2

Summer Scholars Program

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship began to

offer a summer intensive program in 2010. Over the past 11 years

this program has evolved and grown, but the mission to provide

students with intentional and intensive faculty mentorship in a

scholarly project outside of the classroom has remained consistent.

CURS Summer Scholars collaborate as junior researchers with

their mentors, often times working in a research team, and receive

professional development through weekly workshops. The program

provides students a stipend allowing them to concentrate on

accelerating and broadening their academic interests. By working

directly with mentors on writing, data gathering, analysis and

problems solving, students learn about a specific topic in depth

while gaining new skills and polishing others that make them more

prepared for graduate school or employment post college. Each

collaborative team produces a scholarly product by the end of the

summer that serves as a permeant achievement for the student and

inspiration to future scholars. Over the years CURS has hosted

dozens of mentors and over 300 student scholars working together

to further student development and the research productivity of

Augusta University.

Ms. Melissa Knapp, CURS Coordinator

Dr. Quentin Davis, CURS Director

Order of Events

4:00 pm Welcome

4:05 pm Scholar Presentations Session 1 5:00 pm Scholar Presentations Session 2 5:55 pm Closing Remarks

Presentation Schedule

Session 1

4:05- 4:55

Room Innovation Investigation Discovery

Dr. Laurence

Miller, Moderator

Dr. Nai-Cheng Kuo,

Moderator

Dr. Beth Huggins,

Moderator

4:05 Gregory East

Brooklyn Zwinklis,

Sweta Munagapati,

Abby Huebsh

Amber Jordan,

Lauren Knussman

4:18 Dominic Broglio Ashley Koch

Chandler Borel,

Elinita Pollard

4:31 Richard Baker Justice Howley

Yvette Enru,

Taryn Lykes

4:44 Garrett Zills

Alexandria Carter,

Makayla Preston Alison O’Keefe

Session 2

5:00- 5:55

Room Innovation Investigation Discovery

Dr. Dustin Avent-

Holt, Moderator

Ms. Veronica

Williams, Moderator

Dr. Tadd Patton,

Moderator

5:05 Sawyer Branham,

Danny Roush

Madison Arsenault,

Halle Prine Radha Dobaria,

Jade Moore

5:18 Amber Warren Gabriella Benavides,

Garrett Hachem Nyjah Gee

5:31 Amy Wood,

Kyra Williams Josephine Widjaja

Olivia Feagler,

Emmanuel Faminu, Jenny Zhang

5:44

Trenijah Griffin,

Kiara Heffner

Hisham Kashif,

Dominic Robles

Samantha Bogle,

Taylor

Hammerstein

4

We would like to thank the following constituents for their generous support:

Office of the Provost Division for Instruction and Innovation

AU Foundation

Thank you to our student assistants: Ms. Aria Leathers

Ms. Emily Flewellen

Thank you to our moderators: Dr. Nai-Chen Kuo

Ms. Veronica Williams Dr. Elizabeth Huggins

Dr. Tadd Patton Dr. Laurence Miller

Dr. Dustin Avent-Holt

5

Special thanks to our workshop speakers: Dr. Craig Albert

Ms. Shannon Barwick

Ms. Amanda Boland

Dr. Darren Browning

Ms. Casey Derella

Dr. Holly Goodson-Rubio

Dr. Kim Gray

Dr. Jay Heslen

Mr. Anthony Holland

Dr. Tim Sadenwasser

Ms. Shinjini Spaulding

Ms. Samantha Shore

Dr. Catherine Slade

Dr. Alvin Terry

Dr. Sabina Widner

Dr. Seretha Williams

Ms. Hannah Youngblood

6

Program Mentors and Scholars

Dr. Christi Amonson, Department of Music

Sawyer Branham, Danny Roush

Dr. Dustin Avent-Holt, Department of Social Sciences

Lauren Knussmann, Amber Jordan

Dr. Hannah Bennett, Department of Kinesiology,

Taryn Lykes, Yvette Enoru

Dr. Candis Bond, Department of English and & World Languages

Alison O’Keefe

Dr. Jennifer Bradford, Department of Biological Sciences

Ashley Koch

Dr. Trinanjan Datta, Department of Chemistry and Physics

Richard Baker, Gregory East

Dr. Maleah Holland, Department of Kinesiology

Gabriella Benavides, Garrett Hachem

Dr. Madison Kindred, Department of Kinesiology

Halle Prine, Madison Arsenault

Dr. Nai-Cheng Kuo, Department of Teaching and Leading

Amy Kersey Wood, Kyra Williams

Dr. Christy Ledford, Department of Family Medicine

Samantha Bogle, Taylor Hammerstein

Dr. Ellen LeMosy, Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy

Abby Huebsch, Sweta Munagapati, Brooklyn Zwinklis

Dr. Abdul Malmi-Kakkada, Department of Chemistry and Physics

7

Garrett Zills, Dominic Broglio

Dr. Shogo Mori, Department of Chemistry and Physics

Nyjah Gee

Dr. Brian Muntean, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Josephine Widjaja

Dr. Jaclyn Murray, Department of Teaching and Leading

Amber Warren

Dr. Eric Numfor, Department of Mathematics

Alexandria Carter, Makayla Preston

Dr. Melanie O’Meara, Department of Art and Design

Kiara Heffner, Trenijah Griffin

Dr. Siva Panda, Department of Chemistry and Physics

Jade Moore, Radha Dobaria

Dr. Alan Saul, Department of Ophthalmology

Emmanuel Faminu, Jenny Zhang, Olivia Feagler

Dr. Sangetha Sukumari-Ramesh, Department of Pharmacology

and Toxicology

Hisham Kashif, Dominic Robles

Dr. Melanie Wilcox, Department of Psychological Sciences

Chandler Borel, Elinita Pollard

Dr. He Yang, Department of Mathematics

Justice Howley

8

Abstracts

9

A Dramaturgical Production Packet for Purcell's Dido and

Aeneas

Sawyer Branham, Danny Roush and Dr. Christi Amonson

Department of Music

Dramaturgy is the theory and practice of dramatic composition and

serves a theatrical production with working knowledge of historical

style, speech, and look. A production packet is a learning aide

created by dramaturgs to assist performers in fully understanding

and realizing their roles. Dramaturgy is especially helpful for any

production that features phrases, references, or ideas that are

unfamiliar to modern performers. The purpose of our research is to

create a production packet for Henry Purcell’s opera, Dido and

Aeneas that is suitable for undergraduate college singers. We

accomplish this by first providing a brief overview and history of

the opera, along with a short biography for both the composer and

librettist. We then provide technical information, about the principal

characters detailing their relationships and motivations, as well as a

phonetic transcription of their names to assist pronunciation.

Additionally, we provide a glossary of terms and phrases to help

explain terms and phrases from the Old English that may be

unfamiliar to the modern performer. We include a section detailing

British Received Pronunciation and the International Phonetic

Alphabet as a guide to learning and performing an opera in an

English dialect. We conclude our packet with costuming concepts,

detailing looks for characters from previous productions.

10

Defining the Boundaries of Productivity in Economic

Discourse, 1890-1960

Lauren Knussman, Amber Jordan and Dr. Dustin Avent-Holt Department of Social Sciences

The topic of our research is on the changes that occurred from 1890-

1960 in how productivity is defined. The underlying ideas we are

looking at are why these shifts around productivity occur and how

these shifts are accomplished. The method used was content

analysis. In total there were thirty-seven economic texts from 1890-

1960 coded using a protocol that was developed in the summer of

2020. Two books were read each week with two people assigned to

each text. We looked at words such as utility, wealth, and value to

see if they appeared and how their definitions changed. We used

background texts to get more information on why and how these

changes might have transpired and to give context for the topic. In

our research, there are shifts being observed within the theories of

Physiocrats to classical economists to neo-classical economists.

Physiocrats emphasized agriculture as the only source of production

and thus productive activities, while classical economists expanded

the focus to producing any material goods as being productive. The

final shift is when neo-classical economists change the focus of

economics to producing any utilities (both goods and services) as

being productive. There seems to be two possible explanations for

this shift in economic thought and discourse. One is internal within

the discipline of economics as the theoretical framework of the

discipline shifted from a focus on wealth to utility. The other is

external with the way things were counted in official statistics

changing which changed what got counted as productive.

11

The CrossFit Culture: At the Intersection of Inclusivity and

Community

Taryn Lykes, Yvette Enoru and Dr. Hannah Bennett

Department of Kinesiology

The focus of this research was to investigate and explore the

perception of inclusivity within the CrossFit community,

specifically concerning those who are part of the LGBTQ+

community. Many sports have addressed inclusion strategies and

athletes' feelings of inclusion in recent years. The sport of CrossFit

is not immune to the challenges that present themselves regarding

the diversity, equity, and inclusion conversation. In response to

recent events, it was important to be mindful of members in the

CrossFit community who may not feel valued or welcomed. This

study attempted to explore the perceptions of inclusion within the

CrossFit 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. 369 people were involved in the

recruitment process and after further review, the final sample was

306 participants. 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.

Additionally, a qualitative component would be beneficial to grasp

a deeper sense of individual experiences across gyms. In hopes of

aiding in improving individuals' sense of belonging in their

community, a list of suggested outreach programs and ideas was

also created as a means to promote inclusive cultural practices

within gyms.

12

STEM Students’ Perceptions and Use of the Augusta

University Writing Center

Alison O’Keefe and

Dr. Candis Bond

Department of English and World Languages

Writing centers are sites where students can receive one-on-one

support on their writing projects. They are a resource for writers of

all ability levels who want feedback, guidance, and advice. These

centers are common in higher education and, like other universities,

AU has a writing center that is open to writers of all skill levels,

disciplines, and needs. However, usage statistics have shown that

students in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, math, and

medical) majors use the Writing Center less than students in other

majors, which is unexpected given that AU is a health-sciences

focused institution. To understand this trend, I conducted a study to

learn more about AU undergraduate STEMM students’ perceptions

and usage of the AU Writing Center. This study consisted of a

mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) survey that was sent

to all AU STEMM majors in the spring 2021 semester. In this

presentation, I will focus on the data from the survey and discuss

preliminary findings from that data. In particular, I will use

descriptive statistics to share usage trends based on major. I will also

share themes from the answers to the free-response questions,

wherein students described their reasons for using the Writing

Center and their suggestions regarding how the Writing Center can

better support STEMM writing. I will conclude by discussing how I

will wrap up the data analysis phase of my research and how the AU

Writing Center can use these findings.

13

Detection of Genetic p65 Deletion in Mouse Bone Marrow-

Derived Macrophages and Microglia

Ashley Koch, Amy Trang and Dr. Jennifer Bradford

Department of Biological Sciences

A glioblastoma (GBM) is a grade IV, aggressive, brain tumor that

currently has no cure. Part of its aggressiveness is due to the

microenvironment being heterogeneous and made up of a variety of

recruited, non-cancerous cells. Many of these recruited cells are

immune cells like macrophages, which should function to destroy

tumor cells. Macrophages are associated with many solid tumors

and are often found in large numbers, which correlates with poor

prognosis. Microglia, which are a type of macrophage specific to the

central nervous system, are one type of non-cancerous cell that

makes up the GBM tumor microenvironment. Microglial tend to be

recruited quickly, and like other recruited tumor associated

macrophages, initially have an M1 phenotype, which is tumoricidal.

However, the M1 phenotype is often converted to an M2 phenotype,

which is cancer promoting. The canonical NF-kB pathway has been

implicated in the M1 to M2 transition, which is likely a factor in

GBM’s aggressive nature. In Dr. Bradford’s lab, bone marrow-

derived macrophage and microglia specific mouse models have

been created that should have a deleted NF-kB transcription factor

called RelA (or p65), in either bone marrow-derived macrophages

or brain microglia. We hypothesize this deletion would inhibit the

M1 to M2 switch, which could potentially make treating GBM

tumors more effective. Currently, various primer combinations are

being tested with harvested bone marrow-derived macrophages and

microglia cells to determine genetic deletion of p65 via polymerase

chain reaction.

14

Investigating X-ray Momentum and Polarization Behavior of a

Magnetic Ion

Richard Baker1, Mark Dean2 and Trinanjan Datta1

1Department of Chemistry & Physics

2Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven

National Laboratory

X-ray spectroscopy can reveal magnetic properties of elements,

ions, and compounds. Interaction of x-rays with magnetic materials

typically preserve rotational momentum. Recently, however, an

experiment and a theoretical prediction has indicated otherwise. In

these studies, it was found that an incoming and an outgoing x-ray

beam may maintain its state of zero rotational polarization yet

causing a rotational spin-flip excitation inside the crystal. Such an

imbalanced scattering process implies an apparent non-conservation

of angular momentum. In this investigation, I have utilized x-ray

scattering software to compute the trend in the left and the right

circularly x-ray polarized beam causing magnetic spin-flip

transition versus the x-ray scattering angle. Based on the study we

conclude that a classical scattering theory approach seems to

conserve momentum without providing any further detail on how

and why it occurs. Thus, to resolve the issue one may need to

investigate the system from a quantum perspective.

15

Electrophysical Response of the Human Nervous System

Greg East1 and Trinanjan Datta2

Department of Mathematics & Department of Chemistry & Physics

The nervous system in the human body operates on electrical

conduction, meaning that nerves send electrical signals amongst

each other 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 muscle control and other bodily

functions. To treat such patients, doctors at the Medical College of

Georgia have carried out studies that show that damaged nerve

function can be improved by low frequency magnetic field

stimulation. However, the interaction mechanism of how magnetic

fields interact with damaged nerves is currently unknown. The goal

of this project is to understand how electrical signals can interact

with the human nervous system. Utilizing the computational

neuroscience Hodgkin-Huxley model we attempt to model how

nerves respond. We compute the voltage and current behavior and

firing rate of neurons. We use a computational method to simulate

differential equations which describe nerve conduction in the human

body. This is the first step of a multi-year research project which

will eventually combine the effects of external magnetic field

response of human nerves.

16

Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Daily Physical Activity and

Food Intake in Tactical Athletes

Gabriella Benavides, Garrett Hachem and Dr. Maleah Holland

Department of Kinesiology

Tactical athletes are individuals who work in an occupation that

endures a large amount of physical activity in life-threatening

conditions. Some tactical athletes are at risk of developing health

issues such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Intermittent fasting involves fasting for several hours and eating for

the remaining hours of the day. Firefighters may benefit from

intermittent fasting because of their spontaneous shift. Some

firefighters may already be intermittent fasting with their current

work habits. Our 8-week long study involves 20 participants

separated into two groups, control and, fasting. The fasting group of

participants will fast for 16 hours and eat for the remaining 8 hours

of the day, while the control group will stay continuing with their

normal eating habits. The participants will fast for 3 days during the

week for 7 weeks in total. Our study is analyzing the effects of

intermittent fasting on a tactical athlete’s physical activity, eating

habits, and sleep habits. My section of this study is comparing the

daily physical activity levels of both groups. All participants will

wear an Actigraph Activity watch for 7 days to track their movement

each minute. Fasting may cause our fasting group of participants to

become more lethargic during their fasting days. This lethargic

feeling will cause them to have a lower daily physical activity level.

Since this study is 8 weeks in total, we currently do not have the

results of each participant. The results we have so far include the

baseline week of 8 participants.

17

Press Play to get Active: Using Podcasts to Increase Steps

Halle Prine, Madison Arsenault, and Dr. Madison Kindred

Department of Kinesiology

As of 2018, the prevalence of obese adults was 42%. Individuals

who are obese increase their likelihood of developing heart disease,

stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers. The United States

alone spent 147 billion dollars in 2008. Unfortunately, we see even

more drastic numbers with children and young adults developing

obesity, which is why “adult-onset obesity” is no longer a term used.

The implementation of physical activity in overweight to

moderately obese individuals can drastically decrease the risks

involved with cardiovascular disease and other prominent health

conditions. The Center for Disease Control highlights physical

activity as a fundamental lifestyle change for individuals who are

overweight or obese. Therefore, it is critical to develop a physical

activity program for overweight, obese adults. The purpose of this

study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of Podcasts

usage to increase physical activity duration (mainly steps) in

individuals classified as overweight to moderately obese.

18

Exploring Daisaku Ikeda’s Human Education Lesson Design

and Educators’ Perspectives

Amy Kersey Wood, Kyra Williams and

Dr. Nai-Chen Kuo

Department of Teaching and Leading

In Ikeda’s philosophy, the ultimate purpose of education is for each

student to attain value creation, lifelong growth, and happiness.

Expanding and extending the work of his mentors, Tsunesaburo

Makiguchi and Josei Toda, Ikeda proposes using Ningen kyōiku

(human education) to develop the greater self in each student.

Purpose: Although educators are eager to cultivate humanity in

their students, most of their training in teacher education programs

is centered on professional knowledge and skills. Lacking

experience in incorporating humanity in the curriculum makes

educators feel uncertain about engaging students in humanity. Our

research study aims to fill this gap by sharing concrete examples.

Methodology: Exploratory qualitative analysis was utilized. We

synthesized eighteen book chapters contributed by twenty-two

scholars in Ikeda studies. We then selected six children’s stories

developed by Ikeda to design our lessons. Finally, we collected and

analyzed ten K-12 educators’ perspectives toward humanity and

their feedback on our lessons. Findings/Conclusions: Our synthesis

indicates that the major themes in Ikeda studies include human

revolution, global citizens, value creation, dialogue, and happiness.

Our preliminary data show that all participants value humanity, and

they considered our lesson plans practical in the K-12 classroom.

Implications: Our study introduces Ikeda’s philosophy on

humanity and his children’s stories to educators. These stories are

free and open to the public. By providing concrete examples of

lesson plans and exploring the participants’ perspectives on

humanity and their feedback on these lessons, we help educators see

how human education can be actualized in the K-12 curriculum.

19

Structural Barriers that Affect Vaccine Uptake

Samantha Bogle, Taylor Hammerstein and

Dr. Christy Ledford

Department of Family Medicine

Although the COVID-19 vaccine has become readily available to all

people over the age 12, low vaccine uptake persists throughout the

Southeastern US. Many people are still hesitant about receiving the

COVID-19 vaccine and what the long-term effects may be if they

do. COVID-19 has taken the lives of more than 605,000 people and

left others with detrimental and lifelong post-illness health

problems. The purpose of this study is to determine the structural

barriers that reduce vaccine uptake. Using a grounded theory

approach, data collection for this study was done through interviews

from people who reside in the Augusta area. For this study,

grounded theory is the development of social concepts and theories

throughout the data analysis process. Inductive coding was used to

analyze data. Preliminary analysis indicates that three factors

intersect to influence vaccine uptake: structure, culture, and agency.

Participants described how the workplace and local governmental

rules impacted how they understand COVID and their own

motivation to get the vaccine. Participants also described how local,

family, and religious culture and how their own identity affected

their decision and ability to get the vaccine. The primary structural

barriers to vaccine uptake were unclear medical advice, changing

rules and regulations, and questionable sources of vaccine. With this

information public health officials can assess these barriers and

construct a method to help patients and providers overcome these

barriers.

20

Extracellular Matrix Tinagl1 in Craniofacial Development and

Wnt Signaling

Abby Huebsch, Sweta Managapati, Brooklyn Zwinklis and Dr.

Ellen LeMosy

Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy

This project was designed to explore the functions of

Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 (tinagl1). Preliminary data

from our lab suggests that the function of tinagl1 is important for

proper skeletal and craniofacial development. A review of literature

implicates tinagl1 in several different processes, including

Wnt3a/beta-catenin signaling for the development of the

extracellular matrix, and also in a mechanism involved in the

prevention of triple-negative breast cancer (Sheng et al., 2019). Our

ultimate goal is to understand the function of tinagl1 in craniofacial

development. The summer goal was to develop methods and tools

to enable this analysis.

We utilized two different and independent gene editing

techniques to remove the function of tinagl1 during the embryonic

development of zebrafish to determine its role in craniofacial and

skeletal development. Our first approach to remove tinagl1 function

involved using a gene editing technique known as CRISPR which is

designed to give quick results. Our second approach used a

GeneWeld technique to create a slow but high-quality knockout

mutant strain.

When we are confident knockout has been achieved, we

intend to utilize bulk RNA sequencing on both the mutant and

wildtype embryos, to compare expression of tinagl1 and any genes

under its control. In order to prepare for the bulk RNA sequencing,

we have analyzed single cell RNA sequencing data from external

datasets to locate when and where tinagl1 is expressed during

development.

21

Spatial and Time-Dependent Cell Divison Patterns in a

Confluent Cell Monolayer

Dominic Broglio and Dr. Abdul Malmi-Kakkada

Department of Chemistry & Physics

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. The grayscale recording is split into 140

frames with each frame being a minute long and displaying cells

within a field of view size 865 μm x 659 μm monolayer cell culture.

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 division. 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.

22

Role of Time Dependent Cell Stiffness Change in

Tumor Invasion

Garrett Zills, Dr. Abdul Malmi-Kakkada, and Dr. Trinanjan Datta

Department of Chemistry & Physics

Cell migration occurs when wounds heal, tumors invade, and organs

form during embryo development. Even though the biochemical

factors that support cell migration is comparatively well studied,

how physical forces affect cell migration is not well known. Hence,

a physics-based understanding of cell migration could pave the way

towards the development of novel cancer treatment. Using physics

based computational modeling, we investigate the migration of

cancer cells in tumor spheroids during initial stages of tumor

growth. Using a three-dimensional model incorporating cell birth,

cell death and physical interactions based on cell stiffness and

adhesion, we track cell movement during the first week of tumor

growth. We compute how far the cancer cells displace and how large

the tumor becomes over time for multiple individual cells. We

conclude that modulated cancer cell stiffness, due to actin build up

and decay, leads to suppressed cell dynamics and reduced size of

cancer tumors.

23

Hijack the Inactive Enzyme: a Novel Enzymatic Machinery

Nyjah Gee and Dr. Shogo Mori

Department of Chemistry & Physics

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.

24

THE ROLE OF KCTD5 ON NEURONAL SIGNALING

Josephine Widjaja and Dr. Brian Muntean

Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology

Motor skill acquisition and refinement relies on adaptations in the

nervous system. One-way neuronal circuits are tuned is though

cyclic AMP (cAMP) signaling. Therefore, disruptions of the cAMP

pathway is causal to a spectrum of movement disorders. Although

many cAMP regulators have been characterized in other cell types,

there is less known about these regulators in a neuronal

environment. Potassium channel tetramerization domain 5

(KCTD5) has recently emerged to interact with components of the

cAMP production pathway. As KCTD5 neurobiology is in its

infancy, discovering how and where KCTD5 interacts with other

proteins in its cellular environment may enable a better

understanding of the pathway of neuronal signals. Here, we

modulated KCTD5 expression and location in both primary neurons

and HEK293 cells. These cells were treated with agonists of the

cAMP production pathway and the concentration of cAMP was

observed using confocal imaging of cAMP biosensors. Our studies

suggest that KCTD5 as a regulator act on the positive and negative

inputs on the cAMP production pathway and therefore play an

important role in the ability of cells to process input stimuli.

25

Approaches to STEM Concept Learning in Online

Environments

Amber Warren and Dr. Jaclyn Murray

Department of Teaching and Leading

Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers were thrust into

an unfamiliar environment and given few guidelines about how to

engage learners in science in a virtual space. Our research focuses

on the pedagogical practices that physics teachers used to present a

variety of topics in a hybrid semi- synchronous/asynchronous

environment. We have reviewed a series of videos, posted on

YouTube over the course of 2 weeks, by a group of physics

instructors working together to prepare high school physics students

for the AP exam. We have coded relevant data and input it into a

spreadsheet on excel that we then analyzed to look for patterns of

behavior. Our research has shown that these instructors have been

limited to demonstrating how to plan and carry out an investigation.

Students have little opportunity to be involved in the process

themselves. However, we have also seen, in the brief period in

which our study was conducted, that instructors have sought out

student feedback and adapted the lessons to better suit students’

virtual needs. They also utilized several different strategies of

trying to engage students in real time, even though, in many cases,

lessons were asynchronous. Lastly, these instructors often referred

students to alternative resource videos to deepen their knowledge on

the material covered in the given lesson. While there is still much to

be learned about engaging virtual students in the exploratory

process, our findings indicate that instructors are eager to learn and

adapt to this new environment.

26

Modeling the Effects of Media on COVID-19 Transmission in

Georgia

Alexandria Carter, Makayla Preston and Dr. Eric Numfor

Department of Mathematics

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 spread and control 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.

27

Exploring Movement and Staging Possibilities in Historical

Photographs of the Countess de Castiglione

Kiara Heffner, Trenijah Griffin and Dr. Melanie O’Meara

Department of Art and Design

Looking through the lens of Bertolt Brecht’s Epic Theatre, we

analyze a select group of portraits of The Countess de Castiglione,

Virginia Oldoini. The framing of the show and other details such as

specific props and set designs to articulate some of Brecht's methods

by using the nonlinear style of storytelling. We used the collected

information that was given prior to adapted scenes consisting of

parallel struggles The Countess experienced to the social unrest

that’s prevalent today. Exercises such as antidotes, haikus, and the

rendition of a smoke poetry helped curate other scenes to grasp the

creativity The Countess herself used in her portraits. Ultimately, our

project will result in a fully realized stage production, “Is She Mad,

Or Does She Joke,” at Augusta University.

For our CURS summer scholars research project, we used Bertolt

Brecht’s Epic Theatre to explore and analyze a select group of

portraits of the Countess de Castiglione. Historically, the Countess

has been framed in a negative light, and we draw on the details in

some of the portraits to highlight her creativity and craftiness.

Through writing and movement exercises, we have contributed to

the theatrical script “Is She Mad or Does She Joke,” which will be

staged for a public audience in the fall of 2021 at Augusta

University.

28

Design and Synthesis of Potential Drug Candidates for SARS-

CoV-19

Jade Moore, Radha Dobaria and Dr. Siva Panda

Department of Chemistry and Physics

In December of 2019, an unknown viral infection was identified

from a local fish inside of an animal market in Wuhan, China after

which, the virus spread hastily across China and the rest of the

world. This led the WHO to identify the virus as a severe acute

respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which we also

know as COVID-19. As of today, there are very few therapeutic

drug options. The drug development process is a long, expensive,

and difficult process. Therefore, many existing antiviral drugs are

being repurposed to become possible candidates for drug therapies

with COVID-19. In this current study, we have considered the

scaffolds from the existing drugs (chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine

and favipiravir) to develop new potential drug candidates from

COVID-19. A set of new compounds designed and synthesized by

following an optimized synthetic route. All the synthesized

compounds were analyzed by spectroscopic techniques. The

preliminary antiviral properties of some of the compounds against

SARS-CoV-2 are encouraging. We are in the process of

synthesizing more possible potential compounds and will be tested

once we obtain them in pure form.

29

Comparison of Techniques for Discriminating Retinal Changes

in Diabetic Mice

Emmanuel Faminu, Jenny Zhang, Olivia Feagler and Dr. Alan

Saul

Department of Neuroscience/Ophthalmology

Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes caused by high

blood sugar damaging the blood vessels in the retina. Once the blood

vessels are damaged, the effects are irreversible and can lead to

vision loss and distortion. This study observes the effects of diabetic

retinopathy within diabetic mice and examines how the retina’s

structure and function are compromised. In order to perform a more

detailed evaluation of the retina, five different tests were used

looking at separate parts of the retina. The study’s main focus is to

directly compare each of the five different methods used in order to

determine how the tests differ from each other and to discern which

test is best at discriminating retinal changes.

The five tests used were pattern electroretinography (PERG),

conventional electroretinography (ERG), optical coherence

tomography (OCT), scotopic threshold response (STR), and

Optomotry. The ERGs assessed outer retinal function, the STRs

evaluated inner retinal function, the OCTs allowed for closer

examination of the retina’s structure, and the Optomotry observed

behavioral patterns of the mice based on visual function. The five

tests showed the diabetics’ results and the controls’ results to vary

insignificantly, and from surface analysis, the diabetic mice showed

to only differ from the controls in PERGs and in OCTs. The results

of the study contradicted our hypothesis. It was expected that the

diabetics would have worse test results, but in the case of this study,

the controls and diabetics were quite similar with some of the

diabetics showing better retinal responses than the controls.

30

MicroRNA Dysregulation After ICH

Hisham Kashif, Dominic Robles and Dr. Sangeetha Sukumari-

Ramesh

Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating subtype of stroke

with high morbidity and mortality. ICH is characterized by non-

traumatic extravasation of blood into the brain parenchyma,

resulting in primary brain injury caused mainly by the mass effect

of the hematoma. The subsequent secondary brain damage is largely

attributed to the neurotoxicity of leaked blood components and

neuroinflammation. There is no effective treatment for ICH, but

neuroinflammation, a critical component of secondary brain

damage, is widely regarded as a potential target to improve

neurological outcomes. To this end, emerging studies demonstrate

that microRNA (miR) dysfunction can contribute to

neuroinflammation. miRs, small conserved non-coding single-

stranded RNAs, are key regulators of gene expression and are

crucial to various biological processes through binding to the 3’

untranslated region of messenger RNA. A single miR can regulate

multiple transcripts, and pathologies are often associated with

aberrant miR expression. Herein, we provide an overview of the role

of miRs in regulating neuroinflammation after ICH.

31

A Pilot Study of Psychological Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing,

and Racism

Chandler Borel, Elinita Pollard and Dr. Melanie Wilcox Department of Psychological Sciences

White Americans face many advantages solely based on their race.

For example, poverty for African Americans is more pervasive than

poverty for White Americans. This results in intergenerational

poverty in African American families, whereas White Americans

are more likely to overcome poverty in a generation or two (Delgado

& Stefancic, 2017). Despite these privileges, White Americans fare

comparatively worse than Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

(BIPOC) in America and White people in other countries on some

measures of health (Malat et al., 2018). Malat and colleagues’

(2018) model suggests that both racist ideologies and poorer health

may be related as simultaneous consequences of Whiteness.

However, there has not been much research conducted on the

detriments of Whiteness for White people. Thus, we examined the

relationship between Whiteness, wellbeing, and racist ideologies.

Understanding these relationships could help alleviate detriments to

wellbeing in White Americans, and by mediating these issues, the

wellbeing of BIPOC may be improved due to a decrease in racist

ideologies in White Americans. Our survey study included the

Colorblind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS; Neville et al. 2000),

Social Dominance Orientation Scale (SDO; Ho et al., 2015), the

Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (Morrill et al.,

2019), measures of flourishing, languishing, and social wellbeing

(Keyes, 2005), and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale

(Andrews & Slade, 2001).

Keywords: Wellbeing, racism, Whiteness

32

Inverse Problems for a Brain Tumor Model

Justice Howley and Dr. He Yang

Department of Mathematics

Glioma cells are one of the most common forms of brain tumor,

making up around 33 percent of all brain tumors. They can grow and

originate from any part of the brain and grow to reach the nervous

system and spinal cord. Studies have been presented to better

understand and estimate the growth of these glioma cells, but few

studies have sought to examine the existence of inverse problems to

solve the growth rate (known as the proliferation coefficient) of

glioma cells. This project’s main goal is to solve and program a one-

dimensional forward model that can calculate cell growth, as well

as construct an inverse model that solves for the net proliferation

coefficient as a function of time. We will analyze these equations

through literature research, and solve for them given specific

conditions by programming them into a numerical computing

environment known as MatLab. The purpose of this project is to

develop a new methodology to reconstruct conditions to better

estimate net proliferation, as well as solve for two-dimensional

models that need to account for glioma cell concentration. The

outcome of this project will be a simulated model of the forward

equation for glioma cell concentration, and a working algorithm for

the inverse problem where our proliferation coefficient is time-

dependent and evaluate the computational results. We also hope to

publish these findings in a peer-reviewed academic journal.

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