviolet radiation. However, too much exposure can cause DNA damage within the epidermis, especially within melanocytes, leading to the inhibition of regulated mitosis. Hence, non-regulated mitosis can lead to excessive melanocyte production, which may result in melanoma. Exosomes are vesicles generated by all …

Bees And Bvocs: Characterization Of Scents From Flowers And What Bees Leave Behind, Chase Pagley, Dana Kraska, Maria Castellon

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Insect pollinators, such as bees, are an essential component to their ecosystem and surrounding plant life. Flowers emit odors, also known as biological volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), to attract bees to themselves during pollination. Additionally, when bees visit flowers, they are known to leave “scent marks” to communicate with other hive members which flowers to select or avoid for pollination. While BVOCs have been identified for many flowering species, there has not been extensive work analyzing odors from flowers that are popular with bee pollinators, such as Bidens alba (Spanish Needle). Furthermore, studies have not explored which odors are scent …

Repurposing Renin-Angiotensin System-Targeting Medications For Later Stage Treatment Of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy And Associated Cognitive-Behavioral Deficits In Tg-Swdi Mice, Ariana Hernandez, Chana Vogel, Iliana Uribe, Eleanor Wind, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Mikayla Jeneske, Bianca Echeverria, Julianna Bonetti, Natalia Noto

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), the accumulation of amyloid proteins in the cerebral vasculature, is highly comorbid with Alzheimer’s disease, and on its own, increases the risk of stroke and vascular dementia. Epidemiological studies suggest that certain renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-targeting drugs, commonly used for treating hypertension, decrease the risk of dementia. This study assesses whether two FDA-approved RAS-targeting drugs: telmisartan [a moderately brain-penetrant angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)], and lisinopril [a brain-penetrant angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor]; can be repurposed to treat CAA. At ~8 months of age, male and female Tg-SwDI mice (CAA model) began treatment with telmisartan (1 mg/kg/day) or lisinopril …

True Wilds, Justin Abonce, Gabrielle Spankus

Undergraduate Student Symposium

“True Wilds” is a documentary filmed in Miami-Dade County covering the concern of the conservation of South Florida’s Pine Rockland ecosystem. Miami Wilds, a projected water park, was to be built adjacent to Zoo Miami and within their property, which contained most of the remaining Pine Rocklands acreage. The documentary informs viewers on South Florida’s ecological history, displays the opinions of local residents rallying against the construction of Miami Wilds, and brings awareness to the larger ongoing issue of South Florida’s loss of nature to urbanization. The film is directed by Justin Abonce and Gabrielle Spankus. Other crew members include …

The Portrayal Of The Femme Fatale: The Evolution Of Gender Roles In The Depiction Of A Femme Fatale, Esperanza Barrios, Amanda Perez Romero

Undergraduate Student Symposium

When male authors describe the word ‘femme fatale’, it is always a synonym for a seductive woman who brings disaster to an unfortunate male hero. But, when a female author writes the story, the definition changes to women who become victims of patriarchy. In turn, they transform into unfeeling women who use their charms to survive in a world where they are viewed as subdued, mink, and consenting objects for a male’s pride and satisfaction. There are two femme fatales who although they struggled to obtain their happiness, kept striving forward and did not let any difficulty fracture their minds …

Dysexecutive Difficulty And Subtle Everyday Functional Disabilities: The Digital Trail Making Test, David J Libon, Rod Swenson, Sean Tobyne, Ali Jannati, Daniel Schulman, Catherine C Price, Melissa Lamar, Alvaro Pascual-Leone

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Digital neuropsychological tests reliably capture real-time, process-based behavior that traditional paper/pencil tests cannot detect, enabling earlier detection of neurodegenerative illness. We assessed relations between informant-based subtle and mild functional decline and process-based features extracted from the digital Trail Making Test-Part B (dTMT-B).

METHODS: A total of 321 community-dwelling participants (56.0% female) were assessed with the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) and the dTMT-B. Three FAQ groups were constructed: FAQ = 0 (unimpaired); FAQ = 1-4 (subtle impairment); FAQ = 5-8 (mild impairment).

Results: Compared to the FAQ-unimpaired group, other groups required longer pauses inside target circles (p < 0.050) and produced more total pen strokes to complete the test (p < 0.016). FAQ-subtle participants required more time to complete the entire test (p …