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The brain is considered the crux of identity, yet human behavior may be influenced by bacteria in gut microbiomes. Honeybees can exchange bacteria through their many social behaviors, making their microbiomes, and the effect they have on honeybee behavior, of interest. There is recent evidence suggesting the presence of bacteria

The brain is considered the crux of identity, yet human behavior may be influenced by bacteria in gut microbiomes. Honeybees can exchange bacteria through their many social behaviors, making their microbiomes, and the effect they have on honeybee behavior, of interest. There is recent evidence suggesting the presence of bacteria existing in human brains, which can be investigated in honeybee brains due to their well-documented structure. The purpose of this study is to establish if lipopolysaccharide—a molecule on bacteria membranes—is present in the honeybee brain and if it colocalizes with vitellogenin—an immune mediator. Additionally, this study also seeks to establish the efficacy of embedding tissue samples in resin and performing immunohistochemistry for vitellogenin and lipopolysaccharide on sections.
ContributorsStrange, Amalie Sofie (Co-author) / Strange, Amalie (Co-author) / Amdam, Gro (Thesis director) / Baluch, Page (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Bone is an active tissue that is vital for many important bodily functions including providing support and structure, facilitating movement, producing blood cells, and storing and releasing minerals and fat. Bone is actively remodeling by resorbing old bone and forming new bone. These processes are carried about by osteoblasts and

Bone is an active tissue that is vital for many important bodily functions including providing support and structure, facilitating movement, producing blood cells, and storing and releasing minerals and fat. Bone is actively remodeling by resorbing old bone and forming new bone. These processes are carried about by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. When there is a balance between the processes of bone remodeling, resorption and formation, in adults, bone density is maintained and healthy. However, when bone resorption occurs at a greater rate than bone formation, bone density is reduced. This can be caused as a side effect of disease, such as the case in diabetes, or as a result of disease, such as osteoporosis. Bone health can be assessed several different ways including through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans to determine and monitor bone mineral density (BMD) or through protein assays of bone turnover marker (BTMs) to look directly at the different biochemical markers of bone remodeling. Measurement of BMD and BTM both have their benefits and downsides and a combination of both is most ideal for obtaining a holistic view of an individual’s bone health and remodeling.
ContributorsFuentes, Braegen (Author) / Swan, Dr. Pamela (Thesis director) / Johnston, Dr. Carol (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Art (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Humans have evolved in many ways. Just look at how life for mankind has changed over the past few decades. It is amazing how different life can be in just a short amount of time. While it is evident that we have impacts of the environment, it should be just

Humans have evolved in many ways. Just look at how life for mankind has changed over the past few decades. It is amazing how different life can be in just a short amount of time. While it is evident that we have impacts of the environment, it should be just as evident that we impact the animals around us. However, there are a few subtle ways in which we impact the evolution of life.
Through man-made structures, human interference, artificial lights at night, and electromagnetic fields we have caused animals and insects to evolve and fit these new environments. While we tail the world around us to convince ourselves, the animals also living in these environments need to adapt to survive. In this essay, I will discuss how the affects mentioned above have cause crows, moths, snails, bobcats, blackbirds, mosquitoes, elephants, diurnal animals, fireflies, dung beetles, birds and bats to evolve. The adaptations these organisms made were caused by the subtle ways in which we have impact the landscapes around us.
ContributorsFikse, Sydney D (Author) / Sterner, Beckett (Thesis director) / Pfeifer, Susanne (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Mitochondrial methionyl-tRNA-formyltransferase (MTFMT) is essential for mitochondrial protein translation. The MTFMT gene encodes for an enzyme of the same name, which acts to formylate the methionine of mitochondrial Met-tRNA(Met). In Homo sapiens, MTFMT-formylated-tRNA is an initiator and elongator for the synthesis of 13 mitochondrially-encoded proteins in complexes I,

Mitochondrial methionyl-tRNA-formyltransferase (MTFMT) is essential for mitochondrial protein translation. The MTFMT gene encodes for an enzyme of the same name, which acts to formylate the methionine of mitochondrial Met-tRNA(Met). In Homo sapiens, MTFMT-formylated-tRNA is an initiator and elongator for the synthesis of 13 mitochondrially-encoded proteins in complexes I, III and IV of the ETC. To understand this mechanism, it is necessary to perform a comprehensive analysis of energy metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) among impacted patients. Alterations to this gene vary, with the most documented as a single-splice-site mutation (c.626C>T). Here, we discuss MTFMT involvement in mitochondrial protein translation and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Leigh Syndrome and combined OXPHOS deficiency, in two families. We aim to delineate the impact of OXPHOS dysfunction in patients presenting with MTFMT mutation.
ContributorsChain, Kelsey (Author) / Chen, Qiang (Thesis director) / Rangasamy, Sampathkumar (Committee member) / Narayanan, Vinodh (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.

Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding

Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.

Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding structure, and discussed themes as they emerged from the data.

Results: Although more than half of the students had never heard of the HPV vaccine, students generally held positive views about vaccines. Barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine included lack of awareness and knowledge about the HPV vaccine, as well as lack of perceived need for the vaccine. When asked about the most important information that they needed in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to get the vaccine, participants mentioned the following: 1) prevalence of HPV, 2) HPV-related diseases, 3) what the HPV vaccine protects against, 4) HPV vaccine safety, 5) HPV vaccine efficacy, and 6) how they can access the vaccine. Participants differed in their preferences for types of health education, from an in-person informative lecture, to YouTube videos, to posters placed in dorms or in bathrooms. They preferred the conveyor of this information to be a trustworthy source; they identified healthcare providers, professors/researchers, and other students who have received the vaccine as credible sources. In terms of message appeal, many students described wanting the facts, statistics about HPV prevalence and the vaccine as well as narratives from students who have been diagnosed with HPV and those who have experience receiving the vaccine.

Conclusions: Although this cancer prevention resource has been commercially available since 2006, college students still a lack of awareness and perceived need for the HPV vaccine. Future health education efforts should utilize participants’ recommendations to increase students’ understanding of HPV and the HPV vaccine and, therefore, impact their perceived susceptibility to HPV, the benefits of the vaccine to their health, and therefore increase utilization of this resource. Strategies to increase vaccination should include health education and vaccine implementation strategies, as well as strategies to reduce the cost of the vaccine for college students, thereby increasing the accessibility of the vaccine for this population.
ContributorsLi, Rina (Co-author) / Silvestro, Kenny (Co-author) / Koskan, Alexis (Thesis director) / Helitzer, Deborah (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.
Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding

Aims: The aim of this research is to identify factors that would lead to increased utilization of the HPV vaccine among college students.
Methods: We conducted 11 focus groups with a total of 28 students, averaging 3 per group. Using an inductive approach, we hand-coded focus group transcripts, developed a coding structure, and discussed themes as they emerged from the data.
Results: Although more than half of the students had never heard of the HPV vaccine, students generally held positive views about vaccines. Barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine included lack of awareness and knowledge about the HPV vaccine, as well as lack of perceived need for the vaccine. When asked about the most important information that they needed in order to make an informed decision about whether or not to get the vaccine, participants mentioned the following: 1) prevalence of HPV, 2) HPV-related diseases, 3) what the HPV vaccine protects against, 4) HPV vaccine safety, 5) HPV vaccine efficacy, and 6) how they can access the vaccine. Participants differed in their preferences for types of health education, from an in-person informative lecture, to YouTube videos, to posters placed in dorms or in bathrooms. They preferred the conveyor of this information to be a trustworthy source; they identified healthcare providers, professors/researchers, and other students who have received the vaccine as credible sources. In terms of message appeal, many students described wanting the facts, statistics about HPV prevalence and the vaccine as well as narratives from students who have been diagnosed with HPV and those who have experience receiving the vaccine.
Conclusions: Although this cancer prevention resource has been commercially available since 2006, college students still a lack of awareness and perceived need for the HPV vaccine. Future health education efforts should utilize participants’ recommendations to increase students’ understanding of HPV and the HPV vaccine and, therefore, impact their perceived susceptibility to HPV, the benefits of the vaccine to their health, and therefore increase utilization of this resource. Strategies to increase vaccination should include health education and vaccine implementation strategies, as well as strategies to reduce the cost of the vaccine for college students, thereby increasing the accessibility of the vaccine for this population.
ContributorsSilvestro, Kenneth (Co-author) / Li, Rina (Co-author) / Koskan, Alexis (Thesis director) / Helitzer, Deborah (Committee member) / Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common form of gynecologic cancer and is the most fatal among all forms of gynecologic malignancies. Despite the pivotal role of metabolic processes in the molecular pathogenesis of OC, robust metabolic markers to enable effective screening, rapid diagnosis, accurate surveillance, and therapeutic monitoring

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the second most common form of gynecologic cancer and is the most fatal among all forms of gynecologic malignancies. Despite the pivotal role of metabolic processes in the molecular pathogenesis of OC, robust metabolic markers to enable effective screening, rapid diagnosis, accurate surveillance, and therapeutic monitoring of OC are still lacking. In this study, we present a targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolic profiling approach for the identification of metabolite biomarker candidates that could enable expedited, highly sensitive and specific OC detection. Using this targeted approach, 90 plasma metabolites from many metabolic pathways of potential biological significance were reliably detected and monitored in 218 plasma samples taken from three groups of subjects (78 OC patients, 50 benign samples, and 90 healthy controls). Univariate significance testing and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed 7 metabolites with high predictive accuracy [area under curve (AUC) > 0.90] for distinguishing healthy controls from OC patients. The results of our multivariate model development informed the construction of a 5-metabolite panel of potential plasma biomarkers for enhanced discrimination of OC samples from benign specimens, exhibiting roughly 75% predictive accuracy using a 50% random-split training set. ROC analysis that was generated based on a logistic regression classifier showed enhanced classification performance relative to individual metabolites, with more than 75% accuracy using a testing data set for external validation. Pathway analysis revealed significant disturbances in glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism; glyoxylate and dioxylate metabolism; the pentose phosphate pathway; and histidine metabolism. The results expand basic knowledge of the metabolome related to OC pathogenesis relative to healthy controls and benign samples, revealing potential pathways or markers that can be targeted therapeutically. This study also provides a promising basis for the development of larger multi-site projects to validate our findings across population groups and further advance the development of improved clinical care for OC patients.
ContributorsTurner, Cassidy D (Author) / Gu, Haiwei (Thesis director) / Shi, Xiaojian (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
How would you feel if you went to a pharmacy and the pharmacist gave you a medication with a prescription label that was written in a different language? How would you know how to properly take the medication, or what the dosage information was? Limited-English proficient patients often experience this

How would you feel if you went to a pharmacy and the pharmacist gave you a medication with a prescription label that was written in a different language? How would you know how to properly take the medication, or what the dosage information was? Limited-English proficient patients often experience this confusion when they have to take medication with a prescription label written in English. As the United States becomes increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse, certain populations face a higher risk of adverse medical incidents occurring because of communication barriers associated with their language ability (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012). In order to minimize these medical incidents and ensure a high quality of care for limited-English proficient patients, healthcare providers must educate the public on useful approaches.
ContributorsRayyan, Danielle Sam (Co-author) / Rayyan, Danielle (Co-author) / Collins, Michael (Thesis director) / Esquibel, Ivy (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor, Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Background: Homelessness has a culture based on environment and many volunteers working in a clinical setting with people experiencing homelessness do not have personal experiences or training that prepares them to deliver culturally competent care. This study aimed to determine if implementation of a cultural competency intervention was effective in

Background: Homelessness has a culture based on environment and many volunteers working in a clinical setting with people experiencing homelessness do not have personal experiences or training that prepares them to deliver culturally competent care. This study aimed to determine if implementation of a cultural competency intervention was effective in increasing volunteers’ comfort level with communicating with people experiencing homelessness and meeting their needs.

Method: Participants completed a survey regarding their comfort level in interacting with people experiencing homelessness and their preparedness in meeting their specific needs before and after receiving an educational presentation on cultural competency with working with people experiencing homelessness. The survey questions comprised Likert scale and open-ended answers.

Results: Of the Likert scale pre and post surveys, statistically significant differences were observed for questions 1 through 4, but not question 5.

Discussion: The results indicated support for the benefit of cultural competency training for student volunteers serving people experiencing homelessness in a clinical setting.
ContributorsRokhlin, Pnina (Author) / Dahl Popolizio, Sue (Thesis director) / Ervin, Bonnie (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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Description
Small cell carcinoma of the ovary (SCCOHT) is a rare ovarian cancer affecting young women and characterized by mutation in SMARCA4 and silencing of SMARCA2, two tumor suppressors that function as ATPases in the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex. SCCOHT patients face a 5-year survival rate of only 26%,

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary (SCCOHT) is a rare ovarian cancer affecting young women and characterized by mutation in SMARCA4 and silencing of SMARCA2, two tumor suppressors that function as ATPases in the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex. SCCOHT patients face a 5-year survival rate of only 26%, but recently we have identified sensitivity of SCCOHT models to a natural product, triptolide. This study aims to ascertain the mechanism of action of triptolide. Previous SCCOHT epigenetic drug research has shown that some drugs reverse SMARCA2 epigenetic silencing to inhibit tumor growth, therefore it is hypothesized that triptolide acts the same and restores SWI/SNF function. Cells treated with triptolide have no change in SMARCA2 expression, suggesting that re-expression of epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor gene does not underlie its mechanism of action. Growth rates following triptolide treatment were observed in the presence and absence of SMARCA4, but no difference in sensitivity was observed. Thus, it is not likely that triptolide acts by restoring SWI/SNF. Others have observed that triptolide acts on xeroderma pigmentosa type B protein (XPB), a component of super-enhancers, which are DNA regions with high levels of transcription that regulate genes responsible for cell identity and oncogenes driving tumorigenesis. Both SCCOHT-1 and BIN67 cell lines treated with triptolide displayed lower expression of the super-enhancer associated MYC oncogene compared to untreated cells, supporting the theory that triptolide could be inhibiting super-enhancers regulating oncogenes.. A western blot confirmed reduced protein levels of RNA polymerase II and bromodomain 4 (BRD4), two essential components found at high levels at super-enhancers, in BIN67 cells treated with triptolide. ChIP-sequencing of Histone H3 Lysine-27 Acetylation (H3K27ac) marks in BIN67 and SCCOHT-1 cell lines identified super-enhancers in SCCOHT using tools CREAM and ROSE, which were mapped to neighboring genes associated genes and compared with the COSMIC database to identify oncogenes, of which the top 11 were examined by qRT-PCR to ascertain whether triptolide reduces their expression. It has been found that 6 out of 11 of the oncogenes examined (SALL4, MYC, SGK1, HIST1H3B, HMGA2, and CALR) decreased in expression when treated with triptolide. Thus, there is reason to believe that triptolide’s mechanism of action is via inhibition of super-enhancers that regulate oncogene expression.
ContributorsViloria, Nicolle Angela (Author) / Lake, Douglas (Thesis director) / Hendricks, William (Committee member) / Lang, Jessica (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05