Faculty Mentor: Ghanshyam D. Heda
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Abstract

DF508 is the most common mutation in CFTR gene causing the disease cystic fibrosis (CF), resulting in a dysfunctional chloride ion channel in epithelial cells. Detecting endogenous CFTR levels poses challenges, prompting us to employ biochemical and molecular methods. Human pancreatic epithelial cells expressing endogenous wild-type (Capan-1) and ΔF5808-CFTR (CFPAC) were treated with 5mM sodium butyrate for 60h to increase CFTR expression. CFTR protein levels were determined using biochemical techniques such as immunoprecipitation and western blotting, whereas CFTR mRNA levels were determined by RT-qPCR. Results demonstrated successful detection of endogenous CFTR expression by all methodologies, where western blotting is employed for the first time. RT-qPCR emerged as the most convenient method for detecting endogenous CFTR expression, albeit at the mRNA level. Biochemical detection of CFTR protein levels, however, required a substantial quantity of antibodies and protein samples. These detection methods hold promise in CF diagnosis.
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Marshall McAteer's hometown is Winfield, Alabama. His major is Biology and he plans to apply to medical school after graduation.

Faculty Mentor: Cecilia “Cecy” Brooks
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Abstract

Stealing thunder is defined as revealing potentially damaging information about oneself before others reveal the same information. Research on stealing thunder has focused on political scenarios, and to our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been examined within the context of romantic relationships. As such, our study began by identifying a transgression scenario in which the stealing thunder phenomenon could be applied to young adult romantic relationships. A total of 47 participants were presented with one of three distinct stealing thunder confessions. The ANOVA examined whether differences existed due to the information revealed by a third-party (the severity of transgressions via stealing thunder at various levels), and how people perceived the partner in each scenario. The findings revealed the specific condition, and the no confession-reveal condition were most significant in the staying factor level. However, the innocent condition was most significant regarding the integrity factor level.
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Hailey McCool is from Sturgis, Mississippi and is a senior majoring in Family Science and minoring in Creative Writing, with plans to pursue a Master's degree in Counseling.

Faculty Mentor: Robert Herron
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Abstract

Hypertension (HTN) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death inadults; however, nutritional research interventions that alter cardiovascular reactivity – apredictor of developing HTN – is lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate theinfluence of acute dietary nitrate, via beet root juice (BRJ), on cardiovascular responses to a coldpressor test (CPT). 17 young women completed a repeated-measures, placebo-controlled,counter-balanced, crossover design that investigated the cardiovascular system’s response to aCPT during a 4-min recovery window after drinking BRJ or placebo. Participants completedthree laboratory visits (Visit 1 = familiarization, Visits 2 & 3 = experimental). A two-way,repeated-measures ANOVA (Time x Treatment) revealed there was no interaction nor maineffect of treatment on participants’ heart rate or blood pressure during a 4-min recovery periodfollowing a CPT (p > 0.05). BRJ did not influence cardiovascular reactivity following a CPT inthis sample.
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Manuel Muñoz ll is from Samson, Alabama. Muñoz is majoring in exercise and nutrition science and hopes to attend graduate school.

Faculty Mentor: Thomas Dodson
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Abstract

Informal science education (ISE) is invaluable for providing opportunities for teaching STEM subjects outside the classroom and in ways that can create interest in these fields. While interdisciplinarity is integral to STEM education between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, it less often integrates the arts and humanities, providing diverse and collaborative student perspectives. To demonstrate how interdisciplinarity can take place between STEM and the humanities to increase cultural and scientific understanding in combination, this work shows how a Hispanic Heritage Month cultural event can integrate and explore how history, art, language, culinary arts, and science bring together cultural understanding on the cacao plant and chocolate within a Hispanic context that shows intersections between Hispanic and Indigenous Knowledge and Western Knowledge.
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Ethan Wilkins is from Vernon, Alabama. Wilkins is a biology major with a chemistry minor as a pre-med student and plans to go to medical school after graduation in 2026.

Faculty Mentor: Alexander Mechitov
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Abstract

One of the drivers of the cost of health care in the United States is the high cost of Pharmaceutical Medicine. The high cost of medicine is a product of the healthcare systems nations utilize to deliver care to their populations. Within these healthcare systems a pharmaceutical market is developed that contains various methods of regulating pharmaceutical costs. To better understand the reasons and differences between the cost of medicine in certain nations, it is necessary to explore the regulatory environment of the markets, the drivers of the cost of medicine, and to make comparisons between markets. In addition, it is important to understand if the goal of medicine has been achieved considering the high costs behind healthcare. After exploring these areas, and taken as a whole, a correlation between the healthcare systems each nation uses and the pharmaceutical market developed is found driving the cost of medicine.
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James Bennitt, also known by friends as Jamie, lives and works in Montevallo with his wife and two children. He is currently a Business Administration major and intends to seek his MBA after graduation before moving toward a PhD in health services.

Faculty Mentor: Ghanshyam Heda
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Abstract

Cystic Fibrosis, a genetic disease resulting from mutations in the CFTR gene, disrupts the normal function of its chloride ion channels. Notably, previous research has shown that the most prevalent mutation, ΔF508-CFTR, can be partially corrected using small molecules. In this study, we examined the effects of triazole compounds on the expression and function of ΔF508-CFTR. Epithelial cells, transfected with ΔF508-CFTR, were subjected to treatment with various triazole compounds at 27°C for 60h. CFTR expression was assessed through immunoblotting, while CFTR-mediated chloride currents were measured using Ussing chamber techniques. Comparing the results to the control group, we observed a concentration-dependent (2.5-10 uM) increase in CFTR protein expression and CFTR-mediated chloride currents (10 μM) in cells treated with triazole compounds. These findings indicate that the triazole compounds investigated in this study may offer promise as therapeutic agents for cystic fibrosis.
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Maggie Taylor, a Biology Major from Columbus, Mississippi, has post-graduation plans to apply to medical school.

Faculty Mentor: Alexander Mechitov
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Abstract

For clean energy lithium is the future and it’s very important that United States uses our available resources to become more dominant in this area. This presentation examines our current situation and explores options as to how we will accomplish this task.
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Chanda Mitchell is from Chelsea, Alabama and is studying Business Management. Mitchell hopes to continue a career with the great company she works for and to pursue an MBA at Montevallo as well.

Faculty Mentor: James Day
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Abstract

As the social and cultural landscape of the United States changed from 1969 so did the portrayal of women in further iterations of Scooby-Doo. Feminine fashion ideals influenced character design in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! while women violating traditional gender norms got slutshamed in Velma. Women’s bodies faced scrutiny both in the 1970s and in 2023, at the same time movements explored body positivity. The Scooby-Doo Show and Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! reflected real-life changes with women’s roles in the workforce, while A Pup Named Scooby-Doo aired at a time of change for women in the computer industry. Changing societal norms and beliefs concerning women are reflected in these shows, as ideas that were in the public consciousness at the time are visible in the episodes. Scooby-Doo serves as a point of reference of how the writers, animators, producers, directors, and American society viewed women.
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Veronica Kloss was raised in Birmingham, Alabama and is a communication studies/social science double major. After graduation, she hopes to work in theater management.

Faculty Mentors: Alexander Mechitov and Gary Johnson
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Abstract

This paper delves into the complexities and ethical implications of pharmaceutical marketing, examining its diverse strategies and impact on patient welfare. It discusses the controversial practices of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) and direct-to-physician marketing, highlighting concerns about misleading information and undue influence on prescribing behavior. Additionally, it explores the influence of pharmaceutical marketing on healthcare systems and public health outcomes, emphasizing the need for responsible practices that prioritize patient needs. The paper also addresses regulatory challenges and the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in promoting ethical marketing practices. Overall, it advocates for a balanced approach that fosters transparency, accountability, and patient welfare within the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately aiming for a future where marketing serves as a catalyst for positive health outcomes and equitable healthcare access.
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Danielle Davis is from Oneonta, Alabama studying Marketing and minoring in military science. After graduation Danielle will commision into the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant in the Signal Corps.

Faculty Mentor: Benjamin Onyeagucha
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Abstract

Signal peptide-CUB-EGF-like domain-containing protein 3 (SCUBE3) is a glycosylated secreted protein overexpressed in various cancers. Our study observed that SCUBE3 localized to the nucleus following doxorubicin (DOX) treatment (TX) and we investigated SCUBE3 nuclear localization (NL) in TNBC, intending to dissect the mechanism of its nuclear trafficking induced by DOX TX. Bioinformatic analysis of the SCUBE3 protein sequence with PSORTII and NLStradamus identified two different candidate NLsequences at 532- RKGKGRRARTPP-543 (referred to as NLS-1) and 836-PPPKRKILIV-845 (referred to as NLS-2) within SCUBE3 domain. Mutation of the NLS-1 resulted in a significant reduction in the percent number of viable cells following DOX TX compared to the cells transfected with the wild-type constructs. Altogether, these data show that SCUBE3 has a functional NLS and actively localizes into the nucleus by a nuclear import mechanism which promotes cell survival in TNBC cells.
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From Ilesa, Nigeria, Ayooluwa Ilesanmi is majoring in Chemistry and plans to pursue a PhD in Chemistry with a focus on drug discovery for cancer.

Faculty Mentor: Benton Tyler
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Abstract

To tile a square A is to completely fill it with smaller square(s) that have no interior points in common. Such a tiling is said to be visible if each one of the tiles has at least one edge that lies on the perimeter of the square A into which they are embedded. It is relatively simple to show that for any natural number k greater than or equal to 6, there exists a visible tiling of a square with k smaller squares. We further show that for any even natural number k greater than or equal to 6, there are at least 2^((k-6)/2) distinct visible tilings of a square.
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Cole X. Swain is a mathematics major from Raleigh, North Carolina. Swain plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in mathematics after graduation.