Academic Collaborative Efforts to Promote STEM Equity in High Needs Schools

America is at risk of facing a shortage of workers in STEM fields in the near future because lack of interest by its youth. It is well known that providing early exposure for P-12 students to engaging science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences can lead to lifelong learning and positively impact future career decisions. This manuscript describes one university’s collective efforts to bring equity to STEM education for an urban high needs school district in the northeastern part of the United States through various STEM initiatives over a five-year period. Through multiple projects and initiatives targeting both P-12 students and their teachers, descriptive results revealed a positive impact while pinpointing areas that still require attention. P-12 students indicated an increase in STEM knowledge and an increased interest in STEM careers following exposure to various STEM lessons and interactive experiences. P-12 teachers specified that Professional Development (PD) they received from university faculty as well as engaging in STEM experiences with their students enhanced their confidence in their ability to incorporate STEM lessons within their classrooms. An urban partner administrator viewed these various STEM initiatives as vital in their quest to bring equity for STEM education to their diverse student population

Analysis of Potential Protein Biomarkers in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Using the Gene Expression Omnibus Database

Michelle Davis and Ruba Deeb's poster examining the use of the Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify genetic protein biomarkers of epithelial ovarian cancer

Understanding the Molecular and Structural Selectivity of Oxidant-induced Nitration and its Reversal in Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ -ATPase SERCA2a vs. SERCA1a

The present study uses existing sequence (SERCA1a & SERCA2a) and structure (SERCA1a) information to extrapolate a tertiary structure construct for SERCA2a using computational modeling software. A comparison of SERCA1a and SERCA2a models could reveal structural anomalies that explain the basis for selective and specific Tyr nitration in SERCA2a but not SERCA1a

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Provides Protection Against Injury-Induced Thrombosis in Female Mice

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important vasoactive molecule produced by three NO synthase (NOS) enzymes: neuronal (nNOS), inducible (iNOS) and endothelial NOS (eNOS). While eNOS contributes to blood vessel dilation that is generally thought to protect against the development of hypertension, iNOS has been primarily implicated as a disease-promoting isoform leading to protein-bound 3-nitrotyrosine formation in aortic lesions and select organs during atherogenesis. Despite this, iNOS may also play a physiological role, via the modulation of cyclooxygenase and thromboregulatory eicosanoid production. Herein, we examined the role of iNOS in a murine model of thrombosis. Blood flow was measured in carotid arteries of male and female wild-type (WT) and iNOS-deficient mice following ferric chloride-induced thrombosis. Female WT mice were less susceptible to thrombotic occlusion than male counterparts, but this protection was lost upon iNOS deletion. In contrast, male mice (with and without iNOS deletion) were equally susceptible to thrombosis. The protective effect that iNOS affords female WT mice was not associated with a change in the balance of thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and antithrombotic prostacyclin (PGI2). Our findings, however, suggest that iNOS generates a protective source of NO in female WT mice that attenuates the effects of vascular injury. Thus, although iNOS is likely detrimental during atherogenesis, physiological iNOS levels may play a protective role in preventing thrombotic occlusion, a phenomenon that may be enhanced in female mice

Bridging Medical Simulation with Computer Science and Engineering: A Growing Field of Study

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if having on-site technological expertise will allow for the facile navigation of high fidelity manikins within nursing programs as well as to assess if the level of understanding and interest among engineering students would increase as a result of attending a class related to the technology used in healthcare simulation. Methods: Two assessments were applied to engineering students attending a class of technology used in healthcare simulation. A pre-test was designed to measure the understanding and interest of students in the engineering/computer science courses before attending a simulation class. A post-test assessment was used to measure their improvement in understanding and interest to learn more about simulation technologies. Participants: Engineering students attending 6 different engineering programs (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Technology Management) and having different educational levels (undergraduate and graduate)

The UB-Discovery STEM on Wheels Project (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics)

Bridgeport Public Schools (BPS) in Connecticut serve 21,260 students from 39 minority groups in low performing schools. BPS have limited funds for curriculum improvements and resources necessary to address STEM achievement gaps. Thus, the University of Bridgeport (UB) has partnered with the Discovery Museum and Planetarium (DMP) to purchase and retrofit a bus that will bring STEM education and precious resources to high-needs K-12 schools in the community that are lagging behind. A city bus is transformed into a mobile classroom and laboratory and UB-DMP offer the required technical, logistical, and science literacy and pedagogy expertise that is essential in reaching targeted students. UB-DMP collectively brings space and astronomy themes (rocketry, satellites, mission control, high altitude ballooning, remote sensing, citizen science) as well as robotics, 3D printing, virtual reality, and renewable energy programming to students of all ages. In sum, STEM on Wheels: 1) offers STEM experiences to schools lacking resources, 2) provides K-12 students with hands-on, STEM-focused skills aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and 3) trains UB engineering, science, and math students in effective teaching practices that communicate the excitement of STEM activities. This project is sponsored in part by the CHEFA Client Grant Program, The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority, 21 Century Fox and NASA CT Space Grant Consortium

Serum Metabolite Biomarkers Discriminate Healthy Smokers from COPD Smokers.

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) is defined by a fixed expiratory airflow obstruction associated with disordered airways and alveolar destruction. COPD is caused by cigarette smoking and is the third greatest cause of mortality in the US. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) is the only validated clinical marker of COPD, but it correlates poorly with clinical features and is not sensitive enough to predict the early onset of disease. Using LC/MS global untargeted metabolite profiling of serum samples from a well-defined cohort of healthy smokers (n = 37), COPD smokers (n = 41) and non-smokers (n = 37), we sought to discover serum metabolic markers with known and/or unknown molecular identities that are associated with early-onset COPD. A total of 1,181 distinct molecular ions were detected in 95% of sera from all study subjects and 23 were found to be differentially-expressed in COPD-smokers vs. healthy-smokers. These 23 putative biomarkers were differentially-correlated with lung function parameters and used to generate a COPD prediction model possessing 87.8% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity. In an independent validation set, this model correctly predicted COPD in 8/10 individuals. These serum biomarkers included myoinositol, glycerophopshoinositol, fumarate, cysteinesulfonic acid, a modified version of fibrinogen peptide B (mFBP), and three doubly-charged peptides with undefined sequence that significantly and positively correlate with mFBP levels. Together, elevated levels of serum mFBP and additional disease-associated biomarkers point to a role for chronic inflammation, thrombosis, and oxidative stress in remodeling of the COPD airways. Serum metabolite biomarkers offer a promising and accessible window for recognition of early-stage COPD