Undergraduate Research Center
NCUR Presenters
National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) Presenters
MTSU’s 2024 Selected NCUR Participants
Janna Abou-Rahma
Mechanism of Action of Antifungal Peptoids
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Bicker
Due to the rise of drug-resistant strains of fungal pathogens such as Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans, there has been a need to identify new antifungal agents. In comparison to naturally produced antifungal peptides, antifungal peptoids, sequence-specific oligo-N-substituted glycines, mainly differ in structure, which prevents protease recognition giving higher bioavailability. Previous studies have shown that peptoids are effective fungicides. RMG8-8 and RMG9-11, two peptoids recently discovered in the Bicker Lab, have proven to be effective antifungal agents against C. neoformans and C. albicans, respectively. Reported here will be studies to determine the mechanism of action and other vital therapeutic properties of RMG8-8 and RMG9-11 using various biochemical and microbiological assays. Preliminary results of critical micelle concentration, the minimum concentration of a compound needed to form micelles, testing indicate that RMG8-8 as well as RMG9-11 do not exist as micelles at their minimum inhibitory concentrations, but rather function unimolecularly. Using a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay, it was found that RMG8-8 is likely unable to penetrate the blood brain barrier. However, RMG9-11 demonstrated good permeability, indicating that it may be able to penetrate the blood brain barrier to treat dangerous neurological infections of fungi. Subsequently, assays will be conducted in order to further understand the mechanism of action of both peptoid compounds to address the rising concern of drug resistant strains of fungal pathogens.
Khadijah Alnassari
Optimization of a Rapid and Efficient Method for Ginsenoside Extraction Abstract
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ying Gao
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is one of the most commonly used medicinal herbs worldwide. The ever-expanding market for and research into the benefits of American ginseng has perpetuated the necessity for more practical and efficient extraction methods. Common methods require extensive processing times and the unfortunate degradation of heat sensitive ginsenosides (saponins). This studies goal is to develop a more efficient extraction method with decreased processing times which will also allow for the increased procurement of saponins and rarer ginsenosides. Traditional and novel methods such as Codex Standard Method, Japanese Pharmacopeia (17th Edition), and Ultrasound Assisted Extraction were tested and compared using American ginseng roots. Ultrasound Assisted Extraction with direct sonication using a probe horn was further tested by using varying parameters (sonication times including 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min, or 120 min and solvents including N-Butanol, Methanol, or 10% Methanol). After completing extractions, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze 11 different ginsenosides (Rg1, Re, F11, Rg2, Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Rg3, and Rh2) in the samples. Preliminary results showed significantly higher saponin efficiency extraction rates of 4.62 with sonication using the solvent Methanol and a 45 minutes sonication time. Additionally, when compared to the other methods in this study which required 2.5-18 hr. processing times, this method showed a dramatically decreased total processing time of 1 hr. Additionally, these parameters also allowed for the highest extraction efficiency rate for rarer ginsenosides, Rb3 and Rc. Our study demonstrated that the optimized ultrasound assisted extraction method allowed for higher ginsenoside content, preservation of rarer ginsenosides, and a faster processing time.
Eden Anderson
Detecting Estrogen Pollution in the Stones River Waterways using the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) test of “Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Seipelt-Thiemann
Estrogen is a steroid hormone, most well-known as being associated with the female reproductive system. Estrogen is used in the dairy and livestock industry as a muscle enhancer and used to increase growth rates. Once in the environment, estrogen enters the estrogen transmission chain, and the effects have been connected with disruptions in waterway ecosystems. This study aims to identify the levels of estrogen pollution for each site at the Stones River Watershed. Using the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES), Saccharomyces cerevisiae was scientifically engineered to carry one DNA (either ERα or ERβ) sequence and two estrogen-responsive sequences (ERE). The ERE controls the reporter gene, lac-Z, which encodes for the enzyme β-galactosidase, and in the presence of estrogens, is secreted. The lysis buffer contains chlorophenol red-β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG). When cleaved by β-galactosidase, it produces a colorimetric product. This study distinguishes a practical way to identify said pollutions and promotes a better understanding of what estrogen pollution can do towards biodiversity. The study also confirms why testing our local Stones River Watershed is very important, as it improves our ability to protect against threats towards biodiversity and possible contamination.
Emma Ankar and Ashley Landaverde
The Voices We Hear – Effect of Cognitive Bias and Gender on Digital Voice Assistant Shopping
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gaia Rancati
Digital Voice Assistants have evolved into recommendation agents assisting users in online shopping by
supporting decision-making and facilitating the search and selection of products and services. These
assistants can also lead to gender stereotyping and cause cognitive biases that influence customers’
purchasing behavior. This study specifically examines the potential of digital voice assistants as
recommendation agents in terms of gender bias and social proof. A multidisciplinary protocol involving a
scenario-based survey and a neuroscientific experiment are used to answer this research question. In the male digital voice assistant survey scenario, prior experience is more important for women than for men. For the female digital voice assistant scenario, perceived usefulness has a greater impact on purchase intention for men than women, whereas women’s attitudes are more relevant than men’s. Implicit association measures suggest that digital voice assistants are perceived as informative, and they indicate the presence of gender stereotypes that reinforce the opposite attraction hypothesis for digital voice assistants and participant gender. Facial expression analysis and galvanic skin conductance support these findings and show significant changes in customer attention and arousal. Most importantly, digital voice assistants’ recommendations outweigh traditional social proof heuristics in customers’ product selection.
Hannah Antrican
“What Can I Do About It?”: Climate Anxiety in College Students
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Angela Mertig
Climate change presents increasingly worsening global social justice issues. Along with the environmental and economic effects of the changing climate come a variety of personal stressors. Mental health practitioners have noted a growing number of patients expressing distress due to environmental issues. This distress, known as climate anxiety, is a relatively new topic and thus has been used in multiple contexts with varying definitions. It is a topic of relevance to sociologists as well as mental health practitioners. Understanding climate anxiety will aid in promoting action to combat climate change. This research examines the existing literature on climate anxiety, specifically in college-age individuals in preparation for a future study measuring it in the student population of Middle Tennessee State University. Research studying climate anxiety in college students is of particular importance as they represent emerging professionals and scholars who will shape the future of climate policy. Limited research on climate anxiety in college students exists, but a study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication showed that Gen Z and Millennials have higher rates of climate anxiety compared to older adults. Existing research has found a negative relationship between climate anxiety and positive mental health in teens and emerging adults. The aim of this research is to provide an overview of research about: (a) ways that climate anxiety has been defined, (b) existing measures of climate anxiety, (c) the relationship between climate anxiety and pro-environmental behavior, and (d) climate anxiety and overall mental wellbeing.
Anna Collins
How Agricultural Productivity is Effected by Broadband Access in Rural Areas
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sam Zaza
Technology plays a pivotal role in the evolving landscape of the agriculture industry. However, with the digital divide present in rural areas, farmers cannot fully utilize the technology available to them. This research aims to understand the effects a lack of internet access has on farming operations’ productivity. These efforts and results will serve as a guideline for grant money allocation, advocacy efforts, and
legislation moving forward. Amid the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, rural areas have become the focus of research in terms of healthcare, education, and age-related implications of the digital divide. These understandings have helped shape this study of agricultural productivity as it relates to broadband in rural America. Preliminary interviews show that internet access is crucial to farming operations as it allows farmers to order equipment, research innovative practices, and access available resources. Even
daily tasks such as record-keeping rely on internet-based programs. Results from a comprehensive survey and an extensive literature review will allow us to fully understand the importance of broadband on farming operations. This research contributes to the goal of fostering productive and sustainable agricultural practices
by offering practical suggestions and opportunities to improve connectivity in rural areas across the Southern United States.
Anna Collins
The Ordinary Price of Zero
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Justin Gardner
The standard economic model is a key player in Shampanier et al.’s Zero is a Special Price: The True Value of Free Products published in 2007. The authors argue that consumer behavior, when presented with a price of zero, or free, is irrational and inconsistent with the standard economic model. This research claims the standard model presented by that work is an inaccurate characterization of consumer theory and that their experimental research design cannot differentiate between the model they presented, and the concept of utility maximization restricted by a budget constraint. Shampanier and colleagues propose a correction to their model that, upon further examination, can easily be accounted for when the research design allows for substitution and income effects. This research demonstrates these effects using mathematical programming to
simulate consumer decision-making with various utility functions, such as the Cobb-Douglass functional form. The results show that standard economic theory does an exceptional job of predicting consumer behavior when one good is free. The predictive power of these models relies on their ability to include both income and substitution effects, which are excluded from the “standard” model. Our study shows that Shampainer and colleagues’ model is a special case of standard consumer theory and confirms why the literature has been able to reliably verify their results.
Emilie Conners
The Body Positivity Movement: Bettering College Women’s Body Image and Health
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Lucy Matthews
Body image concerns among college aged women continue to be an immense issue across college campuses. As technology advances, it has become more common for young girls and women to edit their social media photos and ultimately focus more on their flaws. Body
image has a substantial impact on mental and physical health, therefore, it’s vital that these concerns are addressed and fought. One movement that has been used recently as a possible way
to combat this concern is the body positivity movement. For this research project, a Qualtrics survey was sent out to 9,175 female students attending Middle Tennessee State University with the intent to better understand how the body positivity movement is impacting college women’s body image and health. The survey questions focus on body positivity movement advertisement campaigns and social media. Specifically, the questions concentrate on the respondent’s self-image and awareness of the body positivity movement. Attitude-based scales were pulled from existing research studies and literature and the results were analyzed using SPSS data analysis
software. The main differences found in this study show that younger women tend to struggle with body image more than the older participants. The attitudes of the survey respondents were recorded before and after watching two body positivity advertisements. The increase in acceptance and satisfaction with one’s body and flaws after watching the two advertisements was significant. Many respondents expressed an interest in seeing more body-positive content especially when it comes to the brands that they love. Recommendations based on the data collected from the research were provided to direct further advancement of the body positivity
movement to continue to improve college women’s body image and health.
Jillian DeGrie
Evaluating School Professionals Knowledge of Dyslexia
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kathryn Blankenship
At the age of 20, I was diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism. I became fascinated with how and why late diagnoses of neurodivergence are so common. My years of research led me to one main conclusion: misinformation about neurodivergence is accepted as standard, and the stigma surrounding disability keeps it from being discussed and accepted by society. I use my art as an accessible medium for sharing my research. This led to Breaking the Stigma around Autism: an Interactive Art Exhibition. This body of work is about simulating aspects of the neurodivergent experience within my viewers to promote education and understanding. I am submitting one of these works: Sensory Overload. For neurodivergent people, sensory overload, or complete overstimulation caused by sensory input, can lead to meltdowns, anxiety, and even physical pain. Though neurotypical people cannot fully experience it, I wanted to simulate the feeling at a minor level. Sensory Overload is very pleasant and unpleasant textures dispersed across a panel. Via the
gallery plaque, the viewer is asked to become a participant and touch the piece. The participant has to reach behind a piece of frosted plexiglass that obscures the textures to touch the work. The lack of visual information creates an element of surprise, disorientation, and discomfort within the participant that mimics the experience of sensory overload. Many who attended my show said this piece helped them experience an aspect of autistic life they otherwise could not understand. Ableism, stereotype, and misinformation are still
extremely present in society. These things need to be combatted by starting healthy and honest discussions about neurodiversity. Within my own community, I saw how people’s perceptions of autism shifted upon viewing my work. NCUR would help my message reach a large, prestigious audience, an opportunity often out of reach for neurodivergent people.
Meirola Endraws and Cole Huddleston
Biological Evaluation of Novel Tubulin Inhibitors for Treatment of Cancer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. April Weissmiller
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer cells are defined by uncontrolled and abnormal cell
division. Therefore, inhibiting cancer cell division is a validated anti-cancer approach clinically. Both cell structure and cell division depend on active microtubule dynamics, which is a process in which alpha and beta subunits of tubulin polymerize and depolymerize. Small molecule tubulin inhibitors are used in chemotherapy cocktails to treat various cancers, however current tubulin inhibitors are toxic and cancer cell
resistance can occur. To overcome these issues, we have been part of a research project to discover novel tubulin inhibitors that target the colchicine binding site on the beta subunit. Paneling of these novel small molecules that are potential tubulin inhibitors reveals that out of those tested, two compounds show the potential to inhibit tubulin polymerization directly and cause effects consistent with tubulin inhibition in cancer cell lines. The data from this research will help to understand which chemical structures function best
to impair microtubule dynamics. Design and testing tubulin inhibitors like these may be able to overcome issues with those currently in the clinic and ultimately could be developed to aid patients in their fight against cancer.
Karmina Ghobrial
Exploring Coffee Silverskin Extract’s Effects on Age-Related Gene DVE-1/SATB1 During
UV- Induced Oxidative Stress
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Seipelt-Thiemann
Aging is the gradual and progressive loss of function in the majority of living organisms, ultimately resulting in death. While many aging models have been proposed, no single model can explain aging fully, as both genes and the environment play roles. C. elegans, the small nematode, is a model organism often used in studying lifespan and aging. Based on an earlier study that used a RNAi screen to identify C. elegans genes affecting lifespan and were implicated in human aging, DVE-1 repression decreased lifespan. In addition to
genes, such as DVE-1, environmental stressors such as oxidative stress accelerate aging. When there is an imbalance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, the excess ROS chemically attacks cellular molecules causing dysfunction. Antioxidants chemically interact with ROS, making them inert. Increased
ROS can be produced through exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Since increased ROS can lead to diseases such as cancer, dermatitis, and psoriasis, antioxidants increase health benefits and decrease age-related risks. A natural product that contains antioxidant compounds is coffee silverskin (CS), the outer layer
of coffee beans that comes off when roasted. Its high antioxidant capacity, which is of unknown character, has the potential to preserve health and increase longevity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the molecular effects of CS treatment, alone and after UV-induced oxidative stress, on the levels and alternative splicing of age-related gene, DVE-1. We expect that CS treatment will increase levels of DVE-1 RNA and/or alternative splicing, as measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and endpoint PCR, to produce functional proteins compared to untreated and UV-treated nematodes. This study is significant in the context of averting age-related diseases and extending a healthy lifespan, utilizing nematodes as a model for human research.
Rosemary Gutierrez
Electromagnetic Ionization and Radiation Creation in Neuroblastoma Cancer Cells
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Erenso
Neuroblastoma is a common childhood cancer that has one of the highest incidence rates for children less than one year with poor prognosis as children age. Although current radiotherapy treatments are efficient, many patients are left with unpleasant side effects. Laser trapping is a technique that traps dielectric objects as small as an atom and as big as 100 micrometers with a high-power laser. The laser trapping technique with the addition of magnetic beads was used in this study to initially provide a more efficient treatment for
neuroblastoma. This study determined that the amount of radiation received in neuroblastoma cells through laser trapping was significantly reduced. However, throughout this study, it was discovered that these neuroblastoma cells could produce radiation emission, which lasted over six hours with a consistent amount
of over 93% energy absorption of an infrared light (low energy) resulting in intense visible radiation (high energy light). Using infrared laser light with the neuroblastoma cells and magnetic beads has the potential to create a new source of energy of white light that has the complete blackbody radiation. The overall results of this study has the possibility of improving cancer treatment, solar energy harvesting, and microchip and battery efficiency.
Rawan Haj-Hussein
Exploring the Impacts of Neuronal, Huntingtin Aggregates on Adult Drosophila
melanogaster from Cells to Behavior
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kiel Ormerod
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an inherited, monogenic disease affecting thousands of Americans (~1/10000) yearly. Mutant Huntingtin protein contains a stretch of glutamine repeats that, when expanded, becomes unstable and forms inclusion bodies associated with the pathophysiology of the disease. We modeled HD pathophysiology using larval and adult forms of Drosophila melanogaster expressing control and pathogenic versions of human huntingtin tagged with RFP. We tracked huntingtin aggregate proliferation in the nervous system (NS) of Drosophila from eggs every 24 hours and determined a linear progression in the size and
number of aggregates in the developing brain, motor axons, and at the neuromuscular junction. Using live imaging of fluorescently labeled huntingtin, we determined that axonal aggregates significantly impaired trafficking of organelles like synaptic vesicles, mitochondria, and dense core vesicles. To assess the downstream implications, we conducted electrophysiological recordings from muscles using intracellular voltage recordings and muscle force recordings and observed significant impacts on neuromuscular transduction. Larval crawling patterns were significantly impacted, showing impairments in movement speed and total distance traveled. To extend our findings to the adult form of Drosophila, we expressed huntingtin-aggregates in the wings to circumvent their lethality when expressed in the NS. The size and number of Htt-positive puncta increased to a greater extend in the pathogenic version of HD flies compared to controls. Here we have shown significant molecular, cellular, physiological, and behavioral deficits associated with pathogenic human huntingtin expression in the nervous system of Drosophila. Our work serves as a robust model to assess the progression of HD, and as a rigorous tool for potential genetic and therapeutic treatments for HD disease progression.
Rand Hasan
Synthesis and Evaluation of Polyaspartate Peptoid Polymers
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Bicker
Polyaspartic acid and its derivatives, such as peptoid polymers, have garnered attention for their potential as antimicrobial agents due to their biocompatibility and structural versatility. This research project delves into the synthesis and evaluation of novel polyaspartate peptoid polymers, aiming to unveil their antimicrobial potential and shed light on their structure-activity relationships. The primary objective is to explore the impact of these novel polyaspartate peptoid polymers on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, investigating their potential as disruptors or inhibitors of biofilm formation. Furthermore, an examination of their susceptibility to proteases aims to determine their stability and potential application as protease substrates.
Central to this investigation is the comparison between peptide versions of polyaspartic acid and the peptoid versions being synthesized. Elucidating the differences in their structures and properties will provide valuable insights into the tailored design of antimicrobial materials. The study’s methodology involves synthesizing polyaspartate peptoid polymers of varying lengths to evaluate their efficacy against microbial growth and biofilm formation. By systematically varying the length of these polymers, the aim is to discern the relationship between polymer structure and antimicrobial activity, thereby contributing to the understanding of structure-function correlations in these materials. The discussion will contextualize these findings within the realm of antimicrobial materials, elucidating their potential implications for combating microbial infections and devising novel strategies for antimicrobial applications. This research endeavors to advance the understanding of polyaspartate peptoid polymers as potential antimicrobial agents, unveiling their structural intricacies and evaluating their efficacy against microbial biofilms, ultimately paving the way for the development of innovative antimicrobial materials.
Braedyn Hollingsworth
Chemotaxonomy of the Dinoflagellate Togula britannica as Based on Sterols and
Galactolipids
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Jeffrey Leblond
Dinoflagellates are one of the largest groups of algae that encompass marine and freshwater, and photosynthetic and heterotrophic taxa, which are found in almost every water body on earth. On a monthly
basis in phycology journals, newly identified taxa are reported, often after morphological and/or phylogenetic study. Even though it’s the most longstanding method for identifying dinoflagellates (and other algae), identification of new species based only on morphology could be inaccurate and misleading because of convergent evolution of truly different dinoflagellate species toward a particular cellular shape. Previous identification of the dinoflagellate Togula britannica was accomplished using a combination of morphology and phylogeny, leading to its separation from the genus Amphidinium, which shares morphological features. However, there are other tools, namely chemotaxonomic characterization of various lipids such as
chloroplast-associated galactolipids and membrane-associated sterols, that can serve as a valuable complementary method in identification of dinoflagellates as based on morphology and/or chemotaxonomy. To this end, we have obtained an isolate of T. brittanica which has not been characterized phylogenetically
nor chemotaxonomically and have performed chemotaxonomic characterization of these lipid classes. Identification of its sterols has shown compounds commonly associated with certain species of
Amphidinium; these include 4α-methyl-5α-cholest-8(14)-en-3β-ol, 4α-methyl-5α-ergosta-8(14),24(28)-dien3β-ol (amphisterol), and 4α-methyl-5α-ergosta-8,14,24(28)-trien-3β-ol. However, characterization of its galactolipids has shown C18/C18 (sn-1/sn-2) polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing major forms of mono and digalactosyldiacylglycerol that are uncommon to Amphidinium, which generally possesses C20/C18 major forms. Phylogenetic characterization of this isolate is still ongoing. T. britannica is an alga that has had ambiguity surrounding the phylogenic and chemotaxonomic tree since its discovery. Our objective is to
provide resolution for whether this particular isolate of T. britannica is chemotaxonomically separate from the genus Amphidinium.
Jorden Johnson
Assessing the Fidelity of Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Profiles in Architectural
Lighting Simulations: A Comparative Analysis
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carrie Pavel
The purpose of this study is to compare how Enscape 3d and Lumion simulate IES lights for non-VR applications. Enscape 3d and Lumion are two AEC industry-standard architectural visualization software
programs that allow users to upload Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) light profile data to simulate the precise characteristics—color temperature, luminous intensity, distribution, and beam spread—of light sources specified for an architectural project. In practice, the accuracy of these simulations is crucial, as they impact decision making and final design outcomes. However, existing research on architectural lighting simulation primarily centers on the rendering fidelity of light sources for use in virtual reality (VR) applications, and moreover, is often limited to the analysis of a single software. The study design consists of thirty 8’ x 8’ x 8’ boxes modeled in Autodesk Revit, with each assigned a material to the floor, ceiling, and four wall surfaces. One of three lighting types, each with a unique IES profile, were placed in the center of the ceiling of each box: an omni, area, and spotlight. Each box was rendered first in Enscape 3d, then in
Lumion. All rendered images were then organized within a grid for comparison. Three measures were assessed: interface design—the ease with which users can operate the software controls; lighting fidelity—the accuracy with which each program simulates lighting distribution, beam spread, and luminous intensity; and material fidelity—the accuracy with which each program simulates the reflectivity, roughness, and color value of the materials on which the lighting is cast. Differences observed among these three measures in between each program will be discussed. Understanding the abilities and limitations of each software program will allow more effective adjustments to lighting schemes during the design process to prevent
costly change orders later on.
Ariel Nicastro
Ultrasound Forcing: Device Design and Applications in Neuromodulation
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Corey Herr (UMD), Dr. Wolfgang Losert (UMD)
Focused ultrasound, a cutting-edge technology, has emerged as a powerful tool in the field of medical science for noninvasively targeting and manipulating biological systems within the human body. Neuromodulation, the manipulation of neural activity using low intensity focused ultrasound, is a growing interdisciplinary field with a major goal of noninvasively treating disorders in the brain such as epilepsy, chronic pain, and migraines. In order to advance towards these goals, it is crucial to study neural systems in isolation, as this
allows for direct observation of the neuromodulation’s impact. For this reason, an acoustic forcing device that can create focused ultrasound waves was designed and assembled. This square-shaped device fits inside a petri dish, and the vibration of its piezoelectric ceramic plates when connected to a function generator creates waves that propagate through the medium. To test the device, we patterned microbeads in a petri dish of water in order to characterize the strength and spatial pattern of the acoustic forcing. This acoustic forcing device was then used in experiments attempting to stimulate calcium activity in human neural progenitor cells. In future experiments, this device can be used to conduct further experimentation on neural networks. The results of this acoustic forcing research provide further information on the impact of focused ultrasound on neural cells, and future research will expand upon the characteristics of the acoustic forcing device.
Kendall Perssico
“Determining Oxytocin’s Role in Social Motivation of Mice”
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tiffany Rogers
Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is associated with social behaviors such as pair bonding, social exploration, and social recognition. Oxytocin has been found to influence some psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. It also has been suggested that oxytocin may play a role in shifting motivation towards other social stimuli. However, our preliminary data in the lab indicates, have suggested that oxytocin, which typically increases social behaviors like sniffing, actually decreases motivation to seek out social
stimuli. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is linked to motivation and natural rewards. There is also evidence to suggest that oxytocin acts on dopaminergic pathways. Because of this potential interaction, we examined the effects of both oxytocin and dopamine on social motivation. Male and female C57BL/ 6J mice (n=30) were dosed intranasally with saline, oxytocin, or dopamine (6M per nostril). All mice were subjected to each drug condition with washout periods in between each round. The mice then performed a series of behavioral assays including a weighted doors task, ladder task, FDSI, EPM, and siCPP. These tasks measure behavior such as anxiety, sniffing, and social motivation. The social motivation tasks, weighted door and
ladder task, increase in effort needed per trial to reach a social stimulus. Noldus Ethovision XT and lab members will code the behavioral assays. We expect our findings to show dopamine has a significant difference on social motivation, while oxytocin and saline do not. The findings of this project can lead to further investigations of the neurochemical pathways in social motivation.
Kendall Perssico
Novel Tasks to Measure Social Motivation in Mice
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tiffany Rogers
While behavioral measures for general social exploration in mice are established, few measurements exist for social motivation. We have created novel behavioral tasks to measure social motivation by requiring mice to perform a task that requires increasing effort to access a social stimulus. The first task, the weighted doors task (adapted from Borland et al., 2017), requires mice to push open a one-way door to access a social stimulus. The task starts with no weight and increases per trial. The second task, the ladder task, requires mice to climb a ladder to access a platform containing a social stimulus. The height of the platform and angle of the ladder is successively increased with each trial. All social stimuli used in our tasks were matched subjects. To validate the novel social motivation behavioral tasks, we measured behavioral outcomes across multiple measurements of social motivation, correlated outcomes across these measures, and compared these social motivation measurements with classic social behavior tasks. Additionally, we compared behavioral outcomes across sex and three mouse strains (C57, DBA, and BTBR). We found statistically significant positive correlations within social motivation tasks (r = 0.58, n = 31, p < 0.001). Social motivation measures were not correlated with sociability as measured by the three-chamber task (ladder task: r = -0.11, p > 0.05; weighted doors: r = -0.29, p > 0.05). A mixed methods ANOVA indicated that sex was not a significant variable in social motivation variability as measured by the ladder task or weighted doors task, but that strain had a significant effect on social motivation in both tasks (ladder task: F(2, 45 = 19.02, p < 0.001; weighted doors: F(2, 41) = 13.08, p < 0.001). These novel measurements of social motivation allow for the investigation of unique neurochemical and pathway contributions to social motivation.
Connor Prim
Integrating Classical Music Into the Elementary Classroom
Faculty Mentor: Mrs. Leslie Trail and Dr. Kevin Krahenbuhl
Elementary music should expose children to a wide range of musical experiences. Some of those, such as pop music, are easy to incorporate into lessons due to their fun nature but many educators struggle when considering how to effectively teach music from the classical canon. Most students think it is “boring,” and the overwhelmed music teacher might just give in to their whims. However, teachers who think this way are robbing their students of the enrichment these masterworks provide. Still, educators must be strategic about how they implement them in the classroom. Sitting still for an hour while listening to a Brahms symphony might just reinforce students’ negative perceptions about this music. By utilizing movement, mutual orientation, and musical instruments, teachers can get students to engage and relate to classical music in a whole new way, transforming their future and revitalizing the genre for a new generation of listeners to enjoy
Kera Reynolds
A Look at University Student Engagement and Connection in and its Impact on At-Risk First-Year Students Residing in Housing and Residential Life at Middle Tennessee State University
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amy Korstange
This study investigates how at-risk freshmen that are residing in Housing and Residential Life connect with MTSU’s campus and feel a sense of belonging versus those that do not reside in Housing and Residential Life. Housing and Residential Life is the center of student engagement and students are expected to feel a sense of connection more than those that do not live in university housing. This study will look at what other university Housing programs are doing for student support and connection, what MTSU does for student support and connection, and the leadership in university Housing. College students, especially at-risk college students, are at risk of dropping out of school and not being connected academically or emotionally. Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Housing and Residential Life (HRL) also currently has a little under 3,000 students residing in university housing. One of the ways that students feel connected to campus is by student engagement in the residential halls. Housing staff put together programs for residents to attend, residents live so close to one another, MTSU Housing puts together Living-Learning communities for residents based on interest and major, and other areas of student affairs connect with Housing and Residential Life. Because Housing has many ways for students to be connected to campus well, students that are residing in Housing and Residential Life may feel more connected than students that commute to school. Connection to campus is one of the most important things a student can do during their time on campus. Not every student is going to feel connected to campus. However, if residential life students feel more connected than commuters, it could not only impact students’ connections but also lead to helping more “at-risk” students feel connected and attempt to help them be successful academically, socially, and emotionally.
Sophia Roberts
Stopping the Willow Project on Social Media: An Exploration of the Social Problems Process in a Sub-Environmental Issue
From casual sexism to catastrophic terrorism, social problems (SPs) are prevalent in vast ways all throughout society. Those relating to environmental and climate crises have and will continue to affect communities across class, gender, race, and geographic location. The Social Problems Process (SPP), a sociological theoretical model, encompasses an in-depth examination of the stages a SP passes through in efforts to achieve remediation. This project aims to explore the SPP of the environmental sub-SP of fossil fuel continuation and dependency as demonstrated by the Willow Project (WP). The WP is an accepted policy that allows for intensive oil drilling in environmentally vulnerable landscapes. This will result in exasperating current climate conditions, both locally and globally, by its contributions to climate change. The aim in exploring the WP here is to better understand the SPP in contemporary SPs and the role of social media. The present study uses qualitative content analysis, emphasizing frequency and themes, of WP related Instagram
posts. A total of 44 posts were collected and analyzed across two account categories: activist/educational (n=5) and news/informative (n=5). Approximately 86% of the analyzed posts were collected from the activist/education account category (n=38). Primary themes derived included (1) taking action, (2) animal/local environmental consequences, (3) Biden contradiction, and (4) policy details/overview. Contrastingly, the news/informative account category produced minimal coverage prioritizing contextual
information. These findings present as supporting evidence for the WP sub-SP passing through the initial three stages of the SPP (claimsmaking, media coverage, and public reaction). Pattern analyses reveal fearmongering tactics, assumption of audience’s environmental knowledge, political framing tendencies, and
an emphasis on animal impacts. This work contributes to filling in the literature gap exploring SPs within social media atop the acute focus on the connections between environmental SPs, public perception, and today’s youth.
Nottely Seagraves
Bridging the Divide: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Implementation of Opportunity Investment Funds to Combat Inequality in Development.
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Murat Arik
The lack of development in lower-income areas is a pressing concern in Middle Tennessee. Despite overall economic growth in the region, significant economic disparities persist, with some communities failing to equally partake in this progress. This deficiency in lower-income areas exacerbates socioeconomic disparities, restricting residents’ access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities. Consequently, this perpetuates a cycle of poverty and hampers the region’s potential for comprehensive economic growth and community advancement. In this research endeavor, my primary objective is to discern promising investment opportunities within funds that have demonstrated success in fostering development. By
scrutinizing both nationwide successes and failures, I aim to pinpoint the key variables exerting the most significant influence on the outcomes of such initiatives. This exploration is designed to unravel the intricacies of economic conditions, local policies, community engagement, and effective fund management. The ultimate goal is to distill these findings into actionable insights, gauging their adaptability and applicability to the distinctive landscape of the Middle Tennessee area. Through a comprehensive analysis, I aspire to offer targeted recommendations for potential investment avenues, underpinned by a nuanced understanding of the region’s specific challenges and opportunities. This research seeks not only to identify universal success factors but also to tailor these insights to the unique context of Middle Tennessee, ultimately contributing to informed and strategic investment decisions in the pursuit of sustainable development.
Alexis Shumate
Individual Differences in Prosody Sensitivity and Reading Ability: Insights from EEG Resting State Analysis
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Cyrille Magne
College readiness and career opportunities are heavily dependent on young adults’ reading proficiency. However, recent data reveal that nearly two-thirds of twelfth-grade students lack the fundamentals needed to successfully navigate college-level reading materials. Converging evidence points to poor reading ability associated with difficulties perceiving speech rhythm cues, which include stress patterns in words. In addition, research suggests that such speech rhythm deficits may result from inefficient neural oscillations at
4-8 Hz (i.e., theta band) within auditory brain areas that fail to align with the prosodic information carried by speech. EEG in individuals with dyslexia is also associated with altered functional brain reading networks in the theta band. The current study aims to investigate brain oscillations, specifically examining whether individual variations in speech rhythm perception mediate the differences observed in the EEG theta band related to reading abilities. Participants (N = 60, 18 to 40 years of age) will be recruited from the Murfreesboro community. A 32-electrode EEG system will be used to record 8 minutes of their brain activity at rest (i.e., EEG resting state). Participants will also be administered standardized cognitive and reading assessments. By exploring the relationship between speech rhythm perception, theta neural oscillations, and reading proficiency, this study seeks to contribute valuable insights that may inform early interventions for enhancing the reading skills of individuals at risk for dyslexia. Addressing this gap in understanding is essential for creating a more inclusive educational environment and improving long-term outcomes for poor readers.
Ross Sibley
Effects of Cyclization on Antifungal Peptoid Efficacy, Cytotoxicity, and Permeability
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kevin Bicker
Cryptococcus neoformans and Candida albicans are two fungal pathogens responsible for lethal infections of brain tissue including cryptococcal meningitis and invasive candidiasis, respectively. The rising occurrence of antimicrobial-resistance in fungal pathogens in combination with the scarcity of safe and effective clinical antifungals necessitates the discovery of novel antifungal agents with blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. RMG8-8 and RMG9-11 are two linear peptoids, or peptidomimetic N-substituted glycines, that have demonstrated significant efficacy against these two fungal pathogens. While these linear peptoids have similar activity in vitro to current antifungals on the market, previous studies suggest that cyclization could improve efficacy through increased rigidity. The goal of this study was to compare the antifungal efficacy, mammalian cytotoxicity, and BBB permeability of RMG8-8 and RMG9-11 with their cyclic derivatives, RHS3 and RHS6. Antifungal efficacy of all four peptoids was evaluated in terms of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The cyclization property of RHS3 and RHS6 did not yield significant antifungal improvement compared to parent compounds RMG8-8 and RMG9-11, though there were some instances of similar activity between parent and cyclic derivative. Mammalian cytotoxicity was evaluated against HepG2 liver cells and single donor human red blood cells (hRBCs). Though the linear parent and cyclic derivatives
exhibited similar cytotoxicity against HepG2 liver cells, there was greater variability against the hRBCs as RHS3 was roughly twice as toxic compared to its linear parent, RMG8-8. Finally, the potential of each peptoid to cross the BBB was evaluated by a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). Interestingly, both RMG9-11 and its cyclic derivative RHS6 exhibited high permeability across the artificial membrane while RMG8-8 and RHS3 did not. Overall, the data collected indicates that the effect of cyclization varies on a case-by-case basis.
Lindsey Tran
A Preliminary Study: Harvesting and Storing Electromagnetic Radiation using Animal Blood and Micromagnetic Beads
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tiffany Rogers
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation, omnipresent in our surroundings, serves diverse purposes from simple cellular communication to advanced medical treatments and space exploration! Our research explores a preliminary study utilizing laser-trapping, micromagnetic beads, and animal blood for potentially revolutionizing EM energy harvesting and storage. The livestock industry annually generates an excessive 1.4 billion pounds of waste, primarily animal blood, representing a significant environmental concern. By utilizing blood samples from key livestock animals, including sheep, goat, chicken, bovine, turkey, horse, and porcine, our study produces enduring, self-sustaining EM radiation. The experiment involves a 3:1 mixture of
animal blood and micromagnetic beads on a depression slide within an infrared laser trap, progressing through two phases: Plasma formation and Star-like radiation. In Plasma formation, exposure to the laser trap induces electric breakdown, ionizing blood cells and micromagnets, forming a dense plasma. The subsequent Star-like radiation phase accelerates the dense plasma, generating intense black-body radiation. The study attains 90-95% radiation energy absorption over 1.5 to 7.5 hours, marking a micro-level advancement in EM harvesting with animal blood. We envision this as a foundational step for macro-level applications like solar energy harvesting, offering potential benefits for the environment through waste reduction and enhanced safety in the livestock industry.
Weston Williams
Removal and Bioconversion of Pharmaceutical Waste Created by the Production of Antibiotic Penicillin, and the Spread of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Keely O’Brien
Since its discovery Penicillium sp. has been a highly utilized cure-all for many bacterial caused illnesses, this is in no doubt due to penicillin’s antimicrobial property, Penicillium chrysogenum is a mold like growth that prevents reproduction of gram-positive bacteria. In recent years antibiotics like penicillin have seen increased use and production on a national scale. Industry scale production of penicillin is a tenuous process of purifying and harvesting bio-active penicillin. The synthesis and production of penicillin involves the use of various chemicals, reagents, and solvents. The waste generated from the chemical processes includes unused or spent chemicals, byproducts, and leftover biomass growth from the fermentation process. The release of these products into wastewater creates many ecological concerns and challenges. Primarily the spread of the antimicrobial resistance gene in bacteria. A development in bacteria where a sublethal exposure to antimicrobial properties is subverted and is ineffective to bacterial growth. Potential spread of the antimicrobial resistance gene would not only occur in wastewater but spread to livestock and crops through irrigation and finally towards humans. This project is aimed at studying biological treatment and conversion
of these toxic antimicrobial wastes. Some of the methods discussed include Incineration, Chemical oxidation, Biodegradation and Absorption. These processes aim to remove the bioactive function of the byproduct and seek to create an ecologically safe product. Ideally the solution to the pharmaceutical waste issue would be not only environmentally stable but also economically viable. The proposed strategy should encompass proper disposal practices, advanced waste management systems, and innovative treatment methods.
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Spring URECA Deadline
Thursday, January 30th at 4:30 pm
Contact us
Jamie Burriss, Ph.D., Director
(615) 494-7669
Jamie.Burriss@mtsu.edu
Casey Penston, Coordinator
(615) 809-4588
Casey.Penston@mtsu.edu