University Of South Alabama

PURPOSE - THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO CONSTRUCT A NEW COLLEGE OF MEDICINE BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED - THE BUILDING WILL BE COMPRISED A WEST WING TO HOUSE A GROSS ANATOMY LAB, RESEARCH LABORATORIES, AND A NEW VIVARIUM AND AN EAST WING WITH EDUCATION AND OFFICE SPACE. THE WINGS WILL CONNECT WITH A LIGHT-FILLED COLLABORATION ZONE OCCUPIED BY MEETING SPACE, LOUNGE AREAS, AND OTHER AMENITIES. THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE THE RAZING TWO PRE-EXISTING CAMPUS BUILDINGS TO CONSTRUCT 253,466 SQUARE FEET OF NEW SPACE FOR AN OCCUPANCY OF 528 FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS. A GROSS ANATOMY SUITE WILL PROVIDE MEDICAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL AND SUPPORT SPACE FOR THE GROSS ANATOMY PROGRAM.EXPECTED OUTCOMES - A PRIMARY GOAL FOR THIS NEW BUILDING PROJECT IS TO CREATE A BUILDING THAT ENCOURAGES COLLISIONS, IMPROMPTU ENCOUNTERS THAT LEAD TO EXCHANGES OF IDEAS AND NEW COLLABORATIONS.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES - THE PUBLIC, STAFF, AND STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM THE IMPROVED FACILITY. THE FREDERICK P. WHIDDON COLLEGE OF MEDICINE BUILDING IS LOCATED ON THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA CAMPUS. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA IS A PUBLIC ACADEMIC INSTITUTION. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES -NO SUBRECIPIENTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED OR PROPOSED.

RECIPIENT'S FUNDING FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL PORTION OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND FORMULA GRANTS AUTHORIZED BY THE CARES ACT.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE CENTER

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO STUDENTS UNDER THE CARES ACT

LUNG ENDOTHELIAL CELL PHENOTYPES

VALUE-BASED MEDICAL STUDENT EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM

CONSTRUCTION OF (A)BSL-3 LABORATORY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF S

VALUE-BASED MEDICAL STUDENT EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM

BROAD-BASED RESEARCH COLLABORATIVES ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES

THE ALABAMA REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

NOVEL SULINDAC DERIVATIVES FOR COLON CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION

PIRE: ADVANCING GLOBAL STRATEGIES AND UNDERSTANDING ON THE ORIGIN OF CIGUATERA FISH POISONING IN TROPICAL OCEANS

STEM STARS: A PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD PERSISTENCE TO MATH-INTENSIVE DEGREES IN LOW-INCOME STUDENTS -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-EDUCATED SCIENTISTS, MATHEMATICIANS, ENGINEERS, AND TECHNICIANS BY SUPPORTING THE RETENTION AND GRADUATION OF HIGH-ACHIEVING, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED AT UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA, BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND COASTAL ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE. A TOTAL OF 60 SCHOLARS PURSUING ASSOCIATE IN SCIENCE DEGREES AND B.S. DEGREES IN ENGINEERING, CHEMISTRY, MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS, AND PHYSICS WILL RECEIVE SCHOLARSHIPS UP TO $15,000 FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS. SCHOLARS WILL RECEIVE FACULTY MENTORING AND THE PROJECT WILL BUILD STRONG SCHOLAR COHORTS THROUGH SOCIAL AND SERVICE ACTIVITIES. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOLARS INCLUDE PARTICIPATION IN LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT PRE-CALCULUS COURSEWORK. THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS TRACK 3 SCHOLARSHIPS IN STEM PROJECT IS TO INCREASE STEM DEGREE COMPLETION OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, LOW-INCOME UNDERGRADUATES WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT NATIONAL NEED TO GROW THE STEM WORKFORCE AND NURTURE KEY TALENT THAT WILL ENSURE ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS AND PROVIDE DOMESTIC LEADERSHIP ACROSS CRITICAL SECTORS. THIS PROJECT DIRECTLY SPEAKS TO THIS NEED BY SUPPORTING STEM STUDENT SUCCESS, WHICH WILL STRENGTHEN THE WORKFORCE IN ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, PHYSICAL SCIENCES, AND OTHER KEY AREAS OF NEED. THE PROJECT WILL BE ASSESSED BY AN EXPERIENCED EVALUATOR AND THE DATA GENERATED WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE KNOWLEDGE BASE BY EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF TARGETED MATHEMATICS SUPPORTS ON THE RETENTION OF TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS IN STEM. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY NSF'S SCHOLARSHIPS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAM, WHICH SEEKS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACADEMICALLY TALENTED, LOW-INCOME STUDENTS WITH DEMONSTRATED FINANCIAL NEED WHO EARN DEGREES IN STEM FIELDS. IT ALSO AIMS TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE STEM WORKERS, AND TO GENERATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, RETENTION, TRANSFER, GRADUATION, AND ACADEMIC/CAREER PATHWAYS OF LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

WATER AND WASTE PILOT PROGRAM - TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT

NOSOCOMIAL PNEUMONIAS IMPAIR COGNITIVE FUNCTION

EMERGING FLEA-BORNE RICKETTSIAL DISEASES: VECTOR COMPETENCE AND TRANSMISSION BIOLOGY

RENEWAL FOR USA CYBER SCHOLARS PROGRAM

EMERGENCY GENERATOR

NURSE EDUCATION, PRACTICE, QUALITY AND RETENTION

MTDNA REPAIR: AN ISOLATED PHARMACOLOGIC TARGET IN ACUTE LUNG INJURY

MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF CEPHALOSPORIN RESISTANCE OF N. GONORRHOEAE CONFERRED BY MUTATED PBP2 - PROJECT SUMMARY NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE, THE CAUSATIVE AGENT FOR THE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTION GONORRHEA, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 800,000 INFECTIONS ANNUALLY IN THE U.S. AND 78 MILLION CASES WORLDWIDE. UNTREATED OR UNTREATABLE INFECTIONS CAN LEAD TO INFERTILITY, PELVIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASE (PID) IN FEMALES, GONOCOCCAL ARTHRITIS IN BOTH SEXES, AND AN INCREASED RISK OF BOTH CONTRACTING AND TRANSMITTING HIV. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES, THE INEXORABLE INCREASE OF RESISTANCE IN THIS ORGANISM TOWARD MULTIPLE CLASSES OF ANTIBIOTICS HAS SEVERELY LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR GONOCOCCAL INFECTIONS. MOST ALARMINGLY, RESISTANCE AGAINST THE EXTENDED-SPECTRUM CEPHALOSPORIN (ESC) CEFTRIAXONE POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH. THIS SITUATION REQUIRES AN UNDERSTANDING OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AT THE MOLECULAR LEVEL IN ORDER TO ENABLE DESIGN OF NEW ANTIMICROBIALS. ESC RESISTANCE OF N. GONORRHOEAE IS CONFERRED BY MUTATED FORMS OF PENICILLIN-BINDING PROTEIN 2 (PBP2). IN THIS APPLICATION, WE PROPOSE TO ELUCIDATE THE MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF RESISTANCE, WITH THE OVERARCHING HYPOTHESIS THAT MUTATIONS IN PBP2 RESTRICT THE MOLECULAR DYNAMICS OF THE PROTEIN. IT BUILDS UPON OUR RECENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERACTIONS MADE BY WILD-TYPE PBP2 WHEN BOUND BY ESCS AND HOW CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH BINDING AND ACYLATION APPEAR RESTRICTED IN PBP2 DERIVED FROM ESCR STRAINS. THE INVESTIGATION COMPRISES THREE AIMS: SPECIFIC AIM 1 IS A STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF WILD-TYPE PBP2 TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIFIC INTERACTIONS FORMED WHEN PBP2 IS BOUND AND ACYLATED BY CEPHALOSPORINS. IN SPECIFIC AIM 2, WE WILL ELUCIDATE HOW KEY MUTATIONS PRESENT IN PBP2 FROM ESCR STRAINS OF N. GONORRHOEAE REDUCE INACTIVATION BY CEPHALOSPORINS WHILE RETAINING SUFFICIENT BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION TO SUPPORT GROWTH OF THE ORGANISM. FINALLY, SPECIFIC AIM 3 WILL EXAMINE THE BEHAVIOR OF PBP2 VARIANTS IN SOLUTION TO DETERMINE WHETHER MUTATIONS HINDER PROTEIN DYNAMICS. BY REVEALING THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF HOW MUTATIONS IN PBP2 OVERCOME THE LETHAL ACTION OF SS-LACTAMS, THESE INVESTIGATIONS WILL ENABLE NEW STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPLACEMENT ANTI-GONOCOCCAL AGENTS.

STORE-OPERATED CALCIUM ENTRY: LUNG ENDOTHELIAL PERMEABILITY

SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL ROBERT NOYCE CONFERENCE: REMOVING BARRIERS IN STEM TEACHER EDUCATION

MOLECULAR BASIS FOR SPOTTED FEVER GROUP RICKETTSIA VECTOR COMPETENCE IN TICKS

UNDERSTANDING THE MOLECULAR-LEVEL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN IONIC LIQUIDS AND MOLECULAR SPECIES TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP NOVEL SOLVENT SYSTEMS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY APPLICATIONS

RII TRACK 2 FEC: BUILDING RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKFORCE IN EDGE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE -USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) CURRENTLY REQUIRES ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND VERY LARGE AND COMPLEX REMOTE COMPUTERS FOR MAKING DECISIONS AND PREDICTIONS. THIS CAUSES LONG DELAYS AND PRIVACY AND SECURITY CONCERNS. THE LATEST TECHNIQUES IN AI, KNOWN AS ?EDGE AI?, AVOID THESE PROBLEMS BY COLLECTING AND ANALYZING DATA DIRECTLY ON CAMERAS, SMART PHONES, AND WEARABLE DEVICES. HOWEVER, EDGE AI IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY AND THERE ARE SEVERAL IMPORTANT TECHNICAL PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE SOLVED. THIS RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT TRACK-2 FOCUSED EPSCOR COLLABORATIONS (RII TRACK-2 FEC) AWARD IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN SIX UNIVERSITIES (INCLUDING TWO MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS) AND SEVERAL PRIVATE-SECTOR PARTNERS IN ALABAMA, ARKANSAS, AND NORTH DAKOTA. AS A TEST OF THE PROJECT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL BUILD A SMART WEARABLE DEVICE TO PREDICT THE ONSET OF DIABETES BY MONITORING A PATIENT'S OWN BREATH WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A DOCTOR TO INTERPRET THE RESULTS. IT WILL PROVIDE RESEARCH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCED COLLEGE STUDENTS AND WILL ALSO TRAIN HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHERS IN LESSONS TO EDUCATE THEIR OWN STUDENTS IN THE PRINCIPLES OF EDGE AI TO SEED THE FUTURE US WORKFORCE IN THESE ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS FOR TOMORROW?S WORLD. THE GOAL OF THIS RII TRACK-2 FEC AWARD IS TO DEVELOP INTEGRATED RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND WORKFORCE IN EDGE AI. FUNDAMENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE TEAM INCLUDE: (I) LIGHT-WEIGHT AI-EMPOWERED REASONING AND MACHINE LEARNING ALGORITHMS FOR EDGE PLATFORMS; (II) A NEW APPLICATION-SPECIFIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (ASIC) DESIGN METHODOLOGY TO ENABLE AI ASICS WITH ULTRA-LOW POWER, RECONFIGURABILITY, AND SHORT DEVELOPMENT CYCLES; (III) A SENSOR DEVICE PLATFORM FOR EDGE AI BASED ON NOVEL FUNCTIONALIZED NANO-SCALED SENSING MATERIALS WITH NANO-3D PRINTING TECHNIQUES; AND (IV) AN EDGE AI DEVICE PLATFORM EXPLOITING THE PREVIOUS ADVANCES TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF DIFFERENT USE CASES. BASED ON THE DEVELOPED INFRASTRUCTURE, TARGETING THE USE CASE OF DIABETES CARE, THE TEAM WILL DESIGN, PROTOTYPE, AND TEST A LOW-COST SMART WEARABLE DEVICE FOR PERSONALIZED DIABETES MANAGEMENT. THE DEVELOPED WEARABLE DIABETES DEVICE WILL ENABLE SIGNIFICANT COST REDUCTION AND HIGH POWER EFFICIENCY COMPARED TO EXISTING TECHNIQUES. THE LEADING INSTITUTION IS THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA; THE COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS ARE NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA, ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY, AND NUETA HIDATSA SAHNISH COLLEGE. THE TEAM WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH MULTIPLE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO ADOPT AND ADAPT THE DEVELOPED EDGE AI INFRASTRUCTURE IN DIFFERENT USE CASES. RESEARCH OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDGE AI AND WILL INCREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE UNITED STATES IN AI. ALSO, THIS PROJECT WILL INTEGRATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN ORDER TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE TRAINING AT MULTIPLE LEVELS. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP AN EDUCATION-TO-WORKFORCE PIPELINE FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, POST-DOCTORAL TRAINING, JUNIOR FACULTY, AND INDUSTRY PRACTITIONERS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

NOVEL APPROACHES TO ENHANCE TUMOR CELL CYTOTOXICITY OF ALKYLATING AGENTS

DNA LESIONS AND GENE EXPRESSION IN HYPOXIC LUNG DISEASE

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT-COMMUNITY PREVENTION AND MATERNAL HEALTH

PURPOSE: FUNDING FOR THE EXPANSION AND UPGRADE OF THE SOUTH ALABAMA MESONET (SAM), A CONGRESSIONALLY-DIRECTED SPECIAL COMMUNITY PROJECT REQUESTED BY SENATOR KATIE BRITT AND IDENTIFIED IN THE CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024 (P.L. 118-42), SIGNED INTO LAW ON MARCH 9, 2024. MESONETS ARE INTERCONNECTED NETWORKS OF INSTRUMENTED ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING STATIONS ACROSS AN ENTIRE

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR OYSTERS, BLUE CRAB, AND SPOTTED SEATROUT TO ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS AND VARIABILITY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

CYBERCORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (RENEWAL): PREPARING GULF COAST CYBER SCHOLARS -THIS AWARD SUPPORTS THE CONTINUATION OF THE CYBERCORPS?: SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROJECT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA (USA) THAT PROMOTES CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH EXCELLENCE TO PREPARE GRADUATES TO WORK IN CRITICAL CYBERSECURITY POSITIONS WITHIN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S EXECUTIVE WORKFORCE. THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT 20 STUDENTS, WITH A MIX OF 3-YEAR UNDERGRADUATE-TO-MASTERS, 2-YEAR MASTERS, AND 3-YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENTS, AND IT BUILDS ON THE INSTITUTION'S STRONG COMMITMENT TO CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. FOR EXAMPLE, CYBERSECURITY COMPONENTS ARE INCLUDED IN USA?S UNDERGRADUATE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS, MASTER?S LEVEL COMPUTER SCIENCE AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS PROGRAMS, AND A DOCTORAL PROGRAM IN COMPUTING. THESE ACADEMIC PATHS PRODUCE GRADUATES WHO CAN FILL A WIDE RANGE OF CYBERSECURITY POSITIONS, FROM NETWORK SECURITY ANALYSTS TO ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY RESEARCHERS. USA HAS A RECORD OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE STUDENT BODY, AND A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE STUDENTS COME FROM RURAL OR FINANCIALLY DEPRESSED AREAS. MOREOVER, IN THE CURRENT COHORT OF SCHOLARS, 34% OF CYBERCORPS? STUDENTS ARE FEMALE, AND 16% ARE MEMBERS OF ETHNIC GROUPS THAT ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN THEIR PURSUIT OF CAREERS IN THE FIELD. THE PROJECT TEAM EXPECTS TO MAINTAIN AND EXCEED THIS DIVERSITY DURING THIS RENEWAL AWARD BY INCREASING TARGETED RECRUITING, COMMUNITY AWARENESS, AND LONG-TERM K-12 STEM OUTREACH EFFORTS. THE USA PROGRAM BUILDS UPON FOUR FOUNDATIONS: 1) THE RESOURCES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA AND ITS SCHOOL OF COMPUTING (SOC), 2) THE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS WITHIN THE SOC, 3) A MATURE AND DYNAMIC CYBERSECURITY CURRICULUM ACROSS SOC PROGRAMS ALONG WITH EXPERIENCED FACULTY WHO SUPPORT BOTH CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION, AND 4) THE STRENGTH OF A VIBRANT RESEARCH CENTER FOCUSED ON FORENSICS, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, AND CYBERSECURITY. USA'S SCHOLARS BENEFIT FROM CORE FUNDAMENTAL CYBERSECURITY COURSEWORK AND CUTTING-EDGE CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH. THE PROJECT AIMS TO RECRUIT AND GRADUATE 20 STUDENTS OVER FOUR COHORTS. USA'S PROJECT TEAM PROVIDES TAILORED ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH MENTORSHIP WITH A GOAL TO ACHIEVE 100% PROGRAM COMPLETION AND PLACEMENT INTO CYBERSECURITY POSITIONS WITH A TARGETED FOCUS ON EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE WORKFORCE. THE SUCCESS OF PROGRAM OBJECTIVES WILL BE ASSESSED USING BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL REVIEWS. THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY THE CYBERCORPS? SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE (SFS) PROGRAM, WHICH FUNDS PROPOSALS ESTABLISHING OR CONTINUING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS IN CYBERSECURITY AND ALIGNS WITH THE U.S. NATIONAL CYBER STRATEGY TO DEVELOP A SUPERIOR CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE. FOLLOWING GRADUATION, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO WORK IN CYBERSECURITY FOR A FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION FOR THE SAME DURATION AS THEIR SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

CARES ACT: EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND-STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

NURSE EDUCATION, PRACTICE, QUALITY, AND RETENTION - INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLBORATIVE PRACTICE

RYAN WHITE TITLE IV WOMEN, INFANTS, CHILDREN, YOUTH AND AFFECTED FAMILY MEMBERS AIDS HEALTHCARE

MOUSE MODELS FOR MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDERS CAUSED BY MTDNA MUTATIONS

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SERVICE IN INFORMATION ASSURANCE

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,499,999 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS WITH IMPROVING THE WATER QUALITY OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE DEVELOPING AND ADMINISTERING A COMPETITIVE SUBAWARD PROGRAM TO FUND PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES IN IDENTIFIED PROJECT AREAS THAT PROMOTE IMPROVED WATER QUALITY, HABITAT RESTORATION, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE. DESCRIBE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WILL BE PROVIDED, AND THE BENEFICIAL IMPACTS ON THE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WILL BE DOCUMENTED. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE: IMPROVED ABILITIES TO IDENTIFY, SUCCESSFULLY APPLY FOR, AND EFFECTIVELY MANAGE GRANTS RELATED TO WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, REDUCTION AND ELIMINATION OF POLLUTION IN UNDERSERVED DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES; INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH SUBRECIPIENT WORK; POLLUTION REDUCTION; STORMWATER AND FLOOD MITIGATION IMPROVEMENT; AND IMPROVEMENTS TO STATE, COUNTY, AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OR POLICIES THAT BETTER PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN LINE WITH THE JUSTICE40 INITIATIVE. THE RESIDENTS AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF ALABAMA WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND ENHANCED COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.ACTIVITIES:.SUBRECIPIENT:SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES WILL BE FUNDED TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS FOCUSING ON WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, POLLUTION REDUCTION IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ANTICIPATED TO PRODUCE A RANGE OF SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES FOR ALABAMA'S COASTAL COMMUNITIES.OUTCOMES:.

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

ANE - NURSE PRACTITIONER RESIDENCY PROGRAM

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

TITLE III SIP - CURATING THE SECOND YEAR EXPERIENCE FOR INCREASED ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND WORKFORCE READINESS

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL SULINDAC AMIDE FOR COLORECTAL CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION

CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION PAYMENT PROGRAM

PHOSPHODIESTERASE 5: A NOVEL TARGET AND INHIBITOR FOR BREAST CANCER CHEMOPREVENTI

USA CENTER FOR HURRICANE INTENSITY AND LANDFALL RESEARCH

REPAIR OF ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED MITOCHONDRIAL DNA DAMAGE

PASSAGE USA EXPANSION - PREPARING ALL STUDENTS SOCIALLY AND ACADEMICALLY FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT

ADVANCED NURSE EDUCATION-SEXUAL NURSE ASSAULT EXAMINER PROGRAM

THE MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME IN LUNG DISEASE: A SIGNALING HUB LINKING THE PERSISTENCE AND SEVERITY OF INFLAMMATION TO RECOVERY - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE CONTRIBUTION OF OXIDATIVE MITOCHONDRIAL (MT) DAMAGE TO INFLAMMATORY LUNG DISEASES IS UNDISPUTED, BUT MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THIS ASSOCIATION REMAIN TO BE ELUCIDATED. EMERGING EVIDENCE, HOWEVER, POINTS TO THE MITOCHONDRIAL (MT) GENOME AS A SIGNALING HUB INTEGRATING THE INITIATION AND RESOLUTION INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE EARLIEST EVENTS IS REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS) STRESS-INDUCED OXIDATIVE MTDNA DAMAGE. OXIDIZED FRAGMENTS OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME (OX-MTDNA DAMPS) ARE THEN RELEASED INTO THE CYTOSOL WHERE THEY STIMULATE THE RECOGNITION RECEPTOR (PRR) NLRP3 TO ACTIVATE CASPASE-1 WHICH TRIGGERS GENERATION OF PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. THE MITOCHONDRIAL BASE EXCISION DNA REPAIR (BER) PATHWAY IS IMPORTANT TO THIS PROCESS SINCE INCREASING OR DECREASING BER CAPACITY SUPPRESSED OR ACCENTUATED, RESPECTIVELY, MTDNA DAMAGE AND OX-MDNA DAMP MOBILIZATION. BER ALSO MAY BE IMPORTANT IN RESOLUTION OF THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE. FULL RECOVERY REQUIRES RESTORATION OF MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION, ACCOMPLISHED IN PART BY MITOCHONDRIAL BIOGENESIS. MITOCHONDRIAL DNA REPLICATION IS A PREREQUISITE FOR BIOGENESIS, BUT REPLICATION MUST NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE MUTAGENIC BASE DAMAGE INITIATING INFLAMMATION IS REPAIRED. THUS, BER AND MTDNA REPLICATION MUST BE FAITHFULLY COUPLED; IF NOT, THE RESULTING SOMATIC MTDNA MUTATIONS WOULD CRIPPLE RECOVERY, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO ACUTE AND POST-ACUTE COMPLICATIONS. DESPITE THESE ADVANCES, EVENTS UNDERLYING THE TRANSITION BETWEEN INFLAMMATION AND ITS RESOLUTION ARE UNCLEAR. WE NOW PROPOSE TO TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT A SIGNALING AXIS INVOLVING MTDNA REPAIR AND CASPASE-1 INTEGRATES PROCESSES ESSENTIAL FOR INITIATION AND RESOLUTION OF NLRP3-DEPENDENT INFLAMMATION. STUDIES IN CULTURED CELLS AND INTACT RODENTS WILL: (1) DETERMINE HOW BER COORDINATES INITIATION AND RESOLUTION OF OX-MTDNA DAMP FORMATION WITH THE INTENSITY OF INFLAMMATORY STRESS; AND (2) TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT CASPASE-1 DIFFERENTIALLY REGULATES MTDNA REPAIR AND REPLICATION TO ENSURE THAT NLRP3-INDUCED INFLAMMATION IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE SEVERITY OF THE INITIATING STIMULUS WHILE ENSURING ERROR-FREE, RECOVERY-RELATED MTDNA REPLICATION. THIS WORK IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT WILL TEST A NEW HYPOTHESIS TO EXPLAIN HOW THE INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE INITIATED BY NLRP3 IS TITRATED TO THE SEVERITY OF THE INITIATING STIMULUS AND RESOLVED WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS, INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL INTRODUCTION OF SOMATIC VARIANTS INTO MITOCHONDRIAL GENOME DURING RESOLUTION OF INFLAMMATION. THESE STUDIES ARE ALSO TECHNICALLY INNOVATIVE; THEY WILL APPLY NEW MTDNA SEQUENCING AND ISOTOPIC LABELING STRATEGIES TO TRACK THE FORMATION AND FATE OF PROINFLAMMATORY OX-MTDNA AS IT RELATES TO LUNG CELL INFLAMMATION AND RESOLUTION.

CA TO SUPPORT THE NSSTC

INTRA-TICK AND INTRA-HOST INFECTION DYNAMICS OF A TICK-BORNE BUNYAVIRUS - PROJECT SUMMARY & ABSTRACT SEVERE FEVER WITH THROMBOCYTOPENIA SYNDROME (SFTS) IS AN EMERGING TICK-BORNE DISEASE CAUSED BY THE BUNYAVIRUS, SFTS VIRUS (SFTSV). SFTSV IS TRANSMITTED BY THE HAEMAPHYSALIS LONGICORNIS TICK, WHICH IS NATIVE TO EAST ASIA BUT RECENTLY ESTABLISHED INVASIVE POPULATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN GEOGRAPHIC RANGE. THE RISING INCIDENCE OF SFTS CASES IN ASIA, LACK OF SPECIFIC TREATMENT STRATEGIES, HIGH CASE FATALITY RATES, AND GLOBAL RANGE EXPANSION OF THE TICK VECTOR MAKE SFTS A PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. AS A TICK-BORNE VIRUS, SFTSV IS UNIQUE FROM SINGLE-HOST VIRUSES BECAUSE IT MUST REPLICATE AND SURVIVE IN BOTH VERTEBRATE AND INVERTEBRATE HOSTS. CURRENTLY, THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO ELUCIDATE THE INTRA-TICK AND INTRA-HOST INFECTION DYNAMICS THAT ENABLE BUNYAVIRUSES TO INFECT, DISSEMINATE, AND PERSIST WITHIN THE DISTINCT ENVIRONMENTS OF THE TICK AND VERTEBRATE HOST. ACQUIRING THIS FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE IS PARAMOUNT TO DEVELOPING NOVEL STRATEGIES THAT PREVENT SFTSV TRANSMISSION. THIS RESEARCH PROPOSAL IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO NIH RFA-AI-21-046, “PROMOTING BUNYAVIRALES BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH.” THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO DEFINE THE DYNAMICS OF SFTSV INFECTION, DISSEMINATION, AND CELL TROPISM WITHIN THE TICK VECTOR, AS WELL AS THE TICK-TO-HOST TRANSMISSION TIMELINE AND INITIAL SFTSV–HOST INTERACTIONS IN THE SKIN. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT BIOTIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH H. LONGICORNIS’ LIFE CYCLE FACILITATE INTRA-TICK SFTSV DISSEMINATION TO THE SALIVARY GLANDS AFTER MOLTING, WHICH IN TURN ENABLES THE TICK TO RAPIDLY TRANSMIT SFTSV TO THE NEXT VERTEBRATE HOST ON WHICH IT FEEDS WHILE CREATING AN IMMUNOLOGICALLY PRIVILEGED MICROENVIRONMENT AT THE SKIN SITE OF TICK FEEDING. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS WILL BE TESTED BY PURSUING TWO SPECIFIC AIMS: 1) CHARACTERIZE THE DYNAMICS OF SFTSV INFECTION, DISSEMINATION, AND TRANSSTADIAL SURVIVAL WITHIN H. LONGICORNIS TICKS; AND, 2) DEFINE THE MINIMUM TICK-TO-HOST TRANSMISSION TIME OF SFTSV AND THE EARLY HOST CUTANEOUS IMMUNE RESPONSE TO SFTSV-INFECTED TICK FEEDING. COMPLETION OF THESE AIMS WILL DEFINE THE INFECTION KINETICS AND CELL TROPISM OF SFTSV WITHIN THE TICK VECTOR ACROSS MULTIPLE LIFE STAGES AND WITHIN THE SKIN OF THE VERTEBRATE HOST. THE PROPOSED STUDIES WILL BE THE FIRST TO COLLECTIVELY EXAMINE THE INTRA-TICK AND INTRA-HOST INFECTION DYNAMICS OF A TICK-BORNE BUNYAVIRUS. ELUCIDATING THE FUNDAMENTAL H. LONGICORNIS–SFTSV–VERTEBRATE HOST INTERACTIONS WILL ENABLE FUTURE WORK TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF RATIONAL INTERVENTIONS THAT DISRUPT VIRUS SURVIVAL WITHIN, AND TRANSMISSION BETWEEN, THE TICK AND VERTEBRATE HOST.

CGMP-DEPENDENT PROTEIN KINASE (PKG) EXPRESSION

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

CASPASE-1, THE MICROVASCULAR ENDOTHELIUM, AND INFECTION

NRT: CONVERGING RESEARCH ON EDGE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TRAINING ENHANCEMENT -ONE OF THE NEXT FRONTIERS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IS TO INCORPORATE AI DIRECTLY INTO EDGE DEVICES, WHICH ARE DEVICES LIKE A HOME ROUTER THAT SERVE AS AN ENTRYWAY TO THE BROADER CLOUD NETWORK. IN ORDER TO MAKE THESE DEVICES AT THE ?EDGE? OF THE CLOUD SMARTER, INNOVATIONS ARE NEEDED IN BOTH HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT AND IN SOFT-SKILL TRAINING FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS. THIS NOVEL AI PARADIGM WILL HELP ALLEVIATE DEPENDENCE ON THE CLOUD AND REDUCE THE HIGH ENERGY DEPENDENCE OF CLOUD COMPUTING. TO MEET THIS CRITICAL NEED, THIS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH TRAINEESHIP (NRT) AWARD WILL ESTABLISH THE CONVERGING RESEARCH ON EDGE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND TRAINING ENHANCEMENT (CREATE) PROGRAM. CREATE WILL LEVERAGE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN UNIVERSITIES, NATIONAL LABS AND INDUSTRY TO INTEGRATE TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO TRAIN FUTURE LEADERS IN EDGE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (EDGE AI). THE PROJECT ANTICIPATES TRAINING FORTY (40) PH.D. STUDENTS, INCLUDING FIFTEEN (15) FUNDED PH.D. TRAINEES. ADDITIONALLY, KEY TRAINING COMPONENTS, SUCH AS THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES AND CURRICULUM, WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO OTHER GRADUATE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS. CREATE WILL BE ANCHORED BY A COMPELLING MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREA ? EDGE AI, WHICH ENABLES DATA COLLECTION AND AI EXECUTION ON EDGE DEVICES TO FACILITATE REAL-TIME DECISION-MAKING. INTEGRATING THE STUDY OF ALGORITHMS, HARDWARE, AND DEVICES INTO ONE CONVERGENT RESEARCH PROGRAM WILL ALLOW RAPID ADVANCES IN THIS COMPLEX AND EMERGING AREA OF RESEARCH. TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL RESEARCH NEEDS OF EDGE AI AND TO ADVANCE GRADUATE EDUCATION IN THIS FIELD NATIONWIDE, CREATE WILL REVOLUTIONIZE PH.D. TRAINING BASED ON SEVEN TRANSDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM PILLARS: (I) RESEARCH: CREATE TRAINEES WILL PURSUE LEADING-EDGE TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ON EDGE AI FOR A BROAD RANGE OF APPLICATION DOMAINS; (II) DIDACTIC COURSEWORK: CREATE WILL BUILD A TRANSDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM ON EDGE AI, WHICH CONSISTS OF CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED CORE COURSES AND ELECTIVE COURSES THAT ALIGN WITH CREATE GOALS, WITHOUT EXTENDING THE EXPECTED TIME-TO-DEGREE; (III) CLEAN ROOM TRAINING: CREATE TRAINEES WILL VISIT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL LABORATORIES IN SUMMER TO GAIN HANDS-ON MICROELECTRONICS CLEAN-ROOM TRAINING EXPERIENCE; (IV) TECHNICAL WRITING: CREATE WILL PROVIDE TRAINEES WITH TRAINING IN LOGIC AND WRITING SKILLS, PAIRED WITH A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO GRANT PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT; (V) PROFESSIONAL SKILLS: A NEW CREATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES WILL BE DEVELOPED TO WILL EQUIP TRAINEES WITH ESSENTIAL TRANSDISCIPLINARY SKILLS IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP; (VI) OUTREACH: A DEDICATED OUTREACH AND EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM WILL BE DESIGNED TO PAIR TRAINEES WITH IN-SERVICE TEACHERS TO DEVELOP MINI-COURSES ON THEIR RESEARCH AND GAIN PRACTICAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE IN HIGH-SCHOOL CLASSES; AND (VII) GRADUATE CERTIFICATE: CREATE WILL ESTABLISH A NEW GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN EDGE AI TO FORMALIZE TRAINING IN THIS RAPIDLY EMERGING FIELD. OVERALL, BY ALIGNING WITH THE MISSION AND THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF THE INSTITUTION, CREATE WILL ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE AND SCALABLE PH.D. TRAINING MODEL WHICH CAN BE ADAPTED TO OTHER GRADUATE PROGRAMS ON CAMPUS AND AT INSTITUTIONS NATIONWIDE. THE NSF RESEARCH TRAINEESHIP (NRT) PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF BOLD, NEW, AND POTENTIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE MODELS FOR STEM GRADUATE EDUCATION TRAINING. THE PROGRAM IS DEDICATED TO EFFECTIVE TRAINING OF STEM GRADUATE STUDENTS IN HIGH PRIORITY INTERDISCIPLINARY OR CONVERGENT RESEARCH AREAS THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE TRAINEESHIP MODELS THAT ARE INNOVATIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED, AND ALIGNED WITH CHANGING WORKFORCE AND RESEARCH NEEDS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,999,986 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TO SUPPORT THEIR EFFORTS WITH IMPROVING THE WATER QUALITY OF THE GULF OF AMERICA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO REDUCE NUTRIENT POLLUTION BY DEVELOPING AND DEPLOYING AGRICULTURAL RESIDUE-BASED FILTERS, PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO NUTRIENT TRANSPORT, IDENTIFY HIGH-PRIORITY RUNOFF AREAS FOR TARGETED INTERVENTIONS, HELP REFINE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, AND SUPPORT WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE TRANSFORMING DISCARDED AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES INTO NUTRIENT-CAPTURING FILTERS USING A NOVEL SPRAY ADHESIVE TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER ADVANCED METHODS, CONDUCTING DETAILED LAB-SCALE TRIALS TO OPTIMIZE THE FILTER'S EFFICIENCY IN NUTRIENT ADSORPTION, AND PERFORMING FIELD TRIALS AT FARMS TO VALIDATE REAL-WORLD APPLICABILITY. ALSO, FINDINGS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH WORKSHOPS AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS TO ENCOURAGE ADOPTION BY FARMING COMMUNITIES. THIS MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL EFFORT WILL UNITE EXPERTS IN ENGINEERING, MATERIALS SCIENCE, AND SUSTAINABLE FARMING, WHILE ENSURING PRACTICAL AND SCALABLE SOLUTIONS.SUBRECIPIENT:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH SUBAWARDS INCLUDE COMMUNICATIONS, ORGANIZING WORKSHOPS, MANAGING TRAVEL FOR RURAL NETWORKS, PRINTING INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS, AND WEBSITE DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE. OTHER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE FIELD AND LAB TESTING, DEVELOPING MODELS AND CELLULOSE-CHITOSAN FILTERS, AND ANALYZING DATA.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE ESTABLISHING A METHOD FOR EVALUATING FILTER PERFORMANCE, IDENTIFYING THE MOST EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, CONDUCTING ANNUAL WORKSHOPS FOR INFORMATION SHARING, AND EXPANDING COMMUNICATION THROUGH MEDIA. OTHER DELIVERABLES INCLUDE ENGAGING WITH AT LEAST 200 FARMING COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PROVIDING EXPERIENCE TO AT LEAST TEN COLLEGE STUDENTS, BUILDING STRONG PARTNERSHIPS, SYNTHESIZING INFORMATION GATHERED THROUGH THE PROJECT, AND ENHANCING FARM RESILIENCE. THE COMMUNITIES IN AND DOWNSTREAM OF TALLADEGA COUNTY, ALABAMA AND RICHLAND COUNTY, WISCONSIN WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY.

RYAN WHITE TITLE IV WOMEN, INFANTS, CHILDREN, YOUTH AND AFFECTED FAMILY MEMBERS AIDS HEALTHCARE

NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

ACIDOSIS IN PULMONARY ENDOTHELIAL INJURY AND REPAIR - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PLAN FOCUSES ON IMPROVING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EFFECTS OF ACIDOSIS ON PNEUMONIA AND ESTABLISHING THE CONCEPTUAL BASIS FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC TRANSLATION. ACIDOSIS IS COMMON IN CRITICALLY ILL PNEUMONIA PATIENTS, AND IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH MORTALITY. THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ACIDOSIS IN PNEUMONIA IS POORLY UNDERSTOOD, AND CURRENT THERAPIES FAIL TO IMPROVE MAJOR OUTCOMES. OUR STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PULMONARY MICROVASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL CELLS (PMVECS) UTILIZE THE CARBONIC ANHYDRASE IX (CA IX) ISOFORM TO REGULATE PH, METABOLISM AND MIGRATION. WE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THAT PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INFECTION OF PMVECS INDUCES RELEASE OF CYTOTOXIC AMYLOID PROTEINS, WHICH DISRUPTS THE ALVEOLAR CAPILLARY MEMBRANE. THESE CYTOTOXIC AMYLOIDS INDUCE SOLUBLE CA IX SHEDDING FROM PMVECS WHICH COMPROMISES THEIR REPAIR POTENTIAL. BASED ON THESE PRELIMINARY STUDIES, WE TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT P. AERUGINOSA INFECTION INDUCES CYTOTOXIC AMYLOID PRODUCTION THAT LEADS TO SHEDDING OF SOLUBLE CA IX IN PMVECS, INCREASING LUNG INJURY. SPECIFIC AIMS TEST THE HYPOTHESES THAT: 1) CA IX IS CRITICAL TO THE ACID REGULATION, METABOLISM AND MIGRATION OF PMVECS AND PULMONARY ENDOTHELIAL BARRIER INTEGRITY; AND, 2) P. AERUGINOSA INFECTION ELICITS CYTOTOXIC AMYLOID PRODUCTION, CAUSING CA IX SHEDDING IN PMVECS, WHICH INCREASES LUNG INJURY. IN VITRO, WE WILL USE GENETIC APPROACHES AND ENDOTHELIAL CELL FUNCTIONAL ASSAYS TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF ACIDOSIS AND THE ROLE OF SPECIFIC CA IX FUNCTIONAL DOMAINS DURING PHYSIOLOGIC AND INFECTIOUS CONDITIONS. IN VIVO AND EX VIVO, WE WILL USE ACIDOSIS, PNEUMONIA AND ISOLATED LUNG PERFUSION MOUSE MODELS TO TRANSLATE IN VITRO FINDINGS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS STUDY WILL PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING ACIDOSIS IN PNEUMONIA AND HELP IDENTIFY CA IX AND CYTOTOXIC AMYLOIDS AS BIOMARKERS AND THERAPEUTIC TARGETS FOR PNEUMONIA.

TARGETING TUMOR-STROMAL INTERACTION FOR PANCREATIC CANCER THERAPY

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION WORKFORCE

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF RICKETTSIA PROWAZEKII

PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH TO INFORM A SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL MODEL OF GUN-RELATED ATTITUDES, BEHAVIORS, AND PRACTICES

TRAINING IN CELL SIGNALING AND LUNG PATHOBIOLOGY

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM- AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

MTDNA DAMAGE AND DAMPS IN MULTIPLE ORGAN DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME

ENVIRONMENTAL BETA CELL TOXINS - MECHANISMS OF ACTION

MOLECULAR CAUSES AND MECHANISTIC UNDERPINNING OF BREAST CANCER RACIAL DISPARITY

REGULATION OF VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE CALCIUM BY NADPH REDOX

METHODS TO ENABLE CHOLESTEROL CATABOLISM IN HUMAN MONOCYTE DERIVED MACROPHAGES

A NOVEL MOLECULAR CROSS-TALK DRIVING PANCREATIC CANCER PROGRESSION

COMPARTMENTALIZED SIGNALING AND CROSSTALK IN AIRWAY MYOCYTES - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THIS BASIC SCIENCE GRANT SEEKS TO DETERMINE FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS AS TO HOW A PHYSIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT CELL CONTROLS THE SUBCELLULAR LOCATION OF A SIGNAL TO OPTIMIZE THE EFFECT OF THAT SIGNAL ON CELL FUNCTION. WE PROPOSE TO BUILD ON RECENT FINDINGS BY OUR DIVERSE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO DELINEATE HOW 3 DIFFERENT GS-COUPLED RECEPTORS IN AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE (ASM) CELLS - THE 2AR, EP2, AND EP4 RECEPTORS- HAVE THEIR SIGNALS COMPARTMENTALIZED WITHIN THE CELL TO REGULATE IMPORTANT ASM CELL FUNCTIONS. AIM 1 WILL EMPLOY NOVEL IMAGING APPROACHES TO DELINEATE SPATIOTEMPORAL FEATURES OF CAMP/PKA SIGNALING BY EACH RECEPTOR AND DEMONSTRATE HOW THIS COMPARTMENTALIZED SIGNALING IS SHAPED BY RECEPTOR-SPECIFIC COMPLEMENTS OF AKAP AND PDE ISOFORMS, AND BY THE COMPETING CO- ACTIVATED GQ-COUPLED RECEPTOR. AIM 1 WILL ALSO EMPLOY MULTIPLE SUBCELLULAR-TARGETED BIOSENSORS TO CHARACTERIZE THE CAPACITY OF EACH RECEPTOR TO SIGNAL FROM INTRACELLULAR MEMBRANE COMPARTMENTS. AIM 2 WILL ASSESS HOW THESE DIFFERENT RECEPTORS GENERATE UNIQUE PHOSPHOPROTEOME SIGNATURES, AND HOW MANIPULATING THE MECHANISMS SHAPING LOCALIZED CAMP/PKA SIGNALING REGULATES THESE SIGNATURES. AIM 3 WILL ESTABLISH HOW THE MECHANISMS DICTATING SPATIOTEMPORAL FEATURES OF ASM CAMP AND THE ASM PROTEOME AFFECT GS-COUPLED GPCR REGULATION OF ASM CONTRACTION, MIGRATION, AND SYNTHETIC FUNCTIONS. THE PROPOSED STUDIES WILL PROVIDE A FOUNDATION FOR UNDERSTANDING COMPARTMENTALIZED SIGNALING IN THE FORM OF BOTH METHODOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED IN HOW GS-COUPLED RECEPTORS EMPLOY DISTINCT SIGNALING MECHANISMS TO RENDER EFFICIENT AND SPECIFIC FUNCTIONAL EFFECTS. FROM A TRANSLATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, OUR FINDINGS WILL CONSTITUTE A CRITICAL BASIC SCIENCE FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING NEW DRUGS THAT TARGET MECHANISMS OF SIGNALING COMPARTMENTS, MOST READILY APPLIED TO BETTER CONTROL ASTHMA FEATURES SUCH AS AIRWAY HYPERRESPONSIVENESS, AIRWAY REMODELING, AND POSSIBLY AIRWAY INFLAMMATION.

MOLECULAR DETERMINANT OF RACIAL DISPARITY IN PROSTATE CANCER

REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES REGULATION OF VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE CELL MIGRATION

ROLE OF FAK IN VASCULAR INFLAMMATION

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

SMALL HEAT SHOCK PROTEINS IN SMOOTH MUSCLE PLASTICITY

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION- NURSE PRACTITIONER RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

HOMEOSTASIS OF THE ER IN DIFFERENTIATING B CELLS

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

LUNG ENDOTHELIAL A? IN INFECTIOUS PROTEINOPATHY

NETWORK SIGNATURE OF LOW-FLOW ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE ENDOTHELIUM IS A CRUCIAL REGULATOR OF VASCULAR HOMEOSTASIS AND ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION IS A HALLMARK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THE CHALLENGE IN SEARCHING FOR NEW THERAPIES IS FINDING EARLY CONTROL POINTS THAT PREVENT THE SHIFT TO BROAD PATHOLOGIC SIGNALING PROFILES AND DISRUPT THE ENDOTHELIAL NETWORK. EMPLOYING NOVEL IMAGING AND ANALYSIS APPROACHES, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED DISCRETE PATTERNS OF DYNAMIC CA2+ SIGNALLING ALONG THE VASCULAR INTIMA THAT UNDERLIE VASCULAR FUNCTION AND DIRECT THE SPECIFICITY, SENSITIVITY AND INTENSITY OF PREVAILING VASCULAR RESPONSES. THESE PATTERNS, DEFINED BY PROFILES OF DYNAMIC EVENT PARAMETERS (FREQUENCY, AMPLITUDE, DURATION AND SPATIAL SPREAD), FORM DISTINCT SIGNATURES ALONG THE ENDOTHELIAL NETWORK. THE COMPLEX SPECTRUM OF ENDOTHELIAL CA2+ EVENTS (FROM ISOLATED BRIEF TRANSIENTS TO BROAD MULTICELLULAR WAVES) RESULT FROM POSITIVE FEEDBACK INTERACTION BETWEEN PLASMA MEMBRANE TRP CHANNELS (CA2+ ENTRY) AND ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM IP3RS (CA2+ RELEASE). SMALL CONDUCTANCE CA2+-ACTIVATED K+ CHANNELS (KCA) PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THIS SIGNALING BY EXERTING CA2+-DEPENDENT HYPERPOLARIZATION AND AMPLIFYING CA2+ INFLUX THROUGH TRP CHANNELS (PARTICULARLY FLUID SHEAR STRESS (FSS)- ACTIVATED TRPV4 CHANNELS). IN FLOW-DEPRIVED DISTAL ARTERIES FROM PATIENTS WITH PERIPHERAL ARTERY DISEASE, THE ENDOTHELIUM EXHIBITS A DISTINCTIVE TRUNCATED CA2+ SIGNATURE CHARACTERIZED BY SPATIALLY RESTRICTED SMALL AMPLITUDE TRANSIENTS. THIS ANOMALOUS CA2+ PROFILE APPEARS EARLY IN A LOW-FLOW CAROTID LIGATION MOUSE MODEL, GIVING RISE TO ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND VASCULAR REMODELLING. THESE LOW-FLOW ADAPTATIONS INVOLVE PROGRESSIVE LOSS OF ENDOTHELIAL KCA2.3 CHANNELS AND SUGGEST AN EARLY LOSS OF COOPERATIVE KCA/TRPV4 ACTION. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT DISRUPTION OF TRPV4-KCA2.3 SIGNALING UNDER CONDITIONS OF LOW FSS CAUSES A PROGRESSIVE, HIGHLY RESTRICTED ENDOTHELIAL CA2+ SIGNATURE THAT PROMOTES ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND VASCULAR REMODELING. AIM 1 WILL CHARACTERIZE THE ROLE OF TRPV4-KCA2.3 SIGNALING IN PHYSIOLOGIC CA2+ SIGNATURES ALONG THE ARTERIAL ENDOTHELIUM. WE WILL CONDUCT CONFOCAL IMAGING (WITH NOVEL HIGH-CONTENT ANALYSIS) AND EMPLOY ENDOTHELIUM- SPECIFIC KNOCKOUT MICE (ECKCA2.3-/- AND ECTRPV4-/-) AS WELL AS HUMAN PERIPHERAL ARTERIES TO ELUCIDATE COOPERATIVE CHANNEL IMPACTS UNDER DIFFERENTIAL FSS. AIM 2 WILL DETERMINE WHETHER LOW/OSCILLATORY FSS CAUSES TRUNCATION OF THE TRPV4-KCA2.3-DEPENDENT ENDOTHELIAL CA2+ SIGNATURE THAT LEADS TO ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND VASCULAR REMODELING. WE WILL EMPLOY A PARTIAL LIGATION MOUSE MODEL TO ASSESS THE MAGNITUDE AND TIME COURSE OF TRPV4- KCA2.3-SPECIFIC IMPACTS ON CA2+ SIGNALING, VASOREACTIVITY AND VASCULAR WALL THICKENING. AIM 3 WILL DETERMINE WHETHER PRESERVATION OF ENDOTHELIAL TRPV4-KCA2.3 CA2+ SIGNALING AMELIORATES DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL VASCULAR CHANGES RESULTING FROM CHRONIC LOW FLOW. WE WILL ALSO ASSESS WHETHER INTERVENTIONS TO PRESERVE THE CA2+ SIGNATURE DIRECTLY ABATE PATHOLOGIC IMPACTS OF LOW FLOW.

REGULATION OF PHOSPHODIESTERASES AND CAMP SIGNALING DURING THE HOST-PATHOGEN INTERACTION IN THE PULMONARY ENDOTHELIUM

BICARBONATE REGULATION OF THE PULMONARY ENDOTHELIAL BARRIER

CIRCULATING MICROPARTICLE EFFECTS ON PHENOTYPICALLY DISTINCT PULMONARY ENDOTHELIUM

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION

TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM

NURSE EDUCATION PRACTICE AND RETENTION

THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA) IS PROVIDING $1,488,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA IN MOBILE, ALABAMA FOR CHARACTERIZING SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ALONG COASTAL ALABAMA. SPECIFICALLY, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA WILL USE THESE FUNDS TO DEVELOP A FRAMEWORK FOR OPTIMIZING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF FUTURE PUBLIC ACCESS INVESTMENTS IN COASTAL ALABAMA. THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE IN-DEPTH FIELD STUDIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS (E.G., COASTAL HABITATS, INFRASTRUCTURE) AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES (E.G., RECREATIONAL USE, SATISFACTION) FOR AT LEAST 60 PUBLIC ACCESS SITES IN MOBILE BAY AND SURROUNDING COASTAL WATERS. THESE STUDIES WILL FOCUS ON CHARACTERIZING COASTAL HABITATS (E.G., NATIVE OR INVASIVE VEGETATION, ARTIFICIAL STRUCTURES) AND THEIR ROLE IN SUPPORTING HEALTHY COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS, AS WELL AS HOW THESE SITES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS INFLUENCE RECREATIONAL USERS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

PERMEABILITY OF THE EPIDEMIC TYPHUS RICKETTSIA

PATHWAY TO MATHEMATICS

IMMUNOPHILINS REGULATE SOC ENTRY CHANNELS IN PULMONARY ENDOTHELIAL CELLS

SOLUBLE ADENYLYL CYCLASES IN LUNG ENDOTHELIAL TAUOPATHY - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE ALVEOLAR-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE FACILITATES EFFICIENT GAS EXCHANGE WHILE MAINTAINING A RESTRICTIVE PERMEABILITY BARRIER. PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INFECTION DISRUPTS THE ALVEOLAR-CAPILLARY BARRIER LEADING TO EXUDATIVE EDEMA AND IMPAIRED OXYGENATION. P. AERUGINOSA UTILIZES A TYPE III SECRETION SYSTEM AND ITS EFFECTORS TO DISRUPT BARRIER INTEGRITY. IN PARTICULAR, THE EXOENZYME Y IS INTRODUCED INTO LUNG ENDOTHELIUM, WHERE IT ACQUIRES NUCLEOTIDYLYL CYCLASE ACTIVITY AND PRODUCES CGMP, CAMP, AND CUMP. THESE CYCLIC NUCLEOTIDE MONOPHOSPHATES ACTIVATE PROTEIN KINASE A RESULTING IN ENDOTHELIAL TAU PHOSPHORYLATION, TAU DISSOCIATION FROM MICROTUBULES, AND MICROTUBULE BREAKDOWN, WHICH COLLECTIVELY HINDERS REPAIR FOLLOWING INFECTION. PHOSPHORYLATED TAU IS RELEASED FROM ENDOTHELIUM AS CYTOTOXIC VARIANTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO LUNG INJURY. THE SIGNALING MECHANISMS USED BY EXOENZYME Y TO PRODUCE CYTOTOXIC TAU IS INCOMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD, YET CUMP IS PRODUCED AT ESPECIALLY HIGH CONCENTRATIONS AND THE CUMP SIGNAL PARALLELS THE GENERATION OF CYTOTOXIC TAU. ELEVATIONS IN CUMP ARE SUFFICIENT TO PROMOTE THE PRODUCTION OF CYTOTOXIC TAU VARIANTS. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA DEMONSTRATE THAT THE EXOENZYME Y-INDUCED CUMP SIGNAL ALSO DECREASES ENDOTHELIAL NICOTINAMIDE ADENINE DINUCLEOTIDE (NAD+) AND INCREASES NICOTINAMIDE, THE PRODUCT OF NAD+ HYDROLASE ACTIVITY, WHICH MAY IMPAIR RECOVERY FOLLOWING INFECTION. LUNG ENDOTHELIUM EXPRESSES STERILE ALPHA AND TIR MOTIF CONTAINING 1 (SARM1), THE ONLY TIR (TOLL/INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR) DOMAIN PROTEIN IN MAMMALIAN CELLS THAT POSSESSES NAD+ HYDROLASE ACTIVITY. RECENT STUDIES REVEALED A SARM1 BACTERIAL HOMOLOGUE IS DIRECTLY ACTIVATED BY CUMP AS AN ESSENTIAL INNATE IMMUNE MECHANISM. WHILE OUR STUDIES ILLUSTRATE AN IMPORTANT ROLE FOR CUMP IN THE ENDOTHELIAL CELL RESPONSE TO INFECTION, HOW EXOENZYME Y GENERATES THE CUMP THAT LEADS TO TAU PHOSPHORYLATION AND PRODUCTION OF CYTOTOXIC TAU VARIANTS, AND HOW CUMP LOWERS NAD+ WHILE HINDERING ENDOTHELIAL CELL REPAIR REMAINS POORLY UNDERSTOOD. TO ADDRESS THIS KNOWLEDGE GAP IN A RIGOROUS WAY, THIS PROJECT TESTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE P. AERUGINOSA EXOENZYME Y GENERATES CUMP, WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE TAU PHOSPHORYLATION, MICROTUBULE BREAKDOWN, AND SARM1-DEPENDENT NAD+ HYDROLASE ACTIVITY THAT CAUSES LUNG INJURY AND HINDERS REPAIR.

TALENT SEARCH PROGRAM

NURSE EDUCATION, PRACTICE, QUALITY AND RETENTION SIMULATION EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM

GLUCOSE METABOLISM AND ERBB2-MEDIATED CANCER PROGRESSION

NOSOCOMIAL PNEUMONIA IMPAIRS THE CEREBROVASCULATURE - PROJECT SUMMARY POSTOPERATIVE PNEUMONIA OCCURS IN ~2-8% OF PATIENTS FOLLOWING VARIOUS SURGERIES AND INCREASES THE LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY AND MORTALITY. PNEUMONIA IS A COMMON CAUSE OF SEPSIS. SOME PNEUMONIA SURVIVORS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH POST-INTENSIVE CARE UNIT SYNDROME, SUFFER FROM COGNITIVE DEFICITS, REDUCING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND INFLICTING HEALTHCARE AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS. STRIKINGLY, PNEUMONIA-ASSOCIATED MICROORGANISMS (E.G., P. AERUGINOSA) TRIGGER LUNG ENDOTHELIAL PRODUCTION AND RELEASE OF SEVERAL CYTOTOXIC AMYLOIDS (E.G., TAU AND AΒ) THAT ARE KEY PATHOLOGICAL HALLMARKS OF DEMENTIA. CYTOTOXIC TAU PRODUCED BY LUNG ENDOTHELIAL CELLS IN RESPONSE TO BACTERIAL PNEUMONIA INFECTION ACCUMULATES IN THE BRAIN, REDUCES DENDRITIC SPINE DENSITY, IMPAIRS LEARNING AND MEMORY, AND CAUSES NEURONAL TAUOPATHY. WE RECENTLY FOUND THAT P. AERUGINOSA INFECTION CAUSES BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER BREAKDOWN AND GLIOSIS. THERE IS GROWING APPRECIATION AND STRONG EVIDENCE THAT NEUROVASCULAR UNCOUPLING, CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW REDUCTIONS AND DYSREGULATION, AND BREAKDOWN OF THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER, INCLUDING THE LOSS OF PERICYTES, ARE EARLY EVENTS LEADING TO COGNITIVE DECLINE AND DEMENTIA, INCLUDING IN THE SETTING OF PNEUMONIA AND INFECTIONS. APOLIPOPROTEIN (APOE)-Ε4 IS THE GREATEST GENETIC RISK FACTOR FOR SPORADIC DEMENTIA, INCREASES INFECTION SEVERITY (E.G., SARS-COV-2) AND PROMOTES BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER DAMAGE AND PERICYTE DEGENERATION. WHETHER PNEUMONIA-ELICITED LUNG ENDOTHELIAL CYTOTOXIC TAU VARIANTS INITIATE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER BREAKDOWN TO INDUCE NEUROVASCULAR UNIT DYSFUNCTION (E.G., PERICYTE INJURY, GLIOSIS, AND IMPAIRED HEMODYNAMICS), AND WHETHER APOE- Ε4-INDUCED NEUROVASCULAR UNIT DYSFUNCTION EXACERBATES THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF LUNG ENDOTHELIAL TAU ON THE BRAIN REMAINS TO BE DETERMINED AND ARE THE FOCUS OF THIS STUDY. USING STATE-OF-THE-ART METHODOLOGIES, THIS PROPOSAL INNOVATIVELY USES 1) FAST-SPEED, HIGH-RESOLUTION TWO-PHOTON INTRAVITAL MICROSCOPY, 2) QUANTITATIVE TAU AND NEUROVASCULAR UNIT PLASMA ASSAYS, 3) PATHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF LUNG TAU AND NEUROVASCULAR UNIT DYSFUNCTION IN POST-MORTEM HUMAN TISSUE, 4) LUNG ENDOTHELIUM TARGETED MICE AND ADENO-ASSOCIATED VIRUSES, AND 5) ANTI-TAU ANTIBODIES. THIS PROPOSAL TESTS THE SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED AND NOVEL HYPOTHESES THAT 1) LUNG ENDOTHELIAL TAU DISRUPTS THE NEUROVASCULAR UNIT, 2) APOE-Ε4 EXACERBATES THE IMPACT OF LUNG ENDOTHELIAL TAU ON THE NEUROVASCULAR UNIT, AND 3) ANTI-TAU ANTIBODIES TO PREVENT NEUROVASCULAR UNIT DYSFUNCTION CAUSED BY PNEUMONIA. THIS IS A TRANSLATIONAL PRECLINICAL PROJECT BRIDGING IN VITRO EXPERIMENTS, EXPERIMENTAL MODELS AND CLINICAL SAMPLES, AND IS PIONEERING IN THAT IT SYNTHESIZES EXPERTS IN LUNG AND BRAIN BIOLOGY TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF PNEUMONIA-ELICITED LUNG ENDOTHELIAL TAU ON NEUROVASCULAR UNIT FUNCTIONS, WITH CONSIDERATION OF HEALTH DISPARITIES.

RYAN WHITE TITLE IV PROGRAM

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,304,942 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TO ENHANCE AND PROTECT THE WATER QUALITY OF THE GULF OF MEXICO BY REDUCING NONPOINT SOURCE NUTRIENT LOADS AND REMOVING NUTRIENTS FROM URBAN STORMWATER RUNOFF. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEVELOPING NUTRIENT ADSORBING GEOTEXTILES FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE APPLICATION WHILE ALSO STUDYING THEIR PERFORMANCE UNDER REAL-WORLD STORMWATER TREATMENT AND INVESTIGATING THEIR LIFE EXPECTANCY. RESULTS OF THIS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WILL BE DISSEMINATED IN PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS, CONFERENCES, AND EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS AT TITLE 1 SCHOOLS TO ENGAGE UNDERSERVED YOUTH. ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES UPON COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT ARE THE GENERATION OF A NEW TECHNOLOGY AND KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED INTO EXISTING AND FUTURE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO REDUCE NUTRIENT LOADS FROM URBAN STORMWATER RUNOFFS. THE RESULTS WILL PROVIDE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEOTEXTILE ELEMENTS AND THE REMOVAL OF CONTAMINANTS FROM NON-POINT SOURCE RUNOFF. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO YIELD AN OVERALL TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT, WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON DEPLOYMENT AND OPERATION, THAT WILL HELP INFORM TOWARDS THE RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, TO MITIGATE POLLUTION AND IMPROVE HABITAT BY REMOVAL OF NUTRIENTS FROM ENTERING THE GULF OF MEXICO. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES ARE RESIDENTS OF THE CITIES OF MOBILE AND AUBURN AND THE COMMUNITIES NEAR MOBILE BAY AND COASTAL ALABAMA, WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY. ACTIVITIES:.SUBRECIPIENT:SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES WILL BE FUNDED TO DEVELOP AND CHARACTERIZE THE HYBRID GEOTEXTILE MATERIALS AND HYDRAULIC PROPERTIES, CONDUCT GEOTEXTILE FIELD TESTING AND STORMWATER QUALITY ANALYSIS, AND TO LEAD THE OUTREACH INITIATIVE (EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS), ORGANIZE BI-ANNUAL WORKSHOPS, AND COORDINATE FIELD TRIPS FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH PARTICIPATION. OUTCOMES:.

SPECIAL EDUCATION RESEARCH GRANTS

OPIOID WORKFORCE EXPANSION PROGRAM- PROFESSIONAL

NURSE EDUCATION, PRACTICE, QUALITY, AND RETENTION - INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLBORATIVE PRACTICE

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING TRAINEESHIPS

TRANSITION AND POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES (TPSID)

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

UPWARD BOUND

UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM

UPWARD BOUND

A NOVEL MECHANISM REGULATING GENOME-WIDE MRNA EXPRESSION IN HYPOXIC LUNG DISEASE - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT HYPOXIA, A KEY CONTRIBUTOR TO MULTIPLE LUNG DISEASES, EVOKES FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL RESPONSES IN TARGET CELLS BY MODULATING EXPRESSION OF MANY HUNDREDS OF GENES. MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT REGULATION OF THE HYPOXIC TRANSCRIPTIONAL RESPONSE AT THE SINGLE GENE LEVEL. INDUCTION BEGINS WITH THE REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES (ROS)- MEDIATED ACCUMULATION HYPOXIA-INDUCIBLE TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS (HIFS) WHICH, ALONG WITH COACTIVATORS, ASSEMBLE INTO MULTIPROTEIN COMPLEXES ON HYPOXIA RESPONSE ELEMENTS (HRES) LOCATED IN GENE PROMOTERS, ENHANCERS, AND PERHAPS INTERGENIC REGIONS TO ACTIVATE TRANSCRIPTION. FAR LESS IS KNOWN, HOWEVER, ABOUT ORCHESTRATION OF THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL RESPONSE TO HYPOXIA ON A GENOMIC LEVEL, WITH MANY INCONGRUITIES BETWEEN HYPOXIC EXPOSURE, HIF- HRE INTERACTIONS, AND LOCAL CHROMATIN RESTRUCTURING HIGHLIGHTING UNRESOLVED COMPLEXITIES OF THE REGULATORY APPARATUS. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE PROSPECT THAT HYPOXIA ACTIVATES A PATHWAY OPERATING IN CONCERT WITH THE HIFS TO GOVERN THE HYPOXIC TRANSCRIPTOME. OUR FOUNDATIONAL DISCOVERIES ALONG WITH RAPIDLY ACCUMULATING EVIDENCE FROM OTHER FIELDS CONVERGE ON THE CONCEPT THAT ROS GENERATED IN HYPOXIA TO INITIATE HIF ACCUMULATION ALSO CAUSE WIDESPREAD OXIDATION OF GUANINE TO 8-OXOGANINE (8-OXOG) IN DISTINCT MOTIFS NESTED WITHIN DNA REGULATORY SEQUENCES. OXIDIZED GUANINES THEN SERVE AS A NOVEL EPIGENETIC MARK BY RECRUITING BIFUNCTIONAL ENZYMES COMPRISING THE DNA BASE OXIDATION AND REPAIR PATHWAY (BER). ALONG WITH REPAIRING OXIDIZED BASES, TWO OF THESE BER COMPONENTS, SPECIFICALLY OGG1 AND REF-1APE1, DIRECT DEPLOYMENT OF CANONICAL ENZYMES MODIFYING HISTONE ACETYLATION AND METHYLATION, THEREBY GOVERNING CHROMATIN ACCESSIBILITY. WE CALL THIS PATHWAY “BRACR” FOR BASE OXIDATION AND REPAIR ACTIVATED CHROMATIN RESTRUCTURING, AND HERE WE PROPOSE TO EXPLORE THE NOVEL CONCEPT THAT BRACR IS A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT OF THE GENE REGULATORY APPARATUS IN HYPOXIA, ACTING TO LICENSE HRES AND OTHER RESPONSE ELEMENTS FOR TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR OCCUPANCY BY MODULATING CHROMATIN ACCESSIBILITY. USING CULTURED HUMAN PULMONARY ARTERIAL CELLS AND INTACT MICE, WE WILL TEST THE HYPOTHESES THAT: (1) THE GENOME-WIDE DEPLOYMENT OF BRACR IN HYPOXIA REQUIRES 8-OXOG FORMATION BUT NOT HIFS; (2) BRACR LICENSES GENES FOR HYPOXIC REGULATION THROUGH 8-OXOG-MEDIATED ENGAGEMENT OF THE BER ENZYMES OGG1 AND REF-1/APE 1; AND, (3) BRACR ACTIVATION IN LUNG VASCULAR CELLS DRIVES HYPOXIC PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN INTACT MICE. THESE STUDIES WILL BE TRANSFORMATIVE. THEY WILL DEFINE A NOVEL MECHANISM REGULATING THE HYPOXIC TRANSCRIPTOME ON A GENOME-WIDE LEVEL, IDENTIFY NEW PHARMACOLOGIC TARGETS TO TREAT HYPOXIC LUNG DISEASES, AND BECAUSE 8-OXOG IS MUTAGENIC, MAY POINT TO A LINK BETWEEN TRANSCRIPTIONAL SIGNALING AND SOMATIC MUTATIONS THAT DRIVE MALIGNANT AND NON-MALIGNANT PULMONARY DISORDERS.

STRONG START FOR MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS

PHYSICAL FACTORS AND CORONARY FLOW

RAS18-MEDIATED FANCONI ANEMIA PATHWAY ACTIVATION IN RESPONSE TO CAMPTOTHECIN

DETERMINING EQUITY READINESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EMPOWERING STUDENT SUCCESS IN STEM EDUCATION -THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A PATH FOR TEN PREDOMINATELY WHITE INSTITUTIONS (PWIS) OR NEW MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS (MSIS) TO EVALUATE, IDENTIFY AND CHANGE THE POLICIES, PROCESSES, AND EVERYDAY PRACTICES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO RACIAL INEQUITIES IN STEM EDUCATION. OVER NEARLY TWO YEARS, THESE COHORT INSTITUTIONS WILL BE GUIDED BY EXPERTS THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED AND THEORY-INFORMED STRATEGIES TO RECONCILE EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT INSTANCES OF SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES THAT EXIST IN THEIR STRUCTURES, CULTURES, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES. THIS PROCESS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THE EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND ADMINISTRATORS AT MSIS, A LARGE AND GROWING SECTOR OF INSTITUTIONS WHOSE WORK IS REDUCING RACIAL EQUITY GAPS IN STEM DEGREE COMPLETION NATIONALLY. PRODUCTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO BROADLY BENEFIT PWIS AND BE IMMEDIATELY USEFUL FOR CAMPUSES THAT ARE ALREADY OR SOON TO BE ENGAGED IN EQUITY-CENTERED TRANSFORMATION EFFORTS. THE PROJECT INCLUDES A COMPREHENSIVE DISSEMINATION STRATEGY TO CREATE A FORUM FOR INSTITUTIONS AND STAKEHOLDERS WITH SIMILAR COMMITMENTS TO DISCUSS, DISSECT, AND ADVANCE THIS APPROACH WHILE ADOPTING AND ADAPTING IT FOR THEIR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STEM PROGRAMS. WITH AN ACUTE FOCUS ON IMPROVING RACIAL EQUITY AMONG THE STEM DISCIPLINES, THE AIM OF THE DETERMINING EQUITY READINESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION (DERHE): EMPOWERING STUDENT SUCCESS IN STEM EDUCATION PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP AND TEST A PRACTICAL, COMPREHENSIVE, AND EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGY TO IDENTIFY AND CULTIVATE THE READINESS OF IHES TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES WITHIN A STEM EDUCATION CONTEXT. THE FOLLOWING FIVE OBJECTIVES, INFORMED BY RACIAL EQUITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE SCHOLARSHIP, WILL HELP ACHIEVE THIS GOAL: 1. ENGAGE AND ENHANCE CAMPUS STAKEHOLDERS' (FACULTY, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS) PERSPECTIVES ON SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS THAT MITIGATE AND IMPEDE STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENTS IN STEM EDUCATION. 2. DEVELOP, TEST, AND ADMINISTER A SURVEY OF INSTITUTIONAL READINESS FOR EQUITY-CENTERED CHANGE TO ASSESS CAMPUS CAPACITIES RELATED TO ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC RACISM IN STEM EDUCATION. 3. USE PROCESS MAPPING TO EVALUATE EXISTING ORGANIZATIONAL, STRUCTURAL, AND CULTURAL ELEMENTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO RACIAL INEQUITIES WHILE PROVIDING THE STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS AND RE-EVALUATE THESE PRACTICES TO ENSURE EQUITABLE EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES ACROSS RACIAL GROUPS. 4. CONVENE STAKEHOLDERS, EDUCATORS, POLICYMAKERS, AND PRACTITIONERS TO SHARE PROMISING PRACTICES, SOLICIT FEEDBACK, AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON EMERGING AND ONGOING RESEARCH FINDINGS. 5. CULTIVATE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR INCREASED EFFICACY, EFFECTIVENESS, AND SCALABILITY, AS WELL AS CAPACITY-BUILDING STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT THE VALUABLE INSIGHTS FROM THIS PROJECT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED BY OTHER INSTITUTIONS SEEKING TO PROMOTE RACIAL EQUITY IN STEM EDUCATION. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE RACIAL EQUITY IN STEM EDUCATION ACTIVITY (EDU RACIAL EQUITY). THE ACTIVITY SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND PRACTICE PROJECTS THAT INVESTIGATE HOW CONSIDERATIONS OF RACIAL EQUITY FACTOR INTO THE IMPROVEMENT OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM) EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE. AWARDED PROJECTS SEEK TO CENTER THE VOICES, KNOWLEDGE, AND EXPERIENCES OF THE INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITIES, AND INSTITUTIONS MOST IMPACTED BY SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES WITHIN THE STEM ENTERPRISE. THIS ACTIVITY ALIGNS WITH NSF?S CORE VALUE OF SUPPORTING OUTSTANDING RESEARCHERS AND INNOVATIVE THINKERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION'S DIVERSITY OF DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, REGIONS, AND TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS. PROGRAMS ACROSS EDU CONTRIBUTE FUNDS TO THE RACIAL EQUITY ACTIVITY IN RECOGNITION OF THE ALIGNMENT OF ITS PROJECTS WITH THE COLLECTIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT THRUSTS OF THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF THE DIRECTORATE. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

UPWARD BOUND

INVESTIGATING SCIENCE TEACHER, RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND METHODS USED TO PREPARE PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS -THIS TRACK 1 ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE) AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF HIGHLY QUALIFIED SCIENCE TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY SCIENCE TEACHERS WHO ARE RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE. CURRENTLY, THE LACK OF CERTIFIED SCIENCE TEACHERS IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF LOW ACHIEVEMENT AND EXPECTATIONS FOR HIGH-RISK PUPILS. THIS PROBLEM IS INTENSIFIED IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN AREAS WHERE MANY SCIENCE TEACHERS ARE EITHER TEACHING OUTSIDE OF THEIR FIELD OF CERTIFICATION OR DO NOT HAVE A STEM BACKGROUND. THIS PROJECT PLANS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM BY PREPARING AND SUPPORTING HIGHLY QUALIFIED SCIENCE MAJORS WHO OBTAIN THEIR TEACHING CERTIFICATIONS VIA A POST-BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM. AFTER RECRUITING AND SELECTING QUALIFIED SCHOLARS, THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES IN SCIENCE CLASSROOMS, STARTING WITH A 10-WEEK PRE-RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION, THE INTEGRATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITY SCIENCE FIELD-BASED EXPERIENCES TO ENGAGE SCHOLARS IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES TO FURTHER THEIR CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE IS PLANNED. AS A RESULT, SCHOLARS ARE EXPECTED TO LEARN HOW TO HELP THEIR FUTURE K-12 STUDENTS MAKE REAL-WORLD CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE SCIENCE CONTENT THEY ARE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY. THIS PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE TITLE I SCHOOLS WITH HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE TEACHERS AND AS A RESULT INCREASE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THIS PROJECT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA INCLUDES PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE MOBILE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE ALABAMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION?S ALABAMA SCIENCE IN MOTION, AND THE ALABAMA MATH, SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES. PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE SUPPORTING SCIENCE POST-BACCALAUREATES AND PRODUCING A TOTAL OF 16 NEW SCIENCE TEACHERS OVER THE FIVE-YEAR DURATION OF THE GRANT. ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES WILL HOLD A BACHELOR?S DEGREE IN SCIENCE (I.E., PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, GEOLOGY, OR ENGINEERING). THE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY INCLUDES THE STREAM PRE-RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE, DIRECT CONTACT WITH FACULTY IN EACH SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, AND ADVERTISEMENT ON AT LEAST ONE EPISODE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA PODCAST, SINCERELY SOUTH. THIS PROJECT UTILIZES BEST PRACTICES FROM PREVIOUS NOYCE AWARDS AND IS EXPECTED TO ADD TO THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING FACTORS THAT ATTRACT SCIENCE MAJORS TO PURSUE CAREERS AS SCIENCE TEACHERS. TWO CHARACTERISTICS OF INTELLECTUAL MERIT COMPRISE OF THE PROJECT?S CAPACITY TO CONTINUE PRODUCING HIGH QUALITY SCIENCE TEACHERS WHILE MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PAST SCHOLARS. LASTLY, THE EVALUATION OF FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE SCHOLARS SERVING BEYOND THE THREE-YEAR COMMITMENT CAN BE USED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW TO SUPPORT AND RETAIN CAREER SCIENCE TEACHERS. THIS TRACK 1: SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE). THE NOYCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS TALENTED STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE K- 12 STEM TEACHERS AND EXPERIENCED, EXEMPLARY K-12 TEACHERS TO BECOME STEM MASTER TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RETENTION OF K-12 STEM TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

STORE OPERATED CALCIUM ENTRY: LUNG ENDOTHELIAL PERMEABILITY

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

THIS PROPOSAL BUILDS UPON OUR SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH PROGRAM FROM 2019-2025 (PHASE I) FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING OYSTER, BLUE CRAB, SOUTHERN FLOUNDER AND SPOTTED SEATROUT (OYBCSFST) POPULATION DYNAMICS IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS AND VARIABILITY. OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE PROGRAM MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS QUANTIFYING AND LINKING TRENDS IN POPULATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS, PROVIDING NEW DATA AND INSIGHTS TO FISHERIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS. HOWEVER, THREATS TO OYBCSFST PERSIST AND MAY BE INTENSIFYING DUE TO LARGE MAGNITUDE CHANGES IN ESTUARINE HYDROGRAPHY AND WATER QUALITY, LAND USE CHANGE IN COASTAL WATERSHEDS, AND INCREASING FISHING PRESSURE. IN PHASE I, IT WAS DEMONSTRATED THAT OYBCSFST POPULATION DYNAMICS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED TO THESE ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS AND VARIABILITY. NOW, THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE UNDERLYING MECHANISMS THAT RELATE LONG-TERM TRENDS AND SHORT-TERM VARIABILITY IN THE ENVIRONMENT TO CHANGING OYBCSFST POPULATIONS? CONCERTED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ACTIONS AT THE ECOSYSTEM LEVEL, SUCH AS MANAGING WATER QUALITY IN COMBINATION WITH HABITAT CONSERVATION/RESTORATION AND FISHERY STOCK MANAGEMENT, REQUIRES IDENTIFICATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF THESE MECHANISMS TO PREDICT HOW MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION ACTIVITIES WILL BENEFIT FISHERIES SPECIES. THIS IS THE FOCUS OF THE PHASE II RENEWAL PROPOSAL. THE OYBCSFST COMMUNITY REPRESENTS A PRACTICAL MODEL OF THE FAUNA IN THE BAY AND WERE SELECTED BECAUSE THESE SPECIES HAVE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ISSUES AND INTEREST AND THEIR COLLECTIVE RANGES AND TROPHIC INTERACTIONS SPAN THE ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEM FROM COASTAL OCEAN TO TIDALRIVER. THUS, IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CUMULATIVE OYBCSFST COMMUNITY IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR MANY OTHER ESTUARINE SPECIES. RESEARCH RATIONALE AND ACTIVITIES: THE OVERARCHING RESEARCH QUESTION IS: HOW DO OYBCSFST POPULATIONS VARY IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN PREDOMINANT BIOPHYSICAL STRESSORS? FOUR MAJOR RESEARCH THEMES AND QUESTIONS ARE POSED TO ADDRESS THIS: 1. ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: HOW DO OYBCSFST POPULATIONS CHANGE WITH A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT? 2. THRESHOLDS FOR OYBCSFST: WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL THRESHOLDS THAT AFFECT OYBCSFST? 3. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND RESOURCE UTILIZATION: WHAT ARE THE LINKAGES BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS, OYBCSFST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, ECONOMIC SYSTEMS, AND MANAGEMENT ACTIONS? 4. ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION: GIVEN KNOWLEDGE OF PAST AND PRESENT TRENDS AND POTENTIAL CHANGE SCENARIOS, WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT TO OYBCSFST POPULATIONS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGERS? OUTREACH AND TRANSFER OF PROJECT PRODUCTS: WE WILL BUILD UPON OUR PARTNERSHIPS DEVELOPED IN PHASE I WITH THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES, THE MOBILE BAY NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND MOBILE BAYKEEPER. FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS SUCCESSES INCLUDE PROVIDING PRODUCTS AND EXPERTISE FOR OYBCSFST FISHERIES MANAGERS AT ADCNR AND PROVIDING INPUTS TO PUBLIC FACING DOCUMENTS SUCH AS MBNEPS STATE OF ALABAMAS ESTUARIES AND COASTS REPORT.

A NOVEL APPROACH FOR THE ROUTINE SCREENING FOR OVARIAN CANCER

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF PROGRANULIN AS A REGULATOR OF ENDOTHELIAL BIOLOGY AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL - ABSTRACT ENDOTHELIAL CELL (EC) DYSFUNCTION INITIATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF HYPERTENSION (HTN), BUT THE MECHANISMS ARE NOT FULLY ELUCIDATED. GIVEN THAT HBP IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES, IT IS CRITICAL TO IDENTIFY NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO RESTORE EC FUNCTION IN HTN. IN A SERIES OF SUPPORTIVE PRELIMINARY STUDIES, WE IDENTIFIED PROGRANULIN (PGRN), AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROTEIN, AS A NOVEL REGULATOR OF EC FUNCTION AND BP. WE RECENTLY PUBLISHED THAT PGRN DEFICIENCY INDUCES VASCULAR DYSFUNCTION AND HTN, WHEREAS TREATMENT WITH RECOMBINANT PGRN (RPGRN) RESTORES THESE CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES VIA EPHRINA2 AND NITRIC OXIDE (NO) PRODUCTION. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE ARE EXTENDING OUR KNOWLEDGE ON PGRN AND BP AND IDENTIFYING ENDOTHELIAL PGRN AS A NEW REGULATOR OF ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION AND BP. IN PRELIMINARY STUDY, WE SHOW THAT ANGIOTENSIN II- INDUCED HTN SELECTIVELY REDUCES PGRN IN MESENTERIC EC, WHEREAS MOUSE WITH A SELECTIVE DELETION OF PGRN IN EC (PGRNEC CRE+) DISPLAYS ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION, REDUCED CIRCULATING PGRN, AND ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEVELOP HTN. IN FURTHER PRELIMINARY STUDIES, WE IDENTIFIED A NEW FUNCTION OF ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME (ACE), WHICH IS TO DEGRADE ENDOTHELIAL PGRN AND LIMITS ITS VASODILATORY FUNCTION. THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT REDUCED ENDOTHELIAL PGRN, DRIVEN BY ACE-MEDIATE CLEAVAGE, IS A TRIGGER FOR EC DYSFUNCTION AND HTN. MECHANISTICALLY, WE FOUND THAT MESENTERY EC FROM PGRNEC CRE+ PRESENT SUPPRESSED AMP-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE (AMPK), WHILE OVEREXPRESSING PGRN IN MESENTERIC EC RESULTED IN EXACERBATED PGRN SECRETION FOLLOWED BY AMPK ACTIVATION AND NO FORMATION, WHICH WERE BLUNTED BY BLOCKING EPHRINA2, SUGGESTING THAT ENDOTHELIAL PGRN REGULATES AMPK ACTIVATION AND NO FORMATION VIA EPHRINA2 IN AN AUTOCRINE-DEPENDENT MANNER. IN FURTHER PRELIMINARY STUDIES, RESCUING PGRN EXPRESSION IN MESENTERIC ARTERIES EX VIVO WITH RPGRN RESTORED THE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN PGRNEC CRE+, BUT IT FAILED TO PRODUCE VASODILATION IN OUR NOVEL DOUBLE KNOCKOUT MOUSE – GLOBAL PGRN DEFICIENT MICE WITH LACK OF ENDOTHELIAL AMPK. WE ALSO DEMONSTRATED THAT AMPK IS IN OXIDIZED FORM IN EC FROM PGRN DEFICIENT MICE. FINALLY, NOX1-DERIVED ROS ARE ELEVATED IN EC FROM PGRN EC CRE+, AND THAT PHARMACOLOGICAL INHIBITION OF NOX1 RESCUES THE ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN PGRN EC CRE+. THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT ENDOTHELIAL PGRN MAINTAINS EC FUNCTION AND BP BY RESTRICTING AMPK OXIDATION AND NOX1 ACTIVITY. THESE NOVEL FINDINGS INFORM THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS OF THIS PROPOSAL: ENDOTHELIAL PGRN, VIA AN AUTOCRINE MECHANISM, REGULATES ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION AND BP AND IN HTN ACE DEGRADES ENDOTHELIAL PGRN AFFECTING ITS BIOACTIVITY AND CONTRIBUTING TO CARDIOVASCULAR OUTCOMES. THIS HYPOTHESIS WILL BE TESTED IN THE FOLLOWING AIMS: AIM 1: DETERMINE IF REDUCED ENDOTHELIAL PGRN LEVELS FACILITATE THE GENESIS AND PROGRESSION OF HTN VIA NOX1- DERIVED ROS, AMPK OXIDATION, AND EC DYSFUNCTION. AIM 2: DETERMINE IF ACE CLEAVES ENDOTHELIAL PGRN AND CONTRIBUTES TO ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION AND HTN.

CORONARY ARTERY REGULATION BY SMALL CONDUCTION CA2+-ACTIVATED K+ CHANNELS

LINKING COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TO ENGINEERING

DESIGNER MITOCHONDRIA FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, AND BASIC RESEARCH -LIFE AS WE KNOW IT HINGES ON THE RECAPTURE OF ENERGY FROM THE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS SUBSEQUENT UTILIZATION IN CELLULAR PROCESSES. CONSEQUENTLY, THE TASK OF GENERATING ARTIFICIAL ?DESIGNER? MITOCHONDRIA, THE POWER PLANTS IN NEARLY ALL ANIMAL CELLS, IS CENTRAL TO SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE THAT IS CRUCIAL FOR THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF BUILDING ARTIFICIAL MITOCHONDRIA, WHICH CAN IN TURN BE USED IN SYNTHETIC CELLS, AND POTENTIALLY IN BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS AND MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS. THIS PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVIDE CRUCIAL TRAINING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCIENTISTS AND THE STEM WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE. MITOCHONDRIA STAND OUT AMONG ANIMAL ORGANELLES DUE TO THEIR POSSESSION OF A CELLULAR GENOME, SIMILAR TO THE NUCLEUS, KNOWN AS MITOCHONDRIAL DNA. THIS DNA ENCODES SEVERAL GENES THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR THE MOST EFFICIENT CELLULAR PROCESS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION. THEREFORE, THE FUNCTION OF MITOCHONDRIA IS HEAVILY RELIANT ON THEIR DNA, HIGHLIGHTING THE PIVOTAL ROLE OF OUR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN AND MANIPULATE DNA IN THIS ORGANELLE FOR THE GOALS OF SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY. REGRETTABLY, OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IS SO BASIC THAT RECONSTITUTING ITS REPLICATION IN A TEST TUBE OR EVEN IN A CLOSELY RELATED ORGANISM (E.G., MONKEY MITOCHONDRIAL DNA IN HUMAN CELLS) PRESENTS INSURMOUNTABLE CHALLENGES. THIS REPRESENTS A CRITICAL GAP IN OUR KNOWLEDGE FOR CREATING ARTIFICIAL MITOCHONDRIA. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, OUR PRELIMINARY STUDIES INTRODUCED THE GENESWAP APPROACH, A GENETIC SYSTEM ENABLING IN SITU REVERSE GENETIC ANALYSIS OF PROTEINS INVOLVED IN MTDNA REPLICATION. USING THIS APPROACH, THE FIRST PROTEIN CONTROLLING THE SPECIES-SPECIFICITY OF MTDNA REPLICATION WAS IDENTIFIED. ADDITIONALLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME, HUMAN/MOUSE SOMATIC HYBRID CELLS STABLY MAINTAINED HUMAN MTDNA. THESE NEW TOOLS PROVIDE A UNIQUE RESOURCE TO ADDRESS CRITICAL QUESTIONS IN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY, FOCUSING ON THE MECHANISMS OF MTDNA REPLICATION AND THE SPECIES-SPECIFICITY OF THIS PROCESS. THEREFORE, IN THE PROPOSED STUDIES, WE AIM TO BUILD UPON THIS INITIAL SUCCESS, IDENTIFYING ALL FACTORS REQUIRED FOR HUMAN MTDNA REPLICATION AND THOSE CONTRIBUTING TO ITS SPECIES-SPECIFICITY AS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD GENERATING ARTIFICIAL MITOCHONDRIA. IN THE PROPOSED STUDIES, WE WILL FOCUS ON THREE SPECIFIC AIMS: IN AIM 1, A DOUBLE-PRONGED APPROACH WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY NEW PROTEINS CONTRIBUTING TO THE SPECIES-SPECIFICITY OF MTDNA REPLICATION. IN AIM 2, REPLICATION OF HUMAN MTDNA IN MOUSE CELLS WILL BE RECONSTITUTED BY ENGINEERING THEM TO EXPRESS A DEFINED SET OF HUMAN GENES. IN AIM 3, A STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST IDENTIFIED COMPONENT OF IBMDR WILL BE CONDUCTED TO GET MECHANISTIC INSIGHTS INTO IBMDR OPERATION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

NURSE EDUCATION, PRACTICE, QUALITY AND RETENTION - WORKFORCE EXPANSION PROGRAM - APPLICANT NAME: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA COLLEGE OF NURSING ADDRESS: 5721 USA DRIVE NORTH, HAHN 3073, MOBILE, AL 36688-0002 PROJECT DIRECTOR: LEIGH MINCHEW, PHD, DNP, RN, WHNP-BC, PMHNP CONTACT: PHONE: 251-445-9488 VOICE, 251-445-9400 VOICE E-MAIL: LMINCHEW@SOUTHALABAMA.EDU WEBSITE ADDRESS: HTTPS://WWW.SOUTHALABAMA.EDU/COLLEGES/CON/ TOTAL FUNDS REQUESTED: $3,986,618 STATUTORY FUNDING PREFERENCE REQUESTED: FUNDING PREFERENCE REQUESTED PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO DESIGN, IMPLEMENT, AND EVALUATE AN INNOVATIVE ACADEMIC STUDENT SUCCESS PROGRAM, LONG-TERM AND ACUTE CARE TRAINING TO PROMOTE UNDERGRADUATE NURSES’ CLINICAL PRACTICE IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY HEALTH SETTINGS (LAUNCH). LAUNCH WILL SERVE TO IMPROVE THE SUPPLY AND GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE NURSING WORKFORCE BY INCREASING BSN GRADUATES WHO ARE EXPERIENTIALLY-PREPARED TO ADDRESS CRITICAL SHORTAGES OF NURSES IN LONG-TERM AND ACUTE CARE SETTINGS IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. PROJECT OBJECTIVES: THE LAUNCH TEAM WILL 1) PROMOTE THE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF BACCALAUREATE (BSN)-PREPARED NURSING STUDENTS; 2) PROVIDE FOR ADDITIONAL DEDICATED, SPECIALIZED CLINICAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN ACUTE AND LONG-TERM CARE SETTINGS IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES; 3) FOSTER BSN-PREPARED NURSES’ EMPLOYMENT IN ACUTE AND LONG-TERM CARE SETTINGS POST-GRADUATION; AND 4) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PRECEPTORS AND FACULTY AVAILABLE TO TRAIN FUTURE BSN STUDENTS. THE LAUNCH TEAM WILL RECRUIT, RETAIN, AND GRADUATE BSN-PREPARED NURSES WITH INCREASED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE CARE OF RURAL AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS PREPARED TO ADDRESS NURSING SHORTAGES IN ACUTE AND LONG-TERM CARE SETTINGS. LAUNCH WILL PROVIDE ACADEMIC, FINANCIAL, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT RESOURCES TO STUDENTS THROUGH DEDICATED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN LONG-TERM AND ACUTE CARE SETTINGS BEYOND CURRICULA REQUIREMENTS; SPECIALIZED SIMULATION DESIGNED TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN THE CARE OF RURAL AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS WITH CHRONIC COMORBID MEDICAL CONDITIONS; AND RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, AND MENTORSHIP FOR STUDENTS, PRECEPTORS AND FACULTY. LAUNCH WILL BUILD ON AN ACTIVE, SUCCESSFUL, ACCREDITED BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA (USA). LAUNCH WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND ENHANCED EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING IN COMMUNITY-BASED SETTINGS ABOVE THE CURRENT CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS. THE LAUNCH PROGRAM WILL EMPHASIZE LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING CULTURALLY-COMPETENT CARE, COMMUNITIES’ SDOH, HEALTH EQUITY, HEALTH LITERACY, AND ENHANCED, LONG-TERM AND ACUTE MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING CARE COMPETENCIES. FUNDING PREFERENCE REQUEST: THIS PROJECT SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS FUNDING PREFERENCE UNDER SECTION 805 OF THE PHS ACT ON THE BASIS OF SUBSTANTIALLY BENEFITTING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS (SEE ATTACHMENT). USA CON IS LOCATED IN A FEDERALLY-DESIGNATED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREA (HPSA; ABOUT HALF OF THE USA NURSING STUDENTS ARE FROM HPSAS; MOST CLINICAL FACILITIES ARE IN HPSAS; AND MANY GRADUATES WORK IN THESE SAME UNDERSERVED AREAS).

SALMONELLA SRNAS DRIVE THE DECISION BETWEEN ACTIVE STRESS RESISTANCE AND PERSISTER CELL DORMANCY -BACTERIAL PERSISTER CELLS ARE RELATIVELY INACTIVE METABOLICALLY, ABLE TO COPE WITH LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS AND ARE RELATIVELY TOLERANT OF ANTIBIOTICS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO STUDY THE PROCESSES THAT LEAD TO PERSISTER CELL FORMATION, AS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PROCESSES COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS SOCIETAL CHALLENGES SUCH AS ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE, FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS, AND AGRICULTURAL DISEASES. IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT PROVIDES INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES IN MICROBIOLOGY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, AND COMPUTATIONAL GENETICS/BIOINFORMATICS. LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL DIRECTLY BENEFIT FROM THIS PROJECT THROUGH TWO SEPARATE INITIATIVES. NOTABLY, THESE EFFORTS ARE INTENDED TO INCREASE UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY STUDENT INTEREST AND ENROLLMENT IN BIOLOGY AND OTHER STEM FIELDS. THE SRNA PROFILE OF SALMONELLA SUBJECTED TO SHORT TERM CARBON STARVATION IS HIGHLY DISTINCT FROM THAT SEEN DURING PROLONGED STARVATION. SIMILARLY, HIGHLY DISTINCT SRNA PROFILES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH INITIAL AND PROLONGED CELLULAR DESICCATION. IN CONTRAST, SIGNIFICANT OVERLAPS BETWEEN THE SRNAS EXPRESSED IN CELLS SUBJECTED TO SHORT DURATIONS OF CARBON STARVATION AND DESICCATION, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT OVERLAPS BETWEEN THE SRNAS EXPRESSED DURING PROLONGED DESICCATION AND LONG-TERM CARBON STARVATION HAVE BEEN OBSERVED. FURTHERMORE, SEVERAL OF THE SRNAS COMMONLY INDUCED DURING SHORT DURATION STRESS EXPOSURES ARE EXPRESSED FROM PROMOTERS TRANSCRIBED VIA THE RNA POLYMERASE (RNAP) SIGMA SUBUNIT RPOS. CONVERSELY, MANY OF THE SRNAS COMMONLY INDUCED DURING LONG TERM EXPOSURES ARE EXPRESSED FROM PROMOTERS TARGETED BY THE ALTERNATIVE SIGMA SUBUNIT RPOE. TOGETHER, THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING: ALTERNATIVE RNAP SIGMA SUBUNIT SELECTION AND CONSEQUENT EXPRESSION OF DISTINCT SETS OF SRNAS DRIVE THE DECISION BETWEEN ACTIVE STRESS RESISTANCE AND PERSISTER FORMATION IN SALMONELLA. AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, THE WORK OUTLINED FOR THIS PROJECT IS SIGNIFICANT, AS IT WILL EMPLOY AN ARRAY OF GENETIC MANIPULATIONS AND TRANSCRIPTOMIC ASSAYS TO CHARACTERIZE NEW, ESSENTIAL ROLES FOR ALTERNATIVE SIGMA SUBUNITS AND SPECIFIC SRNAS IN DRIVING THE DECISION BETWEEN ACTIVE STRESS RESISTANCE AND PERSISTER FORMATION. BEYOND CHARACTERIZING THE MOLECULAR SWITCH DRIVING THE DECISION BETWEEN ACTIVE STRESS RESISTANCE AND PERSISTER FORMATION, THE CENTRAL MODEL TESTED BY THIS WORK-ALTERNATIVE SIGMA FACTORS COMPETE WITH ONE ANOTHER THROUGH DIRECTING THE TRANSCRIPTION OF DISTINCT SETS OF SRNAS THAT INHIBIT OPPOSING SIGMA FACTORS-MAY WELL CONSTITUTE A GENERAL MECHANISM OF PROKARYOTIC SIGMA MOLECULAR SWITCH REGULATION WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR AN ARRAY OF ADDITIONAL PROCESSES. AS SUCH, THE WORK PERFORMED IN THIS STUDY WILL EXPLORE A NOVEL, SYSTEMS-LEVEL REGULATORY MECHANISM FOR GLOBAL PROKARYOTIC TRANSCRIPTOME REPROGRAMMING, WHICH MIGHT ADVANCE OUR BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS DRIVING MICROBIAL STRESS RESPONSES. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

SOUTHEASTERN REGIONAL ROBERT NOYCE CONNECTIONS: CONVENING A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS FOCUSED ON STEM PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION

TRANSITION TO TEACHING PROGRAM - TRANSITION TO TEACHING PROGRAM -- LOCAL

PATHWAY TO SCIENCE PHASE II

REPAIR OF DNA DAMAGE INDUCED BY ENVIRONMENTAL AGENTS

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

PATHWAY TO MATHEMATICS II: AN INTEGRATED STEM INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL NEED FOR WELL-PREPARED AND HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS. CURRENTLY, THE LACK OF CERTIFIED MATHEMATICS TEACHERS CONTRIBUTES TO LOWER ACHIEVEMENT AND EXPECTATIONS FOR HIGH-RISK STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS THAT HAVE OVERPOPULATED CLASSROOMS, INDIVIDUALS TEACHING OUTSIDE THEIR CERTIFICATION FIELDS, AND LONG-TERM SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS LACKING STEM BACKGROUNDS. THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO RECRUIT AND PREPARE 20 HIGH QUALITY MATHEMATICS TEACHERS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. AS A CONTINUATION OF THE ORIGINAL PATHWAY TO MATHEMATICS PROJECT, IT WILL ALSO INVOLVE AND BENEFIT TEACHERS PRODUCED BY THAT PRIOR PROJECT. A FOCUS OF THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL BE ATTRACTING RACIALLY AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE STEM MAJORS FROM RELATED DISCIPLINES, SUCH AS MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING, THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN. A HALLMARK OF THE PROJECT WILL BE ITS PRE-RESIDENCY EXPERIENCE, ALLOWING PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS TO OBSERVE AND PARTICIPATE WITH MENTOR TEACHERS PRIOR TO BECOMING SCHOLARS. SCHOLARS WILL GRADUATE WITH A MASTER?S DEGREE IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION, COMPLETING GRADUATE COURSEWORK IN BOTH TEACHING PEDAGOGY AND MATHEMATICS CONTENT. THIS PROJECT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES AND THE COLLEGES OF ARTS AND SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING INCLUDES A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MOBILE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. GOALS INCLUDE: 1) GENERATING KNOWLEDGE OF FACTORS THAT ATTRACT STEM MAJORS TO CAREERS AS MATHEMATICS TEACHERS, AND 2) ENGAGING CURRENT STEM MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS IN A CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A WIDE SPECTRUM OF TEACHING EXPERIENCES BENEFICIAL TO ALL STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN LOCAL HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE INTELLECTUAL MERIT OF THIS PROJECT DERIVES FROM ITS CAPACITY TO PRODUCE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS WHO STAY IN THE PROFESSION WHILE EVALUATING EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED STEM APPROACH TO TEACHING MATHEMATICS STARTING IN THE MIDDLE GRADES. TOWARDS THE PROJECT'S BROADER IMPACTS IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THROUGH COURSEWORK, A SUMMER STEM AND DIVERSITY INSTITUTE, SEMINARS, IMMERSIVE FIELD TRIPS, AND WORKSHOPS FOCUSED IN CULTURALLY RELEVANT PEDAGOGY AND DIVERSITY EDUCATION, AND THROUGH REAL LIFE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SCHOLARS WILL GRADUATE WITH THE TOOLS AND DISPOSITIONS NEEDED TO MEET THE ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS IN THE POPULATION THEY WILL SERVE. THIS TRACK 1: SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED THROUGH THE ROBERT NOYCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (NOYCE). THE NOYCE PROGRAM SUPPORTS TALENTED STEM UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND PROFESSIONALS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE K-12 STEM TEACHERS AND EXPERIENCED, EXEMPLARY K-12 TEACHERS TO BECOME STEM MASTER TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. IT ALSO SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS AND RETENTION OF K-12 STEM TEACHERS IN HIGH-NEED SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

HEALTH CARE AND OTHER FACILITIES

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF RICKETTSIA PROWAZEKII

OMNISEARCH: A SEMANTIC SEARCH TOOL FOR DISCOVERING MICRORNAS' CRITICAL ROLES IN H

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT

PATHWAYS TO SCIENCE

THE ALABAMA OYSTER REEF AND FISHERIES HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: 2008

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: BEGINNINGS: EXPERIENTIAL-LEARNING-BASED UNDERGRADUATE SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE EXPLORATION -THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPMENT OF A DIVERSE, GLOBALLY AND LOCALLY (CENTRAL AREA OF THE GULF COAST) COMPETITIVE SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE, INCLUDING WOMEN AND OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES. IN PARTICULAR, THE PROJECT WILL (1) INCREASE STRONG PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS (BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL) BETWEEN ACADEMIA, INDUSTRY, AND OTHERS; (2) IMPROVE AND IMPACT EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF THE ADVANCED SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE; (3) ALIGN AND INCORPORATE INDUSTRIAL, PROFESSIONAL, AND TECHNICAL STANDARDS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING, THEREBY ENABLING PARTICIPATING STUDENTS TO HAVE CLEAR AND SMOOTH CAREER PATHWAYS; (4) INTEGRATE SYSTEMATIC APPROACHES TO ADVANCE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE SEMICONDUCTOR EDUCATION PRACTICES; (5) BUILD CAPACITY FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO RESPOND RAPIDLY TO CHANGES IN THE WORKFORCE NEEDED BY THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY; AND (6) INVESTIGATE STUDENT SUCCESS IN ACADEMIA AND IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY AND ASSOCIATED FIELDS. IN ADDITION, THIS PROJECT WILL PRACTICE AND APPLY EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PEDAGOGY IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE EXPLORATION AND DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THEORY IN PROMOTING AND ENHANCING SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. THE EXPERIENTIAL-LEARNING-BASED UNDERGRADUATE SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE EXPLORATION (E-USEM) TEAM WILL LEVERAGE STRONG INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS TO ADVANCE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SKILLED SEMICONDUCTOR WORKFORCE. FUNDAMENTAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND INNOVATIONS TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE TEAM INCLUDE: (1) USE OF KOLB?S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THEORY TO STRENGTHEN THE WORKFORCE EXPLORATION AND IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE-BASED INSTRUCTIONAL AND INCLUSIVE PRACTICES. (2) CONDUCTING SEVEN UNIQUE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES THROUGH COLLABORATION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA. THE E-USEM TEAM WILL FIRST UNDERTAKE CORE WORK SUCH AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR COURSE PACKAGE; BASED ON THE COURSE PACKAGE, THE TEAM WILL CREATE AND DEVELOP A NEW SEMICONDUCTOR ENGINEERING CONCENTRATION AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAM, A CURRICULUM-SHARING PROGRAM, A SUMMER PROGRAM, AND A BRIDGE PROGRAM. AN ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION TOOL WILL BE DEVELOPED AS WELL. (3) SYSTEMATICALLY EMBEDDING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PROPOSED E-USEM ACTIVITIES FROM STUDENT RECRUITMENT, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM DESIGN, TO COURSE DESIGN. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE NSF EXLENT PROGRAM, AS IT SEEKS TO SUPPORT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS FROM DIVERSE PROFESSIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS TO INCREASE THEIR INTEREST IN, AND THEIR ACCESS TO, CAREER PATHWAYS IN EMERGING TECHNOLOGY FIELDS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CAMP PHOSPHODIESTERASE AND LUNG ENDOTHELIAL CELL PERMEABILITY

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACHES FOR RESILIENCE TO COASTAL HAZARDS

PHASE I IUCRC UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA: CENTER FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH IN FORENSIC SCIENCE (CARFS)

MRI: TRACK 1 ACQUISITION OF A MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR MULTI-DISCIPLINARY MICROELECTRONICS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING AT SOUTH ALABAMA -THIS MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION (MRI) AWARD SUPPORTS THE ACQUISITION OF AN INTEGRATED MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (IMS) TO SUPPORT MULTI-DISCIPLINARY MICROELECTRONICS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING. THE ACQUISITION OF THIS INSTRUMENT WILL ENABLE A LARGE GROUP OF RESEARCHERS AND STUDENTS TO ACCESS ADVANCED INSTRUMENTATION AND CONDUCT CUTTING-EDGE MICROELECTRONICS RESEARCH. IN ADDITION, THIS NEW INSTRUMENT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS AS WELL AS INDUSTRY IN THE GULF COAST REGION. THE IMS WILL PROVIDE A HUB FOR RESEARCHERS TO SHARE RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE RELATED TO MICROELECTRONICS AND DEVELOP NEW IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGIES. OVERALL, THIS PROJECT WILL BE OF SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE FOR DRIVING RESEARCH PROGRESS AND INNOVATION IN MICROELECTRONICS AT THE UNIVERSITY AND IN THE ENTIRE ALABAMA AND GULF COAST REGIONS. THE PROPOSED IMS PROVIDES HIGH-PRECISION PROBING AND MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES THAT WILL ENABLE NEW RESEARCH SPANNING MICROCHIPS, MATERIALS, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS. FOR EXAMPLE, ENERGY-EFFICIENT COMPUTING CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOR MOBILE VIDEOS APPLICATIONS; NEW MICROCHIPS WILL BE DESIGNED AND TESTED FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) APPLICATIONS; AND NOVEL AI SYSTEMS AND DEVICES WILL BE DEVELOPED AND VERIFIED FOR CANCER DETECTION AND SEVERAL OTHER MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. THERE ARE MULTIPLE BROADER IMPACTS OF THIS PROJECT. FIRST, THIS PROJECT WILL HELP ADDRESS THE URGENT NEED OF MICROELECTRONICS TESTING EQUIPMENT IN THE ALABAMA REGION. THE RESEARCH OUTCOMES ENABLED BY THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AND WILL INCREASE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE U.S. IN MICROELECTRONICS RESEARCH AND DESIGN. SECOND, THE PROPOSED IMS WILL BE CRITICAL FOR WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO EQUIP THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS TO WORK WITH MICROELECTRONICS AND RELATED TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH CURRICULAR INNOVATION AND HIGH-QUALITY HANDS-ON LEARNING. FINALLY, THE PROPOSED IMS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PROMOTE K-12 MICROELECTRONICS EDUCATION. THE WEBSITE FOR THIS PROJECT WILL BE: HTTPS://NAGONG.WEEBLY.COM/RESEARCH.HTML THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: IDEAS LAB: THE ROLE OF EXTRACELLULAR RNA IN INTERCELLULAR AND INTERKINGDOM COMMUNICATION -THIS PROJECT IS A COLLABORATION AMONG SEVEN LABORATORIES WITH DIVERSE AND COMPLEMENTARY EXPERTISE. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF EXTRACELLULAR RNA (EXRNA) IN COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CELLS AND IN SHAPING THE COMMUNITY OF MICROBES, ESPECIALLY BACTERIA, THAT LIVE ON AND INSIDE PLANTS, INSECTS, AND HUMANS. THESE COLLECTIONS OF MICROBES ARE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS MICROBIOMES AND ARE CRITICAL FOR THE HEALTH OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS, INCLUDING HUMANS. A HEALTHY MICROBIOME PROMOTES A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM, BUT HOW HEALTHY MICROBIOMES ARE MAINTAINED IS POORLY UNDERSTOOD. THIS PROJECT WILL TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT RNA SECRETED BY HOST CELLS PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING HEALTH BOTH THROUGH COMMUNICATION AMONG CELLS AND BY MODIFYING THE MICROBIOME. RNA IS BEST KNOWN FOR ITS KEY ROLE IN PROTEIN PRODUCTION INSIDE CELLS, SUCH AS IN RNA-BASED COVID VACCINES. HOWEVER, NOT ALL RNA ENCODES PROTEINS, AND CELLS PRODUCE MORE NON-CODING RNA THAN CODING RNA, SOME OF WHICH IS ACTIVELY PUSHED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT BY CELLS. THIS SECRETED RNA APPEARS TO BE TAKEN UP BY OTHER CELLS, INCLUDING BACTERIA AND FUNGI, WHERE IT COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT THEIR GROWTH. UNDERSTANDING HOW EXRNAS SHAPE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CELLS AND ORGANISMS WILL ENABLE MANIPULATION OF EXRNA COMMUNICATION IN BOTH AGRICULTURE AND MEDICINE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PESTICIDES, AS WELL AS TREATMENTS THAT PROMOTE FORMATION OF HEALTHY MICROBIOMES IN BOTH PLANTS AND ANIMALS. THIS KNOWLEDGE WILL ALSO ENABLE DEVELOPMENT OF DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC TOOLS FOR EARLY DETECTION AND/OR TREATMENT OF DISEASE. ALL CELLULAR ORGANISMS SECRETE RNAS. THE FUNCTIONS OF THESE EXTRACELLULAR RNAS (EXRNAS), HOWEVER, ARE POORLY UNDERSTOOD. TWO LIKELY FUNCTIONS ARE INTERCELLULAR AND INTERKINGDOM COMMUNICATION. OPEN QUESTIONS ABOUND IN EXRNA BIOLOGY: HOW ARE EXRNAS SELECTED FOR SECRETION, HOW ARE THEY TARGETED TO RECIPIENT CELLS, AND WHAT ARE THEIR ROLES IN NORMAL HEALTH AND ORGANISMAL FITNESS? ARABIDOPSIS LEAF EXRNA ISOLATES ARE HIGHLY ENRICHED IN THE POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL MODIFICATION N6-METHYLADENOSINE (M6A) (AS COMPARED TO TOTAL CELLULAR RNA) SUGGESTING THAT POST-TRANSCRIPTIONAL MODIFICATIONS MAY TAG SPECIFIC RNAS FOR EXPORT. CONSISTENT WITH THIS, HUMAN EXOSOMAL MICRORNAS ARE ENRICHED WITH M6A (RELATIVE TO CYTOSOLIC MICRORNAS). INTERESTINGLY, A LARGE NUMBER OF MAMMALIAN SMALL NON-CODING RNAS (NCRNAS) THAT LOCALIZE TO THE EXTERNAL CELL SURFACE WERE RECENTLY FOUND TO HARBOR SPECIFIC SIALYLATED GLYCAN MODIFICATIONS. THESE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT SPECIFIC RNA MODIFICATIONS TAG RNAS FOR CELLULAR EXPORT AND DIRECT ENTRY INTO APPROPRIATE RECIPIENT CELLS. THIS PROJECT WILL 1) TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT EXRNAS HAVE SPECIFIC FEATURES MARKING THEM FOR SECRETION AND UPTAKE, BOTH WITHIN AND AMONG SPECIES, 2) DETERMINE HOW EXRNAS ARE TRANSFERRED FROM SIGNALER TO RECEIVER CELLS, AND 3) ASSESS THE IMPACT OF EXRNA ON MICROBIOME HEALTH AND COMPOSITION THROUGH EXAMINING HUMAN GUT, INSECT GUT, AND LEAF SURFACE MODELS. THIS PROJECT WAS CO-FUNDED BY THE DIRECTORATE FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, AND THE PLANT GENOME RESEARCH PROGRAM AND THE PLANT BIOTIC INTERACTIONS PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF INTEGRATIVE ORGANISMAL SYSTEMS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

TRPC4-MEDIATED CALCIUM SIGNALS ACCELERATE VASCULAR REMODELING IN PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, NSSTC

THE ALABAMA OYSTER REEF AND FISHERIES HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM: 2009

PRE-DOCTORAL TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

NURSE FACULTY LOAN PROGRAM

TOWARDS HUMANIZED MOUSE MODELS OF MITOCHONDRIAL DISEASE

MTDNA DAMPS: A PHARMACOLOGIC TARGET IN MULTI-ORGAN SYSTEM FAILURE

THIS ACTION APPROVES AN AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $755,761 FOR UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TO BUILD RURAL WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT CAPACITY AND ADDRESS WATER QUALITY IMPAIRMENTS IN RURAL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ALABAMA WATERSHED. THE PROJECT WILL TEST AND DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WASTE WATER SOLUTIONS IN RURAL AREAS. THIS PROJECT REDUCES WATER QUALITY POLLUTION AND PROVIDES EDUCATION AND TRAINING ABOUT WATER QUALITY POLLUTION AND THE BENEFITS OF MULTIPLE WASTE WATER APPROACHES.

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

RURAL RESIDENCY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - ELIGIBLE ENTITY/FACILITY TYPE: PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, AS PART OF A GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (GME) CONSORTIUM PROGRAM PATHWAYS. GENERAL PRIMARY CARE AND HIGH NEED SPECIALTY PATHWAY RESIDENCY AND MATERNAL HEALTH AND OBSTETRICS PATHWAY RESIDENCY RESIDENCY MEDICAL SPECIALTIES: FAMILY MEDICINE WITH ADVANCED OBSTETRICAL TRAINING RESIDENCY FORMAT: NEW RURAL TRACK PROGRAM, OR RTP (NEW PROGRAM ACCREDITATION) SPONSORING INSTITUTION: USA HEALTH, 2451 UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL DR, MSTN 212, MOBILE, AL36617-2293 ACGME: 8000100004 RURAL TARGET COUNTY OR COUNTIES: CLARKE, WASHINGTON, MONROE COUNTIES, ALABAMA FUNDING AMOUNT REQUESTED: $750,000 PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY OPTION: OPTIONS 1, 2, 4 PROJECTED TOTAL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS: 4-4-4 EXPECTED ACGME ACCREDITATION AND FIRST RESIDENT MATRICULATION DATES: RURAL TRACK, NO ADDITIONAL ACCREDITATION REQUIRED. INITIAL CLASS JULY 2028 FUNDING PRIORITY POINTS REQUESTED: MATERNITY CARE (4 POINTS) HRSA AWARD IN LAST 5 YEARS: PRIMARY CARE TRAINING AND ENHANCEMENT GRANT NO. 4 T0BHP30027-05-02 A CONSORTIUM MADE UP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, USA HEALTH, THE USA HEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY PROGRAM (USAFMRP), JACKSON MEDICAL CENTER, AND PHYSICIANS CARE OF CLARKE COUNTY WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT A RURAL TRACK PROGRAM (RTP) TO TRAIN FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS IN MOBILE, ALABAMA, AND JACKSON, ALABAMA. IN ADDITION, WE WOULD LIKE TO USE THE OPTIONAL PGY 4 ENHANCED RURAL OBSTETRICS PROGRAM ALREADY IN PLACE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TO TRAIN PHYSICIANS DESIRING RURAL PRACTICE IN ADVANCED OBSTETRICS. IN DOING THIS WE WILL EXPAND THE FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY INTO RURAL ALABAMA, PROVIDE ENHANCED RURAL AND OPTIONAL OBSTETRICAL TRAINING, CARE FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS WHO ARE TRAINED IN AN RURAL AREA WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE CARE TO A RURAL POPULATION FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF HIS OR HER RESIDENCY TRAINING, AND IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES. THE PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE 20 – 26 MONTHS IN RURAL ALABAMA. MUCH OF THIS TIME WILL BE SPENT IN JACKSON, A TOWN OF 5000 PEOPLE ALTHOUGH SOME OF IT WILL BE IN GROVE HILL WITHIN A RURAL EMERGENCY SETTING AND SOME IN THOMASVILLE IN A RURAL FQHC. IN ADDITION, FOR RESIDENTS WITH AN INTEREST IN FM-OB, SIX MONTHS WILL ALSO BE IN ANDALUSIA, ALABAMA IN A RURAL HOSPITAL IN COVINGTON COUNTY. UPON COMPLETION OF THE 3-YEAR PLANNING PROJECT, WE WILL HAVE AN IMPLEMENTED CURRICULUM FOR A NEW USA HEALTH FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY RURAL TRACK PROGRAM THAT HAS GREATER THAN 50% OF THE TRAINING TIME IN JACKSON, ALABAMA, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON COMPETENCIES NEEDED TO PROVIDED CARE IN A RURAL AREA. WE WILL HAVE A TRAINING CONSORTIUM WITH AN ACCREDITED ACGME RURAL TRAINING TRACK, A VALIDATED SUSTAINABILITY PLAN THAT INCLUDES ONGOING FUNDING STREAMS TO SUSTAIN LONG-TERM RESIDENT TRAINING AFTER THE PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHED, AND THE ABILITY TO TRACK RESIDENTS FOR FIVE YEARS FOLLOWING GRADUATION. LEVERAGING RESIDENCY RESOURCES, WE WILL HAVE A PATHWAY TO CREATE A PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE THAT WILL LEAD TO THE RETURN OF FAMILY MEDICINE OBSTETRICS (FM-OB) TO CLARKE COUNTY, ALABAMA, A CURRENT MATERNITY CARE DESERT.

REPAIR OF ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ENDOGENOUSLY INDUCED MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA DAMAGE

INACTIVATION OF ENDOTHELIAL ISOC THROUGHT CALCIUM-PHOSPATE COMPLEXATION.

DESCRIPTION:THIS ACTION PROVIDES FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF $745,414 TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA TO SUPPORT ITS EFFORTS WITH IMPROVING THE WATER QUALITY OF THE GULF OF AMERICA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING AND MEASUREMENT OF NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, CARBON, AND SUSPENDED SEDIMENT LOADING TO MOBILE BAY AND THE MOBILE-TENSAW RIVER DELTA THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE MONITORING AND MODELING. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED INCLUDE MONITORING AT FIFTY SITES ON MAJOR RIVERS AND STREAMS OF LOWER MOBILE BAY TO BE USED WITH A WATERSHED MODEL TO ESTIMATE NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS AND TOTAL LOADING RATES TO THE BAY. LOCAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CONTACTED THROUGH SITE VISITS IN THE STUDY REGION'S FIVE COUNTIES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON NUTRIENT POLLUTION ISSUES, SOLICIT FEEDBACK, AND PROVIDE PROJECT RESULTS AT THE END. SUBRECIPIENT:WATERSHED MODELING WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH A SUBAWARD.OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE FIRST-TIME QUANTIFICATION OF THE SYNOPTIC SPATIAL-TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS LOADS FROM FIFTY STREAMS AND RIVERS TO MOBILE BAY AND IMPROVED COMMUNITY AWARENESS OF NUTRIENT POLLUTION AND INCREASED WORKFORCE CAPACITY THROUGH TRAINING. THE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITIES IN THE COASTAL COUNTIES OF ALABAMA WILL BENEFIT FROM IMPROVED WATER QUALITY.

THE EXPANDING SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES ON CAMPUS PILOT PROGRAM (HEREAFTER REFERRED TO AS CAMPUS VICTIM SERVICES PILOT) SUPPORTS INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO IMPROVE VICTIM SERVICES ON CAMPUS BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO HOLISTIC SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND CREATING A PROMISING PRACTICES GUIDE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THAT WISH TO EXPAND THEIR SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES AND ADVOCACY. CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES NEED TO BE SURVIVOR-CENTERED, COMPREHENSIVE, CULTURALLY RELEVANT, FLEXIBLE, AND ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. THEREFORE, COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY-BASED VICTIM SERVICES PROVIDERS ARE CRITICAL TO ENSURE ACCESS TO SERVICES. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA, LOCATED IN MOBILE, AL, IN COLLABORATION WITH LIFELINES COUNSELING SERVICES AND PRISM UNITED, WILL IMPLEMENT THIS PILOT PROJECT BY EXPANDING EXISTING CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES, CREATING, AND DOCUMENTING THEIR COMPREHENSIVE VICTIM SERVICES MODEL TO INFORM A PROMISING PRACTICES GUIDE, AND WORKING WITH THE DESIGNATED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDERS TO CREATE THE GUIDE FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

INTERCELLULAR TRANSFER OF MITOCHONDRIA AT THE NERVE-CANCER INTERFACE - TITLE: INTERCELLULAR TRANSFER OF MITOCHONDRIA AT THE NERVE-CANCER INTERFACE PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT BREAST CANCER, PARTICULARLY TRIPLE-NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER (TNBC), POSES A SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL HEALTH CHALLENGE, WITH METASTASIS BEING A MAJOR CAUSE OF BREAST CANCER-RELATED DEATHS. DESPITE ADVANCES IN SURGICAL TREATMENT, THERE REMAINS AN URGENT NEED FOR EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO COMBAT THE AGGRESSIVE NATURE OF TNBC. RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT CANCER NEUROGENESIS (CNG), CHARACTERIZED BY THE DE NOVO GENERATION OF NERVES WITHIN PRIMARY TUMORS, IS ASSOCIATED WITH AGGRESSIVE DISEASE AND POOR PATIENT OUTCOMES ACROSS VARIOUS CANCERS, INCLUDING BREAST CARCINOMAS. HOWEVER, THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF CNG IN TUMOR BIOLOGY REMAINS UNCLEAR, AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NERVE-CANCER INTERFACE DURING TUMOR INNERVATION REQUIRE FURTHER INVESTIGATION. WE HAVE DEVELOPED IN VITRO AND IN VIVO COCULTURE MODELS OF CNG, DEMONSTRATING ITS ASSOCIATION WITH BREAST CANCER METASTASIS. MICROSCOPY IMAGING AT THE NEUROEPITHELIAL INTERFACE HAS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT METABOLIC REPROGRAMMING OF NEURONAL CELLS EXPOSED TO BREAST CANCER CELLS, FOLLOWED BY THE INTERCELLULAR TRANSFER OF MITOCHONDRIA FROM NERVES TO CANCER CELLS. OUR PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGEST THAT THESE MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSFERS ENHANCE THE METABOLIC PLASTICITY OF RECIPIENT CANCER CELLS, PROMOTING THEIR METASTATIC POTENTIAL. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO INVESTIGATE THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF NERVE-CANCER MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSFER IN CANCER METASTASIS, IDENTIFY THE KEY MEDIATORS INVOLVED IN THESE TRANSFERS, AND ASSESS THE IMPACT OF INHIBITING THIS PROCESS ON CANCER PROGRESSION. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, WE DEVELOPED MITOTRACER, AN INNOVATIVE LINEAGE- TRACING GENETIC STRATEGY THAT ENABLES THE PERMANENT LABELING OF CANCER CELLS THAT HAVE ACQUIRED MITOCHONDRIA FROM NEURONS. IN SPECIFIC AIM 1, WE WILL USE MITOTRACER TO DETERMINE THE PRECISE CONTRIBUTION OF NERVE-TO-CANCER MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSFER TO THE BREAST CANCER METASTASIS CASCADE IN VIVO. IN SPECIFIC AIM 2, WE WILL EVALUATE HOW THESE MITOCHONDRIAL TRANSFERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE GENERATION OF CANCER STEM CELLS (CSCS) IN VITRO AND IN VIVO, CANCER RESISTANCE TO THERAPY, AND IDENTIFY UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF NERVE-MEDIATED CSCS THAT COULD BE TARGETED CLINICALLY TO PREVENT TNBC RECURRENCE. THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON OUR RECENTLY PUBLISHED FINDINGS AND PRELIMINARY DATA, FOCUSING ON THE MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH CNG, INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION AT THE NERVE-CANCER INTERFACE, AND THEIR IMPACT ON CANCER CELL METABOLISM AND METASTASIS. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THIS RESEARCH WILL ELUCIDATE HOW CANCER CELLS ACQUIRE METABOLIC PLASTICITY TO ENHANCE THEIR METASTATIC POTENTIAL, PAVING THE WAY FOR NEW THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES AGAINST HIGHLY INNERVATED CANCERS AND PROVIDING INNOVATIVE TOOLS FOR STUDYING MITOCHONDRIAL EXCHANGE.

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

BISPHENOL A MODULATION OF DNA REPAIR TRIGGERED BY ENVIRONMENTAL GENOTOXIC STRESS

MOUSE MODELS FOR MITOCHONDRIAL DISORDERS CAUSED BY MTDNA MUTATIONS

BRAIN PERICYTE CONTRACTILITY, CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER INTEGRITY ARE IMPAIRED BY NORMAL AGING AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AMYLOID-BETA AND ARE DEPENDENT ON P75NTR

TRPV4 INITIATES VENTILATOR INDUCED LUNG INJURY

ADVANCED NURSING EDUCATION GRANTS

PROTEIN ALTERATIONS IN SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS WITH IMPROVED MTDNA REPAIR

MRI: DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH-SPEED, HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGING SPINNING DISK CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE

MRI: ACQUISITION OF SCANNING TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE SYSTEM FOR INVESTIGATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COMPLEX, NANOSCALE SYSTEMS

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING TRAINEESHIP

LUNG CELL GENOMIC THREATS FROM PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS

ENDOTHELIAL SK3 CHANNEL MODULATION OF EDHF IS ESTROGEN REGULATED

RESIDENCY TRAINING IN PRIMARY CARE

TRANSFORMING LOWER DIVISION UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS THROUGH TEAM-BASED INQUIRY LEARNING

THIS INVESTMENT WILL SUPPORT THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE LABORATORY FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING (LAM) THROUGH RENOVATION OF FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASE. THIS WILL CREATE AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING LABORATORY AND RESEARCH HUB ON THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA'S CAMPUS. THE LAM WILL PROVIDE PROTOTYPING SERVICES TO INDUSTRIES IN THE REGION, AND NATIONALLY, COLLABORATING ON RESEARCH INTO NEW USES OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING INCLUDING PROTOTYPING OF LOW-COST PARTS FOR REPAIRS IN A TIMELY MANNER AND EXPLORING THE NEW AREA OF CYBER-PROTECTION IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES. LAM WILL ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING SERVICES ON THE EQUIPMENT AND PROVIDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH A CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AS WELL AS UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE EDUCATION. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED THROUGH EDA'S CARES ACT APPROPRIATION. THIS PROJECT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS LED BY THE SOUTH ALABAMA REGIONAL PLANNING, EDA FUNDS SOUTH ALABAMA REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION TO BRING TOGETHER THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS TO CREATE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP TO STRENGTHEN THE REGIONAL ECONOMY, SUPPORT PRIVATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND CREATE JOBS.

ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS

CAREER: EXPLORING THE STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS APPLICATIONS OF LANTHANIDE CYANOMETALLATES

INVESTIGATING A NOVEL MOLECULAR LINK BETWEEN OBESITY AND COLORECTAL CANCER PROGRESSION

TYPE I: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH ALABAMA COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION (CREATE) CENTER

RET SITE: RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS IN BIOLOGICALLY-INSPIRED COMPUTING SYSTEMS

ROLE OF ANGIOTENSIN II-MEDIATED KLF4 REGULATION IN GASTRIC CANCER METASTASIS

ZEISS LSM 980 AIRYSCAN CONFOCAL MICROSCOPE