Digital Commons Network^™

Impaired Mitochondrial Ultrastructure In Peripheral Neurons Under Cholinergic Receptor Muscarinic 1 (Chrm1) Loss: Implications For Alzheimer's Disease And Sensory Neurodegeneration, Amrutha Venkat

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cholinergic Receptor Muscarinic 1 (CHRM1) is a G protein-coupled receptor expressed in both the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS). The degeneration of cholinergic neurons and cholinergic hypofunction are pathologies associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our recent studies have demonstrated a severe loss (≥50% decrease compared to non-demented individuals) of CHRM1 protein levels in the postmortem temporal cortices, which is associated with poor survival in AD patients. Moreover, investigations utilizing an enriched cortical synaptosomal mitochondrial fraction from wild-type and Chrm1 knockout (Chrm1^-/-) mice have revealed that Chrm1 loss leads to altered supramolecular assembly of oxidative phosphorylation-associated …

Influence Of Growth Efficiency, Bacterial Density, And Metabolism On Antibiotic Resistance In Staphylococcus Aureus, Shreeya Patel, Estefania Marin Meneses

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance presents a formidable challenge in medicine, with rising mortality rates and escalating hospital expenses attributed to infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To address this critical issue, comprehending the mechanisms of bacterial resistance is paramount to the development of innovate drugs and treatment strategies. One such mechanism is the inoculum effect (IE), where the initial bacterial population density determines the minimum concentration of antibiotic required to eliminate the population. While previous work has shown that for gram negative bacteria, the relationship between ATP production and growth rate can account for the IE. However, it remains unclear as to if …

Interactions Between Atp Production, Growth Rate, And Antibiotic Lethality Determine The Inoculum Effect In Β-Lactamase-Expression Escherichia Coli, Ariane Kalifa, Philopatier Ibrahim, Kielan Singh

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic resistance is a global threat, claiming approximately five million lives annually and impacting nations worldwide. In the U.S.A., this issue is significant, with 2.8 million diagnosed cases leading to 35,000 deaths each year. One way that bacteria can resist antibiotic treatment is through the inoculum effect (IE). IE explains how the concentration of antibiotics required to kill a population of bacteria increases as a function of bacterial density. Recently it was found that increasing ATP production/growth rate decreases the strength of IE. However, we do not know if this relationship can predict IE in bacteria that express β-lactamases as …

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 …

Ketogenic Diet Improves Cognitive-Behavioral Function In A Mouse Model Of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Chana Vogel, Lauren Rosenburg, Iliana Uribe, Ariana Hernandez, Bianca Echeverria

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), characterized by the accumulation of amyloid protein in cerebral vessels, is linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD), stroke, and cognitive impairment. Currently, there is no effective treatment or prevention for this condition. The ketogenic diet (KD), which is characterized by high fat, low carbohydrate, and moderate protein consumption, has gained considerable attention in recent years for its potential therapeutic use in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Studies in AD rodent models have found that KD and/or ketogenic supplements attenuate cognitive-behavioral impairments and dementia-related pathology. However, it is unknown whether KD can similarly benefit individuals with CAA. Considering KD’s …

Learning From Louisiana: How Legislation And Location Affect Lgbtq+ Youth Mental Health, Abhay Dharanikota

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Queer youth are disproportionately vulnerable to mental health challenges including elevated risks of social isolation and suicide ideation. Disparities in mental health outcomes among queer students exist across states, but the underlying factors contributing to these variations remain unclear. This research aims to understand why certain states exhibit better mental health outcomes among queer youth than others by analyzing nationwide LGBTQ+ mental health statistics. This knowledge can then inform effective programs and approaches to improving outcomes in other states. It is hypothesized that states offering accessible mental health services, safe spaces such as Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), and LGBTQ-affirming …

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 …

Long-Term Outcomes Of Covid-19 Survivors With Pre-Existing Dementia, Roham Hadidchi

Undergraduate Student Symposium

It is known that patients with dementia are at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to older age and may be susceptible to worse acute outcomes. Whether or not acute COVID-19 infection predisposes patients with pre-existing dementia to worse longer-term outcomes is unknown and few studies compare COVID-19 survivors with non-COVID controls. This retrospective study evaluated 9,806 patients with dementia in the Montefiore Health System in the Bronx (January 2016 to July 2023), which serves a large minority population in the epicenter of the pandemic. Patients who had pre-existing dementia at the time of COVID-19 infection (COVID-19 group) or the …

Metabolic Potentation Of Antibiotic Lethality From Carbon Source Preference In P. Aeruginosa And S. Aureus, Pooja Parikh, Trent Moudler

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health concern with a dire need for new solutions. This problem has only been exacerbated in recent years due to the misuse of antibiotics and globalization. As new antibiotic drugs are costly and time-intensive, it is imperative to understand and study creative new ways to combat AMR. In both natural ecosystems and clinical infections, microorganisms seldom exist in isolation. Rather, they flourish within polymicrobial communities, presenting unique challenges for therapeutic interventions owing to elaborate inter-species interactions. Two such pathogens are Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA); bacteria commonly found in patients with …

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 Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor Antagonist Knw For Possible Optimized Asthma Treatment, Sreejani Jonnalagadda, Shalet James

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Under-diagnosed and under-treated, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, asthma has affected 262 million people globally in 2019. Cysteinyl leukotriene receptors (Cys-LTRs) are a δ-branch of class A G protein-coupled receptors associated with physiological functions in airways with allergic inflammation. Current antiasthmatic medications such as pranlukast inhibit CysLT1R, yet many patients still do not respond to this drug. To better understand this process, the related receptor CysLT2R has been identified as a promising drug target for not only asthma but also other conditions such as brain injury and cancer. CysLT1R is associated with bronchoconstriction, inflammation, and mucus production in the …

Molecular Diagnostics Of Toxoplasma Gondii, The World's Most Interesting Parasite, In Diverse Floridian Avifauna, Trisha Jaganathan, Sri Vaishnavi Konagalla, Roshini Bodicherla, Sonia Rao, Mihir Kurup, Adam Sewnarine, Pari Cribbins

Undergraduate Student Symposium

T. gondii is an intracellular parasite that infects terrestrial mammals and birds worldwide; it also has important impacts on human and wildlife health. Data on this parasite’s prevalence in our local (South Florida) ecosystem is lacking, which could help inform both public health and conservation efforts. Our questions for this study include: a) how prevalent is this parasite locally? b) do avian species differ in infection rates? c) does parasite abundance differ between localities?

Thus far, tissues have been dissected from carcasses provided by partner conversation facilities, including two very common South Florida bird species: Green Herons (a large wetland-associated …

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 …

Quantifying Respiratory Plasticity Of Checkered Pufferfish Under Climate Change Conditions, Logan Exton

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Increasing water temperatures resulting from global climate change introduce new energetic demands for marine organisms. Higher energy input will be required to cope with a subsequently higher metabolic rate, affecting all aspects of an individual’s life and therefore their survival. Because estuaries act as a link between rivers and oceans, they and their inhabitants are considered to be the most threatened by climate change. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how these organisms will respond to increased stressors due to climate change. Checkered pufferfish (Sphoeroides testudineus) are among the most common teleost fish in the Indian River Lagoon, …

Red Dog Loess, A Peoria Equivalent, Last Glacial Desert Loess Of The White River Badlands, South Dakota, Usa, John Nichols, Corinne Renshaw, Lillie Suthers, Amanda Altree, Tava Boeckel, Ritika Vonguru

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Understanding how ecosystems in the Great Plains responded to droughts and prehistoric climate change is important for interpreting future climate disturbances and water resource planning. There is a correlation between glacial periods and atmospheric dust distribution, with significant dust deposition in the Great Plains during the Last Glacial Maximum, ~23,000 years ago (23ka). Continuous freezing and thawing events in the mid-continent led to erosion in the Great Plains, transporting a significant deposit of windblown dust, or loess, and an ecological collapse of the grassland ecosystems. This research aims to determine if the White River Badlands (WRB) region was the source …

Reducing Inoculum Effect By Modulating Growth Productivity Through The Superpathway Of Purine, Pyrimidine And Histidine Synthesis In Escherichia Coli, Ruth Thomas, Daniella M. Hernandez, Melissa Marzouk

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Antibiotic overuse has driven the evolution of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria that complicate infections that were once easily treatable. While mechanisms by which individual bacterium resist or tolerate antibiotics are well explored, less studied are the mechanisms by which populations of bacteria tolerate antibiotics as a collective. One such mechanism bacteria employ to tolerate antibiotic treatment as a collective is the inoculum effect (IE). We recently discovered that growth productivity, which describes the relationship between ATP production and growth rate, can account for IE for multiple antibiotics and pathogens. However, the underlying pathways for determining growth productivity have yet to be …

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 …

Relationships Between Emotion Regulation, Self-Directed Behaviors, And Student Learning Outcomes In Online Vs. In-Person College Courses, Sri Vaishnavi Konagalla

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Research examining student learning outcomes in online vs. in-person learning has shown varied results, with some studies showing more favorable outcomes in in-person courses and others showing no major differences between the two course types. Further exploration into additional factors influencing satisfaction and learning outcomes in both course formats highlights the relationships between self-directed learning behaviors (SDLBs), emotion regulation (ER), and quality of sleep with increased academic performance and course satisfaction. Previous research examining SLDBs and ER on student outcomes is limited to either online courses or in-person courses and does not compare the two. Therefore, the purpose of this …

Religiosity, Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors, And Treatment Utilization Among Muslim Populations In America, Aminah Asghar, Jenin Mannaa

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Despite the emphasis Islam gives to mental health practices including prayer and meditation, Muslim populations in the United States, on average, do not seek professional mental health services. Little research has been conducted on the relationship between religion and mental health help-seeking behaviors and treatment utilization among Muslims. This study aims to investigate the utilization of mental health services in Muslim populations. We hypothesize that Muslims with higher levels of religiosity will be less likely to seek professional mental health help or support.

Data was utilized from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III (NESARC-III). Mental health …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Demonstrating Physical Control Over Others Changes One’S Sense Of Power: Testing A Novel Manipulation Of Physical Formidability, Tamara Bogdanova, Morgan Fala, Ned Vaitkevicius, Nissipriya Pill, Ariana Gonzalez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between physical formidability and social power in modern humans. Previous research has shown that factors related to physical power, such as height, can affect a person’s perception of their own social power. We hypothesized that exercising physical power by engaging in the physical control of the behavior of another individual would affect people’s sense of their own social power and influence. To test this hypothesis, we employed a novel manipulation that used a human-to-human Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) device and a confederate to allow participants to feel as though …

Distributional Patterns Of Mesopelagic Scyphozoa Within The Monterey Submarine Canyon, California, Diana Phillips, Manuel Ploner

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Scyphozoans are a historically understudied taxonomic class, and it is unknown how genera that potentially compete coexist in resource-limited environments within the Mesopelagic Zone (200-1000m depth). Monitoring the affinities of various genera to fine-scale water mass differences demonstrates how apparent competitors in resource-limited environments occupy different habitats. Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROVs) pinpoint location information and oceanographic conditions of individual specimens, while providing better identification than other survey method options. During a 21-year period (2000 - 2020), images obtained by ROV operators annotated visual captures of scyphozoans, while integrating in situ sensor measurements of conductivity, temperature, depth, and dissolved oxygen (CTDO) …

Evolution Of Sequencing Technologies And Implications For Transposon Research, Renita Varghese, Janseen Meghadri, Jennifer Pulido-Luis

Undergraduate Student Symposium

This study explores the complex field of transposable elements (TEs) and how Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies are used to identify them, including their limitations. Transposons, also known as transposable elements, are dynamic DNA segments that have the ability to shift locations within a genome, impacting gene regulation, evolutionary processes, and genomic stability. TEs play vital roles in genetic research. They provide pathways for precise genetic alterations and mutagenesis, which facilitate the investigation of gene function and disease mechanisms in many organisms. Rapid DNA and RNA sequencing capabilities provided by NGS technologies have transformed genetic research. Improvements in DNA sequencing …

Impacts Of Pre- And Pro-Biotic Supplements On Microbial Composition Related To Colorectal Cancers, Shanay Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Early in the field of oncology, colorectal cancer was a rarely diagnosed form of cancer and often went undetected. Today, colorectal cancer is the second most deadly form of cancer and is responsible for over one million deaths annually worldwide. The human gut microbiome is a keystone of daily health and living, serving to help absorb nutrients, boost immune function, and is considered to be another organ within the human body. However, the gut microbiome is also thought to have a role in the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disease like colorectal cancer. There has been extensive discussion within the …