Poster Session E

This study seeks to better understand the spatial epidemiology of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and associated neighborhood and built environment factors. The study is based in Miami-Dade County (MDC), a metropolitan region with a legacy of racial segregation that remains an important structural determinant of health disparities. We analyzed data from 935 TNBC cases drawn from a major cancer center registry, and diagnosed during 2005–2017, to explore spatial and space-time clusters of TNBC rates at the census tract and neighborhood scales. We also conducted regression analysis to examine relationships between eight socio-environmental determinants of health and TNBC rates at both ecological scales. We found statistically significant spatial clustering of high TNBC rates along a north-south corridor of MDC along Interstate 95 and east of Hialeah, a region containing several majority non-Hispanic Black neighborhoods that have been historically marginalized. Among the ecological measures, only the percent of a region designated as a brownfield was associated with TNBC rates at the tract- and neighborhood-level. Our results can help local public health officials and cancer care providers to improve place-specific screening services and patient care, as well as improve our understanding of socio-environmental factors that may shape the epigenetics of breast cancer.  

In December 2019, severe cases of viral pneumonia associated with human-animal interactions were found by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. The main forms of transmission were respiratory droplets and close human contact. It was later determined to be severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) through genetic sequencing of microorganism cultures. The main objective of this study was to discover the prevalence of Covid-19 in individuals with and without risk factors. Also focusing on the presence of antibodies to determine its effects on transmission. These risk factors include: occupational exposure, 65 years and older, and underlying health conditions. 
    Two types of Covid-19 tests were performed on each patient. The first type was Total Ab exams to detect IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV2. The third being the Reverse Transmission Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) Test to determine if Covid-19 was present during time of testing. All tests were performed via nasopharyngeal swab by deeply inserting and gently rubbing the swab for several seconds to absorb secretions, and then retrieving. The data collected at the Schiff Center for Liver Diseases in the years 2020-2021 shows that SARS-CoV2 prevailed mostly in individuals without antibodies. Amongst all positive RT-PCR results, no strong correlation was found between those with and without risk factors.

Humans may have behavioral adaptations that serve as an early defense against infectious pathogens, helping them to avoid exposure to sickness. While adults detect and avoid cues of sickness in faces, less is known about how these abilities develop in children. This understanding is important because children may be particularly vulnerable to catching and spreading contagious diseases. To better understand the development of this sensitivity to sick faces, we tested whether 4- to 5-year-olds (N = 57), 8- to 9-year-olds (N = 52), and adults (N = 51) can discriminate between sick and healthy faces. We found that, while 4- to 5-year-olds did not identify sick faces at rates above chance, both 8- to 9-year-olds and adults did. When asked who they would rather sit next to at dinner, only adults avoided sick faces at rates above chance. For all age groups, performance was better when asked to identify sickness compared to when asked which person they would avoid, suggesting recognition skills may develop before avoidance and that providing viewers with information about a person potentially having an illness may prime them for disease detection. In sum, the ability to distinguish sick from healthy faces emerged during childhood (between 4 to 9 years of age) but improved with age. Characterizing the development of sensitivity to sickness cues may help determine how to facilitate pathogen avoidance behaviors to reduce the spread of illness and ultimately improve child and family health.

Gelatin scaffolds that mimic the structure of the Lymph Nodes (LN) can assist in studying the influence of Fibroblastic Reticular Cells, supportive cells in the LN, on peripheral tolerance in Type I diabetes. We fabricated freeze-dried gelatin scaffolds crosslinked with glutaraldehyde using various experimental parameters like crosslinking time, gelatin concentration, and freezing conditions. The scaffolds were sputter-coated with a thin layer of gold and imaged by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to assess porosity and pore size. We currently use ImageJ to quantify the average pore size of a sample by hand-outlining 20 pores from each scaffold's SEM image and measuring their Feret radii. To optimize this calculation process, we have adapted an existing MATLAB script by Rabbani et al. This script uses watershed segmentation to identify pores, then calculates pore radii using either Feret radii or a Circular approximation. For this study, we calculated the average pore radius with outliers, without outliers, or with filters applied to remove noisy values <20 μm and >200 μm using both methods. Average pore radii of four SEM images were found for each method. The code computing Feret radii was closer to ImageJ values for scaffolds with larger pores, whereas the Circular radii command was more similar to ImageJ for scaffolds with smaller pores. Further studies will identify common trends. In the future, we will examine the accuracy of a 20 pore ImageJ sample, identify more effective noise filters, and explore the impact of porosity on scaffold structure. 

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Prognosis and treatment depend on many factors, including the presence of estrogen and/or progesterone receptors (ER/PR) and levels of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). More research is needed to understand how demographic and clinicopathological factors jointly influence patient outcomes. In this SEER-based study, data was collected for 912,059 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2017 with an ERPR status were recorded; 438,667 of these women had a HER2 status recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were performed to assess patient survival. Incidence rates were highest among non-Hispanic Whites and for ER+PR+ and Luminal A (HR+/HER2-) cancers.The median patient survival time was 212 months (95%CI, 211- 213). In multivariate analysis, ER-PR- patients had 47% (HR, 1.470, 95%CI: 1.457-1.484) greater risk of death than ER+PR+ patients, and non-Hispanic black patients had 28% (HR, 1.279, 95% CI: 1.250- 1.308) greater risk of death than non-Hispanic white patients. Triple-negative (HR-/HER2-) patients had double (HR, 2.043, 95%CI: 2.005- 2.083) the risk of death of Luminal A patients in univariate analysis. There is a significant need for improved treatment of breast cancers without hormone receptors or elevated HER2 protein. This study also demonstrates that Black women face a higher risk of death than White women with similar characteristics. Further investigation into this disparity is needed. 

Coral restoration projects are increasingly focusing on sexual reproduction to boost genetic variation, particularly after disturbances. Many restoration projects use ceramic settlement tiles as recruitment substrates, but the composition of these tiles is rarely investigated as a means of promoting the growth of early-settlers. To test whether different cementitious materials increase settlement or promote growth, we created tiles using nine cementitious mixes. We conducted a settlement choice assay with larvae of the Caribbean species Orbicella faveolata. Settlement varied across mixes, with 51.8% of total living settlers attaching to FA60 (28.5% Portland cement, 43% fly ash, 28.5% water) tiles while the next closest mixture (SL60: 28.5% Portland cement, 43% slag, 28.5% water) had only 13.5% of total settlers. The least successful tile type in the settlement experiment was AAS1 (67% slag, 7% sodium hydroxide, 26% water) with only 1% of total living settlers. Next, we tested whether chemical compositions of the tiles affected growth rates of recruits. Pictures were taken of individual polyps biweekly under a dissecting microscope and area measurements calculated using ImageJ software. Recruits on FA60 tiles grew fastest among all tile types (2.2x faster than the group mean of nine treatments) and recruits on the AAS1 tiles grew the slowest (18% reduction in size due to major skeleton and tissue loss). We hypothesize the FA60 mix (and potentially other related mixes) may change the water chemistry in the boundary layer surrounding these cementitious materials, therefore enhancing larval settlement and growth, with potential applications for reef restoration efforts.

The vago-vagal reflex is a neural circuit of the tenth cranial nerve involved in the homeostatic regulation of various respiratory and gastrointestinal functions. However, its contribution to blood glucose regulation is not yet fully understood. Focusing on the sensory modality of the vago-vagal loop, we hypothesize that pancreatic sensory neurons detect and communicate information about the pancreatic islet's microenvironment to the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). We pursued this hypothesis by labeling activated neurons in the NTS in response to β-cell-specific stimulation. We injected mice with an adeno-associated virus containing an insulin promoter that drove the expression of a designer receptor, DREADD, activated by a designer drug, CNO, in β-cells. After administering CNO, we labeled neurons in the brain for cFos, a marker of neuronal activation. cFos staining proved to be an accurate method for detecting neuronal activation in the brain in response to strong intraperitoneal stimulation. However, cFos is not a sensitive reporter for weak and indirect neuronal activation. Despite a tendency for a higher number of cFos positive nuclei in DREADD-mice injected with CNO, this difference was not statistically significant.  For proper analysis, we must increase the sample size and introduce stricter control conditions. 

Vitamin D Reduces the Metastatic Potential of the MG-63 Osteosarcoma Cell Line 
Osteosarcomas are the most common type of bone tumor, with metastasis to the lungs being the leading cause of death in patients with the disease. Several studies have found a link between the active vitamin D derivative, 1,25(OH)2D3, and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is a major driver of cancer metastasis. Despite these studies, it is unknown whether 1,25(OH)2D3 can inhibit osteosarcoma metastasis and the mechanisms of action. To answer this question, preliminary scratch migration and RNAseq assays were performed on the osteosarcoma cell line MG-63, which revealed that 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited migration while also repressing key EMT inducers and positive regulators (e.g. CD44 and MMP3). As a result, this study will use Western blot and confocal immunofluorescence analysis to correlate these findings at the protein expression and signaling levels. After treating MG-63 cells with 1,25(OH)2D3 for 24 and 48 hours, lysates were collected. Antibodies raised against CD44 and beta-actin were used in Western blot analysis. CD44 and MMP3 immunostaining was performed, and images were taken with a Zeiss LSM900 confocal microscope. The preliminary RNA-based findings were supported by both Western blot and immunostaining results. Furthermore, treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3 decreased the presence of MMP3 in the nucleus. These findings suggest that 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibits EMT by down regulating CD44 and MMP3 to keep MG-63 cells in a more epithelial-like non-migratory cellular phenotype.  

While gastrulation is unique to metazoans, the site at which it occurs is not uniform for all metazoans. Non-bilaterians and bilaterians diverged from an urbilaterian common ancestor, and with that divergence came a change in the site of gastrulation. In observed non-bilaterian taxa, such as Cnidaria and Ctenophora, endoderm specification and archenteron formation occur at the animal pole, allowing for gastrulation to occur here. On the other hand, bilaterian taxa experience this process at the vegetal pole. It is not only the difference in the site of gastrulation that is of interest, but it is that the site of gastrulation is completely opposite in polarity. Bilaterian organisms have evolved to develop extremely complex functions, and it is believed that the switch in polarity from the divergence from non-bilaterians may have an important role in their complex development. The cnidarian, Nematostella vectensis, has been shown to utilize the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity pathway protein Strabismus for bottle cell formation and initial gut invagination, which is localized to the animal pole and allows for gastrulation to occur. This protein is of interest to determine if it possesses a function in the gastrulation of bilaterian organisms. It is hypothesized that if Strabismus is present in bilaterian taxa, it will be localized to the vegetal pole and function in the initial invagination for gastrulation to occur. Determining the molecular mechanism for gastrulation in both non-bilaterian and bilaterian taxa is important in understanding the evolution of the polarity of metazoan embryos.

In adults and children, oxytocin is a neuropeptide positively associated with social engagement. Endogenous peripheral oxytocin can be unobtrusively measured through saliva. However, little is understood about the early development of the endogenous oxytocin system in infancy. Here, we studied whether infants' salivary oxytocin can be reliably measured, is developmentally stable with age, and is linked to social behavior. We longitudinally collected human infants' saliva at 4, 8, and 14 months of age before and after they watched a video of an unfamiliar woman smiling while we tracked their emotional state. We found within-age reliability in infants' salivary oxytocin levels between the first and second samples we collected at each age, and developmental stability in individual differences of infants' oxytocin levels across these ages. At the group level, we detected no changes in infants' salivary oxytocin levels between 4 and 8 months, but found an increase from 8 to 14 months, a novel finding. As we hypothesized, infants' salivary oxytocin levels were positively associated with their positive emotions to a smiling stranger at 4 months of age; however, unexpectedly, this association disappeared at 8 months of age, and then reversed at 14 months of age. Together, these findings suggest that infant salivary oxytocin may be a stable and reliable measure in infancy, but that it may undergo developmental changes in what it reflects. Further studies are needed to more fully explore whether infants' salivary oxytocin levels are associated with other aspects of infants' social and emotional development.

A symbiotic relationship between two organisms accounts for an array of interactions that offer an even greater variety of resources such as food, shelter, protection, essential compounds, and a competitive advantage. Although the benefits of certain mutualisms may be well studied and understood, the specific chemical processes by which these organisms communicate for resources are less documented. For example, aphids form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria, Buchnera aphidicola, that live intracellularly within them in exchange for essential amino acids (Smith and Moran, 2020). The two organisms communicate through a specialized aphid cell called a bacteriocyte that the Buchnera reside in, allowing for specific transport of materials across the membrane. Eukaryotes exhibit mechanisms such as the mTOR pathway that mitigate the nutrition and cell growth factors between certain cell types, incorporating a myriad of transporters and reactions that power the basic components of a multicellular organism (James et. al, 2018). Wilson (2020) hypothesized the endosymbiosis of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum and the bacteria living within it, Buchnera aphidicola, is regulated by the mTOR pathway. To begin to test this hypothesis, rapamycin, a known inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, was injected into aphids alongside a control treatment to observe whether or not there was an effect on aphid fecundity. After injecting aphids and counting their progeny, I found that the cumulative total of offspring in rapamycin injected aphids was significantly less than that of the controls. The mTOR pathway therefore appears to impact aphid fecundity.

Intimate partner aggression (IPA) is a multi-faceted phenomenon that ranges from severe forms of intimate partner violence to less severe behaviors, common couple violence (Simpson et al., 2007). Communication conflict, which assesses the intensity and frequency of arguments, is often conceptualized as a precursor to common couple violence. The I3 model (I-Cubed; Finkel, 2014) is a key model in explaining IPA and proposes that there are impellance and inhibitory factors that may increase or decrease, respectively, the likelihood that people will act aggressively. The present study examined the interaction between an impellance factor, negative urgency, the tendency to act rashly in response to negative affect (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001), and an inhibitor, cognitive reappraisal, the ability to cognitively restructure an emotion-eliciting situation into non-emotional terms (Gross, 1998b). Participants included 1,159 couples (N = 2,318 individuals; mean age = 33.4; 73.8% White; 86.5% Non-Hispanic) who took part in a randomized controlled trial for an online intervention. For the current report, couples were assessed cross-sectionally at baseline. Each participant completed self-report measures of negative urgency and cognitive reappraisal, along with a measure of couple-level communication conflict. There was a significant interaction between negative urgency and cognitive reappraisal on communication conflict for female partners. For male partners, there was a significant main effect of negative urgency. This study highlights the importance of considering cognitive and emotional individual differences factors in the etiology of IPA and their applicability to intervention efforts.

In this project, I discuss the ways in which personal and collective accounts of trauma are transmitted and adapted via Salsa, the most popular and emblematic musical style of Cali, Colombia. As both a tool of resistance and entertainment patronized by cartels, Salsa's complicated history reflects that of Colombia, a culture rooted in oral tradition that resists the confines of invisibility through music. I argue that as part of Cali's cultural identity, Salsa serves as a method of preserving histories through incorporating words, dance moves, and figures from Indigenous and African traditions found in Colombia to cultivate a unique sound. Using accounts of the Colombian Armed Conflict, I demonstrate that these attempts to grapple with the unimaginable manifest themselves in the musical stylings of Cali Salsa as a means of creating a living memory and confronting trauma.

The use of FibroScan® measurements, which determines liver shear elasticity, has shown to correlate with the degree of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is characterized by loss of function and diminished blood flow through the liver. A longitudinal study was conducted at the Schiff Center for Liver Diseases at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital to identify the clinical covariates that are associated with liver disease progression. The central aim of this study is to determine whether providing FibroScan® measurements to the physician at the time of an outpatient hepatology would be useful for patient encounters and aid in the treatment plans, performance of liver biopsies, and patient follow-ups. Furthermore, follow up FibroScan® measurements will be taken to determine how the patient values change over time. This data will show whether patients are experiencing progression or regression of their liver disease as determined by liver stiffness measurements and to determine whether FibroScan® measurements, in conjunction with clinical laboratory correlates and genetic data, can be used to identify patients who are most at risk to have poor clinical outcomes and/or develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Pancreatic islet microencapsulation and localized delivery of immunomodulatory molecules may improve islet transplantation outcomes in type-1 diabetes (T1D) patients by preventing allograft rejection and maintaining metabolic control without chronic and systemic immunosuppression. Here, we encapsulated human islets (HIs) in poly(ethylene glycol) conformal coating (CC), by mixing HI with minimally crosslinked 8a-PEG-maleimide and 36.2% (w/v) HS-PEG-SH, extruded through a custom fluidic device (Biorep) using a PPG+10%Span80 external oil solution and a 1.65mg/ml DTT/PPG gelling emulsion.  We measured in vitro functionality through dynamic GSIS and insulin ELISA (Mercodia), and in vivo by glucose monitoring of diabetic NOD-scid mice transplanted with 2000 IEQ of CC-His in their fat pad. Biocompatibility was assessed after tissue explantation through histological and immunofluorescence evaluation using DAPI and mac2 antibodies. Micelles and nanofibers nanoparticles were made of PEG-poly(propylene sulfide) and PEG-oligo(ethylene sulfide) di-block copolymers, respectively. We tested 5 and 10 µg/mL Dex-nanoparticles inhibition of Raw264.7 macrophage cytokine production after lipopolysaccharide stimulation (ELISA), and studied whether 1mg/Kg Dex-nanoparticles improve CC biocompatibility in vivo 21 days post CC transplantation. We found that CC HIs maintain physiological insulin secretion in vitro and in vivo. However, their biocompatibility in vivo is decreased by the presence of macrophages. We demonstrated that Dexamethasone micelles and nanofibers are efficient in decreasing inflammatory cytokines in vitro, however mac-2+ cells are around CC capsules even if treatment is present.

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among men. The standard of care for locally advanced PC is androgen deprivation (AD) therapy, which eventually fails, leading to incurable and terminal castration resistant PC (CRPC). CRPC has few therapeutic options, due to the limited molecular understanding of its origins. Through transcriptomics of a novel early CRPC line developed in the Rai lab, it was discovered that the vasodilatory nitric oxide receptor complex, soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), is downregulated in CRPC. We hypothesize that elevating sGC signaling through FDA-approved agonists will limit CRPC growth. sGC is a heterodimeric protein that consists of two subunits: GC1α (GUCY1A1) and GC1ꞵ (GUCY1B1). In order to respond to sGC agonists, the complex must be intact, requiring both subunits to be expressed at some relatively equivalent threshold level.  Therefore, we analyzed sGC subunit expression levels in cancer cell lines at different stages of CRPC progression, using quantitative PCR (qPCR) to measure mRNA and immunoblotting to measure protein expression. We find that progression to CRPC is associated with striking dysregulation of the subunits with GC1ꞵ either significantly higher or lower than GC1α.  This data will be used to determine the extent to which agonists stimulate sGC activity, to identify threshold levels of subunits that will enable robust response in CRPC patients.