Title | University of Utah Undergraduate Research Abstracts, Volume 10, Spring 2010 |
OCR Text | Show A Message from President Young…..2 A Message from John Francis.....3 A Message from Steve Roens.....4 Undergraduate Abstracts.....5 A Message from Jill Baeder.....89 Research Posters on the Hill.....93 Charles H. Monson Prize Winner.....119 Undergraduate Research Conferences.....121 Undergraduate Research Scholars.....122 Health Sciences LEAP Program.....123 Psychology Senior Thesis Program.....143 Honors College.....149 Alphabetical Index.....182 |
Subject | University of Utah -- Students -- Periodicals |
Publisher | J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah |
Date | 2010 |
Type | Text |
Format | application/pdf |
Language | eng |
Rights Management | Digital image © copyright 2010, University of Utah. All rights reserved. |
Holding Institution | Office of Undergraduate Studies Sill Center 195 S. Central Campus Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84112 Office of Undergraduate Studies Sill Center 195 S. Central Campus Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84112 |
Source Material | Bound journal |
Source Physical Dimensions | 14 cm x 21 cm |
ARK | ark:/87278/s6dj5fqf |
Temporal Coverage | Spring 2010 |
Setname | uu_urop |
ID | 417441 |
Reference URL | https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6dj5fqf |
Title | 128_Health Sciences LEAP Program |
OCR Text | Show 123 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM Message from the Director Begun in 2001, the Health Sciences LEAP Program is a four-year pipeline for students seeking careers in medicine or health and coming from populations historically underrepresented in or underserved by the American health care system. In the first year of this program, enrollees study humanities; in the second, they shadow providers in their future fields; in the third, they conduct and report on research; and in the fourth, they design, execute, and assess a two-semester service project. After completing the third year, Health Sciences LEAP students have earned the designation of University Research Scholar, which will go on their university transcripts. Still, many of them contin-ue their research after this year, and some start even earlier. The projects you see in this section of the journal reflect the work of second, third, and fourth-year Health Sciences LEAP students. Our alums are already doing great things. They're in graduate work in medicine, nursing and nurs-ing education, pharmacy, dentistry, physician assistant training, and physical therapy. One is a Fulbright Scholar; one has his name on an article whose first author is a Nobel Laureate; some have moved into other service fields like educational psychology, law, and justice; most are pursuing their dreams. Paging through the abstracts collected here, I think you can see why they succeed. Carolyn Bliss 124 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 A ROLE FOR LEPTIN IN THE MAINTENANCE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE MASS Leptin is a hormone secreted by adipocytes that reduces appetite and increases energy expenditure by activating the long form of the leptin receptor in the hypothalamus. Other isoforms of the receptor are expressed on multiple tissues, including muscle, although their role(s) remain unknown. Circulating leptin levels are proportional to fat stores, coordinating whole animal metabolism with energy avail-ability. Complete leptin deficiency is extremely rare in human patients, although relative leptin defi-ciency is common in patients suffering from lipodystrophy, anorexia, and cachexia, a wasting syndrome associated with the final stages of cancer. In these patients, leptin is disproportionately decreased in relation to fat mass. These patients also experience skeletal muscle wasting, which has been associated with increased inflammation or relative insulin resistance. However, potential roles for direct leptin sig-naling in maintaining muscle mass has not been investigated. Ob/ob mice (leptin deficient) mice are hyperphagic, obese, and diabetic, and have decreased muscle mass. However, previous studies from our lab have shown that caloric restriction normalizes circulating glucose levels in ob/ob mice, and was normalized by leptin repletion. To determine if central (hypothalamic) leptin signaling is sufficient to restore muscle mass, we performed intracerebroventricular (i.c.v) infusion of leptin to directly replete leptin signaling in the brain, while peripheral leptin signaling remained absent. Leptin was continuous-ly infused into the lateral ventricle for 1 week at a rate of 15 ng/hr. Following treatment, the gastrocne-mius and soleus muscles were excised, weighed, and processed for western blot analysis to determine which mechanism(s) were responsible for the reduction in muscle mass. We found that muscle mass was significantly increased in caloric-restricted ob/ob mice that received i.c.v leptin, indicating that central leptin signaling plays a role in maintaining muscle mass in mammalian systems. Completed western blot analysis will determine if protein degradation is increased in muscles of caloric-restricted ob/ob mice or if protein synthesis is decreased in these mice. These studies suggest a potential role for leptin deficiency in the muscle wasting that occurs in human patients with relative leptin deficiency. Luis Alegria (E. Dale Abel) Department of Molecular Medicine, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Luis Alegria E. Dale Abel THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 125 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM A NOVEL IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD TO GENERATE THREE-DIMENSIONAL RECREATIONS OF THE LEFT ATRIUM AND ESOPHAGUS FOR POST-ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION ANALYSIS Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation targets specific anatomical landmarks within the left atri-um (LA) of the heart for radiofrequency-induced scarring. The effects of ablation on the LA and other mediastinal structures such as the esophagus is still being studied. We describe a novel image pro-cessing method utilizing Late Gadolinium Enhanced MRI (LGE-MRI) that allows for the three-dimen-sional recreations of the LA, right atrium, esophagus and aorta that can be used to analyze post-abla-tion tissue changes. Methods. Twenty Cardiac LGE-MRI scans underwent semi-automated generation of distinct 3D models following atrial fibrillation ablation. This is accomplished using the dedicated segmenting program, Seg3D, by manually contouring the epicardial and endocardial borders of the left atrium as well as the wall borders of the right atrium, esophagus and aorta from each of the 2D LGE-MRI slices. The high-lighted area between the internal and external contours is isolated and applied to the original image to remove all structures except the contoured wall. These 2D images are then stacked and 3D volume rendered to show the anatomical relationship of the structures, as well as the exact anatomical loca-tion of any effects from the radiofrequency energy. Results. All twenty scans underwent 3D segmentation analysis. The location of the esophagus in rela-tionship to the posterior wall and left and right pulmonary vein antra could easily be identified. The distance between the esophagus and left atrium as well as the regions of closest contact could also be shown. Using these models, the location and extent of contrast enhancement in the esophagus as well as the left atrium can be qualitatively assessed. Conclusions. With the advent of LGE-MRI to visualize post-ablation changes in the LA and esophagus has come many unstudied research questions. One of these is based on how the changes in the LA differ between variant ablation techniques, as well as the effect of radiofrequency energy on surround-ing mediastinal structures. Using Seg3D software, automated 3D generation of these structures post-ablation could help assist in determining the effects from the procedure. Thomas S. Haslam, Christopher Badger, Alexander Au, Hamid Amiri, Joshua J.E. Blauer BS (Nassir F. Marrouche, Rob S. MacLeod, Thomas S. Haslam) Department of CARMA Center, Cardiology. Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Alexander Au Hamid Amiri Thomas S. Haslam Nassir F. Marrouche 126 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY IN DROSOPHILA Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is the most common inherited form of motor neuronal disease in humans and a leading cause of infant mortality. This disease is characterized by a loss of motor neurons which lead to muscle degeneration, paralysis, and eventual death by respiratory failure. More than ninety-five percent of the children born with this disease die; SMA occurs at a rate of one in six thou-sand live births. SMA is a result of the loss of a gene known as Survival of Motor Neurons (SMN). We hypothesize that SMN is required in motor neurons for proper axonal extension and synapse forma-tion/ maintenance, and in muscles to ensure innervation. Using Drosophila melanogaster, we examined the requirements for SMN in motor neuronal development using RNAi. Preliminary results indicate that, as in higher organisms, a complete depletion of SMN kills the embryo very early. Embryos were collect-ed and injected with varying concentrations of dsRNA that specifically targets the Drosophila SMN transcript for degradation. Embryos were allowed to develop to late stages of development and were then filleted, fixed, stained and imaged on a confocal microscope. Because dsRNA can be injected in the fly at varying concentrations, generating titratable loss of func-tion phenotypes, we observed in pilot studies that 1) SMN is required for axonal extension, but not for motor neuron formation or cell fate specification, 2) that motor axons often fail to extend to their mus-cle target fields and typically fail to form synapses, as evidenced by 3) prolonged formation of myopo-dia, membraneous extensions from the surface of embryonic muscles that typically retract once con-tact with growth cones is made. We are currently examining genetic mutants for similar defects and are expanding our model of SMA pathology for subsequent modifier screening. Priscilla Auduong (Kelley Murphy, Alice Schmid) Department of Human Genetics University of Utah Priscilla Auduong Kelley Murphy Alice Schmid THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 127 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM THE BRYANT PROJECT: CHANGING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' COLLEGE ASPIRATIONS AND PREPAREDNESS Background and Purpose: Trends show that minority students receive a lower level of education than Caucasian students. This lower educational attainment leads to minority students being ill-prepared for the demands of post-secondary education and low college attendance among minorities. Interaction with successful stu-dents of color may have a beneficial impact on minority middle school students and positively affect their college aspirations and success in preparing for admission to postsecondary institutions. Methods: Successful college students of color have been attending Bryant Middle School and have been inter-acting with eighth grade students by helping with projects and tutoring struggling students in various subjects. These college students have administered surveys to the eighth grade students and will dis-cuss their college aspirations and preparation with them in the near future. Other projects to introduce college awareness and preparedness are in progress. These projects include cow heart and eye dissec-tions, organic chemistry experiment demonstrations, question/answer games regarding college statis-tics and preparedness, and community guest speakers in various fields that interest the students. This project has just recently begun and therefore more methods may be implemented to the research throughout the continuation of the project. Results and Implications: We expect that this project will have a positive impact on middle school students' college aspirations and their preparation for a postsecondary education. Interest in college and questions about higher learning have been asked by the students at Bryant Middle School and this shows there is some posi-tive impact being made. However, since this project has just recently begun, more results are not cur-rently available. We expect to obtain results in the next one to four years, depending on how long the Bryant Project continues its research. Emily Ah Ching, Gisela Borget, Ismael Sharif, Miguel Silva, Linda Taylor, Michael Thompson (Theresa Martinez) Office of Academic Outreach, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Theresa Martinez Michael Thompson Gisela Borget Emily Ah Ching Ismael Sharif Miguel Silva Linda Taylor 128 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 METABOLITE RESPONSIVENESS OF DORSAL ROOT GANGLION NEURONS INNERVATING MUSCLE FROM MICE WITH CARRAGEENAN AND EXERCISE INDUCED MYALGIA. Muscle fatigue and pain are among the most common complaints in emergency rooms and clinics across the country. There is a considerable amount of evidence that suggests that chronic pain may be maintained if not caused by peripheral mechanisms. In this study, Dr. Alan Light and his colleagues will determine the molecular receptors that detect metabolites produced by muscle contraction that signal sensory fatigue and muscle pain. This can be done by looking at the responsiveness of the DRG neu-rons from mice that have hyperalgesia, induced by exercise or inflammation. Many people suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) have trouble living their daily lives due to the incapacitating nature of both conditions. These patients have prolonged and severe tiredness and fatigue with no relief from rest, or sleep, and their conditions are made worse by even mild exercise. There are no known causes, or cure, for either of them. Thus, it is pertinent to study these conditions in hopes of finding better treatment and preventive strategies. The lab uses calcium imaging of dorsal root ganglion neurons that innervate muscle to examine their responses to the metabolites that normally signal pain and fatigue due to extreme exercise. Calcium responses indicate when these neurons are activated by specific combinations of metabolites. Specific antagonists to the molecular receptors responsible for encoding the metabolites help pinpoint which molecular receptors are used by muscle sensing neurons. These experiments, along with gene expres-sion studies examining the quantity of mRNA for the molecular receptors in these neurons, determined the mechanisms by which the muscle sensory neurons detect the metabolites. Further experiments showed that these molecular receptors were increased in mice that had mylagia induced by the inflam-matory agent, carrageenan, or by heavy exercise. These later experiments suggest that similar mecha-nisms may take place in people who have acute myalgia due to exercise or inflammation, and that these changes could lead to chronic myalgia and fatigue if the molecular receptors remain increased for long periods of time. Oanh Cao (Alan Light) Department of Anesthesiology, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Oanh Cao Alan Light THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 129 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM AFFIRMING EQUALITY: CREATING ACCESS TO COLLEGE CAREERS AMONG FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS & STUDENTS OF COLOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Studies have shown that first generation students and students of color have greater barriers to over-come, especially in obtaining higher education. This normally is the issue because first generation stu-dents and students of color come from disenfranchised neighborhoods and communities that struggle with making ends meet. In addition, school systems have neglected first generation students and stu-dents of color, making it less of a priority to groom such children for "college-prep" tracks when the stereotypical assumption is that they are undeserving. Moreover, students of color often lack role mod-els they can relate to in schools. The purpose of this project is to increase awareness of higher educa-tion among elementary school students from an underserved community in an intermountain state by having university students of color make presentations on professions that require at least a college degree. Pre and post surveys were conducted during the project to observe the effects of the presen-tations. Our research shows that having university students of color make presentations about college careers to students of color in elementary schools can positively influence these students, increasing interest in higher education. Katrina H Chen, Shenye He, Boneet Kaur (Theresa Martinez) Department of Sociology, Office of Academic Outreach, Health Science LEAP Program University of Utah Katrina H. Chen Shenye He Boneet Kaur Theresa Martinez 130 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 CORRELATION OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TYPE WITH STRUCTURAL REMODELING AND MYOCARDIAL TISSUE THICKNESS USING LATE GADOLINIUM ENHANCEMENT MRI IN ATRIAL FIBRILLATION PATIENTS Introduction: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) MRI sequences are used on Atrial Fibrillation (AF) patients to determine fibrotic structural remodeling (SRM) of the left atrial (LA) myocardium. Studies have shown that LA myocardial thickness in AF patients have thinner myocardium than patients who do not have AF. No studies have been done that use LGE to evaluate pre-ablative LA myocardial thickness to recur-rence post ablation. Methods: One hundred and forty-six patients underwent LGE MRI prior to AF ablation. Measurements using LGE MRI scans were taken prior to ablation at the thickest portion of the myocardium across the posterior, anterior and septal walls. The relative extent of LA wall enhancement was calculated using a threshold-based algorithm developed at our institution. Patients were then placed in three categories; Stage 1 SRM (<15% LA wall enhancement), Stage 2 SRM (15-35% LA wall enhancement) and Stage 3 SRM (>35% LA wall enhancement). Myocardial thickness measurements were compared to the various stages of SRM along with AF type and AF co-morbidities (i.e. Hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, etc.) to determine the significance on success rate of eliminating AF post ablation. Results: Patients with paroxysmal AF had a mean posterior myocardial wall thickness of 2.48 ± 0.36 mm com-pared to 2.24 ± 0.40 mm in patients with persistent AF (p = < 0.001). Those in the Stage 1 SRM category had a mean LA posterior myocardial wall thickness of 2.57 ± 0.38 mm compared to 2.24 ± 0.29 mm in Stage 2 SRM and 1.91 ± 0.27 mm in the Stage 3 SRM category. Patients with LA posterior wall thickness less than 2.2 mm were more likely to have recurrence of AF compared to those with LA posterior walls greater than 2.2 mm (p =0.045). Conclusion: Using LGE MRI, persistent AF patients with more extensive LA enhancement have thinner LA posterior myocardium than patients with paroxysmal AF. Patients with thin LA posterior myocardium are more likely to experience AF recurrence fol-lowing catheter ablation. Nathan S. Burgon BS, Christopher Badger, Melissa A. Do, William S. Paras (Thomas S. Haslam, Nassir F. Marrouche) Department of Cardiology Comprehensive Arrhythmia and Research Management Center University of Utah Melissa A. Do William S. Paras Thomas S. Haslam Nassir F. Marrouche THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 131 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF PACAP IN THE REGENERATION OF THE OLFACTORY EPITHELIUM The olfactory system has been a region of interest in our laboratory primarily because of its unique ability to regenerate cells after the death and deterioration of old and injured olfactory cells. It has been observed that approximately 10% of the olfactory neuronal cells are being replaced at any given time during the adult life of mammals. The basic composition of the olfactory system in mice includes: the olfactory neuroepithelium, the main olfactory bulb, and olfactory cortex. As chemical odors enter the nasal cavity they bind to receptors on the membrane of the olfactory neurons within the olfactory epithelium. These olfactory neurons are supported structurally and physiologically by sustentacular cells which have important secretory, metabolic and phagocytic functions. The neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase- activating polypeptide (PACAP) plays a significant role in promoting cellular survival and aiding in the regeneration of new neurons in germinative regions of the body such as in the olfac-tory system. PACAP has the ability to reduce the concentration of damaged axons after a traumatic brain injury and act as a protector of neurons within the spinal cord. Supplemental to the role that it plays in promoting cellular survival, PACAP has additional pleiotropic effects including the suppression of inflammatory responses. Much scientific knowledge has been gained in recent years about the physiological effects of PACAP in the olfactory system; however, the functional role that PACAP plays in suppressing inflammation during degeneration and regeneration of the olfactory epithelium has not been significantly studied. We hypothesize that without PACAP's anti-inflammatory effects, an olfacto-toxin, methimazole will cause a more rapid degeneration of the olfactory epithelium (smell loss) and a slower recovery due to an increased inflammatory response. Thus, we have developed an olfactory behavioral assay to test the ability of wild type and PACAP knockout mice to find hidden food before and after the injection of methimazole. Mice are trained to find a hidden food object, the injection applied, and additional behavior trials applied at multiple post-injection time intervals (4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, and one week). The animals are sacrificed to attain tissue samples to perform analysis using immunochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR. We hypothesize that because PACAP plays a role in the ability of the olfactory epithelium to regenerate, the wild type mice with normal levels of PACAP in their system recover and perform the behavior task faster after the drug injection than the knockouts. This study has not yet been completed in its entirety although multiple mice have been trained, perfused, and tissue samples gathered. However, we still suspect that the findings will provide additional information on how to reduce inflammatory damage to neuronal tissues. Stessie Dort, Michelle Stamm (Mary Lucero) Department of Neurophysiology, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Stessie Dort Michelle Stamm Mary Lucero 132 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 ROLE OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CLASSIC GALACTOSEMIA Classic Galactosemia is a potentially lethal disorder and patients with this illness cannot metabolize galactose due to an inherited deficiency of the enzyme galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT). Despite the life-saving consequences of newborn screening programs and a life-long galac-tose- restricted diet, the outcome/prognosis of patients with Classic Galactosemia remain poor. Most surviving patients suffer from a host range of debilitating complications such as premature ovarian insufficiency, growth and mental restriction, speech dyspraxia and other neurological deficits. To date, the pathogenic mechanisms of this disease remain largely unknown, thus preventing the development of more effective therapies. In this study, we examined if oxidative stress plays a role in the pathophysiology of Classic Galac-tosemia. Oxidative stress results when our body cells create an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated through aerobic metabolism and the readiness to detoxify them. We hypothe-size that if the normal metabolism of galactose is perturbed, it will affect the overall energy metabo-lism of the cells and lead to over-production of ROS, which might cause damages that lead to the phe-notypes seen in the patients. To support this hypothesis, our earlier research showed that the activity enzyme catalase, which has the ability to decompose hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water, was sig-nificantly increased in cultured skin fibroblast cells when challenged with galactose. Our on-going studies will focus on the identification of the source of ROS generated under GALT-deficiency. This will involve the isolation of mitochondria from the patient cells and assay for their normal functions. Gallegos N1, Yin X2, and Lai K2. 1 University of Utah Health Sciences Leap Program, 2Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics University of Utah N. Gallegos K. Lai THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 133 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM IMPACT OF NEUROTICISM ON COMMUNICA-TION WITHIN THE HEALTHCARE SETTING Introduction: Research findings suggest that patient personality influences health, stress perception and stress response. One way that this relationship may play out is through patient-provider communi-cation. Individuals with higher levels of neuroticism may have an increased acuity to symptoms. This may lead to exaggerated symptom reporting, effecting diagnosis and treatment. Thus individuals with higher neuroticism may not necessarily be more ill than others, but may have a lowered symptom response threshold. Moreover these patients tend to perceive their symptoms and conditions as seri-ous and stressful which likely influence their requests for provider attention and feedback. The present study examines whether neuroticism plays a part in communication within a healthcare setting. Method: As part of a larger study, participants (n=119) with a family history of cancer were placed in a simulated health care setting and met with one of three confederate nurses. The confederate nurses discussed potential cancer prevention strategies, including diet and stress management. Participants completed a personality assessment based on the five -factor model. Sessions were recorded and heart rate was monitored. Conversations were analyzed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Results: Participants in the study had a mean age of 31.8. The sample consisted of 74 females and 45 males with the majority being Caucasian (90%). The data was analyzed using a multivariate regression analysis. Gender, nurse communication conditions and confederate nurses were controlled for in the analyses. It was predicted that differences in heart rate would discriminate between individuals with a higher level of neuroticism. Unexpectedly, no such relationship was found. It was also hypothesized that individuals with higher levels of neuroticism would talk more and express more emotions than individuals with lower levels. Two regressions were run with neuroticism levels predicting participant verbal dominance (ratio of total participant talk to total conversation talk) and to participant emotional talk. Results indicated that there was a marginally negative relationship for verbal dominance (t=- 1.710, ‚=-.164, p=.090) and a marginally positive relationship for emotion talk (t=2.596, , ‚=.249, p=.011). This suggests that individuals with higher neuroticism converse more at length, and specifical-ly when it relates to their emotions. Conclusion: These results provide preliminary evidence that personality dimensions play a role in a health care setting, specifically for provider-patient communication. Patient neuroticism linked to health communication could have adverse affects on a provider's care response based on the provider underestimating or overestimating an individual's health condition. Monserrath Garcia (Lee Ellington, Maija Anne Reblin) College of Nursing, Health Science Leap University of Utah Monserrath Garcia Lee Ellington Maija Anne Reblin 134 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 "AFFIRMING EQUITY: CREATING ACCESS TO COLLEGE CAREERS AMONG FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS" Students coming from an underrepresented background have a low chance of getting a college educa-tion. Some of these underrepresented backgrounds include being a first generation college student and a low socioeconomic background. In order to succeed, these students must overcome this and other obstacles that come their way. A way that we are helping them to overcome an obstacle is to introduce them to higher education at an early age. By providing that information along with guidance from a mentor that they can look up to, they have a higher chance of getting into college. To a class of third graders, mentors go in and give four presentations about career choices. These careers are only achievable if you have a college education. Each of the four presentations is coupled with an activity to get the student energized and excited about the career. These third graders are in a school that has a high percentage of free lunch access and a high percentage of students of color. Before and after the presentations, students are surveyed to obverse if the information presented helped the student recog-nize the value of higher education. Previous results have told us that the students become more aware of what college has to offer and they feel like it is attained. Having mentors that students can emulate solidifies that notion that a college degree is attainable. Quentin Hodges, Najibullah Amiri (Theresa Martinez) Department of Sociology, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Quentin Hodges Najibullah Amiri Theresa Martinez THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 135 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM ROLE OF DYNORPHIN IN FRUCTOSE CONDITIONED FLAVOR PREFERENCE IN MICE This experiment examines the role of dynorphin, an endogenous opioid system ligand, in learned fla-vor preference as conditioned by the sweet taste of fructose. According to current literature, orally administered fructose causes a purely taste-determined conditioning response in rodents that is medi-ated by the endogenous opioid system. It has been found that pharmacologically blocking opioid sig-naling has no effect on the development or expression of flavor preference, leading researches to con-clude that opioids are not involved in the conditioning of taste-determined flavor preference. Many of the limitations inherent to previous pharmacological studies will be overcome in this study through the use of mutant knockout mice lacking preprodynorphin (the precursor to dynorphin), allowing for a more complete and accurate characterization of the ligand's role in food intake. Food-deprived wild-type and dynorphin knockout mice were trained over 2 hr/daily sessions to drink a solution containing a novel flavor paired with fructose (CS+/F) and one without fructose (CS-/S). Flavor preference in the absence of fructose was assessed through two bottle tests of solutions containing only the CS+/S and CS-/S flavors. Differences between the genotypes emerged in total consumption, training predictors of testing preference, and CS- intake. These results indicate that while dynorphin plays no role in modulating training intakes, it does participate in the mechanism of conditioned flavor preference by causing animals to learn to dislike a CS- solution. Contrary to current literature, our results indicate that fructose may cause postingestive signaling, possibly making it unsuitable for use in studying taste-determined flavor preferences. These results elucidate many new avenues for research exploring the mechanisms underlying food consumption, a pursuit especially relevant in our modern society where obesity and its related health risks figure prominently. Lara Kapp (Sharif Taha) Department of Physiology, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Lara Kapp Sharif Taha 136 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 AFFIRMING EQUITY: CREATING ACCESS TO COLLEGE CAREERS AMONG FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Due to lack of awareness and exposure to higher education, first generation and students of color in elementary and middle schools often believe that higher education is not an option for them. These students come from disenfranchised neighborhoods where parents often spend most of their time working in order to support the family; creating a lack of role models who can influence them towards higher education. In addition, school systems often fail first generation students and students of color by not providing support, programming, or role models to help prepare these young people for col-lege. For those who make it all the way to college, previous research indicates that first generation stu-dents and students of color struggle during their educational career due to limited resources. The objective of this project is to give elementary students from disenfranchised neighborhoods a chance to explore different career opportunities that require a college education. Specifically, four career pre-sentations and occasional classroom visits from University students of color were provided in an attempt to encourage awareness of higher education among third grade students in an intermountain elementary school. Pre and post surveys were given to measure the effectiveness of the career presen-tations. It was found that many of the students had an increased interest in attending college and receiving a college education but many are still unaware of what kinds of careers are possible. The hands-on activities were most effective in allowing the students to immerse themselves in what these careers are all about. If the students were more aware of other careers that require a college degree, it might create more of an interest among the students on pursuing a college education. Patom Lerslerphant, Tracy Louie (Theresa Martinez) Office of Academic Outreach, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Patom Lerslerphant Tracy Louie Theresa Martinez THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 137 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM THE EFFECTS OF GOAL SETTING ON HISPANIC CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AND PERFORMANCE IN THE DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION PROGRAM Background: In the United States the Hispanic population is continuously rising. Hispanics have a high-er prevalence rate of being more obese and overweight, especially in children; this may be due to the lower social economic status. To get them more active, implementing Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) in an after school program may increase physical activity. Methods: A randomized study of 100 first through sixth grade students at Rose Park Elementary School were chosen to participate in the after school program. Physical activity levels, BMI and percent body fat were measured. Students were then put into three goal setting groups: easy goals, difficult goals, and do-your-best goals. Results: Students in easy (p = .02) and difficult goals (p = .00) improved significantly more than stu-dents in do-your best goals in DDR performance. In addition, students in the difficult goals group had a higher increase in physical activity than easy (p = .02) and do-your-best groups (p = .00). In addition, there are still ongoing results. Conclusion: Results from the study showed that easy and difficult goal groups improved significantly in DDR performance than those in do-your-best goals. Also, the difficult goals group had a greater increase in physical activity. Joyce Cardenas, Kevin Lieu, Nora Homsavad, Penny Lopez ( Zan Gao) Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Penny Lolpez Joyce Cardenas Kevin Lieu Nora Homsaved Zan Gao 138 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 REACHING FOR YOUR DREAMS: AN ONGOING PROJECT THAT INTRODUCES COLLEGE TO FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS. College and its experience to many people are the thing they were born knowing, a must to go, the requirement from many families but the same doesn't exist in the neighborhood of west Salt Lake areas for many first generation students. Many of these students came from family with different back-ground and culture riches; they are all first-generation students who lived in a disenfranchised commu-nity that are lack resources and ideas about higher education. First generation underserved students had no or limited access of institutions of higher education result from many profound problems with-in their living community faced. Many students whom parent never went to college has less chance of knowing and understand a real college experience from their parent, these group of students are large-ly unaccustomed or required for higher education. This program, which lead by Dr. Theresa Martinez, will putting effort to lead a University-wide in encourage first generation students to attend college by involve in service learning project that introduce these students to the life of college, how it is like and what they are offering. Also focus on self-finding process by helping the students find and answer questions like who I am? What will I be in 5 or 10 years? What can I do in college? Our targeted age group is third grader; we want to start building a foundation at a very early age by visiting the class at least once a week for a purpose of getting to know the students and teacher, help mentor and once a month, we would come in with a prepared presentation about a profession of our choice and create activities about each career that help familiarized the class about many profession offered at college/university. This service learning are encourage to every students whom are willing to be involved but also specially targeted for minority colleges students to play that role models, be early guidance and share their experience with these students in reaching out for their dreams. To observe the impact of our program has on these students, pre-survey and post-survey were giving and there are significant changes in number of student who want to go to college. Anh Luong (Theresa Martinez) Department of Health Science LEAP University of Utah Anh Luong Theresa Martinez THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 139 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM BUILDING BRIDGES: A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GUADALUPE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH Over the last decade, Utah has worked hard to embrace its increasingly diversifying culture within Salt Lake County. However, despite this great effort, the neighborhood of Guadalupe has been left behind and it has been left behind in one of the worst ways, education. Although Guadalupe is only a fifteen minute drive from the University of Utah campus, it has some of the lowest enrollment and graduation rates from the university. This situation has caught the attention of the University of Utah community program, University Neighborhood Partners (UNP). UNP is a program ran through the University of Utah that "links ethni-cally and culturally rich Salt Lake City neighborhoods with the University of Utah to create pathways to higher education." UNP attempts to "redress historical inequity by understanding systemic barriers that have prevented access to higher education." Many of the barriers UNP address are issues of race, eth-nicity, religion, political views and geography. In an effort to connect the community of Guadalupe with the University of Utah, UNP has partnered with the Capitol West Boys and Girls Club as well as Health Sciences LEAP. The objectives of this part-nership include: • Facilitate a connection between the Office of Student Recruitment and High School Services and the youth of the Boys and Girls Club so students can get accurate information on admis sions and receive support to prepare for the admissions process. • Provide one-on-one tutoring and mentoring to Guadalupe youth These objectives are met by the following strategies: • Research of community backgrounds and needs • Bi-monthly tutoring and mentoring sessions at the Capitol West Boys and Girls Club provided by a Health Sciences LEAP student • Monthly recruitment sessions at the University of Utah that create awareness of: o College careers, student life, scholarships, and college/financial-aid applications A county and its state cannot truly succeed until all of their communities and citizens have become successful themselves. In Utah, this can't be achieved until Salt Lake's west side residents "see them-selves as holders and creators of knowledge." This partnership between the University of Utah, Univer-sity Neighborhood Partners, Health Sciences LEAP, and Capitol West Boys and Girls Club hopes to facili-tate this process so that the youth in the Guadalupe Neighborhood can enjoy the bright future that they deserve. Lacie Newland (Joel Arvizo, Carolyn Bliss) Department of Health Sciences LEAP, University Neighborhood Partners University of Utah Lacie Newland Joel Arvizo 140 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 AFFIRMING EQUITY: CREATING ACCESS TO COLLEGE CAREERS AMONG FIRST GENERATION STUDENTS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Historically, students of color attending schools in underserved societies have low college enrollment rates. Most of these students do not understand the importance of a college education or they may not have the opportunities to attend college. Some of the factors that influence these students' education include parent-teacher relationships, the family's low income, neighborhood influences, and the par-ents' unfamiliarity with the English language. The need to bridge language barriers between the teach-ers and parents has increased over the year as the neighborhood becomes ethnically diverse. The main goal of the project is to show these young students that they have the abilities and opportu-nities to attend a higher education institution such as the University of Utah. Some of the emphasis will be to teach the students how important it is to develop teamwork and cooperative skills. Moreover, the project will make sure that students understand how important it is to continue their education and have goals for college at a critical stage in their academic career. The focus is to present to third grade students at an intermountain elementary school different career possibilities that require a college degree. Two surveys, a pre-survey and post-survey are given out to assess the students' interest in higher education and knowledge about college. The surveys help the students get an idea about the project goals while helping gear the program towards the interests of the students. From that, four presentations on different careers are given throughout the year. Stu-dents have the chance to learn the basics and then explore the career by working on various in-class activities and demonstrations. Most importantly, the mentors will become role models for the students. With weekly visits to the class-room, a close relationship can be built between the students, teacher, and mentors. The project will broaden their curiosity about future careers and emphasize the importance of higher education. Tuyet Nguyen, Tran Le (Theresa A. Martinez, Carolyn Bliss) Department of Sociology, Office of Academic Outreach, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Tuyet Nguyen Tran Le Theresa Martinez Carolyn Bliss THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 141 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM MYOCARDIAL FATTY ACID OXIDATION IS REDUCED BY CENTRAL LEPTIN INFUSION Obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Obesity is associated with resistance to leptin, a hor-mone produced by adipocytes that decreases appetite and increases energy expenditure by activating the leptin receptor in the hypothalamus. Multiple isoforms of the leptin receptor are expressed in peripheral tissues, including the heart, although their role(s) remain to be elucidated. Furthermore, the role of leptin resistance in cardiovascular disease remains unknown. ob/ob (leptin deficient) mice are hyperphagic, resulting in obesity and diabetes. However, previous studies have shown that caloric restriction of ob/ob mice normalizes their body weight and glucose tolerance. However, myocardial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) was elevated in these mice, which was lowered, but not normalized, by addi-tion of insulin. Systemic leptin treatment normalized myocardial FAO in animals fed an isocaloric diet. To determine if central leptin signaling is sufficient to reduce myocardial FAO and improve myocardial insulin sensitivity, we performed intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of leptin in caloric-restricted ob/ob mice. A cannula was surgically implanted into the lateral ventricle of the brain, which was con-nected to an osmotic minipump that continuously pumped leptin at a rate of 15ng/hr for 1 week. 1 week following surgery, Glucose Tolerance Tests were performed and blood was collected to deter-mine circulating levels of free fatty acids and triglycerides. The mice were euthanized, and myocardial function and metabolism were measured using the isolated working heart method. Following perfu-sion with or without insulin, Western blot analysis was performed to determine if insulin activation of Akt was maintained. We found that i.c.v. infusion of leptin reduced myocardial palmitate oxidation and improved insulin sensitivity. We also found that this reduction correlated with a reduction in the level of circulating free fatty acids, suggesting that this may be a secondary result of decreased substrate availability. These studies suggest a link between central (hypothalamic) leptin resistance and increased myocardial FAO and decreased insulin sensitivity in obese patients. Tomoki Sempokuya (Crystal Sloan, E. Dale Abel) Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Health Sciences LEAP University of Utah Tomoki Sempokuya Crystal Sloan E. Dale Abel 142 HEALTH SCIENCES LEAP PROGRAM SPRING 2010 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE INVASIVE PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE (1980-2010) Streptococcus pneumoniae is the leading cause of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children, including bacterial meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia in infants and children worldwide. In 1977, a 14- valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine was licensed for use in the United States, and demon-strated efficacy in achieving broad serotype coverage in adults. In 2000, a 7-valent conjugate vaccine was licensed for use following demonstrations of immunogenicity, efficacy and safety in infants and young children. Data abstracted from the Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs) network shows that through 2005, the incidence of IPD caused by vaccine serotypes declined by 96%. One of the conse-quences of the dramatic shift in serotype distribution has been an increase in the incidence of pneu-mococcal disease due to nonvaccine serotypes. It has become clear from these trends in the distribu-tion of pneumococcal serotypes causing IPD, that in the future successful protection will necessitate incorporation of serotypes not included within the present vaccine formulation(s). Resultantly, a Phase III clinical trial is currently evaluating a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, which contains the 7 serotypes featured within the 2000 formulation, as well as 6 novel serotypes. Number of isolates from Streptococcus pneumoniae serogroups included in the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7 [Prevnar; Wyeth Lederle Vaccines]) And from nonvaccine serogroups recovered from children treated at Primary Children's Medical Center (Salt Lake City, UT), by year. Carrie L. Byington, Matthew H. Samore, Gregory J. Stoddard, etc. "Temporal Trends of Invasive Disease Due to Streptococcus pneumoniae among Children in the Intermountain West: Emergence of Nonvac-cine Serogroups." 2005:41. Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Utah. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2005- 25. Shila Zamanyfar, Chris Stockmann, Rachel Brodis (Steven Kern) Department of Pediatric Pharmacology Health Science Leap University of Utah Shila Zamanyfar Steven Kern |
Format | application/pdf |
Identifier | 128_Health Sciences LEAP Program.pdf |
Setname | uu_urop |
ID | 417436 |
Reference URL | https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6dj5fqf/417436 |