Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
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Modeling Drivers of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in HIV Transmission in Marginalized Communities in Chicago
No full textEnding the HIV/AIDS epidemic is a public health priority in Illinois, with the statewide Getting- to-Zero (GTZ) initiative aiming to reach a “functional zero” by 2030. Functional zero means that Illinois will report fewer than 100 new cases of HIV annually, the point where the HIV epidemic no longer sustain itself. Racial and ethnic minorities as well as sexual and gender minorities are disproportionately affected by HIV. More specifically, young Black and Latinx men who have sex with men (YMSM) as well as trans women (TW) are considered especially vulnerable to HIV infection. Given that Black YMSM have been found to engage in similar or even decreased rates of HIV risk behaviors compared to other racial groups, racial disparities within HIV transmission are unexplained by assessing individual-level behavior. This study uses a systems approach along with sexual network data to model interactions between concurrent individual-level risk factors for HIV transmission and the broader social and structural systems that shape them. This study aims to illuminate the drivers of racial and ethnic disparities within HIV infections in Chicago. The project also aims to identify targets for public health interventions that can prevent new HIV infections in these communities
Human In Vitro Modeling of Traumatic Brain Injury
No full textTraumatic brain injury (TBI) has been the leading cause of disability and death in young people, and there has been a search for a fitting model to understand the effects of trauma on the brain. To develop a TBI in vitro model that utilizes brain organoids, I utilized resin-based 3D printing to print a model and test how this model works on brain organoids. This research can provide an alternative to the current model to acquire and analyze data from brain organoids when traumatized (which delivers uniform displacement). Currently, I am analyzing the model’s performance using MATLAB to process recorded images and assess displacement, ensuring the model\u27s reliability in simulating trauma
Biocompatibility and Functional Impact of a Wireless Bladder Pressure System
No full textBladder dysfunctions in pediatric patients, specifically those with spina bifida, often lead to neurogenic bladder, which necessitates continuous monitoring. Traditional diagnostic methods like urodynamic studies(UDS) are invasive and only provide intermittent data, which limits long-term management. This study evaluates a transient wireless strain system for continuous bladder pressure monitoring, aiming to reduce patient discomfort and improve clinical outcomes.
Using a rodent model, bladder functionality and inflammatory responses following device implantation were assessed. Results indicate minimal changes in bladder pressure, with stable bladder compliance and leak point pressure over time, demonstrating no significant disruption to bladder function. Histological analysis showed consistent muscle content and vascularization, with no signs of bladder atrophy. Trichrome staining confirmed preserved tissue integrity, while immunohistochemistry staining for macrophages(CD68) and neutrophils(MPO) revealed no significant inflammatory response, suggesting biocompatibility of the device.
These findings support the potential of the wireless strain system as a non-invasive alternative to traditional monitoring methods, offering real-time, continuous data without compromising bladder function. This technology could significantly enhance clinical care for pediatric patients with urological dysfunctions, reducing reliance on invasive procedures and improving long-term health outcomes
Examining the Differences in Water Treatment Between Chicago and Evanston
No full textDrinking water is a critical component of peoples\u27 everyday lives, so it is critical that the quality of municipal tap water is accurately measured and adheres to contaminant limits. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) in 1991 to reduce exposure to lead and copper in drinking water, which can cause numerous health impacts like cognitive defects and liver damage. However, proper measurement of lead concentration remains difficult, especially in cities like Chicago and Evanston where lead service lines are ubiquitous. The 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements require sequential first- and fifth-liter samples. Our study collected water from households in Evanston and Chicago, who both draw water from Lake Michigan, but use different water treatment practices that are unknown to the public. Our study discusses the differences in concentrations of lead, copper, and other water contaminants taken through this revised sampling method. In our study, we identify significant differences in water quality between the two cities that are likely due to differences in water treatment practices, and discuss the implications of these results for optimal corrosion control strategies
The Search for High Velocity Water Masers in High-Mass Star-Forming Regions
No full textWater masers can be found in high-mass star-forming regions, where molecular, atomic, and ionized gas is present. In the ionized medium, free electrons interact with ions and emit photons that are then detected by radio telescopes such as the Very Large Array (VLA). For this project involving the search of these water masers, data from this telescope were accessed through an NSF ACCESS Jetstream2 virtual machine; the data were analyzed using a Jupyter Notebook and CASA (Common Astronomy SoNware ApplicaOons). IniOally, the project was to see if this method of searching for masers was funcOonal and accurate. Once this was proven successful, the aim of the project advanced to conduct a detailed search of water masers through various sources. The results of each of these searches are then compared with results from other papers that have been published to see if these results have been aRained before. While water masers were found, none of which were high-velocity, most of the results haven’t been present befor in published literature
Applying System Safety Engineering and Risk Management to LLM•based applications
No full textThe Math Helper is a Large Language Model (LLM) app that uses a chat interface to help students identify errors in their math work. It takes a picture of an attempted math problem or equation and the person\u27s question as input. The project aims to use the basics of system engineering within a safety context to explore its application in Artificial Intelligence (Al) applications within the project.
We used the System Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) methodology, a system safety engineering process,
to identify loss scenarios that could result from unsafe control actions and hazards. We turned these into requirements for the project to measure its safety and performance.
We are writing tests to determine the performance of the Math Helper. These tests included a Smoke Test that verifies the Math Helper\u27s basic functionality and stability in responses and a Pass Test that determines the reliability of LIM responses across multiple attempts, measuring consistency. We intend to use the results to determine if the Math Helper can be safely released to the public. These would be the next steps for this project, and in the future, this STPA methodology can be modified to work with other LLMs and Al agents
Breaking to Build
No full textThe internship represented a deliberate approach to creative Miring, challenging traditional boundaries of literary expression. At its core, the project sought to investigate how prose can transcend its conventional mediums and interact with other creative disciplines in meaningful ways. Grounded in contemporary theories of intermediality and transmedia storytelling, the methodology centered on creating original works is either inspired by previous artworks or reimagining them afterwards through different creative lenses. This process incorporates established techniques such as erasure, ekphrasis, found poetry, and others, which translate visual art into vivid literary descriptions. Through hands-on experimentation and reflective documentation, the project aimed to provide insights into innovative narrative development and encourage a more expansive understanding of What constitutes a written work in aincreasingly interconnected artistic landscape
Stereotypes & Assumptions: Unconscious Biases
Get PDFStudents will explore the concepts of stereotypes and assumptions by participating in a sensory activity that challenges them to reconsider how quick judgments can lead to incorrect conclusions. Through discussion, students will reflect on how this applies to real-life experiences with people and social groups
RIPPLE: Residue Interaction Prediction Pipeline with Language Embeddings
No full textProtein dynamics play critical roles in biological functions such as enzyme catalysis, signal transduction, and molecular interactions. Thus, dynamics become vital when modeling binding pocket stability during drug development. While experimental methods like X-ray crystallography, NMR, and Cryo-EM provide valuable structural insights, they remain time-consuming, expensive, and infeasible for complex protein types. Molecular dynamics simulations offer computational alternatives but demand substantial computational resources and time. Recent breakthroughs in protein structure prediction through deep learning models such as AlphaFold and ESMFold have revolutionized low-cost protein structure prediction; however, they fail to capture essential dynamic conformational changes. We introduce RIPPLE, a novel deep-learning framework that relies on ESM2-sequence-based embeddings to predict protein flexibility through Root Mean Square Fluctuation (RMSF) values to address these limitations. Our approach extracts Cα coordinates and residue sequences from protein structures to generate contextually rich embeddings using the ESM2 pre-trained language model. RIPPLE then processes these embeddings through multi-head attention mechanisms to capture long and short-range interactions between residues. Finally, RIPPLE uses the attended embeddings to predict RMSF values at the residue level. By providing rapid and reliable protein flexibility predictions, RIPPLE enables more efficient drug discovery processes and deeper insights into protein function across diverse biological contexts
Exploring Th2 cytokine-driven ceramide enzyme expression and epidermal barrier dysfunction in an atopic dermatitis explant model
No full textAtopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder linked to immune dysregulation and ceramide deficiency. We used human skin explant models to investigate the role of the de novo ceramide synthesis pathway in AD pathogenesis. Skin explants were maintained at an air-liquid interface and treated for seven days with cytokines that drive the inflammation and itch of AD: IL-4/IL-13 alone, IL-4/IL-13 with IL-33 or IL-31, or IL-33/IL-31 alone. Epidermal spongiosis, a histological characteristic of AD, was increased in explant cultures treated with IL-4/IL-13, IL-33, and the combination of IL-4/IL-13 with IL-33 or IL-31, but not with IL-31 alone. Across all treatments leading to spongiosis, gene and protein expression of the early (DSG1) and late (FLG) differentiation markers was decreased, as in AD, as shown by real-time polymerase chain reactions and immunostaining, respectively. Gene expression of AD markers POSTN (encoding periostin) and CAII (encoding carbonic anhydrase) were dramatically increased by IL4/13 alone but not when IL-31 or IL-33 was added. SPTLC3 and SPTSSB expression, key enzymes for ceramide synthesis required for skin differentiation, were decreased by treatment with IL-4/IL-13 or IL-33 but not IL-31. These results suggest a role for the reduction of differentiation-related SPT complex components in AD and highlight explant cultures as models for inflammatory skin disease research and therapeutic testing