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Chem 473-002: Biochemistry, Bhavani Balasubramanian

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Evsc 623-852: Environmental Health, Micheal Bonchonsky

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Chem 244a-104: Organic Chemistry Lab I, Chunmeng Lu

Chemistry, Environmental and Forensic Science Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Review Of New Treatment Options For Toxoplasmosis, Kiley Roman

D.U.Quark

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by the parasite, Toxoplasma Gondii. The parasite is often carried in cats and contaminated food and water. Toxoplasmosis is not serious most of the time but can be harmful to immunocompromised people, pregnant women, and their fetuses or babies. Treatments are commonly given to the immunocompromised. However, there are problems with the current treatments, in which they only treat active parasites and cannot remove the cysts created by disease progression. Due to the treatments’ inability to remove cysts, an infected person may not fully recover from the infection. This review evaluated the new …

Using Rna-Sequencing To Explore Mechanistic Markers, New Therapeutics, And Immune Imbalance: A Study Of Cancer And Autoimmunity Through The Lens Of Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, And B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Naomi Lydia Rapier-Sharman

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer and autoimmune diseases both impose a substantial healthcare burden on the US and world populations. In 2016, there were over 17 million cases of cancer, leading to nearly nine million deaths. Additionally, autoimmune diseases cause substantial mortality and morbidity and are present in 3-5% of the general population. Despite the increased attention scientists now give diseases that are impacted by immune imbalance, we have yet to find regimens to treat the core cause(s) of tissue dysfunction without drastically decreasing the quality of life for many patients with either cancer or autoimmune disease. For instance, anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) …

Prevalence Of Autoimmune Diseases In Patients Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: An Epidemiological Study Using A Global Network Of Health Care Organizations, Pushti Khandwala, Devashish Desai, Arthur Lau

Einstein Health Papers

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate prevalence of new onset autoimmune conditions (ACs) after commencement of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

METHODS: This retrospective observational study was done using TriNetX. Patients with neoplasm for which ICIs were approved were stratified into two groups based on ICI use. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan Meier method were used to assess risk of developing ACs among the groups. Subgroup analysis was done to evaluate risk of ACs in patients receiving cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 inhibitor (CTLA4i) versus program cell death protein 1 inhibitor (PD1i) and program death ligand 1 inhibitor (PDL1i) inhibitors and combination treatment (CT) …

Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection Prevention In Medical Intensive Care Unit, Linet Angir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

. The doctoral project was a collaborative endeavor focused on central line dressing sites at a state university hospital in the northeastern United States. The aim was to reduce the current central line-associated infections (CLABSIs) rate. Through audits, it was discovered that most central line dressings needed to be completely sealed, some required insertion site clipping to ensure a complete seal, and some dressings were saturated. To uphold a commitment to quality care, clinical excellence, patient care, and superior outcomes, the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project recognized the importance of implementing the recommendations to reduce CLABSIs by maintaining central …

Atm Expression And Activation In Ataxia Telangiectasia Patients With And Without Class Switch Recombination Defects, Fereshte Salami, Tannaz Moeini Shad, Nazanin Fathi, Hanieh Mojtahedi, Marzie Esmaeili, Sepideh Shahkarami, Ladan Gol Mohammad Pour Afrakoti, Parisa Amirifar, Samaneh Delavari, Hassan Nosrati, Azadehsadat Razavi, Mohammad Reza Ranjouri, Mahsa Yousefpour, Zahra Hamidi Esfahani, Gholamreza Azizi, Mahmoudreza Ashrafi, Nima Rezaei, Reza Yazdani, Hassan Abolhassani

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase plays a critical role in DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair. Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) patients exhibit abnormalities in immunoglobulin isotype expression and class switch recombination (CSR). This study investigates the role of residual ATM kinase expression and activity in the severity of A-T disease.

METHODS: A-T patients with defined genetic diagnoses were classified based on CSR and based on the severity of their medical complications. Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from any patient were evaluated before and after exposure to 0.5 Gy ionizing radiation for one minute. Western blotting was performed to identify the expression …

Co-Option Of Mitochondrial Nucleic Acid-Sensing Pathways By Hsv-1 Ul12.5 For Reactivation From Latent Infection, Patryk A. Krakowiak, Matthew E. Flores, Sean R. Cuddy, Abigail L. Whitford, Sara A. Dochnal, Aleksandra Babnis, Tsuyoshi Miyake, Marco Tigano, Daniel A. Engel, Anna R. Cliffe

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Although viruses subvert innate immune pathways for their replication, there is evidence they can also co-opt antiviral responses for their benefit. The ubiquitous human pathogen, Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), encodes a protein (UL12.5) that induces the release of mitochondrial nucleic acid into the cytosol, which activates immune-sensing pathways and reduces productive replication in nonneuronal cells. HSV-1 establishes latency in neurons and can reactivate to cause disease. We found that UL12.5 is required for HSV-1 reactivation in neurons and acts to directly promote viral lytic gene expression during initial exit from latency. Further, the direct activation of innate immune-sensing pathways triggered …

Single-Chain Variable Fragments: Targeting Snake Venom Phospholipase A2 And Serine Protease, Ying Jia, Ariane Garcia, Elizabeth Reyes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Snakebite is a critical global public health issue, causing substantial mortality and morbidity, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The development of innovative antivenoms targeting snake venom toxins is therefore of paramount importance. In this study, we adopted an epitope-directed approach to design three degenerate 15-mer peptides based on amino acid sequence alignments of snake venom phospholipase A2s (PLA2s) and snake venom serine proteases (SVSPs) from snake (Crotalus atrox). By leveraging their immunogenic and inhibitory profiles, these peptides were specifically designed to target the Asp49 and Lys49 variants of PLA2 and SVSP toxins. Groups of five mice were immunized with …

Ethnic Disparities In Hba1c And Hypoglycemia Among Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Beyond Access To Technology, Social Deprivation And Mean Blood Glucose, J. Pemberton, Zhide Fang, Stuart Chalew, S. Uday

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Introduction The UK national pediatric diabetes audit reports higher HbA1c for children and young people (CYP) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) of Black ethnicity compared with White counterparts. This is presumably related to higher mean blood glucose (MBG) due to lower socioeconomic status (SES) and less access to technology. We aimed to determine if HbA1c ethnic disparity persists after accounting for the above variables. Research design and methods A retrospective analysis of participants who received structured education in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) use was conducted at a tertiary center. HbA1c was paired with glucose metrics from 90-day CGM data. The …

As-988-25 Resolution In Support Of Cal Poly's Transgender And Gender Non-Conforming Community, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Resolutions

Resolves that the Cal Poly Academic Senate unequivocally affirms its support for the rights, safety, and well-being of members of the Cal Poly community who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, or any other identity encompassed within the LGBTQIA+ community; and it further resolves that the Academic Senate supports members of the Cal Poly community who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming, or any other identity encompassed within the LGBTQIA+ community and encourages the administration to continue implementing and expanding initiatives that provide education and training on gender inclusivity for all students, faculty, and staff; ensure access to gender-inclusive facilities, including restrooms …

Single-Molecule Dna-Flow Stretching Assay As A Versatile Hybrid Tool For Investigating Dna-Protein Interactions, Sadaf Shehzad, Hyeongjun Kim

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Single-molecule techniques allow researchers to investigate individual molecules and obtain unprecedented details of the heterogeneous nature of biological entities. They play instrumental roles in studying DNA-protein interactions due to the ability to visualize DNA or proteins and to manipulate individual DNA molecules by applying force or torque. Here, we describe single-molecule DNA-flow stretching assays as hybrid tools that combine forces with fluorescence. We also review how widely these assays are utilized in elucidating working mechanisms of DNA-binding proteins. Additionally, we provide a brief explanation of various efforts to prepare DNA substrates with desired internal protein-binding sequences. More complicated needs for …

The Quic-Sp: A Spanish Language Tool Assessing Unpredictability In Early Life Is Linked To Physical And Mental Health, Sabrina R. Liu, Natasha A. Bailey, Sara Romero-González, Amy Moors, Belinda Campos, Elysia P. Davis, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Accumulating evidence indicates that unpredictable signals in early life represent a unique form of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) associated with disrupted neurodevelopmental trajectories in children and adolescents. The Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC) was developed to assess early life unpredictability, encompassing social, emotional, and physical unpredictability in a child’s environment, and has been validated in three independent cohorts. However, the importance of identifying ACEs in diverse populations, including non-English speaking groups, necessitates translation of the QUIC. The current study aims to translate and validate a Spanish language version of the QUIC (QUIC-SP) and assess its associations with mental and …

Adverse Side Effects Of Hemodialysis In Patients With End-Stage Chronic Renal Disease At Kassala Dialysis Center, Sudan, Muzamil Ahmed, Mustafa Khairelseed, Muzdlefa Ahmed, Mutaz Mohammed, Mutaz Omara

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Background: Hemodialysis is a treatment for advanced renal failure; however, various complications can arise following the procedure. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the incidence of adverse side effects during hemodialysis in patients with chronic renal failure. Methods: This descriptive hospital-based study was conducted on 105 patients treated with hemodialysis between November 2020 and January 2021 at the Kassala Dialysis Center in Kassala City, Kassala State, Sudan. Data were collected through interviews using a questionnaire designed to address the research questions. The data were analyzed using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16. Results: The findings indicated …

Case Report: A Durable Response To Anastrozole Re-Challenge With Everolimus In A Patient With Advanced-Stage Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, Vincent Emma P Weiss

Iraqi National Journal of Medicine

Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease characterized by its dependence on estrogen for growth and progression. Although hormonal therapy remains the cornerstone of treatment, many patients eventually develop resistance, leading to recurrence and disease progression. This case report describes a durable response to a rechallenge with Anastrozole (Arimidex) in combination with Everolimus (Afinitor), an mTOR inhibitor, in a patient with advanced (stage IV) ER+ metastatic breast cancer.

A Paper-Based Hpv E7 Oncoprotein Assay For Cervical Precancer Detection At The Point Of Care, Chelsey A Smith, Sai Paul, Karen E Haney, Sonia G Parra, Meaghan Bond, Leticia López, Mauricio Maza, Juan Felix, Preetha Ramalingam, Pablo Escobar, Philip E Castle, Kathleen M Schmeler, Rebecca R Richards-Kortum

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cervical cancer, while preventable through screening and treatment of cervical precancer, remains a global challenge with a disproportionately high burden of disease in resource-limited settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Lack of affordable, easy-to-use screening and diagnostic tests contributes to this disparity. Most commercially available tests are not appropriate for use in LMICs due to resource constraints. Specifically, HPV mRNA and oncoprotein tests that have high specificity for cervical precancer and cancer require complex sample preparation protocols and expensive instrumentation. To address these limitations, an HPV E7 oncoprotein assay for HPV16, 18, and 45 was developed that is …

Spatial Transcriptome Reveals Histology-Correlated Immune Signature Learnt By Deep Learning Attention Mechanism On H&E-Stained Images For Ovarian Cancer Prognosis, Chun Wai Ng, Kwong-Kwok Wong, Barrett C Lawson, Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, Samuel C Mok

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The ability to predict the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer can greatly improve disease management. However, the knowledge on the mechanism of the prediction is limited. We sought to deconvolute the attention feature learnt by a deep learning convolutional neural networks trained with whole-slide images (WSIs) of hematoxylin-and-eosin (H&E)-stained tumor samples using spatial transcriptomic data.

Methods: In this study, 773 WSIs of H&E-stained tumor sections from 335 patients with treatment naïve high-grade serous ovarian cancer who were included in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Pan-Cancer study were used to train, and validate, and to test a ResNet101 CNN …

Piezo1-Mediated Mechanotransduction Regulates Collagen Synthesis On Nanostructured 2d And 3d Models Of Fibrosis, Neda Rashidi, Natalia S Harasymowicz, Alireza Savadipour, Nancy Steward, Ruhang Tang, Sara Oswald, Farshid Guilak

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Progressive fibrosis can lead to tissue malfunction and organ failure due to the pathologic accumulation of a collagen-rich extracellular matrix. In vitro models provide useful tools for deconstructing the roles of specific biomechanical or biological mechanisms, such as substrate micro- and nanoscale architecture, in these processes for identifying potential therapeutic targets. Here, we investigated how the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1 influences fibrotic gene and protein expression in adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). Specifically, we examined the role of PIEZO1 and the mechanosensitive transcription factors YAP/TAZ in sensing aligned or non-aligned substrate architecture to regulate collagen formation. We utilized both 2D microphotopatterned …

Developing A Citizen Science Approach To Monitor Stranded Marine Plastics On A Remote Small Island In Indonesia, Radisti A. Praptiwi, Carya Maharja, Fauzan Cholifatullah, Dwi Cj Subroto, Sainal Sainal, Peter I. Miller, Vikki Cheung, Tatang Mitra Setia, Nasruddin, Datu, Jito Sugardjito, Melanie Austen

School of Psychology

Marine plastics stranded on the coastlines of remote small islands threaten both the ecological integrity of local ecosystems and communities’ well-being. However, despite the growing quantities of stranded plastics in these locations, the remote nature of these sites renders monitoring and intervention efforts difficult to undertake. Within this context, we developed a citizen science approach to monitor stranded marine plastics in collaboration with villagers living on a remote small island in Indonesia. This study reports the co-development and application of an approach that can be used and maintained independently by remote coastal communities. In the monitoring stage, the participants quantified …

Sandpiper Food Search Algorithm: A New Optimization Approach For Agents With Limited Knowledge, Jessica Christa Wira Hadipoernomo

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Optimization plays a crucial role in refining complex system designs, improving performance, and maximizing efficiency across various applications. Traditional methods like convex optimization and the Newton-Raphson method are often insufficient for today’s increasingly complex challenges. To address this challenge, numerous metaheuristic algorithms, often inspired by nature, have emerged including Particle Swarm Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, Bat Algorithm, and Firefly Algorithm. However, most of these existing algorithms have global knowledge, which is unrealistic for some real-world complex systems such as underground mining and spacecraft trajectory. To bridge this gap, this article develops and presents a new biologically inspired optimization algorithm, the Sandpiper …

Remote Sensing In Iberá Wetlands, Argentina: Uncrewed Aircraft Systems And Service Learning Supporting Environmental Resilience, James Tyler Deal

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Mapping wetland regions is challenging. Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) have inherent abilities to sense rapidly and efficiently remotely difficult to access locations. Wetland regions around the world are under pressure due to increasing human presence and climate change. Iberá Wetlands in Argentina provides an example of a region that rebounded from detritus effects of human activity. Although the Iberá Wetlands suffered great environmental degradation causing large animals to be driven from the area, visitors today see a biologically diverse region bearing the fruit of restoration. It serves as a prime location for demonstrating the ability of UAS to efficiently collect …

Working With The Immune System To Fight Infection: An Innovative Alternative To Chemical Anti Fungal Treatment, Riley Dienna

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Current clinical treatments for blood-based fungal infections mainly rely on systemic Amphotericin B, which, despite its effectiveness, is biologically toxic and remains the sole method for infection management. To explore safer alternatives, this project aims to introduce a gene therapy strategy as a promising treatment for fungal infections caused by Candida albicans biofilms. Through genetic engineering, we intend to deliver a powerful antimycotic enzyme, endo-alpha-mannosidase, into monocytes using plasmid gene therapy, thereby enhancing immune and antifungal responses. This initiative will create an effective alternative therapy to treat systemic fungal infections. Furthermore, the methodologies developed will provide proof of concept for …

Aging Popular Exoplanet Hosts, Grace Henry

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This paper presents an analysis of stellar ages and properties for a sample of stars hosting exoplanets in their habitable zones, using the BASE-9 software. BASE-9 employs Bayesian statistics to model stellar parameters such as age, mass, metallicity, and distance by fitting observed photometric data to theoretical isochrones. The primary goal of this study is to determine more accurate ages for these host stars, which is critical for understanding the long-term habitability of their exoplanets.

Our sample consists of 5 stars with well-characterized exoplanets, and we utilize a combination of observational data, including photometry and spectroscopy, to constrain the models. …

The Impact Of Light Pollution On The Erau Campus, Myles Curtis, Ahnika Gee

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The 1-meter telescope at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach campus is the largest university-based research telescope in Florida. However, the light pollution from facilities and outdoor light fixtures greatly interferes with these resources, the quality of student life, and ecological systems in the area. Our team works to identify the greatest contributors to light pollution on campus so that we can develop cost effective and accessible solutions. A Unihedron Sky Quality Meter (SQM) is used to measure the amount of light being emitted from various sources of light. We are taking empirical and quantitative data, using the SQM, in …

Climatizing National Security, Mark Nevitt

University of Chicago Legal Forum

Is climate change a national security issue? Human security? Ecological security? This Article addresses the growing nexus between climate change and various conceptions of security with a particular emphasis on climate change's national security impacts. This Article argues that there is a growing connection between national security and climate change and a corresponding need to address the normative implications of "climatizing national security." This connection can be observed through three lenses: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions from military and national security sources); adaptation (investing in climate resilient infrastructure in an effort to prepare for climate impacts), and response (addressing climate-exacerbated …

Addressing Ip And Technology Challenges To Pandemic Protection: A Need For Global Coordination To Promote National Security, Cynthia M. Ho

University of Chicago Legal Forum

This Article argues that effective national security mandates protection against the spread of infectious diseases, which requires addressing intellectual property (IP) and technology obstacles. Without modification, IP laws can bar the manufacture of needed treatments by anyone besides the IP owner and its licensees. Although there was some recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic that existing IP laws should be modified, there was strong resistance not only by IP-owning companies, but also by individual countries that impeded the ability to manufacture needed vaccines during the height of the pandemic.

Many global leaders have recognized that future pandemics are inevitable and that …

Deeper Magic: Theology Of The Body In C. S. Lewis And John Paul Ii, George French

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

C. S. Lewis tells us that science and magic are “twins.” “They were born,” he says “of the same impulse”3 of man to master the natural world. We think of them very differently because science has succeeded where magic has failed, but that should not make us blind to their “strong family likeness.”4 Science and magic are intertwined for much of their history, and it is in the Enlightenment that the two begin to separate. While magic died and science survived, Lewis thinks that modern applied science still retains much of the “family likeness.” Unfortunately, not all of the family …

N.I.C.E. Alchemy: The Quest For Immortality In That Hideous Strength, Joseph Weigel

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

In the third and final chapter of The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis makes what may be one of the most provocative statements in his entire corpus of writings: “The serious magical endeavour and the serious scientific endeavor are twins. . . . They were born of the same impulse.”1 This claim is jarring because science and magic are thought of as opposites. One seeks knowledge through observation, the other deals in spells, rites, and incantations. However, Lewis recognized something deeper that united the two disciplines. The impulse for “magic and applied science alike,” he continued in Abolition, “is …

One Dominant Age: The Technological Singularity In The Abolition Of Man, Christopher Tissell

Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal

I doubt whether we are sufficiently attentive to the importance of the third part of C. S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man. Much ink has been spilled analyzing Lewis’s thoughts on the dangers of subjectivism as outlined in the first two parts of the book, but less so on the endpoint to which Lewis thinks subjectivism leads when whole societies succumb to it. Yet Lewis himself, or at least his editor, thought the final part important enough to name the lecture series after it, and dramatize it in a novel afterward. If Lewis saw the train leaving the station over …