SNCURCS

Optical tweezers offer a method for in-vitro measurement of elastic properties of cells up to the picoNewton scale. We are interested in using optical tweezers to measure the effects of low dose x-ray radiation on cells. The effects of low dose x-ray irradiation on cell growth are ambiguous in terms of benefits to human health and have become an area of relevance to the medical physics community. As a result of ongoing research on cell properties, automating the calibration is a useful step for measuring cell elasticity. To calibrate optical tweezers, a trapped sphere is placed into various axial positions in the position detection laser near its focus and the corresponding position voltages are measured on the optical position detector. The calibration is used to obtain the proportionality constant of voltage and distance, which leads into the trap stiffness. A description of the LabVIEW code and analyzed data is presented.

Appalachian State University
Physics
Mentor: Dr. Brooke Hester

INTRODUCTION: Main Street Marketplace (MSM) is a non-profit organization providing income-based access to fresh foods. MSM designed the Food Pharmacy Program (FPP) to address food-insecure families who fall into the “gap of support” group, referring to families living below a living wage, but above the poverty threshold that would allow government assistance. FPP aims to decrease nutritional insecurity by increasing access to healthier foods for food-insecure residents, specifically in the gap group. FPP is designed to improve overall health, thereby decreasing chronic diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Rowan County residents are affected by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) which are traumatic events throughout childhood such as abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence. ACES can have adverse long-term effects on physical and mental health and general well-being. FPP aims to increase self-efficacy and resilience and decrease perceived stress in this same gap group.

METHODS: After families are recruited, pre-assessment includes physical, emotional, and mental health testing and questionnaires. During the 6-month period, 3 meals/week will feed 4-6 family members for $10/meal. Free access to the local YMCA is provided and they will attend 2 free nutrition education classes. Each week a registered dietitian will provide education, encouragement, and connection to other participants in the program. Two additional assessments will occur at 3 months and after the 6-month period.

CONCLUSION: The MSM aims to improve overall health by providing useful information on healthy food choices as well as resilience and well-being education throughout the program.

Catawba College
Public Health
Mentor: Suzanne Bowser

Probiotics have become increasingly utilized in veterinary medicine to treat gastrointestinal issues in dogs and cats. They work by outcompeting the ‘bad’ bacteria in the gut to support digestive health. Antibiotic use can deplete the gut microbiome, causing digestive problems; however, probiotic supplements are often given with an antibiotic regiment to help repopulate the healthy gut microbiome. As such, we aim to test the consequence of antibiotic use alongside common probiotics prescribed in veterinary medicine. To do this, we first selected the probiotic supplements that we wanted to test and then optimized the conditions required to culture probiotics in the lab. We chose to use the commonly prescribed probiotics, Pro-Pectalin, FortiFlora, and ProViable, and then tested which bacterial growth media the probiotics grew best. So, we diluted the probiotic samples in sterile phosphate buffered saline and made spread plates. We observed optimal growth on Tryptic Soy Agar plates, and will isolate individual colonies for further characterization, including Gram status, growth on selective and differential media, and identification with 16S rRNA sequencing. We will also use an antibiotic sensitivity test to determine whether our isolated probiotics are resistant to antibiotics commonly prescribed to dogs and cats, such as Metronidazole. We expect that the probiotic supplements we are testing are resistant to the prescribed antibiotics, and therefore continue to provide beneficial support for a healthy gut microbiome. The goal of this research is to learn more about probiotics and their essential effect on small animals’ microbiomes for the use of veterinary medicine.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Erin Witalison

Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is one sub-type of breast cancer (BC) that is the most aggressive form with a higher morbidity and mortality rate compared to non-IBC cancer cells. SUM149PT, a type of IBC cell line, is also considered a Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Triple Negative Breast Cancer is negative in estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER-2/NEU receptor. It is a common aggressive type of breast cancer with a high malignancy rate and poor prognosis with a chance of developing cancer cachexia (Zhang, 2022). Current treatments such as local surgical excision and chemotherapy have proven to be ineffective due to the aggressiveness and high resistance rate of the cancer (Lin S, 2022). However, alternative chemotherapeutic remedies such as curcumin and gallic acid have been proven to reduce cancer cell growth and promote cell apoptosis. We hypothesize that treatment with curcumin or gallic acid will result in a decrease in cancer cell growth, metastasis, and cell apoptosis. From preliminary data, we show with MTT analysis that 72h treatment of SUM149PT cells showed no significant decrease in cell viability in Gallic acid except at the higher concentration of 200μM. However, MTT analysis showed a decrease in viability at 10μM, and higher concentrations of Curcumin compared to vehicle control (DMSO).

Fayetteville State University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Willieta Gibson

The overall purpose of this project is to compare viral DNA forms purified from a tomato Lanai plant infected with Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV), using different DNA purification methods. The DNA purification methods used include Zymo Research Genomic DNA Purification, Norgen Biotek Genomic DNA Isolation, MagMAX DNA Multi-Sample, QIAGEN DNeasy, and Invitrogen PureLink Genomic Plant DNA Purification. The results suggest that the magnetic MagMAX DNA method gives the greatest yield of genomic DNA, but we want to find out if the viral DNA is preferentially purified. Agarose gel electrophoresis is one of the most effective ways of separating DNA fragments of varying sizes. To quantify and analyze the DNA forms extracted for the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) is performed. To achieve this, the first-dimension subjects DNA to a certain voltage, separating according to their molecular weight. Next, the second dimension is run moving the gel 90˚ and applying current again.

The two-dimensional gel electrophoresis provides higher accuracy and sensitivity for detecting replicative forms of the viral DNA. Next, the gel is stained in order to visualize the DNA fragments under the UV lights, a non radioactive Southern blot process is followed to detect the presence of the viral DNA and its different replicative forms.

NC State University
Biochemistry
Mentor: Trino Ascencio-Ibanez

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is fallen wood material in a forested ecosystem. It plays a significant role in productivity and creating healthy soil for organisms to thrive. Tree mortality can result from a variety of factors such as a lack of nutrients, disease and competition with other plants. This study investigated the impact of removing CWD on tree heights, tree mortality and soil micronutrients.

We evaluated two treatments (debris removed and no debris removed) on 14 plots in a loblolly pine plantation at NCSU’s Schenck Forest. Tree heights were measured with meter sticks and tree health was assessed using a series of characteristics (i.e., pine needle and branch health/color and amount of dead/dying material). Soil samples were analyzed by Waters Lab for micronutrients.

There were no differences in tree heights between the two treatments (P-value = 0.49). It was expected that the soil micronutrients would be lower in the debris removed treatment however there were no statistically significant differences found (P-values were 0.55, 0.44, 0.54, 0.89, and 0.83 for soil boron, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper, respectively).The only significant difference between treatments was tree mortality with the no debris removed treatments having a higher percentage of dead trees (10% and 18% on debris removed and no debris removed treatment, respectively). Even though there were no differences in most of the tree and soil parameters evaluated in this study, this is the 2nd year of the study and things may differ later.

North Carolina State University
Biology
Mentors: Zakiya Leggett & Porche' Spence

A herbarium is a collection of preserved plant specimens that can be used in many different ways, like academic studies, taxonomic referrals, and public outreach. Digitizing a herbarium’s collection allows these specimens to reach a broader audience and not be restricted to the academic realm. Digitization and outreach can be made possible by herbaria databases like SERNEC, or the Southeast Regional Network of Expertise and Collections, which hosts 233 collections across the southeastern United States. Through a collaboration with North Carolina State University, most UNCP Herbarium (PEMB) was digitized for SERNEC in 2017. In 2019, PEMB acquired the North Carolina Zoo Herbarium (NCZP). We are continuing to expand the PEMB collection and are now doing in-house digitization. The PEMB Herbarium utilizes the SERNEC database, making the collection accessible online. Labels can be transcribed and all the crucial information is accessible to the general public. We have digitized ~200 specimens, filed the NCZP specimens, transcribed hundreds of labels on SERNEC, and georeferenced ~4% of the PEMB collection. Although we made great strides in the summer of 2023, efforts are still ongoing. In-house digitization has expanded PEMB as an educational resource, and we can use this knowledge to teach herbarium digitization and curation to students.

The University of North Carolina at Pembrooke
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Lisa Kelly

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality. It remains a major economic and health burden in the USA and worldwide. In the U.S. alone, CVD was responsible for 1 in every 5 deaths recorded in 2021. Among the many manifestations of CVD, atherosclerosis and intra-arterial plaque formation are the most notorious forms, and inflammation-induced aortic endothelial inflammation plays a key role in the occurrence and development of the disease. Many environmental contaminants such as BPAs and PFAS are well-known human cardiovascular health hazards. Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPLs) are emerging environmental pollutants detected in human tissues, and their adverse effects on cardiovascular health are of increasing concern. This study explores the impact of MNPLs on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8, in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs), which is a protective monolayer within the arterial lumen. HAEC cells were treated with 0.08 μm-sized MNPLs at doses of 20, 120, 240, and 480 μg/mL for 72 hours of incubation. The inflammatory gene expression was quantified using qRT-PCR. Our results showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the expression of iL-8 and iL1-β at doses of 240 and 480 μg/mL as compared to the control in a dose-dependent manner. Whereas no significant changes were detected in the expression of iL-6. Taken together, our results suggest that exposure to MNPLs could induce pro-inflammation in HAEC cells. The results of this study will enhance our assessment of the health effects of human exposure to the emerging environmental pollutant MNPLs.

University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Zhenquan Jia

Photovoltaic cells, commonly known as solar cells, are semiconductor devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar cells are crucial in solar power systems, which use clean and renewable energy sources. Photovoltaic cells operate on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. When photons from sunlight strike the semiconductor material within the cell, they excite electrons, creating an electric current. This current can be harnessed and used as electrical energy. Photovoltaic cells are used in various applications, from small-scale solar chargers and residential rooftop installations to large utility-scale solar farms. They can provide electricity for homes, businesses, and even off-grid locations. The project was designed to develop a solar cell based on a natural dye as the light-absorbing source. Three different types of natural anthocyanin dyes including blackberry, raspberry, and hibiscus will be analyzed and found the most effective dye for a low-cost, efficient solar cell. The solar cell is built on TiO2-coated conductive glass plates. The voltage and current of the blackberry dye-based solar cell are measured and analyzed with raspberry and hibiscus. HOMO-LUMO gap studies will also be employed to identify a natural dye which absorbs light at longer wavelengths.

Wake Technical Community College
Chemistry
Mentor: Kumudu Peiris

This research project examines how social media affects young women’s mindsets relating to body image. The research will consider the problem of comparing oneself to others on a social platform. Having the constant feed of “perfect” people can have a negative effect on women’s self image. Social media is as prevalent as ever, making it hard to escape the urge to compare oneself to others. Messages about body positivity have made their way through various social media platforms but those posts are just a fraction of what users see. 100 participants will be surveyed about various issues pertaining to body image on social media. Findings will reveal the extent to which women are affected by what they see on social media and whether that leads to feelings of inadequacy.

Wingate University
Communication
Mentor: Dr. Daina Nathaniel

Although all organisms regulate their genome, the mechanisms used to achieve this remain uncertain. One strategy employed by cells for transcription regulation is the organization of DNA into silent regions called heterochromatin and active regions called euchromatin. These structures are created and maintained by chromatin architectural proteins such as Satb2. Although Satb2 is located in the nucleus, its mechanism of nuclear import is unclear. The protein contains a predicted but untested Nuclear Localization Sequence (NLS) near its C-terminus. Using truncation analysis and fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that this predicted NLS is non-functional and instead an N-terminal sequence is necessary for Satb2 nuclear import. This region is also sufficient to direct the nuclear import of other proteins.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Mycobacterium Leprae is an intracellular pathogenic bacterium that causes leprosy. It infects and replicates inside a variety of cell types including macrophages, endothelial cells, and glial cells called Schwann cells. The neurological effects of the disease are partially explained by the infection of Schwann cells. In this review, we explore the molecular mechanisms used by M. leprae to attach and infect host cells, which ultimately allow the pathogen to evade the host immune system.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Wherever we venture, we carry an entourage along with us. The human body is composed of approximately 30 trillion cells, with each fulfilling its role to sustain our existence. However, there is more, our entourage is our microbiome too, which is estimated to be over 100 trillion cells. Our research focuses on a specific segment of this entourage. To see what might be lurking in our mouths. We conducted three separate rounds of sampling from eight individuals using buccal swabs. These samples were then pinpointed with a bacterial specific gene, 16S rRNA gene, for next generation sequencing. This gene facilitates the identification of bacteria. For each sample, we sequenced thousands of 16S genes using two different next generation techniques, Illumina and PacBio. This allowed us to characterize the oral microbiome of the 8 individuals. We hypothesize that the PacBio will provide higher resolution of the microbiome because it includes the whole 16S rRNA gene. By analyzing out data, we hope to see that a person’s oral microbiome is unique to that person.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Francisco Camacho

The oral microbiome has a direct correlation to heart health, and the rest of the body. Gum and tooth health starts with a healthy microbiome consisting primarily of beneficial bacteria. If a person’s oral microbiome is not healthy, supplementation with probiotics may be helpful to prevent future oral problems. Our project goal is to determine whether commercial oral probiotic supplements affect the composition of the oral microbiome. To start, we first selected the BLIS M18 oral probiotic lozenge containing the M18 strain of Streptococcus salivarius (M18), which produces an antibiotic called bacteriocin. To determine whether we could grow the M18 probiotic from the lozenge in our laboratory, we optimized growth conditions using common bacterial growth mediums. We found that the M18 probiotic grew best when incubated at 37ºC for 24 hours on Tryptic Soy Agar plates. Next, we will isolate colonies to characterize based on Gram status, and growth on selective/differential media, which we will compare with published literature on M18. We also will obtain IRB approval to give Catawba College students the BLIS M18 lozenge for two weeks. A control group will be given a placebo lozenge (no probiotic) for comparison. We will take buccal swabs from each study participant at the start of the study and again after two weeks of oral probiotic/placebo use. Using Next-Generation Sequencing to determine changes in the microbiome, we hope to find that M18 supports the healthy growth of beneficial oral bacteria, which may prevent or suppress the growth of harmful, disease-causing bacteria.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Erin Witalison

UNC Greensboro
Visual Arts
Mentor: Dr. Leah Sobsey

In classrooms, talk is commonly used by teachers to relay information for learning through whole-group instruction, one-on-one conversations, etc. Due to the frequent use of talk-based teaching methods, it can be proposed that talk is essential to learning in the classroom. This study examines brain neural coupling between the speaker (i.e., teacher) and listener (i.e., student) while engaged in talk-based instruction. Brain neural coupling is the time-locked synchronization of brain activity that occurs when a speaker’s talk is understood by the listener. Taking place in a semi-naturalistic classroom setting, neural responses were measured using a functional infrared spectrometer as participants engaged in talk-based activities with various levels of complexity. This study aimed to understand how significant individual differences impact brain neural coupling and student learning outcomes related to differentiation. Results of the study showed significant and predictable neural coupling patterns occurring when the speaker’s talk was successfully understood by the listener. Results demonstrated how individual differences in cognition impact the occurrence and intensity of neural coupling due to cognitive resources varying between students. This study promotes the application of cognitive neuroscience in the elementary classroom through teaching strategies and pedagogies that consider neural processes occurring during instruction. Results contribute to research suggesting the effectiveness of brain neural coupling as a reference system for predicting student learning outcomes. Future research may focus on how the reference system can be utilized to inform instructional decisions regarding differentiation and accommodations for varied needs of specific student populations.

East Carolina University
Psychology
Mentor: Richard Lamb

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism exhibit changes in synapse formation. The complexities of synapse development have prompted scientists to design neurons made from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) that mimic synapse development in the brain. We research the mechanisms by which dendritic filopodia, structures found in developing dendrites, promote synapse formation and are altered in neuronal disorders. Adhesion molecules, such as N-Cadherin, initiate synapse formation between dendritic filopodia and axon terminals in developing neural circuits. In our research, we immunostain for proteins to identify neurons (doublecortin), associated spine precursors (drebrin), and the adhesion molecule N-cadherin. We then assess whether the presence of the adhesion molecule, N-cadherin, in spine precursors corresponds with increased synapse formation by immunostaining for presynaptic axon terminals using vGlut-1. These studies are being conducted in both 2-D human neurons and 3-D human cortical brain spheroids. The samples are then imaged using a confocal microscope and analyzed to determine the number of spine precursors with an N-Cadherin cluster and their association with presynaptic partners. Thus far, our findings do not support an association between the presence of N-Cadherin and association with a pre-synaptic partner. Similar studies are being conducted in mouse primary neurons to determine whether the mechanisms of synapse formation are conserved between humans and mice, thus uncovering shared principles of mammalian synaptogenesis. Future studies will use knockdown approaches to assess whether N-Cadherin is required for initiation and/or subsequent stabilization of synaptic contacts.

East Carolina University
Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Dr. Karen Litwa

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer with a five-year survival rate of less than 50 percent. Diagnosis for IBC is challenging to detect in mammograms and self-checks due to a lack of a palpable tumor. Due to increased drug resistance and metastasis, alternative methods are being investigated. Gallic acid is a phenolic compound in fruits, plants, and other natural products. This compound has biological activities that are antibacterial, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory. Curcumin is a phenolic compound found in turmeric and extracted from the rhizome (Curcuma longa). Curcumin has anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antioxidant effects. Research has shown that treatment with these two phytochemicals induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis in a non-IBC human breast cancer line MDA-MB-231. This project aims to investigate the anti-cancer properties of gallic acid and curcumin in SUM149 cells. We hypothesize that gallic acid and curcumin will decrease cancer growth and cell viability, which could lead to alternative treatments for inflammatory breast cancer. In this study, cell viability was measured using an MTT Assay. Our data showed through MTT Analysis a decrease in cell viability of SUM149 cells with treatment at 72 hours compared to the controls. Future research will be conducted to determine the anti-cancer properties of the phytochemicals.

Fayetteville State University
Cancer Biology
Mentor: Dr. Willietta Gibson

Since the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill and the North Carolina Farm Act in 20221, the sale and recreational use of hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products in North Carolina has skyrocketed. However, the market for these products is not federally regulated and production and quality vary wildly from company to company. Without regulation there is no accountability for actual versus advertised THC content in these increasingly popular commercially available products. Here we show the actual versus advertised cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), Δ8 THC and Δ9 THC content of a variety of these products obtained from stores in the Raleigh, NC area. Using a variety of methods, we extracted THC from hemp-based products and, using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), identified relevant compounds.

Meredith College
Chemistry
Mentor: Jessica Thorpe

People often make their own basil pesto at home. A common problem, however, is that grinding the basil causes it to brown and take on a bitter, unpleasant flavor. This browning is caused by the activity of polyphenol oxidases (PPOs). We hypothesized that if the genes that code for the basil’s PPOs were knocked out, we could create a basil plant that would not brown when its leaves were used to make pesto. To achieve this, RNAi technology was used to silence PPO-encoding genes in Ocimum basilicum. The first generation of transgenic plants were cultured in a lab, grown to maturity and allowed to go to seed. These seeds were harvested and grown in the Meredith College greenhouse. Once the plants reached a maturity level where they could survive additional stress, a piece of leaf was taken from each plant and tested for the transgenesis marker nptII. We used the nptII-negative plants as controls and the nptII-positive plants as our experimental group. The plants were assessed for differences in their PPO activity and color change. On average, the transgenic plants had 23.8% less PPO activity and were 19.6% lighter after 24 hours than non-transgenic plants.

Meredith College
Biology
Mentor: Karthik Aghoram

Meredith College is a small, historically women's, liberal arts college in Wake County North Carolina. In the fall of 2023, we launched an online survey to assess primarily undergraduate student familiarity and perceptions of gene drive technology. We chose gene drives as the topic as it is a currently rapidly evolving field. As science and technology progress, we might be able to use this technique to help work towards solving specific problems in health care and conservation. If we can determine how people feel about this technology, then we can bring more awareness to the use of gene drives and science in general. To complete this project, we first looked at the current research on gene drive technology to deepen our understanding of the topic. We performed a literature review and determined whether past perceptions of gene drives were based on qualitative or quantitative data. We then designed and conducted our survey based on previous survey questions asked in other studies. This was carried out to see whether the overall perception of gene drive technology was primarily positive or negative and how much baseline knowledge students carried on our campus. We also asked for background information and other qualifiers. With this information, we plan to gauge student gene drive perceptions on campus and any correlations we may find.

Meredith College
Biology
Mentor: Meghan Serr

Implantation of cardiac implantable electrical systems (pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators) are the mainstay for the treatment for patients with serious arrhythmias for decades. Removal of the transvenous leads through lead extraction with mechanical and laser tools is an important procedure when leads are infected, fractured, or need to be removed. Unfortunately, this procedure has potential life-threatening risks including tears of the SVC, myocardial perforation, or cardiac tamponade. Pre-procedural CT scans can identify sites of binding to vascular structures or where there is lead perforation. Currently findings on CT scans have not been shown to predict major complications, however they have been shown to be associated with longer procedure times and increased procedural complexity. Machine learning can improve the current predictive risk models by integrating CT findings with personalized patient characteristics to provide superior prediction models. Patients undergoing lead extraction procedures who had pre-procedural CT scan, demographic information, procedural metrics, and patient outcomes were included. Findings identified as discrete areas of binding where the lead was not luminal along with additional CT findings were used as inputs. Frameworks built on Tensorflow 2.0 and Pytorch were developed to receive and process DICOM image files to extract features from pixel image data in addition to patient demographics to conclude the presence and location of binding as well as predict procedural complications. Future research includes experimentation with data augmentation and expansion of the dataset and model optimization.

NCSSM
Computer Science, Medicine
Mentor: Kevin Manocha, MD

Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) is the effect of chemicals on the developing nervous system. Most chemicals have not been tested for DNT due to high cost and extended time of in vivo testing. To enhance the assessment of chemicals for DNT, a battery of 16 new approach methodologies (NAMs) made up of human and animal cell models as well as Zebrafish was developed that assess key neurodevelopmental events. The Division of Translational Toxicology at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences used this battery to generate screening level information on 115 chemicals that were nominated by various stakeholders due to DNT concern. Based on preliminary data, Pyraclostrobin, was selected for this project. Pyraclostrobin was active in most of the DNT NAMs battery at concentrations 0.005μM-54μM. About half of the assays had specific effects, meaning that the benchmark concentration (BMC) of the DNT endpoint was at non-cytotoxic concentration. Integrated approaches for testing and assessment (IATA) case study will be developed to determine if Pyraclostrobin has DNT potential in humans. IATA allow the combination of a variety of information sources e.g., in vivo, and NAMs approaches to understand hazard for chemical risk assessment. A systematic literature review will be performed using the software, Sysrev. Additionally, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) models will be utilized to compare data from the DNT NAMs battery and the literature search. The IATA case studies can help build confidence in NAM based approaches and categorize potentially toxic chemicals more efficiently.

NIEHS
Toxicology
Mentor: Helena Hogberg

In most tissues, fibroblasts play a pivotal role in tissue remodeling and repair, primarily by contracting the extracellular matrix (ECM) to form a new tissue matrix. During this intricate process, neutrophils, the body's frontline immune defenders, are notably concentrated around injury sites. Neutrophils have the capability to release Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) under specific conditions, composed of DNA and histones, forming proteinaceous nets in the extracellular environment.

This study investigates how NETs and neutrophils impact the mechanism of fibroblast-mediated collagen contraction, a critical process in tissue regeneration. The investigation employed a comprehensive experimental approach, utilizing cultured lung fibroblasts and isolated neutrophils from healthy human blood. Rat tail collagen gel samples, simulating an real tissue microenvironment, were employed to observe the effects of NETosis (formation of NETs) on collagen contraction. NETs were visualized through Sytox Green staining, enabling quantitative analysis of collagen droplet area and contraction irregularities within round-bottomed well plates.

The results are striking. When Neutrophils and NETs are present, fibroblast-mediated collagen contraction is significantly enhanced compared to control samples without them. The mean contractile percentage increased from 0.4204 to 0.6006, signaling a remarkable impact of NETs and neutrophils on collagen contraction.

These findings shed light on the complex interplay between fibroblasts, NETs, and neutrophils in collagen matrix remodeling. Importantly, the irregular collagen contraction observed in the presence of NETs may have implications for tissue scarring. Further exploration of this phenomenon could unveil novel therapeutic approaches to mitigate scarring following various types of tissue injuries.

North Carolina School of Science and Math
Biology
Mentor: Arvind Chandrasekaran

While electrodes have historically been placed on a short-term basis in patients, the data provided by this has been highly limited. To expand the scope of data researchers procure from electrodes, long-term implementation is required. However the long-term degradation of these electrodes encapsulated in liquid crystal polymer is an unknown variable that requires testing. As such researchers have developed soak testing as a method to soak the electrode in a phosphate buffered saline solution mimicking the salinity and temperature of blood to measure delamination of the liquid crystal polymer coating the electrode.

In this project, we prototyped 3 solutions to long term soak these electrodes in a heated environment and simultaneously tested each independent design, assessing pressure leakage, water height reduction, and other indicators of the chamber not being hermetic.

North Carolina School of Science and Math
Engineering
Mentor: Dr. Jonathan Viventi

Across the globe, access to economical reading material for visually impaired people is limited. Braille documents, generated by embossing dots on Braille paper, are expensive and permanent. Refreshable braille displays (RBDs) have been developed to regenerate content repeatedly, similar to a computer display. Typically, RBDs display just a couple of rows of Braille characters using pins controlled by complex actuators. The display is refreshed by repositioning and holding pins in a new state after the user has read the displayed content which requires a continuous power source. This need for actuators and continuous power supply make such devices cost-prohibitive, in the range several thousand dollars, especially in developing countries. The proposed solution is a simple and economical RBD that can provide wider access to Braille material. The key components are a braille board, a computer interface and a printing head. The braille board has rows of a six-hole pattern, matching braille character dimensions, drilled into it. Each hole holds a pin, in an up or down position, using friction. The printing head presses specific pins in a configuration that creates Braille characters on the board. A computer interface that converts text into Braille characters sends signals to control the operation of the printing head. After printing is completed, no additional power supply is required to hold the pins in position. This RBD is significantly lower in cost because it neither requires expensive actuators to individually activate the pins nor a continuous power supply to hold the pins in position.

North Carolina School of Science and Math
Engineering
Mentor: Pramod Kolar

My research analyzes publicly available genomic data from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, utilizing Python to search for mutations differing in prevalence across geographic locations. It’s significant as it addresses the knowledge gap pertaining to the way these mosquitoes (known to transmit Yellow Fever) may have evolved differently over time. The research addresses the hypothesis: “If there are differences seen between the Aedes aegypti mosquito populations, then adaptation must’ve occurred within those populations (which, in vectors, is often driven by insecticides).” For the 1st Step, I read in the mosquitoes’ genotypes & calculated the frequency of each mutation in each population. For preliminary analysis, only allele frequencies in Colombia & Senegal were analyzed. Lastly, I plotted the magnitude of genomic differences between mosquitoes from Senegal & Colombia to identify genes/regions that may be responsible for recent adaptations (e.g. insecticide resistance). Preliminary results indicate that genomic regions containing substantial genetic differences will be identified & will include genes targeted by insecticides in Aedes / other insects.1 Previous research has used genetic differences between populations to study adaptive evolution in humans. However, my research adds to the understanding of adaptation by analyzing differentiation between mosquito populations instead of humans. This study is significant as analyzing the way the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes evolve may provide insight into how they can adapt to a changing selective environment & help design better insecticides. Future experiments may help determine the function of these mutations.

North Carolina School of Science and Math
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Daniel Schrider

Reinforcement learning, a machine learning training method based on rewarding desired behaviors and punishing undesired ones, has taken the field of artificial intelligence into a new age. A common method of reinforcement learning that is being used are Deep Q-Networks, or DQNs. There are still problems with the optimization of these DQNs as there are many hyperparameters to be set and the optimization simply follows a complex structure. In order to push the bounds of reinforcement learning, the optimization of these DQNs need to be simplified, but enhance performance at the same time. A novel metaheuristic swarm-based optimization algorithm, the Artificial Bee Colony, or ABC algorithm may provide the answer to the optimization problem presented by DQNs. This algorithm was introduced by Karaboga (2005) for optimizing numerical problems. It was inspired by the intelligent foraging behavior of honey bees. Throughout this project, a Python library was developed to implement the ABC algorithm in neural networks for RL tasks, in which the ABC model outperformed the standard DQN model by at least a factor of 15. However, there was a slight difference in the iteration time where the DQN model had an average of 9ms and the ABC model had an average of 12ms. This library could be applied to other RL tasks. For example, it could be used in real-world applications such as self-driving cars. With this new library, the training of neural networks used for RL tasks could be more accurate and finished within a shorter period of time.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Artificial Intelligence
Mentor: Collyn Gaffney

Constructed social hierarchies and habits in the United States workforce, targeting Latino immigrants, were analyzed through a multi-layered study of racial work inequalities. Beginning with the Bracero discrimination in 1942 to the present 2023 Florida Anti-Immigrant Senate Bill 1718, I will delve into work ethnocentrism and the psychological aftereffects on Latino immigrants and their familial relations. My research has a strong emphasis on anti-immigrant social movements, government policies, as well as examining a correlation between immigrant children's education affected by parental work positions, and working conditions imposed upon immigrant workers and their health decline. Through literature review, published research reports, peer-reviewed studies, interviews, and newspapers, I was able to collect the data needed. In my research, I used 2 major research strategies: (1) a quantitative analysis of data ranging from national-level to county-level. (2) a qualitative analysis of situational and social case studies. This research argues that Inequality in the United States Workforce is caused by racialized outlooks and challenges the argument that victim repercussions are inconsequential. U.S. workforce injustice is one of the major reasons for the decline of education in immigrant children, increasing drop-out rates and the college attainment gap, also a leading significance on the health decline Latino workers are battling in the United States. Using the data from this research, we can work to dismantle the ethnocentrism that propels the racial work injustice leading to the “Immigrant Trauma” crisis infesting the United States economy.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Humanities
Mentor: Dr. David Cantrell

NeuroLens is an AR-assisted neurosurgical system that provides guidance to surgeons on catheter placement during external ventricular drain (EVD), a common neurosurgical procedure that requires cerebrospinal fluid to be drained from the brain’s ventricular system. NeuroLens includes a sensing-integrated phantom skull with fisheye lens cameras that calculate the distance between the tip of the catheter and a target point to provide the catheter placement accuracy in real time for AR guidance. Though this provides critical feedback to surgeons on how close the catheter is placed to the target point, there are discrepancies in the distance reported along the edges of the phantom model and around the target point due to the distortion of images captured by the fisheye lenses. To optimize the system, we used a camera calibration algorithm specifically designed for fisheye lenses and took more photos, to improve the accuracy of the calibration, in an environment similar to real testing conditions. For validation, we calculated the distance errors between the sensed and real measurements. We discovered that the average distance error of our newly calibrated system significantly decreased from 2.54 mm to 0.32 mm. This means that the new fisheye calibration achieved sub-millimeter accuracy, which is crucial to reduce the possibility of complications. For future work, we will map the coordinates from the newly calibrated camera system to our AR headset to optimize the alignment and orientation of the catheter’s hologram, further improving the system’s overall accuracy.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Computer Science
Mentor: Sarah Eom

Optical tweezers are an instrument used to trap and manipulate single microscopic particles and are usually integrated into an optical microscope for viewing the trapped object. Larger particles trap further away from the laser focus while smaller particles trap closer. Our custom-built position detection software requires that the image of the trapped object be in focus. So changing the particle size also requires a focal plane adjustment for our microscope. Without a tunable lens, the process must be done by manually adjusting a lens on a track. This is a tedious process, and can cause the particle to come out of the trap. Using a tunable lens on optical tweezers simplifies the process of adjusting the plane of focus while gathering data.

Appalachian State University
Physics 
Mentor: Dr. Brooke Hester

Feral hogs have been known to occur in the central piedmont of North Carolina since approximately 2012, centered on a putative illegal hog release event in Davie County, NC near the confluence of the Yadkin River and South Yadkin River. The feral hogs spread quickly to neighboring Rowan County. Three - 5 x 5 meter hog exclosures were placed on properties in Rowan County owned and managed by the Three Rivers Land Trust in spring 2015, forest floor vegetation sampling in the exclosures and adjacent control plots occurred in Fall 2015 and 2023. Data will be discussed from these sampling events including stem density, species richness, and vegetation height. Preliminary data suggest serious impacts of hog browsing and rooting that may influence future plant community structure and trajectory.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Jay F Bolin

As climate change and different types of man-made pollution become a prevalent topic of discussion, there is a need for more understanding of the effects of air pollution on cognitive abilities and neurocognitive disorders. Air pollution is a combination of increasing particles of gas/liquid and microscopic debris that has negative effects on the human body (National Institute of Health, 2023). Just as awareness for air pollution is growing, so is awareness for dementia, amongst other neurological disorders. Dementia is an umbrella term for neurocognitive disorders that impair memory and cause changes in personality (Greenblat, 2023). Some recent studies have indicated a link between air pollution and dementia. For instance, exposure to air pollution was found to be correlated to increased hospital admission due to dementia (Harvard, 2020). In a longitudinal study, Zhang, et al. (2023) not only found a connection between developing dementia and living in places with higher levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), but the impact was higher for non-White, those of less formal education, and those of less wealth. The National Institute of Health has therefore called for more studies in these areas. This presentation will therefore summarize and highlight information on the relationship between air pollution and dementia, provide recommendations for addressing the problem and directions for future studies.

Fayetteville State University
Psychology
Mentor: Pius Nyutu

Nanoparticles are tiny particles ranging from 1-100 nanometers in size. Silica Nanoparticles are a type of nanoparticle made up of silicon dioxide, the most abundant compound on Earth. One intriguing application of nanoparticles is deen in medicine with drug delivery. However, an issue faced with the use of silica nanomaterials is seen in cytotoxicity. SiNPs can have toxic effects resulting in SiNPs-induced cell and organ injuries. The cytotoxicity of nanoparticles can be reduced by using “natural compounds” to increase their biocompatibility. Spent grain in particular is a byproduct of the brewing industry that has high concentrations of SiO2 that allow it to be used for biosynthesis while being sustainable. Therefore, the focus of this study is on bio-synthesizing silica nanoparticles using spent grain for the purpose of reducing cytotoxic effects and creating an increasingly environmentally friendly protocol. Rice hulls were refluxed in 0.2M nitric acid for 5 hours and then rinsed and dried. They were then heated to 400oC, 600oC, and 800oC for the complete silica extraction to occur. The extracted silica was then put through a sol-gel reaction to formulate the nanoparticles. These biosynthesized nanoparticles will be characterized using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and UV-Vis technology and tested for their drug adjuvant and antibacterial properties using bioassays.

North Carolina School of Science and Math - Morganton
Biology
Mentor: Jennifer Williams

The research question guiding this study is: How can women-of-color-led labor movements teach us strategies to more effectively address sexual violence and harassment on college campuses? The study delves into the historical treatment of women of color, particularly black women, under American law, highlighting the systemic sexual exploitation and violence they endured during slavery and beyond. It explores how black women, during the reconstruction era, initiated movements to reclaim their womanhood, exemplified by the black women's club movement and the labor movement. Recognizing the structural similarities between labor industries and higher education institutions, and the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses, the researcher formulated the research question. By conducting thematic analyses of significant labor movements led by women of color, the study identifies patterns in their strategies and methods for addressing sexual harassment and violence in their respective industries. The findings reveal crucial lessons that can be applied to universities. First, the importance of unity and collective bargaining, which empowers women of color to freely discuss their experiences of sexual harassment. This calls for accessible and free counseling services for students. Second, the need to advocate for more than the bare minimum, such as establishing clear and effective appeals processes that ensure justice for survivors. Third, the study emphasizes the necessity of increasing consequences for institutions that fail to report sexual violence statistics accurately under the Clery Act. The findings underscore the urgency of implementing proactive measures that prioritize the safety of students rather than the reputation of an educational institution.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Gender Studies
Mentor: David Cantrell

Populations of owl species are in danger due to declining habitat. Owls play an important role in maintaining the local rodent population, which aids in preventing the spread of disease. To better understand the local rodent population and its potential for disease transmission, owl pellets were collected from an abandoned building soon to undergo renovation in Burke County, NC. Eight pellets were dissected under a laminar flow hood resulting in twenty two samples. Teeth and jawbones were surface sterilized and dried before pulverization. DNA was extracted from the dissected rodent incisors utilizing the Qiagen DNEasy spin columns. Mammal primers were used to amplify a 400 bp mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA fragment through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Mitochondrial cytochrome b is the accepted barcode used for genetic identification of mammals. The resulting amplicons were sequenced and aligned to mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences within GenBank's BLAST database. Ten sequences most closely aligned with Sigmodon hispidus, commonly known as the Hispid Cotton Rat. Other sequencing attempts were either unsuccessful or suggested contamination. Sigmodon hispidus is known for transmitting respiratory diseases that are detrimental to human health. Prior to building renovations, it will be important to relocate the owls to a nearby location where they can continue to maintain the prey population as determined in this study.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Biology
Mentor: Jennifer Williams

Depression is the persistent sadness or lack of interest in previously rewarding activities and has devastating effects on much of the global population. The neuropeptide cholecystokinin (CCK), which controls satiety in humans, travels along a signaling pathway related to the brain-gut axis in humans. This suggests a relationship between the pathway and experienced emotions in relation to depression. Increased levels of CCK have been correlated with increased suicide attempts, and the effects of CCK-like pathways in arthropods have exhibited an increased correlation between peptide levels and feelings of satiety. Though a similar pathway (using the ArSK/CCK neuropeptide) has been identified in the evolutionarily proximal echinoderm Asterias rubens, little is known about the effects of these peptide levels on depressive symptoms through observation of feeding and energy metabolism. This study observed the effect of injected ArSK/CCK1 peptide on satiety and energy homeostasis through examination of initial and final stomach eversion areas of Asterias vulgaris, synonymous with A. rubens. Energy homeostasis was observed using a constructed open-flow respirometer taking measurements, which predicted energy creation using the rate of dissolved oxygen consumption to be used for cellular respiration. Seeds of the plant Ziziphus jujube Spinosa var. were previously observed to produce antidepressant activity in animal studies against stress. In future work, ethanol extracts will be taken from the seeds of Z. jujube and injected into A. vulgaris. The change in energy metabolism will be measured by examining dissolved oxygen consumption rates to determine the effect of Z. jujube extracts on A. vulgaris.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics - Morganton
Biology
Mentor: Jennifer Williams

Existing literature following the COVID-19 pandemic reveals that individual experiences of anxiety and depression increased due to isolation, loneliness, and financial stressors. While some older adults have experienced more mental health conditions, current research establishes conclusions using data from younger and/or neurotypical populations. We examined potential differences in life satisfaction and problems associated with depressive symptoms or other emotional issues from before the pandemic (n = 28) to during the pandemic (n = 58) in adults over 60 years old who were experiencing cognitive impairment (either a diagnosis of MCI, Alzheimer’s Disease, or scored above 8 on the Short Blessed cognitive screener). All participants lived at home. Before the pandemic, participants completed in-person data collection (January - March 14, 2020). Beginning in April 2020, participants completed the protocol virtually. The two groups were statistically equivalent in terms of their impairment on the Blessed Screener and Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D), as well as in the number of problems attributed to depressive symptoms or other emotional issues. A significant difference in life satisfaction was found, where COVID-19 participants reported higher life satisfaction compared to participants before COVID-19. This difference suggests that isolation of families in-home may have had an unexpected positive impact on cognitively impaired older adults, demonstrating the importance of consistent familial connection on their mental health. Our findings indicated that older adults with cognitive impairments experienced more positive life satisfaction during the pandemic compared to what other distinct groups have reported.

North Carolina State University
Psychology
Mentor: Shevaun D. Neupert

In recent years, Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments have sparked research to better understand the impact of subjective age on quality of life in older individuals diagnosed with a cognitive impairment. Subjective age is one’s perception about their age and how old they felt, how old they felt they looked, and how old they felt physically and mentally. We compared how subjective age interacts with responses regarding mental health. Participants (n=86) reported on their mental health, physical activity, and subjective age. Additionally, the Short Blessed Test for Alzheimer’s and the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D) were administered to indicate level of cognitive impairment. Impairment ranged from those diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment/Alzheimer’s to individuals with impairment but no diagnosis. Overall, results from correlations showed that people who reported feeling older mentally, as well as feeling older in general, also reported experiencing more problems due to depressive symptoms or other emotional issues. However, there was no significant relationship between how old they felt and cognitive impairment scores. This indicates that although subjective age was important for mental health, we found no evidence that it was related to severity of impairment.

North Carolina State University
Psychology
Mentor: Shevaun D. Neupert

Increasing urbanization has been linked to the decline of insects like bees, as habitat needed for foraging and dispersal becomes fragmented. Within urban spaces, landscape features often hinder movement and isolate spatial ranges of bees. Additionally, the Southeast is one of the most rapidly developing regions of the US, leaving urban pollinators vulnerable to loss of resources and pathways. While certain landscape features, such as roads, have been characterized as barriers to movement for pollinators, their impact relative to other urban landscape features remains unknown. The goal of this project is to measure the extent to which different urban landscape features limit pollinator movement. Through June-July 2023, I measured pollinator movement across roads, buildings, suburban forest patches, fields, and community gardens in Raleigh, NC. To do this, I placed cucumber plants ~20-30m apart at 5 urban community garden sites, with each group of plants being separated by a landscape feature. I applied fluorescent dye powder to the stamens of cucumber flowers to track pollinators, with dye particles moving from a stamen to a stigma indicating movement. Overall, I inspected 555 stigmas to record the amount of dye transferred. I used generalized linear mixed models to estimate the probability and the amount of dye transfer as a function of each landscape feature. The movement across features differed significantly (p < 0.05) with buildings having the least amount of movement. From the results of this project, more informed urban development can be made to better facilitate foraging and dispersal of pollinators.

North Carolina State University
Biology
Mentor: Elsa Youngsteadt

Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterium that causes one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in humans, who are their natural host. If untreated, chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and epididymis. The bacterium adheres to the cell membrane of epithelial cells before entering them. The resulting inclusion body provides protection from the host immune system, allowing the bacteria to replicate and interact with various cellular proteins. Antibiotics like azithromycin reduce the bacterial population by inhibiting the prokaryotic ribosome. In this review, we articulate our present knowledge of the molecular mechanisms used by C. trachomatis to infect host cells.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis, an infectious disease that affects the lungs. According to the World Health Organization, Tuberculosis is the ninth cause of death worldwide and the leading cause of mortality by a single infectious agent. Here, we review the life cycle of M. tuberculosis and the molecular mechanisms of how it infects host cells, evades the immune system, and ultimately is reactivated from latency.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

The purpose of this paper is to outline a possible solution and a new way of thinking about a very old problem. Over the years, machine learning has helped to improve the time it takes to evaluate and solve Traveling Salesman Problems (TSPs), but nonetheless, they are still very time-consuming. The approach to these problems has remained somewhat similar for quite some time now. The added structure and ability to translate from one type of data to another given by categories lends itself quite nicely to the TSP. Within this paper, the objective is to provide a possible framework for the solving of TSPs, not necessarily a concrete solution. At the very least, category theory presents an interesting approach to the problem.

Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology
Mathematics
Mentor: Ezekiel Hokett

Ebola Virus Disease is a dramatic and lethal disease that has killed a recorded 15,266 people as of 2020. The disease is caused by the Ebola virus, a non-enveloped single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus belonging to the filovirus family. In this review, we discuss the present understanding of the molecular mechanisms used by the Ebola virus to attach to host cells and infect them. We also explore how the virus employs various strategies to evade the immune system and how the host’s immune system responds to the virus.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterium responsible for various sexually transmitted diseases which impacted 1.6 million Americans in 2021. The pathogen adheres to and infects epithelial cells, which allows it to evade many host defenses. Here, we review the current understanding of the life cycle of C. trachomatis, focusing on its unique developmental cycle, virulence factors, and how it survives within epithelial cells.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentors: Dr. Brett Schofield

Influenza, or the flu, is a disease of the upper respiratory system that infects about a billion individuals annually. It is caused by four related species of virus - Influenza A, B, C, and D. The Influenza A virus (IAV) is responsible for the majority of severe cases and is the only species to have caused flu pandemics. IAV shows a remarkable ability to transfer between species using antigenic shift. As a result, IAV capable of infecting humans has originated in a variety of animals such as aquatic birds, marine mammals, pigs, and horses. Here, we review the present understanding of how IAV attaches to host cells and infects them, as well as the mechanism of antigenic shift and how it allows IAV to cross species barriers.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Payment for ecosystem services (PES) programs provide financial incentives to landowners who voluntarily adopt conservation practices. The decision of a farmer to participate in a PES program is primarily influenced by two factors: the specific attributes of the contract offered and the individual characteristics of the decision-maker. We surveyed 197 farmers in the Tar-Pamlico watershed, presenting them with demographic questions and a choice experiment. Farmers were asked to choose between two hypothetical conservation programs or a status-quo option of neither conservation contract. For our experiment, contract attributes include limits on nitrogen (N) application, cover crop requirements, funding source, and payment per acre enrolled in the program. Decision-maker variables include the farmer’s age, education, and experience, as well as the farmer’s threat appraisal (i.e., their perceived level of concern regarding nutrient loss on their farm). Performing a conditional logit regression model, we analyzed the effect of each contract attribute and decision-maker variable on the willingness of a farmer to participate in a PES program. Consistent with previous literature, we observe a highly significant positive relationship between payment and participation. As expected, we find a negative effect for strict N limits. We also observe a significant positive relationship between threat appraisal and participation. Farmer experience and farmer age both demonstrate negative correlations with a farmer’s willingness to participate. By understanding and optimizing these factors, we can inform policy decisions for how PES programs are implemented and targeted.

Appalachian State University
Economics
Mentor: Greg Howard

Thiamine-dependent enzymes utilize a N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) species derived from thiamine to catalyze carbon-carbon bond-forming or breaking reactions. Similar synthetic NHCs have been shown to catalyze many reactions not found in nature, such as radical reactions. Inspired by these discoveries, we hypothesize that thiamine dependent enzymes can catalyze radical reactions with high yield and high selectivity. To test this hypothesis, we have performed a model reaction between α-ketoglutarate and methyl α-bromoisobutyrate catalyzed by the thiamine-dependent enzyme SucA. Preliminary LCMS analysis of the reaction indicates enzyme dependent formation of product, suggesting that the enzyme is performing radical chemistry. The successful completion of this work will provide an environmentally friendly approach to catalysis of novel radical transformations.

Campbell University
Chemistry
Mentor: Evan Reynolds

Time efficient methods of screening claimed active pharmaceutical ingredient dosages in controlled substances may help reduce the prevalence of counterfeit drugs. Correlations were calculated between an expedient attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) method using 46 powdered ciprofloxacin tablets from Kenya and their ciprofloxacin concentrations determined by the more time consuming high performance liquid chromatography method. Only poor correlations were found over most of the infrared spectral region, even with baseline correction and normalization. This analysis suggests that varying amounts of excipients or impurities in real samples pose a challenge for assaying solids by ATR-FTIR.

Campbell University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Jordan Womick

Chronic primary pain conditions (CPPCs), including pelvic pain, lower back pain, and temporomandibular disorder, affect one in three Americans. Previous work in our lab demonstrated that low activity of the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme and corresponding increases in catecholamine levels cause widespread pain affecting abdominal, back, and plantar sites through activation of adrenergic receptor β3(Adbr3). Yet, pain at orofacial sites has not been evaluated in our mouse model of CPPCs. We hypothesize that COMT +/- intervention mice will exhibit the highest levels of hyperalgesia. Thus, three groups of female wild-type or COMT+/- mice were exposed to three days of stress or sham stress, followed by a molar extraction or sham surgery. Grimace (spontaneous pain), feeding behavior (non-evoked pain), and orofacial Von Frey (evoked pain) were then measured over 14 days, with the operator blinded to the experimental conditions. Preliminary data show that COMT+/- mice exhibited an increase in spontaneous grimacing behavior, reduced motivation to undergo noxious orofacial stimulation in exchange for a reward, and heightened sensitivity upon application of mechanical von Frey stimuli. Thus, we concluded that these three behavioral tests are valid measures of chronic primary orofacial pain. Adjustments to the tests and refinement of the restraint method for orofacial von Frey are warranted to optimize behavioral response data collection and quality. Therefore, further testing, and implementation of these three behavioral assays to the array of behavioral tests on the abdomen, paw, and back will further elucidate the mechanisms contributing to overlapping CPPCs.

Fayetteville State University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Andrea Nackley

While controversies revolve around the ideal lifestyle for military couples and families, recent studies have shown that individuals whose spouse served or is actively serving in the military face many more obstacles than civilian couples face. Such adversities are likely to impact physical and mental well-being, and in turn, affect satisfaction with life. This study was therefore designed to find out the relationship between military spouses’ physical and mental health, and satisfaction with life. Data from 286 military spouses collected for a larger study on the career adaptability and satisfaction of military spouses were analyzed using regression analysis with satisfaction with life as the dependent variable and physical health and mental health as predictors. The results indicated that only up to 3.7% of life satisfaction can be associated with the physical and mental health of the participants involved in the study. The implications of the findings were that those working with military spouses on their physiological and psychological well-being should not always assume that physical and mental health implies a level of satisfaction with life. There is a need for further research on factors that contribute to military spouses’ satisfaction with life. The presentation will discuss the implications of the findings in supporting military spouses’ well-being and provide recommendations for improvement of their life satisfaction. The impact of other factors such as participants' race, education level, employment status, spouse’s military branch and deployment status will also be discussed.

Fayetteville State University
Psychology
Mentor: Dr. Pius N. Nyutu

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in the perinatal period has not been widely studied, with reported prevalence rates ranging from 1.6% to 9% (Russell et al.,2013). OCD is characterized by recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions), such as contamination, that prompt repetitive behaviors that attempt to rid these thoughts (compulsions), such as repeating or checking (APA Dictionary,2023). Research has shown that symptoms of OCD during the postpartum period were related to obsessions about harming the infant (e.g.,59.9% obsessed with aggression toward infants; Starcevic et al.,2020), but little is known about OCD during pregnancy. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the possible types of obsessions and compulsions experienced during pregnancy. We hypothesized that for pregnant mothers, contamination and symmetry would be the most prevalent obsessive symptoms, and harming would be the most prevalent compulsion symptom. We recruited pregnant participants (N=149) who had no pre-existing report of an OCD diagnosis. Symptoms were measured using the Brief Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (BOCS; Bejerot et al.,2014). Categories included contamination/cleanness, harming obsessions, checking, religion/magical thoughts/superstition, morality and justice, symmetry/exactness/ordering, just-right/repeating rituals/counting, hoarding and saving, somatic obsessions, and self-damaging behaviors. Results indicated that 29.2% of new mothers experienced symptoms of Morality and Justice, followed by Checking (24%) and Symmetry (22.2%). These findings indicate the need for more research and screening regarding OCD during pregnancy, in order to better understand how OCD affects early parenting, and for prevention and intervention programming.

Meredith College
Psychology
Mentors: Dr. Pamela Norcross & Dr. Betty-Shannon Prevatt

Testing soluble derivatives of oleanolic acid and its effect on the cell division of yeast cells in YPD broth. The goal of this research is to reduce proliferation of yeast cells. Over the summer, the focus was on several oleanolic derivatives, however we are now focusing on Acetyloxy-olean-12-en-28-amide. This is important in our field of study because scientists want to figure out a way in which to slow down or stop the growth of cells. This could be innovative in finding a cure or treatment for cancer. Since cancer is uncontrolled cell division. 

Meredith College
Biology
Mentors: Dr. Walda Powell & Dr. Karthik Aghoram

We conducted the first faunal survey of freshwater turtle species in the Lake James watershed which extends across McDowell and Catawba counties, NC. This survey allowed us to identify the area's turtle species richness (e.g. number of species) and estimate the population structures of these species. We did this in order to better understand their local natural history and provide the Lake James Environmental Association, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the Lake James watershed, with data to understand the biological resources and conservation needs of the region. To collect data, we trapped turtles at various sample sites throughout the drainage and recorded catches before marking turtles with a notch on their shell and re-releasing them. Trapping efforts were repeated at the same locations numerous times and all recaptured individuals were noted. Using our data on recaptured individuals, we employed the Lincoln-Peterson Index to estimate population size by species at every sample site. We also calculated total sampled species richness at every site we surveyed. During our inventory we identified five turtle species and trapped >100 individuals, including members of a thriving population of Eastern River Cooters (Pseudemys concinna), which have been previously undocumented in McDowell County.

Montreat College
Ecology
Mentor: Joshua Holbrook

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are a prominent symptom associated with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These individuals cannot be targeted accurately as the etiology of such conditions are unknown. The goal of the research is to create 3-D organoid models from GI biopsy tissue. Further characterization of the intestinal epithelium is conducted through immunofluorescence techniques used on passaged organoids retrieved from cryopreservation. Tissues were received from the duodenum and right colon of two groups: experimental group (patients with ASD experiencing GI issues) and control group (patients without ASD experiencing GI issues). Ileocolonoscopy was conducted on patients with ASD and symptomatic gastrointestinal disorders to receive GI tissue. Initially, tissue isolation was conducted to obtain the intestinal crypts of the biopsies. Lgr5 + stem cells were retrieved and surrounded with media consisting of growth factors. Organoids grew in Matrigel into spheroids and eventually into enteroids. Upon incubation, media changes, and further observation, organoids underwent passage. The organoids were cryopreserved to examine prolonged viability. Following this process, passage was conducted once more. Upon observing the growth, differentiation media was applied to prepare for immunofluorescence. Anti-MUC-2, Anti-E Cadherin, and DAPI were utilized for detection of specialized cell types like goblet cells and adherens junction proteins. Comparisons were made with differentiated and undifferentiated organoids, ASD and non-ASD duodenum, and ASD and non-ASD right colon. The results show that we can create characteristically different organoids and keep them viable through cryopreservation. Further investigation is required in verifying the morphological differences between ASD and non-ASD organoids.

NCSSM and Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Biology
Mentors: Yosauri Fernandez Figuereo & Stephen J. Walker

Lithium extraction and disposal inevitably harm the surrounding land and lead to air pollution. Lithium batteries are an essential part of day-to-day life, especially in the age of electric cars and paradigm technology, and without changes, the contamination of the environment will continue to escalate. The experiment conducted focused on finding an alternative to the toxic lithium battery. Tin (Sn), Aluminium (Al), Thin Sheet Copper (TTCU), and Thick Sheet Copper (THCU) were used in the experiment, as well as sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) and hydrochloric acid (HCL). The experiment involved creating a solution battery with the aforementioned metals and a simple 0.1 Mol solution of Copper (II) Sulfate Pentahydrate (CuSO₄●5H₂O). The most promising combination is Sn, TTCU, and H₂SO₄. This trial was so promising due to the stronger H₂SO₄, which optimized the reaction time between the Sn and TTCU. This experiment shows it is possible to find an alternative to lithium.

NCSSM, UNC Charlotte, Center for Stem Education
Chemistry
Mentors: Gregory Wickliff & Jennifer Kant

This study examines the traditional college culture of binge drinking in African-American students and why males may be more likely to indulge in excessive alcoholic beverages than females. Using an archival survey dataset, we examined the social and demographic factors associated with alcohol consumption. The African-American participants were full-time and part-time undergraduate students (N = 535, 60% female, age range 17 -23) at historically black colleges or universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina in 2001. The participants self-reported how much and how often they consumed alcoholic beverages in one sitting and if they had symptoms ranging from hangovers, damaged property, memory loss, etc., all within the last year—foreshadowing the parallelism of negative consequences and the DSM criteria for alcohol use disorder.

North Carolina A&T State University
Psychology
Mentor: LaBarron Hill

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), is the process of mapping an environment while also localizing the mobile device’s pose within it. SLAM algorithms have become essential with applications in robotics, augmented reality (AR), and autonomous vehicles. Current methods to evaluate the accuracy of SLAM systems with real-world datasets require ground-truth pose data, which can be costly and time-consuming to obtain in practice. Therefore, we used a 3D-rendered, virtual scene instead to test SLAM, using the popular 3D game-engine, Unreal Engine. By following the trajectory of a real-world dataset called Sensetime, we produced a new Unreal dataset with the virtual images and ground truth values. Finally, we ran two SLAM systems, ORB-SLAM3 and AdaptSLAM, on both the original Sensetime dataset and our Unreal dataset. We found that ORB-SLAM3 saw a 345% error decrease from Sensetime to Unreal, while AdaptSLAM increased by 80%. As a result, it was concluded that using a game-engine was a reasonable alternative for evaluating tracking and mapping algorithms like SLAM, while also allowing more control over the scene. We also explore how to compare maps generated with different shapes, textures, and environments using a geometric point-cloud distance metric. Lastly, we analyzed the effect of internal SLAM parameters on its performance, using our virtual dataset. Adjusting factors such as lighting, changing object smoothness, or using an inertial sensor can also be useful for analysis.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Computer Science
Mentors: Ying Chen & Maria Gorlatova

Metastatic ovarian cancer is difficult to cure due to its extensive spread. To contain the spread, the current standard of care is chemotherapy and radiation. With cancer this advanced, chemotherapy rarely provides a curative effect, therefore we are attempting to create an alternative treatment: a 3D bioprinted matrix containing therapeutic neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs have been used as a vehicle to treat glioblastomas, as they have demonstrated the ability to home to and destroy cancer cells. One caveat to this treatment is that when the cells are injected, they are cleared readily; to improve upon this, we are implementing a biodegradable 3D bioprinted matrix that encapsulates the cells, to provide a barrier against clearance, and to promote sustained release of cells as the material degrades. To produce a bioprinted material, a resin formulation with low cytotoxicity to cells and stable mechanical properties following 3D printing is necessary. For this, we evaluated each component of the resin for cytotoxicity, where the top candidates of resin formulation were printed and degradation rates were evaluated by immersion in a collagenase solution maintained at body temperature. When we evaluated our degradable control made of gelatin methacrylate, we found that it was degrading within a day, reproducing previous results. However, we still need to evaluate the other controls. Through the in vitro cytotoxicity assays, we concluded that PEGDA with a molecular weight of 700g/mol is highly cytotoxic, and future studies will focus on replacing that specific monomer in the resin formulation.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics
Chemistry
Mentor: Jillian Perry

Why Alzheimer's Disease?
Considering the emergence of COVID-19 as a factor in the spread of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) within the U.S., cognitive illnesses are somewhat undermined, and their severity goes unnoticed. More importantly, the strain on the elderly population and their caregivers, faced with social isolation as well as limited emotional support has increased. Based on this, I sought to address a noncommunicable disease (NCD) that affects many in the United States and is associated with mental health. After researching and discussing with specialists in the medical profession, I weighed the pros and cons of addressing different NCDs and settled on Alzheimer’s Disease. This neurodegenerative disorder negatively affects around 5.8 million Americans' working memory, a framework in the brain that temporarily stores and manipulates information. This is a debilitating condition, and the pandemic has worsened treatment accessibility as well as the mental health of patients and their caregivers. In my research, I discovered the potential of game therapy for Alzheimer’s (AD) and depression treatment; the decline in the neuropsychiatric health of patients during the pandemic; and the stress that caregivers are under. I attempted to create innovative and entertaining ways to allow patients with AD to retain high cognitive functions and skill sets while in social isolation.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Neuroscience
Mentor: Dr. Himanshu Batra (The New York Academy of Sciences)

Malaria is a life-threatening disease transmitted to humans through bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, and despite global efforts to control and eliminate it, malaria remains a public health challenge, with an estimated 247 million cases in 2021. Further climate changes in temperature, humidity, and rainfall have an impact on important factors that dictate the transmission of malaria. In 2023, the US recorded the first home-grown malaria cases in decades. Effective control strategies include larval source management at breeding grounds to reduce mosquito larvae, thus reducing the population of adult malaria mosquitoes. However, assessing and treating potential malaria mosquito habitats is difficult and costly. Project MalDrone aims to develop an automated system to detect potential larval habitats for Anopheles mosquitoes and deploy an automated drone to treat these habitats. It is known that malaria mosquitoes breed in vegetated bodies of water. We used hyperspectral data from Landsat-8 or Sentinel-2 to detect malaria habitats. We developed an automated system that could be updated every eight days to segment areas of aquatic vegetation within a specific area. From there, waypoints can be input into an automated drone, equipped with a variable-speed sprayer system, deployed to treat the habitats. Maldrone has a huge potential to impact the health of millions worldwide due to its low-cost, easy-to-use, and efficient approach to detecting and treating malaria mosquito habitats, thus reducing the spread of malaria.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics 
Engineering & Public Health
Mentor: Suchandra Bhattacharjee

This study focuses on the realm of biodiversity preservation through the application of advanced Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques to analyze pond samples. The primary objective is to identify and characterize the diverse range of vertebrates and invertebrates inhabiting the preserve. A special focus is placed on the elusive mole salamander, which has remained unseen for years, sparking curiosity and ecological concern. By harnessing the power of NGS, this research aims to uncover the molecular traces left by these often-hidden creatures within the pond’s microbial communities. Through a metagenomic approach, DNA sequences derived from environmental samples will be scrutinized, enabling the detection and documentation of species that might otherwise elude traditional observation methods. The findings of this study not only contribute to our understanding of the pond’s ecosystem but also hold the potential to inform conservation efforts by shedding light on the status and presence of the mole salamander and other elusive species. The implications of this research extend beyond the specific preserve under investigation, offering valuable insights into the broader field of metagenomic analysis and its applications in biodiversity conservation and ecological research.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Francisco Camacho

The continual pollution of our environment with polymer plastic derivatives has made it increasingly important to find contemporary approaches for plastic and microplastic decontamination. Recent novel investigations have identified microbial partners in our environment capable of degrading a variety of plastic polymers, such as polyethylene, polyester and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). We therefore sought to survey microbial communities from our Catawba College campus to determine if resident microbiota may possess enzymes capable of degrading PHB. Samples were collected, and diluted if needed, before being inoculated onto PHB-infused Nutrient agar plates according to procedures set forth by Egusa et. al. (2018). Several PHB-degrading strains were isolated, axenically cultured and analyzed for enzymatic activity, followed by genotyping analysis using 16S barcoding. Future work will look at the potential synergistic effect of PHB-degraders in mixed cultures. The enzymatic breakdown of PHB presents an opportunity to explore this concept of biologically degraded plastics as a solution to the disastrous global plastic waste problem.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Carmony Hartwig

When the body encounters a pathogen, its first line of defense is the innate immune system. One of the main arms of the innate immune system is the complement system. Depending on the type of trigger, the complement system may follow either the classical pathway, the lectin pathway, or the alternative pathway. Previous studies in our lab suggest that the complement systems of mice primarily use the alternative pathway, whereas the complement systems of humans primarily use the classical pathway. In this project, we are reconstructing the classical pathway system using purified proteins, using immune complexes and purified proteins C1 and C4 and looking for cleavage products, with the long-term goal of examining differences between how classical pathway proteins in humans and mice interact with immune complexes. If the immune complexes of mice do not demonstrate cleavage to the C1 and C4 complexes, this would indicate that mice are not able to be used as accurate models of human immune systems, and future research should avoid the use of mice to model human complement systems. If the immune complexes of mice cleave to C1 and C4 complexes, it can be concluded that mice have a comparable complement system to that of humans and may therefore be used as accurate models of the human complement system.

NCSSM, Duke University
Hematology
Mentors: Gowthami Arepally & Sanjay Khandelwal

Stress is an important factor for overall amphibian health as it impacts infection risk with fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Elevated CORT concentrations have been found to suppress amphibian immune systems and thus increase fungal infection susceptibility. Pathogenesis with Bd is negatively impacting amphibian populations around the world and in North Carolina. Bsal has decimated salamander populations in Western Europe, but has not yet been detected in North America. Our research aims to contribute to local Bsal detection efforts. For this study, we have nine field sites including Wake County Parks and the Meredith College campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. At each location, we dermally swab individual amphibians for Corticosterone (CORT), Bd, and Bsal. We also record biometric data (weight, snout-to-vent-length, etc.) and the location where each individual was captured. CORT is used as a correlate of stress, and will be analyzed using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs). At this time, we are refining CORT analysis to determine the best way to quantify CORT from dermal swabs. We will also test the individuals we swabbed to determine if they were infected with Bd and/or Bsal. Bd and Bsal samples will be shipped to the USGS National Wildlife Health Center for analysis by the SNAPS (Student Network for Amphibian Pathogen Surveillance) program. Measuring CORT, correlating CORT levels and fungal infection, and surveying for Bsal in Wake County amphibian populations is an important first step to understanding the overall health of local amphibians.

Meredith College
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Megan Serr

Early developmental exposures to heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known to cause neurobehavioral dysfunction. However, interactions between these classes of pollutants have not been assessed, despite the fact that they are frequently found together in the environment. In this study, we are examining the neurobehavioral effects of the heavy metals lead (Pb) or cadmium (Cd) alone and in mixtures with the PAHs benzo-a-pyrene (BAP) or fluoranthene (FA). Zebrafish were exposed to control solutions, individual pollutants, or binary metal-PAH mixtures of pollutants for the first five days post-fertilization (dpf). They then underwent the DanioVision swimming activity assessment on day 6 (larval) and day 30 (juvenile), where they were exposed to sudden light and tracked for movement as an indicator of anxiety levels. The Cd-PAH larval stage experiments showed that Cd leads to hyperactivity in the light, while the added exposure of PAHs counteracted this and decreased activity levels. The results highlight the need for a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms through which toxins interact with each other and with the brain, as their effects may not be purely additive. Future work should be focused on the interactions of other widespread heavy metals and PAHs, as well as continued behavioral testing into adulthood to see if any alterations in anxiety, fear response, or decision-making persist or evolve.

NCSSM Duke University Superfund Center
Toxicology
Mentor: Dr. Edward Levin

P2X purinoreceptor 4 (P2X4R) plays pivotal roles in many diverse physiological processes, and its upregulation has been linked to neuropathic pain, depression, neuroinflammatory diseases, and various other conditions. Although several P2X4R-blocking compounds have been developed, factors such as limited water solubility and bioavailability hinder their clinical relevance. This study focuses on the identification of selective P2X4R antagonists with therapeutic potential for diseases and conditions related to the activation of P2X4R. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analyses based on known lead compounds were utilized to identify novel P2X4R antagonists with optimized drug-like properties, and computational models were used to predict the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties of the potential compounds using the StarDrop software developed by Optibrium. A scoring profile was generated and used to predict the likelihood of success of each new compound. Furthermore, a homology model of the P2X4R in its homotrimer form was created, and molecular docking studies are currently being performed using the Schröndinger suite to elucidate the interactions between the designed molecules and the binding sites on P2X4R. Through these methods, 27 new compounds were identified as promising candidates for targeting the P2X4R. One of the compounds, whose parent was 2-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-[4-(cyclobutylmethoxy)-3-sulfamoylphenyl]acetamide, is predicted to cross the blood-brain barrier, unlike its parent, and has a higher predicted pIC50 of 8.9 as well as a lower topological polar surface area within the desired range.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Biology
Mentor: Jennifer Williams

Socioeconomic status (SES) affects political beliefs and attitudes, yet the ways in which political participation may be affected by perceived feelings of control as a result of SES remains underexplored. We hypothesized that although SES may prime critical agency and political attitudes, it does not necessarily inform or generate socio-political participation, even in times surrounding elections where individuals may be more motivated or encouraged to participate politically. We utilized data from the 2018 U.S. Midterm Election Stress Coping and Prevention Every Day (ESCAPED) study, a daily diary study that lasted for 30 days surrounding the election on November 6, 2018. It included 140 participants aged 19-86 from the United States. We collected daily data on socio-political participation in the past 24 hours, critical agency, and daily perceptions of control. Participants’ yearly income and subjective social status within the U.S. indexed SES. A multilevel model revealed that people who felt higher up on the subjective socioeconomic ladder, relative to the U.S. population, reported lower levels of past daily political participation. However, on days when people experienced more perceived constraints, they reported increased levels of political engagement the previous day. The model suggested that sociopolitical participation did not have any significant association with critical agency. Rather, it was impacted by subjective and objective SES. Alongside this, if they had engaged in recent political activity, they were more likely to feel less in control.

North Carolina State University
Psychology
Mentor: Shevaun D. Neupert

Sweden's tax history stretches across many centuries. In the 18th century, the country implemented high taxes on goods, and in the 19th century, it introduced income tax, land tax, specific food taxes, and taxes on metal production. As the 20th century progressed, Sweden also implemented corporate tax, capital gains tax, value-added tax, property tax, and payroll tax. In the 21st century, Sweden made revisions to its tax policies and introduced carbon, energy, and excise taxes. The goal of Sweden's high taxes has been to promote economic equality, finance social welfare programs, and invest in human capital and infrastructure.

Sweden's progressive tax system has provided the necessary funds for extensive social welfare programs, resulting in high levels of well-being, happiness, and economic prosperity. The study examines the impact of various tax rates on high-income individuals. It highlights a maximum effective marginal tax rate of 75 percent and presents different perspectives on the consequences of tax cuts for economic growth and tax compliance. The peak tax rates occurred in 1990 and were attributed to the extensive social assistance programs and government incentives in place at that time, showcasing the dynamic nature of Sweden's tax landscape.

Furthermore, the study analyzes the disparities between the STR and the EETR for corporations. The STR reached its highest point in 1989 before declining, while the EETR fluctuated due to changes in tax legislation and economic conditions. Sweden's commitment to raising environmental tax rates, particularly for energy and transportation, aligns with its broader strategy to promote eco-friendly behavior and address the impact of pollution on the environment.

Wingate University
Business
Mentor: Dr. Kristin Stowe

Satb1 and Satb2 are chromatin architectural proteins that regulate global gene expression by making sweeping changes to DNA organization. Both proteins have been linked to tumor formation and progression in different contexts. Satb1/Satb2 gene regulation and cancer progression are comparable in their lack of complete understanding, and the linkage between Satb1/Satb2 and tumorigenesis. In order to properly understand the linkage, more must be known about the regulation and function of Satb1/Satb2 in normal contexts. Satb1 dimerizes with itself and is believed to bind to DNA as a tetramer. How Satb2 binds DNA is unclear, but the homology between Satb1 and Satb2 suggests that it also dimerizes. Additionally, this homology also gives rise to the little-explored possibility of Satb1/Satb2 heterodimers. Here, we test Satb2 homodimerization and heterodimerization with Satb1 by coexpressing a WT protein with a nuclear-import deficient (NLSdlt) protein in HeLa cells. Dimerization will allow the NLSdlt protein to be imported into the nucleus, while the lack of dimerization will confine the NLSdlt protein to the cytoplasm. The subcellular location of each protein was determined by fluorescence microscopy. Our research elucidated how Satb1 and Satb2 proteins form homodimers and if they will heterodimerize with each other in a DNA-independent manner; including finding the domain where the proteins bind together to form homodimers/heterodimers. Our results indicated that Satb1 and Satb2 can form heterodimers/ homodimers with each other and that the hypothesized dimerization domain, the N-terminal Ubiquitin-like Domain (ULD) of each protein, is necessary and sufficient for homo- and hetero-dimerization.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a Lentivirus from the Retroviridae family with a unique life cycle. It uses complicated intracellular molecular mechanisms to successfully replicate and survive in host cells. Understanding of these mechanisms is crucial for the creation of antiviral drugs and providing infected individuals with a healthy life. Here, we review the current understanding of these mechanisms including attachment to the host cell via interaction with the host CD4 receptor and CCR5 coreceptor; conversion of viral RNA into DNA by reverse transcriptase and integration of the viral DNA into the host genome; and the creation, assembly, and budding of new virus particles.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic soil fungus primarily found in the midwestern United States. It initially spreads by airborne spores that attach to cells that line the lungs of mammals. H. capsulatum can switch between mold and yeast forms to ensure expansion despite environment changes. The mold form is typically found on non-living objects, while the yeast form is used to infect mammalian macrophages. In this review, we explore the present understanding of the life cycle of H. capsulatum and the mechanisms it uses to infect macrophages and spread to other cells.

Wingate University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Brett Schofield

In optical trapping experiments, metallic nanoshells can heat strongly due to the excitation of surface plasmons when exposed to light. Understanding this heating effect is important for gaining an overall understanding of the physics of the plasmon-optical trapping interaction and for experimental design optimization. To measure the temperature of a single metallic nanoshell in an optical trap, we compare the high-frequency power spectra of trapped nanoshells at various laser powers with two optical trap wavelengths and validate our results by comparing trap stiffness determined through power spectral analysis with that derived from the equipartition theorem and using Boltzmann statistics. The improvement of the identification of the temperature in the process is the goal of this project.

Appalachian State University
Physics and Astronomy
Mentor: Brooke Hester

Casein and whey proteins are known to promote muscle protein synthesis and recovery. Casein is slowly digested, and whey is quickly digested. Pre-sleep casein intake has shown increased overnight muscle protein synthesis compared to no supplement or a placebo. This study hypothesizes that pre-sleep protein ingestion enhances recovery compared to baseline. A secondary hypothesis suggests better recovery during 2 weeks of pre-sleep casein consumption than with whey protein. METHODS: NCAA Division 2 collegiate athletes (volleyball, swimming, golf) wearing Whoop bands will be randomly assigned to two groups. One group will consume pre-sleep casein for 14 days, while the other will consume pre-sleep whey. A 7-day washout period will follow, with no protein intake before sleep. Then, participants will switch to the alternate drink for 14 days, unaware of the protein type. Anthropometrics, food records, sleep and stress questionnaires, and training schedules will be monitored to maintain routine performance conditions. Whoop band data will be collected, and dependent t-tests will compare recovery between no protein, casein, and whey. RESULTS: Preliminary analysis suggests that the pre-sleep casein group exhibits higher recovery compared to those taking no supplement or whey. These results confirm both hypotheses, indicating that casein improves recovery over no supplement and whey protein, based on data from Whoop bands.

Catawba College
Health Science & Human Performance
Mentor: Suzanne Bowser

Every year in the US, on average, there are roughly 16,000 homicides with around 40% of those cases going unsolved. In an effort to help lower this yearly average, there have been recent studies looking to discover indicators of cadaver burial within a region. These indicators could be another useful key for detectives to use in identifying burial sites. This experiment was conducted in the Catawba College greenhouse using sections of the small intestine from Sus scrofa. There will be three plots set up: I- clean organic soil (control plot), II- control plot with fertilizer, III- animal tissues buried between 5-7cm. Seeds of Alaska Pisum Sativum will be planted in all plots to study growth. After the growth period, observations of the plants, such as height and life stage, will be recorded and compared to one another as well as observations of the specimen samples decomposition. A chemical analysis will be performed to compare different aspects of the soil from each plot including soil pH and levels of various chemicals within the soil. This chemical analysis will be done using the soil-testing kits and the HPLC and IPC instruments on the levels of heavy metals and other compounds in the soil. We hypothesize that the specimen samples will have a positive impact on the growth rate of the plants and the chemical components of the soil, as well as noticeable physical differences within the plants, showing the implications of a decomposing body on the surrounding areas.

Catawba College
Chemistry
Mentor: ChaMarra

Epithelial cells play a key role in protecting our body from hazardous environmental factors. The most detrimental threat to our cells is the sun because excessive sun exposure can lead to numerous pathologies, sunburn and premature aging. The sun exposes our cells to harmful UV rays, including UVA and UVB rays. Since our skin is our body’s first line of defense, epithelial cells are the primary cells affected. This prompted my research to question what is happening on the molecular and genetic level to our cells after exposure to UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. For my project, I am using MCF-7 breast cancer cells cultured under standard, sterile conditions. I will start by exposing the MCF-7 cells to UVC radiation in different time increments (30 seconds up to 5 minutes). From this, I will determine the effect of UVC exposure on MCF-7 cell viability using a Resazurin assay. It is already well-known that UVC exposure is lethal to cells, but we are interested in determining the molecular effects of low exposure that does not induce a significant decrease in viability. Furthermore, I will use a Comet Assay to examine the extent of DNA damage caused by the low exposure to UV light. These techniques will allow me to observe changes to gene and protein expression and oxidative stress response pathways. Our results can ultimately help improve our understanding of DNA damage, and oxidative stresses caused by UV radiation.

Catawba College
Cellular & Molecular Biology
Mentor: Erin Witalison

‘Zombies’ and Apocalyptic-level Horror. Terms often associated with Cordyceps, a genus of parasitic fungus that has been documented to infect a wide range of insects and arthropod hosts, in a story that pushes the boundaries of fiction, yet remains terrifyingly real. The success of this parasitic fungus is attributed to manipulating the behavior of the host, often favoring survival and reproduction, with fatal detriment to the host (Bekker, et al., 2014). Such behavior is exhibited through phenotypic attributes, such as a “death grip” that involves fungal chemical manipulation of the host that directs them to climb up vegetation and anchor their mandibles to the underside of a leaf stem, or twig. Once in their final resting place, the fungus continues to flourish from within, eventually sprouting fruiting bodies from the host (Lin, et al., 2020). Among this diverse array of documented hosts, Camponotus spp., commonly known as carpenter ants, have been recently found within Catawba College’s Ecological Preserve with demonstrated infection by Cordyceps. Camponotus spp. have been identified as parasitized within the temperate woods of adjacent South Carolina, recently renamed after the Citizen Scientist that discovered it as O. unilateralis kimflemingiae. In this study, we aim to first identify the fungal species capable of infecting local Camponotus spp. hosts on the Catawba College campus using ITS barcoding, and further explore the potential effects of varied microbiomes on the ability for Cordyceps spp. to establish infection on specific host species vs. non-host species using 16S Metagenomic analysis.

Catawba College
Biology
Mentor: Carmony Hartwig

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive species in the United States. We measured the decline and patterns of change in a Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) dominated swamp forest in the Catawba College Fred Stanback Jr. Ecological Preserve (FSJEP). In the fall of 2019 we established six, 200 m2 plots using a nested plot design to measure changes in the canopy, sapling, and herbaceous vegetation. We resampled the plots in fall 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Our data indicated low diversity in the tree canopy, tree importance values in descending order, green ash, sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), red maple (Acer rubrum), black willow (Salix nigra), American elm (Ulmus americana), and the American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis). In Fall of 2019 green ash trees were visibly showing signs of EAB infection. In Fall 2019 no ash trees were standing dead, but by 2022, 78% of the green ash trees were dead. The importance value of the green ash canopy declined from 2019 (IV = 1.61) to 2022 (IV = 0.90). Based on photometric methods canopy coverage declined strikingly from 73.1% to 5.78% from fall 2020 to fall 2022. Successional trends based on canopy mortality and sapling dynamics will be presented. Vegetation data from fall 2023 will be incorporated into the dataset and discussed.

Catawba College
Environment & Sustainability
Mentor: Jay F Bolin

The objective of this study was to examine the experience and perceptions of participants from the Fresh Start Produce Prescription (FSPRx) program. Produce prescription (PRx) programs promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables by providing vouchers redeemable at a market or retailer and typically prioritize individuals with a nutrition and/or health risk. While PRx programs have demonstrated impact on nutrition and cardiometabolic outcomes, few have been implemented in rural areas and there is little research examining the experience of rural participants in PRx programming. This study used a pretest-posttest design and included uninsured patients diagnosed with type-2 diabetes or prediabetes who were recruited from safety net clinics in rural Eastern North Carolina. The FSPRx program included a PRx with non-starchy vegetables, group educational classes with a focus on improving food literacy, cooking demonstrations that aligned with the PRx, and individualized behavioral support via telephone-based health coaching. Audio-recorded phone interviews with a sub-sample of program participants (n=25) lasting 10-30 minutes were conducted post-program, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed. Themes from participants’ experience with the program included self-reported nutrition and health improvements (e.g., increased diet quality, culinary exposure, physical activity), the effectiveness of health coaching on self-efficacy and motivation for lifestyle changes, social support (e.g., group classes), and overall positive satisfaction with the synergistic manner of the program. Future programs should continue to examine and evaluate the experience and perceptions of participants in PRx programming within rural regions to better understand and overcome barriers to implementation and utilization of a PRx.

East Carolina University
Nutrition Science
Mentor: Dr. Lauren Sastre, PhD, RDN, LDN

Due to the overuse of antibiotic drugs over the past 80 years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as “superbugs” have begun wreaking havoc in healthcare. One area of growing interest in this topic involves analyzing compounds from plants found in essential oils. Numerous oils, such as thyme oil, have been used for thousands of years as solutions for common ailments caused by bacterial infections. However, studies on essential oil effectiveness against human skin microbiota have been limited. The objective of our study was to perform hydrodistillation to extract oils from cinnamon bark, dried thyme leaves, and orange peels. Characterization and separation of the distilled oils was done using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify each of their main components. We then observed the effects of these oils on common human skin microbiota, including S. epidermidis and S. simulans through agar disk diffusion to catalyze bacterial-oil interaction. The results of our experiments showed that Cinnamon oil was the most effective in restricting the bacterial growth of both species. Thyme oil also restricted bacterial growth but was not as effective as cinnamon oil. Orange peel oil was unsuccessful at limiting bacterial growth. Based on these results, future studies regarding how compounds in cinnamon oil could be used in skin care products to prevent the overgrowth of human skin microbiota need to be conducted.

Gardner-Webb University
Natural Science 
Mentor: Dr. Meredith Rowe

Post-high school pathway decisions, specifically whether to attend college or not, are well-researched in education literature (Bransberger 2020, EdChoice, 2022, National Student Clearinghouse 2022, Tirado 2022, and Yamamoto 2023). It has been shown that those in low-income or rural communities lack the basic needs of educational opportunities through teaching methods, coursework offerings, and just basic “college knowledge” (knowing how to apply to college, etc.) (Morton et.al. 2018, Oakes et.al. 2021, Poynton et.al. 2021, Romberger 2021, Steiger et.al. 2023, and Xing et.al. 2019). By finding the source of the “why” students make their post-high school pathway decisions, we can then look for solutions to bring “college readiness” to all students in North Carolina. Finding common factors that influence students’ decisions to attend or not attend college benefits parents, school administrators, and students alike. Therefore, this paper examines the “why” factors involved in students’ post-high school pathway decisions and provides data for researchers and educators, which could help them find solutions to reduce the college attendance gap between low-income and high-income students. Consequently, this research has the potential to highlight the inequalities in the North Carolina education system.

High Point University
Sociology
Mentor: Dr. Mark Plume

Staph infections caused by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are one of the leading causes of nosocomial infections today. These infections can lead to various skin diseases, pneumonia, bloodstream infections and, if left untreated, sepsis. Traditionally, these infections have been treated using a variety of antibiotics. However, the number of drug resistant S. aureus strains has increased, which in turn has decreased the ability of current treatments against infection. As one of the six ‘ESKAPE pathogens’, S. aureus has one of the highest mortality rates of drug-resistant bacteria. The creation of novel anti-infective substances is essential to enhance our defenses against these bacterial species. An alternative to creating novel antibiotics is to use so-called adjuvants to inactivate the antibiotic resistance mechanisms employed by bacteria. Previous research identified loratadine, the main component of Claritin, as an effective adjuvant against MRSA. Moreover, it showed that the carboxy-ethyl tail of loratadine is essential for adjuvant activity. However, this tail is easily cleaved within the human body, thus eliminating any adjuvant activity. We have synthesized a small library of non-cleavable, alkyl and aryl loratadine derivatives. Compounds were evaluated for their ability to potentiate beta-lactams and vancomycin and to inhibit biofilm formation. Synthetic details, structure activity relationships and biological data will be presented.

High Point University
Chemistry
Mentor: Dr. Meghan Blackledge

Obstructive sleep apnea (OBS) is a common condition where air flow to the lungs is blocked by relaxing of the throat muscles. This happens repeatedly during sleep and leads to a reduction in oxygen intake which can be fatal. The severity of OSA can be measured by the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). AHI represents the combined average of apneas and hypopneas that occur per hour of sleep. A mild AHI ranges from 5-15 apnea/hypopnea events per hour, a moderate AHI ranges from 15-30 events per hour, and a severe AHI ranges from >30 events per hour. Hypertension (i.e. high blood pressure) refers to excessive pressure in blood vessels (≥140/90 mmHg). Some patients exhibit severe hypertension, which is classified as having a blood pressure above 180/120 mmHg. In the Mecklenburg Neurology patient sample, we observed a majority of patients suffering from hypertension in conjunction with their OSA (mild, moderate, and severe OSA). Those with hypertension exhibited increased AHI compared to those with normal blood pressure. This data was further analyzed to better understand the observed trend between hypertension and OSA severity.

Mecklenburg Neurology
Neurology
Mentor: Michael Amiri

Student attitudes and perceptions surrounding mental health treatment on college campuses heavily influence use of on-campus mental health facilities by college students (Çebi & Demir, 2020; Shea et al., 2019; Ebert et al., 2018; Jennings et al., 2017). With the recent rise of mental health issues in the college-aged population, I sought to better understand the barriers to mental health services at a small, liberal arts, women’s college. (Holtz et al., 2020; Shea et al., 2019). Participants (N=120) completed an online survey assessing demographic characteristics, general attitudes towards mental health treatment, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and perceptions of the campus Counseling Center. Bivariate analyses revealed that participants with symptoms of depression and anxiety were significantly more likely to have used the Counseling Center, while those with negative attitudes towards utilizing mental health services reported significantly lower willingness to use the Counseling Center in the future. Regression analyses indicated that students experiencing mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression symptoms, are more likely to reach out for help; however students who do not value their own mental health and/or do not think they will find a good fit with a mental health provider are less likely to seek support. To overcome these attitudinal barriers to care, more information about Counseling Center services, staff, and protocols should be made available to students so they can better understand the strengths and limitations of services available to them.

Meredith College
Psychology & Social Work
Mentor: Dr. Betty-Shannon Prevatt

Is there a limit to the size of the universe? Is it possible to travel very far in one direction and return to our starting point? To answer these and other questions about the topology of the universe, researchers have gathered data through satellites that have been sent into space to gather information on Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). Studying the CMB is one way that researchers may be able to discover the topology of the universe. Many methods have been used, and while the data researchers have collected are amazing, they have yet to lead to an answer.

The goal of this presentation is to introduce the main ideas of topology and to explain what we know about the topology of the universe today. The presentation is aimed for an audience who do not have advanced knowledge in the field of mathematics and physics. The presentation will begin by introducing basic topological concepts such as 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional manifolds. Then there will be a quick introduction to a few geometric spaces. Once we have covered the mathematical background needed, we will explore CMB and its origin. This is crucial to understand the idea of matching circles that is the main point of this presentation.

Meredith College
Mathematics
Mentor: Phillip Andreae

While work has been done in geospatial data regarding housing markets, no nationally scalable procedure has been established to compare cities' housing markets and the resulting housing disparities. Durham is an ideal start, as it has a historic black wall street, a part of a rapidly developing hub for technology and innovation, and is experiencing rapid neighborhood change. Therefore, it is geographically ideal to examine and can be scaled to other locations with varying demographics. Broadly, this quantitatively analyzes housing markets and housing disparity among various demographics by mapping homeownership rates. This paper analyzes the demographics of the geospatial distribution of investment properties using census data, a Python API, and textual analysis packages in R. Preliminary results and existing literature indicate that black families in low-income areas will likely have more investment properties in their neighborhoods, leading to a disproportionately higher renting rate than white people in high-income areas. This knowledge is not new; however, this methodology can be applied to any region in the United States to compare how the homeownership rate and housing disparities fluctuate over time and from city to city. This allows for an in-depth examination of what housing and urban planning policies promote and foster equity within communities of color.

NCSSM and Duke University
Samuel DuBois Cook Center for Social Equity
Mentor: Dr. Omer Ali

The Yarbrough Drive Central Utility Plant supplies North Carolina State University with a portion of the electricity for the university operations. This plant was built in the 1920s and has undergone a plethora of upgrades and repairs over the past century. The plant is equipped with a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) to monitor concentrations of criteria pollutant emissions from the plant. The objective of this study is to model and analyze the dispersion of pollutants into the campus environment as well as to the surrounding community. Using local climatological data from NOAA and emissions data from a 2019 NC Department of Environmental Quality inspection, a Gaussian dispersion model was created to examine the movement of air pollutants based on wind speed and atmospheric stability. This model aimed to calculate the concentrations of criteria air pollutants at ground level, where most of the campus community comes into contact with the outdoor air. Based on our calculations, it can be concluded that the concentrations of pollution from the Yarbrough Central Utility Plant vary both temporally and spatially. Specifically, pollution concentrations at ground level are highest 1 km away from the plant during the spring and fall seasons. Based on these results, the Yarbrough Central Utility plant does not singlehandedly contribute pollution to the atmosphere in levels that exceed the NAAQS standards. Our findings do not point to any major concerns for ground level air quality near the plant.

NCSU
CNR - Dept. FER
Mentor: Jennifer Richmond-Bryant

Stormwater infrastructure (SI) inventory is labor and time-consuming work for both existing SI assets and new SI projects. As a result, acquiring a comprehensive SI database for smart communities is a hard human task, especially for rural areas and disadvantaged communities that have unequal public services and resources. This research project aims to enhance the automatic level of the SI inventory fieldwork process by using reality capture technologies and reducing human powers. First, the state-of-the-practice SI inventory approaches have been reviewed, in which the geographic information system (GIS) database has been used to store the SI assets’ information of location, dimension, and size. Second, the state-of-the-art reality capture technologies, such as photogrammetry and LiDAR (light detection and ranging) SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) have been compared in collecting the 3D point cloud of SI assets. Then, the handheld LiDAR SLAM scanner was selected, and the pilot studies were completed on the North Carolina A&T State University campus. The results show that: LiDAR SLAM can reduce the fieldwork duration for fast 3D reconstruction of SI assets in both settings of good global positioning system (GPS) signal or no setting (in which a closing loop is required to minimize the errors). Different scanning paths have been tested, walking on both directions of sidewalks or curbs to scan a roadway section in a close loop will yield enough dense point clouds to represent the manholes, and junction boxes. The experimental results can benefit the future application of using a robot to carry the LiDAR sensor to complete the SI inventory automatically.

North Carolina A&T University
Built Environment
Mentor: Yuhan Jiang

Culture media has the ability to alter lipid and mitochondrial components which can alter the
survival rate of bovine oocytes. Mushroom extract is reported to have effects on fatty acid oxidation. We hypothesize that the addition of mushroom extract will increase the invitro maturation (IVM) rate and oocyte survival. The objective of this study was to determine a non-toxic dose of mushroom extract, then. Bovine ovaries were harvested from cattle, then transported and washed in 0.9% NaCl. Oocytes were retrieved from aspirated follicular fluid and graded for quality. Groups of 20-50 oocytes were randomly placed into a 4 well plate with commercial in vitro maturation media with the treatment added. The treatments included mushroom control, mushroom extract 1:1, and mushroom extract 1:1000. The oocytes were incubated at 38.8°C with 5.5% CO2 or 24 hrs. Immediately after removing from incubator oocytes were evaluated for expansion as an indicator of maturation. In result, the Mushroom extract was not a toxic addition to oocytes in maturation media. The oocytes that were checked for expansion were then prepped and checked for active lipid and fatty acid components.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Biology
Mentor: Dr. Mulumebet Worku

Culture media has the ability to alter lipid and mitochondrial components which can alter the 
survival rate of bovine oocytes. Mushroom extract is reported to have effects on fatty acid oxidation. We hypothesize that the addition of mushroom extract will increase the invitro maturation (IVM) rate and oocyte survival. The objective of this study was to determine a non-toxic dose of mushroom extract, then. Bovine ovaries were harvested from cattle, then transported and washed in 0.9% NaCl. Oocytes were retrieved from aspirated follicular fluid and graded for quality. Groups of 20-50 oocytes were randomly placed into a 4 well plate with commercial in vitro maturation media with the treatment added. The treatments included mushroom control, mushroom extract 1:1, and mushroom extract 1:1000. The oocytes were incubated at 38.8°C with 5.5% CO2 or 24 hrs. Immediately after removing from incubator oocytes were evaluated for expansion as an indicator of maturation. In result, the Mushroom extract was not a toxic addition to oocytes in maturation media. The oocytes that were checked for expansion were then prepped and checked for active lipid and fatty acid components.

North Carolina Agricultural University
Animal Science
Mentor: Dr. Lauren Mayo

Political redistricting plays an important role in ensuring that there is a fair representation and equitable distribution of voting power. However, the process of creating district boundaries that accurately reflect the demographics and preferences of voters proves to be difficult. This research study aims to address the problem of effectively mapping districts by comparing the performance of three clustering algorithms: K-Means++, Min Cost Perfect Matching, and Random Centers. Using synthetic data sets that represent potential voter distributions, we simulated various redistricting scenarios to evaluate the algorithms. K-Means++ used distance-based initialization, Min Cost Perfect Matching utilized minimum cost assignment, and Random Centers randomly assigned voters to districts. The goal of the research was to determine the best algorithm that achieves compact clusters and promotes fair district mapping. The results of the analysis show that K-Means++ is the most effective algorithm for cluster analysis and fair district mapping. We used two parameters, the perimeter and the total distance of each point from the center of clusters, to measure the compactness of the clusters. Based on the histograms generated, the K-Means++ algorithm gave us the graph that was skewed left the most, implying that its clusters were the most compact. This study contributes to the ongoing research on improving redistricting practices and advancing fair political representation. By demonstrating the effectiveness of K-Means++ in district mapping, we offer valuable insights for policymakers involved in political redistricting processes. Future studies should aim to combine different algorithms to further enhance fairness in redistricting efforts.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Math
Mentor: Dr. Kamesh Munagala

We devise a formula for ordering the vertices and edges of complete graphs, under the condition that any edge incident to a vertex is listed after that vertex. Equivalently, our method enumerates the ways to draw a complete graph, where edges are drawn after their incident vertices. Our construction begins with a fixed ordering of the vertices and introduces a “bucket” between each vertex, which is split into 2 buckets when we add an edge to it. We compute the product of the number of buckets each edge can go into, after which permutations of the vertex ordering are easily accounted for. We extend this method to the other graph topologies, including Star, Path, and Cycle graphs, and discover a connection between Path and Cycle graphs and Euler’s up and down numbers. This problem was inspired by American Mathematical Monthly 12401.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Mathematics
Mentor: Dr. Michael Lavigne

In previous years, the developmental neurobehavioral toxicity of individual chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals have been studied. Developmental exposure to both these classes of contaminants have been known to cause persisting alterations in locomotor activity, emotional dysfunction and cognitive impairment. However, the specific interactions between these chemicals have not been studied, despite how in nature, one is not exposed to just one toxicant but a combination of many. Our research focused on exploring the interactions between two PAHs, benzopyrene and fluoranthene, and two heavy metals, lead and cadmium and understanding their potential for neurobehavioral dysfunction. Utilizing rats to determine detailed neurobehavioral analyses of sensorimotor integration more translatable to humans, we ran a series of behavioral tests to act as an assessment of persisting locomotion and cognition. Our cognitive tests focus on rats’ choice accuracy and assess postnatal reflex development, juvenile emotional response, adolescent locomotor activity and adult cognitive function. Early results indicate that the use of an individual PAH before combining with other toxicants, benzopyrene (BaP) has sex-selective effects on behavior. In this paper, we present the various experiments performed on the rats such as the assessment of object recognition examinations and maze tests. We will also provide the other effects of the specific toxicants we plan to use before exposure of combined doses. Our study acts as a baseline for future research since this topic has not been studied largely and our data can be put into treatments to prevent neurobehavioral toxicity.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Behavioral Science
Mentors: Dr. Edward Levin

Lassa fever is a viral illness endemic to parts of West Africa caused by strains of Lassa virus (LASV), a stranded, bi-segmented RNA virus part of the Arenaviridae (arenavirus) family. Although LASV is highly contagious and is a prominent issue in affected regions, there is still a lack of accurate point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for LASV. Current methods fail to detect all strains of Lassa Virus thus thwarting control of LASV outbreaks. Our project seeks to identify recombinant antibodies through M13 phage display that can be used for POC diagnostic tests for all strains of LASV. We developed a construct to express a glycoprotein (sGP) from Nig08-A47 (a strain of Lassa virus) and then expressed and purified the Nig08-A47 sGP. Using Nig09-A47 sGP and sGP from other strains of Lassa we have isolated phage clones displaying antibodies binding to sGP and used enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) in order to identify phage clones displaying antibodies recognizing multiple LASV strains. Currently we are making soluble antibodies in order to fully characterize the antibodies by ELISA for specificity, cross-reactivity to other viruses, and the ability to pair as capture and detection antibodies for a “sandwich” immunoassay. Ultimately, the best pair of antibodies will be formatted into a POC test and sent to Nigeria for validation with Lassa patient samples.

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Medicine, Immunology
Mentor: Dr. Michael Dee Gunn & Dr. Barbara Lipes

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are critical components of wetland ecosystems, serving as links in food webs between primary producers and consumers, and as biological indicators of water quality. Much work has been done on the environmental drivers of wetland macroinvertebrate communities, but there has been little emphasis on wetlands in North Carolina, and few studies comparing wetlands in urban versus lesser-impacted watersheds. Furthermore, there is little consensus on which drivers are most important; most studies conclude that macroinvertebrate communities only show a response under extreme environmental conditions. Here, our goal was to determine the most important drivers of macroinvertebrate community structure in wetlands in Wake County, North Carolina. We collected macroinvertebrates from six wetlands and calculated community richness (in terms of number of genera and functional feeding groups), diversity, and average pollution tolerance of the organisms at each site. We also collected data on vegetation communities, water quality, water depth, and soil characteristics. Community diversity was strongly correlated with specific conductivity, soil pH, and floristic quality index. Guild richness was strongly correlated with water pH and soil pH, while weighted pollution tolerance was strongly correlated with water pH, soil pH, and dissolved oxygen concentration. Genus richness significantly differed between sites based on presence or absence of emergent vegetation. There were no statistically significant differences in community composition between sites in predominantly urban versus lesser-impacted watersheds. Multiple factors interact to impact macroinvertebrates in our study wetlands, highlighting the importance of protecting these systems from degradation that could alter any individual environmental parameter.

North Carolina State University
Forestry & Environmental Resources
Mentor: Dr. Katherine Martin