Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Invertebrate Cover Within A Submerged Lava Tunnel, Concha De Perla Lagoon, Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Giavanna Iglio

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Shallow water (<10m depth) coastal benthic invertebrate communities in the Galápagos Archipelago are well-described. However, the submerged Concha de Perla lava tunnel is undescribed, despite being at a main tourist area in a lagoon near (~150m east) the main dock for the town of Puerto Villamil, Isabela Island. The tunnel is oriented along an east-west axis, is ~15m long, with an interior diameter of ~2m. This creates habitat for cavernicolous fauna in the interior, with more typical benthic cover at the entrances. Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) trees surround and grow on top of the tunnel. Benthic cover on the tunnel interior includes sponges, cnidarians, sea urchins and bryozoans. The most common invertebrates include the endemic sea urchin Eucidaris galapagensis, white sponges, bryozoans and the azooxanthellate orange cup coral Tubastrea coccinea. Algae is absent except for a patch of crustose coralline algae on the northern wall near the west opening that receives dim light in the late afternoons. This descriptive survey quantifies the contribution of each taxonomic group to the lava tunnel walls, ceiling, and floor. Community structure is …

Investigating The Impact Of Lipogenesis Inhibition On The Phospholipid Composition Of Melanoma Cells Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Zahra Aziz, Alekya Mallampalli, Ana Sales, Emmanuela Pierre, Trisha Seal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Melanoma, the most lethal variant of skin cancer, has a rate of incidence that continues to increase globally. The upregulation of lipogenesis is a primary feature of melanoma. However, the role of phospholipids (PLs) in the onset and progression of melanoma is not well-characterized. In this study we employed high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) to elucidate alterations in the phospholipidomic profile of human melanoma cells after inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN), a key enzyme in lipogenesis. Our results show that inhibition of FASN decreased cell viability by ~30%, underscoring the importance of lipogenesis for the survival of melanoma …

Linguistics And Math: Using Math To Understand The History Between Languages, Diana E. Dancea

Undergraduate Student Symposium

We investigate the idea of calculating distances in higher dimensions and then mapping them to 2D data visualizations and observing the results. Applying the experiment to a real-world representation, we consider the linguistic concept of the Swadesh list, a list of 207 standard concepts across languages, and use mathematical methods to analyze the lexical distances between languages. A lexical distance is a measure that defines a method to analyze the similarity or difference between two distinct languages. In Linguistics, the Levenshtien distance represents the number of characters needed to transform one word into another, which fits perfectly with what we …

Microbial Insights Into Green Iguanas: Unraveling Gut Microbiome Composition And Pathogenic Implications In Invasive Species, David Giordano

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Green iguanas (Iguana iguana) pose a significant threat as invasive species in Florida and parts of the Caribbean, exerting a detrimental impact on local ecosystems. While their herbivorous diet has been recognized for its adverse effects, the microbial composition of their gut remains poorly understood, especially in terms of potential pathogens. This study aims to characterize the gut microbiome of wild Green iguanas in South Florida, focusing on the 16S ribosomal RNA (V4 region) gene. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed using QIIME2, revealing a dominance of Enterobacteraceae, Mycoplasmataceae, and Bilophila genus taxa in Green iguana gut microbiomes. …

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 …

More Than Movement, Allison Holland

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The documentary film “More Than Movement” explores the different aspects that make dance what it is, from the perspective of dancers. There are many different arguments about what dance is considered, such as a sport, an art, a hobby, exercise, or all of the above. Professional dancers spend many hours in rehearsals training their bodies for performances, similar to any athlete who goes to practice to train for a game. It can also be compared to 2-dimensional art, where time and space would be the canvas and the dancer would paint the canvas with the movements of their body. The …

Porphyromonas Gingivalis Raga Protein Induces Rankl-Independent Osteoclastogenesis, Maria Castellon, Shin Nakamura, Satoru Shindo, Maria Rita Pastore, Alireza Heidari, Xiaozhe Han, Jade Lubin, Maria Hernandez, Saynur Vardar-Sengul, Jan Potempa

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Periodontal diseases (PD; gum diseases) are arguably the highest prevalent disease of mankind (Guinness World Records 2001). Emerging paradigms support that PD can predispose individuals to several systemic diseases, such as, cardiovascular disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer's disease. Over-reaction of host immune responses to oral pathobionts, including, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), is responsible for the development of pathogenic inflammatory bone resorption lesions of PD. Pg present in deep, but not shallow, periodontal pockets possess Rag gene locus distinctively. However, possible pathogenic roles of RagA and RagB proteins encoded in Rag locus of Pg are largely unknown. This study aims …

Psychosocial Impacts Of Celiac Disease: Insights Into Quality Of Life, Social Challenges, And Coping Mechanisms Of Celiac Disease Patients, Michelle Milman, Mit Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes one’s immune system to launch an inflammatory attack in response to the ingestion of gluten which damages the lining of the small intestine and leads to health complications. For optimal management and treatment of celiac disease, a strictly gluten-free diet is essential. This review analyzes the psychosocial effects and well-being of living with a celiac disease diagnosis based on peer-reviewed primary research articles found in PubMed and Google Scholar. Studies reveal a profound impact of celiac disease on psychological and social well-being across various demographic groups. Pronounced psychological distress can be linked …

Quantification Of Persistent Organic Pollutants In Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus Ursinus) Vibrissae: A Novel Approach, Courtney White

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are characterized by their biologically accumulative nature, toxicity to organisms, and persistence in the environment. The physical and chemical properties of these “forever chemicals” enhance their capacity for global transport, and the ocean serves as their ultimate sink. The Eastern Pacific stock of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, represents of 70% of the global breeding population but has been experiencing a discontinuous decline since 1980. A proposed contributing factor to this decline is contaminant exposure. This study developed a novel technique for analysis of POPs in keratinous tissue. A …

Relationship Between Amount Of Sleep And Academic Focus, Nikhila Paleati

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Many college students are regularly taking a full course load while simultaneously working a part-time job, studying for graduate school exams, and participating in school activities. With the growing demands inside and outside the classroom, students may find it difficult to maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Generally, individuals with a sleep duration shorter than six hours report many negative effects such as depression, automobile accidents, and cardiovascular disease. The few existing studies that link sleep and academic focus do so by focusing on the effects of sleep deprivation. This study focused on investigating a potential relationship between various amounts of …

Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring: An Innovative Intervention For Managing High Risk Of Cardiac Diseases For Pregnant Women To Prevent Poor Maternal Outcomes, Anvita Dogiparthy, Sreekari Samudrala

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Pregnant women at high risk of cardiac disease encounter various challenges leading to poor maternal outcomes, and fatalities. Recent studies show how the rate of cardiac disease/hypertension susceptibility has increased to 33.9%, with an associated high rate of negative fetal outcomes of 15% to 17%. In addressing these concerns, researchers are actively exploring alternative treatment strategies for pregnant women at high risk of cardiac diseases, as standard treatment options have limited efficacy. Intriguingly, research points to the success of a new innovative treatment called Remote Blood Pressure Monitoring (RPM), a medical device that utilizes a cuff and sensors to monitor …

Reproductive Experience Protects Against Cognitive Decline In A Mouse Model Of Dementia, Chana Vogel, Aditi Gorthy, Ariana Hernandez, Natalia Noto

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, are devastating conditions lacking safe and effective treatments. Despite the striking sex/gender difference in the prevalence of dementia, few studies have investigated sex-specific factors that may influence the greater risk and faster progression of disease in females. These factors include but are not limited to prior pregnancy and motherhood. Women with children have slower rates of cognitive decline and lower risk for developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia than women with no children. However, other studies have reported mixed results, suggesting that the influence of reproductive/maternal experience may depend on an individual’s number …

Running Kinetic Asymmetry Indices Are Associated With Concentric But Not Eccentric Jump Asymmetry Indices, Alexis Arena, Riley Schemel, Isabella Vargas-Blanchard

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Decreases in right versus left limb asymmetry of kinetic characteristics of a countermovement jump (CMJ) positively influence running velocity and injury prevention. The relationship between CMJ kinetic asymmetry to kinetic asymmetry during a distance run is less known. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between kinetic asymmetries for both the eccentric (loading) and concentric (propulsion) phases of a CMJ and kinetic asymmetries during a treadmill run. Twenty-two university cross-country runners (age, 20.0±1.8 yrs; height, 1.73±0.09 m; mass, 61.7±8.8 kg) completed a 6-minute run on an instrumented treadmill that collected mean vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) for …

Selective Loss Of The Iron-Sulfur Subunit Of The Succinate Dehydrogenase Enzyme Complex In Alzheimer's Brains: Implications For Mitochondrial Function And Disease Pathogenesis, Vanya Gupta

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mitochondria are vital for energy production in neurons. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurons primarily rely on glucose as their energy source, which is metabolized through glycolysis and further processed in the mitochondria via Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), an enzyme complex involved in both Krebs cycle and OXPHOS, plays a significant role. SDH comprises soluble and membrane-spanning subunits. The former consists of a flavoprotein (SDHA) and an iron-sulfur protein (SDHB) catalyzing the conversion of succinate to fumarate in the matrix. This reaction is coupled to the conversion of quinol to …

South Dakota Entisol And Paleosol: Bacterial And Secondary Metabolite Identification And Comparison, Mark Sourial, Manas Peddiboyina

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Bouquet Table and the Red Dog Table, areas found in the Badlands region of South Dakota, offer diverse environmental settings due to their distinct topographical features and soil properties. The Bouquet Table soil is about 3,000 years old and is considered a young entisol. The Red Dog Table located in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota is unique and has a calibrated 14C age of 12,700 years. It is located close to an undisturbed area of temperate grasslands and has most likely not been touched by machinery for plowing.

We aim to investigate how specific soil conditions and …

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 …

Tell Your Friends You Love Them, Marina Glik

Undergraduate Student Symposium

My senior year of high school, the course of my life took an unexpected and tragic turn with the untimely passing of a dear friend, Isabella. Isabella lost her life in a devastating car accident. As the weight of her loss took hold of me, I found myself going through a challenging journey of grief, seeking comfort and understanding from the people I had come to rely on for support: my school counselors, teachers, and relatives. However, to my dismay, I found that their ability to provide assistance was limited, as they struggled with the complexities of my grief in …

The Craniocervical Nerve Plexus: A Microdissection Study, Teya Plastich, Roham Hadidchi, Nicole Starke, Brittany Puebla, Andrew Schleffer, Kaitlyn Morell

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The parapharyngeal space (PPS) is a region adjacent to the pharynx housing crucial structures including the last four cranial nerves (CN), upper cervical spinal nerves, superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCSG), jugular vein, and internal carotid artery. This study aims to elucidate the microanatomy of the understudied series of neural anastomoses in this space, the craniocervical nerve plexus (CCP). To expose the CCP, we performed gross and stereomicroscopic dissection on nine bisected heads, accessing the PPS laterally by removing the mandibular ramus and mastication muscles. To delineate the CCP, nerves were traced, and a composite drawing of the neural anastomoses was …

The Impact Of Mass Media Coverage And Mass Shooting Copycats, Zamil Abid

Undergraduate Student Symposium

As a business, journalism relies on attention for profit through ad revenue. In order to survive, they need to find ways to remain interesting and worthy for the viewer to watch, and the occurrence of a mass shooting is the perfect opportunity for the media to capture attention from viewers. This easy money grab by saturating the news with mass shooting coverage gives rise to an inadvertent side effect: copycats, or people who attempt to imitate a mass shooting incident, are incentivized to do so by attention and overnight fame given through extensive media coverage. This constant cycle leads to …

The Impact Of The Delivery Style Of A Down Syndrome Diagnosis On Familial Attitudes, Palak Bhargav, Rehan Contractor

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Down syndrome is a common genetic disorder that is caused by the nondisjunction of chromosome 21 and usually manifests in the form of a third 21st chromosome. Clinical outcomes of Down syndrome include but are not limited to distinct facial features, intellectual disabilities, and developmental delays. According to numerous studies, parents have expressed that physicians often use a biased and directive tone when explaining their child’s diagnosis of Down syndrome. This often results in ambiguity for parents regarding future treatment plans, decreased self-efficacy when providing for their child, and negative stigmas associated with the condition. The purpose of this study …

The Life Of Carmen, Madison Hurtado

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Life of Carmen is a short documentary film about the life and experiences of a 94-year-old Ecuadorian raised woman, Carmen Panchana. Her vast encounters allow her to share advice to those who are willing to learn from an elder. We travel back through her life experiences and memories shown through photos and stories about her time in Ecuador, moving to America, and her relationships with her husband and son. The film is directed by Madison Hurtado, Carmen’s granddaughter. The film was coedited by Brooke Bowser.

The New Global Wave Of Authoritarianism: An Inevitable Economic Downfall?, Charlotte Opris

Undergraduate Student Symposium

After decades of democracy establishing itself as both the norm and most moral form of government, many countries are gradually shifting towards autocracy. Whether it be a natural progression of societal growth or associated with economic instability and government inefficiency, this is an overarching global trend. A debate about the consequences of this phenomenon naturally arises, especially regarding possible economic impacts. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether authoritarianism and democracy are equally capable of positive economic development. Some argue that democracy is essential for capitalist growth, while others promote autocracy's power in implementing policy. However, capitalism and …

The Social Benefits Of Merit-Based Education Versus Compulsary Education, Ajani Saldaña, Taaron Branch

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Are there social benefits to children being placed in specific educational tracks at an early age? The Austrian school system is comprised of four levels of schooling with divergent paths for vocational and academic interests. Students who are not academically inclined can be placed on a vocational pathway at an early age or even stop schooling as early as 14 if they feel their time is better spent in the workforce. This approach, known as ability tracking, groups students by similar interests, which can lead to increased participation and targeted instruction. The Austrian system ensures that every student doesn't surpass …

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 …

Ubiquitinated Il-1Β & Defective Inflammasome Formation In Alzheimer's Disease: Implications For Chronic Brain Inflammation, Deepthi Prince, Vibha Sankavaram

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Chronic inflammation, a prolonged and more long-term process, has been implicated in various diseases, including Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is the most common form of progressive dementia, associated with memory deficits and neuron damage. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed for the development of the disease, and among them, chronic inflammation is increasingly considered as an important underlying factor for the disease's development.

This research explores the role of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), a key inflammatory cytokine, in Alzheimer's pathogenesis. Elevated IL-1β levels are found in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The study focuses on the post-translational modification …

Using 3d Modeling To Describe The Electromotility Of The Outer Hair Cell Protein Prestin, And Its Role In Sound Perception Among Mammals, Marqus Colon, Syed Hussain, Russel Robert Reside

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Prestin is a vital motor protein that enables auditory perception in mammals by modulating the shape of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) in response to environmental voltage. Part of the SLC26A5 anion transporter family, prestin excels at binding anions, which facilitates its oscillation through unique conformations. While salicylate has been demonstrated to induce reversible inhibition in prestin, the broader mechanisms of how this protein senses and transduces voltage into cellular movement are not fully understood. Crucial to sound amplification in the cochlea and the ability for OHCs to selectively respond to different sound frequencies is non-linear capacitance (NLC), wherein conformational …

Using Physiochemical Properties Of Phenylalkylamines In Silico As A Predictive Classification Of Psychedelic Effect, Tatum Hedrick, Caleb Siguenza

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Rationale: Substituted phenethylamines have been widely used and distributed for religious, therapeutic, and recreational purposes. While some correlations have been reported on small subsets of these molecules and their action, little is known about the fundamental basis of their action at an atomic level. As such, collecting a large collection of computationally predicted physiochemical properties of these compounds in a comprehensive database can serve to aid in predicting their mechanisms of action. Knowing this will ultimately reduce harm among recreational users and increase efficacy in personalized therapies. As such this study aims at establishing a relationship between the calculated atomic …

What Is Categorized As A War Crime Depends On Who Commits It: An Asymmetry In Moral Judgments Of Acts Of War, Alexis Lass

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Should all acts of aggression carried out in war be categorized as War Crimes? The Geneva Conventions and the International Criminal Court set specific parameters as to what does and does not constitute a war crime. Research in the domain of moral psychology displays that individuals are guided by the justness of cause when making moral judgements about combatant behavior. However, minimal research has evaluated the differentiation of atrocities being categorized as a war crime or not. Across two studies, this research seeks to investigate the role aggressors play in lay people’s categorization of war crimes. Do pre-existing beliefs about …

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 …