Interdisciplinary – Page 36 – UROP Spring Symposium 2021

Interdisciplinary

Documenting Historical Change in South African languages

The history of Africa is as convoluted as the origin of life itself. Filled with over 500 cultures, it is difficult to pinpoint the validity of any historic event because other cultures might speak differently about it. Many historians have dedicated their lives to discovering Africa’s hidden history but there is still a lot of work to be done. Professor Raevin Jimenez is one of these passionate historians and she works to unlock the secrets of Africa’s history. Our project is devoted to finding the linguistic distance between several Bantu languages. These languages are the following; Zulu, Swati, Xhosa, Northern Ndebele, Southern Ndebele, Zimbabwe Ndebele, Phuthi, Mpondomise, Bhaca, Thembu, Hlubi and Mpondo. By using statistical analysis with the linguistic data, we will be able to write about different aspects of the history of South African languages. When we group words that are common in multiple languages, we can use this context to create the travel history of different people. For instance, if Zulu and Xhosa languages share certain farming words, we can write about their shared experiences of farming and how they interacted as two different groups of people. This can also be applied to the time frame of when people traveled and interacted, different gender roles through the different cultures, and any difficulties they may have shared. This process is long and meticulous because it needs to be revised and perfected before shown to the public; results will most likely not be available by the year-end. This information will clarify the unknown history of the Bantu people and help inform the public about the formation of Bantu cultures and the languages they speak today.

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The Nubian Earth Odyssey

Many students in the world are unfamiliar with the Nubian Empire: a complex and intelligent empire with flourishing individuals whose heritage, tradition, and culture are still carried on today. It is important that students learn about this society, culture, history, and people in order to have empathy for people who are different from them. As a result, the Nubian Odyssey project aims to create a robust learning experience in which to present Nubian history and culture in a way that is engaging and accessible to middle school and high school students and teachers worldwide. This is obtained through a mentored, online website that allows for “correspondents” to share their experience with students to provide a window into their lives and a mirror for the students to relate this knowledge back to their own lives. In order to assemble this website and achieve the Odyssey’s goals it is necessary to compile educational resources that would support teachers as they embark on the Odyssey with their students. It is also necessary to communicate with correspondents and put reports together for students to engage with and read. As a result of this work students will be provided with a website that helps them learn about Nubian society, relate and connect with others, and develop empathy toward those who have different life experiences. Teachers will also be provided with many resources that can be used in conjunction with the “correspondents'” reports to expand one’s view of Nubia. The Nubian Odyssey will be a part of a larger university wide Humanities Collaboratory Grant that seeks to decolonize archaeology and invites others to join in learning about Nubia.

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Identification of novel genetic drivers of pediatric tumors

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer among pediatric patients and is characterized by fewer mutations than adult cancers, suggesting that aberrant gene expression is a critical factor in treatment and prognosis. Gene expression data can identify targeted therapy pathways by identifying more precise cancer profiles based on genetic expression. To assess effectiveness of RNA expression analysis at identifying target genes, mRNA copy counts from tumor samples of 32 pediatric ALL patients were gathered. Sample grouping was explored using principal component analysis, t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, and uniform manifold approximation and projection. The samples were then split according to expression levels of known neuroblastoma driver ALK and then analyzed for differentially expressed genes using the DESeq2 and limma workflows. As part of the preliminary findings, differential expression analysis revealed differences within the group in expression of known neuroblastoma drivers MYCN, ALK, PHOX2B, and TERT. This also revealed limitations of RNAseq analysis due to noise at low expression levels and outliers that skewed mean expression data. Analysis of RNA expression data shows promising results by identifying groups of similar cancer profiles and identifying differentially expressed genes as therapeutic targets.

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Impact of a Web-Based Naloxone Training on First Responders

In the midst of the pandemic, the United States continues to experience an opioid epidemic. Fatal opioid overdoses have risen significantly during the pandemic. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, and is an effective public health intervention to reduce opioid overdoses. Law enforcement officers are often first to arrive at the scene of an overdose. To equip law enforcement officers to respond to opioid overdoses, a web-based naloxone training program was developed in collaboration with our community partners (www.overdoseaction.org). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of our First Responder web-based naloxone training program. We aim to use descriptive statistics and paired samples t-test to analyze pre-test and post-test data to assess the law enforcement officers’ improvements in knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards naloxone and overdoses. We anticipate our results will show an increase in knowledge, confidence, and attitudes among law enforcement officers who participate in our web-based naloxone training.

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Consumer Response to Self-Sampling Methods for Cervical Cancer Screening

Cervical cancer is one of the most prominent cancers in the world, as it is the third most prevalent cancer in women across the globe. However, it is also deemed as one of the most treatable cancers as long as there is early detection and diagnosis because of the primary and secondary stages of prevention: “the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer screening have made it one of the most preventable cancers” (CDC.gov). The problem is that most people are unaware that they are infected with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and that many women between the recommended ages do not receive a Pap smear since it is not an accessible screening for everyone. Consequently, no treatment will be given to the patient, resulting in a greater risk of obtaining cervical cancer if the patient is infected with high-risk HPV. In this MISSH study, we observe the consumer response to two self-sampling kits used to detect the presence of high-risk HPV. One kit includes the urine sampling method (ColliPee), and the other includes the vaginal method (Eve brush). Women who volunteered to participate in this study were given the options of either using one method of their choice, or using both kits. These self-sampling kits are sent through the mail; and once the sampling is done, extensive phone interviews were conducted to inquire about the patient’s preferences. Through this, we were able to learn what adjustments/accommodations are needed to be made in order to make the self-sampling methods more widely accepted, taking into account that more women feel more comfortable and are more likely to get screened with a self-sampling method.

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Unravelling the organizing principles of bacterial chromosomes

Gene regulation in E. coli bacteria is determined primarily by transcriptional regulatory proteins and their interactions with DNA. These proteins, such as LER and H-NS, are vital to determining virulence in E. coli, and while much research has been done on the proteins themselves and the genes they express, work still needs to be done to determine which DNA structures and/or sequences are preferred by these proteins. We hypothesize that proteins like H-NS and LER prefer to bind to structures, rather than sequence, with an affinity for bent or elongated DNA. Using the molecular simulation software NAMD, and its analysis counterpart VMD, it is possible to simulate interactions between the proteins and DNA. Laboratory testing using Spect-seq and gel shift assays will work in conjunction with the simulations to test the findings of the computational side of this research, and provide additional insights into the reality of protein-DNA interaction in a laboratory setting. If we can better understand how these proteins regulate the bacterial genome, we will expand our knowledge of regulating virulence, and thus find better ways of treating bacterial infections without the harmful effects and risks of traditional antibiotics, as well as providing valuable insight on protein-DNA interaction of any form.

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Solidarity Not Charity’: Thematic Analysis of Definitions of Mutual Aid Activism in the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the US, many individuals have been unable to receive necessary resources due to economic struggles, concerns over contact with the virus, or a lack of governmental support in connecting with essential services. Mutual aid groups, who have played an active role in helping their communities for decades, have played an integral role in providing needed services with the knowledge that current systems and institutions have failed to provide these resources to Americans. This study analyzes the role of mutual aid and how different organizations have defined themselves during the pandemic. We examined and discussed academic literature on past and current mutual aid efforts and collected data, such as location, target populations, services, and self-definitions, about mutual aid organizations in 20 of the most populous metropolitan areas in the US. Data was collected through online research on organizations’ websites, social media pages, and newspaper articles and through thematic analysis. The analysis focuses on the definitions and agendas of mutual aid groups and how they differ from one another. By mapping the efforts of mutual aid groups and determining how they present themselves this study will increase discussions on community-level activism, inequalities within American society, and the flaws of established governance and institutions.

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The origins of human culture: tool use in wild chimpanzees

Over the last 50 years, there has been extensive research on the wide range of complex tool use behaviors exhibited by chimpanzees (Pan troglodyte) living in different locations across Africa. At some sites, like Gombe in Tanzania and Goualougo in Republic of Congo, chimpanzees exhibit elaborate tool sets. At other locations, chimpanzees exhibit fewer tool-related behaviors. This variation constitutes key evidence for potentially cultural behavior in nonhumans. To understand cultural differences in chimpanzees and the roots of individual variation in tool use, this study will examine multiple years of observational data of wild chimpanzees from the Kanyawara community at Kibale National Park, Uganda. Prior records of this community indicate that they have relatively simple tool use behaviors, but there has been little recent work on examining tool sets or more detailed information about individual variation. We will look for the types of tool use behaviors that exist in this population, and at what frequency these behaviors are exhibited. We will also investigate possible individual differences within this population, such as whether some chimpanzees tend to use certain tools more than others. Our findings will produce information on tool use in Ugandan chimpanzees, and the distribution of these behaviors across this community, to understand the roots of behavioral flexibility and human-like culture.

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Better Air Quality Outcomes in Southwest Detroit

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) works to fulfill the needs of the community by empowering its residents to engage and by providing a connection to important resources. SDEV works with industrial corporations, businesses, and residents to address environmental pressures and concerns, specifically air pollution. Residents of Southwest Detroit live in the middle of industry and are exposed to bad air quality that leads to asthma, lead poisoning, strokes, heart attacks, and more. Even more significantly, these high impact areas correlate to more COVID fatalities as a result of these pre-existing conditions. SDEV recognizes that these high impact areas are primarily urban areas of color and that environmental and racial justice go hand in hand. To combat this issue, SDEV is working to propose a revised truck route to reduce truck traffic on residential streets and to increase enforcement of Detroit’s Anti-Idling Ordinance. SDEV has compiled a list of community members willing to host cameras and air-quality monitors at their residences collecting data relating to pollution levels. This data will be used in the proposal to revise the truck routes in order to better protect the health and wellbeing of the community. SDEV also fosters civic engagement and advocates for environmental policy. This is done by organizing residents to talk to their representatives who vote on the policies that affect them. Through these efforts, SDEV is able to engage the community and make deep and impactful changes that lessen environmental pressures. SDEV works to ensure that the residents come first and their concerns are being heard and met.

Better Air Quality Outcomes in Southwest Detroit Read More »

Better Air Quality Outcomes in Southwest Detroit

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) works to fulfill the needs of the community by empowering its residents to engage and by providing a connection to important resources. SDEV works with industrial corporations, businesses, and residents to address environmental pressures and concerns, specifically air pollution. Residents of Southwest Detroit live in the middle of industry and are exposed to bad air quality that leads to asthma, lead poisoning, strokes, heart attacks, and more. Even more significantly, these high impact areas correlate to more COVID fatalities as a result of these pre-existing conditions. SDEV recognizes that these high impact areas are primarily urban areas of color and that environmental and racial justice go hand in hand. To combat this issue, SDEV is working to propose a revised truck route to reduce truck traffic on residential streets and to increase enforcement of Detroit’s Anti-Idling Ordinance. SDEV has compiled a list of community members willing to host cameras and air-quality monitors at their residences collecting data relating to pollution levels. This data will be used in the proposal to revise the truck routes in order to better protect the health and wellbeing of the community. SDEV also fosters civic engagement and advocates for environmental policy. This is done by organizing residents to talk to their representatives who vote on the policies that affect them. Through these efforts, SDEV is able to engage the community and make deep and impactful changes that lessen environmental pressures. SDEV works to ensure that the residents come first and their concerns are being heard and met.

Better Air Quality Outcomes in Southwest Detroit Read More »

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