Metallo-β-Lactamases are enzymes that bacteria produce to protect themselves from various β-Lactam antibiotics. As a result of the growing antibiotic resistance crisis, new compounds have been developed to try to inhibit these enzymes and slow the spread of antibiotic resistance. In an effort to facilitate the discovery of new, improved inhibitors of the metallo-β-lactamases, a […]
C03-T: Sequence Stratigraphy of the Albian-Cenomanian Naturita Formation and Lower Mancos Shale, Eastern Utah and Western Colorado
The late Albian-Cenomanian Naturita Fm. and lower Mancos Shale in eastern Utah and western Colorado are interpreted as containing three unconformity-bound depositional sequences. The first Naturita sequence (Kn1) consists of fluvial channel conglomerates/sandstones and overbank mudstones deposited above a regional erosion surface above the Albian Ruby Ranch Member of the Cedar Mountain Fm. The second […]
B25-P: A Novel Circuit Controlling Motivation
To maximize rewards, one must learn what specifically causes those rewards. This learning process is disrupted in numerous psychological disorders, including depression and substance use. Understanding the systems responsible for these processes is key to developing future treatments for psychological diseases. The serotonin and dopamine systems play critical roles in learning and motivation. While these […]
A43-P: A System for Fluorescence-based Metabolic Sensing for Cells embedded in Collagen
Thomas Finn, Nick Mayer, and Dr. Urayama, with the help of Taylor Phillips, Bibek Dhakal, and the Department of Physics, elaborate on the next steps of metabolic sensing using autofluorescence in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, baker’s yeast. A turbid mixture of baker’s yeast cells in Phosphate-Buffered Saline was excited using a nitrogen-gas discharge laser with a 1-nm […]
A31-P: Computational Analysis of the Structure of Fluorinated o-Phenylenes
Ortho-Phenylenes have been found to take on conformations similar to those found in biological secondary structures, classifying them as a type of molecule known as foldamers. The goal of studying this class of molecules is to eventually use this simple structure in 3D molecules that mimic biological systems. Past studies have been done to investigate […]
C36-P: Does Early Life Stress Inhibit Discrimination of Fear in Adulthood?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by severe anxiety-like symptoms that are the result of experiencing one or more traumatic events. Currently, in the United States, PTSD has a prevalence rate of 8.3% indicating that there are over 8 million people living with this disorder (Goode et al, 2020). This experiment investigated the possible effects […]
C57-P: Analyzing Chemistry YouTube Videos with Mayer’s Multimedia Principles: Is Popularity Linked to the Promotion of Learning?
YouTube videos are becoming increasingly more integrated into education, especially in core science subjects such as chemistry. Views are typically used as a measure of a video’s quality, as teachers and students use them for instructional support. Richard Mayer developed a set of Multimedia Principles that we have used to rate the characteristics of popular […]
B05-T: Mineralogy of Hicks Dome Breccias, Southern Illinois
The Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District (IKFD) represents a fluoritic subclass of Mississippi Valley-Type deposits (MVT), which are low-temperature lead-zinc ore deposits formed by hydrothermal fluids. Typically MVTs lack contribution from and do not occur near igneous activity. However, due to a cryptoexplosive feature, surrounding Hicks Dome are numerous mafic and ultramafic igneous intrusions, most of which […]
C12-T: An Analysis of the Relationship Between Social Vulnerability and COVID-19 Impact in the United States
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected all of us over the past year; however, not all regions of the country have been impacted equally. The purpose of our project is to determine how well the impact of COVID-19 across the United States has been predicted by “social vulnerability,” which is defined by the CDC as […]
B12-T: Fabrication and Characterization of Artificial Skins to Represent a Range of Human Skin Properties
Accurate measurements of blood pressure, a major indicator of multiple health risks, and its continuous monitoring are extremely important for personal health care. Invasive methods, which are unpractical for daily use, are the most accurate way to measure blood pressure (BP). Thus, there is a growing need for more accurate and convenient non-invasive measurement wearables […]