Alyssa J. Sanders, Samuel L. Ricci, S. Uribe, Bridget R Boyle, Brian Nepper, Nathaniel V Nucci
The coronaviruses plaguing humanity in the 21st century share much in common: a spontaneous route of origin from wild animals, a propensity to take human life, and, importantly, a highly conserved set of biological machinery necessary for viral replication. Most recently, the SARS-CoV-2 is decimating economies around the world and has claimed over two million human lives, reminding the world of a need for an effective drug against present and future coronaviruses. To date, attempts to repurpose clinically approved antiviral medications show minimal promise, highlighting the need for development of new antiviral drugs. Nucleotide analog inhibitors are a promising therapeutic candidate, but early data from clinical studies suggests these compounds have limited efficacy. However, novel compounds targeting the main protease responsible for critical steps in viral assembly are gaining considerable interest because they offer the potential for broad-spectrum coronavirus therapy. Here, we review the literature regarding potential inhibitors for the main protease of coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV-2, analyze receptor-drug interactions, and draw conclusions about candidate inhibitors for future outbreaks. Promising candidates for development of a broad-spectrum coronavirus protease inhibitor include the neuraminidase inhibitor 3K, the peptidomimetic inhibitor 11a and 11b, the α-ketoamide inhibitor 13b, the aldehyde prodrug, and the phosphate prodrug developed by Pfizer. In silico and in vitro analyses have shown that these inhibitors strongly interact with the active site of the main protease, and to varying degrees, prevent viral replication via interactions with the largely conserved active site pockets. KEYWORDS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; Replicase Polypeptide; Protease; Neuraminidase Inhibitor; Peptidomimetic Inhibitor; α-Ketoamide Inhibitor; Molecular Docking
{"title":"A Survey of Inhibitors for the Main Protease of Coronaviruses with the Potential for Development of Broad-Spectrum Therapeutics","authors":"Alyssa J. Sanders, Samuel L. Ricci, S. Uribe, Bridget R Boyle, Brian Nepper, Nathaniel V Nucci","doi":"10.33697/AJUR.2020.037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/AJUR.2020.037","url":null,"abstract":"The coronaviruses plaguing humanity in the 21st century share much in common: a spontaneous route of origin from wild animals, a propensity to take human life, and, importantly, a highly conserved set of biological machinery necessary for viral replication. Most recently, the SARS-CoV-2 is decimating economies around the world and has claimed over two million human lives, reminding the world of a need for an effective drug against present and future coronaviruses. To date, attempts to repurpose clinically approved antiviral medications show minimal promise, highlighting the need for development of new antiviral drugs. Nucleotide analog inhibitors are a promising therapeutic candidate, but early data from clinical studies suggests these compounds have limited efficacy. However, novel compounds targeting the main protease responsible for critical steps in viral assembly are gaining considerable interest because they offer the potential for broad-spectrum coronavirus therapy. Here, we review the literature regarding potential inhibitors for the main protease of coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV-2, analyze receptor-drug interactions, and draw conclusions about candidate inhibitors for future outbreaks. Promising candidates for development of a broad-spectrum coronavirus protease inhibitor include the neuraminidase inhibitor 3K, the peptidomimetic inhibitor 11a and 11b, the α-ketoamide inhibitor 13b, the aldehyde prodrug, and the phosphate prodrug developed by Pfizer. In silico and in vitro analyses have shown that these inhibitors strongly interact with the active site of the main protease, and to varying degrees, prevent viral replication via interactions with the largely conserved active site pockets. KEYWORDS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; Replicase Polypeptide; Protease; Neuraminidase Inhibitor; Peptidomimetic Inhibitor; α-Ketoamide Inhibitor; Molecular Docking","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48464032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maximilian Gastelum-Morales, L. Leininger, J. Morrissey, R. Luke, M. DeBeliso
Exercise Is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) is a worldwide initiative from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to promote physical activity (PA) at universities. California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) implemented this initiative in Fall 2019 with offerings to students and employees. For employees, an “Introduction to Resistance Training Class” was offered. Participants attended classes two times per week, with the sessions lasting approximately fifty minutes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the EIM-OC employee Introduction to Resistance Training class for its effectiveness on increasing PA, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy. The research design was pre-post, with participants completing online questionnaires before and after the course. The Godin Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (LTPQ), Resistance Training Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy Questionnaire, and Self-Efficacy and the Maintenance of Exercise Participation in Older Adults Questionnaire were included. The training class had a total of 14 female participants, 12 of which completed the pre- and post-questionnaires. There was a significant increase (t=-3.2, df=11, p=.004) in resistance training self-efficacy score following the course (M=3.52±1.03 versus M=4.31±.56). Resistance training outcome expectancy score was also statistically significant (t=-2.54, df=11, p=.01) following the course (M=4.48±.53 versus M=4.71±.37). There were increases in strenuous exercise days, physical activity scores, and future resistance training self-efficacy, although they were not statistically significant. The results of this study indicate that employee exercise classes, as part of the EIM-OC initiative, can be effective in increasing resistance training self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy. These indicators are important for individuals to maintain lifelong PA therefore future programming and research on EIM-OC should continue. KEYWORDS: Exercise Is MedicineⓇ-On Campus; Resistance Training; Physical Activity; Exercise; Worksite Health Promotion Program; Self-Efficacy; Outcome Expectancy; Employees; California State University, Monterey Bay
{"title":"Evaluation of Physical Activity Participation, Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy for Employees Participating in Exercise Is Medicine® On Campus Program","authors":"Maximilian Gastelum-Morales, L. Leininger, J. Morrissey, R. Luke, M. DeBeliso","doi":"10.33697/AJUR.2020.034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/AJUR.2020.034","url":null,"abstract":"Exercise Is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) is a worldwide initiative from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to promote physical activity (PA) at universities. California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) implemented this initiative in Fall 2019 with offerings to students and employees. For employees, an “Introduction to Resistance Training Class” was offered. Participants attended classes two times per week, with the sessions lasting approximately fifty minutes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the EIM-OC employee Introduction to Resistance Training class for its effectiveness on increasing PA, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy. The research design was pre-post, with participants completing online questionnaires before and after the course. The Godin Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (LTPQ), Resistance Training Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancy Questionnaire, and Self-Efficacy and the Maintenance of Exercise Participation in Older Adults Questionnaire were included. The training class had a total of 14 female participants, 12 of which completed the pre- and post-questionnaires. There was a significant increase (t=-3.2, df=11, p=.004) in resistance training self-efficacy score following the course (M=3.52±1.03 versus M=4.31±.56). Resistance training outcome expectancy score was also statistically significant (t=-2.54, df=11, p=.01) following the course (M=4.48±.53 versus M=4.71±.37). There were increases in strenuous exercise days, physical activity scores, and future resistance training self-efficacy, although they were not statistically significant. The results of this study indicate that employee exercise classes, as part of the EIM-OC initiative, can be effective in increasing resistance training self-efficacy, and outcome expectancy. These indicators are important for individuals to maintain lifelong PA therefore future programming and research on EIM-OC should continue. KEYWORDS: Exercise Is MedicineⓇ-On Campus; Resistance Training; Physical Activity; Exercise; Worksite Health Promotion Program; Self-Efficacy; Outcome Expectancy; Employees; California State University, Monterey Bay","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48400111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The 2020 NBA playoffs were played inside of a bubble at Disney World because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant that there were no fans in attendance, games were played on neutral courts and no traveling for teams. In theory, these conditions should remove home-court advantage from the games. This setting generated discussion and concern, as analysts and fans debated the possible effects it may have on the outcome of games. Home-court advantage has historically played an influential role in NBA playoff series outcomes. The 2020 playoffs provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of the bubble and home-court advantage by comparing the 2020 season with the seasons in the past. While many factors contribute to the outcome of games, points scored is the deciding factor of who wins. Thus, scoring is the primary focus of this study. The specific measures of interest are team scoring totals and team shooting percentage on two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws. Comparing these measures for home teams and away teams in 2020 vs. 2017-2019 shows that the 2020 playoffs favored away teams more than usual, particularly with two-point shooting and total scoring. KEYWORDS: NBA; NBA Covid; NBA Bubble; Homecourt Advantage
{"title":"The Effects of the NBA COVID Bubble on the NBA Playoffs: A Case Study for Home-Court Advantage","authors":"Michael K. Price, Jun Yan","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2022.051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2022.051","url":null,"abstract":"The 2020 NBA playoffs were played inside of a bubble at Disney World because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant that there were no fans in attendance, games were played on neutral courts and no traveling for teams. In theory, these conditions should remove home-court advantage from the games. This setting generated discussion and concern, as analysts and fans debated the possible effects it may have on the outcome of games. Home-court advantage has historically played an influential role in NBA playoff series outcomes. The 2020 playoffs provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of the bubble and home-court advantage by comparing the 2020 season with the seasons in the past. While many factors contribute to the outcome of games, points scored is the deciding factor of who wins. Thus, scoring is the primary focus of this study. The specific measures of interest are team scoring totals and team shooting percentage on two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws. Comparing these measures for home teams and away teams in 2020 vs. 2017-2019 shows that the 2020 playoffs favored away teams more than usual, particularly with two-point shooting and total scoring. KEYWORDS: NBA; NBA Covid; NBA Bubble; Homecourt Advantage","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48146273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Millions of people worldwide live with corneal opacity, which continues to be one of the leading causes of blindness. Corneal opacity is treatable. However, the surgical methods for treating this condition, such as corneal transplantation and keratoprosthesis, have many complications. The use of an intraocular projector is a promising approach to treat corneal blindness. Like any device using electrical power, an intraocular projection device produces heat, which could potentially damage eye tissue. Australian and international standards state that there cannot be an increase of temperature of 2 °C caused by an implanted device. In order to determine if these standards are met, a 2D axisymmetric thermal analysis of the projector in the human eye is conducted in ANSYS Workbench. With the projector operating at its maximum wattage, our analysis shows that an air gap extension within the projector will help maintain the temperature increase below 2 °C.
{"title":"Axisymmetric Thermal Finite Element Analysis of Effects of Intraocular Projector in the Human Eye.","authors":"John A Stark, Craig D Foster, Charles Yu","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2020.035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Millions of people worldwide live with corneal opacity, which continues to be one of the leading causes of blindness. Corneal opacity is treatable. However, the surgical methods for treating this condition, such as corneal transplantation and keratoprosthesis, have many complications. The use of an intraocular projector is a promising approach to treat corneal blindness. Like any device using electrical power, an intraocular projection device produces heat, which could potentially damage eye tissue. Australian and international standards state that there cannot be an increase of temperature of 2 °C caused by an implanted device. In order to determine if these standards are met, a 2D axisymmetric thermal analysis of the projector in the human eye is conducted in ANSYS Workbench. With the projector operating at its maximum wattage, our analysis shows that an air gap extension within the projector will help maintain the temperature increase below 2 °C.</p>","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":"17 4","pages":"49-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10457096/pdf/nihms-1875007.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10108839","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dat Lam, S. Rizal, R. Cota, Miguel Sicaja, Gabriel Cox, Brandon Wakefield, Z. Nisani
Among many anti-predator behaviors, vigilance is observed in many species and plays an important role in survival. In this study, we investigated the effect of flock size on vigilance in American Coots (Fulica americana)foraging on land and water, by observing individual birds in these habitats and recording the time spent scanning (i.e., vigilance). Mean flock size was larger on land compared to water and vigilance negatively correlated with flock size. Birds in water were more vigilant compared to on land, regardless of whether they were foraging alone or in flocks. However, the effect of flock size on vigilance showed a weak linear correlation as it was possible that other factors (e.g., human habituation, food kleptoparasitism, or scramble competition) could have also played a role in shaping vigilance. These results suggest that there is a relationship between flock size and vigilance, which are related to previous researches that show a negative correlation between vigilance and flock size. KEYWORDS: Birds; American Coot; Vigilance; Scanning; Foraging; Flock Size; Habituation; Competition; Behavior
{"title":"Investigating the Effect of Flock Size on Vigilance in the American Coot (Fulica americana) in Relationship to Habitat","authors":"Dat Lam, S. Rizal, R. Cota, Miguel Sicaja, Gabriel Cox, Brandon Wakefield, Z. Nisani","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2020.022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.022","url":null,"abstract":"Among many anti-predator behaviors, vigilance is observed in many species and plays an important role in survival. In this study, we investigated the effect of flock size on vigilance in American Coots (Fulica americana)foraging on land and water, by observing individual birds in these habitats and recording the time spent scanning (i.e., vigilance). Mean flock size was larger on land compared to water and vigilance negatively correlated with flock size. Birds in water were more vigilant compared to on land, regardless of whether they were foraging alone or in flocks. However, the effect of flock size on vigilance showed a weak linear correlation as it was possible that other factors (e.g., human habituation, food kleptoparasitism, or scramble competition) could have also played a role in shaping vigilance. These results suggest that there is a relationship between flock size and vigilance, which are related to previous researches that show a negative correlation between vigilance and flock size.\u0000KEYWORDS: Birds; American Coot; Vigilance; Scanning; Foraging; Flock Size; Habituation; Competition; Behavior","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69670756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The events of 9/11 drastically changed the state of the nation across many industry sectors, with the tourism industry among those most affected. Following that horrific day, the nation experienced heightened security measures and protocol, such that the travel industry and travelers would never look the same. People were fearful and anxious, and the tourism industry had to take quick, effective measures to evaluate the consumer response, set a marketing strategy, and promote within a changed national ethos and expectations. COVID-19 is a similar catastrophic, global, and long-term crisis that set our nation on a similarly drastic change in practice and protocol; fear and anxiety were higher than ever. COVID-19 and 9/11 are highly comparable in their market response. By comparing the two events and analyzing the consumer response and advertising messaging, specifically during the stay at home order, a theme and direction for messaging within the travel industry post-COVID-19 can be predicted based on the culture and spirit of The American Dream, confidence in safety, we are in this together, support local tourism, explore your city in a new way, and connect with those you missed. KEYWORDS: COVID-19; 9/11; Post-pandemic; Advertising; Travel; Prediction; Messaging; Consumer Response; Marketing; Analysis
{"title":"Travel Through Time: From 9/11 to COVID-19, Parallel Predictive Analysis of Travel Marketing","authors":"Hannah C. Gilliam","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2020.029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.029","url":null,"abstract":"The events of 9/11 drastically changed the state of the nation across many industry sectors, with the tourism industry among those most affected. Following that horrific day, the nation experienced heightened security measures and protocol, such that the travel industry and travelers would never look the same. People were fearful and anxious, and the tourism industry had to take quick, effective measures to evaluate the consumer response, set a marketing strategy, and promote within a changed national ethos and expectations. COVID-19 is a similar catastrophic, global, and long-term crisis that set our nation on a similarly drastic change in practice and protocol; fear and anxiety were higher than ever. COVID-19 and 9/11 are highly comparable in their market response. By comparing the two events and analyzing the consumer response and advertising messaging, specifically during the stay at home order, a theme and direction for messaging within the travel industry post-COVID-19 can be predicted based on the culture and spirit of The American Dream, confidence in safety, we are in this together, support local tourism, explore your city in a new way, and connect with those you missed.\u0000KEYWORDS: COVID-19; 9/11; Post-pandemic; Advertising; Travel; Prediction; Messaging; Consumer Response; Marketing; Analysis","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42329469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Allison Grodnick, A. Fink, T. Johnson, D. Mitchell
As an unintentional result of the extensive use of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture, antibiotics have become an increasingly prevalent selective pressure on bacteria. This forces bacteria to evolve and acquire antibiotic-resistant genes or mutations in order to survive. Suppose a bacterial strain acquires resistance to three or more antibiotics. In that case, it is deemed multidrug-resistant (MDR), and it becomes a potentially more serious problem to solve in the context of healthcare. This study aims to evaluate the acquisition of resistance to multiple antibiotic drugs by an initially susceptible isolated bacterium from a Minnesota forest environment. The bacterium was found to be Pseudomonas by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Three antibiotics, neomycin, ciprofloxacin, and imipenem, each from a different drug class, were selected to see if this isolate could become resistant over time and exposure. The bacterial strain developed resistance to the selected antibiotics through a series of sequential exposures to increasing concentrations of each drug in this order. As determined by a disc susceptibility test, the initial isolate acquired resistance to all three selected antibiotics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between the original isolate and the final resistant strain were identified. These SNPs suggest that mutations to efflux transporters and antibiotic protein targets play a role in acquiring and maintaining antibiotic resistance. KEYWORDS: Multidrug Resistance; Antibiotics; Neomycin; Ciprofloxacin; Imipenem; Pseudomonas; Evolution; MDR; Minnesota Environment
{"title":"The Evolution of Multidrug Resistance in an Isolated Pseudomonas Strain","authors":"Allison Grodnick, A. Fink, T. Johnson, D. Mitchell","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2020.026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.026","url":null,"abstract":"As an unintentional result of the extensive use of antibiotics in healthcare and agriculture, antibiotics have become an increasingly prevalent selective pressure on bacteria. This forces bacteria to evolve and acquire antibiotic-resistant genes or mutations in order to survive. Suppose a bacterial strain acquires resistance to three or more antibiotics. In that case, it is deemed multidrug-resistant (MDR), and it becomes a potentially more serious problem to solve in the context of healthcare. This study aims to evaluate the acquisition of resistance to multiple antibiotic drugs by an initially susceptible isolated bacterium from a Minnesota forest environment. The bacterium was found to be Pseudomonas by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Three antibiotics, neomycin, ciprofloxacin, and imipenem, each from a different drug class, were selected to see if this isolate could become resistant over time and exposure. The bacterial strain developed resistance to the selected antibiotics through a series of sequential exposures to increasing concentrations of each drug in this order. As determined by a disc susceptibility test, the initial isolate acquired resistance to all three selected antibiotics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between the original isolate and the final resistant strain were identified. These SNPs suggest that mutations to efflux transporters and antibiotic protein targets play a role in acquiring and maintaining antibiotic resistance.\u0000KEYWORDS: Multidrug Resistance; Antibiotics; Neomycin; Ciprofloxacin; Imipenem; Pseudomonas; Evolution; MDR; Minnesota Environment","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42431650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The purpose of this study was to determine which incentives are most effective in motivating medical students to practice in rural areas of South Carolina, which can be informative for the medical practitioner rural recruitment process. Medical students attending the University of South Carolina School of Medicine located in Columbia, South Carolina were surveyed about demographic information, motivations for rural practice, and considerations for choosing a practice location (n=109). Chi-square tests and bivariate analyses were used to test for significant differences. A significant relationship was found between previous residence in a rural area and personal motivation to practice in a rural area (p<0.001). It was also found that 86.2% of students who had previously lived, worked, or served in rural areas had a personal motivation to practice medicine in a rural area, confirming previous research. Loan forgiveness options were the most appealing personal incentive for the students in this study, closely followed by guaranteed minimum incomes and tax incentives; financial incentives were more preferred than non-financial incentives like reduced on-call work and accelerated residencies. The results of this study can be utilized to craft future state-supported incentive programs or to tailor current programs to more effectively recruit students to rural practice. KEYWORDS: Rural; Recruitment; Healthcare Provider; Shortage; Incentive Programs; Medical Student; Southern United States; Loan Forgiveness
{"title":"Assessing Initiatives for Rural Health Practices in South Carolina","authors":"Aalia Soherwardy, E. Crouch","doi":"10.33697/jur.2020.028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/jur.2020.028","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to determine which incentives are most effective in motivating medical students to practice in rural areas of South Carolina, which can be informative for the medical practitioner rural recruitment process. Medical students attending the University of South Carolina School of Medicine located in Columbia, South Carolina were surveyed about demographic information, motivations for rural practice, and considerations for choosing a practice location (n=109). Chi-square tests and bivariate analyses were used to test for significant differences. A significant relationship was found between previous residence in a rural area and personal motivation to practice in a rural area (p<0.001). It was also found that 86.2% of students who had previously lived, worked, or served in rural areas had a personal motivation to practice medicine in a rural area, confirming previous research. Loan forgiveness options were the most appealing personal incentive for the students in this study, closely followed by guaranteed minimum incomes and tax incentives; financial incentives were more preferred than non-financial incentives like reduced on-call work and accelerated residencies. The results of this study can be utilized to craft future state-supported incentive programs or to tailor current programs to more effectively recruit students to rural practice.\u0000KEYWORDS: Rural; Recruitment; Healthcare Provider; Shortage; Incentive Programs; Medical Student; Southern United States; Loan Forgiveness","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49646739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mothers may use controlling feeding practices (i.e., pressure to eat and restriction) to regulate their child’s weight. However, these practices may have unintended consequences on the weight and mental health of children. The first aim of this study was to investigate differences in maternal controlling feeding practices by child gender, age, and maternal ethnicity. The second aim was to examine cross-sectional associations among maternal controlling feeding practices, child body mass index z-scores (BMI-z), global internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms), and self-esteem. The third aim was to determine whether child sex and mother ethnicity moderate these associations. A sample of 202 ethnically diverse mother-child dyads (children ages 8-12; 49% female) completed self-report questionnaires and had weight and height measurements taken. Results showed no differences in maternal controlling feeding practices by gender, ethnicity, or age. Pressure to eat was negatively related to child BMI-z, and restriction was positively related to BMI-z. Moreover, pressure to eat was negatively related to child self-esteem. There were no associations between maternal controlling feeding practices and global internalizing symptoms. Further, no associations differed by child gender or mother ethnicity. Maternal controlling feeding practices may be used to move a child’s weight toward a healthy weight range. Overall, there was little evidence for associations between feeding practices and poor mental health; although, pressure to eat was related to poorer self-esteem in children. KEYWORDS: Maternal; Feeding; Practices; Child; BMI-z; Mental; Health; Controlling; Restricting
{"title":"Associations of Maternal Controlling Feeding Practices with Child Internalizing Symptoms and Body Mass Index in Ethnically-Diverse Mother-Child Dyads","authors":"Paulina Mozdzierz, G. Dunton, Tyler B. Mason","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2020.024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.024","url":null,"abstract":"Mothers may use controlling feeding practices (i.e., pressure to eat and restriction) to regulate their child’s weight. However, these practices may have unintended consequences on the weight and mental health of children. The first aim of this study was to investigate differences in maternal controlling feeding practices by child gender, age, and maternal ethnicity. The second aim was to examine cross-sectional associations among maternal controlling feeding practices, child body mass index z-scores (BMI-z), global internalizing symptoms (i.e., depression and anxiety symptoms), and self-esteem. The third aim was to determine whether child sex and mother ethnicity moderate these associations. A sample of 202 ethnically diverse mother-child dyads (children ages 8-12; 49% female) completed self-report questionnaires and had weight and height measurements taken. Results showed no differences in maternal controlling feeding practices by gender, ethnicity, or age. Pressure to eat was negatively related to child BMI-z, and restriction was positively related to BMI-z. Moreover, pressure to eat was negatively related to child self-esteem. There were no associations between maternal controlling feeding practices and global internalizing symptoms. Further, no associations differed by child gender or mother ethnicity. Maternal controlling feeding practices may be used to move a child’s weight toward a healthy weight range. Overall, there was little evidence for associations between feeding practices and poor mental health; although, pressure to eat was related to poorer self-esteem in children.\u0000KEYWORDS: Maternal; Feeding; Practices; Child; BMI-z; Mental; Health; Controlling; Restricting","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44370682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael Ornstead, Ruth Hunter, Mason L Valentine, Cameron Cooper, Stephen Kent Smith, Christopher F. Monson
A microfluidic device was created and used to demonstrate that supported lipid bilayers can be deposited on clean glass slides and removed using high velocity buffer flow (1-4 m/s linear velocity). This was accomplished by forcing the flow through a microfluidic channel covering an annealed glass coverslip bearing a supported lipid bilayer (SLB). The removal of bilayer material was monitored via fluorescence microscopy, and two basic regimes were observed: at 1-2 m/s smaller areas were stripped, while at 3-4 m/s larger areas were stripped. SLB removal was verified by two means. First, lipid vesicles labeled with a different fluorescent dye were added to the device and filled in holes left by the removal of the original SLB, allowing stripping to be verified visually. Second, the solutions obtained from stripping were concentrated and the fluorescence in the concentrates was measured. The ability to strip SLB from glass provides a relatively gentle method of creating spatially inhomogeneous SLB, which could be a useful tool in the continued investigation of membrane properties and components. KEYWORDS: Supported Lipid Bilayer; Membrane Vesicle; Microfluidic Device
{"title":"Stripping Material from a Supported Lipid Bilayer with High Speed Buffer Flow","authors":"Michael Ornstead, Ruth Hunter, Mason L Valentine, Cameron Cooper, Stephen Kent Smith, Christopher F. Monson","doi":"10.33697/ajur.2020.027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2020.027","url":null,"abstract":"A microfluidic device was created and used to demonstrate that supported lipid bilayers can be deposited on clean glass slides and removed using high velocity buffer flow (1-4 m/s linear velocity). This was accomplished by forcing the flow through a microfluidic channel covering an annealed glass coverslip bearing a supported lipid bilayer (SLB). The removal of bilayer material was monitored via fluorescence microscopy, and two basic regimes were observed: at 1-2 m/s smaller areas were stripped, while at 3-4 m/s larger areas were stripped. SLB removal was verified by two means. First, lipid vesicles labeled with a different fluorescent dye were added to the device and filled in holes left by the removal of the original SLB, allowing stripping to be verified visually. Second, the solutions obtained from stripping were concentrated and the fluorescence in the concentrates was measured. The ability to strip SLB from glass provides a relatively gentle method of creating spatially inhomogeneous SLB, which could be a useful tool in the continued investigation of membrane properties and components.\u0000KEYWORDS: Supported Lipid Bilayer; Membrane Vesicle; Microfluidic Device","PeriodicalId":72177,"journal":{"name":"American journal of undergraduate research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"69670856","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}