5646 research outputs found
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Targeting The OPN-CD44 Axis as a Therapeutic Strategy to Chemo-sensitize Ovarian Tumors
No full textEpithelial ovarian cancer is one of the most aggressive gynecological cancers with a 49% 5-year survival rate due to its late diagnosis and its development of resistance to standard chemotherapy such as platinum based drugs. By chemosensitizing the ovarian cancer cells, existing therapies would be more effective in treating the disease and potentially reduce the recurrence risk. Our goal was to investigate the role of OPN in driving chemoresistance in ovarian cancer patients and to create recycling therapeutic antibodies to block the interaction between OPN and the CD44 integrin on the ovarian cancer cells. By blocking the interaction, we aim to reduce and eliminate the chemoresistance of the cells to chemotherapy.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1201/thumbnail.jp
Creating Blender Animations to Help Students Visualize Organic Chemistry Concepts
No full textMany students struggle with organic chemistry because they find it difficult to visualize molecular structures and interactions in three dimensions. Concepts like bond rotation for conformational isomers and intermolecular forces require strong spatial imagination, which traditional 2D drawings fail to develop effectively. This spatial visualization deficit contributes significantly to high failure rates and student anxiety in organic chemistry courses, creating a substantial barrier to success in STEM fields. This project aims to solve this problem by creating animations that demonstrate complex chemical concepts in clear, visual ways that enhance student comprehension and retention. The research methodology involves developing a comprehensive library of educational videos using industry-standard software, including ChemDoodle 2D, ChemDoodle 3D for molecular structure creation and Blender for creating advanced animations which are later rendered and edited to final versions of educational materials. These videos will help students gain a deeper understanding of organic chemistry through visualization.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1207/thumbnail.jp
Low Vitamin D diet effects on RNA Expression in Kidney and Mammary tissue of mus musculus (mice)
No full textVitamin D is a steroid hormone whose active form binds to Vitamin D Receptors (VDR), triggering cancer-associated pathways involved in inducing apoptosis, inhibiting inflammation, improving immunity, and regulating cell proliferation. Ongoing studies have shown a significant correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and the development of aggressive prostate cancer. African American men are more likely to experience vitamin D deficiency, develop prostate cancer at a high rate, and have a higher mortality rate than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. African American women are also disproportionately burdened with aggressive breast cancer and have higher rates of vitamin D deficiency. Understanding how a low vitamin D diet alters gene expression in the mammary and kidney tissue of mus musculus (mice) subjects bred from Vitamin D-deficient dams would help in diagnosing and treating breast cancer patients. We hypothesized that mice fed a low vitamin D diet would show significantly altered vitamin D-related gene expression in the benign kidney and mammary tissue compared to mice fed a controlled diet. We evaluated gene expression in tissue samples using Reverse Transcription quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Kidney tissue, the primary site for active Vitamin D synthesis, was used as a positive control for the effect of the diet. We probed for GAPDH and the Vitamin D metabolism genes in kidney samples. Mammary tissues were probed for Vitamin D metabolism genes, some VDR target genes, and breast cancer-related genes. Kidney tissue from the experimental group showed significantly lower expressions of Vitamin D metabolism genes, namely VDR, Lrp2, and CYP24a1, and significantly higher expressions of CYP27B1 compared to the control group. For the mammary tissue, the change in expression of the probed genes between our control and experimental groups were not statistically significant, except for VDR, which was higher in the low vitamin D diet group compared to the control group. In addition to this, we saw a trend in the expression of VEGF, which was lower in our experimental group compared to the control group. These findings indicate that a low vitamin D diet significantly alters expression of vitamin metabolism-related transcripts in kidney tissue, but it does not show a significant effect on VDR target genes in Mammary tissue. From this, we can infer that the intake of vitamin D does not affect gene expression and thus the overall health of benign mammary tissue. We can build on this knowledge with future experiments looking into how a low vitamin D diet changes gene expression in cancerous mammary tissue.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1216/thumbnail.jp
Carbon metabolism and multidrug resistance in Bacillus mobilis and Cupriavidus campinensis isolated from cadmium-spiked soils
No full textHeavy metal contamination and antibiotic resistance are critical environmental and public health challenges, often exacerbated by co-selection pressures in polluted environments. This study identifies and characterizes Bacillus mobilis and Cupriavidus campinensis, two cadmium-tolerant bacterial species isolated from cadmium-amended soils with cadmium (Cd2+) concentrations exceeding those typically found in highly contaminated soils. Both species exhibited multidrug resistance and the ability to metabolize specific carbon substrates, including pyruvic acid methyl ester, itaconic acid, D-galactonic acid-γ-lactone, Tween-40, and Tween-80. These substrates enhance microbial activity and heavy metal bioavailability, supporting their potential roles in bioremediation, especially through the targeted introduction of optimal carbon substrates. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed distinct growth dynamics under exposure to antibiotics such as ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and tetracycline. Notably, C. campinensis displayed extended lag phases and concentration-dependent growth inhibition, with delayed recovery observed for ceftriaxone and doripenem. In contrast, B. mobilis exhibited resistance to several antibiotics, including erythromycin and vancomycin, and adaptive responses to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and nitrofurantoin, suggesting robust resistance mechanisms. These findings highlight the limitations of standard 24-h testing protocols, which fail to capture delayed adaptive responses critical for understanding resistance in complex environments. In silico resistome profiling of the isolates confirmed high-risk resistance genes, including β-lactamases (blaZ, mecA), fluoroquinolone targets (gyrA, parC), macrolide resistance genes (ermB, ermC), and tetracycline efflux pumps (tetK, tetL), consistent with environmental persistence and potential horizontal gene acquisition. Our study underscores the potential of B. mobilis and C. campinensis in bioremediation strategies for heavy metal-contaminated soils. Additionally, the co-selection of resistance to both Cd2+and antibiotics highlights the ecological complexity of contaminated environments. Future work should explore the molecular pathways driving these adaptive traits and extend susceptibility testing protocols to better assess bacterial responses under prolonged environmental and antibiotic stress
“Courtside Companion”
No full textWithin the tennis community, players and coaches are consumed with statistics and percentages as they seek strategies that will give them the highest chance at outplaying their opponent. Unfortunately, statistics are hard to come by and often coaches or parents will have to purchase subscriptions so that they can adequately track matches. This is the issue “Courtside Companion” seeks to resolve–a free to use, tennis statistics tracker that can be utilized by teams or individual players alike. “Courtside Companion” is a webapp that can be used via laptop or phone and is designed to be easy to use. As spectators watch a match, they can simply click buttons and prompts to describe the outcome of each point. With many point characteristics being optional, spectators have flexibility in the type of data they record. Example core data collections include serving performance, unforced errors, winners, and rally length. A key function of “Courtside Companion” is its compatibility with teams who can share a login and aggregate both team and individual statistics over time. After appropriate data is collected, “Courtside Companion” populates a report with percentages of the data fields collected. This report will allow players to compare their performance over time and isolate key issues in their playstyle. In addition, coaches can look at their team to identify what issues their team might be struggling with
Somebody Had to Do It
No full textThe video game industry has expanded rapidly over the past several decades and has recently been subdivided into two main categories of games: those produced by AAA studios with hundreds if not thousands of developers, and those produced by small teams of indie developers working on passion projects. Somebody Had to Do It is an example of the latter category, iterating on the fantasy adventure genre as a 2D, top-down, singleplayer role-playing game. For those unfamiliar, that means it utilizes a third-person bird’s eye view and follows the story of a protagonist that the player directly controls. The game’s protagonist starts off as a humble shopkeeper in a medieval town that the prophesized hero is passing through when they are humiliatingly slain fighting local raiders. The player takes up the fallen adventurer’s arms to defend their town and ends up swept into the story to defend the entire kingdom like the hero was originally supposed to. Like many indie developer games, Somebody Had to Do It is focused less on mechanically demanding combat or skill expression and more on the characters and narrative. The game features a turn-based combat system and an emphasis on player choices and decisions that drive the story, utilizing features such as variable dialogue that changes to reflect past actions. Another key component of the game is that the progression system is based around the protagonist’s skills related to their profession before the story rather than their combat prowess
