Forget-Me-Notes

Kevin DiFazio explores how playing music may present the potential to hone memories and allay symptoms of diseases such as Alzheimer\u27s and dementia

Parenting Styles and the Impostor Phenomenon: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

Introduction: The Impostor Phenomenon (IP) refers to the emotions, cognitions, and behaviours of objectively successful individuals who believe their achievements are not due to personal capabilities or intelligence, but external factors or assessment errors. The development of the IP has been correlated with differing parenting styles utilized by a mother and father respectively when rearing a child. Although parenting styles may play a role, it is highly improbable that they are the sole explanation as to why some individuals report feeling like an impostor. Instead, other variables are likely also involved. Resent research has studied self-efficacy (i.e., a person’s belief in their ability to accomplish a task) as another contributing factor to the development of an individual’s IP feelings. The current study aims to explore what mediational role, if any, self-efficacy has in the relationship between parenting styles and the IP in undergraduate university students. Methods: Data was collected through convenience sampling from 80 undergraduate university students via a self-report survey containing demographic questions as well as measures of parent style, self-efficacy, and impostor phenomenon. Results: The results are pending as data analysis is still ongoing. Results will be available at the time of the conference. Conclusion: This research will likely contribute to understanding the development of the IP in relation to differing parenting styles and differing levels of self-efficacy in undergraduate university students. Results will help create a greater awareness of the IP on university campuses with the potential to aid in more IP-related resources for students

Determination of correlates of protection against tuberculosis in nonhuman primate models

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the greatest global health challenges society faces. BCG, the only licensed vaccine for TB, has profoundly variable efficacy and does not prevent the spread of TB. Due to the lack of an effective vaccine, there are no correlates of protection to use in vaccine development. The goal of this dissertation was to develop new tools for pre-clinical and clinical trials of TB vaccines, including new outcome measures and predictive markers of efficacy. Development of these tools will expedite down-selection of vaccinate candidates, reducing their ultimate cost and hastening the reduction and eventual elimination of this disease. BCG afforded the best levels of protection in the rhesus macaque model of TB, which closely resembled TB disease in human infants. Boosting BCG by protein antigens or adenoviral vectored antigens did not improve, and in some cases worsened, outcome. A T cell signature in the lung-draining lymph nodes (LN) at necropsy, early gamma interferon (IFN-γ) ELISPOT and early PET-CT markers correlated with improved outcome in this model. We further characterized the protection afforded by an experimental boost to BCG, H56, which has been shown to prevent reactivation TB in cynomolgus macaques. BCG/H56 prevented establishment of disease in lung- draining LN. BCG/H56 also mitigated lung inflammation, which reduced apparent risk of reactivation TB by PET-CT. Early control of disease in the lung-draining LN, as well as a T cell signature, was associated with reduced risk of reactivation TB. Both studies provided evidence that PET-CT markers correlate with outcome. We thus built a holistic outcome score based iv strictly on quantifiable outcomes: gross pathology and bacterial burden determined at necropsy, and constructed models that robustly predict this outcome score early using early PET-CT markers. Altogether, these studies highlight the importance of the lung-draining LN as a site of bacterial persistence and the ability of PET-CT to assess disease and predict vaccine efficacy. Further work will build upon these studies to determine the best site of vaccination to prevent disease, and develop a blood signature correlate for use in clinical trials

An efficient method for purification of PCR products for sequencing

A high-throughput DNA sequencing method that generated high quality data was developed. A frame fashioned from a standard agarose gel combined with 0.1%–0.2% low-melting point (LMP) agarose gel was used to isolate the PCR product of interest. Collected PCR products were centrifuged without any reagents and the supernatants were directly used for a sequenc- ing reaction. This method is simple and labor efficient, provides high quality sequences at a low cost, and bypasses problems with impure PCR products. This technique has been used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in Populus angustifolia trees

Current Beliefs of Speech-Language Pathologists Regarding Lateralization Errors

Lateralization errors (LEs) are defined as persistent speech sound errors in which sibilant sounds are distorted due to air flow exiting the mouth laterally, rather than centrally, as result of insufficient lingual pressure against the alveolar ridge and/or teeth. Prevalence of LEs is unknown, and there are no published data on contemporary assessment and treatment challenges. We developed six research questions addressing treatment and prevalence of LEs. Additional information about speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs’) perceptions and practices concerning LEs would facilitate understanding of current practice. Licensed SLPs (N=214, 98.12% female, Xage = 30-39 years) participated in a mixed-methods design online survey with 26 questions. The majority (98.13%) were Non-Hispanic White. Average age was 31-39 years, with 10-20 years of average experience in the field and an average caseload of 20-40 clients. Work settings varied between school, private practice, university clinic, outpatient clinic, and others. We found that the prevalence of LEs on caseloads was on average 1%-3%, though the national prevalence is believed to be slightly higher (1-5%). There was no clear consensus on what age treatment should begin, though 4-5% was selected most. Some (30.81%) clinicians cited 4 semesters as the best duration for therapy, but there was variation in beliefs. Nearly all SLPs (96.71%) agreed that LEs require remediation, possibly because structural and neuromuscular factors were considered major likely causes. The majority (88.27%) of clinicians believed that the public has a negative perception of LEs. There was considerable variation among clinicians regarding the most effective treatments, suggesting disagreement on best practice for lateralization treatment. Most (72.3%) of clinicians believed that LEs should be treated in an individual setting, but small group treatment was not unusual. Based on our results, it is clear that more research on this topic is needed for effective, evidence-based treatment for LEs