Interdisciplinary – Page 2 – UROP Summer Symposium 2021

Interdisciplinary

Tissue Crosstalk in Joint Injury

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a serious disease that results from joint injury. It is characterized by cartilage deterioration, synovial inflammation, and the formation of abnormal bone growths. The Wnt signaling pathway is an important biological process by which cells respond to external stimuli. Overactive Wnt signaling within the joint is known to take part in the progression of PTOA. R-spondin 2 is a protein secreted by cells into the extracellular matrix that functions as an agonist for the Wnt signaling pathway. While R-spondin 2 is known to activate Wnt signaling, little is known about its role in PTOA. Here, we aimed to better understand the contribution of R-spondin 2 in the overactivation of Wnt signaling and how this process contributes to PTOA pathology. We hypothesized that, given the pathological role of unchecked Wnt signaling in OA, adding additional R-spondin 2 would exacerbate joint degeneration in a mouse model of PTOA.

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Locally Charged: Centering Community Voices In Public Power

The effects of climate change will require a change in the tools needed to support the health of planet earth. One of the biggest changes needed is the switch from fossil fuels to using renewable energy for electric generation. Although climate change will impact everyone on earth in some ways, the impacts on low-income and minority communities are more likely to be severe. Residents in these communities already experience disproportionately high energy burdens and exposure to air pollution from fossil fuel sources.

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The Impact of Gain vs. Loss Frames on Decision Making: From Society to the Individual

The framing of mathematically equal outcomes as either a Gain or a Loss shifts decision-making in predictable ways. Prior research has focused on Gain versus Loss frameworks in the context of serious, societal-level decisions impacting whole communities. For example, in a study by Tversky and Kahneman (1981), participants were asked to choose between two social programs to address the outbreak of a serious disease. Program A presented a guaranteed outcome in terms of number of lives saved or lost, whereas Program B could only provide probability information and was thus “riskier.” When both programs were framed in terms of the number of lives saved (Gain condition), participants were significantly more likely to choose the guaranteed outcome. However, when both programs were framed in terms of number of lives lost (Loss condition), decision-making preference shifted toward the riskier program.

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“Méliès and the Modern World”

“Méliès and the Modern World” uses the affordances of new media to support the creation of new knowledge about early filmmaker Georges Méliès, who pioneered special effects and story films during the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth centuries. Ten years in the making, two books about Méliès are now about to move into production. One is an English translation of Méliès’ biography written with firsthand knowledge by the subject’s granddaughter, the late Madeleine Malthête-Méliès. The other is a research monograph written by the research mentor which examines the material culture of Méliès’ multimedia career.

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Optimizing a Daily Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Stress from Discrimination among Sexual and Gender Minorities of Color

This multiphase optimization study evaluate the effectiveness of different components of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress from discrimination among sexual and gender minorities (SGM) of color. Researchers have found that sexual and gender minorities of color are discriminated against based on race and/or sexual orientation status and/or gender.

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Optimizing a Daily Mindfulness Intervention to Reduce Stress from Discrimination among Sexual and Gender Minorities of Color

This multiphase optimization study evaluate the effectiveness of different components of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce stress from discrimination among sexual and gender minorities of color. Researchers have found that sexual and gender minorities of color are discriminated against based on race and/or sexual orientation status and/or gender.

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Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccine-associated Blood Clot Adverse Event Case Reports

Background: While COVID-19 vaccines are generally safe, they are occasionally associated with various adverse events (AEs). Recently the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (i.e Johnson and Johnson vaccine) has been reported to be significantly associated with blood clot, or thrombosis. The CDC/FDA Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has continuously collected various vaccine adverse events reported from the USA.

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Studying the effect of insulin gene mutation in proinsulin folding in pancreatic beta cells

Diabetes affects 27.8% of the US population. The disease alters the synthesis of insulin hormone that regulates glucose homeostasis. Pancreatic beta cells play a major role in the biosynthesis of insulin. There is a need to understand the biochemical pathway that permits the survivability of beta cells and their secretory pathway. Our laboratory studies how the misfolding of insulin precursor protein—“proinsulin” in beta cells affects insulin biosynthesis.

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Investigating the role of glucose metabolism in oncogenic STAT3 signaling in colorectal carcinoma

Via the article Colorectal cancer statistics, 2020, approximately 147,950 individuals were diagnosed with Colorectal Carcinoma (CRC) and 53,200 died from the disease in 2020. CRC, like many other cancers, activates signaling pathways to become more aggressive and deadly. STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) is a signaling pathway that promotes cell growth during normal development and cancer. The Shah lab has previously discovered that the STAT3 pathway plays a major role in promoting CRC growth. Interestingly, some CRC cell lines, like SW480 and HCT116, have high levels of p-STAT3 (a marker of STAT3 pathway activation) at baseline (without ligand stimulation). The Shah lab also found that glucose deprivation, but not the removal of amino acids or serum, decreased the activation of the STAT3 pathway in HCT116 and SW480 cells. We wanted to further explore the STAT3 signaling pathway in CRC cells and the interactions between signaling and metabolites in the CRC environment.

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Student Parents in Postsecondary Education: Relevant Policies and Practices

Student parents are a growing percentage of the college student population (Roy et al., 2018). For this group of nontraditional students, resources such as on-campus childcare, lactation spaces, and family housing are pertinent to balancing the demands of parenthood and school. However, recent studies (e.g., Kensinger & Minnick, 2018) have alluded to student parent invisibility in institutional policy and practice. In this study I examined inclusion of student parents in official university statements (i.e., policy), and access to information about, and availability of, student parent resources (i.e., practice). The study addresses three research questions: 1. Do public four-year universities & colleges include student parents in their non-discrimination &/or diversity statements? 2. For students who are parents, how easy is it for prospective and new university students to identify relevant resources? 3. Is the number of relevant resources related to inclusion of student parents in non-discrimination &/or diversity statements?

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