The 22nd Annual Phi Kappa Phi Student Research and Fine Arts Conference

Mentor: A. B. Osborne, Department of Art and Design

This project is a was a piece I was excited to create because it based off the type of style I am inspired. It took quite awhile to finish up, but felt amazing to see the finished product as a whole from my hard work, with help along the way. The program that was used is MAYA and I am still in the process of learning more about the program, but I am surly and slowly getting the hang of it everyday when using it. Moreover, being that this is the first semester using this type of program and see myself evolve through a short time is a great thing that I always wanted to see. Thriving off of my peers within the classroom is such a good felling because we help each other out to progress more in the this pre-industry world we will soon embark on.

Mentor: A.B. Osborne 

The digital world is one of the most amazing gifts mankind has created. It has brought many opportunities to creative people all over the world. Animators can create more complex, higher-quality art in a shorter amount of time. They can also work anywhere and have unlimited access to tools that will allow them to build their creations. Though working on projects on a computer is very convenient, it doesn't make the workload any easier. There are specific steps animators must keep in mind when 3D modeling, rigging, or 3D animating, or else it could fall apart. However, the results are undeniably satisfying once the final touches have been done. In my experience with my work, every minute and moment of my time was worth it to work on projects in the animation field. It is a wonderful field that people should glance at, so I hope my work can inspire others' curiosity to look into the field.

Mentor: Marlo Vernon

Background: The cancer incidence amongst African Americans is disproportionately larger compared to the incidence within the state of Georgia and nationally. This disproportion can be attributed to many factors such as modifiable behaviors, disparities, and common beliefs within the African American community. Methods: Qualitative interviews with local healthcare workers and community members (n=30) within the Augusta area asked members of these groups to share their beliefs about cancer and the healthcare system, disparities they may have experienced or seen, reasons for not accessing care, and provide reasonings for mistrust of the healthcare system. Coding the interviews was independently completed by two reviewers, via the platform NVivo. Results: Common themes within these interviews included: cancer discussions being taboo, belief that cancer and cancer treatment are automatic death sentences, unaware of available resources. Discussion: Understanding common beliefs or myths about cancer within the African American community can allow for education among healthcare workers and members of the African American community. These interviews are being used to develop provider and community education, emphasizing the dispelling of myths and the formation of trust and unity between these communities, which in turn may improve healthcare.

Mentor: Jessica Reichmuth 

This study aims to determine the effects of urbanization on freshwater streams. Freshwater is a vital resource for a variety of species including humans. Euchee Creek in Evans, GA was selected as the primary focus for this study as the creek travels through several neighborhoods, a golf course, a housing constructing site, and a paved walking trail. This study assessed several biological and chemical factors to determine the water quality at selected sample sites along the creek over four seasons. Abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrate populations inhabiting creeks have been shown to serve as good biomarkers because some macroinvertebrates are more sensitive to changes in water quality. This study did not find definitive evidence of water quality issues in Euchee Creek, but the limited abundance and diversity found in some of the macroinvertebrate samples suggest that there may be water quality issues present and further studies are warranted.

Mentor: Simon Medcalfe

Teen births have negative health and economics outcomes for adolescents in the United States. This research analyzes teen births using the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework which has a larger effect on people’s health than originally realized. SDOH categories include: economic stability, neighborhood and physical environment, education, food, community and social context, and health care system. Furthermore, racial segregation continues to impact society and be a huge topic among political debates. Racial segregation is included in the community and social context category of the SDOH. The purpose of this research is to determine whether racial segregation has an impact on teen birth rate, specifically for the counties of Georgia in 2020. The data for the SDOH and teen birth rate variables came from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and were analyzed using Stata Software. Results suggest, there is not a significant relationship between racial segregation and teen births except for Hispanic teen birth rate. Several other SDOH were significant and compared with research from previous findings. Determining whether racial segregation has a significant impact on teen birth rates can help guide future policies and aid programs for the counties in Georgia, but also the United States as a whole.

Mentor: Ellen LeMosy

The purpose of this summer-based project was to examine the role of a gene, tinagl1, in craniofacial development of zebrafish. Prior research from Dr. LeMosy’s lab, suggests that the function of tinagl1 is important for proper skeletal and craniofacial development (Neiswender et al., 2017). It is known that Tinagl1 protein functions in the extracellular matrix, including promoting Wnt3a/beta-catenin signaling important for several diseases and developmental processes (Mulligan et al., 2012), and disrupting the activation of EGF receptors and integrins by their ligands, preventing metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer (Sheng et al., 2019).

Mentor: Darren Browning 

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health burden, taking 50,000 lives in the United States alone each year. There is an important need for drugs for the chemoprevention of CRC, but there is currently nothing approved for this purpose. Recent studies highlight phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) as potentially useful for CRC prevention, but the mechanism is poorly understood. Previous studies in both mice and cancer cell lines implicate a role for type-2 cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG2) downstream of PDE5i in the colon epithelium, and possible roles for this kinase in suppressing proliferative Erk signaling, while activating the antiproliferative effects of the FoxO3a transcription factor. The present study will establish an experimental system to study the role of PKG2 and FoxO3a in the antiproliferative effects of cGMP using colon organoids derived from wild-type mice, and those from mice with genetic knockout of PKG2 and FoxO3a. Our initial goal is to establish the organoids, and then genotype using genomic PCR. Our results are expected to demonstrate an experimental system that will study the antiproliferative signaling by cGMP in colon organoids, and interrogate specific downstream signaling pathways that will help us better understand the utility of PDE5i to prevent colon cancer in humans.

Mentor: Brian Agee

The synthesis of nylon 6-6 is a 5-step reaction; the following presentation will focus on the first step of the synthesis, with the product being cyclohexene. The difficulty of synthesizing nylon 6-6 is associated with the growing risk of extinction of its primary reagent, zinc. Zinc is currently 50-100 years away from extinction, giving focus to finding alternative methods of producing nylon 6-6 with a replacement to it. This project has studied the effects of copper and iron as potential replacements and is currently studying the effects of ferric oxide (rust). In addition to investigating an alternative to zinc, this study also focuses on implementing green techniques that are in line with the principles of green chemistry. Principles that will be studied include less hazardous synthesis, design for energy efficiency, and the use of renewable feedstock.

Mentor: Daria Ilatovskaya

Background: Salt-sensitive hypertension (SS-HTN) is a disease characterized by blood pressure increase with salt consumption. SS-HTN affects 30% of Americans and is a precursor to chronic kidney disease. We hypothesize that increased salt-intake alters genes/proteins in key pathways instigating and/or perpetuating renal injury in SS-HTN.

Methods: 8-week-old Dahl Salt Sensitive rats were fed a normal (0.4% NaCl) or high salt diet (4% NaCl, to induce hypertension) for 3 weeks, and euthanized. Glomeruli were isolated from the PBS-flushed kidneys and submitted to Pennington Biomedical Research Center for next generation sequencing, and IPA pathway analysis was done.

Results: When high salt and normal salt glomeruli were compared, transcriptomics revealed changes in the genes for leptin receptor (Lepr), melanocortin 4 receptor (M4cr, -5.038), calbindin (Calb, 1.620), regulator of G-protein signaling 2 (Rgs2, -1.8), protein kinase C (Pkc, downregulated), mechanistic target of rapamycin (Mtor), and AMP-activated protein kinase (Ampk, downregulated). IPA analysis allowed to show that these genes are important for nutrition sensing, calcium handling, and G-protein couple signaling. 

Conclusion: We found new previously unreported gene networks affected in glomeruli during SS-HTN. As gene expression does not always equate to functional change, we will next perform Western blots to determine protein expression.

Mentor: Angela Bratton

Social media use has recently expanded while raising concerns about the mental health of the users. The ideal body image has always been a socially constructed concept among men and women. This study specifically looked at the effects that photo filters have on young adults’ (ages 18-26) body image since they have had access to photo editing apps for most of their lives. Qualitative data was collected through surveys and interviews to recount the experiences young men and women have had with social media and how these experiences affected their perception of body image. The results of this study showed that many people experience similar thoughts on what their perception of the perfect body is which includes being healthy and feeling confident in their image even after looking at filtered photos. Participants felt insecure about themselves when they viewed edited photos of celebrities. In some cases, this study found that it encouraged some users to edit their photos, but most of the participants stated they preferred their natural image over filtered photos. Overall, the participants acknowledged that celebrity photos are heavily edited and unrealistic in terms of body image with multiple participants mentioning filters are better used for fun.

Mentor: Paul Langridge

Notch receptors and ligand proteins are involved in many cell signaling processes.  Receptors have four domains: a ligand/receptor binding domain, a Negative Regulatory Region (NRR), a transmembrane region, and an intracellular transcription domain.  The receptor is activated by proteolytic cleavage at the NRR domain in response to force provided by endocytosis of the bound ligand.  Recent studies have shown that NRRs from different species, and from different receptors within a species, show different strengths of activation, possibly due to a difference in force tuning. In this study, the ability of two ligand variants with strong and weak binding affinities to activate receptors of different signal potencies (‘high’ and ‘low’), which are thought to be tuned to different degrees of force, was examined. ‘Low signal’ receptors were activated by both ligands. In contrast, ‘high signal’ receptors failed to be activated by the weak ligand, but were activated by the strong ligand. As the weak ligand is limited in the force it can apply, this result is consistent with the idea that the receptors differ in their required activation force. The results may provide a greater understanding of force sensitivity, which may be valuable in the development of therapeutic treatments.

Mentor: Bogdon Chlebus

Cryptocurrencies steadily gain traction in our society while remaining a mystical topic for many. The technology that supports cryptocurrency is termed "blockchain", and surprisingly, is applicable to more than just cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, blockchain is not perfect. Though the technology has many applications in theory, it tends to be slow in practice, limiting its use. This study demystifies the purpose of blockchain and how it works, as well as presents the current methods of increasing the speed of blockchain network communication. We begin with an analysis of the blockchain data structure, followed by descriptions of blockchain network properties: decentralization, immutability, and trustlessness. We then present use-cases of blockchain, the scalability issue of blockchain, solutions to the issue, and finally applications of scalability solutions to the use-cases.

Mentor: Andrew Craig-Jones

As the athletic world grows and changes, more equipment, such as compression pants, are continuously introduced to the market claiming faster recovery and enhanced performance. In 2020, the global compression sportswear industry’s market size was 4.03 billion dollars.  Despite the mainstream popularity, there has been limited research on the effects of compression garments on physiological variables during exercise. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of wearing compression pants on oxygen consumption and muscle oscillation during running. METHODS: Participants ran both with and without compression pants (CompressionZ) for 40 minutes at a preferred speed. Preferred speed was found using three double-blind trials. A random speed was used to start, and the subject was allowed to change the speed using only the up and down arrows until a comfortable speed similar to that of a typical 60-minute training run was reached. This was done three times and averaged. Each participant’s oxygen consumption (VO2) was measured using a metabolic system (Parvo Medics, Salt Lake City, UT) during both trials. Muscle oscillation (MO) was measured using four accelerometers (Delsys, Natick, MA) attached to the anterior and posterior aspects of the right thigh and shank. Acceleration was assessed using a frequency analysis to evaluate soft tissue vibrations. VO2 and heart rate (HR) were measured continuously throughout the 40-minute trials, while MO and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured every 5 minutes for each condition. EXPECTED RESULTS: The expected results should present findings that VO2 and MO were both lowered during the use of compression pants compared to running in loose-fitting shorts. In 2001, James Wakeling and Benno Nigg proposed the muscle tuning paradigm, suggesting a reduction in muscle oscillation reduces the time muscles are activated prior to ground impact.  Multiple studies in the field have shown that wearing compression garments reduce the muscle activation of runners. ,   It has been demonstrated that while wearing compression lower body muscles were active for up to 26% less time.3 With a clear reduction in muscle activation, there is a lower demand for energy to be created and thus the body will need to consume less oxygen.

Mentor: Eugenia Sabbatini

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (DPAC) is an aggressive epithelia cancer. We previously found that NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1) facilitates the invasion of pancreatic cancer lines in vitro and in vivo. Because the serum level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA-19-9) correlates with the progression of pancreatic cancer, we measured the serum level of this antigen in healthy mice, mice with mild chronic pancreatitis (CP), and mice with pancreatic cancer (KPC mice) expressing or not Nox1 in the whole body using a commercially available Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kit to determine the extent to which Nox1 participates in PDAC progression. CA-19-9 levels can be correlated with the stage of malignant cancer present in the body at the current time. We are using KPC mice containing Nox1 (Nox1-component KPC mice) as positive control and no carrier for Pdx1-Cre mice with mutant KrasG12D expression alone as a negative control. By manipulating KrasG12D, Trp53 and Nox1 genes in mice with or without a mild CP, we observed changes in CA 19-9 level with different mutations. 

Mentor: Michelle Johnson

A possible cause of depression among children from immigrant families is that parents often have high expectations regarding their children's educational achievements (Sun et al., 2020). This study investigated whether parent adult-child relationship satisfaction is associated with depressive symptoms among second-generation American college students. Second-generation Americans were born in the United States (U.S.) and have at least one parent who immigrated to the U.S. Parent adult-child relationship strength was measured using the Parent Adult-Child Relationship Questionnaire (Peisah et al., 1999). Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (Radloff, 1977). I hypothesized that lower parent adult-child relationship satisfaction would be associated with higher depressive symptoms among second-generation adult children. Seventy-two second generation Americans participated. Participants represented a range of ethnicities from Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. My results suggest that poor familial relationships were associated with more depressive symptoms among second-generation American college students. Research has shown that depression affects the academic ability of undergraduate students (Hysenbegasi et al., 2005). Identifying risk factors associated with depressive symptoms will inform interventions aimed at lessening poor mental health outcomes among college students from immigrant families.

Mentor: Daria Ilatovskaya

Background. Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) promotes renal salt excretion and plays an important role in blood pressure regulation. Our prior studies showed that ANP deficiency exacerbated the kidney function in salt-sensitive (SS) hypertension. This study investigated the impact of ANP deficiency on renal mitochondrial metabolism in SS hypertension.
Methods. Dahl SS wild type (WT) and ANP knockout (KO) rats were placed on 4% NaCl high salt (HS) diet to induce hypertension, or 0.4% NaCl normal salt (NS, control) diet for 21 days. The kidney tissues were submitted for metabolomics. The data obtained by UHPLC-HRMS were analyzed using MetaboAnalyst software to identify top differential metabolites. 
Results. 133 mitochondria-related metabolites were identified. Most amino acid and bile acid metabolites, including histamine, indole, and cholate, were upregulated in the KO on NS, but not on HS (3.0, 2.4, and 2.3 times, respectively). The sugars UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and UDP-glucose, and sedoheptulose 1/7-phosphate were significantly downregulated in the KO on both NS and HS diets. 
Conclusions. We revealed distinct metabolic profiles of kidney cortex in ANP KO compared to WT rats, which are affected by a HS diet. Future studies including IPA analysis will be focused on the underlying mechanisms. 

Mentor: Mohamed Al-Shabrawey

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a neurovascular complication of diabetes in which treatment is limited due to a lack of neuroprotection. The goal of the current study was to investigate the potential role of 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LO) lipid metabolites 12 and 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (12 and 15-HETE) in neurodegeneration associated with diabetic retinopathy.
To characterize the role of 12/15-LO, we generated a unique model of diabetic mice that lacks 12/15-LO (Ins2Akita/+/12/15-LO-/-). Electroretinogram (ERG) was used to evaluate the functional changes in diabetic (Ins2Akita/+) compared to control and diabetic mice that lack 12/15-LO. Retina from these mice were also stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and retinal thickness was measured via image-J. 
ERG assessment showed improvement in retinal function of the Ins2Akita/+/12/15-LO-/- mice compared to the Ins2Akita/+ mice and restored the loss of RGC marker, Brn3. Interestingly, the Photopic B-Wave amplitude in Ins2Akita/+/12/15-LO-/- mice improved significantly compared to diabetic mice. Deletion of 12/15-LO restored the total and inner retinal thickness in diabetic mice. Immunolocalization of the neuronal marker, NeuN showed marked reduction in diabetic mice and was restored in diabetic mice lacking the 12/15-LO. Our findings indicate that 12/15-LO contributes to neuroglial injury and its inhibition potentially protects retinal neurons in diabetes.

Mentor: Hannah Bennett

Many sports have addressed inclusion strategies and athletes' feelings of inclusion in recent years. The focus of this research was to investigate the perception of inclusivity within the CrossFit community, specifically concerning those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. For this study, the psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument (SOBI-P) was used to investigate participants’ perceived feelings of being valued and accepted among their CrossFit community. A total of 306 participants were involved in the survey process. The SOBI-P scores were analyzed using various self-identifiers that included sexual orientation, gender identity, and ethnicity. They were compared amongst each other to determine whether there was a significant difference in SOBI-P scores. Although the mean scores were noticeably lower, our sample size was too small to prove that any specific communities or identities had a lower sense of belonging (feelings of value, welcome, and inclusion) compared to their dominant counterparts. However, a larger sample size may later show a different conclusion. In hopes of aiding in improving individuals' sense of belonging in their community, a list of suggested outreach programs and ideas was also created to promote inclusive cultural practices within gyms.

Mentor: Menaka Thounaojam

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disorder that affects the underdeveloped retinas of premature infants, because of cessation in blood vessel growth. Current ROP treatments, like laser retinal ablation and intraocular injection of anti-angiogenic drugs, are given in the severe stage of ROP and can have adverse side effects. Bile-acid therapies present as a possible alternative, due to their history in ancient Chinese medicine. Previously in Dr. Thounaojam’s lab, it has been found that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) was able to lessen the extent of retinal neovascularization (RNV), all while retaining normal vascularization. The oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) mouse model was used with C57BL/6J mice in order to simulate clinical ROP. Mice were treated with UDCA via a 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection 2-7 days after birth (P2-P7) before being exposed to the OIR process. ROP is associated with two distinct phases: hyperoxia and hypoxia. Hyperoxia (75% oxygen level) was set to take place during P7-P12, while the room air (21% oxygen level) phase was set for P12-P17. After analysis of the retinas, it was revealed that UDCA was able to decrease the adverse effects of ROP. Our results suggest that UDCA could be a new treatment method for ROP.

Mentor: Brian Agee

Green chemistry is a field of chemistry where chemists aim to prepare chemicals by using synthetic organic materials that are environmentally friendly. Currently, the required thermal heat source that most chemical reactions require comes from the use of a heating mantle. The hope of finding a way to reduce the amount of electricity needed to perform organic chemical reactions led to the purpose of this research. The goal is to use a high-powered solar reflector as the sole heat source for multi-step organic syntheses, such as that of acetaminophen. Another goal of this research is to develop a greener procedure for the generation of each of the reagents needed to make acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is commercially synthesized using a multi-step organic procedure of the reaction of para-aminophenol with acetic anhydride. With the success of the creation of para-aminophenol, future work for this research project will include making the second reagent needed in this project: acetic anhydride. The combination of a solar energy heat source and the use of greener chemicals has provided a new synthetic pathway to acetaminophen that can be incorporated in teaching labs as a “green synthesis” experiment or scaled to fit the needs of an industrial synthesis.

Mentor: Iryna Lebedyeva

Tadalafil is a commonly used drug that treats erectile dysfunction as well as high blood pressure. This drug happens to be successful in its ability to inhibit the enzyme called PDE5. The enzyme, PDE5 primarily facilitates blood flow and cell signaling. By inhibiting PDE5 enzyme with a drug such as tadalafil, blood vessels and muscles undergo relaxation, which results in an increase of blood flow throughout the body. Over-expression of PDE5 has been reported to increase in multiple human carcinoma cell types including breast, colon, bladder, and lung cancers. It was discovered that drugs known as phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) such as tadalafil, sildenafil, and vardenafil can possibly prevent colorectal cancer in mice. Recent studies have shown that this is also applicable to humans. However, an issue arises when PDE5 inhibitor is used as a drug for colon cancer prevention as it was found to rapidly leave the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and enter the bloodstream. In this project, we work on eliminating the effects of rapid drug clearance from the GI site by creating novel analogs of tadalafil that will remain localized in the GI tract with minimized leakage to the bloodstream. The structure of tadalafil is being modified by adjusting its structural features such as molecular weight and polarity, in which a novel drug candidate will be identified. As a result, we expect the new compound to remain localized while still being an effective PDE5 inhibitor. With this approach, we expect the onset of colon cancer to be prevented.

Mentor: Marlo Vernon

Background: Although deaths from prostate cancer have declined in recent decades among all men, African American (AA) men are twice as likely as non-Hispanic White (NHW) men to die of prostate cancer and continue to have the highest prostate cancer mortality among all US population groups (American Cancer Society, 2021). The state of Georgia has one of the largest populations of AA, and experiences significant disparities in prostate cancer mortality (50.3/100,000 AA vs 18.4/100,000 for NHW). (Georgia Cancer Data Reports, 2016).

Methods: In support of the CHANGE (Cancer Health Awareness through screeNing and Education) initiative, four education sessions were developed from national and evidence-based resources including the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The session on prostate cancer included information on types of and eligibility for screening, risk factors, and treatment options.

Results: Participant and trainer guides were developed for each session. In addition, a pre and post survey to measure knowledge change about prostate cancer was developed.

Discussion: This curriculum will be presented to 150 public housing residents. Participants will be navigated to cancer screening at the Georgia Cancer Center if eligible, and be evaluated for changes in knowledge and attitudes about cancer risks and screening.

Funding provided by the American Cancer Society and Pfizer

Mentor: Tadd Patton

Many people experience anxiety, however when this turns into an excessive amount of fear, it can interfere with daily life. College students often experience stress from multiple aspects such as academic pressures, social pressures, and financial stressors. Students need a more appropriate and effective stress-relieving activity. Physical exercise can have many positive benefits to mental health and may reduce feelings of anxiety. Most research focuses on the effects exercise to reduce anxiety, and little is known about the effect of physical exercise as a preemptive strategy to reduce anxiety associated with an impending anxiety-provoking event. The goal of this study is to examine the preemptive effect of a single brief aerobic exercise session on feelings of anxiety typically experienced upon viewing a series of threatening images. Participants will be instructed to operate a desk cycle at their moderate intensity heart rate following by a cool-down period, and then will be presented a series of threatening images. Control group will do no physical activity. Electrodermal activity and heart rate will be recorded and analyzed as a measure of anxiety. Results of this ongoing study will be presented.

Mentor: Angelia Winkler

Tactical athletes, primarily firefighters and police officers, are the population of study because they are prone to coronary heart disease, cancer, obesity, and high blood pressure. This is believed to be from the working conditions tactical athletes face including irregular sleeping/eating habits, high-stress levels, and exposure to carcinogens. Intermittent fasting has been shown to improve health-related biomarkers relating to chronic disease, reduce body fat, and reduce stress. This study will be 8 weeks long consisting of a 1-week baseline period followed by a 7-week dietary intervention period. There will be a total of 20 participants randomized into either a control group or a fasting group. Diets of both groups will be collected after the first week to get a baseline of the participants' regular eating habits. Within this randomized controlled trial, participants in the control group will be asked to consume their usual diet for a 7-week intervention. Participants randomized to the fasting group will complete an intermittent fast three non-consecutive days per week. There are many iterations of intermittent fasting, but this study will use a 16-hour fast with an 8-hour eating period. The participants will record their diet using MyFitnessPal for 5 days during the baseline week and again in the 8th week for comparison. The data analysis from MyFitnessPal will consist of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, and caloric intake. In addition, they are asked to log their daily caffeine consumption. 

Mentor: Laurence Miller

Pain-related functional impairment or pain-related depression of behavior is an important public health issue. Although pain-related functional impairment is particularly impactful as individuals age, to our knowledge, no published preclinical studies examine pain-related functional impairment from an aging perspective. The primary goal of the present study was to determine if the expression and treatment of pain-related depression of behavior in mice was influenced by age-related differences. Over the course of experimental sessions, mice shredded a cotton Nestlet that hung from the wire lid in each homecage and began constructing a nest. The remaining suspended Nestlet was weighed at several time points as a way to track the shredding behavior of the mice. The results show that shredding by mature adult (Mature) and middle aged (Aged) mice was similar under baseline conditions, but there was evidence of age-related increases in sensitivity to depression of shredding by a noxious stimulus, intraperitoneal injection of dilute lactic acid. Moreover, the results suggest that ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), was less potent and effective in Aged mice compared to Mature mice. Overall, the data are consistent with previous studies showing that shredding of Nestlet material is an effective method of analyzing the pain-related depression of behavior in mice, and provide evidence of age-related differences in the expression and treatment of pain-related depression of behavior. These findings and future studies can contribute to better understanding of the role of age in pain-related functional impairment, and contribute to the development of new clinically effective treatments of functional impairment across the lifespan.

Mentor: Melanie Wilcox

There is a lot of stigma and negativity around the concept of mental health, and help-seeking stigma remains particularly substantial in a number of Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures. As a result, bicultural American children of immigrants from such cultures may navigate multiple cultural views on mental health. Further, research demonstrates that individuals of color may experience understandable cultural mistrust as a result of experiencing racism and other forms of discrimination, which may further prevent them from seeking help for mental health concerns. The present study sought to understand Arab-American Muslim college students’ help-seeking attitudes after reviewing a fictional website (visual stimuli) of a college counseling centers that either outwardly demonstrates cultural inclusivity or does not. We are specifically focusing on Arab-American Muslim students given the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism post-9/11, as well as the gender and cultural beliefs that may prevent them from seeking help. The goal is to better understand how outward efforts in culturally responsive mental health care affects help-seeking attitudes. In addition to viewing the counseling center website, participants will respond to scales related to stress, cultural beliefs, and help-seeking attitudes through an online survey. The study is still in progress in recruiting participants and collecting data. The goal is to recruit 100 college students, not particular to one university through various internet platforms and email. Once data is collected, it can be analyzed to answer the question of the study.  

Mentor: Ferenc Deak

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of cognitive impairment in the elderly. Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition is one of the major neuro-pathological hallmarks of AD as aggregation of Aβ results in senile plaque formation. This causes progressive neurodegeneration, memory deficits, and cognitive dysfunctions in patients suffering from AD. Current treatment strategies for this ailment are unable to slow the progression of the disease. Previous results established the association of Vesicle-Associated Membrane Protein (VAMP/Synaptobrevin) expression with spatial memory and synaptic function. Deak et al. have established the role of synaptobrevin in synaptic-vesicle endocytosis. They have also published results from human genetic studies that states SNPs variants of the VAMP1 gene encoding Synaptobrevin-1 (Syb-1) are significantly associated with late-onset AD. Recently they have found reduction of Aβ production in Syb-1 knockout neurons of heterozygous mice.
 This project focuses on finding a molecular pathway to reduce AD risk. Based on these studies, we intend to study the effect of reduced Syb-1 on Aβ production and on the spatial memory and synaptic function in a novel AD model. Syb1/Tg2576 transgenic mice of different age groups– an older and younger– will be utilized for behavioral studies in novel object recognition tasks to observe their learning and memory performance. Quantification of beta amyloid production and senile plaque formation in the mouse brain will be accomplished by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The outcomes of the study may provide some valuable insight in understanding the influence of decreased VAMP1/Syb-1 on the molecular regulation of Aβ production in the aging mouse brain.

Mentor: Charlotte Christy

Phinizy Center and Nature Park is a constructed wetland designed for tertiary wastewater treatment.  Wastewater contains waste nutrients (ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate) which can have a significant impact on the environment.  It was hypothesized that nutrient loading of each cell would have measurable variation based on differences in color/clarity and variations in plant species and ratio of vegetation to open water.  The data to date does not support this hypothesis.  All cells sampled are relatively similar chemically with the exception of Cell 1, which has been isolated for an extended period.  The concentration of nitrogenous nutrients rises as the water flows through the wetland, as opposed to changing in proportion to vegetation ratio or species present.  This leads to the hypothesis that animals utilizing the cells are the major source of nutrient loading.  Phosphate results, however, are abnormal.  Test kits indicate 50-100 ppm phosphate, whereas data provided by a state-certified laboratory indicates concentrations at or below 8.327 mg/L.  This implies an error in the test, and is being investigated.  Further research goals include continuing to monitor the cells, investigation of the viability of filtration process improvement via animal and/or plant harvest, and utilization of more accurate testing methods.

Mentor: A. B. Osborne

My art works are all completely different styles with different types of creatures and plants. I am passionate about the outside world and the life that happens in the wilderness. I feel as if people do not appreciate the outside world or the plants the grow within it. I want to show the beauty of nature. Whether with traditional works or digital. The outdoors are endless and extraordinary through my eyes.

Mentor: A. B. Osborne

An examination of methods of storytelling using the media of animation and comics. Areas explored will include unique benefits of visual storytelling compared to other media; creative use of panel composition; and new frontiers in hypermedia, digital media, and interactive fiction.

Mentor: A. B. Osborne

The main goal of the presentation is to showcase from start to finish how the process of modeling a character in 3D works, starting with a concept, moving to modeling, then texturing, and finally setting up the model for a render.

Mentor: A. B. Osborne

A 3D rendered biped model of a game character and a 3D model of a mothership for project Iridescent.

Mentor: A. B. Osborne

In my presentation I will demonstrate how the many elements of a scene come together in order to create a moment that feels real.

Mentor: Melanie Wilcox and Michelle Johnson

Many African Americans mistrust mental health services due to false diagnoses and higher involuntary admissions into psychiatric facilities. Moreover, African American patients are often diagnosed with more extreme disorders than White patients, who exhibit the same problems. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether racial biases exist among mental health care providers. We developed a vignette of an adolescent experiencing behavioral problems at school. We also manipulated adolescent gender and whether they were Black, African American, or White. The vignette was sent to participants (one of six conditions) along with demographic, multicultural training, and cultural competence questionnaires. We hypothesize that psychologists and psychology trainees will diagnose oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) more frequently when the adolescent’s race is described as “African American” or “Black” than when the adolescent’s race is described as “White.”   Further, we hypothesize that they will diagnose ODD more frequently when race is described as “African American” rather than “Black,” and more frequently when the adolescent is described as a boy rather than a girl. We will examine whether cultural competency training and cultural competence mitigates potential racial biases. Examining bias in psychological assessments is essential to reducing racial disparities in mental healthcare. 

Mentor: Barbara Manley-Smith

The Coronavirus Disease, identified in 2019 (COVID-19), caused a Pandemic that challenged the healthcare industry to assume a new position of preparedness to respond quickly and purposefully amid mounting operational trials. Administrators in the long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, faced additional challenges in caring for an aging population especially vulnerable to the virus. This study centers on the correlation of healthcare management practices; policy changes; local, state, and federal guidelines; and communication to reported COVID-19 cases at the onset of the pandemic, delineated as March 2020 to December 2020. The study will be accomplished through an anonymous survey of nursing homes in Augusta, Georgia. Objectives include evaluating if there are ties between government funding and supply shortages, determining the efficacy of telemedicine, and reviewing variation in communication strategies for each facility. Responses will illuminate practical mechanisms for improving transparency and assurance of quality care in local nursing homes.

Mentor: Hannah Bennett

Injury is expected when playing sports, regardless of playing recreationally, collegiately, or professionally; and certainly, the occurrence rate increases with increased effort and level of competitor – ranging from novice to professional/master – as the athletes are doing more coordinated and skilled activities. Most pain and injury involve simple, readily available solutions -- over-the-counter medication, heat/ice, rest, and assistive devices to not allow movement of affected body parts – however, some injuries require more extensive and laborious processes to recover. There are various stressors and pressures that all collegiate student-athletes experience, whether they are social, financial, scholastic, or sport-related. Student-athletes who experience injury-related stress can be subjected to adverse psychological effects in addition to the arduous injuries, such as depression, fear of reinjury, feeling that their hopes and dreams are gone and destroyed, exclusion, and decreased team relations and cohesion. The worry of the physical aspects of healing from an injury -- if the injury heals correctly or in enough time – compounds to the stressors. This study is a qualitative narrative model that will examine injury in student-athletes, their recovery processes, emotional well-being, and the utilization and knowledge of mindfulness and meditation in college presently. This study hopes to use the responses from the injured student-athletes to address the potential lacking psychological needs that contribute to adverse injured collegiate-athletes’ mental health. Using the analyzed data, this study can be expanded to create a theoretical meditation intervention to be implemented to test if meditation and mindfulness can reduce negative mental health symptoms in student-athletes’ injury recovery and increase post-injury performance.

Mentor: Richard Sams

The Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) is an intensive lifestyle improvement program aimed at both the prevention and improvement of chronic health conditions such as obesity or hypertension. The program accomplishes this by encouraging a combination of participation in weekly small group meetings and self-guided readings that are centered around topics such as plant-based whole food diets, exercise, and mental health. In this study of CHIP, the program was introduced to the patients of Augusta University Family Medicine Center, which faces both the challenges of time constraints in clinic to counsel lifestyle changes and providing care to patients that live in a food desert. Therefore, the goal of this study was to see if introducing the CHIP to the family medicine center would be feasible while hypothesizing that participants who complete the program will see a decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and body mass index (BMI).

After the recruitment period, a total of 8 African American women with hypertension (average SBP=145.25) and obesity (average BMI=49.725) were enrolled into this preliminary study of CHIP. Over the course of ten weeks, subjects were expected to complete pre-session course work and attend twice weekly sessions via Zoom. Each session was an hour long and conducted by two CHIP facilitator trained nurse practitioners. 

Upon completion of the CHIP, there was a statistically significant decrease in BMI (45.057, p=0.046) and SBP (128.86, p=0.0069). The percent decrease of average BMI is 9.39% and average SBP was 11.28%. 

The results indicate that participants experienced positive changes in health during the completion of CHIP, suggesting that patients who complete CHIP can experience an improvement in weight and blood pressure despite living in a food desert. These positive changes also took place while CHIP sessions were conducted completely remotely, indicating that this program does not require face-to-face in-person interaction to be beneficial. 

Mentor: Eric Numfor

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in Wuhan Province, China in December 2019 is a zoonotic disease, derived from viral particles in bats. In this project, we formulate an SEIR model of SARS-CoV-2 with two susceptible classes comprising individuals who are unconscious to COVID-19 and those who are conscious to the virus due to media coverage. The disease-free equilibrium of our model is derived, and the basic reproduction number is computed, using the next generation matrix approach. To identify parameters that are sensitive to the reproduction number, we studied the elasticity indices of the reproduction number with respect to each parameter and identified parameters that are most sensitive in increasing the reproduction number and those that are most sensitive in decreasing the reproduction number. Numerical simulations suggest that as more  unconscious  susceptible  humans  transition  to  conscious susceptible humans, there is a decrease in disease prevalence and a delay in the peak time of maximum prevalence in the population. Furthermore, an increase in the messaging rate of COVID-related information by conscious susceptible humans results in a decrease in the basic reproduction. The outcomes of our contour plots suggest the possibility of eradicating the virus from the population under different   combinations   of   the   messaging   rate   by   conscious susceptible humans, the rate at which COVID-related information wanes and the transmission rate of the virus. Results of numerical simulations and contour plots highlight the importance of media in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the population.

Mentor: Brian Muntean

The potassium channel tetramerization domain 5 (KCTD5) protein has emerged as a key regulator of neuronal G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling important for motor coordination. However, the molecular determinants of KCTD5 that enable precise control over GPCR signaling remain ill-defined. We hypothesized structurally distinct domains on KCTD5 play key roles in modulating GPCR signal interrogation. In this research, we leveraged Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) microscopy to further investigate the mechanistic role of KCTD5 in converging GPCR signals downstream to the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway. We examined how different domains on KCTD5 effects change in cAMP concentration when exposed to stimulatory GPCR drugs. Thus, our data further elucidate the role of KCTD5 in regulating cAMP second messenger. These results may also facilitate understanding the mechanics of additional KCTD family members.

Mentor: Maiko Suzuki

When administered in controlled amounts, fluoride is an effective treatment for preventing dental caries. There are several methods of ingesting fluoride, with the primary way being through drinking water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have set the limit of 0.7 ppm fluoridation of drinking water. However, when exposed to high levels of fluoride, dental and skeletal fluorosis may occur. 
Dental fluorosis is a condition in which enamel becomes discolored and porous due to overexposure to fluoride. This condition primarily impacts children as they progress through amelogenesis, or enamel development. 
Overexposure of enamel to fluoride results in oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.  It has been noted that the SIRT1 gene is activated in order to combat some of the stress and lessen the toxic effects. 
In this experiment, wild-type (WT) and SIRT1 overexpressing (Tg) male mice were exposed to 0, 50, 100, and 125 ppm of fluoride via drinking water. The mice were grouped based on their age: young (6-8 weeks) and old (9-23 weeks). Following euthanasia, organs were tested for SIRT1 protein levels and Vicker’s Microhardness (HV) was used to determine the level of fluorosis. 

Mentor: Dan Rudic

Circadian rhythms are controlled by a molecular network called the circadian clock that regulates daily patterns in the brain and the vascular system. An essential molecular component in this circadian network is the transcription factor Bmal1. Mice with a targeted disruption of the Bmal1 gene are characterized by a decrease in the kinase Akt and vascular complications. Thus, we hypothesized that the rescue of Akt expression in Bmal1 knockout mice would improve their health. My project was the development of a triple transgenic mouse model to test this hypothesis.  The desired mouse is a Bmal1-KO mouse crossed with a mouse that had a constitutively expressed myristoylated Akt transgene (myr-Akt) in the endothelium that could be turned off with doxycycline (CDH5-tTA). Our genotypic profiling of the mice revealed that no viable Bmal1-KO mice could be produced with a positive PCR reaction for the CDH5 transgene. However, when doxycycline was administered to turn off the tTA, we generated all three genotypes. Thus, my results revealed that the overexpression of myr-Akt might be inducing lethality in utero in Bmal1-KO mice. Furthermore, this suggests that Bmal1 disruption may repress Akt as a mechanism that promotes survival during embryonic development.

Mentor: Amy Abdulovic-Cui and Jessica Reichmuth

In 1910, Noyes Cut was dug in the Satilla River Estuary to facilitate the movement of lumber. Over the years, that cut has been deepened due to erosion and it in turn has had a major ecological impact on the estuary’s wildlife by allowing salt water to remix with brackish water. The purpose of this study is to see the effects of the cut on the distribution of organisms in different sites of the estuary. From the stomachs of 96 blue crabs, DNA was isolated and a 600bp length of mtDNA amplified using PCR. The DNA was then sequenced using Sanger Sequencing. By comparing the sequence to a database of known organisms, we will create food webs for each site. The food webs show the difference in the diversity and distribution of organisms in each of the sites. Using this data, the next steps to restoring the estuary were determined.

Mentor: Abdul Malmi Kakkada

The microscopic spatial environments and time are two factors that influence cell division. Spatial factors such as the number of neighboring cells, distance between dividing cells, and the angle at which cells divide are all factors that may impact cell division. Additionally, time events such as the frequency of dividing cells also have an influence. By quantifying how such environmental and time events facilitate cell division, a stronger comprehension of how monolayer cellular division operates based on spatial environmental and time-dependent patterns will result. Our research explores the possibilities of spatial environmental and time-dependent patterns of cell division in a confluent monolayer of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells by examining Differential Dynamic Microscopy (DDM) recording obtained from experimental collaborators. Based on the gathered spatial environment data, it was determined that dividing cells typically have five to six nearby cells that do not immediately participate in the division process. Additionally, the average distance between dividing cells is 382.2 μm. As for the time data, the frequency of dividing cells has a wave pattern with rough peaks where cell division is frequent and valleys where cell division rarely occurs. Overall, the data gathered suggests that there are underlying spatial and time-dependent patterns that are shared by nearly every dividing cell within this confluent monolayer culture.

Mentor: Trinanjan Datta

The nervous system in the human body operates on electrical conduction, meaning that nerves send electrical signals from nerve to nerve to communicate information. So, when nerves are damaged in ways such as obstetric and surgical trauma, diabetes, and neurologic conditions, electrical pathways in the body are broken, which leads to loss of control of the muscles and other functions in the body. To assist these patients, doctors at the Medical College of Georgia have performed studies that indicate that these nerves can be repaired by magnetic stimulation. However, the interaction and mechanism of how these magnetic fields interact with the nerves is currently unknown. My goal is to understand and study how an external magnetic field can interact with the human body. Utilizing a computational approach, I am currently studying the implications of the Hodgkin-Huxley Model. My eventual goal is to generalize this to the Roth-Basser model which can help to explain why low-frequency magnetic stimulation of damaged nerves offer better treatment than high-frequency magnetic stimulation.

Mentor: Clement Aubert

The increasing number and complexity of computers that are communicating today emphasizes the need for a formal system for verification of concurrent systems. Our current techniques of debugging primarily involve testing inputs and comparing the output against what is expected. This method is not only inefficient, but its accuracy is bound to the inputs, which provides a finite amount of certainty. However, the current limitations will become more problematic as the rapidly increasing complexity and scale of communicating systems calls for a more refined process of verification, especially when attempting to verify systems that can undo their computations at will. A formal language to describe computational concurrency with support for a reversible paradigm would allow us to prove that such a system works according to its specification. Calculus of Communicating Systems (CCS) is a process algebra which is a tool for specification, amongst other things. While there are several actively maintained implementations of CCS, none of them account for reversibility. The two current methods which implement reversibility into CCS, Reversible CCS (RCCS) and CCS with keys (CCSK), suffer several shortcomings that prevent a practical implementation. In our research, we aim to design practical implementation of RCCS, CCSK, or an amalgamation of the two.

Mentor: Weiming Xiang and Patrick Woolard

The use of computer vision in the development of autonomous cyber physical systems is a growing field of research. In the case of managing drone flights, computer vision provides information useful for path planning and drone tracking. Path planning involves using a “destination point” and the drone’s current location to determine the instructions to properly orient the drone and fly it to the destination. In an attempt to create a real-time controller and intelligent path planning algorithm, we are implementing a machine learning model to localize multiple drones and provide input to our path planning algorithm. To accomplish this, we are using the Python programming language and several of its readily available modules like TensorFlow. Next, we have developed a classification system that will differentiate between multiple drones, allowing us to coordinate the paths of separate drones simultaneously. Finally, we want to implement a self-correction algorithm that compares the path a drone is currently on to the planned path. 

Mentor: Theja DeSilva

With the recent advances of laser technology, there has been tremendous progress towards the manipulation and trapping of cold atoms inside an optical cavity, superimposed with an optical lattice. We developed an effective Hamiltonian for the combined fermionic particles and photons subjected to a hexagonal lattice. In addition to the hopping and on-site interaction modified by the optical lattice potential, the cavity photons mediate long-range interactions between Fermi atoms. At the steady-state limit of the cavity photon decay, the photon-mediated long-range interaction contains a spin-flip term. After decoupling this spin-flip interaction term using a mean-field theory, we introduce a unitary transformation to convert our Hamiltonian into an effectively site-dependent population-imbalance quasi-fermion system. In order to tackle this simplified, but still complex model, we convert our Hamiltonian from real space to momentum space. The goal of this project is to understand the topological insulators and superconductors for future technological applications. Our understanding of this quantum simulator will lead to synthesizing new materials for technology, such as quantum computers. 

Mentor: Betty Pace

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common and life-threatening genetic blood disorder, which affects about 100,000 people in the United States mainly of African descent. The disease characterized by sickle hemoglobin (HbS) production involves severe anemia, pain, major organ damage, and shortened life expectancy. The effective treatment for SCD is Hydroxyurea (HU), the first drug to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that induces fetal hemoglobin (HbF) levels to decrease sickling in erythrocytes and complications caused by this disease. In a multicenter study, two-thirds of patients with SCD responded to HU treatment with a decrease in pain episodes. My project will identify a plasma biomarker associated with response to HU treatment. Using K562 erythroleukemia cells were treated with various concentrations of HU. The levels of γ -globin genes induction will be observed by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and increase in HbF by western blot. I will also test GNA 15 levels (with the use of a transfection method) where HU increases GNA15 in a dose-dependent manner. I will base these findings that cytoplasm GNA15 serves as a biomarker for HU response in people with SCD. This study has the potential to discover if GNA15 is a biomarker for assessing the response of HU therapy.

Mentor: Ahmed Chadli

The heat shock proteins (HSP) are a class of molecular chaperones that ensures protein homeostasis under physiological and stress conditions. Hsp90 chaperones numerous oncoproteins with help of co-chaperones and accessory proteins. In cancer, Hsp90 promotes various hallmarks like sustained proliferative signaling, replicative immortality, growth suppressors, and resistance to cell death. Due to Hsp90’s role in promoting the hallmarks of cancer, finding an efficient inhibitor of Hsp90 will be an essential step in treating cancer. 
 Over the last few decades, several Hsp90 inhibitors have been developed.  However, they have been shown to induce cellular heat shock response, as reflected by the upregulation of Hsp70, Hsp27, and Hsp40. These are anti-apoptotic proteins and thus, allow the cancer cell to survive. Therefore, the objective of this study is to characterize AD05 as a novel inhibitor of the Hsp90 chaperoning machine. While the mechanism of action of AD05 is unknown, the preliminary data shows that AD05 may lead to mitochondrial disorganization. This study will focus on answering the following questions: 1- does AD05 cause disruption of mitochondrial potential.2- do inhibitors of autophagy antagonize AD05 anti-tumor activity. This study will involve techniques such as cell culture, western blot, immunohistochemistry, Seahorse XF ATP, and FACS.

Mentor: Daria Ilatovskaya

Introduction. Mitochondrial bioenergetics is known to mediate the development of kidney diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are byproducts of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria; their imbalance contributes to oxidative stress that leads to renal dysfunction. Our previous data show that there are sex differences in mitochondrial oxidative stress-related mechanisms in the kidneys of healthy male and female rats. The goal of this study was to compare the expression of renal antioxidant and mitochondrial fission/fusion proteins in male and female rats.

Methods. Mitochondria were isolated from the cortex and medulla of kidneys collected from young male and female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Western Blot analysis was performed on snap-frozen renal tissues; statistical analysis was run in OriginPro. 

Results. We focused first on the superoxide dismutase (SOD) protein family, which catalyze the dismutation of superoxide into H202, and mitofusin (MFN) proteins, which facilitate mitochondrial fusion. We report higher renal cortical expression of SOD1, SOD2, and MFN2 in female compared to male rats.

Conclusions. Differential expression of the SOD and MFN family proteins was observed in male and female kidneys, which may contribute to oxidative stress and predisposition to kidney disease. Further research is required to investigate the mechanisms relevant to these differences.

Mentor: Surendra Rajpurohit 

Microglia, the tissue-resident macrophage of the central nervous system (CNS), play a paramount role in brain health and disease status. In brain, the microglia respond to damaged or infected tissues in the central nervous system by changing its metabolism, gene expression, morphology adapting to their environment. Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer and patients that have Glioblastoma are observed to have a large amount of microglia in the diseased brain compared to a normal brain.
At Transgenic Zebrafish Core Facility, mentored by Dr. Rajpurohit, I am developing a transgenic, transparent zebrafish Strain to study the morphology, function, and the developmental biology of microglia. First, I am generating this strain by cross breeding the Casper transparent mutant with the transgenic microglia strain. The Casper phenotype in adult zebrafish would allow for simpler visualization and observation of the transgenic strains. The mpeg1: mcherryFP Transgenic strain of zebrafish cellular phenotype would contribute to indicate the presence of the microglia under the microscope. We have designed experimental setup of heterozygous progeny (F1 to F4 generations) and homozygous (F5 generation). Newly generate transparent transgenic zebrafish phenotype will be establish for time lapse in-vivo confocal microscopy to study CNS Microglia function and morphology with Glioblastoma.

Mentor: Surendra Rajpurohit

Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) signaling deals with the broad effects on influencing cell survival, tissue growth and proliferation. Our laboratory has established a zebrafish model to study the inflammatory NF-kB process in cardio-oncology research. The in-vivo imaging of skin transparency is a primary requirement and is accomplished by chemical pigmentation blockers. The zebrafish mutant casper expresses a transparent skin phenotype through the entirety of its life, this serves as ideal for in-vivo analysis and imaging. We are developing a NF-kB:GFP/Casper transparent transgenic zebrafish cellular phenotype to study in-vivo inflammatory processes. We have designed an experimental setup for the heterozygous progeny (F1 to F4 generations) and homozygous progeny (F5 generation). We initiated this experiment through the crossbreeding of a Casper and NF-kB Transgenic adult fish, this generates the F01 generation. The selection and sorting of the transgenic and non-transgenic larvae via fluorescence microscopy based on the presence or absence of GFP, these progeny only express normal skin patterns. Generations F02 through F04 will have the transgenic and phenotypically favored adults selected and bred until the production of the homozygous line expressing NF-κB:GFP/Casper. Through the generated transparent transgenic zebrafish phenotype this will establish studies in Cellular phenotype/pathologies of the cardiomyocytes. 

Mentor: Simon Medcalfe

The housing market has grown substantially since 1979, with house prices nationally increasing by 459% and 315% in Augusta. The increase in real terms, after accounting for inflation, was less at 51% nationally and 12% locally. This research compares the Augusta housing market with the national housing market to see whether or not our metropolitan area follows a different trend than the rest of the country and if there are different determinants of real house prices. Economic determinants were collected from Federal Reserve Economic Data and the Bureau of Labor Statics and include the federal funds rate, average weekly earnings, and the unemployment rate. A lagged real house price variable was included to help account for previous years real house prices. Preliminary results suggest that there is a difference in price shifts between the Augusta housing market and national housing market. Real house price in the Augusta market were priced much lower than the national average real house price, even though key factors like unemployment rate and weekly earnings were similar. Regression analysis also help to show that monetary policy changes tend to have less of an effect on the Augusta housing market. 

Mentor: John Hayes

The essay discusses the importance of African American History and why it is an important topic that should be included in American History. Often, this subject of history goes untold. The essay's goal is to inform those of certain African American figures and their significance/understanding during the Civil Rights era.

Mentor: Candice Bond

STEM students are taught that their responsibility is to gather, translate, and deliver objective findings. However, humans experience the world subjectively and in embodied ways through their senses. Since we are sentient beings with feelings and emotional experiences that are processed and filtered by individual brains, there is friction between human nature and objectivity. Despite this reality, the misconception that scientific writing can be objective and therefore absolute has a foothold in many pedagogies of scientific writing. The imperative for scientific writing to communicate absolutes can carry negative consequences for research, including dehumanization of subjects and the silencing of minority voices. 

This concerns writing centers because as institutions within universities, they are poised to engage with students as they learn to write within their disciplines. Writing centers have always endeavored to be humanistic spaces that value students’ individuality, intersectional identities, and ethos. These values can be used to deconstruct dangerous myths about objectivity in scientific writing. Writing centers can promote linguistic and social justice by assisting writers in discovering ways to include subjectivity within scientific writing in ethical, profound ways. This aligns with the general purpose of writing centers to promote social justice in postsecondary education through communication and writing. 

Mentor: Christina Amonson

In this presentation, I discuss research processes I used to complete the Honors Thesis process. Research within the arts looks quite different from research within the sciences. As such, the talk will focus largely on composition techniques and norms, and how/why I followed or broke those norms in the completion of my thesis.

I will also focus discussion more narrowly on the particular composition techniques used by vocal composers, and what separates my chosen genre (the art song) from other works of vocal music. I hope you enjoy as I discuss Composing a Short Song Cycle For Voice and Piano.

Mentor: Shogo Mori

Natural Products (NPs) are a major source of drugs and drug leads which can be found in microorganisms, plants, and fungi. NPs are produced by different types of enzymatic families, one of the largest being nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). NRPS consists of modules, each of which is made up of multiple domains, structural units of a protein that can function independently. By the orchestrated actions of the modules and domains, NRPSs produce extremely diverse peptide NPs called nonribosomal peptides (NRPs). This project focuses on one of the fundamental NRPS domains, adenylation (A) domain, which activates and transfers specific substrates to the carrier protein for the subsequent reactions. The NP of interest for this project is thiocoraline, which is an NRP with antitumor activity found in a marine organism. TioN is one of the enzymes needed to synthesize thiocoraline. TioN, a stand- alone A domain, has been suggested to take the place of other A domains and transfer its substrate onto thiolation (T) domains that have their own partner A domains. This would be the completely novel function of an A domain. In order to test this out, enzymes needed for the subsequent in vitro enzymatic assays were transformed, overexpressed, and purified to establish if the use of TioN will produce the molecule 3-hydroxyquinaldic acid (3HQA)-L-Cys which is seen in the structure of thiocoraline, instead of 3HQA-L-Ser which could be a product of the enzymatic reactions without TioN.

Mentor: Brian Agee

One of the leading causes of death in underdeveloped countries is dehydration caused by diarrhea. Uncovering a natural way to develop a treatment for this issue in areas with limited resources is essential. The starting materials for the synthesis of the antidiarrheal drug loperamide, commercially known as Imodium, can be extracted from natural sources, starting the process towards a natural process of development. The starting material benzylamine is extractable from the powdered roots of Moringa oleifera, the horseradish tree, which is abundant in countries such as India. Previously established methods of extracting benzylamine from the intact roots includes use of the hazardous solvent chloroform. This project involves the development of a greener alternative to the solvent system currently being employed, while adjusting the isolation of benzylamine from the rest of the natural components.  

Mentor: Shogo Mori

The discovery and development of medicinal drugs draws ceaseless interest in scientific research, with natural products (NPs) and their derivatives being extremely important in such research. Various types of enzymes are utilized in NP biosynthesis, one prominent type being nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). NRPSs facilitate the formation of many clinically important molecules, yet the wide range of NRPSs has not been utilized to its fullest extent, making it imperative that more research be performed on them.
This project examines homologation of an amino acid building block, L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), prior to its incorporation into an NRP. Homologation, the addition of a methylene group to a molecule, contributes to an NRP's structure and therefore may affect its bioactivity, bioavailability, and/or biostability. Homologation of L-Phe takes place through five different steps and utilizes four different enzymes. This project will characterize the enzyme involved in the third step of the pathway, called enzyme HphCD. Through the characterization of HphCD and the other enzymes in the homologation pathway, the homologation pathway has potential to be available for use in future drug modification projects.

Mentor: Iryna Lebedyeva and Darren Browning

Recent studies have shown the beneficial effect of using PDE5 inhibitors as cancer preventative agents for colorectal cancer. PDE5 inhibitors such as Sildenafil and Vardenafil are generally known to treat erectile dysfunction by blocking cGMP from binding to the PDE5 receptor. Prevention of activation of PDE5 results in lower risk for its overexpression in the gut epithelial layer, which is where the cancer cells would start accumulating. Employing these studies as references, we designed several derivatives using a PDE5 inhibitor, Vardenafil, as the lead compound. The goal of this project is to create novel analogs that are polar enough to remain in the GI tract for an extended period of time in comparison with their precursors such as Vardenafil and Sildenafil. We aim to evaluate these drugs’ inhibitory effect in the GI tract before the drugs enter the bloodstream. Currently, we are preparing these drug candidates for their further testing in vitro and in vivo at the Georgia Cancer Center.

Mentor: Brian Agee

This study is meant to investigate environmentally friendly alternatives to ortho-xylene as a solvent in the Diels-Alder synthesis using butadiene sulfone as a precursor to 1,3-butadiene. This reaction is used as a learning laboratory experiment in the Augusta University introductory Organic Chemistry class as well as in a multitude of other universities. Ortho-xylene is popularly used in a multitude of industries. It is used as a solvent in petroleum synthesis, rubber synthesis, and in making dyes, paints, and polishes. Xylene is also an environmental pollutant. Due to its high volatility, the environmental releases are mostly in our atmosphere. With these health and environmental impacts in mind, the aim of this green chemistry project would be to find a solvent that can replace ortho-xylene without affecting the type and quality of product produced. It is hypothesized that avocado oil can take its place as the solvent in the reaction under study. Avocado oil was chosen for its availability, affordability, compatibility, and simple extraction method, allowing it to be accessed by third world countries. Ideally, this would be the first step in a larger scale project to replace xylene as a solvent in the other previously mentioned industrial processes. 

Mentor: Simon Medcalfe

The effects that homeownership has on neighborhoods, communities, and societies has long been a topic of interest. However, there is no research, to my knowledge, of the factors that influence this homeownership in Georgia. Using 2019 county level data and cross sectional regression analysis this study investigates the impact that the variables of income, age, population changes, unemployment, education, race, and rural counties have on the homeownership rates in the state of Georgia. The findings show that an increase in age, income, and rural counties tend to increase homeownership rates, whilst an increase in education tends to decrease homeownership rates in counties in Georgia. Counties with higher concentrations of the 65 and older population, high income earners, and rural capacity each showed significant levels of homeownership rates. Interestingly, college education had a negative impact on homeownership rates. Population changes and race proved to have negative correlations with homeownership, however they were statistically insignificant. The percentage change of population, and the percentage of Black and Hispanic variables each had no real impact on homeownership rates in Georgia. With the exception of college education, the factors that previous research has shown to positively effect homeownership rates seem to reign true in Georgia also.

Mentor: Paul O'Connor

Ischemic kidney injury occurs when there is a lack of sufficient blood supply to the kidneys. Despite receiving approximately 20% of cardiac output, the kidneys are highly susceptible to ischemic injury of the renal outer medulla. Vascular congestion is the accumulation of tightly packed red blood cells (RBC) which occurs following renal ischemia. The goal of the current study was to determine whether renal arterial versus venous clamping would alter the severity of vascular congestion in the outer medulla. It was hypothesized that venous clamping would result in greater vascular congestion than arterial clamping due to continued inflow of arterial blood during ischemia. For each animal, the renal artery for one kidney and renal vein for the other kidney were clamped for a period of 15 or 45 minutes. Results indicated significantly greater congestion of RBCs with venous versus arterial clamping for 15 (p=0.0008, p<0.0001, respectively) and 45 minutes (p=0.0001, p<0.0001, respectively). This indicates RBC congestion is exacerbated by renal venous clamping, which may explain the increased tubular injury previously observed in this model. Understanding the cause(s) of vascular congestion and tubular injury is essential for the development of clinically effective treatment options for acute kidney injury.

Mentor: Iryna Lebedyeva

Sildenafil is a drug that has been commonly known for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. In addition to that, it  also aids in preventing heart failure. These effects occur due to Sildenafil inhibiting with the enzyme phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5). PDE5 is an enzyme that facilitates the control of blood flow and cell signaling. By inhibiting the PDE5 enzyme, muscles and blood vessels tend to relax, which results in increased blood flow. Furthermore, it has been discovered that PDE5 inhibitors show cancer preventing effects. The purpose of this project is to design and synthesize drugs that will localize these PDE5 inhibitors inside the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. To accomplish this, we are modifying an already known PDE5 inhibitor, Sildenafil, to produce analogs that will stay in the GI tract to prevent colorectal cancer. Furthermore, these developed novel analogs will be studied in vitro and in vivo at Georgia Cancer Center during the summer of 2022.