NSU Undergraduate Research Day

Now in its 18th Year, this event honors excellence in research, scholarship and creativity by showcasing the endeavors of our undergraduate students and their faculty mentors. Major financial support for the event is provided by the Office of Academic Affairs.

10:00 am-Noon Central Undergraduate Research Presentations

 (Afternoon Sessions: Live Streaming at www.facebook.com/NSURiverHawks)
12:30 Dr. Halil Kaya on "Corporate financing activities across recessionary and expansionary periods"
Professor of Finance, Department of Accounting and Finance
Northeastern State University, Broken Arrow
1:00 Outstanding Scholar Presentations
2:00 Awards Ceremony
Mark Paulissen
NSU Undergraduate Research Day Steering Committee

10:00 am-Noon Central Undergraduate Research Presentations

The posters being presented at URD are the product of research and creative activity carried out by undergraduate students under the direction of faculty advisors at NSU. They were approved by screening committees composed of faculty from the student's college. The students will be available at their posters to discuss their projects with anyone who visits them in their Zoom Room. The posters will be judged by a panel of judges for the Sponsor's Award for Best Poster.

1) Inhibition of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase byhydroxy(thiol)pyrone and hydroxy(thiol)pyridinone compounds

  By Ahmed Alkhalifah Faculty Advisor: Sung-Kun Kim

Bacteria has developed naturally to resist antibiotics and this is a major threat for human health. New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) is an enzyme produced by several genera of bacteria that render the bacteria resistant to many antibiotics. Currently there is no inhibitor of NDM-1 available in clinical therapy, thus making an essential need for research and development of a NDM-1 inhibitor. In this research we collected data using AutoDock programs to estimate the binding affinity of four potential molecule inhibitors. The molecules were maltol, thiomaltol, DMHP, and DMHTP which act as ligands to inhibit the NDM-1 enzyme by binding to the active site and blocking the catalytic enzyme activity and killing the bacteria.

Bacteria has developed naturally to resist antibiotics and this is a major threat for human health. New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (NDM-1) is an enzyme produced by several genera of bacteria that render the bacteria resistant to many antibiotics. Currently there is no inhibitor of NDM-1 available in clinical therapy, thus making an essential need for research and development of a NDM-1 inhibitor. In this research we collected data using AutoDock programs to estimate the binding affinity of four potential molecule inhibitors. The molecules were maltol, thiomaltol, DMHP, and DMHTP which act as ligands to inhibit the NDM-1 enzyme by binding to the active site and blocking the catalytic enzyme activity and killing the bacteria.

2) Synthesis of Novel Solvent Molecules for in Solvate Ionic Liquids

  By Jacob Allred Faculty Advisor: Spence Pilcher

Solvate ionic liquids (SILs) are a subset of ionic liquids where an organic solvent molecule, containing atoms capable of donating one or more pairs of electrons, wraps around a solute cation. SILs have practical applications in lithium batteries, in pharmaceuticals, in the food industry, as dispersing agents, and as lubricants.SILs have high thermal stability meaning they have low flammability, are highly conductive, are not volatile, and have melting points below 100 C. As part of a larger project, novel solvent molecules containing nitrogen moieties were synthesized to be used in the study of the formation and properties of new SILs. Four different solvents were targeted to be synthesized: 1,2-bis[2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethoxy]ethane (NOON), 1,2-bis-[2-(N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethoxy)ethyl]ether (NOOON), 1-[2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethoxy]-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethane (OOON), and 1-[2-(N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethoxy)ethyl]-2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl]ether (OOOON). The synthesis of NOON and NOOON was successful as evidenced by the IR and NMR spectra of the compounds. The OOON and OOOON appear to have been synthesized from analyses of the IR spectra but the integration values from the H NMR do not confirm this.

3) Using Nanodiamonds as a Potential Therapeutic for Pyelonephritis Caused by Escherichia coli

  By Mackenzie Bonnewitz Faculty Advisor: Janaki K. Iyer

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is an opportunistic pathogen that is one of the main causative agents of infections in the urinary tract. In enters the urinary tract by entering the urethra and causes urinary tract infections by colonizing the urinary bladder. Such uropathogenic E. coli account for over 80% of urinary tract infections (UTIs). There are some strains of uropathogenic E. coli that have gained the ability to invade into cells and tissues of the urinary tract. UTIs ensuing from invasive E. coli strains are often difficult to treat due to the pathogen's ability to evade immune surveillance and the actions of antibiotics. This invasive E. coli can also travel to the kidneys from the bladder, resulting in kidney infections known as pyelonephritis. Pyelonephritis induced by E. coli is harder to treat, which not only drives the cost of treatment but also increases the time of treatment. Therefore, it is imperative to find therapies that can eradicate invasive uropathogens. Detonation nanodiamonds (NDs) are inert, carbon nanoparticles created by detonating trinitrotoluene (TNT). NDs are promising drug delivery agents due to their small size, biocompatibility, and large surface area that can be functionalized to load various molecules. In the current study, we hypothesized that NDs can interact efficiently with human kidney cells. To test the hypothesis, we utilized the human kidney cell line, HK-2, as our model. Our findings revealed that ND did not induce significant cytotoxicity in HK-2 cells. Furthermore, we were able to observe a concentration-dependent binding of NDs to HK-2 cells by flow cytometry and microscopy. These findings suggest that NDs could potentially be used to deliver drugs intracellularly into kidney cells.

4) Functionalization and Characterization of ssDNA Coated Gold Nanorod

 By Adam Daugherty Faculty Advisor: Nathan Green

Gold nanorods are versatile nanostructures that find wide application in biotechnology and energy systems. Research has shown that gold nanorods can be functionalized by a variety of ligands. Our research focused on employing a novel procedure for functionalizing gold nanorods with single stranded thiolated DNA. In this work, we followed the established seed mediated, silver assist procedure proposed by Burrows et al for synthesizing highly monodispersed gold nano rods. Once cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) coated gold nanorods had successfully been synthesized the nanorods were functionalized using single stranded thiolated DNA. This recoating procedure was conducted in a low pH environment to facilitate a rapid surface modification. The ssDNA coated gold nanorods were then characterized by UV/vis spectroscopy and gel-electrophoresis using SYBRgold intercalating dye. These functionalized gold nanorods can then be further conjugated to larger nanostructures such as DNA origami or DNA functionalized molecules such as silica nanoparticles for future applications.

5) Rethinking and Redefining Cults: The Sliding Scales of Cultic Behaviors

 By Lori Eagles and Kathryn Jackson Faculty Advisor: Nicole Lasky

Cults and their behaviors are a popular source of curiosity but most of the sources that provide information about cults are not from academic research. Because of this lack of academic cultic research, it is difficult to define a cult and to distinguish cults from other similar groups. The purpose of this poster is to define the key characteristics that make up a cult and the types of behaviors cults often display. Continuums were chosen to represent cultic behaviors because, while no two cults are identical, cults tend to exhibit similar patterns of behavior. The use of continuums aids in defining what constitutes a cult by measuring variations in behavioral pattern, from behaviors such as criminal engagement to reproductive coercion. The goal of this project is to illustrate the fact that this popular topic is under-researched and that the concept of cults cannot be encompassed in one set definition. These continuums could assist in identifying groups as cults, as well as in determining the extent to which a cult group can be classified as dangerous.

6) Epidemiological Factors Contributing to the Infection of Parasitic Jellyfish ( Polypodium hydriforme ) in Oklahoma Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)

College of Science and Health Professions Outstanding Scholar Runner-Up

 By Katie L. Easter Faculty Advisor: Mark Paulissen

Polypodium hydriforme is a parasitic freshwater jellyfish that infects the oocytes of acipenseriform fishes, like sturgeon and paddlefish, that inhabit the Midwestern river systems of the United States. In the past, Sturgeon have been the prime supplier of commercially sold caviar but overfishing by humans has caused a fast decline in these populations making P. hydriforme more difficult to study in Sturgeon. The eggs of Oklahoma's largest game fish (Polyodon spathula), have been used as popular substitute for caviar since Oklahoma supports a stable population of Paddlefish. Batches of Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) eggs, called roe, were collected at the Paddlefish Research Center and assessed for infection. Assessments were used to examine possible connections between parasite and host by comparing characteristics of females whose roe was infected with P. hydriforme to characteristics of the uninfected females. Epidemiological data collected on each female included quality of roe, catch location, total roe weight, roe screened weight, roe fat weight, fish weight and length. Findings suggest that there were no differences in fish length, fish weight, total roe weight and quality of roe between females with infected and uninfected roe. However, it was determined that roe screened weight was higher in infected individuals and roe fat weight was significantly lower in infected individuals.

7) Glowing Bacteria: A Way to Study Host-Pathogen Interactions

 By Alissa D. Eberhard Faculty Advisor: Janaki K. Iyer

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a gram-negative, motile bacterium that is abundantly found in our gastrointestinal tract. They are key to a healthy digestive system in humans and animals. However, they are opportunistic pathogens. Some strains of E. coli are pathogenic and can cause gastrointestinal as well as urinary tract infections (UTIs). They are the causative agent for over 75% of UTIs. The virulence factors expressed by some strains of this bacterium, such as adhesins and fimbriae, allow the pathogenic bacteria to adhere and invade the host cells. UTIs caused by these invasive uropathogenic E. coli are difficult to treat. To gain a better understanding of pathogenic mechanisms used by invasive E. coli, we want to study the differences in cellular trafficking and colonization patterns between non-pathogenic and pathogenic strains of E. coli. The nonpathogenic strain used in this study is E. coli K12 while the pathogenic strain is CI5 which causes UTIs. To visualize differences in cellular trafficking between the two strains of E. coli in host cells, the bacteria were made chemically competent by the calcium chloride method. A plasmid expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) was introduced into the bacteria by the heat shock method of transformation. The success of plasmid transformation in both bacterial strains was determined by plasmid isolation followed by digestion with restriction enzymes. Expression of GFP was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy to visualize the presence of fluorescent bacteria. These fluorescent strains of bacteria will aid us in understanding the differences in adhesion and invasion between the non-pathogenic and pathogenic strains of E. coli in host cells. And thereby help us in designing new therapies to treat UTIs caused by invasive E. coli.

8) Jealousy and Compersion in Polyamorous and Monogamous Relationships

 by Laura Hix Faculty Advisor: April Phillips

The current study compares polyamorous and monogamous relationships. By definition polyamorous relationships include multiple sexual partners; thus jealousy is a common concern. However, jealousy may operate differently in these relationships. For example, the negative effects of jealousy might be offset by feelings of compersion. Compersion, defined as taking pleasure in a partner's happiness with his/her other relationships, is generally perceived as a positive benefit of polyamory. This study examines the relationship between compersion and jealousy in both types of relationships. As part of a larger study of their relationships, participants were asked to imagine that their partner disclosed a romantic interest in another person and report their feelings of both jealousy and compersion. Not surprisingly, those in polyamorous relationships reported lower levels of jealousy compared to those in monogamous relationships. However, this relationship between relationship type and jealousy was mediated by feelings of compersion. Thus, it appears from these results that compersion may serve to protect those in polyamorous relationships from the negative effects of jealousy.

9) A Molecular Dynamic Study of TAR DNA binding protein TDP-43 Diagnostic Peptides

by Andrew Huckleby Faculty Advisor: Sung-Kun Kim

In human cells, the TAR DNA binding protein, TDP-43, serves multiple functions with regulation of gene expression and mRNA splicing being the primary. An abundant amount of research has linked this protein to neuronal-degeneration in cases of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), due to its tendency to form stress-induced inclusions. Using a study in which phage display technology was used to select for two peptides that were shown to have a high binding affinity for TDP-43, we performed a computational docking and molecular dynamics simulation to identify theoretical binding sites on the TDP-43 protein that were favored by the two peptides. These results coupled with the experimental data suggests that these peptides function as an effective biomarker in TDP-43 detection.

10) Using Stable Isotopes to Understand the Dynamics of Mexican Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) at Bracken Cave, Texas

 by Grant Jeffcoat Faculty Advisors: Christopher M. Burba and Elizabeth Burba

Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) exhibit a diversity of migration patterns between non-migratory individuals and long-distance migrants. We explored the migration dynamics of these bats at a summer maternity colony in Bracken Cave, Texas. Only females roost together in the cave during the summer months, giving birth in June, and then migrating in fall. However, a population of both males and females are present in the cave during winter and spring months. The migratory origins of these bats are unknown. We analyzed stable hydrogen isotope ratios of bat fur for individuals collected in October 2014, January 2015, and April 2015. Stable isotope ratios vary geographically, and metabolic processes capture the isotopic ratios of the location where tissues are formed. This can provide valuable information about the location where tissues were formed. Measured isotope ratios may be used to infer the geographic location a tissue was grown. For example, signatures are retained in keratin-based tissues, such as fur. Mexican free-tailed bats molt during summer months; thus, a stable isotope analysis of bat fur can provide insight into where molting occurred. The uncorrected average for fall bats (1.63 ) is similar to the local precipitation for Bracken Cave during the summer months (July = 0 and August = 6 ). Furthermore, there are no significant differences between fall and winter adults, suggesting winter bats are individuals that did not migrate. Seasonal values among females did not differ across the three seasons investigated. This suggests females may return to the cave. Winter and spring values for males are significantly different, suggesting an influx of new migrants between winter and spring.

11) Let it stew: What happens when you hold bacteria for too long?

by Carson Loncarich Faculty Advisors: Katherine Wollman, Courtney Stookey, Stephen Nikolai

A common challenge of measuring fecal contamination is short sample holding times. Method requirements for testing of fecal indicator bacteria require that samples be collected and received by the analytical lab within 6 hours, and processed within 2 hours of sample receipt. We were interested in how exceeding holding times would influence bacteria concentration. We collected three liters of water from Town Branch Creek near the NSU campus on three separate days. Samples were split into 24, 100 ml bottles for analysis of E. coli and Enterococcus via IDEXX methods. Samples were stored in a refrigerator at 4 C and tested in triplicate at 2, 8, 24, and 36 hours following sample collection. For E. coli, we found no significant differences between holding times and MPN for each date sampled (P>0.05). For Enterococcus, we found significant differences in MPN between 24 and 2 hours, 36 and 2 hours, 36 and 8 hours, and 36 and 24 hours on sample day one. We did not find significant differences in EnterococcusMPN between holding time and test days 2 and 3 (p>0.05). Our data indicate that bacteria results processed beyond the holding time may still yield informative results for resource managers.

12) Comparing Pro-Inflammatory Responses Produced by Human Bladder Cells Infected with Invasive and Non-invasive strains of Escherichia coli

by Mandra Maxwell Faculty Advisor: Janaki Iyer

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common infections caused by different types of bacteria. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are the most common uropathogenic bacteria that cause UTIs in women, men, and children. Some strains of uropathogenic E. coli are able to invade into the urinary tract tissues that can lead to recurrent UTIs. It is important to understand the mechanisms that enable some strains of uropathogenic E. coli to invade into tissues. During an infection process, the innate immune system responds by inducing the production of pro-inflammatory molecules that play an important role in regulating immune responses and inflammation at the site of infection. In the current study, we wanted to determine if there are differences in the production of pro-inflammatory molecules when human bladder cells are infected with an invasive or non-invasive strain of E. coli We used E. coli strain K12 as our non-invasive strain and E. coli strain CI5 as our invasive strain. The human bladder cell line 5637 was used as the host cell in our experimental setup. We were able to detect more expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in human bladder 5637 cells that were infected with invasive strain of E. coli. There was also more IL-6 and IL-8 produced when the 5637 cells were infected with a higher multiplicity of infection (MOI). These findings demonstrate that host cells respond differentially towards invasive and non-invasive strains of E. coli by producing different concentrations of pro-inflammatory molecules upon infection.

13) Preliminary Results from a National-Level Survey on Drugging Victimization and Perpetration using mTurk

 by Hannah Miller Faculty Advisor: Nicole Lasky

Drugging has become an increasing concern in today's society. However, very little empirical research has been conducted over this problem. Despite this, there has been an increase of watch your drink campaigns that attempt to prevent these incidents from happening. A team of researchers have been studying this phenomenon to determine if these concerns are legitimate. They have conducted a series of three-campus surveys that have resulted in confirmation of the drugging phenomenon. Their next step was to increase their number of survey participants. They did this by creating the first national-level survey over drugging victimization and perpetration. They are currently working through the data but there are some preliminary results that give an insight to victimization frequencies, perpetration frequencies, the victim-offender relationship, and the most frequent types of drugs used in drugging cases.

14) Inhibition of New Delhi Metallo- -lactamase 1 from Klebsiella pneumoniae by Hydroxamate Compounds

 by Destiny Morris Faculty Advisor: Sung-Kun Kim

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem not only for scientists but for consumers worldwide. A very pertinent antibiotic resistance we are faced with is caused by metallo- -lactamases. These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of -lactam antibiotics and have no clinically accepted inhibitor for their resistance. Consequently, it is critical that an inhibitor is discovered so this kind of antibiotic resistance can be treated. This research is concentrated on determining if the hydroxamate functional group is a viable inhibitor for NDM-1.

15) Unexplored C-terminus of Pol Possibly Functions in Cancer and FILS Syndrome

by Michael P. Smith Faculty Advisor: Sapna Das-Bradoo

Mutations of an organism's genetic code results in dysfunctional proteins, the major structural and functional units of the cell. When proteins controlling the cell-cycle and replication are mutated, uninhibited cell proliferation may occur ultimately leading to cancerous tumors. A single mutation is not enough to cause cancer. However, mutations that disrupt DNA replication and repair facilitate the accumulation of additional mutations that together may lead to metastasizing tumors. DNA polymerase (Pol ), an enzyme responsible for elongating the leading strand during DNA replication, has commonly been found mutated in many cancer cell lines. Pol is made of four protein subunits Pol2 being the most essential. The importance of Pol2 is manifest in how genetically conserved it is even between humans and yeast. Mutations of Pol2's N-terminus, near the catalytic core, are the most commonly associated with cancer. However, this raises the question of what role the ESSENTIAL C-terminus of Pol2 plays in DNA replication. FILS syndrome, a rare genetic disorder causing skin and facial abnormalities, immunodeficiency, and short stature, is characterized by a specific mutation in the C-terminus of Pol2. To investigate whether the C-terminus of Pol2 interacts with other DNA replication proteins, several strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were prepared with C-terminal mutations in Pol2 by using CRISPR-Cas9. mRNA was then extracted, reverse transcribed to cDNA, and analyzed with quantitative PCR to determine whether any mutations affected DNA replication proteins. Our results show that two specific mutations cause a drastic increase in mRNA expression of DNA replication proteins suggesting that the C-terminus of Pol2 is integral to the regulation of DNA replication. These results could explain the replication defects observed in the FILS patients.

16) Ofloxacin Resistance Conferred by qnrS Gene Encoded on Bacterial Plasmids

 By Joshua Tatarian and Blayke S. Haggard Faculty Advisors: John de Banzie, Cindy Cisar, and Michael Morgan

For several years, plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance has been detected in bacterial species from water environments in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. In this study, we determined the sequences of plasmids separated from Escherichia coli that demonstrated moderate levels of resistance to the antibiotic, ofloxacin, a member of the common antibiotic class of fluoroquinolones. After determining the plasmid sequences, we created a map of the genes present on each plasmid using the National Center for Biotechnology Information database. We identified one gene which encoded a specific allele of the quinolone resistance protein gene family, qnrS , that was likely contributing to the observed ofloxacin resistance in each bacterial isolate. Several mechanisms of antibiotic resistance exist and qnrS is one of many plasmid-encoded genes that is known to contribute to ofloxacin resistance. The qnr gene family is known to code for proteins that can bind to DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV within bacterial cells to protect them from fluoroquinolone targeting. Importantly, qnrS is a gene that has been identified on plasmids in bacterial isolates separated from Tahlequah streams in previous studies. The identification of qnrS in this study indicates that the plasmid-encoded qnrS gene is likely a common fluoroquinolone resistance mechanism utilized by bacteria in Tahlequah aquatic environments. Future studies should continue to identify and monitor the antibiotic resistance mechanisms of bacteria present in Tahlequah waters.

17) Liposomes: Emerging Nanoparticles for Treating Pyelonephritis caused by Invasive Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

 By Alejandro Guadalupe Torres Faculty Advisor: Janaki K. Iyer

Escherichia coli (UPEC), some of which are invasive in nature. Invasive UPEC can ascend the bladder and colonize the kidneys, thereby resulting in pyelonephritis. Antibiotics are routinely prescribed to treat UTIs but can be ineffective in eliminating invasive pathogens, thereby contributing to recurring infections and antibiotic resistance. Therefore, novel and innovative strategies are essential to treat infections caused by intracellular UPEC. Liposomes are inert and biocompatible nanoparticles that can be used to encapsulate a wide variety of molecules, including antimicrobial agents. The goal of the current study is to investigate the efficacy of ciprofloxacin-encapsulated liposomes to treat pyelonephritis caused by invasive UPEC. We hypothesize that biocompatible ciprofloxacin-encapsulated liposomes will reduce the bacterial load in kidney cells infected with UPEC. To test our hypothesis, the human kidney HK-2 cell line was used as the host and the uropathogenic E. coli strain CI5 was used as the pathogen. Infected HK-2 cells were treated with different concentrations of ciprofloxacin-encapsulated liposomes and our results indicate that there was a decrease in the number of intracellular UPEC found in infected HK-2 kidney cells. Our findings suggest that further investigation is warranted to evaluate the therapeutic effects of liposomes in treating pyelonephritis caused by intracellular uropathogens.

Outstanding Scholars

Each Outstanding Scholar will give a presentation starting at 1:00pm Central