30 minute read
Graduate Poster Presentations
AGRO-SCIENCES
Investigating the Relationships Between Physical Water Quality Parameters and Chloro-Phyll-A in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware
Emily Andrade, Robert Allison, Aaron Bland, Mohana Gadde, Memory Nakazwe, and Gulnihal Ozbay, Ph.D. Delaware State University, Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Oyster aquaculture returned to the Delaware Inland Bays with the issuing of shellfish leasing areas in 2018, bolstering local economies, improving water quality, and providing structured habitat for fish and invertebrates. Additionally, the Delaware Center for Inland Bays established three pilot artificial oyster reefs beginning in 2019 to restore the native oyster population and further improve the Inland Bay environment. Successful management of oyster farming and restoration efforts depends on continuous monitoring of oyster growing conditions.
A pilot water quality monitoring program was established in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware, which included multiparameter continuous water quality instruments (sondes) deployed at sites of oyster aquaculture (Salley's Cove) and artificial oyster reefs (Camp Arrowhead and Big Bacon Island) from summer through late fall in the 2020 and 2021 field seasons. Trends in water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, calcium hardness, and chlorophyll-a were examined with respect to oyster growing conditions. Sustained warmer temperatures likely pro-mote oyster growth and survival. Turbidity readings were in general high; large quantities of suspended matter dilute organic matter available for oyster consumption, reducing growth potential. These preliminary findings are expected to inform the management of Delaware oyster aquaculture and restoration efforts and shape the direction of future monitoring efforts.
Funder Acknowledgment: NOAA LMRCSC, NSF DE EPSCOR
Regulated Drought-Responsive Transcription Factor Genes in Sugar Maple
Miss Oluwatomi Jacobs, O.E Jacobs, A.R. Vennapusa, K. Krishnanand, K. Melmaiee, and S. Elavarthi
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall.), a tree species native to the Northeastern part of the United States and Canada, is economically important for its hardwood, sugar syrup, and fall foliage tourism. Sugar maple is reported to be highly sensitive to drought stress, but the absence of genome-level studies has hindered understanding the mechanisms underlying their adaptation to stress at the molecular level. Next-generation sequencing has emerged as an advanced tool for mining genes involved in stress responses. Among the gene families, transcription factors (TFs) as molecular switches regulate several pathways upon stress adaptations. Identification of such TF families is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms and for developing the drought stress tolerance in sugar maple. With this, we identified several TF genes involved in stress response from the transcriptome data of sugar maple plants subjected to drought stress for 7, 14, and 21 days under greenhouse conditions. Our analysis revealed the significantly induced transcripts encoding the different types of TFs such as NAC, HSF, ERF, WRKY, and basic leucine zipper (bZIP). A few TFs showed differential expression commonly at all the drought stress periods (7, 14, and 21 days): a higher number of differentially expressed transcription factor genes were found in sugar maple ex-posed to 21 days of drought stress. In conclusion, our study offers the finding of novel TFs responsible for drought stress tolerance in sugar maple. Further understanding of the target molecules and validation provides the potential gene candidates for genetic improvement of the drought tolerance in sugar maple.
Funder Acknowledgment: USDA, NIFA-McIntire Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research Program and the Stennis Award
AGRO-SCIENCES
Investigating the Relationships between Physical, Chemical, and Biological Water Quality Parameters in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware
Mr. Juan Ramos, Robert Allison, Aaron Bland, Mohana Gadde, Memory Nakazwe, Gulnihal Ozbay, Ph.D. and Ali Parsaeimehr
Delaware's Inland waters have seen a resurgence in oyster aquaculture. Therefore, water quality monitoring is essential for sustainable growth in shellfish farming and ongoing restoration efforts. Our objective of the study was to determine if there were correlations between dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and nutrients. Physical, chemical, and biological water quality parameters were measured within Rehoboth Bay, Delaware during the 2020 and 2021 field seasons. Correlative relationships were looked at between dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen and turbidity, turbidity and nitrate, and turbidity and orthophosphate. These parameters were explored using regression analysis as well as analysis of variance (ANOVA) within four regression graphs to compare these parameters that were recorded. Instruments used for collecting our data, YSI 556 Multi-probe, YSI 6 series sonde, YSI Exo2 sonde, and Aquafluor fluorometer. Water samples gathered were also taken and processed in Delaware State University's aquaculture lab, nutrient content using a 9500 YSI photometer. These comparisons allow for a greater understanding of the relation-ships that drive changes to and around aquaculture habitats. Additionally, the significance of this work is continuing to have a better understanding of preferences when it comes to the harvest culture of oysters since there has been a rise in demand upon recent recovery.
Funder Acknowledgment: EPSCoR, NSF
BEHAVIORAL & SOCIAL SCIENCES
Mitigating Substance Use Through Prevention Efforts in Sussex County, DE
James Clark, Tana Connell, PhD, LMSW & Amy Habeger, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Substance use disorder and opioid use disorder have been a prevalent issue amongst many communities. Delaware's counties, New Castle, Kent, and Sussex have reported drug overdose rates that exceed the nations average. The dominant explanation for this trend suggests the lack of service availability and accessibility significantly, in Sussex County. In this study, a qualitative research method was used consisting of semi-structured interviews conducted amongst three focus groups. This study explains identified problem areas and barriers Sussex County community members endure and suggested prevention strategies that could be advantageous to mitigate the experiences of SUD/OUD and reduce the rising overdose rates. The participants consisted of providers, community leaders, family members of Sussex County, and specialty populations as associated with area of study. Participant's responses were analyzed and provided significant data on prevention, treatment, and recovery services, provided identification of areas of improvement, and strategies to reduce SUD/OUD related mortality. A variety of perspectives were expressed to include stigma, service availability, accessibility, transportation barriers, educational and training needs, methods of identifying persons in need, and other reported themes. The views surfaced mainly into service availability, accessibility, and stigma, where these themes had major complexities. Participants were asked to suggest strategies that could increase access to SUD/OUD related services and the participants on a whole demonstrated the suggestion of education and training services and innovative accessibility. The results of this study show an association between service availability and accessibility and indicate a need for early intervention services and more innovative services with increased mobilization to target all populations amongst the Sussex County Community, in addition to promote awareness and reduce stigma associated with SUD/OUD.
Funder Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the Health Resources and Service Administration (Grant #G25RH40036).
Attitudes and Access to Evidence Based OT Practice Between the U.S. and West Africa
Ms. Elizabeth Dziuba, Anita Asare, Ashley Calandra, Kabrina Horsey, Priscilla Ntia-moah, and Khai Roberts Master of Occupational Therapy Department, Delaware State University
Attitudes and Access to Evidence Based Occupational Therapy Practice Between the United States and West Africa is a mixed method study which compares how occupational therapy practitioners in West Africa feel that their accessibility to evidence-based research is affecting their service delivery outcomes compared to occupational therapy practitioners in the United States. This study targets the adult population residing in West Africa and in the United States. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation was performed to evaluate occupational therapy practitioners' accessibility and perception of utilizing evidence-based practice. In addition, the study examines how accessibility to evidence-
based research affects service delivery outcomes in occupational therapy between West Africa and the United States. If there is increased accessibility to evidence-based research, then there is an increase in service delivery outcomes.
Funder Acknowledgment: Delaware State University
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Role of Heat Shock Protein 27 (HSP-27) in Reduction of Aggregated Transactive Response DNA Binding Protein 43 (TDP-43)
Mr. Muhammad Abeer, Michael Gitcho, Department of Biological Sciences, DSU
Transactive response DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43) is a major pathological protein found in both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. In all cases, TDP-43 aggregation was identified that presents faster disease progression. TDP-43 has previously been shown to bind to the small heat shock protein (HSP 27) but no functional evaluation of this interaction has been explored. HSP27 consists of an ?-crystallin domain that is involved in oligomerization and acts as a molecular chaperone for refolding proteins. In response to heat or stress, HSPs inhibit the aggregation of native proteins. Inducing expression of HSP27 has been shown to be protective of acute rejection after cardiac transplant, diabetic sensory neurodegeneration, and protects in a model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 17. In the present study, we examine the effect of HSP 27 overexpression on TDP-43 aggregation and mitochondrial morphology. HSP and nuclear localization signal (NLS) transgenic mice were developed using Ca2+/calmodulin protein kinase (CK2) driver. Genotypes were verified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We isolated the brain tissues and confirmed the double (CK2/NLS and CK2/HSP) and triple (Ck2/ HSP/NLS) transgenic mice by western blot analyses. Samples were then treated against multiple primary antibodies to understand the role of the respective proteins in the double and triple transgenic mice. We also plan to investigate the tissue morphology of these mice using immunohistochemistry. Using western blot we confirmed at least 6 mice for each group, such as wildtype, CK2/HSP, CK2/NLS, and CK2/HSP/NLS. Preliminary data suggest an increase in carboxy terminal TDP (TDP-CT) in CK2/HSP/NLS mice compared to the wildtype and CK2/NLS mice. We also noticed overexpression of apoE in CK2/NLS compared to the wild-type mice. Besides, samples were treated against human-specific TDP; no differences were observed between CK2/NLS and CK2/HSP/NLS mice. We will also investigate the level of HSP-27, ubiquitin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synapsin-1, and ubiquitin-binding protein p62. Our initial data confirms that we successfully generated a group of double and triple transgenic mice. Preliminary data also indicates altered expression of apoE and TDP-CT in these transgenic mice.
Funder Acknowledgment: This study was supported by a NIH-RISE grant by DSU.
Calcium Elevations and Synaptobrevin Role in Glutamate Exocytosis by Astrocytes
Tobenna Amanfo, Dr. Van Talabattula and Dr. Murali K. Temburni
Synchronous neuronal activity is a hallmark of developing as well as fully developed neuronal networks and is necessary for the functional organization of the brain. However, the mechanisms of the development of these synchronous oscillations are poorly understood. While existing models assume it as a process intrinsic to neurons, recent evidence suggests that astrocytes have an important role in the development of synchronous activity. We established pure neuron only and mixed (astrocyte and neuron) cultures on multielectrode arrays (MEAs) from the embryonic chick optic tectum. Our preliminary results indicate that astrocytes are necessary for synchronous activity of neurons in culture. Mixed neuron and astrocyte cultures show random spiking activity which synchronizes over time whereas astrocyte-free neurons only show random activity without synchronization. Our model predicts that glutamate sensing at tripartite synapses via mGluRs elevates local calcium stores within astrocyte processes. With sufficient activation, the localized calcium elevation crosses a threshold causing a calcium induced calcium release (CICR) within the astrocyte leading to glutamate exocytosis. We targeted the SNARE protein Synaptobrevin (Vamp2) within as-trocytes as crucial for communication with neurons via exocytotic release of glutamate. We proposed to test this model by expressing a truncated Vamp2 subunit (Vamp2 DN) which acts as a dominant negative to block exocytotic release. Astrocytes expressing the Vamp2 DN are expected to release significantly less glutamate upon calcium elevation thereby reducing synchrony of neuronal activity. We have generated astrocyte lines expressing the Synaptobrevin dominant negative (Vamp2 DN) along with the glutamate sensor iGluSnFR. We demonstrate that Vamp2 DN expressing astrocytes have significantly reduced glutamate exocytosis when CICR is induced with Ionomycin. With these tools a more comprehensive molecular model for astrocyte involvement in the generation of neuronal synchrony can be developed.
Funder Acknowledgment: NSF
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Cytoplasmic Expression of TDP-43 in Aged Mice Displays Hippocampal Sclerosis-like Degeneration and Neuronal Loss with Reduced Lifespan
Ms. Ashley Anderson1, Matthew Dopler1, Damian Osei-Kankam1, Stephani A. Davis1, James Dowell3 and Michael Gitcho1 , 2
1Delaware State University 2Delaware Center for Neuroscience Research 3University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, U
TDP-43 functions as a heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein involved in mRNA transport, mRNA stability, transcription, mitochondrial metabolism, and forms stress granules in the cytosol. TDP-43 is the major pathological protein in frontotemporal dementia and ALS. Previously, TDP-43 pathology has been described in up to 50% of those with Alzheimer's disease. Recent evaluation of this cohort revealed a distinct pathological staging of TDP-43 proteinopathy in an aged population, which overlaps frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD-TDP) and Alzheimer's disease. This overlapping pathological cohort is named limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). Both human TDP-43 and TDP-43 nuclear localization signal defective (δNLS) driven it the hippocampus in an APP/PSEN1 background show severe neuronal loss in the hippocampus, a change in plaque deposition, aggregated tau, and a decrease in survival. Quantitative shotgun proteomics on hippocampal brain tissue reveal novel pathways that are directly involved in inflammation, APP regulation, phosphorylation, neurofilaments, mitochondrial metabolism, synaptic density, calcium flux, protein quality control, and mitophagy. This new pathological model provides a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of TDP-43 in the hope of discovering new therapeutic targets in AD, LATE, and TDP-43 proteinopathy.
Funder Acknowledgment: MBRS RISE Program at DSU funded by NIGMS, National Institute of Aging, Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence
Oxidative Stress Response in Human Endometriotic Cell Line 12Z and Human Endometrial Stromal Cell Line HESC
Lechyna Mitchell and Karl E. Miletti-Gonzalez
Endometriosis is a disease that affects primarily 10-15% of women during their reproductive ages. This condition approximately affects 176 million women worldwide. It is identified by the presence of endometrial glands/tissue growth and implantation outside of the uterine cavity and the only true confirmation of the diagnosis is through surgery. About 10-70% of women with endometriosis present abdominal pain and 35-50% of those diagnosed deal with infertility issues. Other symptoms may vary from dysmenorrhea to painful intercourse and irregular periods. Endometrial tissue can be found implanted in locations of the peritoneal cavity, such as the bladder, liver, kidneys, and the ovaries, where it causes inflammation. We hypothesize that the human endometriotic epithelial cell line 12Z and the control human endometrial stromal cell line, (HESC), will show a differential response to oxidative stress, implicated in the pathophysiology of this disease. To test this hypothesis, we will treat both cell lines with hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory mediator, to create oxidative stress, and assess their oxidative stress response via a cell viability assay. Also, we will treat 12Z and HESC cell lines with plant extracts (ashwagandha, chamomile, soursop, and dandelion root) known to have anti-inflammatory activity and challenge the cells with hydrogen peroxide to assess potential effects on oxidative stress response modulation. These experiments are expected to provide initial data on the effect of these plant extract on the oxidative stress response of the endometriotic cell line 12Z and the normal control cell line HESC.
Funder Acknowledgment: This project was supported in part by the DE INBRE program, with a grant from the NIH NIGMS (P20 GM103446), a DE INBRE Pilot Award (K.M.) and the NSF HBCU-UP Research Initiation Award Grant No. 1700228 (K.M.).
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Effects of Aging on Cholinergic Synaptic Release in the Central Nervous System
Mr. DaShan Osborne, Hakeem Lawal Neuroscience Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Delaware State University
Acetylcholine (ACh) is a ubiquitous chemical found in both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). In the CNS, ACh is synthesized in the cytoplasm of cholinergic neurons and stored in synaptic vesicles. Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter (VAChT) is a protein that transports ACh from the cytoplasm to the synaptic vesicles. Despite the wealth of knowledge regarding the regulation of ACh synaptic transmission, including the fact that cholinergic decline is an important feature of aging, not much is understood about how cholinergic release is mediated late in the lifespan or the role of VAChT in that process. We are interested in systematically determining how ACh synapses are altered during aging, and what role changes in expression or function of VAChT may play in that process. Here we use Drosophila melanogaster as a model, and immunohistochemistry to visualize age related changes in the expression of VAChT, as well as changes in its localization to synaptic vesicles relative to the plasma membrane. For this study, Drosophila were separated into 3 age groups (0-7 days old; 28 days old; 56 days old), as well as male and female, per age group. The brains were dissected and visualized under a fluorescent microscope. Data from this study are still in the gathering stages. We hypothesize that there will be a change in the expression and localization of VAChT as the neurons age. Future studies will focus on synaptic physiology, and how age-related changes in VAChT effect synaptic transmission.
Funder Acknowledgment: RISE Fellowship Grant, HGBI Title III Grant, K01 Career Development Grant to H.O. Lawal
Ameliorating the Effects of an Environmental Toxin in a Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease
Dionne Williams, Esther Abiona and Hakeem Lawal
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized in part by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although the precise cause of PD is not yet fully understood, environmental factors are known to contribute to the etiology of a vast number of cases. Rotenone, a pesticide that inhibits Complex 1 of the mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain, is one such toxin. Importantly, there is no known cure for PD and effective treatment options are severely limited both in number and efficacy. We are interested in developing neuroprotective strategies that may lead to more effective treatments for the disease. This project studies the effects of rotenone-induced toxicity in adult Drosophila melanogaster and the neuroprotective capacity of dacarbazine, a possible anti-PD drug that was identified in a previous pharmacological screen. We hypothesized that dacarbazine will confer both organismal and neuroprotection against rotenone-induced toxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction. And we report that treatment with dacarbazine led to a partial rescue of organismal lethality induced by rotenone. Further, we measured the effect of rotenone on mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) using the Seahorse Analyzer and tested whether treatment with dacarbazine can ameliorate the effects of the rotenone inhibition of the mitochondria and we present preliminary data on the effect of dacarbazine on OCR in adult Drosophila melanogaster brains and in Schneider (S2) cells. In addition, we utilized immunohistochemistry technique to count the Dopaminergic neurons in adult Drosophila melanogaster brains to further investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of dacarbazine in our Drosophila model of PD. In sum, our report shows the utility of a potential neuroprotective chemical against a model of PD and suggests a possible neuroprotective mechanism against the diseases.
Funder Acknowledgment: HGBI Title III Grant, NSF MRI Grant
CHEMISTRY
Biocarbon Adsorbents for Mercury Adsorption
Mr. Douglas J. Austin Jr., Dr. Yanfeng Yue Department of Chemistry, Delaware State University Physical Science and Engineering
As a way to safeguard the future water supplies for the next generation, the purification of water bodies is paramount in science today. Water bodies in and around Delaware as reported by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources are contaminated with heavy metals including lead(II), arsenic(III), copper(II), and zinc(II). In this study, lignin a polymer will be used to create porous carbons to purify waters of the heavy metals. One of the goals of this research is to repurpose waste materials and unwanted invasive plant species to aid in protecting water bodies in Delaware. For the research, the hemp waste and lignin alkali along with sulfur containing materials will be ground into powder and then processed into activated carbons under an inert atmosphere. These carbon materials will be tested using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyzer to detect the specific surface areas and pore size distributions. X-ray diffraction will be used to examine crystallinity of the products, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy will be used to determine the concentrations of heavy metals before and after the activated carbon is used for the water purification. This research aims to adsorb heavy metals from water by using the activated carbon products made from natural abundant precursors and reduce metal concentration below the regulated concentrations as mandated by state and federal regulatory bodies (mercury 2 ppb, lead 15 ppb, arsenic 10 ppb, and cadmium 5 ppb). Biocarbon adsorbents synthesized from readily available plant materials are a useful way to help reduce waste from plant materials and remediate waterways of harmful metals. To date, our current research has been able to observe 199.7 mg/g adsorption capacity reducing Hg conc. in water from 10ppm to 0.06ppm at a pH of 6 at room temperature. Also, the materials synthesized have a surface area of 1413.972 m2/g. Further testing is needed under different conditions such higher and lower temperatures, pH, and initial dosage of Hg and carbon adsorbents.
Funder Acknowledgment: This program was made possible by the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Grant No. 1757353 and the State of Delaware.
Advances in Rationally Composited Light Harvesting Films Using Element IV Compounds For Energy and Organic Electronics Applications
Miss Destinee Thomas, Authors: Destinee Thomas, Wafaa Abousamra, Dan Yang, Leila Mouhtarim, Dt. Young-Gi Kim* Energy and Organic Electronics Lab, Department of Chemistry, Delaware State University
The use of element IV composites for the applications in solar cells has sparked wide interest due to the promising possibility for high power conversion efficiency. Introducing the more stable class of molecular iodosalt compounds such as A2SnI6 with Tin is known to offer an oxidation of 4+ as opposed to 2+ that was observed from A2SnI6. The iodosalts can be promising candidate for providing green and/or eco-friendly chemistry compared to conventional perovskite composites that contain lead, which are known to be toxic to the environment. In addition, the iodosalts can provide merits in solubility, air-moisture stability and yields in the synthesis. We demonstrate the advances in the synthesis of the salts adding another group IV elements and the rationally composited light harvesting films using the modified salts composite for energy and organic electronic applications.
Funder Acknowledgment: This study was supported by DOD HBCU-MI program.
CHEMISTRY
Affordable Electroactive Polymer Films for Energy Application
Dan Yang, Destinee Thomas and Dr. Young-Gi Kim
This work reports on the fabrication and characterization of electrically conductive polymer (ECP) electrodes which was modulated with novel secondary doping process. The ECP films were deposited using different coating methods on various substrates for finding sweet spot of the processing condition for energy application. The morphology was elucidated at a range of length scales using the atomic force microscopy. The deposited ECP films were found to form continuous polymer films showing affordable range of electrical conductivity, where the best electrical conductivity was observed from the film electrode treated with secondary chemical dopants and selective processing conditions. The optimal ECP film electrode is promising for advanced energy application including energy storage devices and ECDs.
Funder Acknowledgment: Funding from Boron Molecular
EDUCATION
Orville Plummer, Dr. Yewande Lewis-Fokum (Faculty Advisor) School of Education, University of The West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
Performance-based compensation of teachers has been proposed as a strategy to improve performance and accountability in the education system. This qualitative research study entitled, 'Principals' Perspectives on Performance-based Compensation of Teachers', was conducted to explore the views of secondary school principals concerning performance-based compensation of teachers. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to conduct interviews with six secondary school principals, selected by way of purposive sampling. Vrooms (1964) Expectancy Theory of Motivation was the theoretic lens used to explore the issues of principals' understanding of the concept of performance-based compensation of teachers, what principals consider as the major benefits of performance-based compensation of teachers, the major areas of concern regarding the implementation of a performance-based compensation of teachers, and recommendations of principals regarding performance-based compensation of teachers. The data was analyzed using Creswell's (2018) sixstep data analysis procedure. The findings were reported in relation to the research questions and the major themes that emerged. The main finding of the study is that while principals appreciated the value of performance-based compensation to improve teachers' performance and students' achievements, they were not in support of its implementation due to the inequities and inequalities in the education system in Jamaica. Inequality and inequity in the education system, teacher motivation and multiple factors affecting students' performance emerged as dominant themes. The findings suggest that the implementation of performance-based compensation in the context of the current inequities and inequalities would be challenging and may be hampered by a lack of support of principals. The study recommended collaborative efforts, led by the Ministry of Education to en-act policies for a more equitable system and a comprehensive performance manage system to drive performance and accountable at all levels. Future studies will focus on the perspectives of principals concerning performance-based compensation of teachers in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic through the theoretic perspectives of Vrooms (1964) Equity Theory of Motivation.
HUMAN ECOLOGY
Oxidative Stability of Njangsa Seed Oil
Ms. Bessem Akonjuen, Samuel A. Besong and Alberta N.A. Aryee
Oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a vital role in maintaining health and wellness in humans by minimizing the risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. However, PUFAs are unstable and susceptible to oxidative degradation due to the presence of two or more double bonds in their structure. This degradation leads to a reduction in the oil quality and loss/ production of volatile compounds which causes undesirable taste and flavor. Njangsa seed oil (NSO) contains bioactive PUFAs including alphaeleostearic acid, but it is prone to oxidation due to its PUFAs profile. Oxidative stability is one of the most important quality parameters of edible oils as it. determines their usefulness in technological processes as well as shelf life. The present work investigates the oxidative stability of NSO during storage during the 28-day period. The stability of the oil was determined by measuring free fatty acid (FFA) content, per-oxide value (PV), p-anisidine value (p-AV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, and oxidative stability in-dex on day 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Knowledge of the oxidative stability could serve as guide in developing effective strategies to protect/minimize oxidation in NSO.
Funder Acknowledgment: USDA Evans-Allen grant (DELXANAA082018)
Ms. Lucy Ebini, Dr. Alberta Aryee, Dr. Karl Miletti
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and breast cancer is the most common cancer in females. Chemotherapy is less effective in some cancer subtypes such as the triple-negative breast cancer. This has led to increasing interest in the exploration of alternative and natural remedies for breast cancer including medicinal plants. The aim of this study is to assess the apoptosis-inducing activities and signaling pathway of Prunus africana bark extracts as herbal remedies for breast cancer. The bark of P. africana extracted with selected absolute and hydroalco-holic solvents and edible oils were characterized with regards to their total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), pigment content, and antioxidant activities and apoptosis-inducing activities and signaling pathway on breast cancer cell lines. The extraction yield ranged between 3.22 and 12.47%, and the highest was obtained with aqueous ethanol (EtOH-50). The highest TPC was also determine in EtOH-50 extract. However, the absolute ethanol (EtOH-100) extract showed the highest TFC, antioxidant activities, and pigment content. The lowest EC50 (0.21) determined in the methanolic and ethanolic extracts were comparable to ascorbic acid, a known antioxidant. All the extracts and organic solvents (vehicle controls) negatively affected the triple negative breast cancer cells to a certain extent.
Funder Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from USDA NIFA Evans Allen (project # DELXHMEC2017).
Fatty Acid Content in Popular Snacks in the US - Using NHANES Data and Machine Learning (ML) Approaches
Ms. Christabel Tachie, Alberta N.A. Aryee, Ph.D.
Snacking is a common dietary habit in the US. It involves the consumption of energy-dense foods such as baked products (cakes), sweets and dessert (ice cream). The nutrients commonly found in these snacks include saturated fats, sodium and sugar. In the US, National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) is conducted yearly to gather data on the dietary patterns of people using a 24-hr recall. ML techniques, a subset of data science uses algorithms that can capture huge and unstructured data sets and integrate relationships among the data variables. The NHANES data from 2015 to 2018 will be analyzed in this study. The study focuses on the use of ML algorithms (Artificial Neural Network-ANN and Support vector Machine-SVM) to examine the contribution of popular snacks to the intake of nutrients (saturated fat, total fat) among consumers with respect to age, sex, race, income, and education.
Funder Acknowledgment: USDA-AFRI-2021-67022-34148
HUMAN ECOLOGY
Investigation of Environmental Parameters, and Vibrio spp. Levels in Oyster and Seawater from Slaughter Beach, Delaware, USA
Ms. Devotha Tumushimiyimana, Devotha Tumushimiyimana1, Rosemary Ebirim2 , Ali Parsaeimehr2 , Wilbert Long III1 , and Gulnihal Ozbay1 , 2*
1Food Science and Biotechnology Graduate Program, Human Ecology Department, Delaware State University 2 Department of Agriculture
Oysters play a significant role in the ecosystem and food chain. The filtration of water by the oysters results in the removal of sediments, bacteria, and nutrients which leads to the bioaccumulation of different types of microorganisms in oysters such as Vibrio spp. Of various Vibrio species found in the aquatic environment common human pathogens, including V. Vulnificus, V. parahae-molyticus, cause wound infections and gastrointestinal diseases. Other Vibrio spp., such as V. coral-liilyticus and V. tubiashii are known as shellfish pathogens. Slaughter Beach, Delaware, USA has been considered as a potential area to establish an oyster hatchery. However, the Vibrio spp., and water quality parameters remain unknown in this region. The aims of this study are to investigate and evaluate the Vibrio spp., in seawater and oysters and determine the relationship between water quality and total Vibrio spp., levels in oysters and seawater. Our results revealed the highest presumptive larval pathogenic Vibrio in the seawater was observed in July, August, and October in sites 2 and 3 with a peak at 95 ± 7.2 CFU/100 mL for site 2, and the highest presumptive human pathogenic Vibrio in the sea water was recorded during early July at site 2 (148 ± 40 CFU/100 mL). The highest human pathogenic Vibrio in oysters was observed at site 2 during September (3.39 ± 0.01 Log cfu/100ml) and October (2.27 ± 0.03 Log cfu/100ml). Monitoring the pH of the sea water during the high tide and low tide at different sites during July to October demonstrated that the pH remained almost stable in a range from 7.22 ± 0.00 to 8.89. Analyzing the sea water temperature from the July to October revealed the highest sea temperature during high tide and low tide at site 2 during July with a peak to 28.96 ± 0.56 °C.
Funder Acknowledgment: Special thanks to USDA-NIFA and NSF-EPSCOR Programs for funding this project.
Plasmonic Layered Bolometer COMSOL Multiphysics Simulation Test
Daemar Casey, Kevin Diaz, and Dr. Mukti Rana
Bolometers are devices utilized for measuring the power of incident electromagnetic radiation through the heating of a material where changes in electrical resistance depending on temperature. An infrared bolometer sensor or a microbolometer used as a thermal camera detector, where infrared radiation between 7.5um-14um targets the detector's material, heating it to, thereby changing its electrical resistance. Plasmonics or nanoplasmonics research focuses on the optical phenomena in the nanoscale vicinity of metal surfaces, where the plasmonic effect occurs at the interaction between free electrons in metal nanoparticles and incident light. In Nanoplasmonics, metallic nanoparticles dramatically enhance the interaction between light and matter as this effect only occurs when the wavelength of the metal nanoparticle is smaller than the wavelength of light. In this study, the truncated model of an infrared bolometer sensor is developed in COMSOL Multiphysics to examine the plasmon effect in the absorbing layer. COMSOL Multiphysics was a helpful tool in studying the plasmonic effect on the absorbing layer of the bolometer and utilizing the Electromagnetic Waves, Frequency Domain physics module in COMSOL Multiphysics software to simulate optical properties for the surface of the bolometer and surface electric field results. The incident light's power that struck the surface of the bolometer sensor was 62 nW/m for the bolometer sensor modeled in the nanoscale and the microscale. Results showed a trend for the absorption and surface electric field around the sensing layer of the nanoscale bolometer, outputting stronger values than the microscale bolometer. In conclusion, the nanoscale bolometer provided better absorption rate values than the microscale bolometer displaying how the interaction between light and metal nanoparticles can dramatically enhance the interaction between light and matter when the metal nanoparticle is smaller than the wavelength of the applied incident light. Future studies will focus on making the model 3D, improving the meshing in the simulation, and applying more parameters to see how the absorption layer's surface on the bolometer behaves in more plasmonic settings in the nanoscale vicinity.
Funder Acknowledgment: This study was supported in part by funding through the HBGI Title III Program and by the Division of Physics, Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.
Multitemporal Disaster Mapping Techniques
Mr. Azubuike Okorie and Sokratis Makrogiannis (PhD)
In the wake of a disaster, timely intervention or response is paramount to reduce fatalities, infrastructural damage, risk of environmental hazards, health risks, and other consequences. History is replete with records of several natural disaster events such as wildfires, floods, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis, that had adverse effects on the environment, quality of human life, and various intervention strategies had to be deployed to salvage the situation. A first step leading to the timely intervention of the response team is to identify the areas that have been impacted by the disaster. This process is often termed disaster mapping. In the past, disaster mapping was nearly an impossible task, but with advancements in remote sensing technology and image processing techniques, several disaster mapping techniques have emerged. These techniques range from the manual delineation of the post-disaster image, to detecting changes between pre-and postdisaster images. This work proposes the use of a change detection approach for disaster mapping. We experimented with some change detection techniques, such as image differencing, differential spectral indices, and Gabor TLC -- a two-level clustering technique using Gabor wavelet features. We evaluated the mapping accuracy of these techniques on seven disaster events, including two floodings, three wildfires, and one earthquake and tsunami, by calculating the dice score coefficient (DSC) between the change maps and corresponding ground truth. Our results indicate that, on average, Gabor TLC produces more accurate mapping than the other techniques.
Funder Acknowledgment: This research was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (award #SC3GM113754) and by the Army Research Office under grant #W911NF2010095.
Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy and High Precision Sensing to Assess Instrument Drifts
Mr. Al Alexis, Zakaria Juracka, and Amir Khan
Over the past decade, there have been observations of a general increase of temperature in the Earth's atmosphere which greenhouse gasses are directly responsible for. To understand and help quantify emissions, we must be able to precisely locate and monitor emissions across the region. Tunable diode laser spectroscopy is the most common and widely used technique for the measurement of atmospheric trace species in the IR and mid-IR region. These laser-based sensors coupled with sensitive detection using Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy (WMS) offer a low-cost, precise, and highly sensitive solution. WMS has long been used by researchers as a tool to probe molecular transitions, measurements of trace gas concentrations, and physical parameters (e.g., the linewidth, absorption cross-section, density, velocity, etc.). In addition, WMS is a cost-effective, highly sensitive method employed in several trace-gas sensors with applications in atmospheric sensing for air quality and global climate change. As is well known, WMS second harmonic detection is the most common choice for measurements due to higher signal-to-noise considerations. Also, it is known that the most common limiting factor in such measurements is primarily due to optical fringing from optical components in the experiment. In this work, we will show that 2f-WMS harmonic detection of trace-gas species when used with long-term monitoring can also be used to assess environmental drift, stability of laser-based field prototypes. With this method of obtaining information, it is our goal to provide reliable and accurate equipment that can be equipped on unmanned aerial vehicles for better research and analytic data.
Funder Acknowledgment: This work was funded by DoD- Army Research (ARO) W911NF-20-1-0316, NSF Award #2011728 and NIGMS (P20 GM103446)
