Undergraduate Research Posters

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  Neurodevelopmental Vulnerability to Gestational Ozone Exposure

  Vishnupriya Alavala, Sarah E. Brent, Christopher G. Canal, Joseph Wang, Russell P. Hunter, Matthew J. Campen, and Andrew K. Ottens

  Ambient air pollution accounts for about 4.2 million premature deaths annually per the World Health Organization. Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive air pollutant found in smog and is implicated in cellular damage leading to organ dysfunction. Ambient air pollution is associated with neurodevelopmental, behavioral, and cognitive disorders though ozone’s role is unknown. Studies here look at ozone exposure shortly after implantation vs. shortly before term to evaluate differences in neurodevelopmental susceptibility over time.

  To inquire on the effects of ozone on the fetal brain, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed once to 0.3 ppm of O3 or filtered air (FA) via whole-body inhalation at gestational day (GD) 10 or GD20. Control animals received a sham FA at both time points. Brain tissue was collected at gestational day GD21 following GD10 or GD20 ozone exposure. Fetal brains were processed with unbiased, quantitative mass spectrometry to identify altered protein abundance and posttranslational states in Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, and results were further interrogated with immunohistochemistry (IHC).

  Key processes to neurodevelopment distinctly altered with GD10 versus GD20 exposure were a predicted increase in apoptosis (enrichment p-value = 0.0018; prediction z-score = 2.541) and a decrease in neuritogenesis (enrichment p-value = 0.00128; prediction z-score = -2.494). IHC for Cytochrome C, active Caspase 3, and mitochondria investigated altered apoptosis by the intrinsic pathway while GAP43 (growth cone marker), MAP2 (dendritic marker), and Nestin (neural progenitor cell marker) antibodies probed for neuritogenesis.

  Results demonstrate a time-dependent gestational effect on neurodevelopmental vulnerability in fetal brain proteome and changes to cell proliferation-migration and circuit formation following O3 exposure. IHC results suggest acute apoptosis from ozone exposure decreases neuronal outbranching. Hence, cognitive and behavioral childhood performance issues like ADHD, memory deficiencies, motor impairments may be attributed to gestational ozone exposure which disproportionately affects urban children.

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  How Does a Global Climate Cycle Affect the Reproductive Output of a Neotropical Migratory Bird?

  Abby K. Bressette, Emma Cummings, Daniel Albrecht-Mallinger, and Lesley Bulluck

  El-Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) causes regional changes in climate and has been found to have varying effects on the survival, fecundity, and recruitment of migratory songbirds. This study seeks to better understand the effect of ENSO on the fecundity of Virginia-breeding Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea; PROW), a neotropical migratory songbird. PROW breed in the Eastern United States and spend the non-breeding season primarily in Panama and Colombia. Ongoing research in Virginia has found a positive relationship between spring precipitation and predicted number of PROW fledgelings during La Niña, but the opposite during El Niño. To better understand this relationship, we wanted to know if the effect of ENSO was a result of conditions on the breeding grounds or carry over effects from the nonbreeding grounds. To do this, we used linear models to assess how ENSO affects vegetation health and climate conditions in Virginia as well as how it affected vegetation health in Panama and Colombia. We found that ENSO had little impact on temperature and precipitation anomalies as well as vegetation health in Virginia, regardless of season. However, in both Panama and Colombia, vegetation health was significantly lower in El Niño during the dry season when PROW were overwintering there. This indicates that differences in fecundity during the breeding season may be the result of carryover effects from dry El Niño conditions in overwintering habitats. These results are especially concerning due to predictions for increased intensity of El Niño events caused by climate change.

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  Parasocial Relationships in Variety Live Streaming: How it can Affect Attitudes and Buying Intention Toward Sponsors

  Megan Burroughs and Deborah DiazGranados

  Online streaming and video platforms have become a popular form of entertainment as opposed to traditional media like movies and TV shows. Similar to traditional media, viewers often relate to and form one-sided relationships with actors/creators, known as parasocial relationships. Actors and creators can then leverage that relationship to advertise and market products to their audience. The primary objective of this study was to understand if perceived credibility and loyalty towards a streamer fuel parasocial relationships and how perceived credibility and parasocial relationships with an online live streamer influence attitude towards a sponsored brand and purchasing intention. It was predicted that there will be a positive relationship between participants who have high parasocial relationships and buying intention of promoted products; that there will be a positive relationship between streamer credibility and both parasocial relationships and attitudes towards brands endorsed; that parasocial relationships will have a positive effect on streamer loyalty, which will have a positive effect on brand attitude. 227 participants were given a pre-survey to screen for those who actively watch live streamed content on sites like Youtube and Twitch, participants that do not were excluded. The included participants were given access to a full survey on Qualtrics which asked their thoughts on measures on streamer loyalty, credibility, parasocial relationships, and brand attitude. While answering survey questions the participants were asked to think about a streamer that they actively watch. It was found that streamer credibility and streamer loyalty were significantly, largely correlated to parasocial relationships, r(225) = .642, p < .001, r(225) = .696, p < .001, respectively. Parasocial relationships and streamer loyalty were both significantly, largely correlated with brand attitude, r(223) = .537, p < .001, r(.512) = p < .001, respectively. Finally, brand attitude was significantly, largely correlated with buying intention, r(218) = .657, p < .001.

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  Lycosidae Abundance and Diversity Across Lawn and Leaf Litter Substrate

  Sage O. Lockett and Dan Albrecht-Mallinger

  Significant knowledge gaps exist in how land-cover impacts ground-hunting spider populations. To fill these gaps, this study investigates a common family of ground-hunting spiders, Lycosidae, to determine differences in their abundance and diversity in deciduous leaf litter and managed turfgrass (lawn). The study was conducted within a forested ecosystem at Virginia Commonwealth University's Rice Rivers Center in Charles City County, Virginia. I placed 10 belt transects (1m x 20m) on lawn substrate and 10 identical transects in deciduous forest leaf litter substrate. I performed repeated visual census via eyeshine and manual capture of up to three individuals per transect per survey in the July and August of 2023. There was significant difference in abundance between lawn and leaf litter transects, with higher average abundance in leaf litter transects (p = 0.01). There was also significant difference in total Lycosid abundance between survey periods (chi-squared = 23.6, df = 3, p = 2.9e-05). There were no significant differences in diversity (Shannon Diversity Index; W = 68 and p = 0.18); however, several species had significant associations with lawn or leaf litter substrate.These findings can aid in the understanding of human land management on a group of understudied, but abundant and ecologically vital arthropod predators, and suggests further research into the habitat preferences of Lycosid spiders is needed.

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  Keep it Simple? Effects of Color and Age on Product Packaging

  Saamiya R. Mohammed and Alex Robinson

  Packaging has always played a pivotal role in consumer decision-making. Specifically, the color of the visual elements placed on product packaging have garnered significant attention for their potential to influence consumer perceptions and behaviors. Color is believed to have emotional/psychological associations across cultural and societal contexts.

  On the one hand, research has noted that the use of grayscale does not elicit an emotional response (Clarke and Costall, 2008) and this may be because they’re considered passive colors (Bottomley and Doyle, 2006). Conversely, Jacobs et. al (1991), found that black is associated with being expensive and powerful. Based on the conflicting evidence, we contend that attitudes toward a product, including perceptions of quality, are enhanced when a wider range of colors are employed. As such, we posit that:

  H1: Color (versus lack of color, i.e., black and white or grayscale) package labeling influences perceptions of product quality.

  Empirical investigations have demonstrated younger people's tendency to prefer black and white and older people's tendency to dislike black and gray (Lee, Gong, and Leung, 2009). While the research in this domain remains limited, we posit the following:

  H2: The use of black and white in package labeling induces a higher (lower) perception of the product's quality among younger (older) people.

  POPAI (1978), reported approximately two-thirds of American shoppers make decisions at the point of purchase, relying on the packaging to support their purchase decision(s). Product packaging and consumer perceptions of brands/products have been reported to be directly correlated (Burke, Garber, and Jones, 2000), and our study aims to observe any similar effects of color on consumer perception of a different dimension: quality

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  Qualitative study of HIV-related stigma in the dental care setting

  Sania A. Pullen and Dr. Dina T. Garcia

  Objectives: People living with HIV (PLWH) are susceptible to developing a variety of oral conditions that if left untreated can lead to sore gums, painful chewing, and tooth loss as well as compromise HIV management and viral suppression. Despite the increased risk of developing oral conditions, it is estimated that up to 58% of PLH do not receive regular dental care. This study aimed to examine HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the dental care setting.

  Methods: Adults living with HIV who receive care through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program at the VCU Infectious Disease (ID) clinic were recruited to participate. Study participants underwent a semi-structured interview intended to elicit experiences of stigma and discrimination in the dental care setting. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis.

  Results: Forty-one PLWH were recruited to participate in the study. The majority of participants were male (66%), Black (76%), and aged between 55 to 65 years old (39%). Although most reported having dental insurance (51%), most reported not having a dental home (56%) with more than half reporting not having visited the dentist in the past year (54%). While most of the sample reported not having faced HIV-related stigma in the dental care setting, some participants reported being afraid of experiencing judgment and humiliation when seeking dental care.

  Conclusions: PLWH has significant unmet needs that could be addressed with adequate access to dental care. Prioritization of efforts to address stigma in dental care settings is warranted.

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  Carry-Over Effects of Climate on Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) Feather Quality

  Alyssa N. Spasic, Dan Albrecht-Mallinger, and Lesley Bulluck

  Avian species have inspired numerous studies on ornamentation, exploring its role in intra- and intersexual selection as a marker for individual quality. Male birds have been the focus of most of these studies while females, which can also display ornamentation, have been studied less. Coloration achieved through molt, particularly carotenoid-based pigments, requires energy derived from food resources. As climate affects insect abundance, there may be a link between climate conditions during molt and feather quality the following season. We assessed the relationship between temperature and precipitation during molt and female Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) breast and crown feather reflectance metrics the following year. We collected breast feathers from 474 females and crown feathers from 436 females across 13 years (2010-2023) in eastern Virginia, USA. Breast and crown carotenoid content and breast yellow intensity tended to be higher following cooler and wetter conditions during molt. The negative impact of temperature on breast yellow intensity was greater in younger females. These results indicate that temperature and precipitation during molt carry over to influence female feather quality, which likely serves as an indicator of individual quality to potential mates. These results provide insight into how climate conditions affect individual plumage quality and may aid in understanding the impacts of climate change on mating systems. Future study is needed to explore how conditions during molt may interact with species’ thermoneutral zones to influence energy tradeoffs toward important events in a species’ annual cycle.

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  Utilizing AI integrated neuroimaging technology to expand upon machine learning in positron emission tomography technology with the aim of detecting Amyloid Beta biomarkers early in the onset of Alzheimer's.

  Ethan S. Terman

  Early intervention in Alzheimer's is vital for treatment. The earlier a professional can detect symptoms and make a diagnosis the earlier a prognosis can be implemented. With the prevalence of data in our day-to-day world combined with Artificial intelligence (AI), utilizing both for machine learning can pave the way for more accurate and efficient detection of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. AI combined with Machine learning (ML) increases diagnostic efficiency and reduces human errors, making it a valuable resource for physicians and clinicians alike. With the increasing amount of data processing and image interpretation required, the ability to use AI and ML to augment and aid medical professionals will improve the quality of patient care. Deep learning algorithms and machine learning can emulate neural networks in the brain and can aid in the simulation of Alzheimer’s progression given the current data available. Applied to neuroimaging technology, trained machines will be able to detect warning signs earlier, locate Amyloid Beta plaques, TAU tangles, and detect degeneration in the brain.

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  A Comparison of Three DNA Extraction Methods on 45-year-old Pupae Cases

  Ananya Udyaver, Casey Flint, Jeffery Tomberlin, and Baneshwar Singh

  Blow flies are the primary colonizers of human cadavers. In many death investigations, insect evidence can help in prediction of minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin) but to do that, the first step is to identify collected insect evidence. For immature stages, morphological keys are either limited or incomplete and hence DNA based identification is used. For DNA based ID, DNA extraction is the first and the most important step, especially when collected evidence is highly degraded. The main aim of this study was to compare three DNA extraction methods (QIAgen Blood and Tissue Kit, organic, and QIAgen DNA Investigator Kit) to determine the quantity of recovered DNA from 45-year-old pupal cases. To accomplish this goal, each pupal case (n=10 for QIAgen Blood and Tissue Kit, n=5 for organic extraction, and n=5 for QIAgen DNA Investigator Kit) was used as a sample for DNA extraction for each method. Extracted DNA was quantified using the Qubit fluorometer. Extracted DNA (only from QIAgen Blood and Tissue Kit and organic method) was then amplified for mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase one (COI) gene and amplification success was visualized using agarose gel electrophoresis. Mitochondrial COI gene amplification didn’t result in a PCR product from any sample. Results from this study indicated that the QIAgen Blood and Tissue Kit is a significantly better DNA extraction method than the QIAgen DNA Investigator Kit for highly degraded pupal cases, as this method yielded more insect genomic DNA. However, there was no significant difference between the QIAgen Blood and Tissue Kit and organic method, or the organic method and the QIAgen DNA Investigator Kit.

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  Patient-Specific Analysis of Aortic Hemodynamics and Wall Shear Stresses in Patients Undergoing Pediatric Bariatric Surgery using 2D Phase-Contrast MRI

  Oluwaferanmi S. Akande, Joao Soares, Nathan Hargan, Dr. Uyen Truong, Haeung Kang, and David Lanning

  Patient-Specific Analysis of Aortic Hemodynamics and Wall Shear Stresses in Patients Undergoing Pediatric Bariatric Surgery using 2D Phase-Contrast MRI

  Feranmi Akande¹ Nathan Hargan² Haesung Kang³ David Lanning³ Uyen Truong⁴ João S. Soares¹

  ¹ Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University

  ² Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, College of Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University

  ³ Department of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University

  Introduction: Severe obesity among today’s youth is a rising epidemic within the United States. Emerging research has linked childhood obesity with shortened life expectancy and early adverse cardiovascular effects, including increased aortic stiffness. Bariatric surgery is an effective and safe option for weight loss in severely obese pediatric patients when behavioral and nutritional approaches prove ineffective [1]. MRI data can provide hemodynamic insight into maladaptive changes in the aorta. This study focuses on examining the wall shear stress (WSS) and hemodynamic changes detected by MRI in bariatric patients before and 6 months after bariatric surgery. WSS is an independent predictor of all causes of cardiovascular mortality.

  Materials and Methods: Five PCMRI datasets were collected from pediatric patients before and after bariatric surgery. Each dataset consisted of time-resolved 2D cross-sections of the thoracic aorta. Time step segmentation masks for 2D planes of the aorta were generated utilizing ImageJ software. Segmentations were done independently by one observer and reviewed by a code generated PCMRI mask checker. Jupyter Notebook Python custom codes were developed to allow for loading and processing of the PCMRI data, as well as filtering and correcting of masking and timestep offset errors. In addition, the codes were used to generate hemodynamic results and estimate wall shear stress in 4 regions of the aorta over the entire cardiac cycle.

  Results: Subjects’ mean age was 15±3 years. Various hemodynamic metrics such as stroke volume, aortic luminal area, peak flow rate and retrograde flow, and wall shear stress were computed. Visual representations included flow-rate, area, blood volume, and velocity versus time charts, 2D colormaps of velocity profiles, wall shear averages, and wall shear distribution. Clinically relevant factors such as cardiac output and ejection time were also calculated. Although resting heart rate (HR) was within normal ranges before surgery, a decrease in HR was observed post-surgery which can potentially be attributed to the drastic decrease in weight. A decrease in cardiac output, as well as stroke volume, was observed due to the decrease in HR and weight for each patient. For the majority of the cases, observable differences in the maximum and minimum WSS were noticeable pre- vs. post-surgery, despite there being very small differences in the velocity profiles and peak maximum and minimum velocities.

  Conclusions: 2D-PCMRI can provide key information on hemodynamic changes in patients before and after bariatric surgery. Additionally, 2D visualizations and animations of velocity contours and gradients can provide additional insights into the flow patterns and estimation of WSS. More data and analysis are needed in order to confidently validate statistical findings.

  Acknowledgments: VCU College of Engineering Dean’s Undergraduate Research Initiative 2022, Children’s Hospital of Richmond. VCU CTSA Pilot Project Award, 2021.

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  Gestational Vulnerability to Ozone Air Pollution - A Placental Story

  Vishnupriya Alavala, Sarah Brent, Russell Hunter, Matthew J. Campen, and Andrew Ottens

  About 99% of the global population resides in areas with air pollution surpassing World Health Organization standards. Air pollution is associated with adverse neonatal health outcomes such as low fetal birth weight and an increased risk for maternal pre-eclampsia. A particularly reactive air pollutant is ozone, which forms reactive oxygen species that induce cellular damage. Research exists on the dispersion of reactive oxygen species through the bloodstream leading to fetal vulnerability during pregnancy, specifically via the placenta. Yet, placental and fetal development is a temporal process with varied susceptibility to negative gestational outcomes.

  To addressing this gap, our laboratory utilized non-targeted proteomic analysis of amniotic fluid collected at term after either gestational day (GD) 10 or GD20 ozone exposure. Results provided a comprehensive list of proteins that indicated distinct outcome phenotypes. The acute GD20 exposure resulted in a potent acute-phase increase in antioxidant factors while the subacute GD10 exposure had a greater influence of growth factors. In follow-up, selected markers of these phenotypes will be assessed within matched placentas. Relevant to the antioxidant GD20 response, we will assess superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and catalase, which catalyze superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. Per the GD10 subacute response, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is produced by cells involved with structure and stabilization of the ECM and affects cellular growth, migration, adhesion, and vascularization. Together with CTGF, collagen T1A2 plays a vital role in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and has been linked to pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia. To assess differential impacts on the placental vasculature, we will be investigating vascular endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-Cadherin), which have both been identified as biomarkers of preeclampsia.

  In our experiments, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed once to 0.3 ppm of ozone (O3) or filtered air (FA) via whole-body inhalation at GD10 or GD20 while control animals received a sham filtered air exposure at both times. Placentas were collected and snap-frozen at GD21 followed by thin-sectioning using a frozen microtome and formaldehyde fixation. Primary antibodies to our protein targets are incubated overnight at 4C followed by secondary alexa-fluor conjugated antibodies to allow for multi-channel immunofluorescence detection. Images are generated on a Zeiss Axio Imager.M2 microscope at 200x magnification.

  Ongoing experiments are set at optimizing primary antibody concentrations. The experimental design involves creating three wells of two sample placental tissues per slide that are prepared and marked with primary and then secondary antibodies specific to the protein of interest. Each well contains a different dilution of the antibody that yields different fluorescence. Densitometric analysis is used to determine the concentration with the greatest signal-to-noise ratio. Once optimized, antibodies will be co-imaged on placenta tissues across five replicate animal exposure per experimental group. Quantification of mean fluorescence intensity will then be tabulated across decidual, labyrinth and chorionic placental lamina. Results will be assessed using analysis of variance with post-hoc testing for group differences. Expected outcomes will demonstrate the relationship between prior amniotic fluid proteomic findings and effects within the placenta while differentiating placental vulnerability across windows of gestation. These findings will prove significant in understanding outcomes at term for both the mother and fetus when exposed to ozone pollution.

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  Strong Homotopy Lie Algebras and Hypergraphs

  Samuel J. Bevins and Marco Aldi

  We study hypergraphs by attaching a nilpotent strong homotopy Lie algebra. We especially focus on hypergraph theoretic information that is encoded in the cohomology of the resulting strong homotopy Lie algebra.

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  The Intersection Between Harm Reduction and Social Work

  Sydney Biondi

  This qualitative study explores the intersection of harm reduction and social work. Social workers who practice harm reduction were recruited to participate in interviews. In the field of social work, harm reduction is seen as a promising practice, but we do not know very much about what it looks like in practice. The purpose of this research study is to find out how the perceptions of social workers of harm reduction aid or inhibit community harm reduction efforts. We think that the geographical location of a social worker impacts the perceptions and experiences of harm reduction, because of the resources available and how people are taught by society to view harm reduction practices. This study will allow us to learn more about the potential benefits and challenges of integrating these two approaches in practice as well as how the intersection of social work and harm reduction can be improved.

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  Respire: A Technological Tool to Navigate Mechanical Ventilation in Patient Care and Educational Settings

  Swara Chokshi

  Around the world, more than 20 million patients rely on mechanical ventilators annually; however, not enough individuals understand how to operate ventilators, posing a risk to the health of many. Moreover, it is increasingly difficult to determine optimal mechanical ventilator settings in a timely fashion, especially in low-resource countries and critical care areas. Respire is a mobile application that bridges this gap in a twofold manner: it is designed to assist healthcare workers around the world navigate and use mechanical ventilators effectively as well as educate the general public about mechanical ventilation. Respire offers a user-friendly yet educational interface that quickly generates the most optimal ventilator settings based on the patient’s age, gender, weight, and health history. With limited information provided, Respire provides an individualized-patient model for optimal mechanical ventilation settings, including values generated for Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP), Respiratory Rate (RR), Tidal Volume (TV), and Trigger Sensitivity (TS). Developed entirely from scratch, this application was built in Android Studio IDE utilizing the programming language Java, and the graphical user interface as well as design components were created using XML and CSS. The desired outcomes of this program are to serve as an educational platform and a tool to supplement patient care related to medical respiration.

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  Cellular glycosphingolipid imbalance modulates EMT in cancer cells

  Laura E. Clark, Amanda Dickinson, and Santiago Lima

  Sphingolipids are key components of the plasma membrane and are regulators of complex biological processes often altered in cancer cells. In human tumors, genes of key enzymes that regulate levels of glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide are often amplified. However, it is unknown why these traits are positively selected in transformed cells. In this work, we used CRISPR-Cas9 to knockout two key enzymes amplified in tumors in HeLa and H1703 tumor-derived cell-lines. As expected, the knockout lines had dramatic accumulation of GlcCer and LacCer. However, unexpectedly, they showed significantly decreased in-vitro wound-healing capacity and an almost complete loss of in-vitro extra-cellular matrix invasion. Based on these results, we probed for protein markers of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Data showed a significant increase of the levels of E-cadherin and a decrease of N-cadherin, suggesting that knockout cells acquired a more epithelial-like phenotype. Knockout lines also had significant changes in SNAIL levels, an important regulator of E-cadherin expression and EMT marker. As SNAIL can be regulated by growth factor receptors such as EGFR, we probed for global changes in growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) activation. Results showed that, compared to their otherwise isogenic wild-type counterparts, knockout lines had broad changes in growth factor RTK activation patterns. The knockout cells also had significant changes in their responses to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. Our work suggests that increased expression of key glycosphingolipid regulating enzymes in transformed cells are critical to promote malignant phenotypes by impacting EMT, sustained activity of growth factor RTKs, and responses to therapy.

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  Analysis of Fiber UV Degradation Through an Environmental Chamber

  Davis A. Eames

  Environmentally degraded fibers could impact multiple aspects of a fiber comparison, considering that collected weathered fabrics/fibers may express an altered chemical structure and/or colorimetric property compared to their unexposed counterparts. Depending on the amount of degradation the evidence has suffered, it could be challenging for forensic scientists to make conclusions from their comparative analyses. Observations presented in this study were orchestrated to test the possible outcomes that sunlight has on fabric-based materials. Photodegradation of fabrics was investigated through the use of an environmental chamber for a duration of six weeks, which would be equivalent to three months of real-world UV exposure. Red and blue fabrics of 100% polyester, nylon, and cotton were tested; purity and identity of each sample were confirmed by polarized light microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Colorimetric properties were analyzed through fluorescence microscopy. Accelerated weathering was accomplished in an environmental chamber, fabrics were subjected to repeated cycles—two hours at an irradiance of 0.25 w/m², two hours at 0.47 w/m², four hours at 0.68 w/m², two hours at 0.47 w/m², and lastly two hours at 0.25 w/m²—of UV light (340nm) for 1,008 hours. Relative humidity (< 25%), air temperature (25°C), and black panel temperature (35°C) were programmed to be held constant for the whole duration of the experiment. All exposed fibers either lost all pigment completely or were a faded variation of the original dyed color. Fluorescence microscopic analysis of the blue and red nylon fibers, as well as the red polyester fibers, all revealed substantially varied results between the UV-degraded and their counterparts. In addition, UV-exposed synthetic fibers were found to be more textured, which could have resulted from a reaction between the light and the particles of TiO₂ and polymer. This observation should be further studied. Overall, results presented within this study suggest that the UV-exposed fiber would be assumed as a different fiber when compared to its counterpart. Considering that this study mimicked the methods commonly performed by forensic personnel, this conclusion presents a threat for cases with evidentiary fiber samples from both indoor and outdoor conditions.

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  Women's Marital Roles in Classical Athens: Male Understanding and Portrayal in Aeschylus' Agamemnon and Euripides' Medea

  Elena Graf and Mary Boyes

  Abstract

  The Classical Period of Athens (500-336 BCE) was an era of sociocultural growth and stability for the ancient Greeks, renowned for its development of tragic theatre. While Classical Athens nurtured the public sociocultural success of male citizens, women adopted a submissive role, confined to their marital responsibilities. Women were forbidden from directly taking part in politics, philosophy, and above all, the theatrical scene of Athens. Due to these societal perceptions of traditional gender roles, the literature of the Classical Period was heavily influenced by a male bias. This study investigates the connections between women’s role in Classical Athenian society and the portrayal of female literary characters in tragic theatre by male playwrights. The use of stage costumes, characterization, and narrative of female characters in Euripides’ Classical tragic play Medea was analyzed to determine if male societal perceptions of women in Greek society influenced the structure of female characters. Through these analyses, it was determined that male bias and traditional gender roles of women in Athenian society established four prominent stereotypes in female dramatic characters: the femme fatale, the conspirator, the victim, and the villain. Tragic theatre was a vital pillar of ancient Greek history, so contemporary understanding of the reality of roles of women in Classical society are undeniably influenced by a male bias.

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  Investigation of the DYRK1A Regulation by LZTS2-SIPA1L1 Complex

  Rebecca Gunnin; Austin Witt B.S.; and Larisa Litovchick M.D.,Ph.D.

  A region on chromosome 21, the Down Syndrome critical region (DSCR), is associated with major defects found in Down Syndrome, such as craniofacial malformations. DYRK1A is a gene found on chromosome 21 within the DSCR that encodes an enzyme, dual specificity tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A. DYRK1A is known to phosphorylate many substrate proteins and is thought to be involved in tumor suppression, neurological development, cell cycle regulation, and aging. Recently, the Litovchick lab and others reported that DYRK1A also plays a role in the double-strand break repair of DNA, which could lead to mutations and tumorigenesis, if deregulated.

  The Litovchick lab is currently investigating novel interactions of DYRK1A, and their implications for cancer. One of these proteins, DCAF7, is already a well-known DYRK1A interacting partner. Another less characterized protein is LZTS2, also known as LAPSER1 or leucine-zipper tumor suppressor 2. LZTS2 is found to be deleted in many human tumors and is known to bind a signaling intermediate SIPA1L1.2 Our preliminary data show that LZTS2 may promote DYRK1A phosphorylation, thereby regulating DYRK1A kinase activity. We suspect that SIPA1L1 may be involved in this interaction and, as this complex is known to be involved in the WNT pathway that plays a role in both cancer and orofacial formation,

  To test this hypothesis, we started characterization of the DYRK1A-LZTS2 interaction using ectopic expressions of the full-length LZTS2 and DYRK1A as well as their fragments expressed in human T98G cells. We will further perform experiments investigating the physical binding and functional interactions between DCAF7, SIPA1L1, and the DYRK1A-LZTS2 complex.

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  Glyphosate and Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity: Herbicide Impacts on Parkinson's Disease Development

  Lojy Hozyen

  Nearly one million individuals in the United States are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the past two decades, the death rate from PD has risen by about 63 percent in the United States. Major findings have been made in the past five years about the potential impact of glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine) exposure on the onset of PD symptoms. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide a compiled update on the chemical and biological alterations that glyphosate imposes on the human brain. A meta-analysis was conducted to create a quantitative estimate of the connection between PD and glyphosate. Findings suggest that glyphosate exposure causes synaptic terminal alterations which affect the synaptic assembly and neuronal connectivity and alters adaptation of gene expression by crossing the blood-brain barrier. This paper highlights findings towards glyphosate impacts on dopamine production through similar mechanisms as the banned pesticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Despite DDT being banned in 1972, glyphosate still remains readily available for consumer use. Although The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has assured Americans that glyphosate poses no risk to human health, the herbicide is banned in at least 10 countries and some states and cities within the United States are starting to implement restrictions. The results of this study provide a proposal for legislatures to mandate glyphosate restrictions for the United States as a whole.

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  A Three-Dimensional in vitro Model of Disease That Improves Preclinical Research by Incorporating Genetic Diversity and Increasing Physiological Accuracy

  Akash Jagdeesh

  Biomedical research is essential for the discovery of new medications and treatments, and is built upon the cooperation of preclinical (in vitro/vivo) research and clinical trials. However, 85% of treatments previously successful in vitro/vivo fail in clinical trials, suggesting that in vitro models are poor indicators of clinical success. The issue lies in conventional “two-dimensional” in vitro models containing genetically identical cells grown on a flat plate, which lack the variety of cell types and cooperation/structure found in real tissue. Moreover, 2D in vitro models do not simulate humans’ genotypic variability, which affects both pathophysiology and treatment effectiveness. 3D in vitro disease models (e.g. organoids/spheroids) include the extracellular components, structures, cell-cell interactions, and microenvironment observed in human tissue, resulting in more physiologically accurate disease models. This paper consolidates current research of 3D models of varying complexities for different diseases to propose an effective and efficient solution for creating 3D in vitro models. Organoids should be the model of interest for organ/tissue-specific diseases and tumors, while patient-derived xenografts formed by implanting organoids into humanized mouse models are useful for studying body-wide disease/treatment effects. Growing organoids in prepared hydrogels allows them to mimic a human extracellular matrix and microenvironment, and adjusting the hydrogel’s characteristics allows control over organoid growth/differentiation. Sourcing undifferentiated stem cells from patients of different ethnicities, ages, and socioeconomic statuses allows representation of diverse populations and corresponding epigenetics. Adipose stem cells are abundant in humans and easily accessible with minimally invasive procedures.

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  Proposing an RNA Interference (RNAi)-based Treatment for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) by Analyzing the Post-Transcriptional Gene Targeting of SARS-CoV-2, Hepatitis C Virus, and A549 Lung Cancer Cells

  Arjun Jagdeesh

  Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects CD4+ T cell lymphocytes in humans, leading to the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. While current treatment methods, including antiretroviral combination treatments, effectively limit HIV replication, HIV can evade these treatments due to its high mutation rate. Long-term antiretroviral treatment can also be toxic to patients, meaning patients would benefit from a new mechanism of HIV treatment. RNA interference (RNAi) is an antiviral pathway found in mammals, plants, and insects that involves a small-interfering RNA that is incorporated into a protein complex called the RNA-induced Silencing Complex (RISC). This complex binds to and cleaves viral mRNAs, reducing viral gene expression. RNAi is a promising method of treating HIV/AIDS, since it has been found to adapt to and target highly-conserved sequences in Hepatitis C Virus, A549 lung cancer, and SARS-CoV-2 in mammalian cells. Patisiran is an FDA-approved RNAi treatment for use in humans, making an HIV RNAi treatment plausible. However, an RNAi treatment for HIV has not yet been designed or developed. This paper aims to propose a comprehensive potential RNAi treatment for HIV. RNAi may effectively inhibit HIV replication by containing two siRNAs with the sequences 5’-UUAAUACUGACGCUCUCGC-3’ and 5’-UGUAUUGAUAGAUAACUAU-3’ that target the highly-conserved p17 and Reverse Transcriptase genes, respectively, delivered within a solid lipid nanoparticle composed of equimolar amounts of DOTAP and DODMA cationic lipids and containing LFA-1 antibody on the surface for receptor-mediated endocytosis, and cotransported with Rev and GagPol HIV proteins to limit the anti-RNAi function of HIV’s RRE and TAR.

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  Isoprenylation Inhibition Suppresses FcεRI-mediated Mast Cell Function and Allergic Inflammation

  Aditya Kotha, Jordan M. Dailey, Aslamuzzaman Kazi, Said Sebti, and John J. Ryan

  Allergic disease is driven by cell signaling cascades that activate immune cells. One key player is mast cells, which is activated by IgE antibodies signaling through the high affinity IgE receptor, FceRI. Therefore, targeting FceRI-mediated cascades can offer for novel treatments for allergic disease. Statins have been demonstrated to reduce the severity of asthma, a common allergic airway disease. Statins are an FDA approved class of drugs with the intended purpose of lowering blood cholesterol. We previously found that while statins inhibit mast cell function in allergic disease, these anti-inflammatory effects vary widely amongst differing mouse strains and human donors, suggesting genetic variability. This project sought to overcome statin resistance by acting “downstream” in the cholesterol synthesis pathway on protein isoprenylation pathways. The logic is that isoprenylated proteins are critical for FceRI signaling, thus blocking this step of protein modification should reduce FceRI-mediated mast cell function. The novel FGTI-2734 drug was used to suppress the isoprenylation enzymes farnesyl transferase and geranylgeranyl transferase. FGTI-2734 reduced IgE-mediated mast cell degranulation and cytokine and chemokine secretion. Additional work found that both transferases must be targeted to produce these anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, we revealed that the K-Ras protein is an isoprenylation target that is essential for IgE-mediated mast cell function. Collectively, these studies demonstrate the translational potential of the novel drug FGTI-2734 and suggest it acts by suppressing isoprenylation of proteins critical for mast cell function, including K-Ras.

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  Development and Usability Testing of a PHR for Down’s Syndrome (DS) Care Coordination

  Edward Ladia, Brianna Boston, Bethany Cosgrove PhD, Elizabeth Baker PhD, and Jeffrey Duah

  321Connect was first drafted by Dr. Bethany Cosgrove to support caregivers of children with Down’s Syndrome in coordinating care.

  These children often require multiple appointments with various healthcare professionals throughout the course of their life. Caregivers expressed a need for accurate and up-to-date information, providing evidence of the potential benefit of an mHealth application. A mobile health application with a PHR (personal health record) for the child would aid in keeping track of this information. However, there is no existing solution on the market that met this need, prompting the creation of 321Connect.

  321Connect aims to provide information and support for families and caregivers of children with Down’s Syndrome, allowing them to focus on what truly matters: their child.

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  Testing the Efficacy and Synergistic Components of Sesamol and Black Rice Extract on Human Colon Cancer Cells

  Sera Lim and Philip M. Gerk

  Purpose: Systemic treatment of colorectal cancer involves chemotherapeutic agents which elicit serious and negative side effects from the toxicity of the drug. To address this issue, we are testing dietary supplements for their efficacy against human colon cancer cell lines and also their potential synergistic effects when combined with conventional chemotherapy. Dietary supplements (specifically sesamol and black rice extract) exhibit anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and chemo-preventive properties. Meanwhile, one of the cancer resistance mechanisms is the upregulation of drug elimination mechanisms, leading to multi-drug resistance. We hypothesize that dietary compounds will act as chemo-enhancers, thus enhancing potency of the chemotherapy drug(s) on colon cancer cell lines, even in the presence of induced drug-resistance mechanisms.

  Methods: LS180 or HT29 human colonic adenocarcinoma cells were cultured in 96-well plates in standard media lacking or containing active vitamin D (250nM). Doxorubicin, oxaliplatin, irinotecan (chemotherapeutics), sesamol, and black rice extract (dietary supplements) were examined at varying concentrations to determine their antiproliferative potencies. Alamar blue activity was measured by fluorimetry to compare the growth rates in the presence of the treatments.

  Results: In the presence of vitamin D, the tested substances showed decreased potency against cell proliferation. Vitamin D treatments accelerated cell proliferation and decreased the potency of doxorubicin (IC50 values: 1.9nM (alone), 3.9nM (vitamin D)). However, a large degree of variability obscured some of the results.

  Conclusions: Futures studies will find ways to decrease the variability and determine the extent to which sesamol and black rice extract enhance chemotherapy and overcome drug resistance mechanisms.

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  Racial Experiences and Racial Identity Experiences of “New” African Americans in the United States

  Sosna Marshet and Kenna Yadeta

  The challenges faced by Black immigrants in the United States are significant, beginning with isolation and loneliness and intensified by pervasive discrimination. This study examines the impact of racism on the racial identity of Black immigrants in the United States. Using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI), various dimensions of Black identity were measured among 119 Black first and second-generation immigrants aged 18 to 51. The results showed a positive correlation between experiences of racism and the centrality dimension of Black identity, a negative correlation with the humanist, and a positive correlation with Nationalist dimensions of Black identity. These findings highlight the need for ongoing efforts to address racism and its impact on the racial identity of Black immigrants in the United States.