Faculty Proceedings April 3-4, 2018

Nicole Evans

Named Collaborators: Alexis Cain, Purdue Northwest; Alex Cordova, Purdue Northwest

College(s) Represented: CES

Title: Development of a Model System Investigating Serratia marcescens Virulence Factors in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract: Human health is significantly impacted by environmental bacterial pathogens. Understanding how these bacteria function to infect organisms is of particular interest as increases in the incidence of bacterial infection have contributed to a substantial public health threat. One such environmental pathogen is Serratia marcescens, a nosocomial opportunistic human pathogen that is commonly involved in hospital-acquired infections resulting in respiratory and urinary tract infections in adults and gastrointestinal infections in children. S. marcescens infection has previously been used to study the immune system of numerous animal models; however, little is known about the intrinsic molecular mechanisms involved in S. marcescens infection and the proteins contributing to its virulence. S. marcenscens is a ubiquitously distributed entomopathogen, and consequently can infect insects as well as humans, making Drosophila melanogaster a biologically relevant organism for S. marcescens infection. Therefore, in this project we are developing a model of S. marcescens oral infection in Drosophila melanogaster and subsequently utilizing a mutant library of S. marcescens, generated by transposon mutagenesis, to identify bacterial virulence factors. In this model, the life-span of D. melanogaster after exposure to both wildtype and mutant bacteria is assessed. Mutant bacteria that affect life-span differently than wildtype will be further analyzed to identify potential virulence factors. Here we show that S. marcescens can infect D. melanogaster and effect life-span in a dose- and gender- dependent manner. This study has the potential to generate new knowledge in the fields of medical microbiology and immunology. Future studies utilizing this model of infection could also be used to identify host specific immunological factors necessary for defense against environmental pathogens.

Connie Farrell

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CHESS

Title: Writing to Change the World

Abstract: Kolb (2014) has argued that people learn best through experience, and that Experiential Learning (ExL) has applications in the workplace, in the classroom, and for personal growth. In a climate where the university is becoming increasingly professionalized, with pressure to give students the skills that they need to succeed not only in their other courses but also in the workplace, ExL gives educators the opportunity to extend the classroom beyond the walls of Purdue Northwest and invite students to create products with real-world implications and results. All sections of English 105, the second semester course in the first year writing sequence at PNW, incorporate an ExL component. As part of this collaborative community writing experience, students partner with a Community-based Organization (CbO). As part of this partnership, students research the genre conventions used in the organization’s written documentation and the issues that the organization seeks to solve. They practice writing annotated bibliography entries and interview questions. They interview community experts on the problem. Students ultimately create real-world public documents that can be used by the organization in the furthering of its agenda. Past student groups have created new organizations at PNW, raised funds for CbOs, and brought speakers to campus. Our poster will provide a course description of English 105, a list of the ways that the course benefits student writing across the curriculum as well as writing in the professions, and a guide to the 21 student groups who we expect to be present at Days of Discovery.

Bankole Fasanya

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: COT

Title: Occupational Ergonomics: Emerging Approaches toward Improved Worker Productivity and Injury Reduction

Abstract: Rising healthcare and workers’ compensation costs due to an increase in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have made Occupational Ergonomics the focus of most organizations nationwide. These organizations are required to ensure worker safety by reducing or eliminating musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) while complying with applicable occupational safety and health regulations. MSDs such as carpal tunnel syndrome often lead to intractable pain, repeated surgery, employee time off, low productivity and, ultimately, higher costs for the employer. Work activities such as; loading and unloading, lifting, reaching, and workplace design factors; such as wrong work surfaces height, uncomfortable chairs and tables, and poorly designed tools; all contribute to an increased risk of MSDs. A case study on ergonomic issues was conducted to evaluate the behaviors and ergonomic injury complaints of workers from various work activities. The goal of the study was to highlight other critical aspects of occupational ergonomics, less considered by employers and workers in the manufacturing industry that could result into WMSDs. The findings revealed that employers tend to ignore some critical aspects of the job that may have high impacts on worker safety and performance. Several recommendations for improvement were offered, including improvement in the contents of the workers’ training packages, job process redesign and analysis, and involvement of ergonomics experts in the training of new employees. Feedbacks confirmed an improvement in WMSDs experience by the workers after the suggested recommendations were implemented.

David Feikes

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CES

Title: Improving the Mathematics Achievement of Primary Children in Belize Through the Conceptual Algebra Readiness for Everyone (CARE) Project

Abstract: The long term goal of this project is to improve the mathematical achievement of the primary children in Belize through the expansion of the Conceptual Algebra Readiness for Everyone, (CARE) program. Belize is a country in Central America with very low mathematical achievement. This pilot funding will support and exploratory trip to the county of Belize by Dr. David Feikes and a local elementary teacher to visit schools, test the CARE activities with students, and meet with local and national education officials. CARE is a mathematics program for the primary grades, 3-8, that has 1) documented an increase in teachers’ mathematical content knowledge, 2) improved teachers’ instructional practice, and 3) has shown a significant growth in the mathematical achievement of students. Our goal is to adapt the professional development and classroom activities to make them culturally relevant and specifically address the National Mathematics Curriculum of Belize. After successfully piloting of the materials, and making culturally relevant adjustments to the curriculum, we plan to seek external funding to conduct workshops for all the primary teachers in Belize. Belize primary schools suffer from a multitude of educational problems: low completion rates, a high failure rate on the Primary School Exam (PSE) administered at the end of Standard 6 (Grade 8) which is necessary for admittance to high school, poorer performance in rural school than urban schools, lower scores in Mathematics than English, low levels of teacher training and hence, low teacher knowledge of mathematics. In ten years, the pass rate in mathematics on the PSE has remained near the 50% pass rate with only slight variations. In Belize scoring 50% is passing.) We hope to make a significant difference in the mathematics education of the children of Belize.

Olga Felton

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CON

Title: Role of Nurse Care Manager in PrimaryBehavioral Integrated Care Setting

Abstract: The role of Nurse Care Manager (NCM) in integrated care settings is evolving in the wave of health care reform. People living with serious mental illness have a life expectancy on average 20 years less than general population, largely due to preventable risk factors associated with lifestyle. This population with co-occurring medical and psychiatric illnesses have multiple barriers to care. Evidence-based treatment approaches can be used to reduce this alarming health disparity. NCMs are uniquely qualified to provide leadership to bridge gaps in care. This presentation is part of a growing scholarly work that the author has been developing over the past 7 years, working in community mental health settings in Indiana and California, and also as a trainer for Washington State. This presentation discusses the role of the NCM and approaches used in the behavioral health setting. Care management versus care coordination is highlighted. The Minnesota Public Health Nursing Framework is discussed as a useful foundation. The author highlights considerations for NCMs working in the behavioral health setting, challenges to providing care, and strategies for overcoming. The concepts of clinical inertia and health literacy are discussed. The importance of data driven care through registries, treat to target goals, motivational interviewing, and population health management are presented.

Heather Fielding

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CHESS

Title: The Problem with Novels--and with Machines--in 1920s Britain

Abstract: This presentation is about my book, _Novel Theory and Technology in Modernist Britain_, which will be published in May. Modernism reshaped the theory of the novel, shifting criticism away from readers' experiences and toward the work as an object autonomous from any reader. My work excavates technology's crucial role in this evolution and offers a new history of modernism's vision of the theory of the novel. To many modernists, both novel and machine increasingly seemed to merge into the experiences of readers or users. But modernists also saw potential for a different understanding of technology-in pre-modern machines, or the technical functioning of technologies stripped of their current social roles. With chapters on Henry James, Ford Madox Ford, Wyndham Lewis, and Rebecca West, my book argues that in these alternative visions of technology, modernists found models for how the novel might become an autonomous, intellectual object rather than a familiar experience, and articulated a future for the novel by imagining it as a new kind of machine.

Denise Frazier

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CHESS

Title: Trends in iPad Use within the Elementary School Classroom: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract: As schools adopt 1:1 technology into their classrooms, wherein students possess their own electronic devices, students and educators alike experience ambivalent feelings and attitudes. However, the data show that there do exist some notable trends. First, there appears to exist an initial high degree of enthusiasm that decreases over time. It has been argued that this may be attributed to a novelty effect in which the initial unique quality of these devices diminishes as they become part of ordinary daily instruction. Yet, there continues to be a dearth of research related to long-term elementary 1:1 adoption, and with technology constantly changing, we believe it is vital to investigate how classroom technology works over extended time periods. The purpose of our research was to conduct a follow-up study with the case of one Midwestern elementary school during its second year of iPad adoption. In particular, our study investigated the manner in which elementary teachers used iPads in their classrooms during the second year of implementation, including the issues experienced, and the perceived benefits and challenges of 1:1 iPads. Based on survey responses, quantitative procedures utilizing frequency data and Chi-square inferential statistics identified both similarities and changes in iPad use both within and across the two-year period. Further, qualitative analysis was used for open-ended survey items. The data showed that while first-year struggles included a lack of professional development training, classroom management issues regarding technology, timing decisions made by administration, technical problems, and poor planning, teachers did find success in differentiating instruction and creating collaborative activities. By comparison, second-year data showed that while confidence in technology use grew, actual usage in certain areas decreased as teachers began to identify the areas of strength and weakness for the iPads in their individual classrooms.

Lindsay Gielda

Named Collaborators: Alexis Cain, Purdue Northwest; Alex Cordova, Purdue Northwest

College(s) Represented: CES

Title: Development of a Model System Investigating Serratia marcescens Virulence Factors in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract: Human health is significantly impacted by environmental bacterial pathogens. Understanding how these bacteria function to infect organisms is of particular interest as increases in the incidence of bacterial infection have contributed to a substantial public health threat. One such environmental pathogen is Serratia marcescens, a nosocomial opportunistic human pathogen that is commonly involved in hospital-acquired infections resulting in respiratory and urinary tract infections in adults and gastrointestinal infections in children. S. marcescens infection has previously been used to study the immune system of numerous animal models; however, little is known about the intrinsic molecular mechanisms involved in S. marcescens infection and the proteins contributing to its virulence. S. marcenscens is a ubiquitously distributed entomopathogen, and consequently can infect insects as well as humans, making Drosophila melanogaster a biologically relevant organism for S. marcescens infection. Therefore, in this project we are developing a model of S. marcescens oral infection in Drosophila melanogaster and subsequently utilizing a mutant library of S. marcescens, generated by transposon mutagenesis, to identify bacterial virulence factors. In this model, the life-span of D. melanogaster after exposure to both wildtype and mutant bacteria is assessed. Mutant bacteria that affect life-span differently than wildtype will be further analyzed to identify potential virulence factors. Here we show that S. marcescens can infect D. melanogaster and effect life-span in a dose- and gender- dependent manner. This study has the potential to generate new knowledge in the fields of medical microbiology and immunology. Future studies utilizing this model of infection could also be used to identify host specific immunological factors necessary for defense against environmental pathogens.

Lindsay Gielda

Named Collaborators: Scott Bates, PNW; Libery Pelter, PNW; Dawit Gizachew, PNW; Justin Golday; PNW; Danielle Sopovski, PNW; Devin Barber, PNW

College(s) Represented: CES

Title: Characterization of a model system examining fungal endophytic suppression of the human pathogen Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Spinacia oleracea

Abstract: Spinach and lettuce plants have been major sources of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks, in which the bacterium was recently shown to adopt an endophytic lifestyle. As little is known concerning the mechanisms of E. coli colonization of these plants, we aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms of E. coli plant colonization through interactions with the host plant and residing microbiota. E. coli is hypothesized to localize to guard cells of the leaf stomata via T3SS proteins EspA and EspB. Co-purification pull-down experiments utilizing HIS-tagged EspB proteins identified three biologically-relevant, putative binding receptors for E. coli EspB; aquaporin, heat shock protein, and auxin-binding protein. Similar to human-associated microbiota, resident endophytes are known to influence the growth of other microbes through competitive interactions. In an effort to identify endophytes with the ability to suppress growth of E. coli O157:H7 in plantae, isolated spinach fungal endophytes were tested for their ability to inhibit bacterial growth. The Stemphylium vesicarium isolates limited the growth of a broad range of bacteria, including E.coli O157:H7 in direct competition and indirect growth assays in vitro. While several Stemphylium species are known plant pathogens, the development of a Stemphylium-spinach plant model system has shown the fungal endophyte positively influences the growth of spinach, suggesting a beneficial mutualistic relationship. In addition, ongoing research is aimed at identifying specific bioactive compounds produced by Stemphylium PNW-2016-03 via chemical characterization including MSMS-HPLC, and the bioactive mechanism of action through a bacterial transposon mutagenesis screen. As research into the human microbiome has demonstrated a role for human associated microbes in contributing to health, this research examining the effects of resident endophytic microbes in plant health could lead to the development of novel therapeutics with agricultural applications aimed at preventing the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 through produce consumption.

Lindsay Gielda

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CES

Title: Examination of Junk DNA in Genomic Evolution Across all Domains

Abstract: Over 95% of the human genome is noncoding or ‘junk’ DNA. Though we are now decades into the ‘genomic revolution’, it is only recently that noncoding DNA has been the focus of major scientific studies. This has led to the discovery of a significant junk DNA disparity between domains; for example, the prokaryote Escherichia coli only has 10% of noncoding DNA. To determine whether an evolutionary selection mediating the accumulation of junk DNA exists, we have conducted a survey of junk DNA proportion and genome efficiency throughout all domains. We found that prokaryotes and archaea possess highly efficient genomes; little junk DNA coupled with a wide variance in nucleotide composition, (as estimated by %GC content). Eukaryotes contain significantly more variable quantities of junk DNA, with the most found in large multi-cellular animals and plants, suggesting a convergent acquisition between these two lineages. Mitochondria, a specialized organelle in eukaryotes acquired through an ancient prokaryotic endosymbiosis, contains its own distinct DNA and represents an ideal model to examine the divergent evolution of junk DNA seen between eukaryotes and prokaryotes. While there is much more significant amounts of junk mitochondrial DNA than in prokaryotes, statistically significant patterns of the composition of mitochondrial and genomic DNA are seen within Eukarya. Animals with higher metabolic rates and larger body sizes appear to be constrained in the accumulation of junk mitochondria and genomic DNA, whereas the primitive state for Eukarya is to allow a wide range of levels of junk DNA. These results suggest that larger mammals have a strong selective pressure that restricts and maintains overall nucleotide composition and efficiency. This work supports the theory that genomic evolution is under both natural selective and non-natural selective forces, contributing to our understanding of the evolutionary history of life at the molecular level.

Dawit Gizachew

Named Collaborators: Collaborator: Dr. Wei-tsyi Evert Ting

College(s) Represented: CES

Title: Analysis of Ochratoxin A (OTA) production by Aspergillus fresenii and Aspergillus sulphureus

Abstract: Mycotoxin are secondary metabolites of toxigenic strains and species of molds which can contaminate crops before or after harvest. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that approximately 25% of the cereals produced in the world are contaminated by mycotoxins. Mycotoxins can also be found in a wide variety food including nuts, oil seeds, spices and fruits. Consumption of mycotoxin contaminated food can cause acute to chronic diseases. The symptoms may range from vomiting, birth defect, neurotoxicity, kidney damage (nephrotoxicity), liver cancer, and death. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most toxic member of ochratoxins, which are produced by several species of Aspergillus and Pencillium. Niger (Guizotia abyssinica) is oil seed used for extracting cooking oil as well as cattle and bird feed. The oil-rich seed supports fungal growth and mycotoxin production. However, the key environmental conditions such as temperature and water activity that could predict the fungal growth and mycotoxin production have yet to be thoroughly studied. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of temperature (20, 30 and 37oC), water activity (aw, 0.90, 0.94 and 0.98), incubation period (5, 10, 15 days) and differences between two species A. fresenii and A. sulphureus on fungal growth and OTA production on niger seeds. Optimal conditions for growth and OTA production was determined. Fungal growth and OTA production values were modeled based on regression analysis that could provide an approximate prediction of environmental conditions to minimize fungal growth and OTA production on oil seeds.

Laura Guill

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: CHESS

Title: Writing to Change the World

Abstract: Kolb (2014) has argued that people learn best through experience, and that Experiential Learning (ExL) has applications in the workplace, in the classroom, and for personal growth. In a climate where the university is becoming increasingly professionalized, with pressure to give students the skills that they need to succeed not only in their other courses but also in the workplace, ExL gives educators the opportunity to extend the classroom beyond the walls of Purdue Northwest and invite students to create products with real-world implications and results. All sections of English 105, the second semester course in the first year writing sequence at PNW, incorporate an ExL component. As part of this collaborative community writing experience, students partner with a Community-based Organization (CbO). As part of this partnership, students research the genre conventions used in the organization’s written documentation and the issues that the organization seeks to solve. They practice writing annotated bibliography entries and interview questions. They interview community experts on the problem. Students ultimately create real-world public documents that can be used by the organization in the furthering of its agenda. Past student groups have created new organizations at PNW, raised funds for CbOs, and brought speakers to campus. Our poster will provide a course description of English 105, a list of the ways that the course benefits student writing across the curriculum as well as writing in the professions, and a guide to the 21 student groups who we expect to be present at Days of Discovery.

Wei He

Named Collaborators:

College(s) Represented: COB

Title: Lunch, learn, and Lean-In: A multidisciplinary approach to Enhancing Professional Women’s Motivation and Career Advancement Efforts

Abstract: While participating in the workforce at near parity levels with men, (US Department of Labor, 2014) women constitute only 14.6% of executive officers, 8.1% of top earners, and 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs (Warner, 2014). On the other hand, women are more likely than man to experience anxiety, depression, and other job stress issues (Burke & Richardsen, 2009). Unfortunately, research focusing on work habits of professional women is very limited (Levy, 2015) and we know little of the mechanisms and methodologies that help improve women’s professional’s working attitude, motivation and satisfaction. This study aims to extend the previous gender research on workplace wellness and motivation through developing and testing an intervention model in the form of a lunch, learn, and lean-in (LLL) program. A longitudinal research design is applied to investigate how the LLL sessions assist female workers to review and develop their skills in communication, self-care, and confidence in a professional working environment. This study solicit participants from various organizational levels and occupations enabling cross-level and occupational comparisons. The researchers adopt a multidisciplinary approach that integrates workplace psychology, organizational leadership and culture, professional communication and job-life satisfaction to analyze professional women’s socio-demographic and occupational characteristics. This cumulative case study builds upon an earlier exploratory case study conducted in 2015. Findings from the previous study suggest that professional women in general perceive the activities and speakers to be the most helpful part of the “lunch and learn” experience. Furthermore, the gender-specific stress perceptions and burnout-risk projection are highly associated with their personal health projection and workplace satisfaction. Themes identified in the previous study will be explored further. This study advances our understanding about how positive intervention reshape the relationships between gender perception, workplace stress and motivation in regard to professional women in the context of higher education. The findings of this study help the development of policies and practical routines for professional women in a variety of organizations to achieve better performance and employee satisfaction.