Diabetes and cardiovascular disease play a significant role in disease and mortality in the US, especially among underrepresented groups. Lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and other adverse health outcomes. This project will utilize community based participatory research to develop a wellness program from American Indians in San Diego County. This will be done through conducting focus groups, and interviews with community members and through conducting surveys on health and wellness. Further, a wellness program will be developed from community feedback. We expect to observe an increase of physical activity, better diet, and higher knowledge about healthy behaviors with the program.

Maternal Health is an important topic, especially in developing countries, because of the significant inequality in access to healthcare in places such as the Ivory Coast (West Africa). This presentation presents a one-month research conducted in the Ivory Coast, with the aim of analyzing how sociocultural, political, and historical factors affect maternal health i.e. quality and access to care. To conduct this research the history of the country dating from its independence to his present day were assessed. Secondly, sociocultural factors such as one’s culture norms were also covered by talking to hospital staff and local women about their experiences. Additionally, the political state of the country such as the civil wars that it has endured were discussed. All the data for this project were gathered using ethnographic field research methods such as site visits and key informant interviews with two politicians, two physicians and locals. In order to provide a comparative analysis, the research was conducted in two distinct locations, Korhogo and Abidjan which have differing economic status and government help. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to look for common themes around barriers to maternal health. Site visit notes were transcribed and analyzed, and pictures were documented for further descriptive analysis. Key themes from analysis include high healthcare costs and culture barriers as negative impacts on maternal health. The study revealed that when treating a patient, it is important to take into consideration their culture norms and it will also be beneficial to have free care for pregnant women which will in turn hopefully encourage them to seek care. We hope to conduct further research, which allows governments and people to recognize that community health is crucial in healthcare and that breaking the inequitably cycle in access to healthcare is essential.

Fossil Fuels are associated with contemporary energy crises and climate change. The combustion of fossil fuels is leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn have increased the overall earth’s temperatures and is predicted to grow at an alarming rate. Fuel cells are alternative, sustainable sources of energy that uses hydrogen (or hydrogen-rich fuel) and oxygen to generate electricity through electrochemical processes. I conducted a survey, focused on Bellevue College’s (BC) Chemistry Department, that indicated broad support for a simple hydrogen proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell lab to be incorporated into the introductory chemistry curriculum. I will design a lab that will spark student interest in sustainability and expose students to real-world electrochemistry applications while addressing electrochemical, thermodynamic, transport phenomena, and clean energy concepts. The educational goals of this lab are to promote a deeper conceptual understanding of electrochemistry, to improve quantitative reasoning, and to improve explanations of observed scientific phenomena. I collaborated with BC’s Chemistry Department to determine learning outcomes and a systematic process to quantifiably assess fuel cell labs from other institutions. This information was used to design an effective lab and lesson plan surrounding fuel cells. Four fuel cell labs were evaluated: (1) A pre-constructed Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cell from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies (2) A microbial fuel cell, (3) A fuel cell using platinum electrodes that is bathed in an acid solution (4) A fuel cell using graphite electrodes that is immersed in an acid solution. This research produced an economical and introspective laboratory experience that utilized basic laboratory equipment and materials. The results were presented in an engineering framework that details how aspects of the lab promote critical thinking and engagement, addresses learning objectives, and was cost-effective.

Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) sensors have unprecedented sensitivity in the optical detection of label-free biomolecules. These sensors can detect surface adsorption and have been used to detect single molecule adsorption and interaction processes. By observing resonance shifts during molecular interactions, WGM sensors can characterize a molecule’s surface adsorption. The goal of this project is to develop a robust WGM dip sensor array controlled by a three-axis stage in order to perform high-throughput characterization of peptide binding and adsorption within a 96-well plate format. The peak of spectral absorbance is the WGM resonance, and as this changes with surface adsorption we measured a spectral shift. Using this spectral shift in combination with the known concentration of our peptide species, we determined binding kinetics. The WGM sensor was used to characterize different peptide sequences to further understand the effects of peptide mutations on binding kinetics. A single microsphere resonator was used as proof of principle and will eventually be adapted to an array of eight WGM microsphere resonators to generate large amounts of data. This high throughput approach will provide the much needed large amount of quality data that is necessary for the development and adaptation of machine learning and applied statistical analysis algorithms toward the eventual development of artificial intelligence platforms in material science. The project is supported by NSF-DMREF through the Materials Genome Initiative.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) is a phenomenon which may be harnessed to provide high resolution images of the soft tissues of the body and aid in the diagnosis of many diseases. MR imaging relies on measuring the alignment, perturbation, and realignment of the magnetic dipole moments of hydrogen nuclei composing water molecules. Differing rates of realignment, or relaxation, of the magnetic moments of the hydrogen nuclei after perturbation creates contrast in MR images. This contrast can be enhanced by the introduction of magnetic field disturbances in the vicinity of hydrogen atoms. Clinically, contrast enhancement in MR imaging is achieved with chelates of the strongly paramagnetic metal, gadolinium. However, increasing evidence indicates that gadolinium can cause nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with renal damage. Iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) may be safer alternatives than gadolinium-based contrast agents given iron’s biodegradability and physiological role in hemoglobin. This research optimizes iron oxide NPs for use as contrast agents in MR imaging. We evaluate two important MR imaging parameters, the transverse and longitudinal relaxivity, of iron oxide NPs as a function of core size at two different magnetic field strengths. Our findings show that both the transverse and longitudinal relaxivities of iron oxide NPs decrease with decreasing core size at a low field strength, but transverse relaxivity decreases while longitudinal relaxivity increases at high field strength. Furthermore, we find that the transverse relaxivity component is more strongly influenced by core size than the longitudinal relaxivity. These trends in MR parameters as a function of core size will allow for the optimization of iron oxide NP as contrast agents for MR imaging.

When all goes according to plan, newly synthesized proteins within cells fold down an energetic funnel into a functional, minimal energy configuration. If a protein does not fold properly, it is both energetically unfavorable and nonfunctional, often with hydrophobic parts exposed to the aqueous environment. This creates the potential for misfolded proteins to form insoluble aggregates, which can become toxic to cells. These aggregates can crowd the cellular environment and impair cellular functions, which on a single cell scale can lead to cell death and on a larger organism scale, cause diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. To deal with this problem, cells have evolved protein quality control (PQC) systems that comprise two classes of action: chaperones that help proteins fold properly and ubiquitin-protein ligases that tag misfolded proteins with ubiquitin for destruction by the proteasome. Previous studies concluded that chaperones are required protein degradation. In our study, we find that Hsp70 chaperone dependence for protein degradation is variable along a spectrum of independent to dependent. My work specifically examined the function of yeast ubiquitin-protein ligase San1 by comparing degradation of various substrates between strains with or without San1 function, and with or without chaperone activity. By performing degradation whereby protein synthesis was halted and the stability of the synthesized pool of substrate was monitored by Western analyses, we were able to see the degree of substrate degradation by each strain over time. Degradation through San1 has been shown to require chaperones, but San1 also is known to recognize substrates independently without chaperones. From our work, San1 recognizes patches of hydrophobicity on misfolded proteins; a feature that is also recognized by chaperones. By studying the interactions of the folding and degradation enzymes, we are gaining a new understanding of how PQC pathways collaborate and coordinate to achieve optimal protection for the cell.
 

Bignoniaceae, also known as the trumpet creeper family, consists of 800 species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and lianas. Bignoniaceae diversity is highest in the Neotropics, but have a worldwide distribution in both tropical and temperate zones. Molecular phylogenetic studies recognize 8 major clades in the family. The goal of this work is to construct an updated Bignoniaceae phylogeny by gathering all available DNA sequence data in the family from previous studies, GenBank, and unpublished sources. I organized, gathered and selected genetic data that I used to create locus alignments for a concatenated matrix. Phylogenetic reconstruction of the concatenated data was done using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian methods. With these results, we aim to better understand family-wide diversification patterns in the family. Previously recognized clades are supported, additional resolution among them is obtained, and major biogeographic events are reconstructed.

Probiotic bacteria grow on the intestinal lining and are essential for optimal digestive health. Understanding the optimal growth conditions for these probiotics is particularly important, since healthy probiotic populations in the gut have been shown to positively impact health in a number of ways. In order to determine the effect of pH and nutrient availability, the following methods were performed; first, probiotic growth was achieved by inoculating Sigma-Aldrich (MRS) and Luria-Bertani media (LBm) at different pH’s ranging from 2 to 7.5. For both MRS and LBm, live cultures of probiotics have been proven to grow successfully in both media while incubated at 37 degrees Celsius at the pH of +/- 6.2. The Bradford protein assay was used to determine protein concentration in samples of both media, and the tryptic digestion of the bacterial cultures were analyzed by liquid chromatography mass spectrometer. These findings will be reported, highlighting important differences in the proteomic data sets in relation to different environmental variables.

Thermoregulation, the maintenance of core body temperature in a constantly changing enviroment, is a critical aspect of homeostasis. Despite its importance, the neural mechanism by which thermoregulatory processes occur is not very well understood at the circuit level. Afferent skin temperature information travels through the spinal cord to the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), where it passes on to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA). A subset of prodynorphin (Pdyn)-expressing neurons in the PBN (PdynPBN neurons) are activated when mice are exposed to warm environments, and 80% of these neurons project to the POA. The exact role of PdynPBN neurons has not been characterized, however, and their full projection profile is not established. Using genetic and viral techniques, we inserted a Cre-dependent designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) into mouse PdynPBN neurons and labeled their synaptic projections with GFP-bound synaptophysin, an abundant synaptic vesicle protein used for neurotransmitter trafficking. The use of Cre-dependent DREADD and synaptophysin-GFP allowed us to specifically label and activate PdynPBN neurons. We found that activation of these cells increases tail-skin temperature with a concurrent drop in core-body temperature. These data suggest that PdynPBN neurons may convey environmental temperature information that is sufficient to activate heat-defense responses. Establishing the genetic identity of neurons in a circuit that helps to maintain constant core body temperature will allow for the elucidation of downstream nodes in this circuit.

Cysteine is an infrequently occurring but important amino acid critical to tertiary and quaternary structure. While peptide chains typically undergo post-translational modifications, cysteine is susceptible to further modification due to its reactive thiol group. The effects of these modifications are unclear, as they could either represent normal cell-cell communication or potentially harmful by-products. Common agents that affect the thiol group of cysteine are by-products from other biological processes, for example metabolic processes (which creates H₂O₂), natural toxicant defense (p450 or glutathione), and inflammation (HOCl). This experiment sought to discern the products that form when cysteine is exposed to biologically relevant concentrations of these oxidants. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to perform the analysis of the oxidation products. Cysteine was mixed with 5 mM bleach in vitro and pH buffered and the resulting solution was analyzed. Methods were developed by optimizing instrumental conditions—including molarity of solutions, voltage spray and flow rate, and acidity of the samples—in order to use LC-MS. Pending results will allow for the identification and quantity of the cysteine oxidation products.

Omega-3 fatty acids provide numerous health related benefits, and are commercially available in the form of supplements. However, these fatty acids have the tendency to oxidize over time and can have potentially harmful effects on the human body. Additionally, neutrophil oxidation of fatty acids in vitro has been shown to be a marker for oxidative stress. Oils oxidized with a biologically relevant concentration of sodium hypochlorite were used to simulate the behavior of neutrophils in the human body and these results were analyzed and compared to control samples. In order to characterize the oxidation byproducts of common fatty acids, the oxidation products and control samples were treated with acidified methanol in toluene to perform a fatty acid methyl esterification (FAMEs). This facilitated the analysis by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and provided proof-of-concept for the fatty acid analysis method. This methodology was applied to 0.29 mmols of each sample of oil oxidized with .05 mMols of sodium hypochlorite to evaluate the products of this reaction to simulate the behavior of neutrophils in the human body. GC-MS data for the composition of the FAMEs and oxidation derivatives detected will be presented as well as their relative amounts.

Plastics are a ubiquitous part of modern life, without them many issues in the food, medical, and textile industries would be near insurmountable. However, our failure to consider life cycles of materials containing plastics have led to a global environmental threat. As polymers break down through degradation, they can create microplastics (MP’s) or fibers that can escape into the environment. Microplastics are generally less than 5mm. Recent studies have indicated that endangering levels of MP’s have been found in the oceans. Little to no research has been conducted on the quantity of MP’s found in freshwater bodies and land far from the influence of the ocean. Little is known about the amount of MP’s released during a clothing dryer cycle. To address sources of MP’s created from a clothing dryer, samples of lint were collected beneath the dryer vent exits. Aggregate characterization of the samples were performed using attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) which allowed samples to be evaluated based on a measured wavelength of a reflected beam of light. Samples collected were representative of MP’s that would shed from textiles during a drying cycle and be distributed into the air. To effectively characterize and count MP’s in solution a fluorescent dye (Nile Red) was used to stain the samples before imaging with a Fluorescent Microscope. Most dryers have a mesh screen to catch lint which has been useful, but it doesn’t capture all the microfibers during a drying cycle. Still, hundreds if not thousands of microfibers evade the lint filter and are likely being released from the vent. The potential consequences of not regulating the release of MP’s correlate with the growth of the textile industries. An important first step to this problem involves similar research to better understand the origin and release of MP’s into the environment.

With an increasing demand for more complex and efficient structures, the world is in need of more structural engineers. I have been developing educational tools to make structural engineering more intuitive, tactile, and approachable. Using K’Nex, a readily available construction toy system, I build structures accompanied by computer models to illustrate key structural engineering principles. These products will aid in the education and promotion of structural engineering and are targeted towards children and undergraduates students. This research involves the investigating of physical properties of K’Nex members in order to create accurate numerical (computer) models. Experiments include load tests to determine material properties, buckling stresses, and failure modes. Many of these tests are designed to be approachable and can be performed using everyday household objects. Numerical models are created in MATLAB and are used to predict behaviors under certain load combinations, as well as highlight shortcomings of simplified elastic theory. The results and methodology of this research are designed to focus on building an intuition and interest for structural engineering.