2023 CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

CCAPP BOOK OF ABSTRACTS Annual Poster Presentation November 30, 2023 City College Academy for Professional Preparation

The CCAPP Poster Presentation is an annual event that showcases the work of the research students in The City College of New York Division of Science. The posters are designed to describe the students’ research projects and explain the theories on which the projects are based, and how the research is an application of these theories. When appropriate, results are shown on the posters. This book is a collection of abstracts of the work displayed in this year’s CCAPP Poster Presentation. CCAPP, The City College Academy for Professional Preparation is the student support program for the Division of Science. It is funded primarily by a CSTEP grant from the New York State Education Department. The research projects being presented are supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, Center of Interface Design and Engineered Assembly of Low Dimensional System (IDEALS), CiPASS, Army Research Office (ARO), Opportunities in Research and Creative Arts (ORCA), The CCNY-MSKCC Partnership, the New York State Department of Health through the Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMS) and some private donations. On behalf of the students and staff of CCAPP and The City College of New York Division of Science, I would like to thank you for your support of our students and for your participation in this extraordinary event. Yours Truly, MillicentRoth Prof. Millicent Roth, CCAPP Director Assistant to the Dean of Science for Undergraduate Programs CITY COLLEGE ACADEMY for PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 1 Optimizing siRNA Loaded Mesoscale Nanoparticles for Enhanced Protein Targeting and Cell Viability in Renal Carcinoma Cells Pritilata Islam, Dr. Ryan Williams The City College of New York Gene therapies utilizing nanoparticle delivery systems have emerged as prominent tools for targeted drug and mRNA administration. This approach holds significant promise for addressing kidney diseases, a prevalent national health concern. The escalating presence of kidney diseases and acute kidney injuries (AKI), particularly among diabetic, hypertensive, and elderly patients, emphasizes the urgency to develop innovative treatment strategies. Notably, mesoscale nanoparticles (MNPs) have emerged as pivotal candidates for kidney-targeted therapies, using specific size parameters to target the kidneys rather than other organs. The Williams Nano Lab at CCNY has harnessed the potential of siRNA-loaded MNPs to reduce specific gene expression pathways, mitigating AKI-associated risks. Although in-vivo experiments using this discovery are already under way, it is critical to optimize the methods used to ensure the greatest results without affecting cell viability. In a research endeavor at the lab, we synthesized specific siRNA MNPs, including NOX1, ETS1, and IL6 siRNA, which were used to treat renal carcinoma cells. NOX1, ETS1, and IL6 are proteins which are very involved in the induction of AKI, and using siRNA to reduce their expression can help mitigate their effects on patient recovery. Accepted size parameters of MNPs were determined using dynamic light scattering (DLS). Cell viability was measured via MTT Assays and gene expression quantification was evaluated using qPCR. During MNP formulation, it was imperative to use DLS to determine if the particles were in the mesoscale range, greater than 300 nm and with a negative zeta potential. Based on my preliminary results for the MTT assay, I've noticed that using saponin as a negative control works better than LPS, and the incubation times should be longer than 4 hours. In the qPCR, ETS1 siRNA MNPs have shown clearer results of a decrease in gene expression than the other MNPs. ETS1 siRNA MNPS will continue to be used for the remainder of this experiment. As the Williams Nano Lab is doing now, ETS1 siRNA MNPs can be used in in-vivo testing to see if gene expression of ETS1 is similarly reduced without any harmful effects to the live subjects. This investigation paves a promising pathway toward refined gene therapies, exemplifying the potential of MNPs as vehicles for targeted organ-specific interventions in kidney-related health concerns. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 2 Understanding the palliative and supportive care services needed to develop a meaning-centered intervention for Muslims undergoing treatment for advanced cancer. Raghd Ahmed1 , Claudia Ayash2 , Maria Jdid2 , Sahar Alsaidi2 , Bharat Narang2 , Francesca Gany2 1 City College of New York, New York, NY, 2 Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY Background: The advantages of palliative care have not been consistently accessible to diverse racial and ethnic groups, leading underrepresented groups to experience aggressive end-of-life care. Spiritual diversity among racial and ethnoreligious groups can impact end-of-life care experiences for patients worldwide. Recently, the Muslim population in the US has grown significantly, and Muslim patients require end-of-life care transitions that consider and integrate their spiritual beliefs and cultural identity to enhance the quality of their treatment. A spiritually and culturally sensitive palliative care intervention could address barriers and improve care outcomes in a way that leaves both patients and physicians satisfied. Objective. To describe the quality of life, spiritual well-being, and symptoms of depression and anxiety of 120 Muslim advanced cancer patients between the ages of 18 and 85 years, who were undergoing active treatment, including surveillance, for their cancer diagnosis in a Muslim minority setting. Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s (MSKCC) Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service (IHCD) database, and referrals from community-based and faith-based organizations in New York City. Participants were surveyed by study staff in English or Arabic, and validated scales were used to collect data on demographic and clinical features, quality of life, spiritual well-being, physical symptoms, indications of anxiety and depression, assimilation, religious practices, social support, and adherence to Islam. The exclusion criteria include patients who are not proficient in either Arabic or English or have major psychiatric illnesses and/or cognitive impairment. Outcome: The study sample (n=120) was comprised of 57.5% (n=69) females and 42.5% (n=51) males. Among these patients, 78.3% (n=94) were born outside of the United States, while 21.6% (n=26) were born in the United States. All patients had medical insurance coverage, and nearly fifty percent reported that at least one close family member had a cancer diagnosis. Furthermore, among the 111 patients, specific cancer diagnoses predominated: 21.6 % (n=24) had breast cancer, 17.1% (n=19) had colorectal cancer, and 16.2% (n=18) had lung cancer. Throughout the interviews, numerous patients emphasized their strong spirituality, highlighting the pivotal role of faith in shaping their identity and providing comfort throughout their cancer journey. Future directions: To further analyze and describe the quality of life and symptoms of depression and anxiety to help guide the efforts of implementing a meaningcentered psychotherapeutic intervention for Muslims receiving treatment in a Muslim-minority Setting. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378 and MSK - U54CA137788 and AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 3 Geospatial Analysis Identifying Hot-Spots of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Associated with Air Pollution in the Northeast US Cayla Cruz, Michele Waters, Chris Fong, Kanika Arora, Justin Jee, Jian Carrot-Zhang, Sanna Goyert City College of New York and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Air pollution, especially PM2.5, raises concerns for potential health hazards, including cancer. Recent research suggests a link between PM2.5 exposure and EGFR-related lung cancer, indicating a complex interplay of genetics and environment. This study analyzes the interplay among environmental exposure, genomic variations, and health disparities at the zip code/county level. We collected data from MSKCC patients from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut including air quality, defined by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure from County Health Rankings, genomic ancestry, tumor genomics, and the Yost Index, which is a composite index of socioeconomic status based on factor analysis of block group level census variables such as education, income and occupation. Other sociodemographic factors include recorded race/ethnicity, exposure to smoking, for MSKCC patients with MSK-IMPACT targeted panel sequencing. This FDA approved assay includes matched tumor-white blood cell sequencing to distinguish germline from somatic variants and has been applied to 43,860 patients, including 2,276 and 2,443 patients with at least 80% of African (AFR) and East Asian (EAS) ancestry, respectively. Moreover, 4,957 samples were derived from admixed patients with more than one major ancestry. We hypothesized that geographic locations with elevated PM2.5 levels to be associated with changes in the frequency of patients with EGFR mutations and mutational signatures. Subsequently, we expected counties with higher levels of PM2.5 to be associated with patients of lower socioeconomic status. We correlated clinical and sociodemographic features with PM2.5 levels. Notably, Spearman correlation between Mutational Signature 5 and PM2.5 is not statistically significant (correlation-coefficient = - 0.0759, p = 0.4821), suggesting a limited connection between mutational signatures and PM2.5 exposure. Correlation between EGFR alterations and PM2.5 is significant (correlation coefficient = 0.2331, p < 0.0001), although PM2.5 did not show to be a significant feature for predicting EGFR alterations. Furthermore, our results reveal a negative correlation between the Yost Index and PM2.5 exposure (correlation coefficient = -0.5057, p < 0.0001). This finding suggests that areas with higher PM2.5 levels tend to have higher socioeconomic status, potentially indicating disparities in environmental quality and health outcomes. These results may have important implications regarding disparities in cancer outcomes driven by both environmental and socioeconomic factors. Presently, our study combines an enriched hospital dataset with publicly available county-level environmental data. This comprehensive approach will allow us to examine nationwide air quality and delve into the connection between air quality, various additional environmental factors, and health outcomes. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378 and MSK - U54CA137788

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 4 Patient Perspectives on Working After a Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study Paulina Enriquez, Maria Claros, BS, Victoria Blinder, MD City College of New York and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, Statement of the Problem: Working during cancer treatment is associated with important financial and psychosocial benefits, but side effects may interfere with the ability to work. Access to work accommodations, which are associated with increased job retention, is limited. WE-ACT (Workplace/Employer Accommodations during Cancer Treatment) is a mobile app designed to help cancer patients identify relevant accommodations and negotiate to receive these accommodations. We aim to conduct a qualitative analysis to ensure that WE-ACT is relevant to patients’ experiences of working after a cancer diagnosis. Methods: Participants were recruited from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Montefiore Medical Center, and University of North Carolina. Purposive sampling was used to optimize diversity. Eligible participants were age ≥18, employed at diagnosis, had a smartphone/tablet, undergone or planning to undergo chemo- and/or radiotherapy, and spoke English and/or Spanish. Semistructured interviews were conducted in-person, over-the-phone, and via teleconference to gain feedback on the app’s relevance and linguistic and cultural appropriateness. Interviews were audio-recorded, anonymized, and transcribed for thematic content analysis. In this abstract, we present the results of the English language interviews (n=17). Results: The demographic characteristics varied across gender (n=9 female; n=8 male), ethnicity (n=9 White; n=6 Black; n=2 Hispanic), education level (n=6 post-college; n=7 college graduated; n=3 some college; n=1 secondary school graduate/high school/GED), and cancer diagnosis (n=4 gynecologic; n=3 genitourinary; n=3 multiple myeloma; n=3 lung; n=2 gastrointestinal; n=1 head & neck; n=1 breast). Interviews revealed four major themes: communication (between patient and provider/patient and employer), support, side effects/appearance, and privacy/disclosure. Over 75% of patients revealed that communication and support helped them maintain relationships with their provider, employer, and loved ones when adjusting to the diagnosis. For 70%, side effects/appearance emerged as a concern in the workplace, affecting job performance and control over withholding or disclosing one’s diagnosis. Subthemes of maintaining normalcy and financial toxicity demonstrated the benefit of working during cancer treatment and the psychosocial cost of financial strain due to treatment, respectively. Conclusion: Communication, support, side effects/appearance, and privacy/disclosure are relevant to the experiences of patients who work after a cancer diagnosis. Maintaining normalcy and financial toxicity demonstrated the challenges of survivorship. Future research will involve the transcription and translation of the Spanish interviews to increase the generalizability of our findings and pilot testing of the WE-ACT app, which is currently underway. Supported in part by CCNY- MSK - U54CA137788, CCNY-MSK SCORE Program

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 5 Enhancing Knowledge in Ethics: An Evaluation of MSK’s Bioethics Ambassador Program Amy Thomas, Liz Blackler, MBE, LCSW-R; Amy Scharf, MBE; Louis Voigt, MD, MBE City College of New York and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY Statement of the Problem: Many individuals working in the field of oncology have limited understanding of bioethics. These gaps in knowledge can be particularly salient in cancer care because of the complexity of emotions and pressures experienced by patients, families, and clinicians. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), the Ethics Committee Leadership developed the Bioethics Ambassador Program (BAP), aimed at educating clinical and nonclinical staff from all MSK locations on ethical conundrums that may emerge during oncology care. The main goals of BAP were to provide the analytic tools necessary to identify common ethical challenges, inform about useful ethical frameworks/language, and create a safe space for thoughtful, transparent discussions about ethical issues. Our study aims to evaluate the change in students’ knowledge of bioethics after BAP. Methods: Through monthly, 2-hour classes held remotely, the year-long BAP presented 12 bioethics concepts/themes frequently encountered in oncology care. Each session was taught by an Ethics expert and a content expert. Of 56 participants, 36 (64%) were clinical staff (most of whom were nurses, advanced practice providers, or physicians) and 20 (36%) were non-clinical staff (with roles ranging from administrator to security guard). A Bioethics Core Competency survey, comprising 20 multiple choice questions, was administered through REDCap to every BAP participant before and after program completion. 50 (89%) of 56 participants completed the pre and post BAP surveys. We compared pre and post survey scores for these 50 participants, and we analyzed which questions and related topics were associated with the highest percent increase and lowest proportion of correct answers. Results were presented in absolute numbers and percentages. Results: Among 50 BAP participants who completed pre and post surveys, 37 (74%) scored higher in the post survey than the pre survey. Scores improved most in questions on patient decision- making (Question 1, pre=56%, post=80%) and clinical ethics consultations (Question 2, pre=54%, post=74%). These topics were addressed in multiple sessions. Scores were lowest in pediatrics (Question 11, pre=24%, post=32%). Pediatrics, a topic in which none of the participants had prior expertise, was addressed in only one session. Conclusion: We found substantive improvement in BAP participants’ bioethics knowledge as demonstrated by higher scores in their post BAP Bioethics Core Competencies surveys. This improvement in knowledge indicates the potential impact of BAP on multidisciplinary participants at a large cancer center like MSK. In the complex area of bioethics, we hypothesize that addressing a topic in multiple sessions over time enhances learning. Our findings may allow evidence-based recommendations to improve future bioethics trainings. Supported in part by CCNY- MSK - U54CA137788, CCNY-MSK PURT Program

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 6 Effects of Systemic Anticancer Treatment on Determinants of Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review Ginika Agwu, Jessica M. Scott, PhD City College of New York and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, Statement of Problem: Poor cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in patients with cancer is associated with a higher prevalence of treatment-related toxicities, higher symptom burden, and increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. However, the mechanisms underpinning poor cardiorespiratory fitness are poorly understood. We performed a systemic review to provide an overview of mechanisms underpinning impaired CRF in patients receiving systemic anticancer treatment. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, and SportDiscus was conducted by a research informationist to identify preclinical and clinical studies that evaluated CRF (peak oxygen consumption; VO 2 peak). The search strategy used Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms “cancer and treatment”, “cardiorespiratory fitness”, “cardiac function”, “pulmonary function”, “gas exchange” and “peripheral factors”, along with a combination of keywords (e.g., VO 2 peak). Studies that included patients with adult-onset cancer or adult survivors of childhood cancer (humans> 18 years) or mice/rats (>3-6 months) that received systemic anticancer treatment were eligible. Exclusion criteria included studies not published in English and investigations with a participant mean age <18 years, and case report studies and abstracts not published in peer-reviewed journals. Participant characteristics, treatment dose and duration, VO 2 peak, and determinants of VO 2 peak were extracted into Covidence for each study. Results: A total of 4,114 articles were identified, of which 133 were included in the full extraction. To date, data extraction has been completed on 5 studies and analysis is ongoing. Preliminary findings from the 5 studies indicate the study design was prospective cohort in 1 (20%), non-randomized experimental in 2 (40%), and randomized controlled in 2 (40%). Studies were conducted in patients with breast (n=2, 40%), colon and prostate (n=1, 20%), lung (n=1, 20%), and hematological malignancies (n=1, 20%). 80% of studies reported a decline in VO 2 peak from pre- to post-treatment. To evaluate determinants of VO 2 peak, 60% of studies assessed cardiac function (e.g., cardiac output, stroke volume), while 40% assessed pulmonary function (e.g., diffusing capacity of lungs for carbon monoxide, forced expiratory volume). Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that systemic anticancer treatment is associated with substantial declines in CRF. Studies evaluated heart and lung function to determine the mechanism of impaired CRF. Additional research is needed to further understand factors impacting CRF. Supported in part by CCNY- MSK - U54CA137788, CCNY-MSK PURT/SCORE

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 7 Improving Access to Clinical Trials and Adherence to Cancer Care in Underserved Patients with Central Nervous System Tumors Steven Shafeek1 , Ashley Phillips, MPH2 , Francesca Gany, MD, MS2 , Joshua Budhu, MD, MS, MPH3 1 Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City College of New York, New York, NY 2 Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 3 Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY Background: There are extensive disparities in cancer mortality, quality of life, access to treatment and end of life care amongst patients of immigrant or minority backgrounds. Historically marginalized groups (HMG) have disproportionately more social and economic barriers during cancer treatment such as difficulty paying for treatment, housing and food insecurity, transportation issues, and childcare. The Integrated Cancer Care Access Network (ICCAN) based at Memorial Sloan Kettering is a collaborative, multi-institutional initiative which assists patients who express socioeconomic needs. Our study aims to assess the impact of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s ICCAN program at improving cancer treatment adherence, and quality of life among Central Nervous System (CNS) cancer patients of minority or immigrant backgrounds. Methods: Participants were recruited from Memorial Sloan Kettering’s inpatient and outpatient services through primary provider recommendation and chart review demonstrating social and economic need. In this qualitative study, eligible participants included patients who were 18 years or older and who are currently receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, or active surveillance within the following two months. Seven participants were interviewed by the student intern. Initial demographic information, followed by an Essential Needs Assessment, ICCAN-CNS Additional Questions, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 Item Scale Score (GAD7), Distress Thermometer (NCCN), FACT-G Questionnaire, and Financial Toxicity (COST FACIT), were used to develop an understanding of the patient’s needs. In cases where patients were unable to communicate due to aphasias or cognitive impairment, a caregiver was able to speak in their presence and respond to interview questions. Results: Interviews revealed that the pilot-cohort of patients with CNS tumors were able to successfully complete the initial needs assessments and additional questionnaires. Trends of delayed responses and need for questions to be repeated were observed, however, patients were still able to express socioeconomic needs. Patient needs included housing insecurity, food scarcity, transportation costs, outof-pocket expenses, as well as quality of life concerns such as understanding prognosis, having a community to relate to, and managing symptoms. Positive feedback following interviews was received from patients expressing gratitude for being approached about socioeconomic needs. Conclusions: This pilot study provides evidence that patients with CNS tumors can participate in the ICCAN intervention and assessment, with additional modifications such as including caregivers in the interview, simplifying language in the intake forms, and making adjustments for cognitive or language impairment. Supported in part by CCNY- MSK - U54CA137788, CCNY-MSK PURT/SCORE

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 8 In Vitro Studies of Kinase-Regulator Interactions in Stress-Responsive Two Component Signaling Systems Ramisha Aymon 1,2 , Danielle Swingle 2,3 , Kevin H. Gardner 1,2,3 1 Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The City College of New York, NY, 10031, 2 Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, NY, 10031 3 Biochemistry Ph.D. Program, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, NY, 10016 Bacteria commonly use two-component systems (TCSs) to sense and react to diverse environmental stimuli. TCSs minimally consist of a membrane-bound sensor histidine kinase (HK) that transmits a phosphorylation signal to a cognate response regulator (RR), with HK activity modulated by specific stimuli. To explore the mechanisms of such regulation, we studied HKs with two types of sensor domains: Per-ARNT-Sim (PAS)-HKs, which respond to various stimuli from nutrient to pH levels, and Light-Oxygen-Activated (LOV)-HKs, which respond to blue light or changes in oxidation state. While most characterized sensor HKs are homodimeric transmembrane receptors, the HWE/HisKA2 family of HKs challenges this notion, with unique sequence motifs and even non-dimeric architecture among some family members. Members of this family are also involved in the general stress response (GSR) regulatory network, which is controlled by the key RR PhyR. To understand more about the structural and functional aspects of this atypical family of bacterial TCSs, we study three novel HKs from the understudied HWE/HisKA2 family of sensors: the PAS-HK MS367 from M. silvestris BL2, the PAS-HK RE356 from R. etli CFN 42, and the LOV-HK RT349 from R. thermophilum DSM 16684. We began our investigation into their biological functions by identifying potential PhyR-type RRs for each HK and found four candidates among the three HKs. Once cloned, expressed, and purified we used the proteins to conduct in-vitro phosphotransfer assays to measure the phosphoryl transfer activity between each HK and its proposed PhyR partner(s). We found successful transfer from RE356 and RT349 (with one of its two PhyRs), yet limited or no transfer from MS367. This data will spur subsequent structural and functional studies, utilizing techniques from hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and X-ray crystallography, to gather further evidence supporting HWE/HisKA2 family members’ uniqueness in their oligomeric states and functional activity, and toward new perspectives on SHK function and dynamics. Supported by NSF - B3 - REU

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 9 Precision Targeting in Respiration-gated Radiotherapy: A Novel Super Resolution approach for Time-Resolved 4-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (TR-4DMRI) Shaune Faraday, Guang (George) Li, PhD, Xingyu Nie, PhD City College of New York and Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Cancer Center, New York, NY Statement of Problem: Radiation therapy (RT) is one of the three major treatment modalities for treating lung cancer, or the only effective modality for non-operable cases. Respiratory-induced tumor motion and motion variations caused by irregular breathing cycles affect RT precision, damaging surrounding normal tissues. Monitoring these inconsistencies for multicycle breath motion surpasses the capabilities of contemporary imaging techniques. These techniques usually focus on tumor motion for an instant during one breathing cycle and assume tumor cyclic motion is continuous. Our development of time-resolved 4-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (TR-4DMRI) with high spatiotemporal resolution allows for variations in tumor motion to be assessed in real-time. However, artifacts caused by motion variations degrade image quality and disrupt precise RT targeting. This study aims to enhance the quality of images produced by TR-4DMRI with a novel super-resolution approach using adaptive deep-learning models. Methods: A template code was developed with, ‘Increase Image Resolution Using Deep Learning’ documentation in MathWorks. This template was used to construct the very deep super-resolution (VDSR) Network in MATLAB. The network was trained for 10, 50, and 100 epochs on different central processing units to discern the optimal conditions for data training. This template code was then applied to human subjects’ 20s breath-hold MRIs for 5, 10, and 20 epochs. High and low-resolution breath hold MRIs were used to train the VDSR network. First, breath-hold highresolution images (2x2x2 mm3) were down-sampled to simulate a low-resolution image (5x5x5 mm3). The low-resolution image was then used to obtain Bicubic Interpolation (without the trained network) and VDSR images (with the trained network). The bicubic interpolation and VDSR images were then visually compared to the high-resolution image. Second, the VDSR was applied to learn from scanned low-resolution to simulated low-resolution images. Combining the first VDSR learning, we can reconstruct TR-4DMRI directly from scanned low-resolution images. Results: After 10 epochs in the CPU, the template code was able to produce a visually similar VDSR image to that in the MathWorks documentation. When applied to subjects’ MRIs, it was found that the Bicubic Interpolation and VDSR images for 5 and 20 were under-enhanced and overenhanced, respectively. Meanwhile, 10 epochs are sufficient to produce improved images. Conclusion: VDSR networks were trained with the subjects’ breath-hold MRIs to predict artifacts in high-resolution images. This network demonstrates promising preliminary results, but further work is needed to quantitatively represent significant changes in resolution. Revealing these artifacts can enable more precision in RT for better patient care. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378 and MSK - U54CA137788

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 10 Purification of S. aureus Cap proteins to study their dynamics and interactions Darren Zheng1 Sebastien Alphonse1 Ranajeet Ghose1,2,3,4 1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, 2 PhD Programs in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, 3 PhD Programs in Chemistry and 4 PhD Programs in Physics, The virulence of gram-positive such as Staphylococcus Aureus is attributed to the capsular polysaccharides (CP) on their peptidoglycan layer. In S. aureus, CapB, the bacterial tyrosine (BY) kinase, is activated by the transmembrane activator CapA and dephosphorylated by the protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) CapC in order to regulate its autophosphorylation and the phosphorylation state of various endogenous proteins. There are two variants of CapA, B, and C: CapA1/A2, CapB1/B2, and CapC1/C2. While CapB2 is activated better by CapA1 than CapA2, CapB1 is void of any kinase activity despite sharing sequence homology around their catalytic sites. The overall goal is to use solution-state NMR to test the dynamics between the CapAB variants and further use ITC to test their interaction with the CapC1 variants to see if the interaction seen between gram-negative E. coli BY kinase Wzc and LMW-PTP Wzb is also seen in Gram-positive bacteria. We also wanted to compare the phosphorylation mechanism within CapAB and that of CapO. A hindrance in studying their interactions is trying to find the ideal conditions to purify them stably. All proteins were expressed from BL21 (DE3) competent cells. CapO was expressed and purified from LB medium and eluted as a dimer via size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and it was stable in a wide variety of conditions. The B2 variants were more stable than the B1 variants in NMR-competent conditions (low pH, NaCl, glycerol conc.), indicating some differences between their behavior. CapC1 and CapC2 were difficult to purify even after expression at low IPTG concentrations, at low temperatures, or from Lemo21 (DE3) competent cells as they ended up in inclusion bodies. To test Cap protein interactions, different approaches toward expression and purification must be considered to purify them stably. Supported in part by AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 11 Hitting a wall: Examining fence pushing behavior of gopher tortoises to improve translocation success Aleyna Singer, Kelsey Felder, Dr. Ana Wilkinson, Dr. Steven Whitfield, Dr. Tom Pike, Dr. Elisa Frasnelli City College of New York and University of Lincoln (UK) In Florida, the Gopher Tortoise, (Gopherus polyphemus), is recognized as a keystone species and through their unique behavior of creating burrows in the ground, provides habitat to 350+ other species, some of which are endangered. Gopher Tortoises are considered Vulnerable, and commonly occur alongside suburban neighborhoods and development sites. Due to the nature of development in Florida, tortoises can be displaced from their natural place of origin, and when this happens, they need somewhere to go. With no known point of origin, these tortoises become considered waif tortoises. They can be found at development sites and or around neighborhoods. Once removed from the wild, these tortoises are incapable of surviving on their own. A partnership between FWC and Zoo Miami, place waif tortoises in protected areas to be released into federally-protected areas after 6 months. Monitored by zoo staff, a unique behavior was observed: Fence pushing. Thought to be motivated by either exploratory or escapist behavior, tortoises have been observed intentionally leaning against fences as they walk along the perimeter. Concerned for injury and escapism, our study aimed at improving the conservation of the species by examining two elements of gopher tortoise management: 1) adjusting the fence material to reduce the fence-pushing behavior to provide better standards for the conservation and management of the species, and, with the mission to improve the welfare of waif tortoise, designate species-specific behaviors as indicators for welfare. This research was supported by NSF REU.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 12 What Makes Medical Decision Making Easy or Difficult? People’s View on Facilitators and Barriers in Care and Cancer Screening Zara McPartland, Oskar Bergengren, MD, PhD, Daniela Shill, MPH, Sigrid Carlsson, MD, PhD, MPH City College of New York and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY Statement of the Problem: Medical decision making (MDM) is individualized to each patient due to the competing factors and circumstances involved in making a final choice. Factors can arise from personal experiences, economic and social responsibilities, and conflicting priorities, with the ability to either ease or hinder decision making. Understanding relevant facilitators that improve MDM and barriers that inhibit MDM can improve interactions between patients and healthcare professionals (HCP). We aimed to recognize factors affecting patients’ MDM, focusing on cancer screening, with the goal of elevating patient-HCP experiences in shared decision-making. Methods: Participant recruitment involved ResearchMatch, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded database, and Kings County Hospital in New York. Participants were 16 women aged 40-49 without a prior diagnosis of breast cancer, and 16 men aged 40-60 without a prior diagnosis of prostate cancer. Each of the participants were interviewed by three research coordinators concerning factors influencing MDM using a semi-structured dialogue and secure virtual meetings. Coordinators recorded the interviews, removed participant identifiable information, and coded the data guided by two Qualitative Methods Specialists. Four separate coders used Thematic Content Analysis to determine influences on MDM. Results: Results exhibited three significant themes that affected patient’s MDM: (1) HCP behavior (communication, information sharing, trust/distrust), (2) Second opinions, and (3) Accessibility/convenience. Seven participants spoke directly about cancer screening decisions. For HCP behavior, emphasizing communication and providing information without overload was greatly important. Regarding second opinions, participants sought opinions from various sources depending on what they considered ‘trustworthy’. Participants disputed the value placed on the sources of this information. Participants specifically addressed that accessibility and convenience encouraged them to undergo cancer screening, while concerns about cost and insurance discouraged cancer screenings. We did not see differences in the themes that arose between the participants who spoke about cancer screening and the participants who were pondering other medical decisions, except possibly more priority on social support by participants who talked about cancer screening. Conclusion: Emphasizing communication, sufficient information, and contextual accessibility and convenience can encourage MDM in both general and cancer care, while high costs and lack of insurance can discourage patients overall. This data stresses that patient-HCP conversations need to be changed to adequately include social support and medical and non-medical information, such as convenience and cost data, to facilitate the MDM process for patients. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378 and MSK - U54CA137788

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 13 The Interactions of DnaB-λP (BP) with Chaperone Proteins DnaJ and DnaK Jefferson Estrada, Aya Sara Elwassif, David Jeruzalmi, Dhanjai Brown, Abhipsa Shatarupa City College of New York and Center for Discovery and Innovation CUNY In bacterial replication where DNA is circular, three steps occur: initiation, elongation, and termination. During the initiation step, initiator proteins bind to the origin of replication, creating two replication forks where helicase unwinds the DNA strands. In the elongation stage, DNA polymerase III synthesizes new DNA strands in the 5’ to 3’ direction. Finally, when the entire circular DNA molecule is copied, the two replication forks meet at the termination site on the opposite side of the origin, separating two complete circular DNA molecules. Our project aims to study the initiation mechanism of DNA replication in Bacteriophage λ, a virus that infects Escherichia coli. Specifically, we seek to understand the opening and closing mechanism of DnaB helicase with the λP loader attached (BP). In the existing literature, chaperone proteins DnaJ and DnaK contribute to the detachment of λP from DnaB. However, the complex nature of these interactions is not clearly defined. In this experiment, we perform a Ni-NTA affinity pulldown binding assay, to obtain complex formations between BP and chaperone proteins. After forming the complex, we employed mass photometry to determine its stoichiometry and characterize interactions. Our findings show that when a complex forms with BP-DnaJ-DnaK, the LP loader begins detaching from the complex when Oriλ-93-135 (RM55) is omitted, but remains in tacked when RM55 is present. This research was supported by AMS and NSF-B3 REU program Component Design and Development to enable a Novel Infrared Camera Fares Al-lahabi, Brandon Flores, Aswin Menon, Atique Shafi, James Scholtz City College of New York Infrared cameras are tools that allow people to see what their eyes cannot, enhancing awareness of their surroundings. However, the current technology, the components used in the cameras and the manufacturing process, highly increase the price for a single camera. Infrared cameras are useful and have multiple applications in many settings such as security, intelligent systems, safety, etc. Vyir Inc. is working on the design of a new infrared camera that would be smaller in size and cheaper compared to other infrared cameras in today's market. Students/interns are broken into different teams according to their major and will work on sub-projects. These individual team projects will be different aspects of the whole infrared camera project and in the end everything will come together to create a single product. Our team was in charge of creating the necessary electrical components and the development of a PCB or printed circuit board, that will control the functionality of the camera. This is achieved by implementing a component called “Laser Driver” that controls the laser that is needed for the camera). Another component is the “TEC” and this controls the temperature of the laser. The first two versions of the PCB have been developed. This research was supported by CiPASS.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 14 Prevalence of Hypertension and Associated Risk Factors Among Taxi Drivers in New York City Kevin A. Placide1 ; Afsana Ahmed2 ; Elizabeth Gimba2 ; Fawziyah Shamim2 ; Jessica Llamozas2 ; Jana Abumusallam2 ; Mallory Dubowsky2 ; Bharat Narang2 ; Jennifer Leng, M.D.2 ; and Francesca Gany, M.D, M.S.2 1 City College of New York, New York, NY, PURT 2 Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY There are over 185,000 licensed taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers in New York City. These drivers have higher rates of obesity than New Yorkers in general, and also experience occupational health risks including a sedentary lifestyle and limited dietary choices. Taxi ROADmAP (Realizing Optimization Around Diet And Physical Activity) addresses these challenges by targeting 5% weight loss to mitigate cardiovascular disease and cancer risks. ROADmAP also assesses related health outcomes including blood pressure (BP), cholesterol, triglycerides, and HgbA1c. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of elevated BP and associated risk factors in a cohort of ROADmAP participants. Information collected at baseline from 109 consented ROADmAP participants was extracted from REDcap, a relational database, and transferred to SPSS. Frequency tests were conducted for elevated BP values, demographic, health care access, and medical history variables, and other health outcomes including BMI, HgBA1c, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Cross tabulations with demographic, health care access, medical history variables and other health outcomes were conducted against BP values. Most drivers were male (96.3%). 41.75 % identified as Black/African American, followed by 29.13% identifying as Asian/South Asian. Ages 40-59 accounted for 46.3% of drivers. A majority of drivers, 66.9%, had abnormal BP values with the following distribution: 5.5% did not report BP, 27.5% had normal BP values (systolic BP=<120 mmHg and diastolic BP <80), 22.0% had elevated BP values (systolic BP=120-129 mmHg and diastolic BP<80 mmHg), 22.0% had BP values consistent with stage 1 hypertension (systolic BP=130-139 mmHg or diastolic BP=80-89 mmHg), and 22.9% had blood pressure values consistent with stage 2 hypertension (systolic BP>140 mmHg or diastolic BP>90 mmHg). Regarding associations between hypertensive status (normal vs. abnormal) and demographic/health variables, three showed significance. Higher BMI is linked to abnormal BP (p=0.006). In the obese range, 86% had abnormal BP vs 61.4% in the overweight range. High triglycerides tied to elevated BP (p=0.025). For those with high triglycerides (200-499 mg/dL), 81.25% had elevated BP; for borderline high triglycerides (150-199 mg/dL), 94.7% had elevated BP. Normal triglyceride reading (<150 mg/dL) correlated with 64.4% abnormal BP (p=0.025). Age > 60 demonstrated significance (p=0.004), with 81.25% over 60 having abnormal BP, compared to 66.20% below 60. In this cohort of ROADmAP participants, we found a high prevalence of abnormal BP values. The data also suggests that increased age, weight, and triglyceride levels may be associated with abnormal BP values in this population. Addressing BP-related cardiovascular risks in taxi drivers necessitates tailored interventions. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378 and MSK - U54CA137788

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 15 Hydrogenation of Sb2Te3 and (Sb2Te3)1-x (MnSb2Te4)x Thin Films Amy Lopez Navarro 1 , Candice Forrester 2,3 , Kaushini Wickramasinghe 1 and Maria Tamargo 1,3 1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York New York, CUNY New York, NY 10031 2 Department of Chemistry, Lehman College, CUNY Bronx, NY 10468 USA 3 Doctoral Program in Chemistry, Graduate Center of CUNY, New York, NY 10016 Topological Insulators (TIs), such as Sb 2 Te 3 , are a family of materials having distinct, highly conducting metallic surface states and an insulating bulk region[1]. They are of interest for quantum computers and thermoelectric devices, and they also serve as test beds for new physics such as Majorana fermions[1,2]. The surface states are gapless and the electrons in these states have spin-momentum locking which constrain the spin perpendicular to its momentum, giving them unique features. When magnetic impurities are introduced, a gap in the surface states emerges, and the system transforms into a magnetic topological insulator (MTI). Previously, it was shown that the electronic and magnetic properties of the 3D topological insulators could be changed, if they are van der Waals materials, by a process known as hydrogenation[3]. In this process, the hydrogen ions intercalate into the van der Waals gap and are expected to reduce the bulk doping which changes the position of the Fermi level. The unique features of TI surface states may be examined by changing the Fermi level of the material. For hydrogenation, the samples are dipped in 0.5 M solution of hydrochloric acid for different amounts of time, and Hall measurements are used to measure the electrical and magnetic properties. Molecular beam epitaxy, a high vacuum deposition technique was used to grow the TI materials, Sb 2 Te 3 and MnSb 2 Te 4 . For characterization, Hall effect focuses on the electrical and magnetic properties of the material before and after hydrogenation. Here we demonstrate that, the hydrogenation is more effective for the thinner samples compared to the thicker ones. We report an average of 35% reduction of the carrier density for the thinner samples[4]. The investigation of the effect of hydrogenation on the magnetic properties of (Sb 2 Te 3 ) 1-x (MnSb 2 Te 4 ) x , shows some evidence of ferromagnetic to anti ferromagnetic conversion in the MTIs, thus providing us with a new method to tune the Fermi level and the magnetism in van der Waals thin films. This research was supported by U-RISE, IDEALS and AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 16 ENSO Influence on Northeastern US Weather and Climate: Unraveling the Impacts of Transition Periods Yuren Rangel, Carlos Ordaz, James F. Booth The City College of New York The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climatic phenomenon of global significance that has far-reaching impacts across the world. This research project delves into the complex relationship between ENSO and the variability of weather trends in the Northeastern United States. This study places a particular emphasis on the impact of transitioning in and out of ENSO phases on Northeastern US weather variability. The first part of the research will utilize El Niño index data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature version 5 (ERSST.v5) to discern distinct ENSO phases: ENSO-positive (ENSO+), ENSO-neutral (ENSO-Ø), and ENSO-negative (ENSO-), as well as periods of transition between these phases. This initial analysis serves as the groundwork for understanding the influence of ENSO on the Northeastern US region. The second part of the research involves the conditional sorting of spatial reanalysis weather data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 (Copernicus Climate Change Service 2017) centered around the Northeastern US based on the identified ENSO regimes. We will apply composite analysis and various statistical significance tests to investigate potential teleconnections between ENSO regimes and/or the transition between ENSO regimes, and weather activity for the region. The analysis will expand our knowledge on the relationship between ENSO and temperature and precipitation anomalies This project aims to offer valuable insights into the role of ENSO, if any, in shaping the Northeastern US weather patterns. This work also provides a novel analysis of how transition periods between ENSO regimes impact regional variability, with implications for climate forecasting and adaptation strategies in the Region. This research was supported by AMS and Department of Energy/Office of Science.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 17 Understanding the evolution of sex-limited mimicry in the butterfly tribe Zetherini Maria V. Giraldo, David J. Lohman Department of Biology, City College of New York The genera Neorina, Ethope, Callarge, Penthema, and Zethera comprise the tribe Zetherini, and the latter three genera include Batesian mimics of chemically defended model species. This butterfly tribe also includes sex-limited mimics in which only the females mimic another species. This variability in mimicry within a taxon invites questions explaining why mimicry is restricted to one sex and why the mimetic sex is always female. To explore causal explanations for these patterns, it is critical to have a completely sampled and robust phylogeny for this taxon. The objective of this study was to infer a robust phylogeny for this tribe of butterflies. I used DNA sequence data with phylogenetic methods to resolve the evolutionary relationships within Zetherini to study the temporal and spatial aspects of mimicry evolution in this group. Our preliminary results show that Zetherini is monophyletic with two main clades. The first clade includes Ethope and Zethera while the second includes Neorina, Penthema, and Callarge. This study aims to reveal the evolutionary relationships of the butterfly tribe Zetherini, shedding light on the phenomenon of mimicry within this taxon. By using both DNA sequence data and phylogenetic methods, we provide preliminary evidence which supports Zetherini being monophyletic, showing that there’s two clades within the tribe. This opens the door for further analyses in the temporal and spatial aspects of mimicry evolution in this group of butterflies. The questions surrounding sex limited mimicry and why females are the restricted sex remains intriguing, and with this robust phylogeny it sets the foundation for future research that may reveal the underlying factors that drive these patterns. This research was supported by NIH- MARC grant T34 GM007639-40 and U-RISE grant T34 GM149459-01.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 18 DNA Barcoding of Insects and Arachnids from Governors Island Malky Gestetner, Ana Carolina Carnaval, Ph.D., Amy Berkov, Ph.D. Biology, The City College of New York Insect surveys are painstaking to conduct, in part due to challenges with species identification. DNA barcoding has emerged as a valuable, expedited, relatively inexpensive method to classify insects; especially insects that are rare, unusual, or hard to distinguish without expert insight. This project used DNA barcoding as a supplemental method to identify insects and arachnids collected at 4 microsites in Governors Island, in New York Harbor. One site was in the historic northern section of the Island, and three were in newly created parkland that is being managed to enhance biodiversity. These sites were surveyed by students in CCNY Insect Ecology (Fall 2022). A subset of 63 specimens was selected for sequencing in CCNY Biotechnology (Winter 2023), including Arachnida (spiders), Coleoptera (beetles), Lepidoptera (moths), and Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants). DNA was extracted from every sample and PCR was conducted using 2 sets of universal primers: 16s (ribosomal) and COI (cytochrome oxidase I; mitochondrial). Identification of the sequences, by comparison to an existing database of barcode DNA, was accomplished via Geneious. In total, 11 specimens were identified to genus, and 23 were identified to species with high confidence. These results demonstrate an example of a successful use of DNA barcoding to complement traditional morphological methods of insect identification. Supported in part by AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 19 Preparation of Enantioenriched Acylcarbastannatranes and Thioesters as Acyl electrophiles for Stereospecific Cross-Coupling Reactions Tanvin Farjana, Asha Reghuvaran Santha, and Mark Biscoe Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York The advancement of transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions has significantly impacted the approach to synthesizing complex organic molecules. Numerous methods now exist for forming C(sp2)- C(sp2) bonds, with recent efforts focused on utilizing C(sp3) electrophiles and nucleophiles. However, incorporating secondary and tertiary alkyl nucleophiles into cross-coupling reactions has been challenging due to the tendency of these alkyl groups to undergo isomerization during the reaction. The advancement of transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions has significantly impacted the approach to synthesizing complex organic molecules. Numerous methods now exist for forming C(sp2)- C(sp2) bonds, with recent efforts focused on utilizing C(sp3) electrophiles and nucleophiles. However, incorporating secondary and tertiary alkyl nucleophiles into cross-coupling reactions has been challenging due to the tendency of these alkyl groups to undergo isomerization during the reaction. In this study, we present a breakthrough in the field—a universal Pd-catalyzed process for stereoretentive cross-coupling of secondary acyl azastannatrane nucleophiles with aryl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and triflates. This reaction demonstrates excellent tolerance towards coupling partners with diverse electronic characteristics. Notably, the process exhibits minimal isomerization of the secondary acyl nucleophile and retains the absolute configuration. This pioneering method represents a significant milestone as it is the first general approach to effectively employ secondary acyl reagents in cross-coupling reactions. The goal of this study is to expand the utility of Pd-catalyzed stereospecific Stille cross-coupling reactions developed in the Biscoe lab, while gaining laboratory skills necessary for future extensions of this chemistry. The experiments focused on preparation of cross-coupling products via a stereoretentive reaction mechanism. Another focus of this study is exploring the possibility of using thioesters as acyl electrophiles in stereospecific cross-coupling reactions because thioesters are more stable and more easily handled than their corresponding acid chlorides, we explored. This research was supported by CiPASS and AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 20 Treatment Options for Posttraumatic Headache: A Current Review of the Literature Mia T. Minen, MD, MPH 1* ; Naoroz Mahmood 2 ; Fardin Khan 2 ; Erin K. Waire, MPH 1 ; Alexis George, BA 1 ; Shae Datta, MD 1 1 Department of Neurology, NYU Langone Health, NY; 2 Macaulay Honors College, The City College of New York, NY Objective We review recent evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic headache (PTH) and inform clinicians of current treatment methods. Background There is limited research on PTH treatment. PTH is a secondary headache disorder resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI), comprising nearly 4% of all symptomatic headache disorders. PTH classification depends on headache persistence post-injury, with &lt;3 months as acute and &gt;3 months as persistent. Current treatment approaches are often based on the presenting phenotype, most commonly migraine-like or tension-type. Methods We reviewed current PTH treatments using PubMed, Google Scholar, and scientific journals including Neurology and Headache. Search criteria included, but were not limited to PTH, nonpharmacologic, and pharmacologic treatment. Results For acute PTH, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of metoclopramide with diphenhydramine found that the treatment group (N=81) experienced greater pain improvement than placebo by 1.4 points. For persistent PTH, an open-label study of erenumab (N=89), found that 28% of participants reported ≥ 50% reduction in moderate-to-severe headache days, but a RCT of fremanezumab showed a non-significant reduction in moderate-to-severe headache days. A randomized crossover study of 40 patients with persistent PTH found that onabotulinum toxin-A decreased cumulative number of headaches/week by 43.3% in the treatment group and increased by 35.1% among placebos. In a study of military veterans with severe posttraumatic stress disorder and persistent/delayed onset PTH (N=193), patients who received Cognitive Behavioral Therapy reported significant improvements in headache-related disability compared to usual care (aggregate mean HIT-6, -3.4). A study of transcranial magnetic stimulation (N=24) found that 58% of participants with mild TBI-related headache experienced a 50% reduction in headache frequency. Conclusions New studies indicate promise in improving clinically important outcomes of PTH. However, more research is necessary to determine the optimal treatment and might examine whether combining pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment versus a single modality is more effective. Supported in part by BRAIN; S Jay Levy Fellowship and AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 21 Optical characterization of CrSBr Dicken G. Martinez1 , Arshbir Singh1 , Pratap Adak2 , Agneya Dharmapalan2 ,Vinod Menon1,2 1 Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, NY, USA. 2 Department of Physics, Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), New York, NY, USA. CrSBr is a 2D material with intriguing electronic, magnetic and optical properties that are of importance both for fundamental and technological applications. This material is an antiferromagnet (AFM), meaning that the total electron spin of the whole system is canceled. Furthermore it is also classified as an semiconductor. As a consequence of these two properties, the material hosts both electronic excitations called excitons and spin waves called magnons. CrSBr is stable in air meaning that it doesn’t react with the atmosphere and hence does not disintegrate easily (Wilson et al., 2021). This feature makes it easy to handle the material. By a procedure called exfoliation, we can obtain thin layers of the material, with different Dimensions and thickness, monolayer, for one atomic thickness, bilayer for two and so on. For the present study we are investigating multi layer stacking of CrSBR with other materials. Specifically, we will create a stack order of (Gr - Graphene, hBN- Hexagonal boron nitride, SiO2 - Silicon dioxide, Si - Silicon), in which the material in study (CrSBr) will have a bilayer thickness (Huang et al., 2018). After the stacking process, we will carry out optical characterization to measure different material’s properties. The main objective of this research is to investigate previous hypothesis of this set of materials called A-type antiferromagnetic, which present alterations when an electric field is induced on them, changing its antiferromagnetic nature to ferromagnetic (Wang et al., 2018). There are theoretical predictions that CrSBr can also follow this pattern. Our main objective is to apply a controlled voltage through a bilayer CrSBr stack, and to measure the photoluminescence, an optical property, as a function of the electric field (Wilson et al., 2021). In the case of results in line with the theoretical predictions, the outcome can open new fields of investigation and diverse applications, such as inside hard drives or electronic devices. This research was supported by ARO (W911NF-22-1-0091), NSF (OMA-2328993).

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 22 Classification of Quivers and Seiberg dualities with the use of programming Raymond Saldana, Sebastian Franco Department of Physics, The City College of New York Seiberg dualities emerge as a fascinating phenomenon in the strong coupling regime of certain supersymmetric quantum field theories by extension, in string theory. Classifying such dualities are very useful techniques, as there's an interesting connection between quantum field theory and string theory that come about in such dualities. Namely the Seiberg duality where it's a particular type of strong-weak coupling duality. Before classifying these dualities we must classify the quivers associated with them. Doing so we must employ quiver gauge theory which uses quivers to represent the exchange of quantum fields and gauge groups that serve as representation of the interaction between particles and fundamental forces in string theory. Quivers are representative diagrams that comes in the form of a combinatorial graph which contains very useful information. Due to the natural combinatorial structure of our quivers, we're enabled to encode information about our quivers into a matrix using a computer program. The information needed to collect for our program, were the gauge groups, and the quantum fields associated with them. Essentially our program took 2 inputs: the incoming and outgoing direction of the gauge groups which formed a matrix. The direction of our graphs is geometrically written on the edges which represents the flow of quantum fields of our quiver system. This computer code essentially gave us a matrix that served as a new representation of the quiver, which allows us to perform more systematic operations such as dualization in our quivers. Dualization is key as it reveals the symmetric nature of our quiver and adds more properties into the mix such as the mesons , which result from performing Seiberg dualities on quivers. Not all quivers can be dualized in this way as dualization on a gauge group depends on the incoming and outgoing flow of the quantum field associated with the gauge group. This interesting property alongside our programming can provide a more widespread classification of our quivers and the Seiberg dualities associated with them. This research was supported by NIH, U-RISE and AMS

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 23 Purifying and determining alpha-catenin•vinculin complex structures Yara Abdelrahman, Gilbert Reyes, Zimei Bu The City College of New York The cell-cell adhesion adherens junction complexes (AJs) provide mechanical couplings in multicellular organisms, and play important roles in embryonic morphogenesis, organ development, wound repair, and tissue regeneration. The goal of this project is to determine the structure of α-catenin in complex to vinculin that are two essential components of the AJs. We have successfully purified the two proteins, and successfully reconstituted the complex of αcatenin bound to vinculin using a series affinity and size-exclusion chromatography. Our next step is to determine the binding affinity, stoichiometry, and the structure of the α-catenin·vinculin complex. This research was supported by NIH- U-RISE Queerness and Endorsement of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms Jane Ekhtman, Noreen Ahmed, Elliot Jurist City College of New York BPD has been criticized for pathologizing behaviors that are culturally normative under patriarchy. Gender and sexual minorities (GSM) are more likely to be diagnosed with BPD by clinicians. This study sought to determine how endorsement of BPD symptoms might vary based on queer identity. 38 participants (16 queer, 22 straight) were screened for BPD. Queer people endorsed a greater total number of BPD symptoms than straight people. 18.8% of queer people and 4.5% of straight people met criteria for BPD. Notably, 44% of queer people endorsed selfharm compared to 5% of straight people, and 50% of queer people were often distrustful of others compared to 18% of straight people. Likely due to discrimination of social identity, GSM may exhibit behaviors/feelings that overlap with BPD criteria at higher rates. To increase competency, clinicians must understand symptoms socially and further research should examine whether these symptoms cause enough distress for a diagnosis. This research was supported by ORCA Fellowship.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 24 The Effects of Religion on Emotion Regulation in Transgender Population Noreen Ahmed, Jane Ekhtman, Nishanthi Anthonipillai, Katherine Medina CUNY City College, CUNY Graduate Center Introduction: Religion has been researched and linked to better emotion regulation, no research supporting or opposing this relationship exists for transgender populations. Trans populations face gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, social discrimination, and systemic barriers to healthcare such as laws upholding the denial of gender-affirming care. These unique experiences impact one’s emotion regulation, making it imperative to study. This study aimed to explore the relationship between emotion regulation and religion for transgender people in the U.S. We hypothesize that Transgender participants who are religious will have better emotion regulation. Methods: This study used existing data drawn from the 2020 TransPop- US Transgender Population Health Survey made publicly available through the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Data Sharing for Demographic Research (DSDR) program. To measure religiosity, responses to the questions, “ What is your present religion, if any?”, “Thinking about when you were a child, what religion were you raised in, if any?”, and “Aside from weddings and funerals, how often do you attend religious services?”. The responses were compared to the Kessler-6 score which measures emotional distress (high emotional distress suggests emotional dysregulation). A multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze the relationship between religiosity and emotion regulation. Results: The multiple regression model was statistically significant, F(3, 267) = 2.99, p = 0.031. This indicates that the predictors collectively explain a significant proportion of the variance in the dependent variable. However, there was no significant relationship between any measure of religiosity and scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Conclusion: There was no evidence that religiosity predicted the level of emotional distress in this sample of trans people. While it is theorized that religion can serve as a protective factor for cisgender people, it is unclear whether it can have the same effect in trans populations. Further research is needed to understand this relationship, possibly incorporating levels of spirituality as Well.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 25 Supportive interventions to Overcome grief and Loss through Advocacy and Community Engagement (SOLACE): Mental Health Conversations with Brooklyn and Harlem Spiritual Leaders Fariha Haider,1 Tecora Williams,1 Raúl Hernández, RN, 2 Kathleen A. Lynch, MS MPH, 2 Yumeng Wu,2 Gabriela Rebollo,2 Lakshmidevi Menon,2 Francesca Gany, MD, MS,2,3 Erica Lubetkin, MD, MPH,1 Nicole S.Roberts, MPH2 1 City College of New York, New York, NY, USA, 2 Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA, 3 Immigrant Health & Cancer Disparities Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA Introduction: In March 2020, New York City (NYC) became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a widening of the existing health inequities. Compounding the pandemic, the protests for racial justice arising after George Floyd’s murder profoundly impacted Black communities. Objective: The SOLACE project aims to investigate the effects of the pandemic and protests for racial justice on the mental health needs of Black residents in NYC neighborhoods most affected by COVID-19 by interviewing spiritual leaders from those communities. Methods: Predominately Black neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19 were identified using publicly available data of COVID-19 infection and mortality rates at the zip code and neighborhood level from the NYC Department of Health. Investigators conducted in-depth interviews with spiritual leaders from identified regions to ascertain quality of life challenges, and the mental health needs of community members. We completed 20 in-depth interviews of 20 spiritual leaders in churches located in Brooklyn and Harlem. Transcripts of in-depth interviews were coded and thematically analyzed using Dedoose software. Results: Of the 20 spiritual leaders interviewed, 11 (55%) are pastors or clergy members, such as deacons and ministers, and (45%) are other non-ordained church leaders. Over three-quarters of pastors are male (81.8%), while over half of church leaders (66.7%) are female. More than half of all participants are aged 56 years and older (65%), while (35%) are between 35-55 years old. Over half identify as Black/African-American (55%) and (45%) identify as Black/African-Caribbean. The following major themes emerged: (1) impact of COVID-19 on community mental health, (2) faith leader views on mental health, and (3) gaps in services. Participants noted that the COVID-19 pandemic heightened community challenges, prompting a rise in mental health challenges. The role of faith-based leaders is crucial in supporting the mental health needs of communities but there is a disconnect between leaders and the existing resources in their communities, resulting from a tendency to operate in isolation, a lack of awareness, and lack of institutional trust. Subthemes identified included: COVID-19 being a source of collective trauma and grief, a need for strategies to reduce mental health stigma and normalize conversations around mental health, and a need to increase awareness and collaboration with local mental health resources. Conclusions: Next steps include refining the qualitative results schematic to summarize results back to communities and use for potential interventions such as the dissemination of a mental health directory and grant writing resources. Given the link between long-term stress and cancer risk, continuing to partner with the SOLACE network of churches for health fairs and outreach efforts is essential. This research was supported by NIH/NCI: CCNY - U54CA132378 and MSK – U54CA13778

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 26 An Ecological Momentary Assessment of Borderline Personality Disorder: Monitoring Affective Reactivity, Coping Strategies, and Daily Stressors in Response to Social Exclusion Kayla Davis, Eric A. Fertuck, Li Wong, M.A; Devika Duggal, M.A. Psychology, City College of New York Interpersonal dysfunction is a characteristic of borderline personality disorder (BPD) that significantly impacts an individual’s mental and physical health. Rejection Sensitivity (RS) is a core aspect of this dysfunction, and, when elevated, can disrupt the stability of relationships. It is characterized by the heightened expectation of rejection, interpreting neutral social cues as rejection, and intense emotional reactions to perceived social exclusion. Heightened rejection sensitivity in individuals with BPD contributes to interpersonal relationship stress with coworkers, family, friends, and partners. It prompts intense and persistent emotional responses, fostering reliance on coping mechanisms to manage overwhelming negative affect states. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) gathers real-time data from repeated surveys throughout the day. The methodology provides daily monitoring of coping strategies, effectiveness of strategies, as well as variations of behavior and mood in response to different situations. EMA offers insights into how individuals with BPD respond to and manage daily stressors, such as negative interpersonal interactions, with the recall of affective states and coping behaviors as they occur. These repeated measurements can guide treatment interventions towards specific factors that contribute to symptoms and impairment, reducing psychological distress. Participants with BPD will report higher frequency of daily stressors, higher overall negative affect, greater variability of affect, and lower effectiveness of coping strategies. Healthy controls are predicted to cope more effectively in response to daily stressors, leading to reduced negative affect state. EMA data collection is gathered as part of an ongoing study investigating the affective, behavioral, and neurological responses to social exclusion amongst individuals with BPD and healthy controls. Participants receive mobile prompts to complete questionnaires 4 times for a week, scheduled in fixed time segments from 9:00am to 9:00pm. Previous findings demonstrate that BPD participants report greater negative affect, lower positive affect, and higher frequencies of daily stressors, and negative life events when compared to healthy controls. Investigating momentary changes will help researchers better understand the lived experiences of clinical populations, which allows for the successful application of research into the development of treatment interventions. The EMA data collection reflects daily monitoring that can be analyzed for treatment interventions to alleviate and target specific factors of psychological distress, such as interpersonal stressors, for individuals with BPD. This research was supported by NIH- MARC grant T34 GM007639-40 and U-RISE Grant T34 GM149459-01.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 27 Safety and efficacy of thermal ablation of adrenal metastases secondary to lung cancer Andrew M. Mendez, Elena N. Petre, Etay Ziv, Stephen Solomon, Vlasios Sotirchos, Ken Zhao, Erica S. Alexander City College of New York and Interventional Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of thermal ablation for adrenal metastases (AM) secondary to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods: A retrospective study of seven patients (mean age ± SD, 63.9 ± 12.5 years; 6 males, 1 female) with seven AM, treated over eight sessions between 2/2010 to 11/2021. Adverse events were graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5. Lesions were treated with either Neuwave MWA (Ethicon, Raritan, NJ), Emprint MWA (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN), or Cool-tip RFA (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN). Local tumor progression free survival (LTPFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Of the eight sessions, 5 were microwave ablation (MWA) and 3 were radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Six tumors were adenocarcinoma primaries, and one was a squamous cell carcinoma. Mean tumor size was 20.1 ± 7.0 mm. The median number of ablation probes used were 1 (range, 1-5), with a median of 3 activations (range, 1-3), and with average ablation time of 14.4 ± 15.0 minutes. All eight procedures were technically successful. Response based on RECIST v 1.1 or PERCIST criteria revealed stable disease in 1 tumor, progression of disease in 3 tumors (one of which was retreated via ablation), and partial response in 3 tumors. Median LTPFS was not reached (NR) [95% CI: 1- NR]. Median OS was 47.97 months (95% CI: 18.63- NR). One patient developed a grade 2 pneumothorax, and one developed grade 1 hematuria >1 month after ablation; One patient developed grade 2 adrenal insufficiency, ≤1 month after ablation. Conclusions: In this small series, thermal ablation appears to be a safe treatment option for AM secondary to NSCLC. Patients had impressive local tumor control and OS, with few severe complications. This research was supported by The City College of New York [U54CA132378]; and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [U54CA137788].

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 28 Understanding the role of educational attainment in triple negative breast cancer immunotherapy decision-making in Black and Hispanic women: A qualitative analysis Samantha Cajamarca, Devika Jutagir City College of New York and Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype distinguished by high recurrence rate, poor prognosis, and lack of targeted treatments. Relative to non-Hispanic white (NHW) women, TNBC incidence is three times higher for Black and 22% higher for Hispanic women. FDA-approved immunotherapy improves progression-free survival in TNBC. However, there are lower rates of immunotherapy use among Black and Hispanic versus NHW patients. Using the Health Be Model (HBM) as a theoretical framework, this study explored how education may play a role in TNBC immunotherapy decision-making among Black and Hispanic women. Methods: From April 2022 to July 2023, a subsample of 35 TNBC patients participated in 30-minute semi-structured interviews as part of a larger qualitative study assessing immunotherapy barriers and facilitators. Questions spanned 3 domains: 1) Attitudes and knowledge about treatment and diagnosis; 2) Attitudes and knowledge about immunotherapy and side effects; and 3) Attitudes toward the medical system. Eligible patients self-identified as Black or Hispanic, spoke English or Spanish, were between 18 to 85 years old, had stage II-IV TNBC, were treated in the NYC metropolitan area, and were eligible for immunotherapy. A multidisciplinary team of three coders conducted a secondary rapid qualitative analysis. Themes were compared between low (some college or less) versus high (college degree and above) education, and between Hispanic ethnicity versus non-Hispanic Black race. Results: Patients in this subsample were NH Black (n=21 and Hispanic (n=14): they had Iow (n=20) or high (n=15) education.Preliminary analysis indicated 9 themes spanning race, ethnicity, and education, which included patient awareness and knowledge of immunotherapy, and immunotherapy side effects. One theme specific to patients with high education was taking source credibility into account when conducting independent research about treatment options. Three themes specific to patients with low education were: 1) Placing trust in their oncologist due to religious faith; 2) Decisions were influenced by televIsion advertisements about immunotherapy; and 3) feeling lack of choice about treatment. Themes did not differ based on race or ethnicity. Conclusions: Results highlight the role of education in TNBC immunotherapy decision-making among Black and Hispanic women. Future empirical studies can develop and test interventions to address specific educational needs, providing comprehensible information to empower individuals to make wellinformed decisions about TNBC treatment. This research was supported by NIH/NCI Funding: CCNY- U54CA132378 MSK- U54CA137788 and P30CA008748.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 29 Coevolutionary phage training Andres F. Sosa, Emma Donohue, and Stefan Pukatzki Department of Biology, The City College, City University of New York, New York, NY 10031 The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is an increasing problem we need to address. Up to 10 million lives are estimated to be lost over the next thirty years due to infections previously treatable with antibiotics. Alternatives for antibiotics are needed. One alternative is phage therapy. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. So-called lytic phages kill the bacterium and have been used successfully to treat bacterial infections. Unfortunately, bacteria develop resistance to phages as well. We employed a co-evolution experiment to test if P1 phage, a temperate phage that can become lytic under inducing conditions, can be trained to overcome the resistance of its host, Escherichia coli. To monitor the population dynamics between phage and bacteria, we coevolved P1 phage and E. coli strain MG1655 under conditions that favor the P1 lysogenic or lytic cycle. P1 and MG1655 were passaged in liquid culture for ten days, and colony-forming units (CFUs) and plaque-forming units (PFUs) were counted to calculate the number of bacteria and phage, respectively. As expected, the phage infected and killed the bacteria in the lytic phase. As the days passed, phage titers decreased, and bacterial titers increased, suggesting the bacteria developed resistance. Interestingly, during the late phase of the experiment, bacterial numbers collapsed, and phage titers resurged, indicating that a subgroup of (trained) phages overcame the resistant bacteria. To test the presence of trained phage, we will plate naïve or trained phage with MG1655 never exposed to P1, or resistant MG1655 collected during the coevolving phase. If our hypothesis is correct that phage and bacteria engage in a cat-and-mouse game, we expect the trained phage to outcompete the naïve bacteria faster than it outcompetes resistant bacteria. These population dynamics studies allow us to determine when coevolution occurred and whether the emergence of trained P1 could suppress the growth and overcome the resistance MG1655 started to develop. Deep sequencing of trained phages and resistant bacteria will identify the molecular mechanisms of co-evolution. This research was supported by NIH-MARC grant T34 GM007639-40 and U-RISE grant T34 GM149459-01.

ANNUAL CCAPP POSTER PRESENTATION - ABSTRACTS 30 How Do Social Networks and Social Support Influence HIV Care Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in the US? Deborah Cobourne1 , Victoria Frye, DrPH, MPH2,3 , Melonie Walcott, DrPH, MPH4 , and Hong Van Tieu, MD2,3,5 1 City College of New York, Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, New York, NY, 2 New York Blood Center, Laboratory of Social and Behavioral Sciences, New York, NY, 3 New York Blood Center, Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention, New York, NY, 4 University at Albany School of Public Health, Rensselaer, New York, 5 Columbia University Medical Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY Problem Statement The overarching purpose of the Neighborhoods, Networks and HIV Care among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transwomen (NNHIV) is to understand neighborhood factors and social determinants that influence HIV care and management. It is a mixed method, social epidemiological study blending qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods and Methodology In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 participants enrolled in the study. Questions focused on their experiences living with HIV, influence of neighborhoods and networks on HIV care engagement, and perspective on HIV-related healthcare. All interviews were coded by tagging segments of text with descriptive phrases. My analysis will focus on the impact of social support, and religious and spiritual beliefs on living with HIV and care engagement. It is a mixed method, social epidemiological study blending qualitative and quantitative methods. Preliminary Results Coding and preliminary analysis of the data suggests that there are a range of influences on healthcare management, interaction with healthcare providers and systems, and other non-medical factors are closely observed to increase understanding in HIV care. Results can be used to inform interventions to better support care engagement for people living with HIV and care providers. Conclusion HIV care engagement is critical to healthy living with HIV. Results of the study will provide better information for care providers, systems, and clients to engage with HIV care. To improve care engagement for MSM/TW, identification of the full range of factors, including neighborhood- and social network-level, that influence HIV care-related outcomes is critical. This research was supported by NIH-MARC grant T34 GM007639-40 and U-RISE grant T34 GM149459-01.

No. Presenter's First Name Presenter's Last Name Page # 1 Yara Abdelrahman 23 2 Ginika Agwu 6 3 Raghd Ahmed 2 4 Noreen Ahmed 24 5 Fares Al-lahabi 13 6 Ramisha Aymon 8 7 Samantha Cajamarca 28 8 Deborah Cobourne 30 9 Cayla Cruz 3 10 Kayla Davis 26 11 Jane Ekhtman 23 12 Aya Sara Elwassif 13 13 Paulina Enriquez 4 14 Jefferson Estrada 13 15 Shaune Faraday 9 16 Tanvin Farjana 19 17 Malky Gestetner 18 18 Maria Giraldo 17 19 Fariha Haider 25 20 Pritilata Islam 1 21 Fardin Khan 20 22 Amy Lopez Navarro 15 23 Naoroz Mahmood 20 24 Dicken Martinez Rivadeneira 21 25 Zara McPartland 12 26 Andrew Mendez 27 27 Kevin Placide 14 28 Yuren Rangel 16 29 Raymond Saldana 22 30 Steven Shafeek 7 31 Aleyna Singer 11 32 Arshbir Singh 21 33 Andres Felipe Sosa Romero 29 34 Amy Thomas 5 35 Darren Zheng 10

CCAPP STAFF Millicent Roth Director Nkem Stanley–Mbamelu Associate Director Norma Archer Assistant Director Ahalya Bodasing Academic Advisor Lelosa Imasuen Academic Advisor Andrew Trafford Math/Physics Tutoring Coordinator City College Academy for Profressional Preparation CCAPP – CCNY CSTEP PROGRAM For more information about CCAPP Annual Poster Presentation Contact: Nkem Stanley–Mbamelu at 212-650-6059 OR nstanley@ccny.cuny.edu