Understanding Career Doubling Up: Why Men Combine Legal Work and Income Generating Crime

Studies have shown that career doublers, those who engage in income-generating crime while also working a legal job, do so because the illegal work is lucrative. Few studies research the motivations for continuing legal work and those that do tend to focus on the monetary gains and benefits associated with legitimate work. After interviewing 100 incarcerated men in Ohio, our data found that people are just as inclined to keep their legal jobs if there are intrinsic rewards associated with the work. Specific answers varied from personal pride to enjoyment of work, but they all supported the finding that money is not the sole motivation for working. Instead, identity characteristics can motivate a person to desist from future criminal activity. Previous research provides a foundation for understanding career doubling, while our study expands upon it, arguing for additional research on the connection between internal motivations for career doublers and desisting from crime.No embargoAcademic Major: Criminology and Criminal Justice Studie

Molar Histology in Mangabeys and Guenons: Exploring the Relationship Between Enamel Prism Angle Variation and Diet

Understanding relationships between diet and tooth structure is of central concern in biological anthropology. Such relationships form the basis of dietary inference for fossil species. It has been suggested that the angle at which tooth enamel prisms approach tooth wear surfaces may be associated with different foods types. High angles have been hypothesized to confer greater enamel stiffness and are thought to be associated with hard-object feeding, or durophagy. Conversely, low angles are thought to confer abrasion resistance, which could indicate abrasive foods and/or grit adhering to foods. We investigated prism angles in molars of two extant mangabey species’ samples: Lophocebus albigena and Cercocebus atys, whose diets are documented by extensive field data. L. albigena prefer soft fruits, falling back on hard seeds during periods of scarcity. By contrast, C. atys feeds on hard seeds year-round. For comparison, we investigated prism angles in Cercopithecus cephus, C. diana and C. petaurista, none of which consume hard foods. Molars were sectioned using standard protocols and imaged with a Motic BA 310 Microscope with a Moticam camera. ImageJ FIJI was used to measure prism angles relative to wear surfaces on “functional” cusps (i.e., those involved in crushing and grinding). Our results show that upper functional cusp angles of C. atys (N = 13) averaged 55.3 degrees, those of L. albigena (N = 11) averaged 39.5 degrees, and those of the pooled Cercopithecus sample (N = 11) averaged 37.0 degrees. A repeated measures regression analysis of upper functional cusps was used to test for fixed effects of tooth, genus, and tooth-genus interaction on prism angle. Only genus was found to be statistically significant. Pairwise comparisons from this model revealed statistically significant differences in prism angles between C. atys and L. albigena as well as between C. atys and the pooled Cercopithecus sample. There was no statistically significant difference between L. albigena and Cercopithecus. These results suggest that the prism angles of a fallback hard-object feeder can be more similar to those of soft-object feeders than to those of an habitual hard-object feeder, indicating that the correspondence between durophagy and enamel microstructure is not straightforward.No embargoAcademic Major: Anthropolog

Prevalence of Cefazolin Inoculum Effect in Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from Healthcare Systems

Introduction: The principal treatment for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections comprises of first-generation cephalosporins, specifically Cefazolin (CFZ). Despite advantages such as better tolerability, convenient dosing, and reduced nephrotoxicity, treatment with cefazolin poses a significant concern due to the existence of the cefazolin inoculum effect (CzIE). CzIE is defined as reduced effectiveness of cefazolin against bacterial isolates when the bacterial inoculum is large, leading to a decrease in the antibiotic’s ability to inhibit bacterial growth. The general criteria for CzIE is defined as cefazolin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of ≥ 16 µg/mL at the high inoculum and ≤ 8µg/mL at the standard inoculum. The presence of the CzIE in MSSA isolates is linked to the beta-lactamase gene (BlaZ) expression and is associated with clinical treatment failure. Methods: In this investigation, we evaluated the CzIE on a cohort of S. aureus isolates derived from cystic fibrosis, pediatric, and bone and joint infections. MIC tests were performed using micro-broth dilution assays based on CLSI (Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute) guidelines. Briefly, antibiotic was serially diluted in a broth medium across a 96-well microtiter plate, and bacterial inoculum was added to each sample well. After incubating the plates at 37°C for 24 hours, the MIC was determined as the lowest concentration of antibiotic that completely inhibited visible bacterial growth. Results: A cohort of 97 isolates were tested with cefoxitin to identify potential MSSA isolates. Isolates exhibiting MIC values ≤ 4µg/mL were classified as MSSA and were taken further for CFZ antibiotic susceptibility testing at low (10^4) and high (10^8) inoculum concentrations. We identified 32 MSSA isolates, among which only 3 demonstrated the CzIE (high inoculum MIC ≥ 16 µg/mL; low inoculum MIC ≤ 8 µg/mL). The MSSA isolates that did not exhibit CzIE were characterized as CzIE-negative. The CzIE-positive isolates will undergo further testing for the β-lactamase enzyme (BlaZ) expression evaluation via the Nitrocefin chromogenic assay. Additionally, the BlaZ gene cascade will be identified through genome sequencing. Conclusion: This study highlights the need for a more extensive collection of MSSA isolates, given the considerable variation in CzIE frequency across different geographical regions.No embargoAcademic Major: Pharmaceutical Science

Transitions Of Care Nurse Effect on No-Show Clinic Rates: A Quality Improvement Project for Stroke Survivors

Background: Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability in the United States (US). In the US, stroke systems of care (coordination of care from pre-hospital assessment to post-acute care for stroke) over the last 15 years have witnessed an increase in stroke treatment rates, resulting in stroke dropping from the third leading cause of death to the fifth in the US. Problem: Despite improvements in acute care treatments, stroke survivors have a higher incidence of hospital readmission, recurrent stroke rates, and an increase in morbidity and mortality when they do not complete post-discharge clinic visits with a neurologist. Intervention/Methods: This evidence-based quality improvement project involves the implementation of the transitions of care nurse (TCN) role in improving clinic appointments scheduled before discharge for stroke patients and decreasing clinic no-show rates. Pre- and post-implementation data were collected, including the percentage of patients discharged to home with a follow-up appointment scheduled before discharge and the missed appointment rate. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize and display the data. Outcomes: This project demonstrated that the TCN role increased the number of appointments scheduled before discharge and decreased clinic no-show rates. Conclusion: Implementing a TCN for stroke allowed the host organization to ensure that many patients' follow-up appointments were made before discharge and decreased clinic no-show rates.No embarg

The Role of Moral Information in Changing Mental Representation

Individuals spontaneously form initial impressions of new people, which can be “undone” if individuals are provided with new information that allows them to reinterpret their prior evaluations (Mann & Ferguson, 2015). Using reverse correlation, a data-driven technique to visualize mental representations, this study investigated whether these mental representations are malleable and whether they can be changed following exposure to novel information in the same way that our evaluations of others has been shown to be. We examined how participants' mental representations of a fictional character, accused of infanticide in a TV miniseries And Then There Were None, change based on moral information provided in three conditions (a) positive, (b) negative, or (c) reinterpretation. After watching one hour of edited video, eighty-two participants' mental representations of the character were measured. The results showed significant differences in evaluations between the positive and negative conditions, as well as between the pre-reinterpretation and post-reinterpretation conditions. We found that the reinterpretation information provided to participants appears to influence their prior impressions of the character's physical appearance, effectively reversing their mental representation. This study extends our understanding on mental representation and demonstrates the importance of moral character in person perception. Future studies can look at intergroup differences in mental representation and how novel information can change these representations.Academic Major: Psycholog

Small Molecule Inhibitors of BRD4 for Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

Cancer is a complex disease with distinct hallmarks caused by a variety of factors. Transcription factors that normally control a large array of genes required for cell development can become oncogenes if their transcription is altered. BRD4 is a transcriptional activator that is a member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (ET) domain (BET) family of proteins. The bromodomains of BRD4 bind to acetylated lysine residues on histones and is common among chromatin binding proteins whereas the ET domain is distinct to the BET proteins. Current BRD4- based therapeutics target the bromodomain using small molecule mimics of acetylated lysine. These inhibitors have limited efficacy because of dose-limiting toxicities due to the inhibitors targeting other proteins with bromodomains. The ET domain interacts with proteins linked to lung, breast, oral, colon, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cancers as well as viral integrase (IN) from murine leukemia virus (MLV). Examination of the binding interface between MLV IN and the ET domain allowed for in-silico selection of potential inhibitors. These compounds were screened in leukemia cell lines leading to selection of BETi-10. Multiple myeloma (MM) tumors are located within the bone marrow, making it difficult to treat with limited current therapies. Using a variety of MM cell lines, BETi-10 was tested for efficacy in this hematologic cancer. In addition, a BCL-2 selective inhibitor, venetoclax (ABT-199), was chosen based on its efficacy in hematologic cancers to test synergy with BETi-10. Some MM cell lines are less sensitive to venetoclax, prompting the idea that BETi-10 could increase sensitivity to the inhibitor. While combination of BETi-10 and venetoclax treatment did not increase sensitivity in low responding MM cell lines, a switch from venetoclax-induced necroptosis to apoptosis was observed. After investigation of the effects of BRD4 inhibition on the necroptosis pathway, it was determined that the combination of BETi-10 and venetoclax can decrease the expression of key proteins in the pathway. These results suggest a new role of BETi-10 in the switch from necroptosis to the safer apoptotic route.A three-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Biochemistr

Comparing Effectiveness of Nanog/Pou5f3 and SOX2/Lin28a in Pluripotent Stem Cell Induction of Leghorn Chicken Fibroblasts

Pluripotent stem cells have incredible differentiation potential, making them ideal candidates for various therapeutic and research applications. One particularly interesting application involves the use of stem cells from endangered species for conservation purposes. Naturally harvesting pluripotent stem cells, however, involves significant health risks and is, therefore, avoided in the context of conservation. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) can serve as a replacement due to their minimally-invasive potential. Previous literature tends to utilize a large and possibly redundant amount of genes to induce pluripotency. While effective, issues may arise regarding vector capacity and potential transcription factor conflicts. Our study sought to elucidate the necessary genes to induce pluripotency in avian fibroblasts by comparing the effectiveness of two common gene combinations, Nanog/Pou5f3 and Sox2/Lin28a, using the Leghorn Chicken as a model organism. Due to the essential nature of genes Nanog/Pou5f3, we hypothesized that they would be more effective at inducing pluripotency than genes Sox2/Lin28a. Using RT-qPCR, we quantified the gene expression of pluripotent maintenance genes and found that the overexpression of Sox2/Lin28a upregulated Sall4 and Klf4 more effectively than Nanog/Pou5f3. We also found that the presence of Nanog/Pou5f3 may inhibit the upregulation of Sall4 via Sox2/Lin28a. Finally, we present evidence of Klf4 upregulation via both Nanog/Pou5f3 and Sox2/Lin28a, a potentially novel mechanism.CFAES Small Grant AwardA one-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Animal Science

Recession Rates of Zirconium Carbide and Zirconium Diboride During Ultra-High Temperature Oxidation

This research project aims to compare the oxidation kinetics and microstructure development of zirconium carbide (ZrC) and zirconium diboride (ZrB2) at temperatures between 1600 and 2400°C. ZrC and ZrB2 are ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs), which are a class of ceramic material with melting points above 3000°C. A mix of covalent and metallic bonding makes them thermally and chemically resilient with high thermal and electrical conductivities. Studies have shown that ZrB2 is favored over ZrC at temperatures below 1200°C, but not above because the protective liquid layer of boria (B2O3) evaporates, leaving the material exposed, causing it to oxidize very quickly. These materials are of interest for use in leading-edge surfaces of hypersonic aircraft, but due to difficulty of testing, a direct comparison of the oxidation behavior of ZrC and ZrB2 has not been done at predicted service temperatures in publicly available research. This research hypothesizes that ZrB2 will oxidize faster than ZrC above the temperature that boria boils. This experiment compares the oxidation rates at a realistic range of operating temperatures by measuring the rate of recession of the unoxidized base material. The boiling point of boria was calculated with FactSage thermodynamic software to be around 1780°C. This project uses the microplasma resistive heating system at the University of Virginia (UVA) to oxidize ZrC and ZrB2 at 1800-2200°C for 1-7 minutes in an ambient pressure Ar atmosphere with 1% O2. The microstructure and recession rate were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and image processing. Analysis indicates that at 1800-1900°C, ZrB2 oxidizes slower. The recession rate for 2000-2200°C was not able to be calculated because all samples either fully oxidize or vaporize in under 1 minute.Rapp Visiting Scholar FundUndergraduate Research ScholarshipNo embargoAcademic Major: Materials Science and Engineerin

Synthesis of a Two-dimensional van der Waals Frustrated Antiferromagnet: Mn2Al2S5

There has been significant interest in the discovery of new two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials which exhibit magnetic phenomena at thin layers, as these materials can prove to be useful as magnetic building blocks. Here, we report a new 2D vdW phase, Mn2Al2S5, and explore its magnetic, physical, and structural properties. We establish a route towards growing powders of this new material by combining stoichiometric equivalents of MnS and Al2S3 in sealed quartz tube synthesis. The Mn2Al2S5 phase consists of AlS4 tetrahedra which tops double-octahedral thick MnS6 layers. Diffuse reflectance absorbance measurements show this material’s band gap is 1.43 eV. Due to the double layering of metals, there is a competing magnetic interaction between them and the Mn2Al2S5 phase is magnetically frustrated. It shows antiferromagnetic characteristic, and a magnetic transition temperature at 10 K, compared with a Weiss constant of -328 K, producing a frustration index of 32.8. Overall, the Mn2Al2S5 phase as a 2D vdW material proves to show interesting and useful characteristics due to its frustrated magnetic structure.OSU Research FoundationNational Science Foundation - Materials Science & Engineering CentersNo embargoAcademic Major: Chemistr

The Biochemical Characterization of Plastin-3 (PLS3) variants linked to Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a severe congenital disease characterized by an incomplete formation of the diaphragmatic septum leading to mis-localization of the abdominal organs (e.g., the liver, stomach, and bowel) to the chest cavity. Through a combination of clinical and genetic analysis, eight novel mutations in plastin-3 (PLS3), an actin-binding and bundling protein, were linked to CDH. PLS3 has two actin-binding domains, ABD1 and ABD2, which determine how the protein binds and bundles actin filaments (F-actin). The successful binding and bundling of F-actin are essential for the cell's normal functions. If the ability of PLS3 to bind and/or bundle F-actin is impaired by pathological mutations, the cell’s morphological features and critical functions will be severely altered. The CDH-linked PLS3 mutations studied in this project are localized at different domains of the protein, and their effects on the protein structure and function are characterized through high- and low-speed co-sedimentation assays, fluorescence anisotropy (FA), and differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF). All mutated plastins displayed a high degree of destabilization, when characterized through DSF, and significantly increased F-actin bundling activity, compared to wild-type (WT) protein.Thomas J Byers Memorial Scholarship, The Ohio State University Molecular Genetics DepartmentArts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship, The Ohio State University Arts and Sciences Honors CommitteeA three-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Molecular Genetic