Research Scholars – Page 2 – UROP Spring Symposium 2021

Research Scholars

Examining Resistance in Military Occupations

The original research project in my first year of UROP was a historical analysis of different wars throughout history using factors outlined in Dr. Marcum’s research to determine whether a military occupation occurred, and then to determine whether or not the occupation failed. The current project is my independent research idea that looks at the military occupations from the perspective of the occupied countries rather than the occupiers. My initial goal of the project was to examine various cases of occupations and any instances of resistance from the occupied countries to figure out a framework for analyzing types of resistance. I used previous research done on resistance for occupations in Korea and Taiwan in Japan as my background research. In Resistance to alien rule in Taiwan and Korea (Hechter, Mateson, Hale 2009), the article conducts a comparative analysis of Japanese colonial rule in Korea versus Taiwan and how different factors of the colonial rule affected the duration and strength of the resistance in these two countries. Using this previous research, I examined resistance in the Mexican-American American War in 1846-1848 and the French Indochina War of 1858-1862 to see how the resistance strategies compared, and identified what factors contribute to the differences in resistance.

Effects of Social Determinants of Health on Infant Mortality in Washtenaw and Wayne County

Infant mortality is the death of an infant within the first year of life, and this is a very useful indicator of population health. The United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among developed countries, and while the reason for this remains unclear, it is hypothesized that social determinants of health play a large role. Social determinants of health are conditions in the lives of people that affect health risks and outcomes. It is still unclear how these determinants influence infant mortality, and which determinants have the most influence. In Michigan, the infant mortality rate as of 2018 was 6.8 deaths per 1,000 live births (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2018). This puts Michigan high on the spectrum within the United States, and just as these rates differ by country, they also differ by state and even county. It was hypothesized that by studying two counties with different infant mortality rates, the difference could be attributed to the social determinants of health that vary among these populations. Therefore, if it can be determined that particular determinants have a more significant influence on infant mortality rates, then vulnerable populations can be more easily identified, and implementation efforts can be better catered to these populations and their disadvantages. Infant mortality data were collected from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services from 2010-2018 for both Washtenaw and Wayne County, Michigan. Additional data were collected from the United States Census Bureau from 2010-2018 regarding social determinants such as poverty rate, unemployment rate, uninsured rate, race, and education level for both counties. After performing a series of calculations including linear regressions and logistic regression curves to find odds ratios, no correlation was found between the infant mortality rates and any of the determinants. Therefore, it can be concluded that one social determinant of health is unlikely to be a good predictor of infant outcomes. Instead, high infant mortality rates are likely a result of interactions between several determinants that, together, increase an infant’s risk. Therefore, simultaneous targeting of multiple determinants is necessary to implement meaningful interventions.

Roles of Migratory Neural Crest Cells in CHARGE Syndrome

CHARGE Syndrome is characterized by a number of congenital abnormalities (Coloboma of the eye, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth, Genital abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities). The primary cause of CHARGE is mutations of the gene CHD7 (Chromodomain Helicase DNA binding protein 7). One of the main hallmarks of CHARGE is deafness, but the etiology of hearing loss in CHARGE is unknown. Defects in neural crest derived tissue has been linked to other aspects of CHARGE syndrome. Here we look at the connection between CHD7 mutations and their effect on neural crest cell migration in the development of the inner ear. We used a neural crest specific CHD7 knockout mouse line (Wnt1Cre2;Chd7flox/flox) to observe the migration of neural crest cells in tissue sections. We found that CHD7 loss in neural crest cells does not impair their migration to the developing inner ear. Work is ongoing to determine if the development of neural crest-derived glial cells is impaired in the Chd7Gt/+ mouse model of CHARGE syndrome. Collectively, these studies improve our understanding of CHD7 in neural crest development in CHARGE syndrome.

Imaging of the effects of GLP-1 on pancreatic ilets (morphometry, in vivo imaging…)

GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like protein-1. The GLP-1 is an incretin mostly secreted by intestinal epithelial endocrine L-cells, which are the cells lining the inside of the large intestine. It is secreted into the bloodstream when a meal is eaten. GLP-1 travels through the bloodstream to influence many different organs in our body such as our brain, liver, and pancreas. This research focuses on how GLP-1 affects islets in the pancreas. Since the GLP-1 protein has the ability to decrease blood sugar levels by promoting the production of insulin, the protein has been a topic of interest for pharmacological research. GLP-1 is currently being used in treatments for type 2 diabetes. The effects of the GLP-1 protein are known in adults, however, nothing is known about GLP-1 influence during development. This project investigates the effects of the GLP-1 protein on islets in the pancreas during development. We hypothesize that mice without GLP-1 receptors will have less islet cell mass and less proliferation. If there is no difference between pups with GLP-1 receptor and without the GLP-1 receptor, we expect to see no difference in mass nor proliferation of cells. Not much research has been done on the effects of GLP-1 during embryonic development, which is what this project is attempting to uncover. Further exploring this protein’s effect on islet activity in developing pups can supply the field with more important information.

Mimicking the Architecture and Modulus of Native Brain Tissue onto Neural Implants to Improve Biocompatibility

The objective of this project is to increase longevity of microelectrodes, identify biomarkers to isolate the cause of neuroinflammation, and to analyze large banks of collected data using machine learning Matlab scripts. The data used for this project is collected from two groups of mice, wild type and CD14 knockout (mice with the CD14 gene repressed). Surgeries were conducted on both groups and data was collected two weeks after. Matlab scripts utilized machine learning to analyze the data and isolate patterns of unusual fold changes compared to set upper and lower standards (ie. 0.01 and 1). The scripts utilized to identify biomarkers are unique to this lab and the theory behind them have broad possible applications for other data analysis based on an initial condition to separate data with specific trends. Specific to our research, we find patterns in the up and down regulated genes and compare the mean fold change between different data groups. This project is a continuous work in progress – our goal is to continue to further narrow down the gene targets and identify more specific biomarkers to better target with therapeutic drugs. With successful identification, we hope to be able to decrease the inflammatory reaction due to insertion and increase the efficiency of intracortical microelectrodes. Developing a way to stop or mitigate the inflammatory response would increase the lifespan of devices that rely on the recording capabilities of microelectrodes. From prosthetic devices to increasing the understanding of the human brain, a decrease in the inflammatory response creates a longer period of time for a stable signal, meaning more opportunities for microelectrode applications.

Team Mental Models

Jessica Zhu Pronouns: she, her, hers Research Mentor(s): Walter Lasecki, Assistant Professor Research Mentor School/College/Department: Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering Presentation Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021 Session: Session 4 (2pm-2:50pm) Breakout Room: Room 2 Presenter: 5 Event Link Abstract For privacy concerns this abstract cannot be published at this time. Authors: Jessica Zhu …

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BME Career Exploration: Examining Students’ Connection with the Field

Historically, BME undergraduate programs have been successful in exposing students to the broad spectrum of knowledge required to adequately address problems in engineering and medicine. While this has allowed for flexibility in the careers that undergraduate biomedical engineers can enter, many BME students believe that the broad curriculum can lead employers to perceive them as underprepared to enter industry positions upon graduation. Recent studies have validated this concern as BME students report fewer co-op and industry internship placements pre-graduation, enter the job market with fewer available jobs seeking BME graduates, and receive lower average annual salaries than other engineering disciplines. However, despite the challenges, students continue to pursue and persist through BME undergraduate degrees. If the perception is that their options are limited in industry, it is important to identify and understand the careers that students view as attainable and choose to pursue. To explore what students perceived as possible for a career upon graduation and how students understand possible careers in BME, this longitudinal study examined changes in BME students’ career aspirations over time. Fourteen (14) undergraduate BME students were interviewed three times over the course of their third year at a large R1, public university. A qualitative, open-coding approach to identify patterns of change at the individual and group levels. Findings indicated that most participants had a narrow initial view of possible careers in the field. Over the course of the study, changes in participants’ understanding of career possibilities were observed based on if they had already decided what career they wished to pursue or not. For those who had not decided on a career yet, concrete exposures to possible BME careers were important to their development of more optimistic BME career outlooks. Suggestions for future research to more broadly understand BME students’ career exploration is also presented.

The Paradise Theater (1941-1951): African American Movie Palaces and the 1943 Racial Uprising in Detroit

Among scholars, there is a consensus that movie theaters catering to African American audiences in the United States operating in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s were characteristically sub-par to theaters catering to white audiences. The dominant narrative in media history maintains that so-called Black theaters were always last-run (in other words, they did not receive movies until all other theaters had finished screening them), with less sophisticated architecture and decor than theaters predominantly for white patrons. In short, every element of Black movie-going during this period–from theater location to its decor and the contents onscreen–is understood to have reminded persons of color of their second rate citizenship in Jim Crow America (to paraphrase seminal exhibition scholar Douglas Gomery). However, characterizations such as these are extremely limiting and do not adequately account for the range of theater-going experiences available to African Americans. This is especially true in cities in the American Midwest and Northeast, including Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., which contained what is best described as Black movie palaces, providing most of the luxuries of deluxe theaters catering primarily to white audiences and operating on an ideology of cultural uplift.

Gene Editing for Combating Disease: Biology

The use of non-viral vectors to deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 complex to target cells is beneficial as they can potentially negate the immunological response that a host may have to the viral vector used in the present. In order to validate this, one must first identify the optimal guide RNA for the Cas9 complex to the target DNA sequence, which is done through PCR amplification and gel electrophoresis. The next phase is to image the cells by immunofluorescence. The transfected cells were then compared to the baseline cells to visualize the effects that the CRISPR/Cas9 complex on the cells.

Gene Editing for Combating Disease: Biology

The use of non-viral vectors to deliver the CRISPR/Cas9 complex to target cells is beneficial as they can potentially negate the immunological response that a host may have to the viral vector used in the present. In order to validate this, one must first identify the optimal guide RNA for the Cas9 complex to the target DNA sequence, which is done through PCR amplification and gel electrophoresis. The next phase is to image the cells by immunofluorescence. The transfected cells were then compared to the baseline cells to visualize the effects that the CRISPR/Cas9 complex on the cells.

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