Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Impacts On Malaria Transmission Of Altered Biogenic Amine Levels In {\It Anopheles} Mosquitoes: Insights From A Mathematical Model, Michael Robert

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Cadmium And Planaria: How A Toxic Metal Can Slow Down Flatworm Tissue Repair, Natalie Gonzalez, Cassandra S. Korte

Women in Science Conference

No abstract provided.

Solving Plant Survival Challenges: A Study On Enhancing Plant Growth During Tough Conditions, Khelia Gihozo, Wayne Law

Women in Science Conference

No abstract provided.

Is Forensic Science Affected By Environmentally Friendly Products?, Emily Pintilie, Erika L. Doctor

Women in Science Conference

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Natural Area Site Characteristics On Resident Gopher Tortoise Populations, Taryn Lagor, Alanna L. Lecher, Wayne Law

Women in Science Conference

No abstract provided.

Mortality Index Analysis Following Traumatic Brain Injury In A Fruit Fly Model, Megan N. Ashworth, Kimberly D. Rowland

Women in Science Conference

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Diagenesis Of Florida Fish Scales Using Ir Spectroscopy, Ivett De La Rosa, Alanna L. Lecher, Erika L. Doctor

Women in Science Conference

No abstract provided.

2023-24 Women In Science Conference Schedule (Pdf), Lynn University

Women in Science Conference

2023-24 Women in Environmental Science Conference Schedule (PDF)

Genomic Diversity And Carbohydrate Utilisation In Human-Associated Bifidobacterial Isolates, Ortensia Catalano Gonzaga

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Bifidobacteria are beneficial commensals of the human gastrointestinal tract and their presence in the gut has been associated with positive health effects on the host. They account for a vast proportion of the infant gut microbiota, when the infant is fed on a milk-based diet, with their number progressively decreasing in adult and elderly. The gut microbiota and associated metabolic activities significantly impact on human health by promoting appropriate development of the infant immune system and contributing to the maintenance of the intestinal homeostasis. In recent years it has become clear that microbial colonization of the gut immediately following birth …

Bioengineered Nisin A Derivatives Display Enhanced Activity Against Clinical Neonatal Pathogens, Anna Desmond

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Neonatal infection is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in infants. Globally, neonatal pathogens are increasingly becoming multi-drug resistant, indicating the need to discover novel alternative treatment strategies. Nisin is an antimicrobial peptide that exhibits broad-spectrum activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria including a wide variety of clinical pathogens. Nisin can be used in combination with antibiotics to improve their efficacy. This study examined the activity of nisin and bioengineered derivatives against multi-drug resistant Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus capitis isolates and investigated the potential synergy between nisin peptides and selected antibiotics. Whole genome sequence analysis of the strains revealed …

Urobiome Screening For Antimicrobial Peptides Against Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Jennifer Jones

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide. As global incidences of UTIs caused by multidrug resistant bacteria continue to increase, so too does the demand for novel antimicrobial therapies.

Due to its relatively understudied nature, the urinary microbiome represents a niche with an untapped source of potentially novel antimicrobials (e.g., bacteriocins). Improvements to bacterial culturing and sequencing techniques have highlighted these potential alternative treatments and control strategies to target antibiotic resistant uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC).

METHODS: Expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) was used to culture bacterial isolates from mid-stream urine samples. Urinary isolates …

12th International Conference On Business, Technology And Innovation 2023, University For Business And Technology - Ubt

UBT International Conference

Welcome to IC – UBT 2023

UBT Annual International Conference is the 12th international interdisciplinary peer reviewed conference which publishes works of the scientists as well as practitioners in the area where UBT is active in Education, Research and Development. The UBT aims to implement an integrated strategy to establish itself as an internationally competitive, research-intensive university, committed to the transfer of knowledge and the provision of a world-class education to the most talented students from all background. The main perspective of the conference is to connect the scientists and practitioners from different disciplines in the same place and make …

Development Of A Novel Serum Formulation For The Treatment Of C. Acnes, Ariana G. Ngue

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Acne impacts 85% of people between 12-24 years of age. Even after puberty, acne continues to impact a large portion of the population. The treatments are diverse and include prescription drugs. Through this research, a novel formulation was created for the skin to treat acne. This formulation incorporates salicylic acid, a non-prescription acne treatment, as well as a polymeric carbohydrate (hyaluronic acid) known to be a component of skin and involved in the healing of skin. Through an internship with Island Lux Essentials, a company devoted to making all natural body care products, a novel serum formulation was created to …

Liposome Synthesis And Evaluation In The Hek-293 Cell Line, Christine Skibinski

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

Liposomes were synthesized using the thin film method. A lyophilized power of egg-derived phosphatidylcholine, stearylamine, and cholesterol were added to ethanol and dried under argon to form a lipid cake. The lipid cake was rehydrated with dPBS and sonicated at 60°C forming a heterogenous batch of liposomes. Our results revealed the average size of the liposomes, determined by Dynamic Light Scattering, was approximately 223.1nm, while demonstrating a weakly positive zeta-potential of 1.9± 8.07mv. Next, we tested the antitumor action of the liposomes in the HEK-293 cell line via an MTT assay. We observed that the liposomes were able to inhibit …

A Natural Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe For Cancer Cell Imaging, Benilde E. Adriano, Nycol M. Cotto, Neeraj Chauhan, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence-based imaging is a noteworthy and safer strategy for cancer cells/tissues imaging compared to radiological imaging. NIR fluorescence offers deep tissue penetration and have minimal obstruction by autofluorescence and photon scattering [1]. There are several NIR dyes including indocyanine green (ICG) [2] and IR-1061 [3] that allow high-resolution tissue imaging. However, these dyes possess some low-quality characteristics which limit their use, namely photo instability, toxicity, poor water solubility, and short half-lives [4]. Therefore, more efficient and effective alternatives are urgently required to provide the desired clinical outcomes. Chlorophyll (Chl) is a natural dietary NIR fluorescence emitting …

Development Of Targeted Drug Delivery System To Improve Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Cancer, Poornima Devi Shaji, Ana Martinez Bulnes, Nirnoy Dan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Sheema Khan, Murali M. Yallapu

Research Colloquium

Introduction: About 95% of tumor arises from epithelial cell lining ducts known to be pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, with less than 5-7% survival rate. Unfortunately, little progress has been seen in the outcomes of patients with PDAC as tumor develops high desmoplasia and chemo-resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as gemcitabine (Gem). Immunotherapy has shown promising results in other cancers but limited response in pancreatic cancer due to desmoplasia and fibrotic tumor microenvironment. A recently identified mucin, MUC13 is aberrantly expressed in pancreatic tumors but not in normal pancreas. Due to its high membrane expression, MUC13 may serve as an excellent target …

Hepatoprotective Role Of Cucurbitacin D On Benzo[A]Pyrene Induced Liver Injury, A. Rodriguez, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, M. Vela, Fathi T. Halaweish, Meena Jaggi, Sumeet S. Chauhan

Research Colloquium

Background: Epidemiological findings show the strong correlation of co-morbidity factors including smoking with the development and progression of liver cancer. Moreover, benzo[a]pyrene, a main component of tobacco smoke, is extremely carcinogenic and contributes to liver injury as well. Cucurbitacin, chemically classified as triterpenes, have shown diverse biological activities including potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. However, their hepatoprotective activities are not completely understood.

Objective: In the present study, we investigated the cytoprotective activity of novel analog of cucurbitacin, cucurbitacin D, against benzo[a]pyrene-induced liver injury in human HepG2 cells.

Method: Proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, invasion, Western blotting and qPCR analysis were conducted …

Pharmacological Restoration Of Pkd1: A Novel Strategy For Prostate Cancer Therapy, Mohammed Sikander, Shabnam Malik, A. Rodriguez, Aditya Ganju, Bilal B. Hafeez, Fathi T. Halaweish, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

Research Colloquium

Background: Prostate cancer has poor prognosis owing to late diagnosis and ineffective multimodal clinical treatment. Extensive efforts are ongoing to establish methods that can resolve the expression of genes implicated in disease development and treatment. Previously, we reported that Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1), a serine threonine kinase, controls a number of tumor suppressor functions including cell aggregation, cell motility, cell proliferation, and cell invasion. Thus, PKD1 is considered as an emerging therapeutic target for prostate cancer treatment.

Objective: To investigate the restoration of PKD1 by a pharmacological modulator ormeloxifene, which showed well-defined PK/PD and safety profiles in humans.

Methods: Proliferation, …

Mucin 13 Expression Correlates With Tumor Development In Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Shabnam Malik, Mohammed Sikander, Deepshikha Pande Katare, S. Mishra, S. K. Jain, P. Khan, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi

Research Colloquium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis due to ineffective therapeutic modality and lack of early diagnostic marker. Accumulating studies have shown that elevated expression of mucin 13 as potential oncogene and predictive biomarker for various cancer. However, very little is known about its expression and function for development and progression of HCC Objective: To investigate mucin 13 expression in chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model.

Methodology: Diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) and 2-Acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF) induced method was employed for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Male Wistar rats. Serum and tissues were collected at regular interval of time and routinely validated …

Plasmid Midiprep: A Method To Purify Plasmids For Recombinant Dna Studies, Adithya Anilkumar, Kyle Doxtater, Samantha Lopez, Sudhir Kotnala, Justin Wendel, Manish Tripathi

Research Colloquium

A fundamental aspect of molecular biology involves exploring the properties and functions of specific genes. The rise of recombinant DNA technology has vastly improved and simplified functional studies by allowing scientists to isolate specific genes using restriction enzymes and plasmids providing greater precision. Plasmids take great significance in downstream studies, which is why quantity and quality of the plasmids purified is important. In this study, we isolated and purified recombinant plasmids in microgram quantities to confirm the yield, quantity, and quality using spectral and size fractionation methods. We also assessed the plasmids for application in downstream studies. We found the …

Molecular Event In Hrp Apoptosis, Laura Valdez

Research Colloquium

Background: Human retinal pericytes (HRP) are contractile cells providing support for endothelial cells of capillaries, essential in the regulation of retinal vasculature. Early stages of DR are characterized by the loss of HRP, leading to angiogenesis. Our preliminary studies identified monocyte-derived macrophages secrete TGF-β1, inducing the expression and secretion of a TGFβ1-Induced, pro-apoptotic BIGH3 protein leading to apoptosis of HRP. Based on a preliminary study in renal cells (unpublished data), CTP with an RGD domain is released from BIGH3 by proteolysis leading to renal cell apoptosis. In the present study, we employed Western Blots to determine if a similar molecular …

Irbp In Diabetic Retinopathy – Cell Culture & Ophthalmic Pathology Studies, Laura Valdez

Research Colloquium

Background: Interphotoreceptor-Retinoid-Binding-Protein (IRBP) is restricted to the subretinal space by the external limiting membrane and RPE zonulae occludens. Its expression is reduced in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and increased expression is protective. Hypoxia decreases viable conelike photoreceptors (661W) but increased VEGF, suggesting a role of photoreceptors in proliferative DR (PDR) (Rodriguez et al, Arch Clin Exp. Ophthal 3:23,2021). Here, we investigated the effects of high glucose and VEGF on IRBP expression by 661W and rod-like Y79 cells and distribution of IRBP and albumin in human globes with PDR and NPDR.

Methods:  661W and Y79 cells were cultured in DMEM or RPMI …

Sex Differences In Stress Reactivity, Brain Morphology, And Oxytocin In The Hypothalamus Of The Gray Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis Domestica), Esperanza I. Zacarias, Daniela Rodriguez, Alexandra Chalons, Sasawan Heingraj, Nicole Altamirano, Joseph Rafac, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Colloquium

Understanding the effects of stress on behavior and cognition is important due to its impact on mental health and wellbeing (Schneiderman et al. 2005). Translational animal research can contribute to the development of new treatments that can improve therapeutic outcomes and our understanding of the neurobiology of stress. In the present study, we complement behavioral stress reactivity with immunohistochemical localization of oxytocin in the hypothalamus, a neuropeptide that regulates stress (Neumann & Slattery, 2016). Oxytocin has potential therapeutic use for mental health disorders (Neumann & Slattery, 2016), and the effects of oxytocin seem to be sexually dimorphic (Love, 2018). Using …

Igf-1 Reduce Protein O-Glcnacylation Via Ampk Activation In H9c2 Cardiomyoblast Cultured In High Glucose Media, Andres Medina, Lizbeth Trevino, Alejandra Salinas, Yadira Chaires, Erick Rodriguez, Genaro Antonio Ramirez-Correa

Research Colloquium

Background: Diabetes is a disease characterized by the increase in the serum glucose concentration. Therefore, this glucose excess shunts into the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway producing UDP-GlcNAc, which can be transfer to serine residues and modify the activity of different proteins, including contractile proteins in cardiomyocytes, decreasing their function. Here we show the effect of IGF-1 treatment on this posttranslational modification.

Methods: H9c2 cell line were cultured in DMEM media, 10% FBS, at 80% of confluence. Cells were incubated in high-glucose (30 mM) in the presence or absence of 10 µmol/L of IGF-1 (HG and HG+IGF-1). As control groups, we used …

Tox3 Rs3803662 Polymorphism Is Associated With Breast Cancer Protection In Northeastern Mexican Woman, Orlando D. Solis-Coronado, Hazyadee F. Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Monica P. Villarreal-Vela, Ricardo M. Cerda-Flores, Juan F. González-Guerrero, Oscar Vidal-Gutiérrez, Diana C. Pérez-Ibave, Maria Lourdes Garza-Rodríguez

Research Symposium

Introduction: Low penetrance genes are involved in breast cancer (BC) and confer risk for the development of this neoplasia. Different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BC have been identified, such as rs3803662 (TOX3), which is related to estrogen receptors in European and African-American women. The contribution of this variant in the Mexican population is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate, through a case-control design, the association of the SNP rs3803662 (TOX3), with the risk of BC in women from northeastern Mexico.

Methods: We included 434 cases and 228 controls. Genotyping was carried out using RFLPs. The …

Understanding An Inflammatory Pathway In Diabetic Retinopathy, Reanna R. Rodriguez

Research Symposium

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S. However, not much is known of its molecular pathway and how it attributes to increases in inflammatory response in the eye. One avenue we will investigate is the transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) signaling pathway and its effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and cell viability. VEGF is the hallmark that exacerbates DR progression in prolonged diabetes. Some major concern that have arisen are the underlying effects of oxidants and antioxidants in elevating VEGF secretion in diabetes. In attempt to learn more, we evaluated how an …

Therapeutic Efficacy Of Ormeloxifene Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Mohammed Sikander, M. Vela, Shabnam Malik, A. Rodriguez, A. Lopez, Daniel Zubieta, Fathi T. Halaweish, Subhash C. Chauhan

Research Symposium

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and leading cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. Severe toxicity and drug resistance to available chemotherapeutic agents display ineffective clinical response. Therefore, drug repurposing is gaining attention owing to their known biological activities and excellent safety profiles. Ormeloxifene (ORM), non-steroidal, selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), and exhibit diverse pharmacological activities. The aim of this study is to assess the therapeutic activity of ORM and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic activity of ormeloxifene in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Methodology: MTT and …

The Intensity Of Physical Activity Improves Cognitive Performance Among Aging Americans, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah, Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga, Gladys E. Maestre, Ulku S. Karabulut, Murat Karabulut

Research Symposium

Background: Currently there is no pharmacological cure for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, physical activity (PA) has emerged as a promising approach. The optimal intensity of PA to improve cognitive health remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate associations between different durations and intensities of PA on performance across cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory) among aging Americans.

Methods: 2377 adults aged ≥ 60 years from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014, were included. Linear regression in hierarchical blocks and the size of effect (η2) were analyzed with R software.

Results: The mean age …

Tc-Ptp Overexpression Attenuates Skin Cancer Formation During Environmental Skin Carcinogenesis, Zahidur Rahmann, Carson Bogatto, Serena Olivarez, Dae Joon Kim

Research Symposium

Background: T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP), encoded by Ptpn2, has been shown to function as a tumor suppressor during skin carcinogenesis.

Methods: we generated a novel epidermal specific TC-PTP-overexpressing (K5HA.Ptpn2) mouse model to show that TC-PTP contributes to the attenuation of chemically induced skin carcinogenesis through the synergistic regulation of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5, and PI3K/AKT signaling.

Results: We found overexpression of TC-PTP increased epidermal sensitivity to DMBA-induced apoptosis and it decreased TPA-mediated hyperproliferation, coinciding with reduced epidermal thickness. Inhibition of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5 or AKT reversed the effects of TC-PTP overexpression on epidermal survival and proliferation. Mice overexpressing TC-PTP in …

Targeting Cellular Signaling Pathways In Cancer By Lactobacilli, Varish Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad, Quazi Muhammad Sajid Jamal

Research Symposium

Purpose: Presenting lactobacilli therapy for cancer treatment targeting cancer signaling Lactobacilli as Probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of fermentative gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria that produces a large number of intracellular and extracellular metabolites used in the food manufacture industry as well as complementary and alternative medicines against many diseases including cancer.

Description: Some LAB has been found to have inhibitory activity against colon liver cancer, cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer in vivo or in vitro. These fermentative bacteria induced the autophagy cell death either by GRP78 and Beclin-1 or by induction of Bak …