Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
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Analyzing PDF Uncertainties of Doubly Charged Higgs Boson Backgrounds
No full textParton distribution functions (PDFs) inform the behavior of particle interactions, but since they are experimentally determined, understanding their impact on simulation is crucial to take into account. In this experiment, we focus on how PDFs impact the background estimates of particle simulations. We analyzed 100 different PDF weight sets on the background involved in doubly charged Higgs interactions, such as ZZ decay and Drell-Yan. By adjusting the weights of the same-sign lepton mass histograms, we can better understand the impact of PDF uncertainties, enhancing the precision of simulated backgrounds and boosting sensitivity in searches for the doubly charged Higgs boson. This relationship underscores the importance of merging theoretical frameworks with innovative analysis techniques for advancing particle physics research
Same Sign Lepton Jet Filtering for Usage in Control Region Calculation
No full textSome current dark sector theories predict the existence of a dark photon that interacts with the Standard Model (SM) particles through kinetic mixing. Searching for the existence of the dark photon could have implications for understanding the nature of dark matter and the legitimacy of the theories predicting it. Dark photons are theorized to primarily decay into lepton jets. Our background comes primarily through Drell-Yan interactions. In both scenarios, the leptons in the jets produced must be of opposite charge. However, since Drell-Yan occurs very rarely at the low energy levels of dark photons, much of the background is caused by factors such as charge mismeasurement, photon fakes, or pileup events. In our analysis, we look into the effects on the sensitivity of our Monte Carlo simulations based on the implementation of an opposite-sign lepton jet filter. We further analyze the properties of same-sign lepton jets to use for a potential control region
Luminosity Data as a Proxy for Evaluating Different Carbon Tax Systems
No full textIn addressing the increasingly urgent issue of climate change, policymakers around the world turn to carbon taxes as a primary initiative. However, in the status quo, the effectiveness of these various carbon tax systems is extremely contested, largely due to the variety of methods used to measure the effectiveness of said taxes and the high error rates associated with these methods. This paper utilizes the new approach of looking at luminosity data, which is the brightness of artificial light to provide more data on how carbon tax systems change the rate of emissions in various countries. By offering more data on the effectiveness of these important kinds of policies, this paper hopes to offer some guidance to policymakers seeking to implement a carbon tax
5-hydroxymethylcytosine and TET Enzymes in Neuroblastoma
No full textOne of the hallmarks of aggressive neuroblastoma is amplification of the MYCN oncogene which defines groups of patients with poor prognosis. The Applebaum Lab has shown that in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, 5-hmC (a DNA modification of open chromatin placed by the Ten-Eleven Translocation (TET) proteins) and H3K27me3, a marker of closed chromatin, co-localize. This co-localization results in the repression of genes that would lead to non-malignant differentiation if expressed. We hypothesized that an improved understanding of these mechanisms would allow us to target pathways that promote aggressive neuroblastoma. To test this, we knocked out TET2 and TET3 proteins in SK-N-BE2 neuroblastoma cell lines using a lentivirus CRISPR vector system to deliver Cas9 and sgRNAs. After confirming knocking out the TET 2/3 proteins, we found a weaker presence of 5-hmC among the cells. We then measured cellular proliferation of three unique clones using the MTT assay and found that the SK-N- BE2 cell lines were extremely confluent. This interfered with the results of our MTT assay and more testing is needed to form a conclusion. Thus, knockout of TET2 and TET3 proteins in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells reduced 5-hmC levels and potential impaired cellular proliferation, suggesting that targeting these proteins may be a promising therapeutic strategy
Characterizing the H-Orbit Decomposition of the Symmetric Spaces for the Special Orthogonal Group Over a Finite Field in Dimension 3
No full textIn this paper, we characterize the General and Extended Symmetric Spaces of the Special Orthogonal Group of 3 by 3 matrices over a finite field. Specifically, we use the fixed point group H to partition the sets of matrices that are unipotent, semisimple, or both in the Generalized Symmetric Spaces of SO(3, F q )
Local Availability of Medications for Opiate Use Disorder Across Chicago
No full textThe main public health initiatives to address the pandemic of lethal opiate overdoses have been to increase availability of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Despite expanded access, studies have demonstrated the existence of community-level barriers. To date, none have looked at MOUD availability in Chicago. In this project, we analyzed the availability of suboxone films, Narcan/naloxone, and naloxone standing order (SO) at community pharmacies in Chicago (collected via telephone audit conducted 3/1/23- 4/30/23) with relation to local rates of health insurance (Chicago Health Atlas) and neighborhood diversity (American Census Bureau) using hierarchical linear regression. The majority of Chicago zip’s have diverse populations (64% have no predominant race or ethnicity). However, rates of uninsured persons varied between zip codes classified as predominantly White (5), Black/AA (11), and Hispanic/Latino (4)(Whit
Microturbine Decarbonization with Machine-learning Regression Modeling
No full textAuthorities all across the world are trying to minimize carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and this decarbonization step is necessary if the global climate issue is to be resolved. Researchers at Argonne have modified a natural gas-burning microturbine to burn natural gas-hydrogen fuel blends with the aim to reduce CO2 emissions. Emissions and efficiency data are obtained viaexperiments performed at Argonne. This research project demonstrates the use of machine learning Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) approaches to build data-driven models of the microturbine system. The collected experimental data is used to train the GPR models. The models are then used to determine the optimal operational parameters of the microturbine that minimize harmful emissions while maximizing efficiency. This study uses multi-output regression and the model confidence intervals to evaluate the performance of the microturbine under the full range of operating parameters. This project also determines the extent to which CO2, CO, and NOx emissions are altered when hydrogen is used as a substitute for natural gas and will lead to future decarbonization prospects
The Context-dependent Effects of Fiber Fermentaon on Klebsiella Pneumonia Suppression
No full textThe gut-microbiome is a crucial part of the human digestive system, responsible for the regulation of metabolism as well as the immune system. Fiber and high fiber diets have been researched to understand their correlation with the health of the gut-microbiome. However, recent findings have shown that fiber can have additional health effects, such as inflammation, in certain populations (Wastyk et al., 2021). This unexpected result may stem from variations in individual microbiomes, influencing its interactions with dietary fibers and its resulting gut composition.
The Raman lab investigates creating diverse microbial communities in different metabolic backgrounds to define functional relationships. Their model focuses on engineered bacterial communities targeting the anbiotic-resistant pathogen, Klebsiella pneumoniae (Oliveira et al., 2024). I am working to investigate a small part of this process, specifically how dietary fiber influences microbial community function, hypothesizing that fiber fermentation varies based on metabolic background.
In the experiment, Klebsiella pneumoniae is cultured in five unique commensal gut strains, with several media conditions supplemented with various fibers. In reviewing the Klebsiella pneumoniae abundance and pH levels, the preliminary results indicated context-dependent effects of fiber fermentation on Klebsiella pneumoniae suppression. This highlighted the detailed interaction between fiber, microbial communities, and environmental factors
Synthesis of Novel Medicinal Compounds for Leishmaniasis Using DNDI’s Hit Compound DNDI0003202883
No full textLeishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that phlebotomine sandflies carry that typically affects impoverished tropical and subtropical regions, such as Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and southern Asian countries. Currently, 98 nations have endemic leishmaniasis (Bilal Zulfiqar et al., 2017). These sandflies carry protozoan parasites which can induce fever, weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and abnormal blood tests (World Health Organization, 2023).
This research explores the process of synthesizing benzoxazole amide derivatives as leishmaniasis leads. The synthesized compounds are to be processed and developed to find viable derivatives from DNDi’s hit compound DNDI0003202883 with potent in vitro and in vivo antileishmanial activity. We purified and worked up our compounds using thin-layer chromatography and column chromatography. The products were then subjected to IR and NMR testing. The aim was to create a Leishmaniasis remedy that is cost-effective, achieves high efficacy, and ensures safety for individuals with immunosuppressive conditions such as HIV, especially considering the drop in effectiveness of current treatments
Effect of Composition on Optical Properties of Bismuth Borate Glasses Doped with Europium Ions
No full textWe studied the optical properties of Eu-doped bismuth borate glass samples. A series of bismuth borate glass samples were prepared with variations in mole percentages per compound. These molar ratios were as follows: xBi2O3: (99-x)B2O3 : 1Eu2O3 where x = 30, 40, 50, 60 mol %. These mixtures were then melted, quenched, annealed, and polished to create four transparent glass samples. The density by Archimedes’ method and the refractive index by
Brewster’s Angle method were measured. The fluorescence spectra of rare earth ions and the optical absorption spectra were also recorded. Our results indicated a positive correlation between variation in density and refractive index with bismuth oxide concentration. The position of the intense Eu fluorescence peak reached a maximum around 40 mol %, indicating variation in Eu-O covalency. The area ratio indicates that the intensity of the intense peak decreases with bismuth oxide concentration. Optical band gap decreases with an increase in Bi2O3 concentration due to structural changes