Spring 2018 Undergraduate Research Symposium: April 25th

Undergraduate Research Symposium April 25th, 2018

Presenter Name Julia Abovich Melissa Ardizzone Emily Baker Joshua Barbosa Chris Bartelt Joshua Batista Diana Bender-Bier Andrew Boateng-Poku Katya Bobrek John Cerrone Ji Young Chang Brandon Chen Benjamin Crain Jamie Dawes Kim de Guzman Rohan Dhamsania Amina Dunn Ellen Dymit EAS 450_ JPN Group

EAS450 Chinese Language Group Shen Gao Madeline Gordon Adithi Govindan

Title of Presentation Vocal Alignment to Natural and Synthetic Voices Longer Duration of Downslope Treadmill Walking Induces Depression of H-Reflexes Measured During Standing and Walking Effects of Electrical Stimulation on the Secretome of Pediatric Cardiac Progenitor Cells Interaction between phenotypic plasticity and secondary symbionts on fungal pathogen resistance in pea aphids Squash bug (Anasa tristis) fitness when exposed to various plant and food types Health impact of GSH supplementation after hospital discharge Association of Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer using APC, betacatenin, and E-cadherin Expression in the Normal-appearing APC Pathway in the Colons of Colorectal Adenoma Patients The Effects of Stress, Depression, and Social Support on African American Tobacco Use Alignment of wheat and maize flour fortification standards with WHO recommendations in countries with mandatory fortification Nitric Oxide Mediated Degradation of CYP2A6 in Human Hepatoma Cells The role of ER71 in generating Flk1+ mesoderm Determining the Effects of Mcl-1 Functional Domain Amino Acid Substitution in Programmed Cell Death upon Stress-Induced Apoptosis How T Cell Depletion Affects Cardiac Function in Mice with Chronic Kidney Disease Embodiment and the Early Bronze Age Cycladic Figurines Investigation of the Function of ETV1 in Zebrafish Danio Rerio Neurochemical and behavioral disruptions in mice with low-dose developmental exposure to pyrethroid pesticides An Investigation into Political Engagement on College Campuses Investigating the Effects of Snowmelt Timing on Plant Reproduction What is the correlation between parental influence alongside family background and performance of Japanese heritage language learners in the language acquisition process and the construction of their cultural identity?

Motivation and Connection to Culture in Heritage Learners of Mandarin Chinese Text Segmentation in Dialogue Contextual Effects of Religiosity and Social Support on Transmissible Liability to Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Longitudinal Study Pharmacodynamic Effects of Antibiotic Treatment on Non-Growing Bacteria

Jillian Grace Talin Handa Jack Hester Cheng Jiao Lina Jowhar Yun Ju Jung Saumya Karne Eungjae Kim Somin Kim Amy Krivoshik Channing Lin Jessica MacWilliams Kino Maravillas Melissa Mickiewicz Ruth Mizu Jessie Moore Danielle Moron Michael Mu Shaili Patel Elinor Phipps Krishna Pucha Taylor Randleman

Characterization of RSV F-Protein in Multiple Viral Like Particle (VLP) Systems Gender differences and outcome trends over two decades in acromegaly: a single center study in 112 patients A New Standard for Discovering Side Effects: Using linguistic analysis algorithms to predict prescription drug side effects from online forum posts Healing Hearts: Characteristics of coronary vessel network during angiogenesis for revascularization compared to early development in zebrafish Intimate Partner Violence and PrEP Acceptability among low, income, young black Women: Exploring the Mediating Role of Reproductive Coercion Non-primate Lentiviral Evolution using Feline SAMHD1 and FIV Oral self-administration of morphine in C57BL/6J mice using the Intellicage False-Positive Interferences of lidocaine for cocaine metabolite in a Urine Drug Screen Immunoassay Investigating the effects of HDAC inhibitor Trichostatin-A on the development of myopia and retinal degeneration in the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein deficient mouse model Preschoolers rely on spatial cues to individuate objects Response of Murine Macrophage to Infections Caused by Various Strains of Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria Longitudinal Analysis of Cataract Intensity in GALT-null and Control Sprague-Dawley Rats Using Digital Image Processing Bacterial Growth in Milpa Polyculture and Monoculture Soils Characterizing Vaginal Product Use and Associations with Sexual Function between Healthy Postmenopausal Women and Postmenopausal Women with Gynecological Cancer Cell Surface Expression of Mutated M2 & M3 Transmembrane Domain of N-Methyl-D-Asparate Receptors Shifting Shorelines on Wolf and Egg Islands, Georgia, USA: A Study of Change Since 1953 Uncovering the role that LCMT-1 plays in Hematopoiesis Biochemical and structural abnormalities in the brains of nestin-cremediated LCMT-1 conditional knockout mice Effects of Loss of LCMT-1 Protein on Mouse Embryo Neuronal Growth Discourse Markers and Their Effect on Word Recognition During Sentence Comprehension Encapsulation of human Mesenchymal Stem Cells delays the progression of Osteoarthritis Pathways to Gender Equality: An Analysis of the Impact the Relationship Between Religion and the State and Committing to CEDAW Have on Women's Rights

Alec Shannon

Quantifying the Distribution of Medium Spiny Neurons in the Striatum of a DOPA-Responsive Dystonia Mouse Model Jiyoon Shin Polymorphism of PPIL1 gene associated with higher sympathetic activity and risk for cardiovascular problems in children of traumatized mothers Jenani Srijeyanthan Cross-species Prioritization of Genomic Loci for Alcohol Use Disorder Sonum Tharwani Physical Activity May be a Modifiable Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline in African Americans and Caucasians at High Risk for Developing Alzheimer's Disease Tirouvanziam Lab Establishing Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system to investigate mechanisms of inflammation in Cystic Fibrosis.

Triple Positive The Effects of Propolis on the Metastatic Behavior of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Alina Ulezko Antonova Treatment of HSC Donors with Flt3L Improves Transplant Outcomes Sandeep Voleti Chemical composition and health span extending activity of plant extract 1331 from the Quave Natural Product Library Linda Wu Characterization of the Growth rate of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 BCAL0380 deletion strain.

Tristan Yates Call to Order: Four-Year-Old’s Exhibit Difficulty Self-Deriving Knowledge through Integration of Ordered Facts Seth Young Templating of Peptide Network to Demonstrate Selective Information Transfer Pathways Syed Zaidi Mechanistic modelling of modulating hippocampal states via optogenetic stimulation of the septo- hippocampal axis Carly Zaladonis Examining the Paracrine Effect of Factors Isolated from Cardiac Progenitor Cells on the Function of Cells from Normal and Failing Hearts Zebsters Investigation of Nuclear Localization of IGF-1R and FAK Pathways in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Wendy Zhan Dictyostelium discoideum as a simplified model of tumor heterogeneity

Presenter: Julia Abovich Title: Vocal Alignment to Natural and Synthetic Voices Authors: Julia Abovich, Emory University Vocal alignment is a linguistic phenomenon characterized by convergence toward the characteristics of another’s speech, becoming more similar in characteristics such as word choice and utterance duration. Although this behavior occurs even when speakers are asked to repeat isolated words presented over headphones (i.e., minimal social constraints), social factors such as conversational partner’s status and attractiveness can modulate degree of alignment. Some researchers argue alignment is primarily socially motivated while others suggest alignment occurs automatically. If alignment is primarily socially motivated, then humanness should be a criterion for alignment. Previous studies have often assessed convergence toward natural human voices, but little is known about convergence toward computer-synthesized voices. To ascertain the degree to which vocal alignment is socially motivated, the current study investigated alignment behavior to natural and synthetic voices. In the experiment, participants were asked to repeat words presented over headphones produced by a natural, human voice or by a computersynthesized voice. Results show that participants vocally aligned toward the natural voice and diverged from the synthetic voice. This finding suggests that there is a basic social mechanism for alignment in that people will only align to human voices, and not to a non-human voice.

Humanness appears to be critical for alignment behavior, at least in the context used in the current study. Further research should explore vocal alignment to people with assistive communication devices to determine if alignment would occur if participants believe that the synthetic voice is produced by an actual human agent for intentional communication.

Presenter: Melissa Ardizzone Title: Longer Duration of Downslope Treadmill Walking Induces Depression of H-Reflexes Measured During Standing and Walking Authors: Melissa A. Ardizzone, Maruf M. Hoque, Manning Sabatier, PhD, Michael Borich PT, PhD, Trisha Kesar PT, PhD The Hoffman-reflex (H-reflex) is an electrophysiological technique used to evaluate the excitability of the monosynaptic spinal reflex arc. In individuals with upper motor neuron lesions who show elevated spinal excitability, a depression of spinal excitability may indicate adaptive spinal plasticity. Downslope walking (DSW), an exercise intervention comprising repetitive eccentric muscle activity, has been shown to induce depression of soleus H-reflex amplitudes while seated. The objectives of this study were twofold: (1) to evaluate DSW-induced soleus Hreflex depression in the standing posture and during walking, and (2) to investigate the effect of walking duration (20 minutes and 40 minutes) of DSW (-15% decline) on soleus H-reflexes, (with level walking (LW) as a control intervention). Soleus H-reflexes were collected Pre, Post20 minutes, and Post-40 minutes of walking in the standing position; and H-reflexes were also measured at 4 different time points during the terminal stance phase of walking. Our results showed that compared to Pre, the Hmax/Mmax evaluated in standing showed a greater % depression after DSW compared to LW. H-reflexes measured during walking showed greater depression after 40 minutes of walking compared to 20-minutes and 30 minutes of walking, for both DSW and LW. In conclusion, longer duration treadmill walking (40-minutes) may induce a

greater acute depressive effect on soleus H-reflex excitability compared to shorter durations (20minutes) of treadmill walking assessed in previous studies. Future work will investigate the potential for DSW as a gait training intervention in people with upper motor neuron lesions such as multiple sclerosis and stroke.

Presenter: Emily Baker Title: Effects of Electrical Stimulation on the Secretome of Pediatric Cardiac Progenitor Cells Authors: Emily Baker, Emory University; Josh Maxwell, PhD, Emory Children's Center Nearly 1 in every 120 children is born with a congenital heart defect (CHD). Even with surgical intervention, many children go on to develop heart failure (HF). Cardiovascular regenerative medicine has recently emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy for pediatric heart failure, with a specific focus on trying to regenerate the cells of the damaged myocardium to help restore normal cardiac function. Cardiac Progenitor Cells (CPCs) contribute to cardiogenic gene expression and possess the stem cell marker c-kit. These cells exist in a dormant state in specialized niches within heart tissue and are thought to contribute to heart muscle regeneration when activated. Initially, it was thought that direct differentiation of cardiac stem cells into cardiac myocytes was responsible for improved remodeling after HF; however, as the science progressed, it became more evident that paracrine effects play a major role in the beneficial effects observed after CPC therapy. Additionally, age of the cells (neonate vs. infant vs. child) plays a role in the effectiveness of treatment with these cells. By analyzing the molecular content of the exosomes of different age cells, it could be possibly to identify how and why some cells are more effective than others when it comes to clinical treatment.

Presenter: Joshua Barbosa Title: Interaction between phenotypic plasticity and secondary symbionts on fungal pathogen resistance in pea aphids Authors: Joshua Barbosa, Undergrad, Emory University, Miguel Reyes, PhD, Emory University, Nicole Gerardo, PhD, Emory University Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) under stress can asexually produce offspring with variable phenotypes via winged (alate) and wingless (apterous) clones. Pea aphids, similar to all other aphid species, harbor endosymbiotic bacteria. All pea aphids must harbor the “primary” bacterium Buchnera aphidicola, which is essential for metabolism and survival. However, some pea aphid strains can establish and maintain “secondary” facultative symbionts such as Regiella instecticola, which may provide fungal pathogen protection. While winged and wingless clones from the same parent are genetically identical, the energy requirements are different for the wingless clones since energy is needed for winged maintenance. Energy expenditure may be further influenced by the constant maintenance of primary and secondary bacterial symbionts. In this study, we assessed the impact of secondary symbionts on the response to a fungal pathogen (Pandora neoaphidis), and potential interactions with plasticity by inducing winged offspring production through overcrowding and infecting winged and wingless aphids from populations harboring a protective strain of Regiella and without secondary symbionts. We measured overall infection proportions, aphid lifespan and reproduction. The results from our research may

provide novel evidence on how response to disease is affected by the interaction between polyphenism-based defense and symbiont presence.

Presenter: Chris Bartelt Title: Squash bug (Anasa tristis) fitness when exposed to various plant and food types Authors: Chris Bartelt; Erika Diaz-Almeyda, PhD, Emory University; Nicole Gerardo, PhD, Emory University Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are a prevalent pest of squash and zucchini plants. They develop symbiotic relationships with microorganisms derived from these plants. In an effort to understand the intricacies of symbiotic relationships, we are studying the effects of specific plant type—squash or zucchini—on bug fitness, determined by reproductive efficiency. Additionally, we aim to examine the development of newly-hatched bugs with varying food sources, specifically smaller squash fruit completely covered by skin and pre-sliced adult squash. By comparing the development of bugs exposed to each of these food sources, we aim to gain insight on the efficiency of certain food preparation methods in light of the bugs’ preferences and developmental and survival rates. The results from both of these experiments should provide useful insight on the bugs’ natural preferences and interactions with the agriculture around them.

Presenter: Joshua Batista Title: Health impact of GSH supplementation after hospital discharge Authors: J. Batista, T. Ziegler, P. Tran, E. Ivie This clinical trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the impact of orally supplemented liposomal glutathione (GSH) in initially hospitalized, malnourished, older adults after hospital discharge. A total of 50 clinically stable subjects will be block-randomized into two groups of n=25 to either receive the oral GSH (ReadiSorbR, Your Energy System, LLC., Palo Alto, CA, http;//readisorb.com) or placebo look alike at two 420mg teaspoons twice daily for 90 days after discharge from the Emory University Hospital. The primary observation will be GSH redox status, with secondary observations including other measures of oxidative stress, physical function, body composition, mobility, fatigue, facility, and quality of life. These measures will be taken just prior to hospital discharge (baseline), and at 30, 60, and 90 days after discharge. We hypothesize that 3 months of bioavailable GSH supplementation will decrease systemic oxidative stress in older, malnourished adults, and that decreased oxidative stress will be associated with improvements in body composition, muscle function, and indexes of fatigue/frailty/quality of life.

Presenter: Diana Bender-Bier

Title: Association of Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer using APC, beta-catenin, and Ecadherin Expression in the Normal-appearing APC Pathway in the Colons of Colorectal Adenoma Patients Authors: Roberd M. Bostick, M.D., M.P.H., Doratha Byrd Acknowledgements: John A. Baron, M.D., Robin E. Rutherford, M.D., March E. Seabrook, M.D. This experiment identifies and tests modifiable pre-neoplastic biomarkers of risk for colorectal cancer, the second cause of cancer in the US, to target and manage people at higher risk for the disease. To address this, I will analyze baseline data from participants in a randomized control trial of adenoma recurrence, in which biopsies of normal-appearing rectal mucosa were taken at baseline and extensive data on diet and lifestyle were collected (n=104). Ten different biomarkers were measured using automated immunohistochemistry using quantitative image analysis. Then, descriptive analyses were performed to summarize the characteristics of participants. Then, researchers compared mean differences in biomarkers, according to the levels of different participant characteristics, using generalized linear models with adjustment for confounding variables. I hypothesize that older males, who are physically inactive and ‘homebodies,’ consuming high-fat, high cholesterol, calcium-deficient diets will have altered, abnormal levels of protein expression of genes typically involved in normal structure and function of colorectal crypts. These genes become altered during colon carcinogenesis. Three genes that this study will focus on are APC, which is involved in ensuring anaphase and complete cytokinesis happen at a regulated rate; E-cadherin, which is involved in the maintenance of contact inhibition of cells; and B-catenin, which is a downstream target for many pro-growth pathways subject to constitutive/abnormal signaling due to modified kinases or mutated receptors. I hypothesize that factors that increase risk for colon cancer will be associated with lower APC and E-cadherin expression and higher B-catenin expression. Examples of characteristics and lifestyle choices associated with this pattern of expression include reduced physical activity, consumption of red and processed meats, excessive consumption of alcohol, use of hormone reproductive therapy, increased age, low serum vitamin D levels, and low calcium levels.

Presenter: Andrew Boateng-Poku Title: The Effects of Stress, Depression, and Social Support on African American Tobacco Use Authors: Andrew Boateng-Poku, Chelsie Benca-Bachman, Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Dept. of Psychology at Emory University, Atlanta GA; Keith Whitfield, Wayne State University, Detroit MI; Rohan Palmer, Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Dept. of Psychology at Emory University, Atlanta GA This study examined the relationship between substance use, depressed mood (DM), and perceived stress (PS), in the context of social support. The sample originated from the Carolina African American Twin Study on Aging (CAATSA), comprising African American twins and sibling(s) age 22-92. Tobacco use was assessed through smoker’s self-reported average cigarette consumption. DM was assessed with an abbreviated 11-question version of the CES-D scale.

Perceived stress was assessed with a modified version of the PS scale and amount of stressful life events. Four social support measures either examining emotional support (ES) or instrumental support (IS) were utilized. ES assessed the frequency participants received advice or discussed

personal problems with loved ones. IS was related to transportation access, loaned money, or received help. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted and included socioeconomic status (SES), age, and gender as covariates, SES was composed of education level, gross household income, and employment status. Three sets of models were utilized. Models were fitted to control for non-independence. A significant positive association was observed between tobacco usage and depressed mood. This association was consistent with the addition of the covariates age, gender, and SES and was not mitigated by the inclusion of social support.

Additionally, significant associations were also observed between DM, PS and quantity and quality of social support. These findings suggest that DM is an intervention target for reducing tobacco use amongst African Americans. The effects of social support do not appear to protect against tobacco usage but do impact DM and PS. Presenter: Katya Bobrek Title: Alignment of wheat and maize flour fortification standards with WHO recommendations in countries with mandatory fortification Authors: Katya Bobrek, Emory University; Britt Broersen, World Food Programme; Nancy J. Aburto, World Food Programme; Aashima Garg, UNICEF; Mary Serdula, CDC; Filiberto Beltran Velazquez, WHO; Eugene C. Wong, CDC, ORISE; Helena PachĂłna, Emory University, FFI Objective This review evaluated alignment to WHO recommendations of wheat and maize flour standards in countries with mandatory fortification. Alignment of wheat flour standards passed before and after the 2009 recommendations was compared. Concordance of wheat flour fortification program evaluations and this study's assessment was evaluated. Methods Seventythree countries' grain availability, flour standards and mass fortification of other foods were obtained. For each nutrient, countries' standards were assessed against WHO recommended compounds and levels. An ad hoc search compiled countries' fortification impact assessments.

Findings At least 63% of standards included one or more recommended compounds for nutrients (iron, folic acid, vitamin A, zinc, vitamin B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine). Among country standards with at least one recommended compound, â&#x2030;Ľ50% of standards met or exceeded WHO recommended nutrient levels for iron, folic acid, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pyridoxine, or they were lower than WHO recommended levels and another food was mass fortified in the country. Among zinc and vitamin B12 country standards, this was <50%.

Among country standards with a recommended iron compound for wheat flour fortification, 9/33 were below the 25th percentile of WHO recommended iron levels and 8/33 were above the 75th percentile. For folate, the respective numbers were 8/40 and 10/40. Conclusion Iron, zinc and vitamin B12 may require the most attention in wheat and maize flour standards, as 40% of countries used non-recommended iron compounds and fewer than 50% of countries' zinc and vitamin B12 levels met WHO recommendations.

Presenter: John Cerrone Title: Nitric Oxide Mediated Degradation of CYP2A6 in Human Hepatoma Cells Authors: Cerrone JF, Lee CM & Morgan ET

Several cytochrome P450 enzymes are known to be downregulated by nitric oxide (NO). Among these, CYP2A6 has been found to exhibit downregulation by NO, however, the mechanism of this downregulation is not well studied. HuH7 human hepatoma cell lines were prepared using a lentiviral vector to express CYP2A6 with a C-terminal V5 tag (CYP2A6V5). Cells were exposed to a variety of treatment conditions with DPTA (NO donor) and MG132 or bortezomib (proteasome inhibitors). Through infrared dye immunoblotting we determined the relative protein expression for various cell treatments providing insights towards NO regulated degradation of CYP2A6 proteins. A decrease in the activity of CYP2A6 protein in NO treated cells showed that DPTA is an efficient inhibitor of CYP2A6 activity. NO donor treatment downregulated CYP2A6 protein concentration to approximately 40% of control sample levels.

Furthermore, in the presence of proteasome inhibitors, NO treated cells showed an accumulation of a high molecular mass signal. This suggested that NO led to the degradation of protein via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In lysates immunoprecipitated with antibody to the V5 tag, an anti-ubiquitin antibody bound in relatively high abundance to samples from cells treated with NO and a proteasome inhibitor, providing further evidence that NO leads to the degradation of CYP2A6 protein via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Presenter: Ji Young Chang Title: The role of ER71 in generating Flk1+ mesoderm Authors: Chang, JY, Kim, JY, Park, CW FLK1, a receptor tyrosine kinase, is essential for cardiovascular development and in the adult. It also plays a crucial role in neovascularization. Therefore, understanding molecular mechanisms regulating generation of FLK1 expressing (FLK1+) cells that give rise to blood vessels and blood cells is essential for delineating the pathways involved in differentiation of vessels as well as postnatal vascular regeneration. The Park laboratory have demonstrated that the transcription factor ER71 (also known as ETV2) is a critical regulator of FLK1 and thereby it is essential for development of vascular endothelial cells in embryos. However, detailed mechanisms by which ER71 regulates FLK1+ cell generation remain largely unknown. Thus, my research was to investigate gene expression analysis in response to ER71 in the process of FLK1+ cell generation. By employing doxycycline inducible cell lines, I performed cDNA synthesis, followed by quantitative PCR analysis. In addition, the quantitative PCR is being done for the expression of ER71-mediated miRNAs, short noncoding RNAs that target mRNAs for degradation or translational repression. I am currently analyzing the results to get quantitative data.

Presenter: Brandon Chen Title: Determining the Effects of Mcl-1 Functional Domain Amino Acid Substitution in Programmed Cell Death upon Stress-Induced Apoptosis Authors: Brandon Chen and Lawrence H. Boise, PhD, Emory University

Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that affects antibody-secreting plasma cells and is the second most common blood cancer. Like normal plasma cells, myeloma cells conserve copious traits of normal plasma cells. For instance, both plasma cell and myeloma cell survival are dependent on Mcl-1, an intrinsic anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein. According to a study carried out by Multiple myeloma research foundation (MMRF), myeloma patients with Mcl-1 single nucleotide mutation fare better than normal patients. We particularly investigated mutations on the functional domain of Mcl-1 and their impacts on Mcl-1's anti-apoptotic capabilities. We overexpressed these four mutant Mcl-1 constructs in engineered murine Blineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with endogenous Mcl-1 alleles floxed. We chose to use B-ALL cells because they are dependent on Mcl-1 for survival, and the floxed murine endogenous Mcl-1 would be removed by expression of Cre recombinase. Thus, the cells would solely dependent on the overexpressed mutant Mcl-1 constructs we introduced. We would then conduct western blots and RT-qPCR to evaluate Mcl-1 protein and mRNA levels. Additionally, we would induce apoptosis via treatment of chemotherapy drugs like vincristine to evaluate mutant Mcl-1's ability to protect cells from stressed induced apoptosis. In conclusion, by studying the altered anti-apoptotic effects of these mutant Mcl-1, we would be able to gain insights into how different protein domains contribute to the anti-apoptotic ability of Mcl-1.

Moreover, we can elucidate more on the functions of Mcl-1 in apoptosis and give insight to Mcl1 targeted multiple myeloma treatment.

Presenter: Benjamin Crain Title: How T Cell Depletion Affects Cardiac Function in Mice with Chronic Kidney Disease Authors: Benjamin Crain, Emory University; Pamela Winterberg, MD, Emory University; Haiyan Li Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) remains a large medical problem in the United States for children and adults alike. Heart failure, linked to CKD, is one of the deadliest diseases in the US, as 1 in 9 deaths in the US in 2009 were caused in some way by heart failure. In our research lab, we examine which and how the T cells that accumulate in the heart impact cardiac function as a result of CKD. My hypothesis was that an accumulation of memory T cells in the heart reduces cardiac function by inducing uremic cardiomyopathy. We used a mouse model and induced CKD in half of the mice by performing a 5/6th nephrectomy over two weeks. In the following weeks we measured the health of the mice by taking their blood pressure, weighing them, and looking for exterior signs of malnutrition. The mice also received T cell antibody treatments, either specific to CD4, CD8, or isotype (nonspecific) antibody. These treatments depleted specific T cells so that we could see which T cells affected cardiac function the most. After several weeks of treatment, our lab used flowcytommetry to measure antibody counts in the mice tested. After compiling the data from the flowcytommetry readings, we concluded that cardiac function improved following T cell depletion, but kidney function and blood pressure were unchanged by the antibody treatments. For future direction, our lab can test other memory T cells to see which T cells affect cardiac function the most.

Presenter: Jamie Dawes Title: Embodiment and the Early Bronze Age Cycladic Figurines Authors: Jamie Dawes

The phrase iste ego sum comes from the myth of Narcissus in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, at the moment when he recognizes his own image: he exclaims, “I am that thing!” I pursue this idea of recognizing a reflection of self in the Cycladic figurines through the process of embodiment, or how a figurine becomes a reflective representation of an individual’s experiences in Early Bronze Age Cycladic society. An emphasis on typological studies of the figurines severely limits our ability to understand their distribution and incorporation into physical and societal landscapes, and functional labels based on myth and metaphor also fail to account for the wide range of practices on the figurines and their appearance in multiple contexts. By contextualizing the figurines in their island environments and the societal structures that facilitated both the movement of materials and their manufacture, we can begin to conceptualize how an individual crafter, handler, and even a viewer reflected their own personal narratives in the figurine.

Physical manipulations of the figurines such as paint, repairs, and fragmentation all contribute to the personal uses of a figurine and create an embodied experience that is therefore recognizable and reflected.

Presenter: Kim de Guzman Title: Investigation of the Function of ETV1 in Zebrafish Danio Rerio Authors: de Guzman, Kim I., Schapmann, Nate L., Shepherd, Iain, T. The interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), the pacemaker cells of the gut, play a pivotal role in mediating proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Slow waves generated by these cells coupled with neural input from the enteric nervous system (ENS) stimulate contractions within the gut known as peristalsis. Previous work has implicated ICC in various gastrointestinal diseases with intestinal motility being compromised where ICC are sparse. Currently, there are no reliable early embryonic markers of ICC in zebrafish Danio rerio. This study investigates whether the gene ETV1 transcription factor is a potential marker for ICC. We characterized (embryonic) ETV1 expression patterns utilizing in-situ hybridization. We performed a gene knockdown vis splice-blocking morpholino oligonucleotide. We subsequently examined intestinal motility and ENS development within ETV1 morphants. Morphant intestines isolated from transgenic zebrafish expressing GFP in their enteric neurons revealed no significant loss of enteric neurons. Further, we made time-lapse movies of peristalsis in morphant and control intestines and morphants exhibited uncoordinated peristalsis. Taken together, these results are consistent with our working hypothesis that ETV1 is essential for normal ICC development and gut motility in zebrafish. To further validate this hypothesis, we are using immunocytochemistry to determine the development of the ICC network in control and ETV1 morphant zebrafish. We are utilizing an antibody to a known ICC marker, ANO1, and double staining embryos with an antibody to GFP to further confirm that we are indeed perturbing and losing ICC development and affecting enteric neuron development in ETV1 morphants.

Presenter: Rohan Dhamsania Title: Neurochemical and behavioral disruptions in mice with low-dose developmental exposure to pyrethroid pesticides Authors: Rohan K. Dhamsania, James P. Burkett, Rong Fu, Shannon Gourley, Gary W. Miller

Pesticides are biocidal chemicals used in agriculture, household use and horticulture. Similarities in mode of action between pesticides and neurotoxins have linked pesticides with neurological disorders like autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite this, pesticides are widely used, particularly in household settings.

Pyrethroids are a specific organic class of neurotoxic pesticide approved by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for household use. Previous experiments from our lab have established a correlation between pyrethroid exposure and ADHD in children. Our lab had also shown that developmental exposure to pyrethroids in mice, at low-doses considered safe by EPA, causes changes in dopamine (DA) system and ADHD-related phenotypic responses. An ongoing epidemiological study recently showcased a strong association between pyrethroid pesticide exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is phenotypically characterized primarily by social interaction deficits, language delay and repetitive behaviors, and is frequently comorbid with cognitive deficits and rigid behavior. In order to establish whether pyrethroid pesticide is a direct cause of increased ASD risk, we proposed to developmentally expose mice using dose well below the EPA’s benchmark “safe” dose. The contingency degradation assay was employed as part of a larger behavioral battery of tests to gain understanding of changes in mice behavior on getting developmentally exposed to pesticide. The studies outlined in this project will provide critical information to derive direct relevance of developmental pyrethroid-class pesticide exposure to increased risk of ASD by exacerbating specific, known ASD deficits, or comorbid symptoms.

Presenter: Amina Dunn Title: An Investigation into Political Engagement on College Campuses Authors: Amina Dunn In recent history, as college campuses have become more diverse, they have also been the site of numerous political demonstration. Literature suggests that students are more politically active than non-students of the same age because they are in spaces where they are able to connect with like-minded people, but further individual attributes can affect their political behavior. This study utilizes a mixed-methods approach through quantitative data, from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (N = 47,893), and qualitative data (21 in-depth interviews) to understand how identity intersects with political behavior on college campuses both on the individual and group level. I focus on the identity statues of race, gender, sexual orientation, and political ideology and investigate student involvement in identity-based student organizations to understand how students engage in both political action and political discussion. I find that a student’s social network is the best indicator of their political behavior, but overall a student’s need to feel understood as knowledgeable individuals heavily influences how they choose to interact with politics.

Presenter: Ellen Dymit Title: Investigating the Effects of Snowmelt Timing on Plant Reproduction Authors: Ellen Dymit, Berry Brosi, Connor Morozumi, Loy Xingwen

Globally, pollinators play an integral role in the function of ecosystems by facilitating the reproduction of crops and wild plants. Insects such as bees, wasps, and flies transfer pollen between the flowers of plants as they forage, a process which is essential to the reproductive success of many plant species. Because the timing of plant flowering and pollinator emergence are dependent on different environmental cues, interactions between plant and pollinator species may only occur when these life events coincide. There is a growing concern in the scientific community that global climate change may cause a shuffling of these essential plant-pollinator interactions. In order to assess how changes in plant flowering time affect pollination networks and consequently the reproductive success of plant communities, I conducted a set of experiments accelerating snowmelt within replicated plots in subalpine meadows at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL).

Group: EAS 450_ JPN Group Title: What is the correlation between parental influence alongside family background and performance of Japanese heritage language learners in the language acquisition process and the construction of their cultural identity?

Authors/Presenters: Oscar Escobar, Emory University; Xinru Lu, Emory University; Alex Labaziewicz, Emory University In this paper, we ask what the correlation is between parental influence alongside family background and performance of Japanese heritage language learners in the language acquisition process and the construction of their cultural identity. The previous literature suggests that correlations conducted between parent bilingual proficiency scores and child receptive vocabulary are a negatively correlated; however, parental bilingual proficiency scores were positively related to the children’s reading abilities (Rodríguez et al., 2017; Lingxin Yan, 2003).

This shows that parents have significant influence over how their children perceive a language.

Depending on the parent’s skills and how they endow them upon their children, their proficiency in the language can shift. Additionally, the parents of culturally and linguistically diverse families who believed in the positive influence of bestowing their heritage language onto their children were likely to pass down the necessary skills. The literature suggests the great influence of parents over their children’s heritage language. Therefore, we expect to identify a positive correlation between a positive parental influence on the heritage language and strong performance of Japanese heritage language learners in the language acquisition process and the construction of their cultural identity. Conversely, if parents perceive the heritage language negatively, they are likely to pass down this attitude to their children. They are less likely to learn the heritage language by the parents or on their own. If the parents have low motivation, as will the children, but if they have high motivation, then the children will as well.

Group: EAS450 Chinese Language Group Title: Motivation and Connection to Culture in Heritage Learners of Mandarin Chinese Authors/Presenters: Yi Yang & Doris Zhou, Emory University In this study, we aim to analyze the possible link between identity and motivation in Mandarin Chinese heritage learners. We define a Chinese heritage learner as a person who has a cultural connection to China and/or is of Chinese descent, e.g. has parents or grandparents from China.

We hypothesize that heritage learners who feel a stronger connection to Chinese culture and identify as Chinese or Chinese-American will have a stronger motivation to study the language and perform well in the class; we also predict that these heritage learners will have a more positive attitude towards learning Chinese specifically. We distributed a questionnaire asking students to rate their agreement with various statements on a Likert scale. We found that there was a positive correlation on agreement with positively-keyed motivation statements and statements expressing a connection to their culture and family, indicating that heritage learners who feel more strongly connected to the Chinese culture tend to be more highly motivated than those who do not.

Presenter: Shen Gao Title: Text Segmentation in Dialogue Authors: Shen Gao Text segmentation is the process of dividing written text into meaningful units, such as words, sentences, or topics. The term applies both to mental processes used by humans when reading text, and to artificial processes implemented in computers, which are the subject of natural language processing. The problem is non-trivial, because while some written languages have explicit word boundary markers, such as the word spaces of written English and the distinctive initial, medial and final letter shapes of Arabic, such signals are sometimes ambiguous and not present in all written languages. As a classical topic of Nature Language Processing, many work has been done on text segmentation of news articles. However, surprisingly few work has been done on Dialogues. My work focuses on using an unsupervised learning, graph-based method to divide dialogues into meaningful segments. The corpus experimented on are annotated by me and my lab from seasons of the famous TV series, Friends.

Presenter: Madeline Gordon Title: Contextual Effects of Religiosity and Social Support on Transmissible Liability to Alcohol and Marijuana Use: A Longitudinal Study Authors: Madeline Gordon, Emory University; Chelsie Benca, PhD, Emory University; Dalora Najera, MA, Emory University; Rohan H Palmer, PhD, Emory University Abstract not available.

Presenter: Adithi Govindan Title: Pharmacodynamic Effects of Antibiotic Treatment on Non-Growing Bacteria Authors: Adithi Govindan, Nilang Shah, Ingrid McCall, Bruce Levin Abstract not available.

Presenter: Jillian Grace Title: Characterization of RSV F-Protein in Multiple Viral Like Particle (VLP) Systems Authors: Jillian Grace, Binh Ha, PhD, & Larry J Anderson, MD, Emory University

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a pathogen that causes acute respiratory illnesses in young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals including common cold-like illnesses, croup, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Because RSV is the single most important cause for serious, acute respiratory illness in infants and young children worldwide, efforts have been made to develop a vaccine for RSV. One such method is the incorporation of an RSV antigen into VLPs, which lack virulent factors. This study is designed to investigate the efficacy of F expression on various VLP systems including RSV, Ebola, and HIV. F exists in two different forms-prefusion and postfusion- and directs entry by virus fusion of viral envelop and cell membrane. Here, we employ ultracentrifugation to purify VLPs and immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to examine expression and the two F forms expressed on various VLPs. Presenter: Talin Handa Title: Gender differences and outcome trends over two decades in acromegaly: A single center study in 112 patients Authors: Talin Handa, Emory University; Neevi Goswami, Georgia Tech; Corinne Bicknese, Emory University; Adlai Pappy, Emory University; Emir Veledar PhD, Baptist Health South Florida; Nelson M. Oyesiku MD/PhD & Adriana G. Ioachimescu, MD/PhD, Emory University Objective: To evaluate long-term trends in patients operated for acromegaly. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 54 men and 58 women operated from 1994 to 2016 by one neurosurgeon. Surgical remission was defined as IGF-1 after 3 months, and recurrence as return of high IGF-1 during follow-up. Events considered for survival analysis were recurrence, reoperation, radiation, and death. Results: Men were younger at surgery (43.6±12.7, peak in 4th decade) than women (48.7±12.3, p=0.04, peak in 6th decade). Indications for testing were phenotypical changes (46% men, 40% women), headaches, incidentaloma, hypogonadism, visual changes, and galactorrhea. Men had higher mean IGF-1 (874±328 vs 716±296 p<0.01) and more frequent hypopituitarism (55% vs 22% p<0.01). Women had larger tumors (2.3±1.5 vs 1.8±1.3 cm, p=0.04). Prevalence of cavernous sinus invasion and mean growth hormone (GH) levels were similar in both genders. Remission rates were similar (56% women and 51% men) and predicted by cavernous sinus invasion and postoperative GH levels. Surgical remission improved after 2/2011 (67.35% vs 43.55%, p=0.01), when mean GH level was lower (30±9 vs 46±18 ng/mL, p=0.03) than in previous years. Fewer patients presented with phenotypical changes in recent years (30% vs 54%, p<0.01), while the frequency of incidentalomas and hypogonadism increased. Mean follow-up was longer in women (5.2±3.4 vs 3.6±3.6 years, p=0.02). Adjuvant treatment for acromegaly (medical, radiation, reoperation) was required in 57% men and 49% women. At last follow up, more women than men maintained surgical remission or achieved normal IGF-1 after adjuvant treatment (89% vs 72%, p=0.03). Six-year event-free survival was higher in women (p<0.01). Discussion: Phenotypical changes are the usual reason to suspect acromegaly. Recent reports indicate that new cases of acromegaly are rising, but it is not known whether presentation has changed. We show that reasons other than physical changes predominate in recent years, along with improved surgical remission rates. Acromegaly affects both genders equally, and gender-distinct features were previously described regarding metabolic

profile and quality of life. We provide novel information regarding gender effect on age, biochemical and imaging parameters. Moreover, gender influences long-term biochemical control and compliance with follow-up visits.

Presenter: Jack Hester Title: A New Standard for Discovering Side Effects: Using linguistic analysis algorithms to predict prescription drug side effects from online forum posts Authors: Jack Hester An undesired side effect of a medication is a common experience for nearly anyone who has taken even over-the-counter medications. For many, the side effects are hardly worse than a little bit of drowsiness or a headache. But some medicationsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially prescription onesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;can result in much more unpleasant or even dangerous side effects. Regulatory agencies like the FDA play a critical role in protecting potential consumers from adverse effects. Even after several rounds of clinical trials and expert review, however, it is still possible to miss some negative effects of a drug in a large population, especially in users who take more than one drug. This project is intended to improve that problem. By complementing the existing reporting methods through creating an early warning system that catches drug side effects more quickly than the traditional reporting system, the project can greatly improve a userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience and safety. The current reporting system is limited and cumbersome, and the product of this project will hopefully contribute to developing a more effective and speedy method of identifying side effects.

Computational science is a booming field, and this project takes advantage of these advancements, especially in linguistic analysis. Ultimately, this project will create an automated computer program that provides an advanced drug side effect reporting system based on analyzing forum posts by prescription drug users. This presentation demonstrates the fundamental possibility of creating that program and describe the forum analysis methods.

Presenter: Cheng Jiao Title: Healing Hearts: Characteristics of coronary vessel network during angiogenesis for revascularization compared to early development in zebrafish Authors: Cheng Jiao, Jisheng Sun, PhD & Jinhu Wang, PhD, Emory University.

Unlike most vertebrates, following a myocardial infarction, zebrafish have the remarkable ability to regenerate their hearts instead of forming permanent scar tissue. Previous studies have indicated that to support this replenishment of lost tissue, there needs to be subsequent rapid revascularization of the damaged area. However, to date, the patterns to coronary revascularization remain elusive. Here, we hope to show two forms of vascularization: cardiac development and regeneration. To observe coronary vascularization during development, 1 to 2 months old fli1a:EGFP juvenile zebrafish hearts will be cultured ex vivo for 3 days. Likewise, adult zebrafish hearts will be cultured ex vivo after 3 days post resection surgery. Images will be

collected daily and then skeletonized turning the image into vectors while preserving the extent and connectivity of the vessels. Further spatial and morphological analysis of the vascular network will be conducted using Angiotool to identify key structural motifs such as junction, branches, vessel length and density found during sprouting. Possible findings that show similarity between angiogenic structures for development and revascularization may be indicative of recruitment of conserved growth systems. This could pave the way toward future molecular studies that can link the two mechanisms, which may in turn lead to designing more efficient therapies for human heart disease.

Presenter: Lina Jowhar Title: Intimate Partner Violence and PrEP Acceptability among low, income, young black Women: Exploring the Mediating Role of Reproductive Coercion Authors: Lina Jowhar, Ashley Phillips, Jessica McDermott Sales Abstract not available.

Presenter: Yun Ju Jung Title: Non-primate Lentiviral Evolution using Feline SAMHD1 and FIV Authors: Yun Ju Jung, Jessica Holler Sarah A. Mereby and Baek Kim The origin of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has been a subject of research debate since it was first identified. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) both have a long biological relationship. From studies, HIV-1 and HIV-2 are known to be closely related to a strain of SIV. SAMHD1(SAM domain HD domain-containing protein 1) which is a lentiviral restriction factor with Vpx plays a critical role in a replication process of viruses. In this study, we are specifically interested in investigating non-primate antiviral evolution using FIV and feline SAMHD1 as in relation to SAMDH-1. We use feline SAMHD1 instead of human SAMHD1 in a human cell line, THP-1 cells, and see the interaction of SAMHD1 and Vpx. We hope to see the same interactions of SAMHD1 with Vpx in FIV just like in HIV. Presenter: Saumya Karne Title: Oral self-administration of morphine in C57BL/6J mice using the Intellicage Authors: Saumya Latha Karne, Kirsten A. Porter-Stransky, Canaan Jerome, and David Weinshenker The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis and there is an urgent need to find better treatment options for those with substance use disorder. Investigating the molecules and pathways in the brain that underlie the motivation for compulsive opioid use and identifying novel pharmacological targets is a critical component in the efforts to find better therapies. To achieve this, a behavioral model of compulsive opioid use is necessary. The present study uses the Intellicage, a behavioral apparatus that allows researchers to measure operant drug taking in group-housed mice. The goal of this study was to optimize the parameters in the Intellicage to test addictive-like behaviors in female C57BL/6J group-housed mice. The results showed that the

mice will readily drink a solution containing morphine (0.5 mg/mL) with or without 0.1% saccharin.

Presenter: Eungjae Kim Title: False-Positive Interferences of lidocaine for cocaine metabolite in a Urine Drug Screen Immunoassay Authors: Kim, E, Morgan, BW, Koch, DD, James, RC, Manatunga, A Individuals accused of testing positive for cocaine have claimed that lidocaine may cause falsepositive results for the cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine. After a thorough research of peerreviewed medical literature, we have found no studies that have investigated this claim. Within the limitations of this study design, we hypothesize that lidocaine does not cause false-positive urine drug screen(UDS) for cocaine metabolites due to subtle but important differences in their chemical structures. This study will seek to enroll 300 volunteer patients at Grady Memorial Hospital who will be receiving lidocaine as part of their treatment. Urine will be collected and analyzed with a common urine screening immunoassay and tested against the gold standard liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. LC-MS is able to assess for lidocaine, lidocaine metabolites (monoethylglycinexylidide-MEGX), cocaine, and cocaine metabolites. The goal is to determine if lidocaine exposure for routine medical procedures results in false-positive findings on a commercially available UDS immunoassay. The significance of the results will be assessed by means of a binomial distribution model. We anticipate for a low false-positive rate given the relative low prevalence of cocaine and the high accuracy of the immunoassay instrument. As a consequence of the 300 samples, there will be limited number of false-positives/negatives.

Presenter: Somin Kim Title: Investigating the effects of HDAC inhibitor Trichostatin-A on the development of myopia and retinal degeneration in the interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein deficient mouse model Authors: Somin Kim, Shanu Markand, PhD, John Nickerson, PhD, Emory University Little is known about the role of histone modifying proteins in the development of myopia and retinal degeneration (RD). Here we begin to phenotypically characterize the effects of a histone deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin-A (TSA) in an interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) KO mouse model, a model known to rapidly induce myopia and retinal degeneration in mice before pups open their eyes. To determine how TSA impacts these deteriorative eye conditions, we randomly assigned IRBP KO mice to experimental and control groups. For each mouse group age range (P1-P7, P8-P15), mouse pups were injected daily with TSA or vehicle (ethanol) intraperitoneally using a double-blind system. Whole-eye biometry, SDOCT, and

fundus imaging were utilized to observe retinal layers, specifically chamber depths, total retinal thickness and photoreceptor layer thickness. Additionally, electroretinography (ERG) was performed to provide additional information regarding how retinal function is affected.

Immunohistochemistry and enzymatic assays were conducted to reveal endogenous levels of HDAC3 deacetylate activity in IRBP KO mice as grounds for a possible underlying mechanism.

Data from these experiments will provide critical information on what role epigenetics plays in myopia and RD and provide direction on possible therapies to treat such conditions.

Presenter: Amy Krivoshik Title: Preschoolers rely on spatial cues to individuate objects Authors: Amy Krivoshik, Vlad Ayzenberg, and Stella Lourenco, PhD, Emory University Abstract not available.

Presenter: Channing Lin Title: Response of Murine Macrophage to Infections Caused by Various Strains of NonTuberculous Mycobacteria Authors: Kuo-Chuan (Channing) Lin; Brahmchetna Singh, PhD; Ruxana T Sadikot, MD; MD; Roy L. Sutliff, PhD Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) are rod-shaped bacilli that do not cause tuberculosis or leprosy but are associated with the development of pulmonary disease. There are over 125 species of NTM. While it is well-established that these bacteria cause lung disease, the response of the lung to infection with NTM has not been well-characterized. The production of reactive oxygen intermediates and reactive nitrogen intermediates by innate immune cells is considered to be a major defense mechanism against mycobacteria. Nitric oxide (NO) plays an essential role in the killing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by mononuclear phagocytes. This study tests the hypothesis that the response of the macrophage to NTMs will determine the pathogenicity of the NTM. The present study will characterize how macrophages respond to NTM exposure (series of MOIs) by exposing murine macrophages (RAW cells) to NTM and characterizing the NO levels at various time points post-exposure. Changes in NO will be complemented with studies examining the expression of genes (iNOS, eNOS, and brain NOS) that regulate NO generation.

The studies will characterize the effects of the two most common strains of NTM (M. Abscessus and M. Avium) on NO generation. As the studies develop, the effects of these strains on lung pathology will be characterized in mice and differential effects on the macrophage response will be correlated to pathological differences. These will be the first studies to characterize how macrophages respond to different strains of NTM and lay the foundation for better treatment of NTM infections.

Presenter: Jessica MacWilliams Title: Longitudinal Analysis of Cataract Intensity in GALT-null and Control Sprague-Dawley Rats Using Digital Image Processing Authors: Jessica MacWilliams & Sara Fridovich-Keil; Kaylie Garcia, Peter Richards; Judith Fridovich-Keil, PhD, Emory University

Classic galactosemia is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by inherited mutations in the gene encoding galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase (GALT). Patients experience an inability to fully metabolize galactose, a sugar abundant in milk and other dairy products, and also synthesized endogenously. Even if dietary galactose is restricted beginning shortly after birth most patients suffer long-term complications for which there are currently no known effective interventions. To help enable studies of GALT-deficiency and to provide a mammalian model for testing candidate interventions our lab collaborated with the Medical College of Wisconsin to develop a rat model of GALT deficiency using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. Like patients with classic galactosemia, these GALT-null rats develop visible bilateral cataracts following exposure to milk. Prior studies suggest these cataracts result from a buildup of galactitol, a derivative of galactose, in the lens of the eye. The purpose of this investigation was to develop and apply a robust method for quantifying cataracts in GALT-null rats based on digital image processing of the relative brightness of the lens versus the sclera in digital photographs. Photos taken of GALT-null and control rats over time were analyzed, and statistical evaluation of technical variance confirmed consistency and reproducibility of the procedure. Future experiments testing candidate interventions will make use of this approach to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Presenter: Kino Maravillas Title: Bacterial Growth in Milpa Polyculture and Monoculture Soils Authors: Kino Maravillas; Erika Diaz-Almeyda; Nicole Gerardo Polycultures, or multicrops, are groupings of plants that grow more prolifically when planted together as compared to when planted alone. One of the best known and widely utilized polycultures is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;three sistersâ&#x20AC;? of milpa agriculture - the cultivation of maize, beans, and squash together. This phenomenon is achieved through various means, whether it be a plant varying its soil space through its root structure, varying the uptake of its nutrients, or increasing its nitrogen fixation activity via exudates through population changes in the organisms that undertake it: bacteria. In this study, bacterial strains extracted from the squash bug (Anasa tristis), the symbiont Burkholderia SQ4A and the pathogen Serratia ZO1, were exposed to soil from the maize/beans/squash monocultures and polycultures and were incubated over a 1-week period to determine the presence of compounds that enhance or inhibit bacterial growth in the soil. Burkholderia SQ4A is a squash bug endosymbiont that has shown to decrease both the mortality and maturation time of A. tristis while also increasing its resistance to insecticides, whereas Serratia ZO1 is known to be the primary causative agent of cucurbit yellow vine disease (CYVD) in squash that has afflicted numerous states, including Georgia. As both utilize A. tristis as hosts, pests that prove detrimental to squash health, both were selected to determine how soil influences their growth and consequently if their symbiotic or pathogenic activities are amplified or diminished.

Presenter: Melissa Mickiewicz Title: Characterizing Vaginal Product Use and Associations with Sexual Function between Healthy Postmenopausal Women and Postmenopausal Women with Gynecological Cancer

Authors: Melissa Mickiewicz, Jinbing Bai, RN, PhD, Gaea Daniel, MSN, RN, Pretesh Patel, MD, Jay Shelton, MD, Mary Dolan, MD, MPH, Jessica Arluck, MD, Namita Khanna, MD, Deborah Watkins Bruner, PhD, RN, FAAN, Emory University Introduction: Sexual dysfunction is acknowledged in postmenopausal, healthy women and women with gynecological cancers (GynCa). Knowledge regarding vaginal product use (VPU) by race and how VPU impacts sexual function in both groups are lacking. Objectives: Compare VPU in postmenopausal women with GynCa and postmenopausal, healthy controls (HC) by race and assess how VPU impacts sexual function. Methods: GynCa patients (Pts) and HC completed the Demographic Short Form, VPU Questionnaire and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).

GynCaPts completed questionnaires at baseline (pre-radiotherapy, RT) and 6-months post-RT. HC completed baseline questionnaires. Pearson Chi-square and Fischerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Exact tests were used to assess differences. Results: Analysis included 73 participants (25 GynCaPts [11 (W)hite-14 (B)lack] and 48 HC [22W-28 B]; median age 62; no sig. difference between groups). HC were more likely to employ VPU (hormone replacement therapy p=0.002; probiotics p=0.04) than GynCaPts. Among HC, Blacks showed trend towards more VPU (douching p=0.07; moisturizers p=0.06) but no FSFI difference. No racial difference was found for VPU in GynCaPts. At baseline, GynCaPts had significantly less sexual arousal (p=0.006), lubrication (p=0.01) and orgasm (p=0.01), and a lower FSFI total score (p=.06) than HC. Among HC, only age was correlated with less arousal, lubrication, orgasm, more pain and lower FSFI total. Black GynCaPts showed more sexual desire (p=0.01), arousal (p=0.03), lubrication (p=0.03), orgasm (p=0.03), less pain (p=0.01) and higher total FSFI (p=0.01) vs. Whites. Conclusions: In this study, GynCaPts had less VPU but worse sexual function than HC. Black GynCaPts had better sexual function that Whites. More studies are needed to understand mechanisms behind sexual dysfunction and VPU in postmenopausal women.

Presenter: Ruth Mizu Title: Cell Surface Expression of Mutated M2 & M3 Transmembrane Domain of N-Methyl-DAsparate Receptors Abstract not available.

Presenter: Jessie Moore Title: Shifting Shorelines on Wolf and Egg Islands, Georgia, USA: A Study of Change Since 1953 Authors: Jessie C. Moore Torres, Anthony J. Martin, and Michael Page, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA Barrier islands often protect back-barrier coastlines from harsh wave activity, erosion, and tidal surges. The Georgia barrier islands certainly fulfill this role, while also providing homes to a wide variety of birds, reptiles, and other wildlife. Of these, Wolf Island, a Holocene barrier island

on the mouth of the Altamaha River, is one of the least-studied. This situation is at least in part because of its U.S. National Wildlife Refuge status, making it difficult for researchers to learn more about the island through field of study. In our study, Wolf Island was studied using remote sensing through aerial photographs from 1953, 1974, 1975, 1976, 2009, 2013, and 2015. We did a similar analysis for nearby Egg Island using a polygon shoreline for island-area calculations.

Aerial photographs and National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) images were collected and georeferenced in both analyses. For Egg Island, polygons were traced along the high-water mark, then total areas of polygons for each year were calculated and compared. In contrast, complex tidal channels of Wolf Island only allowed for linear measurements along its east coast.

Differences in area between each year were calculated for each island to determine net erosion or accretion. Egg Island showed net accretion from 1953 to 1974, then a period of erosion from 1974 to 1977, followed by accretion from 1982 to 2015. Accretion was likely a result of its location adjacent to the mouth of the Altamaha River, where sediment supply is high. However, despite Wolf Island having the same sediment supply from the Altamaha River, it showed net erosion from 1974 through 2015. Sea-level rise, longshore drift, or a combination of these factors have contributed to this erosion. Applications of this research should aid in predicting habitat gains or losses for nesting shorebirds and sea turtles with continued sea level rise.

Presenter: Danielle Moron Title: Uncovering the role that LCMT-1 plays in Hematopoiesis Authors: Morรณn, DA, Hu, M, Bujnowski, D, Lee, Y, Fogla, R and Pallas, DC Abstract not available.

Presenter: Michael Mu Title: Biochemical and structural abnormalities in the brains of nestin-cre-mediated LCMT-1 conditional knockout mice Authors: Mu, M, Yang, JJ, Seitter, M, Sun, L, Patel, S, Pallas, DC Abstract not available.

Presenter: Shaili Patel Title: Effects of Loss of LCMT-1 Protein on Mouse Embryo Neuronal Growth Authors: Shaili Patel, Anya Srikureja, David Pallas Abstract not available.

Presenter: Elinor Phipps Title: Discourse Markers and Their Effect on Word Recognition During Sentence Comprehension

Authors: Cecilia Carroll, Ellie Phipps, Helen Taylor The current study examines the effect of discourse markers on speech processing. We modeled our study after Fox Tree (2001), which studied the effects of the filler words uh and um on word recognition. They found that, cross-linguistically, uh heightened the listener’s ability to recognize the following target word, while um had no effect on the recognition of the target word. Our experiment employs the same experimental methods used by Fox Tree (2001); however, we examined the effect of the discourse markers like and y’know in a word recognition task. We found that the words preceded by the like discourse marker yielded the slowest reaction time, and the words preceded by the y’know discourse marker yielded the second slowest reaction times. This suggests that the discourse markers did not heighten the listeners’ attention and facilitate processing. The results, however, were not statistically significant; therefore, we cannot conclude that the discourse markers like and y’know facilitate or hinder speech processing.

Overall, our results provide evidence that shows that like and y’know do not have a significant effect on speech processing.

Presenter: Krishna Pucha Title: Encapsulation of human Mesenchymal Stem Cells delays the progression of Osteoarthritis Authors: Krishna A. Pucha, Jay M. McKinney, Thanh N. Doan, Lanfang Wang, Rebecca D. Levit, Nick J. Willett Abstract not available.

Presenter: Taylor Randleman Title: Pathways to Gender Equality: An Analysis of the Impact the Relationship Between Religion and the State and Committing to CEDAW Have on Women's Rights Authors: Taylor Randleman The effectiveness of CEDAW on improving women's rights is commonly debated as it is one of the most ratified international treaties. I analyze whether the level of commitment to the CEDAW treaty influences its effectiveness in increasing women's rights. I conceptualize commitment to CEDAW by looking at the level of treaty action and the length of time since committing to the treaty. Religion is an important societal factor that's influence on women's rights is understudied.

This paper seeks to examine how the relationship between religion and the state may limit the realization of women's rights. I conceptualize the relationship between religion and the state by looking at the level of government involvement in religion, specifically when there are strong ties between religion and the state, and the presence of religious legislation. I hope to uncover how the impact of CEDAW will be conditioned by the strength of religion within the political and legal system of the state. Drawing on previous theory and literature, I hypothesize that strong religion-state ties and a large amount of religious legislation will negatively impact the realization of women's rights. I further hypothesize that a greater level of commitment to CEDAW will result in a greater realization of women's rights. To test these hypotheses, I utilize a

cross-sectional, time-series design and include five different measures of women's rights. My data analysis is for the period of 1981 to 2012 and includes all countries with available data. My findings indicate that a greater level of commitment to CEDAW has a significant and positive impact on the realization of women's rights. I also found that strong-religion state ties and a large amount of religious legislation significantly and negatively impact the realization of women's rights.

Presenter: Alec Shannon Title: Quantifying the Distribution of Medium Spiny Neurons in the Striatum of a DOPAResponsive Dystonia Mouse Model Authors: Alec Shannon; Maria Briscione; H.A. Jinnah, MD, PhD; Ellen J Hess, PhD Dystonia is a neurological disorder that is characterized by involuntary twisting movements, uncontrollable muscle contractions, and other repetitive movements and postures. Clinicians often use a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s response to levodopa administration to diagnose certain forms of generalized dystonia; patients who respond to low levels of levodopa treatment are considered to have an inherited form of dystonia known as L-DOPA-responsive dystonia (DRD). It is known that DRD is caused by mutations in genes that encode enzymes that are critical for the synthesis of dopamine. To better understand the role of abnormal dopamine neurotransmission in DRD, our lab created a knock-in mouse model of DRD. The dystonia in DRD mice has been attributed to abnormal postsynaptic responses to dopamine, suggesting that defects in D1- and D2-like dopamine receptors underlie the pathogenesis of dystonia. In order to gain insight into the cellular mechanisms that mediate the abnormal postsynaptic responses, it is instructive to characterize the density and distribution of medium-spiny neurons (MSNs), which make up the majority of dopaminoceptic neurons in the striatum, a brain region that controls movements and contains very high concentrations of dopamine. There are two different types of MSNs in the striatum: those that express D1 dopamine receptors and those that express D2 dopamine receptors. The overall goal of this project is to detect MSNs expressing the D1 or D2 receptor using immunohistochemistry and fluorescent reporter proteins and to compare the distribution of the two different MSN subtypes between the normal and DRD mice.

Presenter: Jiyoon Shin Title: Polymorphism of PPIL1 gene associated with higher sympathetic activity and risk for cardiovascular problems in children of traumatized mothers Authors: Jiyoon Shin, BS, Emory University; Tanja Jovanovic, PhD, Emory; AnaĂŻs Stenson, PhD, Emory University; Rebecca Hinrichs; Nadia Thompson, BS, Georgia State University; Manna Sirak, BS, University of Washington; Aimee Clifford, BA, University of California In the face of high rates of trauma exposure among low income, urban women and their children, understanding the processes through which maternal PTSD confers risk to their offspring is of critical public health importance; maternal anxiety is associated with increased risk for anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their offspring (Waters et al. 2008). In our previous studies we have found that maternal trauma is associated with alterations in heartrate variability (HRV) in children during an acoustic startle paradigm (Jovanovic et al. 2011).

However, the mechanism for intergenerational transmission is not well understood. One potential mechanism involves genetic transmission of risk from mother to child. A recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of HRV indicated several genes associated with HRV including a polymorphism in the PPIL1 gene at locus rs236349 (Nolte et al. 2017). To determine whether cardiovascular biomarkers are associated with genotype in children, we assessed heart-rate (HR) and HRV during a startle paradigm in a sample (N=100) of school-age children of traumatized mothers, recruited from a high risk civilian population seeking treatment at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, GA. We compared HRV across different variants of the PPIL1 gene and found that the children who were homozygous for the T allele of the gene had decreased HRV (p=0.05) and higher LF/HF HRV ratio (p=0.03) than the heterozygous children. Our results suggest that children who are homozygous for the T allele have higher sympathetic activity which puts them at higher risk for cardiovascular problems. This may be one potential mechanism by which trauma and PTSD in the mother can impact health risk in her child.

Presenter: Jenani Srijeyanthan Title: Cross-species Prioritization of Genomic Loci for Alcohol Use Disorder Authors: Jenani Srijeyanthan, Emory University; Chelsie Benca-Bachman, PhD, Emory University; Jason Bubier & Elissa J. Chesler, PhD, Jackson Laboratories; Rohan H. C. Palmer, PhD, Emory University.

About 15.1 million adults in the United States aged 18 and older have Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD); 6.7% of this cohort have received treatment (NSDUH, 2015). Scientific literature has focused on mechanisms of AUD, but little research has focused on developmental susceptibility to the disorder. Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS) have shown promise in field of inquiry; however, the multitude of loci (1M-12M variants) being tested have limited effects.

Gene expression (primarily expression-QTL) studies provide direct evidence of how substances alter gene products. A modern approach utilizes integrating eQTL evidence with other genomic studies in order to prioritize SNP/gene effects. The purpose of this project is to utilize evidence across model organisms in order to find eQTLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s associated with domains of AUD (dependence, consumption, preference, craving, tolerance, withdrawal). Goals included: (1) to determine the range of research conducted on each domain within databases and the literature, and (2) identify a subset(s) of genes that are differentially regulated within each domain. Analyses utilized the GeneWeaver Ontological Database and Analysis Platform (Baker et al., 2011). GeneWeaver was used to locate relevant genetic studies; searches used Boolean logic based on AUD domains.

Inclusion criteria: animal or human models, not GWAS/QTL, no comorbidity (psychopathology or substances). Located genesets were analyzed using HiSim Graph/Jaccard Similarity to identify homologous genes that were disrupted (analyses were grouped by both model organism and AUD domain). Future directions will employ these genesets in GWAS and mixed-linear models to determine whether causal loci are disproportionately located in or near these genes.

Presenter: Sonum Tharwani Title: Physical Activity May be a Modifiable Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline in African Americans and Caucasians at High Risk for Developing Alzheimer's Disease Authors: Sonum Tharwani

Individuals with a parental history of AD are more likely to become afflicted with AD than those without. African Americans (AAs) are 64 percent more likely to develop AD than Caucasians (CCs), which increases the public health burden of AD in the US as the non-Caucasian population becomes the majority. In an effort to prevent AD, we must identify high risk individuals and implement economically feasible and modifiable treatment regimens. Potential racial differences on the impact of exercise on cognition is unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationship between physical activity (PA), AD brain biomarkers (Aβ plaques, tau), and cognition in cognitively normal, middle-aged AAs and CCs with a parental history of AD. Study included sixty-one cognitively normal, African American and Caucasian individuals aged 59.6 +/- 6.9 years. We used the CHAMPS Activities Questionnaire for Older Adults to measure PA and cerebrospinal fluid to measure Aβ and tau. Cognition was measured with a variety of tests measuring cognitive domains including executive function, working memory, and verbal and visuospatial ability. Cognitive test performance differed significantly in AAs and CCs, such that CCs outperformed AAs on 9 of 10 tests. All correlations were controlled for age and education.

In AAs, Increased PA frequency was related to better scores on tests of executive function and working memory. In CCs, higher PA caloric expenditure associated with better executive function. No correlations were found between PA and AD brain biomarkers of Aβ and tau, suggesting alternate mechanisms by which PA may directly benefit brain health.

Group: Tirouvanziam Lab Presenters: Adi Swaminathan, Parth Mody Title: Establishing Dictyostelium discoideum as a model system to investigate mechanisms of inflammation in Cystic Fibrosis.

Authors: Mody P, Swaminathan N, Giacalone V, Margaroli C, Tirouvanziam R. Background. Dictyostelium discoideum is a soil-dwelling amoeba widely used as genetic and functional model organism to study cellular processes present in higher eukaryotes such as cytokinesis, chemotaxis, reactive oxygen species production, and phagocytosis. In particular, D. discoideum shares striking similarities with polymorphonuclear neutrophil phagocytes (PMNs), the major leukocyte subset in humans. In patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), PMNs are recruited massively from the blood into the airway fluid and acquire a pathogenic phenotype therein that drives airway destruction. Mechanisms underlying the acquisition of this pathogenic phenotype upon PMN exposure to CF airway fluid remain undetermined. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to targeted therapies to curb down airway damage in CF. Methods. We developed a novel use of the D. discoideum model organisms focusing on the study CF airway disease pathogenesis. To this end, we exposed D. discoideum cultures to CF airway fluid and used various assays to characterize their physiological responses. Results. Exposure of D. discoideum to CF airway fluid induced: (i) major changes in phenotype, quantified by microscopy and flow cytometry; (ii) increased metabolism, measured by Seahorse bioanalyzer and flow cytometry; and (iii) increased peroxidase activity measured by fluorometry. Conclusions. Together, the

physiological responses observed in D. discoideum upon exposure to CF airway fluid recapitulate previous observations on human CF airway PMNs in vivo. This proof-of-concept study opens exciting opportunities to use D. discoideum as a model organism to conduct detailed investigations of conserved genetic and functional pathways underlying PMN pathological conditioning in CF. Group: Triple Positive Presenters: Daniella Farchi, Schumann Chang Title: The Effects of Propolis on the Metastatic Behavior of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Authors: Schumann Chang, Daniella Farchi, LaTonia Taliaferro-Smith Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly metastatic form of breast cancer associated with poor prognoses and overall high mortality rates, partly due to the lack of effective treatment options. The conventional treatments options for TNBC, such as chemotherapy, yield poor responses and exhibit chemo-resistance; thus, it is imperative that alternative treatments are identified for TNBCs. Natural compounds, such as propolis, could provide more cost-effective, healthier, and sustainable alternatives to conventional cancer treatments. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of propolis on the metastatic behaviors of TNBC cells. We assessed the anti-cancer effects of three different propolis extracts on cell viability, clonal formation, and migration using dose curves, anchorage-dependent clonogenicity assays, and wound-healing assays, respectively. After determining the IC50 for each propolis extract, we used these values for subsequent colony formation and migration assays. All three propolis extract treatments successfully inhibited colony formation and reduce cell migration in TNBC cells. These results provide a strong rationale for further examination of propolis as a potential treatment option for TNBC patients and warrant additional studies using propolis and other natural compounds.

Presenter: Alina Ulezko Antonova Title: Treatment of HSC Donors with Flt3L Improves Transplant Outcomes Authors: Alina Ulezko A, Mojibade N Hassan, Jian M Li, Shuhua Wang & Edmund K. Waller Hematological malignancies can be cured with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

The source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from adult donors is either bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB). A randomized, multi-center clinical trial (BMTCTN0201) showed better overall survival (OS) and less graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) among recipients of bone marrow grafts containing higher numbers of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC). Thus, BM pDC may be effective in regulating post-transplant GvHD. Unfortunately, not all BM grafts have optimal numbers of pDC and a method to increase pDC numbers in all BM grafts may offer a novel approach to prevent chronic GvHD. Because FMS-like receptor tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) upregulates pDC proliferation and maintains pDC homeostasis, we hypothesized that Flt3L could be used as a method to increase pDC content in all BM grafts. We report that subcutaneous administration of 300 g/kg of Flt3L to mice increases pDC content three-fold in BM grafts. Using an MHC-mismatched C57BL/6B10.BR murine model of HSCT, we show that

transplantation of Flt3L-stimulated BM (F-BM) results in increased OS among recipients of FBM compared to untreated BM, as well as less GvHD (p<0.001). Comparative analysis of mRNA from human sorted pDC from BM and Flt3L-mobilized peripheral blood (F-PB) grafts revealed that the TLR4 pathway in F-PB pDC was downregulated, suggesting that Flt3L decreases pDC reactivity to LPS, an antigen relevant in GvHD. We report that donor BM graft treatment with Flt3L may improve HSCT outcomes by increasing pDC content and their GvHDregulating activity.

Presenter: Sandeep Voleti Title: Chemical composition and health span extending activity of plant extract 1331 from the Quave Natural Product Library Authors: Sandeep S. Voleti, Elizabeth Ejzack, Zeena Salam, Daniel Kalman, James T. Lyles, Cassandra L. Quave, Emory University The botanical source of extract 1331 belongs to the Fabaceae family and is a well-known plant in traditional medicine for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Active components of 1331 extracts include various flavonoids, which have a plethora of pharmaceutical uses. Past research has found that 1331 crude extracts may play a role in extending the healthspan (the proportion of time that an animal remains healthy and free of age-related infirmities) of Caenorhabditis elegans. Findings show that indoles isolated from commensal bacteria assist in retaining a youthful gene expression profile in C. elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and mouse models, which extends healthspan. To better understand the role of 1331 in healthspan, we are looking to perform a thorough chemical analysis to identify indoles and other active components in organic 1331 extracts. The extract has been separated using liquid-liquid partitioning and will be tested using C. elegans assays to understand which partition contains the active components.

Flash chromatography will further separate the partition of interest, and eventually, subfractions of interest will be chemically characterized using analytical HPLC and Mass Spectrometry.

Results from this study may provide us with an understanding of the components responsible for the healthspan extending activity of the 1331 extract.

Presenter: Linda Wu Title: Characterization of the Growth rate of Burkholderia cenocepacia J2315 BCAL0380 deletion strain.

Authors: Linda Wu, Emory University; Kathryn Wendorf, Emory University School of Medicine; Joanna B. Goldberg, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep.

Burkholderia cenocepacia is an opportunistic pathogen that affects patients with cystic fibrosis through chronic infections. Previously, a clinical isolate strain of Burkholderia cenocepacia from a cystic fibrosis patient, J2315, underwent transposon sequencing to identify a mutant with the deletion of gene BCAL0380 with potentially higher growth rates than wild-type and other mutants. BCAL0380 is an uncharacterized gene that has been found to be similar to a gene in E. coli that encodes the translational throttle protein EttA. However, the exact role that this gene plays in Burkholderia cenocepacia is still unknown. From an evolutionary perspective, the deletion of BCAL0380 is potentially favorable for bacterial fitness; however, the wild-type

maintains this gene. Thus, further investigation was conducted to help understand the role of this gene in different environments. Preliminary data demonstrates a higher growth rate in the BCAL0380 mutant than wild-type in LB media. Based on this observation, we plan to grow this mutant in other environments such as starvation and saturation to observe whether the higher growth rate is maintained. If the deletion of the BCAL0380 gene is found to be responsible for higher bacterial growth, then the gene itself may play a role in suppressing bacterial proliferation. Thus up-regulation of this gene could be used as a therapeutic treatment for chronic infections in cystic fibrosis patients.

Presenter: Tristan Yates Title: Call to Order: Four-Year-Oldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s' Exhibit Difficulty Self-Deriving Knowledge through Integration of Ordered Facts Authors: Tristan S. Yates, Jillian E. Lauer, Patricia J. Bauer Abstract not available.

Presenter: Seth Young Title: Templating of Peptide Network to Demonstrate Selective Information Transfer Pathways Authors: Dr. Yushi Bai, Dr. David Lynn, Seth Young, Steven Lu Template-directed synthesis of biopolymers, which can accurately store and process biological information, has played a crucial role for the development of life. With prion systems, it has been proven that peptides can serve as alternative templates to DNA/RNA molecules. Tracing the specific process of creating the polymeric peptide templates can provide scientists with enriched and complementary insights for how life has developed. Our group seeks to elucidate how biological information can be transmitted in a dynamic chemical network. The NFF systems evolution has been previously well characterized. However, it is unknown how the equilibrium will shift upon the introduction of additional peptide elements. The RFF molecule was chosen to be added to diversify the original system highlighting its high affinity with DNA backbone. The presence of the hybrid species in the heterogeneous system has been confirmed by Maldi mass spectrum. We also have consolidated the dynamic nature of the NFF system by itself. Future work will include the characterization of the hybrid system and its response to nucleic acid templates, which may shed light on the mutualistic relationship between DNA and peptide molecules.

Presenter: Syed Zaidi Title: Mechanistic modelling of modulating hippocampal states via optogenetic stimulation of the septo- hippocampal axis

Authors: Syed Ali Zaidi, Mark J. Connolly B.S., Sang-Eon Park B.S., Robert E. Gross, M.D., Ph.D., Babak Mahmoudi, Ph.D. Neuromodulation provides a powerful approach for better understanding the information processing in the brain and functional treatment of neurological disorders by perturbing and controlling the dynamics of neural activities. Our previous work has utilized machine learning algorithms and closed-loop optimization techniques to modulate the neural dynamics. However, while this black-box approach was effective at inducing desired changes in the neural dynamics, it did not provide any insight into the underlying physiology. One approach to better understand the mechanisms underlying these induced changes in neural state is to leverage a biophysical model of neural dynamics. In this study, we use a neural mass model (NMM) to study the effect of modulating the septo- hippocampal axis on the aggregate behavior of connected excitatory and inhibitory populations of hippocampal neurons. NMM models can generate a range of local field potential (LFP) signals based on the relative parameters values of the neuronal populations.

We employed an unscented Kalman filter to estimate the parameters values from in vivo hippocampal recordings while stimulating the medial septum neurons that project to the hippocampus. To validate this approach, we estimated the parameters of the inhibitory population during the optogenetic stimulation of GABAergic septohippocampal projections. We observed a robust increase in the overall inhibitory activity represented in the hippocampal LFPs. Given that these GABAergic medial septum neurons project to GABAergic hippocampal neurons, these findings suggest that the LFP measured in the hippocampus reflects the activity of medial septum post-synaptic potentials. This provides evidence that LFP measured in one structure is in part a reflection of its afferent projections and demonstrates the utility of biophysical modeling to better understand the effect of neurostimulation on the dynamics of neuronal activities.

Presenter: Carly Zaladonis Title: Examining the Paracrine Effect of Factors Isolated from Cardiac Progenitor Cells on the Function of Cells from Normal and Failing Hearts Authors: Zaladonis C, Maxwell JT, Davis ME Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common birth defects. Yearly, 40,000 babies are born in the US with CHDs. Current therapies such as surgery has improved survival of these patients; however, many still develop right ventricular heart failure (RVHF). The heart has been seen as a terminally-differentiated organ for nearly a century. In recent years, a new paradigm has emerged due to the discovery of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs). Stem cells such as CPCs have shown promise in restoring cardiac function to failing hearts. Controversy remains whether the cells act through direct effect or paracrine mechanism to restore cardiac function. One such paracrine mechanism shown to be important in multiple stem cell types is exosomes. The effect of exosomes isolated from electrically stimulated CPCs on cardiac myocytes (CM) in vitro will be examined. CM will be treated with stimulated or non-stimulated exosomes. Function will be analyzed to determine whether exosomes are mediating positive effects on these cells and if electrical stimulation enhances this effect. This will determine if exosomes from non-stimulated or stimulated CPCs can mediate the function of CM in vitro. RVHF is an understudied pathology, specifically in the pediatric population. This study will provide novel therapies to combat HF.

Group: Zebsters Title: Investigation of Nuclear Localization of IGF-1R and FAK Pathways in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Authors/Presenters: Paridhi Agarwal, Lillian May, Kanwal Momin, and Jiahong Jeffrey Yang Triple-Negative Breast Cancers (TNBCs) are characterized by a lack of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) that are present in hormone-responsive breast tumors. For TNBC patients, there are currently, no effective targeted-therapy options available and are associated with the highest mortality rate among all breast cancer subtypes. Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathways have been shown to crosstalk in TNBC cells, resulting in increased expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and increased cell motility. A few studies have reported that IGF-1R can translocate from the cell surface to the nucleus, where its exact function remains unknown. We investigated the role of nuclear of IGF-1R and FAK in TNBC cells. Cell fractionation assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to determine the cellular location and function of IGF1R and FAK in the nucleus, respectively. Total and phosphorylated forms of IGF1R translocated to the nucleus and bound to the IGF-1R and ZEB-1 DNA promoter regions.

NVP-TAE226 (TAE), a known inhibitor of IGF-1R and FAK, reduced the presence of both total and phosphorylated IGF-1R in the nucleus. Although the result from the cell fractionation assay for FAK was inconclusive, the ChIP data suggests that FAK protein can bind to the IGF-1R promoter. These results show, for the first time, that IGF-1R transmembrane receptor can translocate to the nucleus in metastatic TNBC cells and possibly acts as a transcription factor to increase expression genes involved in EMT.

Presenter: Wendy Zhan Title: Dictyostelium discoideum as a simplified model of tumor heterogeneity Authors: Zach Harrison, Undergraduate, Emory University/Najdat M. Zohbi, M.S., Emory University/Adam Marcus, PhD, Emory University Cancer metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths and is poorly understood. In normal tissue, cells cooperate to ensure homeostasis. However, within a tumor microenvironment where there are limited nutrient resources available, this biological cooperation often breaks down, and competition evolves between varying tumor cell clones carrying different mutations and expressing different genes. Increased heterogeneity in a tumor increases cancer cellsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to evolve against treatments and compete against one another to drive metastasis. Thus, as the development of cancer disrupts the normal cooperative behavior between normal cells, tumor progression creates its own pathological system of cooperation between and amongst cancer cells. To better understand this cooperative and competitive behavior we have utilized Dictyostelium discoideum, which forms a multicellular slug from heterogenous cells. Research has shown that there is competition between heterogeneous Dictyostelium cells during differentiation into the stalk and spore components. Here we present our initial work using Dictyostelium to model the cooperative and competitive social behavior between cancer cells that allows for successful metastasis.