Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
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Real-World Examples for Engaging Students in Chemistry
Get PDFWhat do consumer electronics, water treatment, and cooking all share? Chemistry! Use real-world examples to engage students in introductory chemistry topics such as the periodic table, bonding, chemical reactions, etc. This session will have an interactive discussion about how chemistry is important in everyday life and provide examples of activities and projects you can use in your classroom. Please share at least one idea about how you use real-world examples in your class
Enhancing Fracture Detection in Remote Settings: Evaluating the Efficacy of FIXUS AI Deep Learning Algorithms in Identifying Fifth Metatarsal Fractures Using Mixed-Quality X-rays
No full textIntroduction: Diagnosing fractures can be challenging in medical settings with limited expertise. Deep learning has shown promise but is restricted by image quality and. This study aims to develop a model to detect fifth metatarsal fractures using smartphone photos of radiographs. Method: A retrospective case-control study included patients \u3e18 years with fractures (n=1240) and healthy controls (n=1224). Three-view radiographs (anterior, posterior, lateral) were obtained from the Electronic Health Record (EHR). A smartphone dataset (SP) was created using smartphone images. Deep learning models with ResNet 152V2 architecture used EHR, SP, and a combined dataset. All models were tested on an SP-test dataset. AUROC and other metrics were calculated. Continuous data were presented as median (interquartile range), with p \u3c 0.05 considered significant. Results: The fracture group had a median age of 56 (36-68) years, while controls had 62 (51-72) years (p \u3c 0.001). Racial composition differed significantly (Fx: 84.8% white; NoF: 92.2% white; p \u3c 0.001). The SP model performed best (YI: 0.95, AUROC: 0.99). On SP-test data, the EHR model dropped (YI: 0.88, AUROC: 0.83), while SP and combined remained optimal. Conclusion: Deep learning models can detect fractures from smartphone photos, suggesting smartphone-trained models could aid diagnosis in resource-limited settings
Lassifying Bird Sounds and Music Genres Using Machine
No full textThis project focuses on classifying bird sounds and music genres using machine learning techniques. The BirdCLEF 2023 and GTZAN datasets are used to train and evaluate various machine learning models, including random forests, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and logistic/linear regression. The objective is to determine the most effective and efficient approach for audio classification by analyzing performance metrics such as accuracy, training time, and computational efficiency. Preprocessing steps involve noise reduction, feature extraction using Mel spectrograms and MFCCs, and data augmentation techniques such as time-stretching and pitch-shifting to enhance model generalization. Models are trained on diverse audio samples, and their classification performance is compared to identify the optimal method for each dataset. By improving automatic sound recognition, this research has practical applications in environmental monitoring for wildlife conservation and in music information retrieval for genre classification, recommendation systems, and music analysis
Comprehensive Substance Use Education Workshop for High School Caregivers
No full textPublic perceptions of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) are evolving, with teen AOD use rising in the U.S. About 75% of high school students have engaged in AOD use (Teen Substance, 2011). To address this, harm reduction offers a community-driven approach prioritizing safety, health, and dignity. Unlike abstinence-only models, harm reduction minimizes negative consequences by providing practical strategies and direct engagement with adolescents (Streimann, 2017). We facilitated 11 harm-reduction workshops for caregivers of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students. Schools can request workshops through CPS or by contacting I+HEAL Lab. Sessions, available in English and Spanish, cover reasons for adolescent substance use, common drugs, harm reduction vs. abstinence, and caregiver communication strategies. A pre-and post-workshop questionnaire measured knowledge changes, with 50 pre- and 29 post-assessments completed. These workshops equip caregivers and educators to support students with comprehensive, identity-conscious substance use education, fostering healthier school communities
Nucleolar Protein DDX18 plays a Role in Centromere and Heterochromatin Association to the Nucleolus
No full textDDX18 is a member of the DEAD-box RNA helicases. As a nucleolar protein, DDX18 helps maintain the stemness of cells through positively regulating ribosome synthesis. Higher expression of DDX18 is associated with tumor growth from multiple tissue origins. Proximity labeling in tandem with mass spectroscopy revealed interaction between DDX18 and centromeric protein CENPA. It has been previously demonstrated that centromeres and their assembly factors cluster around nucleoli. Here we investigate the role of DDX18 at nucleoli in the context of centromere structure and function. Suppression of DDX18 through siRNA transfection led to concomitant reduction of CENPA intensity at centromeres, as well as disruption of centromeric-nucleolar association. In addition to the effects of DDX18 suppression on CENPA and the centromere, the abundance of nucleoli per nucleus was increased without obvious changes in nucleolar area or structure. Furthermore, perinucleolar heterochromatin organization was also altered in a DDX18-depleted background. Studies are underway to further investigate the role of DDX18 in CENP-A loading along with nucleolar and perinucleolar heterochromatin organization
An Introduction to RSA Cryptography and its Applications
No full textThe purpose of this work is to present the mathematics and applications of RSA cryptography such that they are accessible to a reader without much background knowledge in number theory. We outline the mathematical foundations of RSA, starting with an introduction to modular arithmetic and the Euler totient function. We then elaborate on Euler’s Theorem, which forms the foundation for RSA. Additionally, we discuss current applications of RSA in the field of cybersecurity, and attempts to crack the system. The second purpose of this work is to present the details of algorithms associated with the RSA cryptosystem, such as the isPrime() function and methods to optimize said algorithms
CARENET–A Clinical Analysis and Reporting Enhancement Network
No full textIn recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)–developed primarily from the knowledge of T- cell immunoreceptor (TCR) signaling–have revolutionized the treatment of various cancers, offering newfound hope to patients. However, their usage is associated with a considerable incidence of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). While ICI-induced blockage of TCR inhibitory signaling pathways can successfully bolster anti-tumor immune response, it remains that as much as 40% of patients suffer irAEs in some capacity during treatment. These adverse effects range from manageable conditions like gastrointestinal irregularity to severe, life-threatening complications such as colitis and pneumonitis. With the delay of immunotherapy occurring in up to 73% of patients as a result of irAEs, accurate phenotyping and early detection of these adverse effects are critical for timely intervention. To rise to this pursuit, we introduce the Clinical Analysis and Reporting Enhancement Network, or CARENET. A HIPAA-compliant proactive monitoring aid in clinical environments, CARENET utilizes advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and knowledge representation to provide electronic health record (EHR) data-driven insights for commencing or in-progress ICI treatments. By utilizing vast repositories of data and providing answers to practitioner inquiries via powerful, detailed human-computer interaction (HCI), CARENET improves patient outcomes by enabling faster, more informed clinical treatment decisions
HOXB1Mutations Disrupt MEIS1-HOXB13 Mediated Tumor Suppression
No full textProstate cancer is the second most common cancer in men and ranks sixth in cancer-related mortalities. One avenue of research aims to demonstrate how mutations in the more clinically mutated HOXB13 affect MEIS1’s impact in regulating proteoglycans decorin and lumican in castration resistant prostate cancer. The lab has already demonstrated MEIS1-HOXB13’s role in impacting decorin and lumican; however, it is still unknown how mutations in HOXB13 can play a role in advanced disease. Thus, this research aimed to elucidate how these mutations impact tumor suppression. Prostate cancer cell lines, 22Rv1 and LAPC4, were modulated to either overexpress MEIS1 or have B13 knocked out of the genome. The cell lines were then infected with replacement HOXB13 genes with mutations of interest: G84E, Y88D, L144P, and X285K. Western blots and qPCRs were done to quantify decorin and lumican in both the in vivo samples and cell lines. It was found that mutated HOXB13 impacted MEIS1’s ability to regulate decorin and lumican levels at the transcription and protein level compared to control. This finding in vivo and in vitro was supported by an increase in tumor growth and cell line growth, demonstrating the mutation’s clinical relevance
A Review of Viable Cell and Macrophage Encapsulation Methods
No full textCell encapsulation is emerging as a method for many biomedical and technological applications. Previous studies have elaborated on the versatility of encapsulation, from tissue repair to an insulin therapy alternative for type-1 diabetes. The main issue lies in regulating the size and materials and ensuring the viability of the microcapsule inside the body. The minuscule size allows for easy flow and transportation to and inside the body, however, as a foreign object, the capsule is easily a target of the immune system, the triggering of which could harm immunocompromised people. Encapsulation must meet these high standards to be recognized as a reliable alternative to many cell therapies. This project focuses on testing various methods and materials used for cell and macrophage encapsulation and determining the conditions that produce viable results. We will look at traits such as the size of the capsules, the materials used, and the consistency and accuracy of the method. We will also describe the strengths and limitations of each method in the context of mass production, examining biocompatibility, drug compatibility, and uniformity. Finally, we will isolate the specific traits that prove to have the greatest potential and highlight their further uses and possible experimentation
In Vitro Investigation of Blood Glucose Association with Inflammation in Blood Samples
No full textChronic low-grade inflammation is often associated with impaired glucose metabolism and elevated blood sugar levels. Increases in blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) have been shown to trigger inflammatory pathways, leading to the increased production of cytokines. Prolonging hyperglycemia can lead to increased insulin resistance and the development of diabetes. This study aimed to develop an in vitro model to investigate the mechanism of hyperglycemic-mediated inflammatory signaling pathways using fresh whole blood samples from healthy individuals. Blood was taken from healthy adults (n=23) and exposed to varying glucose concentrations (+ 250 mg/dL (low dose), +500 mg/dL high dose), lipopolysaccharide (LPS, positive control), and saline (-negative control) for 4 hrs at 37 ⁰C. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated for qRT-PCR analysis to map changes in gene expression and immunofluorescence imaging. This study’s data showed that LPS significantly increases the release of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokines and gene expression (P\u3c0.05) compared to baseline. Despite an observed increase in IL-6 cytokine levels and gene expression following low and high-dose glucose treatments, findings were not statistically significant due to greater variability. This study offers valuable insights into the feasibility of utilizing fresh blood samples to investigate the mechanisms underlying glycemiainduced inflammation