Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Vitro Bacteriophage Treatment For A Staphylococcus Aureus And Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Co-Culture, Alexis Perry

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Recent studies show that up 27-36% of all infections are polymicrobial, involving more than one bacteria species. In all categories, polymicrobial infections are often more virulent and harmful to the patient. Since different types of bacteria can communicate with each other through quorum-sensing when in the presence of each other, they can display different genomic characteristics. Further research into polymicrobial infections needs to be done because these changing characteristics can prevent treatment from working, such as antibiotics or bacteriophage therapy. This experiment focused on the co-culture between the two bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which can be found co-existing …

The Effects Of Light Intensity On Cell Population And Oxygen Production Of Arthrospira Platensis, Sophia Ward, Cole Turner

Scholars Day Conference

As space exploration becomes more advanced, scientists look to find new ways to create nourishment and oxygen to maintain long-term space travel. Arthrospira platensis, commonly known as Spirulina, could be a possible solution to these problems. This cyanobacterium converts carbon dioxide into pure oxygen and the cell structure (coiled or straight) appears to trigger different oxygen and cultivation responses. Mixed (coiled and straight, Fig. 4) and coiled (Fig. 5) Spirulina cultures were transferred into 2.5 L containers and placed in white light boxes with varying intensities of light: 15 µmol/㎡/s, 7 µmol/㎡/s, and 3 µmol/㎡/s. Each experiment lasted 72 hours …

Core Activation Through The Measurement Of Traditional Vs. Non-Traditional Core Exercises, Erica Stilwell, Taylor Moran, Chris Couch

Scholars Day Conference

Athletic trainers at the collegiate level have a responsibility to their athletes to prepare them in core endurance and strength for their specific needs. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of muscle fiber recruitment between traditional core exercises and non-traditional core exercises measured by an electromyography (EMG) machine in different vital core muscles. Twenty-four college students participated and were randomly sorted into two exercise groups, traditional or non-traditional. The traditional core exercise group performed ten bicycle crunches while the non-traditional core exercise group performed ten stability ball passes for each trial recorded. The participants wore four …

Nutrition Knowledge Of Young Adults: How Has K-12 Education Affected The Health Of Young Adults In 2023, Anna Polo

Scholars Day Conference

Background: Nutrition knowledge is very important in order to live a healthy lifestyle and to positively impact overall health. There is research studying the effects of nutrition education and that affects students involved in K-12 schooling, but there is a lack of research following those students beyond the classroom and to their young adult years.

Objective: The researcher’s goal was to better understand how much young adults know about basic nutrition from previous education, if different types of schooling (public, private, homeschool, etc.) taught nutrition related classes/lessons, and if different geographical regions provided nutrition education.

Design: the design was a …

University Students' Understanding Of The Endocannabinoid System And Its Relevance To Nutrition, Brittney Burford, Allyson Melton, Robbie Otero

Scholars Day Conference

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a complex cell-signaling system that was identified in 1988, the ECS is the largest receptor system and regulator of homeostasis. Endogenous cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids, are naturally occurring, lipid-based neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body that send signals between nerve cells. The ECS system regulates and controls many of our most critical bodily functions such as learning, memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, inflammatory immune responses, and appetite. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most known phytocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids are plant byproducts that closely mimic cannabinoids and have adverse effects on the body. Endogenous …

The Effects Of Acupressure On Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea And Vomiting, Christian Carney, Landen Hill, Emily Watson, Paloma Moreno Avalos

Scholars Day Conference

Patients with cancer report chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remain the most debilitating side effect of chemotherapy. The incidence of CINV is prone to metabolic disorders, malnutrition, and weight loss, which will lead to an obvious negative effect on patients’ emotion, social, physical function and overall quality of life. The objective of this literature review was to find evidence to support a nonpharmacological and noninvasive intervention that can provide relief for CINV.

Keynote Speaker Arkansas Women In Stem Conference Presentation, Maria Ines Ines Dow

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

The Keynote Speaker of the 3rd Annual Arkansas Women in STEM Conference is Dr. Diana Escalona-Vargas, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UAMS and ACH, and Scientific Director of the Arkansas Children's Hospital Magnetoencephalography Laboratory.

A Brief Discussion Of Gasdermin D'S Function In Multiple Sclerosis, Amie Brint

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that particularly affects the nerves of the central nervous system (CNS). MS results in the degradation of the myelin sheath surrounding the axon, which is crucial for effective transmission of nerve signals. MS can be detected using lumbar punctures to look for elevated oligoclonal levels and using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI can screen for plaques in the CNS, indicating the severity and probability of progression of the disease. Plaques are regions of nerves where the myelin has been removed from the nerves, preventing them from conducting the electrical signals necessary for …

Combination Chemo-Pdt Ionic Nanomedicines As Enhanced Therapeutics For Cancer, Samantha Macchi

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Cancer remains as one of the leading causes of death in humans worldwide. Nanotechnology has made great strides in improving treatment for the disease. This work describes a simplistic approach to design self-assembled combination nanomedicines. A facile one-step ion exchange reaction is utilized to combine a chemotherapeutic (phosphonium) cation and photodynamic therapeutic (porphyrin) anion. An aqueous nanomedicine is prepared from the hydrophobic ionic combination drug via a single-step reprecipitation method. Upon conversion to ionic combination drug, improved photophysical properties of porphyrin were observed. These characteristics subsequently led to increased photodynamic therapeutic activity of nanomedicines—explained by greater singlet oxygen quantum yield. …

Arkansas Women In Stem Conference Presentation: Investigations Of Salvia Officinalis Secondary Metabolites, Maria Ines Ines Dow

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Salvia officinalis or Sage (The “Salvation Plant”) is known to have various health benefits. Salvia officinalis has been known to treat menstrual cycle pains, gastroenteritis problems, improve liver function, as well as in applications for anticancer remedies and neurodegenerative diseases. This fragrant plant is most often found in the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and South America. This research aims to test the raw and vinegar-baked medicinal plant to investigate the change in its chemistry and its biological effect. The plant was purchased as dry leaves and stems. It was then grounded and extracted. The extractions were done via a Soxhlet extraction …

Carrier-Free Chemo-Ptt/Pdt Ionic Nanomaterials For Combination Cancer Therapy, Samantha Macchi

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Herein, we describe a carrier-free combination nanodrug for treatment of cancer. In this work, we combined a photothermal compound and a chemotherapeutic drug using ionic liquid chemistry. We utilized a facile, one-step metathesis approach to replace the counter cation of a near infra-red (NIR) dye (photothermal agent) with a chemotherapeutic cation to synthesize an ionic material-based combination cancer therapy drug to deliver multiple mechanisms simultaneously. The nanodrugs were developed by using a reprecipitation method. The detailed photophysical properties of this new combination therapy molecule was investigated in ethanol solution as well as in nanoparticles forms in aqueous media. The singlet …

Lowering The Cost And Raising The Efficiency Of A Cure To Chagas Disease, Madeleine Peters

Arkansas Women in STEM Conference

Chagas disease, classified as a neglected tropical disease (NTD), is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and is an underfunded and under researched disease. The only FDA-approved drug in the United States is benznidazole which is expensive, harmful, and only effective in the illness’ acute phase. The goal is to create a more effective, lower costing and less harmful drug by using a condensation reaction to substitute different amines to diethyl squarate (DES) to make cycloalkylsquaramides. Both DES and the amines used are relatively low in price with a simple, efficient, and high yielding synthesis. Low synthetic cost and ability …