IUPUI Research Day 2014

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https://hdl.handle.net/1805/4256

A program book describing the Research Day 2014 events and posters is available from: http://hdl.handle.net/1805/4257.

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Effects of Thrombopoietin (TPO) on Longitudinal Mouse Hind Limb Crush Injury Model
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04) Rothchild, Greg; Lipking, Kelsey; McKinley, Todd; Kacena, Melissa A.; Sandusky, George E.
Approximately 645 people suffer from blunt force trauma injury to the femur every day. The recovery time of such injury can last anywhere from 3-6 months. Thrombopoietin (TPO) was used as a growth factor to induce bone and muscle healing. In this study, nine separate mouse groups (10 mice per group) were used: Crush PBS, Crush TPO, Surgery PBS, and Surgery TPO at day 3 and day 17, and controls with no surgery/crush/treatment. Skeletal muscle was harvested from the following sites: experimental impact, experimental adjacent, and normal contralateral skeletal muscle as a control. The muscles were fixed, processed, sectioned, and stained with H&E and Massons Trichrome stains. The slides were reviewed for skeletal muscle injury, muscle necrosis, inflammation, muscle repair, and regeneration. In addition, F4/80, an immunostain for macrophages was performed. On microscopic examination at day 3 the most common histologic changes seen were sporadic muscle fiber vacuolation, focal necrosis of varying sizes, muscle contraction bands, and infiltration of macrophages. On day 17, the skeletal muscle injury was generally healed. The main histologic lesions seen were variable sizes of muscle fibers, early fibroplasia, fat infiltration, some macrophages, satellite cells, and neovascularization. Comparing the TPO treated mice versus the PBS control group, the lesions at both time points were less in the TPO treated mice.
PHASE TRANSITION AND THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES STUDY OF ZIRCONIA USING FIRST PRINCIPLES METHOD
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Jing
Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) ceramics are of highly scientific and industrial interest. Since zirconia performs high melting temperature and small thermal conductivity, this material is well developed and commonly used for thermal barrier coating material in industry. This study investigates zirconium dioxide properties based on first principles calculation. Structural properties, including band structure, density of state, lattice parameter, as well as elastic constant for both monoclinic and tetragonal zirconia were computed. Pressure based phase transition of tetragonal zirconia (t-ZrO2) was calculated using DFT method CASTEP code. This work is based on band structure and tetragonal distortion change under compression pressure. The results predict a transition from monoclinic structure to a fluorite-type cubic structure at pressure of 37 GPa. Monoclinic phased zirconia (m-ZrO2) thermodynamic property calculations were also carried out using the Vienna ab initio Simulation Package VASP coupled with PHONOPY. The temperature dependence of specific heat capacity, entropy, free energy, Debye temperature of monoclinic zirconia, from 0 to 1000K, were computed and compared well with those reported from other relevant work.
α-Tocopherol is well designed to protect polyunsaturated fatty acids
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Leng, Xiaoling; Williams, Justin A.; Marquardt, Drew; Kučerka, Norbert; Katsaras, John; Atkinson, Jeffrey; Harroun, Thad A.; Feller, Scott E.; Wassall, Stephen R.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are an influential constituent in cell membranes, but are extremely vulnerable to oxidation. The presumptive role for α-tocopherol (α-toc), the molecular form of vitamin E retained by the human body, is to protect PUFA-containing lipids from oxidation. To investigate whether α-toc preferentially interacts with PUFA in support of this function, we performed MD simulations on lipid bilayers composed of 1-stearoyl-2-docosahexaenoylphosphatidylcholine (SDPC, 18:0-22-6PC) and 1-stearoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (SOPC, 18:0-18:1PC) in the presence of α-toc. SDPC with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for the sn-2 chain is polyunsaturated, while SOPC with oleic acid (OA) for the sn-2 chain serves as a monounsaturated control. The simulations were run at 37 °C under constant pressure for 200 ns on a system that comprised 80 phospholipid molecules, 20 α-toc molecules and 2165 water molecules. In qualitative agreement with our results from solid state 2H NMR and neutron scattering experiments, the simulations show that α-toc increases order inside the bilayer and that the chromanol headgroup sits near the surface in both SDPC and SOPC. Analyses of the density distribution of the lipid chains relative to α-toc show that the α-toc’s chromanol headgroup, the part of the molecule that protects against oxidation, would have more chance to interact with PUFA chains than saturated chains. A major prediction from our simulations is that α-toc undergoes flip-flop across the bilayer and that the rate is an order of magnitude greater in SDPC than SOPC. This is a remarkable finding that reveals a possible mechanism by which the chromanol group would not only wait at the membrane surface but would also patrol the membrane interior to meet lipid radicals and terminate the chain reaction by which lipid peroxidation proceeds.
Association of Diethylstilbestrol Exposure and Uterine Leiomyoma in African American Women
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Ho-A-Lim, Kimberly T
Uterine leiomyoma, commonly called fibroids, are highly prevalent benign tumors which are leading contributors to hysterectomies. Associated symptoms include reproductive problems, pelvic pain and heavy menstrual bleeding. Fibroids have an elevated occurrence in African American women, along with increased symptom severity and earlier onset among younger age groups. It has been established that hormones influence fibroid development, and recent studies suggest that fibroid development is influenced by fetal and childhood exposures to hormones which later impact how a woman’s body responds to hormonal challenges as an adult. Early life exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES), which is a teratogenic synthetic estrogen, has been found to cause fibroids in laboratory rodent models. The purpose of this research is to investigate how the mechanisms of DES exposure contribute to disparities in fibroid development in African American women. Coupled with the established role of inheritance in fibroid development, this project hypothesizes that there will be a strong correlation between fetal exposure to DES and the prevalence and severity of fibroids in African American women. The impact of this research will have direct relevance as it can offer insight into preventative medical care by reducing the inheritability of the disease, offer alternative treatment methods and reduce existing health disparities.
Should I Stay or Should I Go: Two Features to Help People Stop An Exploratory Search Wisely
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Jia, Yuan; Niu, Xi
As information becomes more ubiquitously available, many information users tend to experience a sense of anxiety due to the “information overload”. Few studies have systematically examined searchers’ stopping behavior, i.e., how users recognize how much information is enough to terminate a search. Bad decisions on a stopping point will lead to either insufficient information or unnecessary waste of time and effort without much additional information gain. Understanding searchers’ stopping behavior is extremely important to assist in thorough search result evaluation and to prevent a premature or a too-late search stopping. In this study, we present the design and implementation of two search techniques: Result Preview (RP) and History Review (HR), to help people make right decisions about when to terminate a search and how to consume information efficiently when facing an overwhelming amount of information. The basic idea of RP is to visualize the distribution of newly retrieved and re-retrieved documents to users, and that of HR is to display the previous search activities for searchers to review what has been done to help define the next steps. Both features are aiming at guiding searchers through the process of problem solving and decision making about whether to stay or leave during the search process. To implement the two techniques, we developed the search system on Bing Search API. The Bing search results were brought back to the search interface using AJAX and PHP. A formal user experiment with 24 participants is also proposed to evaluate the benefits and limitations, and also inform the future RP and HR design.
Early Identification & Intervention: Is There “Hope” for At-Risk Law Students?
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Martin, Allison D.; Rand, Kevin L.
Psychologists have defined hope as a cognitive style involving how people think about pursuing goals. Research by Snyder and colleagues has shown that hope predicts academic performance and psychological well-being among undergraduate students. Consistent with these findings, our prospective study of hope, optimism, academic performance, and psychological well-being in law students showed that hope predicted academic performance in the first semester of law school above and beyond previous academic achievement. Moreover, hope predicted life satisfaction during the last week of the semester. Thus, assessing for low hope in those entering law school may help to identify students at risk for academic underperformance and psychological maladjustment. Once low-hope students have been identified, legal educators can intervene by employing five strategies for engendering hope: (A) optimizing student goals; (B) increasing student autonomy; (C) modeling the learning process; (D) helping students understand evaluation as feedback; and (E) modeling agency. These strategies, derived from Snyder’s hope theory, are grounded in contemporary teaching and learning theories and are consistent with principles discussed in Best Practices for Legal Education. By identifying low-hope students early and intervening to improve their hope, legal educators may be able to improve their academic performance, enhance their life satisfaction, increase their bar passage rates, and, eventually, build a happier and more competent generation of lawyers.
Do Service Dogs Improve Safety and Quality of Life in Children with Disabilities?
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Wilson, Jessica; Cullen, Deborah
Although the use of service dogs is not a new concept, the practice of service dog intervention to improve safety and quality of life is relatively novel. Research studies have described that service dogs aided a decrease in overall arousal and enhanced a dramatic increase in expressive language for a child with autism. Notably children were more focused and attentive as well as laughed more after dog sessions. Since the sample sizes of service dog studies are small, a meta-synthesis of research articles relating to dogs assistance for safety and improvement in quality of life for disabled children was conducted. The purpose of doing a meta-synthesis is to explore studies with the same phenomenon of interest and compare and contrast the findings while describing the phenomenon. A rigorous methodological protocol was used for this meta-synthesis as described by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The online software Narrative Opinion Text Assessment and Review Instrument (NOTARI) developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute permitted the authors to evaluate and engage with 22 studies to determine quality, credibility and outcomes. Findings, in the form of themes, are entered with an illustration of the participants’ voice. These themes were further evaluated and aggregated to represent an interpretive meta-synthesis. One meta-synthesized theme found across the research was improved family quality of life. This is illustrated, for example, as dog-calming and promoting less problematic behavior as well as decrease in the stress response allowing the child body to relax. A second meta-synthesized theme of safety emerged as dogs are tethered to the children with autism to keep them from bolting. Parents felt that the child was safe with the service dog by the child’s side. These findings have robust clinical recommendations which may significantly impact families and disabled children.
Pancreatic Cancer Signature Center: Providing the Research Tools Necessary to Advance Pancreatic Cancer Patient Care
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Korc, Murray; Munson, Crystal; Kelley, Mark R.
There were approximately 45,000 new cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in the U.S. in 2013, and approximately 38,500 deaths. PDAC thus constitutes the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in adults, and PDAC patients have a dismal 5-year survival rate of 6%. Moreover, approximately 75% of patients die within the first year after diagnosis. PDAC is notoriously resistant to chemotherapy and radiation and even with our best treatment options, a complete margin-negative surgical resection, few patients achieve long-term survival. Despite these statistics, surprisingly only a small number of NCI-designated cancer centers have a specialized pancreatic cancer program. The creation of the IUPUI Signature Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research has been the foundation for putting IUPUI, the IU School of Medicine, Purdue University and the IU Simon Cancer Center at the forefront of pancreatic cancer treatment and research across the nation. The Signature Center, comprised of basic, translational and clinical researchers, represents the continuum of the disease from biological / molecular investigation to clinical trials. Funding from the Signature Center Initiative is being utilized to develop genetically engineered mouse models, generate orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse models, develop cancer associated fibroblast lines to be used as a shared resource as well as provide funding for peer reviewed pilot projects led by young investigators. Establishment and characterization of these cell lines and in vivo models provides the groundwork for these resources to be used by all members in their translational research projects. Support of pilot projects provides preliminary data and identification of projects to be ultimately used in a SPORE application. Additionally, work has begun on a web portal to promote and educate both patients and clinicians about the IUSCC Pancreas Cancer Clinic which became operational in 2010. Taken together, these activities provide the infrastructure to support pancreas cancer research at IU across the continuum of bench to bedside to practice. The availability of these resources to all members promotes inter-disciplinary collaborations aimed at increasing our understanding of pancreatic cancer so that advancements can be made in early diagnosis, prevention and multi-modality targeted treatment of this malignancy.
HOME Investment Partnerships Program Final Rule Online University
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Hammer, Meridth V; White, Martin
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) requested proposals from one or more organizations to plan, coordinate and deliver training and technical assistance services to not-for-profits that promote knowledge, service delivery and innovation for staff and leadership, and strengthen the overall capacity of said stakeholders to positively impact individuals, families and communities. As a result, Meridth Hammer submitted a response to IHCDA’s request for proposals and was awarded the bid to create a series of online web-based, interactive, on-demand training modules, each covering a different topic concerning federal requirements governing the use of HOME funds. Each training module consists of a video of a live training delivered by an instructor, a PowerPoint presentation, a set of pre-test questions, and post-test questions. The training modules are hosted in a website that allow users to perform the pre-tests and post-tests, view the training videos and allow IHCDA to track the results. Each user or participant is required to create an online account. IHCDA was given the ability to review information regarding each participants test results and progression through the training modules. Each participant agrees to a “learning covenant” at the time of registration for each training module which obtains the participant’s agreement to participate in a pre-test, a post-test, and sixty day surveys in order to measure retention of information and effectiveness of the training modules. This survey will also contain questions that will be used to ascertain which policies, procedures, or practices the participant has changed in his or her organization in order to ensure compliance with the learning outcomes of a particular training module. Presently, the first in the series of online training modules has been created. And the creation of at least a dozen additional training modules is underway. Martin White has been instrumental in video production and editing of the actual video that will become a part of the training module.
What Are the Correlations Between Muscle Strength, Motor Coordination, and Daily Function of the Upper Extremities in Older Adults?
(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Roby, Keishona; Liu, Chiung-ju; Gutierrez, Alyssa
Muscle strength is a basic body function needed to perform everyday activities. Therefore, age-related decline in muscle strength may impair older adults’ independence at home. Age-related decline in muscle strength occurs in the lower and upper extremities. The literature has shown a strong correlation between the loss of muscle strength in the lower extremities and mobility disability. However, little is known about the loss of muscle strength in the upper extremities and daily function. The purpose of this study is to estimate how muscle strength relates to motor coordination and daily function in the upper extremities of older adults. We plan to recruit 50 community dwelling older adults without major neurological disorders in a cross-sectional study. We have tested 18 participants (36% of our expected total) with an average age of 69 (SD = 4.5). Participants tested so far include 6 males and 12 females, in which 7 were African American and 11 were Caucasian. The average grip strength was 23.6 kg (SD = 10.1). The average number of arm curls done in 30 seconds were 12.7 (SD = 4.4). The average score from the Purdue Pegboard was 9.7 (SD = 1.9). The average score of the upper extremity function measure by the Late Life Function & Disability was 74.1 (SD = 13.8). The correlations among variables will be calculated when we reach the recruitment goal of 50 participants.

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