Digital Commons Network^™

Quality Of Life Factors In Children With Dual Diagnosis Stuttering And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kristen N. Rollins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Addressing quality of life is a critical part of speech-language pathology. Understanding quality of life deficits and challenges in our patients’ lives allows us to provide well-rounded treatment. Quality of life in children who stutter and children with autism spectrum disorder has been heavily researched (children with autism spectrum disorder to a lesser extent). However, despite approximately 1 in 1000 children being dually diagnosed with stuttering and autism spectrum disorder (Briley & Ellis, 2018), quality of life in this population has never been researched. This thesis aims to determine whether children diagnosed with both conditions experience similar quality of life …

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals Unique Hsp90 Cycle-Dependent Client Interactions, Erick I Rios, Davi Gonçalves, Kevin A Morano, Jill L Johnson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hsp90 is an abundant and essential molecular chaperone that mediates the folding and activation of client proteins in a nucleotide-dependent cycle. Hsp90 inhibition directly or indirectly impacts the function of 10-15% of all proteins due to degradation of client proteins or indirect downstream effects. Due to its role in chaperoning oncogenic proteins, Hsp90 is an important drug target. However, compounds that occupy the ATP-binding pocket and broadly inhibit function have not achieved widespread use due to negative effects. More selective inhibitors are needed; however, it is unclear how to achieve selective inhibition. We conducted a quantitative proteomic analysis of soluble …

Evaluation Of Copanlisib In Combination With Eribulin In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Patient-Derived Xenograft Models, Zhanfang Guo, Jingqin Luo, R Jay Mashl, Jeremy Hoog, Piyush Maiti, Nikki Fettig, Sherri R Davies, Rebecca Aft, Jason M Held, Ramaswamy Govindan, Li Ding, Shunqiang Li, Cornelius Von Morze, Kooresh I Shoghi, Cynthia X Ma, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: The PI3K pathway regulates essential cellular functions and promotes chemotherapy resistance. Activation of PI3K pathway signaling is commonly observed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However previous studies that combined PI3K pathway inhibitors with taxane regimens have yielded inconsistent results. We therefore set out to examine whether the combination of copanlisib, a clinical grade pan-PI3K inhibitor, and eribulin, an antimitotic chemotherapy approved for taxane-resistant metastatic breast cancer, improves the antitumor effect in TNBC. A panel of eight TNBC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models was tested for tumor growth response to copanlisib and eribulin, alone or in combination. Treatment-induced signaling changes were …

Oscillations In Neuronal Activity: A Neuron-Centered Spatiotemporal Model Of The Unfolded Protein Response In Prion Diseases, Elliot M. Miller, Tat Chung D. Chan, Carlos Montes-Matamoros, Omar Sharif, Laurent Pujo-Menjouet, Michael R. Lindstrom

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Many neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by the slow spatial spread of toxic protein species in the brain. The toxic proteins can induce neuronal stress, triggering the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), which slows or stops protein translation and can indirectly reduce the toxic load. However, the UPR may also trigger processes leading to apoptotic cell death and the UPR is implicated in the progression of several NDs. In this paper, we develop a novel mathematical model to describe the spatiotemporal dynamics of the UPR mechanism for prion diseases. Our model is centered around a single neuron, with representative proteins P …

Barriers To And Facilitators Of Paediatric Medical Device Innovation: A Scoping Review Protocol, Lynn Kysh, Grzegorz Zapotoczny, Lisa Manzanete, Megan Carey, Payal Shah, Francesca Joseph, Haley Kempf, Abu Taher Sikder, Julia Finkel, Usha Thekkedath, Kara Toman, Chester J Koh, Kolaleh Eskandanian, Juan Espinoza

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The development of paediatric medical devices continues to lag adult medical devices and contributes to issues of inequity, safety, quality and patient outcomes. New legislation and funding mechanisms have been introduced over the past two decades, but the gap remains. Clinical trials have been identified as a pain point, but components of effective clinical research infrastructure are poorly understood. As part of a multimodal research strategy, the Pediatric Device Consortia (PDC) will conduct a scoping review to better understand infrastructural barriers to and facilitators of paediatric medical device clinical research identified in the health sciences literature.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: …

Sirt6 Protects Retinal Ganglion Cells And Optic Nerve From Degeneration During Aging And Glaucoma, Fan Xia, Shuizhen Shi, Erick Palacios, Wei Liu, Seth E Buscho, Joseph Li, Shixia Huang, Gianmarco Vizzeri, Xiaocheng Charlie Dong, Massoud Motamedi, Wenbo Zhang, Hua Liu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Glaucoma is characterized by the progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, and its risk increases with aging. Yet comprehensive insights into the complex mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we found that anti-aging molecule Sirt6 was highly expressed in RGCs. Deleting Sirt6 globally or specifically in RGCs led to progressive RGC loss and optic nerve degeneration during aging, despite normal intraocular pressure (IOP), resembling a phenotype of normal-tension glaucoma. These detrimental effects were potentially mediated by accelerated RGC senescence through Caveolin-1 upregulation and by the induction of mitochondrial dysfunction. In mouse models of high-tension glaucoma, Sirt6 level …

Clinical Validation Of Patient-Specific Inverse Modeling With Surface Temperatures And Physiological And Geometrical Factors In Breast Cancer Detection, Carlos Gutierrez

Theses

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting the lives of many women and taking over 683,000 lives worldwide. Early detection of breast cancer through screening has been instrumental in reducing the mortality rate. However, current screening methods based on mammography have issues with patient discomfort, invasiveness, cost and low accuracy, mainly due to dense breast tissue in approximately 40% of women population. Infrared imaging (IRI) is shown to be noninvasive, cost effective, comfortable, and not affected by breast density. The present work describes a novel patient-specific IRI inverse heat transfer algorithm based on the digital model of …

Collaboration And Cooperation: A Network Analytic Approach, Rodolfo Baggio, Giovanni Ruggieri

International Journal of Islands Research

The value of collaboration in the tourism domain has been highlighted in numerous works. Coordination of joint activities in tourism destinations is a prerequisite for enhancing the value creation process and providing a good basis for the attractiveness and development of the destination. Destination managers are called to design efficient and effective strategies for improving collaboration in their areas. To do that, they need reliable ways to measure the phenomenon. Traditional methods are reputed to be relatively ineffective for their intrinsic biases. However, network science can provide, instead, trustworthy ways for this task. This paper describes some of the most …

Noda October 2023

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Noda February 2023

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Noda January 2023

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

From Small Fry To Big Fish: How Developmental Morphology Can Define A Species., Ian Hipp

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Central American cichlid fish present a puzzle to evolutionary biologists: how do we define a species, especially when they are still hybridizing? Throughout the lifespan of cichlids, they develop a distinct morphology going from almost indistinguishable juveniles to identifiable adults. Our Summer 2023 Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) course set out to map the timing of these differences across 23 cichlid species from Guatemala. As a team, we discovered that this variation appears early on, such that juvenile fish are already displaying the diversity we see in adults.

Inhibitors Of The Bacterial Enzyme Arge As Potential Novel Antibiotics, Alayna Bland

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, and therefore there is an urgent need to discover novel antibiotics targeting alternate pathways. This project studies inhibitors of dizinc metalloenzyme acetylornithine deacetylase (ArgE), an enzyme found in the arginine biosynthesis pathway of bacteria. Inhibiting this enzyme would kill bacteria without mechanism-based toxicity to humans. We screened classes of potential inhibitors and tested compounds in a 214 nm assay, finding IC₅₀ values for the most potent inhibitors. We also tested select inhibitors in a thermal shift assay with Escherichia coli ArgE to determine the stability of the enzyme in the presence of …

Patterns Of Context-Dependent Global Change In Agroecology And Marine Neritic And Benthic Ecosystems - A Systematic Review, Jasmine Ramiscal, Sophia Martin

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Global change impacts diverse ecosystems in ways that can be context-dependent, where ecological relationships depend on context. Despite independent studies capturing context-dependent impacts, a global understanding of patterns of context-dependence is lacking. As part of a wider effort by the Women of Color in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (WOCinEEB) Global-Change subgroup, we report on an ongoing systematic literature review that examines context-dependent effects of global change, such as climate-change and biodiversity loss, within marine (66 articles) and agroecological ecosystems (71 articles). We aim to systematize data to uncover geographic patterns, stressor-specific impacts, and degree of context dependence across different ecosystems.

Investigate The Role Of Ephrin-B2 And Epha7 In Frequency Map Formation In The Cochlear Nucleus, Joshua Morcos

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Cochlea's spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) transmit sound to the cochlear nucleus, forming a frequency map based on sound responses. Previous studies suggest Ephs and ephrins guide axons in sensory systems, leading us to investigate their role. Ephrin-B2 and EphA7 expression along the cochlear nucleus axis and in developing SGNs respectively implies their involvement in frequency mapping. Ephrin-B2 influences auditory nerve fiber trajectory. Absence of ephrin-B2 and EphA7 in mice reduces frequency band precision. Our findings suggest ephrin-B2 and EphA7 signals regulate frequency mapping in the auditory system.

Angelology: The Creation & The Fall In Neon Genesis Evangelion, Grace Trifunovich

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This poster will walk through the angelology and comparisons Neon Genesis Evangelion has to the different creation and fall of humanity narratives of the book of Genesis. It will follow the basis of the world and lore behind the 1995 anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion and how it coincides with the biblically accurate representation of angels, as well as follows a post Eden world painted by the Genesis narrative.

The Effects Of A Low Or High Fat Diet That Determines The Outcome Of Diabetes, Tiara Guider

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

About 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes and about 90 –95% of those with diabetes have Type II diabetes (CDC). We wanted to look at the affects of diet, sex, and genes to determine if they play a significant role in Type II diabetes. We performed a glucose tolerance test injected the F34 LG,SM advanced intercross line. We found that determined that these factors play a role in having Type II diabetes.

Ephrina’S Repel Embryonic Gustatory Geniculate Axons In Vitro And In Vivo And Are Expressed In The Adult Gustatory System, Rohan Jaiswal, Anna Grundhoefer

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Ephs and ephrins are cell surface proteins that act as ligands and receptors for one another and typically mediate contact-dependent axon repulsion. We explored whether there is a role for this signaling system in the rodent tongue. We examined expression patterns of EphAs and ephrinAs in the tongue and geniculate ganglion, in-vitro responses of neurites to ephrinAs, and in-vivo knockouts of ephrinA1, -A3, and -A4. Together, this data supports a role for EphA-ephrinA signaling in axon targeting in the embryonic rodent tongue. Preliminary data shows that EphAs and ephrinAs are expressed in the adult rodent gustatory system as well.

Determining The Catalytic Efficiency Of Β-Glucosidase B (Bglb) H328n Mutant ​, Marian Castro, Emma Katubig

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will describe the experience of generating a mutant enzyme, characterizing its function, and making protein function predictions. This project began by designing the H328N mutation for our selected protein, β–glucosidase B (BglB), using the molecular modeling tool, Foldit. Following preparation of plasmid DNA containing H328N, DNA sequencing was performed prior to expression and purification. An enzyme kinetic assay was conducted to facilitate characterization of activity. Lastly, the purity was analyzed using SDS-PAGE. We utilized our calculated system energy values obtained from the Foldit models in conjunction with examination of intermolecular interactions to predict the outcome of our experiment.

The Religious Practices Of Hinduism In The Greater Chicago Area, Justyna Czopek, Iza Flores

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This spring semester, as part of an engaged learning component of the course ‘Religions of Asia’, students visited a religious site related to the Indo-Asian religions studied throughout the course. My classmate and I visited the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, Illinois. As part of our visit there, we photographed the temple buildings, observed architecture, and conducted interviews with three people. The interview covered questions about the history, the religious services, and demographics of the attendees among others. Through this project, we were able to compare and contrast beliefs of the religion that we learned in class to …

Assessing Biochar’S Influence On Soil Nutrients And Native Plants In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Eva Bednard

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Native species in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands (GLCWs) are threatened by rampant invasion of aggressive species such as Typha spp. and Phragmites australis. Anthropogenic activity alters GLCW ecosystems through nutrient runoff that results in eutrophication, creating favorable conditions for aggressive plant invaders. An emerging mitigation strategy to address invasion via pollutant and macronutrient capture is the application of the soil amendment product, biochar. Research suggests that biochar has the potential to remove nutrients and pollutants from soils and thus mitigate invasive growth. However, little research has been done on GLCW native response to the addition of biochar. This project addresses …

Investigating The Stabilization Degree In Cold Temperatures Of The Microtubule Associated Protein Spm-1 Of The Malaria Parasite Plasmodium., Tanya Stoeva

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Malaria kills over half a million people yearly. My project aims to discover the extent to which the parasite remains stable in cold temperatures. The protozoan malaria parasite Plasmodium maintains its cellular shape with a network of cytoskeletal structures under its plasma membrane known as the subpellicular complex. Microtubules play a key part in this stabilizing complex. The microtubule proteins SPM-1 and TrxL-1 are hypothesized to form stabilization complexes inside the microtubules for regulation and structural reinforcement. My project investigates the role of SPM-1 in microtubule stabilization throughout varying temperatures.

Understanding The Practice Of Buddhism In The Chicagoland Area, John Ratz, Kayla Quigley

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation reflects on our experiences visiting Buddhist sites in Chicago to understand better how Buddhism is practiced. Throughout our semester in Theo 299 Religions of Asia, we have been learning about the beliefs of different religions originating in Asia including Buddhism. The purpose of this project is to have first-hand experiences observing these beliefs through practice and rituals. The sites observed were the Buddhist Temple of Chicago and Chicago Karma Thegsum Chöling. Through this experience, we developed a deeper understanding of the importance of religious practice in Chicago.

Difference In Excitement While Watching Male Vs. Female Athletes, Lauren Pflueger, Aj Carroll, Isabel Butler

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This study explores the difference between male and female sports. We aim to understand whether the reception of women’s teams is due to a significant difference in attention and excitement levels of the viewer or if the difference in excitement between men’s and women’s sports is influenced by misogyny or other societal factors. This study was IRB-approved, and data was collected in the UX & Biometrics Lab at Quinlan. Attention, engagement, and excitement were measured using eye-tracking technology (measuring attention), facial recognition software (measuring engagement), and Galvanic Skin Response data (measuring arousal).

Organic Acid Production In Bacterial Suspensions Containing Naf And Mfp, Elena Hoppmann, Sufia Khan

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

MFP is a self-sufficient anticaries agent, whereas NaF effectiveness differs based on presence of toothpaste binding agents. The bacterial strain used is S. mutans. Cells will be suspended in an artificial saliva phosphate buffer (separated into triplicate beakers: control, NaF, MFP). A 2-hour pH drop, will establish treatment inhibiting acid production more effectively in a hypothetical mouth environment.

1) Is MFP more effective at inhibiting lactic acid production?

2) What is the difference in the two mechanisms (MFP: enters cell, NaF: does not)?

Polygenic Risk Scores In The Context Of Genetic Counseling: A Focus On Obesity, Jacqueline Les

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This paper analyzes quantitative trait loci associated with obesity and importance of polygenic risk scores in genetic counseling. Obesity risk caused by gene-environment interactions is investigated using a mouse model. Reproductive fat pad composition of F34 mice was obtained for 25 individuals after administering high-/low-fat diets to conclude the probability of obesity occurrence based on additive/dominance genetic effects. Single loci analyses based on sex, diet, and genomic locations are carried out to determine genetic effect on obesity, which highlight whether risk variation is dependent on sex/dietary environment. Advantages of polygenic risk scores in terms of personalized health care are discussed.

Computational Analysis Of O6-Methylated Guanine And Thioguanine Complexes, Kirsten Stinson, Michael Bowman

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

DNA methylation occurring on the O⁶ position of guanine has been linked to the formation of cancer. DNA complexes with O⁶-methylated guanine have been studied experimentally, yet questions remain concerning the carcinogenic properties of O⁶-methylguanine. This present research explored the interaction between O⁶-methylguanine and its potential nucleobase pairs of cytosine and adenine in hopes of elucidating the mutagenic characteristics of O⁶-methylguanine. A variety of computational methods including Density Functional Theory (DFT), Symmetry Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT), Noncovalent Interaction (NCI) analysis, and Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis were employed to comprehensively probe …

The Effects Of Using Concept Maps On The Results Of Nurse Students: An Experimental Study, Sami Ennaciri, Mohamed Droui, Fatiha Chigr

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Concepts maps become fashionable in educational fields as pedagogical tool to improve learning among students. However, the effects of using concept maps are not completely explored. Therfore, this study aimed to explore the effects of using concept maps among nurse students at High Institute of Nursing Sciences and Health Technics in Rabat, Morocco. Methods: an experimental quantitative explanatory research with pre-test and post-test was used. Seventy nursing students from Moroccan nursing school were enrolled in this study. Half of them received a course using classical methods ( control group); the other half received the course using concept maps (experimental …

Caring Behavior And Compassion Competence And Their Association With Readiness For Interprofessional Education Among Student Nurses, Ejercito Mangawa Balay-Odao, Jennifer Mesde, Junel Bryan Bajet, Nahed Alquwez, Cherryl Danglipen, Jinalyn Vicente-Pascua, Jonas Preposi Cruz

Health Professions Education

Purpose: This study examines the association of readiness for interprofessional education on nursing students' caring behavior and compassion competence.

Method: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The Interprofessional Readiness Scale, Caring Behavior Scale, and Compassion Competence Scale (Arabic version) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using T-test, F-test, Spearman Rho, and multiple regression analysis. A total of 417 nursing students participated in the study using convenience sampling.

Result: The study found that student nurses have highly perceived interprofessional education, caring behavior, and compassion competence. The study result shows that interprofessional education influences student nurses' caring behavior and …

Development Of Wireless Device Prototype For Measurement Of Rumen Ph And Temperature Continuously In Cattle, Piyanat Prasomsri, Apirak Tudsorn, Aekaluck Leklerdsiriwong, Chaidate Inchaisri, Siraphop Tooprakai

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study aims to develop a prototype rumen pH and rumen temperature measuring device for continuous measurement. The benefit is for the monitoring and early diagnosis of metabolic diseases in cattle, especially rumen acidosis and subacute ruminal acidosis. The developed prototype device was approximately 50 millimeters in diameter, 145 millimeters in length and weighed 400 grams. The outer structure of the prototype was made from abs plastic made by a 3D printer, while the internal device contained pH and temperature sensors, a microcontroller and battery. The prototype was placed in the ventral sac of the rumen of fistulated cattle for …