Breakout Session II

Session 2-A

Children’s Media ‘Madness’: Its Portrayal of Mental Illness
Alyssa Payne, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University

With television shows like Steven Universe Future and movies such as Inside Out, mental health is rapidly gaining representation in children’s media. But what about characters depicted as ‘mad’ or ‘crazy’? This presentation aims to investigate how the majority of children’s movies and television show portray characters with mental illness, how these impact children, and which changes are best suited to foster realistic portrayals of mental health.

How Mental Health is Linked to Genetics
Taylore Hamilton, Tallahassee Community College

Genetics and other environmental factors may contribute to developing a mental health disorder, but there is not one specific cause. Previous research attempted to link genetics to the onset of a mental health disorder. Other studies have investigated if genetics may aid in predicting that an individual develops a mental health disorder. If this correlation exists, enhanced psychiatric care and other treatment options are possible in the future. Certain genomes cause a predisposition to disorders.

Session 2-B

Dissecting Race and Epigenetic Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Maria Encinosa, University of North Florida

The COVID-19 pandemic requires a physical distancing from our social circles and our academic institutions. Yet, conditions of the pandemic offer student researchers new opportunities. My unique background in Biology, Anthropology, and Politics converged as I witnessed the disparities in COVID-19 infection rates and health outcomes within communities of color. In an attempt to process this jarring reality, my research contextualizes the epigenome’s permeability in larger discussions about the political construction of race, inheritance, and calls for racial equity. I analyze the potential for epigenetic research to operationalize the embodiment of racialized social experiences as comorbidities that enhance vulnerability to COVID-19.

Health Disparities and Solutions for Improvement through Implementation of Education Initiatives
Marina Sciancalepore, Ariel Joel, Florida Gulf Coast University

Health disparities as a result of social and political barriers and how nonprofit hospitals leverage Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) to strategically deploy health outreach. According to the 2020 Lee County CHNA, rates of low health literacy and insurance coverage are alarmingly high. This presentation provides an introduction to the aforementioned disparities and solutions for improvement through implementation of education initiatives, designed to address inequities and social determinants of health.

Novel Stilbene Analogues Inhibit Viability of Breast Cancer
Nheikha Etienne, Kaelyn Julmeus, Meghan Seth, Lyndsay Rhodes, Florida Gulf Coast University

Breast cancer will affect 1 in 8 women during their lifetime. Breast cancer’s susceptibility to drug resistance has increased the need for new therapeutic options. We have synthesized and tested 18 novel stilbenes compounds on three different breast cancer cell lines to determine their effect on cell viability. 11 compounds were found to significantly inhibit viability in at least two cell lines and have been selected for further study to determine lowest effective doses.

Session 2-C

Can there be positive outcomes of childhood abuse?
Alicia Paans, Tallahassee Community College

Childhood abuse can be devastating, I suffered at the hands of my mother. However, I like the person I am today and it seems as if a lot of people do. I connect easily with people and rarely do not get along with someone. This is the opposite of the person I was during my teenage years. This made me wonder; can be a positive outcome of childhood abuse one way or another?

The Importance of Seeking Help during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Braden Haggart, Florida Atlantic University, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

Preceding the COVID-19 lockdown, I struggled with my mental illness, but I had begun seeking a therapist to help me work through OCD, anxiety, depression, and anorexia. Though complicated by the isolation of lockdown, I found innovative ways to treat and improve my mental health. In this presentation, I will share my own personal experiences and discuss the importance of creating a network of support.

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Dementia
Rasha Daaa, University of South Florida

A research study about neuropsychiatric symptoms, or NPS and how they relate to dementia and other Alzheimers-related dementias, ADRD. Dementia is on eof the most common types of disabilities and occurs as one ages. NPS, dementia, and the cognitive impairments that result could lead to other health issues or even worsen current ones.

Session 2-D

Prevention and Treatment Continuum for Vocal Fold Pathologies in Singers
Elizabeth Pozen, Jacksonville University

This presentation reviews pertinent literature regarding vocal fold inquiry associated with professional voice use. Singers in particular are prone to the following vocal fold pathologies: nodules, polyps, and hematomas. Discussion will include various surgical and behavioral treatment options, along with positive and negative side effects. Also included is a proposal for four treatment modules designed to educate singers on the following subjects: voice/speech anatomy and physiology, prevention techniques, vocal fold pathology type, and treatment options.

Antiviral and Antibacterial Properties of Various Cytokine Mimetic Peptides
Ibtissam Essaghir, Florida Gulf Coast University

Bacterial and viral infections are one of the leading causes of mortality and have increased treatment costs due to these pathogens becoming resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Cytokines are produced by the immune system as a response to infection to modulate both innate and adaptive immunity against microbes. The goal of this research was to test the antibacterial and the antiviral effects of various cytokine and cytokine receptor mimetic peptides on common bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and Vesicular stomatitis virus. The peptides’ effect on the bacterial growth was tested using the Kirby-Bauer diffusion assay and measuring absorbance of the growth of the bacteria in presence of various peptide concentrations. The plates were also stained with 0.1% crystal violet to check for biofilm activity. Results show that mimetic peptides #2 (EB peptide) and #14 (IFNg1 peptide) had significant antibacterial activity (0.625 mg/mL and higher) against Staphylococcus aureus, but only the EB peptide had antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the zones of inhibition of the IFNg1 peptide was determined to be bactericidal and not bacteriostatic. These two peptides also inhibited bacterial biofilm activity in addition to bacterial growth. With respect to the peptides’ effect on Vesicular stomatitis virus, where L929 mouse fibrosarcoma cells were incubated with different dilutions of peptides and the virus, none of the peptides had any statistically significant antiviral activity as assessed by WST-1 proliferation and cytopathic assays. Thus, the results presented here increase our understanding of the development of microbial peptides therapeutic for better treatment of bacterial and viral infections.

Utilizing XENA Functional Genomics Explorer to Analyze Fibronectin Gene Expression in Native Pancreatic and Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma
Nathalie Reyes, Florida Gulf Coast University

In the United States, pancreatic cancer is currently the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men and women. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, an exocrine cancer, makes up 93% of these cases. Previous research in cell lines has linked structural changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) to its aggressive behavior. We will focus on the publicly available patient data to determine if changes of gene expression in fibronectin, an ECM structural protein, hold true in patient populations.

Session 2-E

Gustave and Dennis_Social Realism Centuries Apart
Jada Glenn, Jacksonville University

Realism is a multi-defined movement of art that has been used for centuries. Beginning in the mid nineteenth century, the French painter Gustave Courbet, changed Realism from a style that was illusionary to one that carried socioeconomic meaning called Social Realism. Courbet, was a revolutionary because he focused his work on every day people and used his medium in a way that highlighted its materiality with thick, visible brush strokes. Courbet also used less detail and made color choices he felt accurately matched the atmosphere he was painting. In the Twentieth Century, a new form of Realism arose called Hyperrealism which combined photorealistic technique with the purpose of evoking emotion and story. Denis Peterson was one of the founders of Hyperrealism although he originally started as a photorealist. He also was a Social Realist which he displayed in his series, The Wall, which focused on showing the humanity of homeless people, including a painting -called Madonna and Child- of a homeless woman with her baby. Both painters are of different times in history and used vastly different styles to expose the harsh realities of the working class, throughout this essay I will do a comparative analysis on these two artists and styles.

Identities in Question: The Search for Humanity as Depicted in Literature and Film
Michaela Fredrickson, Florida Institute of Technology

This presentation examines how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818), Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005), and Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) depict how this search for the human within ourselves is ultimately what showcases our humanity to others and gives the fictional characters of scientific or robotic origins the weight of truly human voices.

Pie in the Sky: The Making of a BTS Documentary
Noah McNair, University of Tampa

This study purposed to describe the process of narrative film production by investigating the works of other documentary filmmakers, researching short films and reviewing books published to explain other productions. Results include observations and recommendations from authors of BTS books and filmmakers including insights about where films succeeded and faltered through planning, execution, or in post-production, drawing in the audience through the use of perspective, voice, silence and dialogue.