Office of Undergraduate Research
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/20157
Emphasizing equitable and inclusive access to research opportunities, the University of Maryland's Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) empowers undergraduates and faculty to engage and succeed in inquiry, creative activity, and scholarship. This collection includes materials shared by undergraduate researchers during OUR events. It also encompasses materials from Undergraduate Research Day 2020, Undergraduate Research Day 2021, and Undergraduate Research Day 2022, which were organized by the Maryland Center for Undergraduate Research.
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Item Biomarker Research Applications in Alzheimer's Disease(2021-05) Cieslak, Zofia; Acha, Beatrice; Hemani, Danny; Kubli, Anjali; Lee, So Min; Mgboji, Rejoyce; Nallani, Madhulika C.; Park, Michael J.; Samson, Mahalet; Wu, Benjamin; Smith, J. Carson; Smith, J. CarsonAlzheimer’s Disease (AD) affects millions of older individuals and is a growing problem without an accessible diagnosis method, drug target for treatment, or model of the longitudinal progression of the disease. The project, led by University of Maryland Gemstone Team BRAIN, aims to determine how changes in memory, visuospatial ability, the plasma amyloid β 42/40 ratio, and the total hippocampal volume can be used to accurately predict the onset and progression of AD. Using the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, a database that compiles data from nationwide studies, we analyze cognitive function (memory and visuospatial ability), plasma biomarkers (amyloid β 42/40 ratio), and brain imaging (hippocampal volume). Data analysis consists of using programs such as Python and JASP to analyze data from the ADNI database, and finding significant relationships between variables through statistical analysis. Our results suggest that the impact of the e4 allele on memory and visuospatial ability over time may be strong in people who show early cognitive decline, independent of age, sex and education, and that hippocampal volume loss is greater in people who carry the e4 allele independent of covariates. Furthermore, it is unclear if plasma biomarkers reflect brain pathology. Team BRAIN’s future research goals include addressing disparities in AD development among different demographic and socioeconomic groups, using our findings to work towards a novel and cost-effective approach to diagnosing and treating AD to eradicate boundaries in the access to care, applying machine learning to propose a model of prediction and longitudinal progression, and expanding the variable set to include more biomarkers.Item Identification of Clostridium Phage Endolysins with Novel Multimeric Genetic Sequences(2021) Bokil, Eesha; Baker, Charley; Nelson, Daniel; O'Hara, JessicaThe endolysin CD27L is produced by the Clostridium phage phiCD27. This phage targets the bacteria and uses the endolysin’s enzymatic properties to lyse cells from within and release new replicated phages. Past studies have characterized the two domains of CD27L’s genetic sequence, the enzymatically active domain (EAD) at the N-terminus and the cell wall binding domain (CBD) at the C-terminus connected by a linker sequence. The gene sequence order is EAD-linker-CBD. A unique aspect of CD27L is its ability to form a multimeric enzymatic structure from these two domains where one EAD and multiple CBDs are present in one structure. This multimeric endolysin is formed from one gene, so translation of the one sequence uses two ribosome binding sites and two start codons. One ribosome binding site and start codon is before the EAD and the other in the linker sequence before the CBD. Our goal is to analyze the sequences of other Clostridium phage endolysins to find multimeric endolysins similar to CD27L. We are specifically looking for multiple ribosome binding sites with start codons or alternate start codons downstream in close proximity on one gene sequence.Item Investigating Arginine Biosynthesis in Viral Replication(2020-11) Lee, Harrison; Griffin, Ryleigh; Stecklein, Sabrina; Chaudry, Daniel; O'Hara, JessicaWhen a virus infects a cell, it must hijack that host cell’s inner machinery, normally used to manufacture necessary molecules for the host cell, and divert that machinery to producing new viruses. Previous research has indicated that arginine, an amino acid, plays an important role in viral infection. We investigated the role arginine plays in infection in two ways. First, we compared how well bacteriophage, a type of bacteria-infecting virus, replicated in normal (parent) E. coli and genetically modified E. coli that could not produce their own arginine. These genetically modified E. coli are called a knock-out strain because the gene for a particular protein, in this case an enzyme involved in producing arginine, is removed. The gene in question is called argH and thus the knock-out strain is named ΔargH. Here we found that when arginine was available from outside the cell, there was no significant difference between bacteriophage replication in the two E. coli strains. Second, we observed how the levels of certain small molecules (metabolites), including arginine, inside a human cell changed after it was infected with the Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV). We found that HCMV infected cells had altered levels of metabolites from throughout the arginine biosynthesis pathway, including increased levels of arginine.Item Characterizing a Chimera: Comparative Analysis of Pal Endolysin and its Homologs(2021-04) Griffin, Ryleigh; Lee, Harrison; O'Hara, Jessica; Nelson, DanielOnce a virus infects a cell and produces more virus particles (virions), it must find a way to release those virions so they can infect more cells. Bacteriophage, or viruses that infect bacteria, accomplish this goal by producing endolysins, proteins that cause bacterial cells to lyse by breaking down their cell walls. Many endolysins have a modular structure consisting of an enzymatically active domain (EAD), which catalytically breaks bonds in peptidoglycan, the main component of bacterial cell walls, and a cell wall binding domain (CBD), which attaches the endolysin to the cell wall and determines host specificity. By combining EADs and CBDs from different endolysins, researchers can produce new “chimeric” endolysins in order to kill disease-causing bacteria in a targeted fashion, which can be more effective than the original enzymes. Chimeric endolysins can also form naturally. Bacteriophage Dp-1, which infects Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, produces a chimeric endolysin called Pal. Pal’s CBD has the ability to bind to choline and is very similar to a portion of the LytA enzyme produced by S. pneumoniae. Pal’s EAD breaks down amide bonds in peptidoglycan and is very similar to a portion of the endolysin produced by a Bacteriophage BK5-T, which infects Lactococcus lactis bacteria. In our research, we used bioinformatics techniques to find other proteins that share homology with Pal and to investigate the evolutionary relationships between these proteins. We hope that a better understanding of this natural chimeric endolysin could be useful to researchers attempting to engineer new ones.Item Mindfulness Interventions for Trauma-Exposed Civilians: A Scoping Review(2020) Lanthier, Margaret; Puett, Robin; Tchangalova, NedelinaAim: Meditation, mindfulness, and yoga interventions have been shown to be promising treatments for mental illness, including posttraumatic stress disorder. The purpose of this scoping review is to synthesize studies investigating the effects of meditation and yoga interventions for non-veterans and non-military personnel recovering from traumatic life events and to compare the efficacy and the conditions in which the interventions were implemented. Method: A structured search of PubMed and four EBSCO Databases (PsycINFO, Academic Search Ultimate, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus) was conducted using a combination of free text keywords and controlled vocabulary terms. Eligible studies were included if: (1) treatment is specifically a form of meditation, mind-body therapy, or yoga (2) study participants were reported to have experienced a traumatic life event, (3) study population includes at least 20 subjects, (4) studies measured changes in PTSD symptomology through qualitative or quantitative measures, and (5) studies were published between 2000 and 2020 in English, peer-reviewed journals. Results: Of the 1,583 articles identified in the initial search, 919 titles and abstracts were reviewed after duplicates have been removed. 26 articles met the inclusion criteria. Seventeen studies found significant reductions in PTSD symptomology in participants enrolled in a meditation or yoga intervention. Four found qualitative improvements in symptoms and quality of life in participants. Five found no significant differences between participants in the intervention compared to the control. Sixteen of the interventions were performed in a group setting, nine included group and individual components, and only one was entirely individual. Conclusions: Meditation, mindfulness, and/or yoga interventions have great potential for reduction of PTSD symptomology in trauma-exposed civilian populations. However, environmental conditions including trauma-informed yoga instruction and a group or personal intervention are not highly considered in these studies. Further studies investigating the consideration of the environment for practicing mindfulness interventions are needed to determine how mindfulness interventions can be most effective and trauma-sensitive for participants.Item Gender Influence on the Effectiveness and Feasibility of Mindfulness and Meditation Interventions: A Scoping Review(2020) Clark, Julia; Lanthier, Margaret; Puett, Robin; Tchangalova, NedelinaMeditation and mindfulness therapies have gained ground as promising treatments for a range of afflictions. However, little is known about the role of gender in determining barriers, experience, and effectiveness of meditation. This review aims to consolidate current research that explores the relationships between gender and meditation. Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsychInfo, and Web of Science. Eligible studies were included if: (1) treatment is specifically and exclusively meditation or mind-body therapy, (2) qualitative or quantitative differences between genders or lack of differences are described, (3) study population comprised of greater than 15 adult subjects with at least 20 percent representation from each gender, and (4) studies were published between 2000 and 2020 in English peer-reviewed journals. From a total of 998 citations, 25 articles met inclusion criteria. Studies measured the effectiveness of meditation interventions to improve stress reduction, addiction treatment, mental health, cardiovascular measures, lifestyle adjustments, and cognitive function. Mixed evidence exists for the presence of a greater benefit to stress reduction and symptom alleviation for women practicing meditation compared to men. Research is lacking in clear definitions of meditation and mindfulness, making the identification of key variables affecting gender differences challenging. Future studies should explore the role of the environmental context of meditation in creating gendered effects. More research is needed to investigate the experiences of sexual minorities and other special populations with meditation.Item Being ‘Dissed’ and Abused: African American adolescent males’ ideas of unhealthy or harmful dating dynamics(2020) Johnson, Timothy; Bankole, Caesar; Howard, Donna; Howard, DonnaWhile the prevalence of teen dating violence (TDV) is among the highest for African Americans (AA), the research and narrative surrounding this issue has been historically one-sided. This qualitative study was conducted to further explore the candid perspectives of adolescent AA males regarding healthy and unhealthy dating relationship dynamics. Convenience sampling and snowball sampling were utilized to recruit 19 AA males from schools and community youth groups around the greater Washington DC area. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. Analysis consisted of open coding, sorting, aggregation and synthesis of responses to the guiding question question: “How would you describe a dating relationship that was unhealthy or harmful?” Narratives provided multi-layered, descriptive characterizations of healthy and unhealthy dating dynamics. Through an iterative process, emergent themes and sub-themes were generated. The five emergent themes were: Amiss or Dissed Communication; Distrust, Dishonesty, Disloyalty; Fighting and Poor Conflict Resolution; and, Abuse. Adolescent AA males displayed a strong awareness of what constitutes unhealthy dating relationship characteristics, especially concerning conflict and abusive behaviors. Characterizations that addressed Communication and Distrust, Dishonesty, and Disloyalty may present areas that should be focused on in future prevention efforts. Prevention and intervention programs aimed at decreasing TDV within the African American community will benefit tremendously from these authentic perspectives. By building off of the knowledge and values already expressed among adolescent AA males, rather than perpetuated stereotypes, programs will more effectively connect with, educate, and empower them to build healthy dating relationship dynamics.Item Depression and Contraception: A Qualitative Study(2020) Ansari, Suha; Steinberg, Dr. Julia; Skračić, IzidoraAmongst the numerous amount of detrimental effects regarding poor mental health in humans, there exists the negative effects of mental health and decision making processes. More specifically, there exists substantial reasoning to believe that mental health disorders such as depression, contribute to contraceptive behaviors. In order to alleviate the burden of poor mental health and risky sexual behaviors, such as neglecting contraceptive use, more research needs to be conducted on the issue in order to develop successful interventions that work towards alleviating these issues. This research team intends to conduct qualitative research that seeks to analyze the extent to which depression influences contraceptive behaviors and investigate these mechanisms by which changes in depressive contraceptive behaviors. Data collection will take place over the course of a year and will occur at three different locations; including a counseling clinic and a family planning clinic in Prince George’s County, and a family planning clinic in DC. After the subjects complete a recruitment and consent form, research staff conducted a brief screening interview with the participants, to which a 30-60 final in-depth interview will be conducted when research staff found that the potential participants met all of the criteria. This data will be used to evaluate potential links between depression/other mental disorders and contraceptive use; with hopes to advocate for further interventions for women who are disproportionately affected by mental illness’s ability to impact important decisions that can impact their health.Item Adolescents' knowledge of JUUL policies and perceptions of enforcement(2020) Nketia, Bryanna; Borzekowski, DinaJUUL is a PAX labs electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) product that entered the e-cigarette market in late 2015 and accounted for 40% of the market share in 2017 (Willet et al., 2018; Huang et al., 2019). This study seeks to understand adolescents’ knowledge of JUUL policies, perceptions of policy enforcement, and intentions to use JUUL based on perceptions of policy enforcement. 300 middle and high school students from both private and public schools in Howard County, Maryland will be surveyed. Data will be analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses. Understanding what adolescents know, think, and do in response to policies is helpful in strengthening policies and curtailing underage JUUL use.Item Examining Biomechanical Correlates to Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Professional Guitarists(2020) Coley, Katie; Dapkus, Katie; Kapoor, Divya; Murphy, Lucas; Patriarca, Laura; Rhee, Hannah; Solomon, Julianna; Waugh, Lauren; Widmer, Abigail; Shim, Jae KunPlaying-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs) are painful conditions that may hinder musicians’ ability to play their instruments, affecting them financially, emotionally, and physically (Kenny & Ackermann, 2015; Zaza et al.,1998). Biomechanical risk factors associated with occupational health disorders include repetitive anatomical movements (Candia et al., 2006), excessive force exerted on the upper-body (Chiang et al., 1993), awkward postures (Blanco et al., 2017), and inefficient muscular contraction patterns while playing (Horisawa, 2013). Despite the high prevalence of PRMDs in guitarists, research on biomechanical correlates of PRMDs is limited (Fjellman-Wiklund & Chesky, 2006). Previous research also suggests that biological females experience significantly greater rates of PRMDs than biological males (Ajidahun et al., 2017; Baadjou et al., 2016; Kok et al., 2018; Ranelli et al., 2011), yet little research investigates why this disparity exists. Therefore, the present research aims to investigate potential mechanisms underlying PRMDs in guitarists and this sex-based disparity. Participants will answer a modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ; Kuorinka et al., 1987) to assess the presence, location, and frequency of PRMD pain. We will utilize the combination of a novel force-measuring guitar, Vicon motion capture system, and electromyography to compare finger force and torque, posture, muscular activation and co-contraction, and variability in playing technique between male and female guitarists with and without symptoms of PRMDs. We hypothesize that biological females and those with PRMDs will exert higher finger contact forces and joint torques, more joint torques in unnatural anatomical positions, greater muscle co-activation, and decreased variability in contact forces and joint torques.