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Passion Project: Maternal Mortality in the United States and Georgia
No full textThere has been a lack of research and discussion regarding the topic of maternal mortality within the United States, especially in regards to women of color. The point of this presentation is to bring forth awareness of the issue that is plaguing this country. To effectively do this, the presentation shows statistics throughout numerous years and how rates of maternal mortality have consistently grown. This presentation also specifically highlights Georgia, as Georgia has the second highest rate of maternal mortality in the country, just behind Louisiana. There’s also discussion regarding the higher rates of death in women of color and centers around racism within the medical system. Through an interview with a labor and delivery nurse, this presentation brings forth the views of a woman working with mothers consistently and witnessing the truth behind postpartum deaths. There’s also the use of different government agencies and nonprofits to help spread awareness in regards to the problems discussed. https://sites.google.com/view/passion-project-miller-ansley?usp=sharin
Using Multi-Step Synthesis for the Production of Hydrogels with Adhesive Properties
No full textHydrogels are composed of networks of hydrophilic polymer chains, which make great in aqueous environments and extremely biocompatible. Today, hydrogels are being used for controlled drug delivery, fluid control, nerve regeneration and tissue engineering.1 This undergraduate research project will demonstrate the experimental design and multi-step synthesis for the production of remote-activated, polyacrylamide hydrogels utilized for wound care. The first step is the synthesis of the DOPA derivative monomer, N-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenethyl) methacrylamide (DMA). This was achieved by reacting the starting material dopamine hydrochloride and methacrylic anhydride with reaction mediators, sodium tetraborate decahydrate and sodium bicarbonate. The second step in the synthesis was a free radical polymerization of acrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide and, N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl) methacrylamide, with azobis- (isobutyronitrile) as a catalyst under a nitrogen atmosphere to synthesize poly(dopamine-methacrylamide-co-N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide). Followed by the final step with the gelation of a hydrogel composed of the synthesized polymer in a pH sensitive complex with aqueous iron (III). To allow for remote deterioration of the hydrogel structure through exposure to intense UV radiation, a photoacidproducer was added to the hydrogel. The presentation will highlight the experimental methodology and results of the project
Theatre Regulation Act
No full textWith censorship of the arts becoming more prevalent everyday, I wanted to research the history of censorship in theater. The Theatre Regulation Act censored theatre in Britain from 1843 to 1968. One person, called the Lord Chamberlain, had the power to change or ban plays as he saw fit, in order to promote British ideals. He could censor costumes, stage directions, gestures, sound and lighting effects, and the set along with the script. This led to major censorship of queer representation and feminist ideals. To get around the censors, some theatres would organize subscription series, which would not be available to the general public, and thus be exempt from the Lord Chamberlain\u27s censorship. The Theatre Regulation Act was abolished in 1968, but not because parliament wanted to free theatres. Parliament felt like young people were no longer getting their ideas from theatre, and were now getting their ideas from television
Catalysts, Consequences, and Personal Narratives: A Holistic Analysis of Nigerian Migration
No full textMy presentation will delve into the intricate landscape of migration in Nigeria, detailing the catalysts, consequences, and individual experiences that influence immigration and emigration. My research details the economic factors behind migration, specifically focusing on Nigeria\u27s brain drain in the healthcare sector, as well as remittances in the country\u27s GDP. Highly skilled workers emigrating from Nigeria is one of the leading causes of instability in the country. Other factors that contribute to the instability are the country’s political turmoil, climate change, and lack of natural resources. Emigration from Nigeria is driven by political controversy and climate change. Recent elections were fraught with corruption, and the Nigerian people lack confidence in their governing body. Because a significant portion of Nigeria consists of nomadic tribal communities, the lack of natural resources creates tension. Although emigrating is a beneficial option for some, family loyalty is incredibly strong among Nigerian tribes, and the choice to leave can have negative impacts on tribal relations and family bonds. My research is unique because it utilizes a personal account to explore the issues of immigration and emigration in Nigeria, colloquially referred to as a “global villager.” By following the life of my villager, Dara Umar, I created a narrative supported by research to approach the immigration crisis from a human perspective and detail the emotional and practical challenges faced by migrants. To thoroughly understand this multifaceted topic, one must also understand the cultural perspectives surrounding emigrating from Nigeria. When analyzing the intricate immigration processes through a personal lens, I utilized interviews, podcast episodes, and various narratives of Nigerians who either had immigrated from Nigeria, or had remained in the country after other family members left. This study offers a unique perspective on migration in Nigeria and provides a dynamic portrayal of the issues migrants face
Non-canonical Messenger RNA Translation in Human Cells.
No full textIn eukaryotes, including humans, translation of the genetic message is an essential process that needs to be carefully controlled. Cells have procedures to measure conditions and can accordingly promote or block mRNA translation for protein synthesis. Normally, mRNA translation requires a series of steps - (a) recognizing the mRNA 5’ end, (b) assembly of translation factors and the pre-initiation complex, and (c) scanning to find the start signal. This multi-step initiation process allows efficient control of translation, a resource-hungry process that is turned off when cells have other priorities. However, some genes defy the cells\u27 priorities and continue making proteins when most genes have been turned off due to cellular stress. This phenomenon is broadly defined as non-canonical translation. Our goal is to investigate the role of RNA structure and interactions in non-canonical translation. To achieve this, we apply the SHAPE-MaP chemical probing strategy – a technology that allows us to determine the folding patterns of regulatory RNA regions. Here we describe the SHAPE-MaP methodology and present structure probing data for a control RNA and a target regulatory RNA, the RPA2 (Replication protein A2) mRNA 5’untranslated region. RPA2 has been reported to undergo non-canonical translation however the mechanism remains poorly described. Our work aims to fill a critical gap in understanding the regulation of RPA2 gene expression, which not only plays a role in normal cellular processes but is also implicated in cancer development. Our work is still at a preliminary stage, but already we have implemented many innovative technologies including human cell culture, RNA extraction & quantitation, reverse-transcription, PCR, library preparation, and next-generation sequencing. In future experiments, we will compare initial RNA structure analysis with live cell conditions under distinct types of cellular stress. We also describe the experimental design for an upcoming validation study using dual luciferase reporter assays
Taylor Swift\u27s Effect on the Attitudes of NFL Fans
No full textThis year’s Super Bowl, Super Bowl LVIII was hosted at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event took place on Sunday, February 11th. The two teams that competed for the title were the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, and the Chiefs came out on top. This year’s NFL season and seasons moving forward are extra controversial as pop culture is brought into the picture. The famous music artist Taylor Swift is now dating the Kansas City Chief’s tight end, Travis Kelce. How is Taylor Swift and her fan base affecting the attitudes of NFL fans around the country? Taylor Swift’s massive audience consists of mostly women; more specifically, young women. This is a demographic that would normally be considered the minority when it comes to those who watch the NFL, and more specifically, the Super Bowl each year. But an estimated of 47.5% of viewers from Super Bowl LVIII were women, around 5 million more than last year. Since Taylor Swift is dating one of the competitors in the NFL, there are hundreds of thousands of extra Chief’s supporters coming from her fan base. The number of women who watch the NFL and view the Super Bowl is rapidly increasing each year, but due to this added controversy there was an all-time high of female viewers for this event. This study was conducted using a mixed methods approach that will begin with an exploratory, qualitative study which will be followed by a quantitative study
An Exploration of the Prostate Cancer Survivorship Experience of Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States
No full textAn Exploration of the Prostate Cancer Survivorship Experience of Sub-Saharan African Immigrants in the United States Rae WB¹, Van Voorhis, K¹, Kaninjing E¹, ¹School of Health and Human Performance, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA, USA Background: Prostate cancer (CaP) is a significant public health problem affecting men globally. In 2020, there were over 1.4 million new cases, making it the second most commonly occurring cancer in men worldwide. While CaP disproportionately affects men of African ancestry research studies often characterizes men of African descent as a homogenous group: Black. Subpopulations, such as sub-Saharan African immigrants (SSAI) in the US, are 1.5 times more likely to develop CaP compared to US born blacks. Health behaviors, cultural beliefs, and lived experiences of SSAI may be contributing factors to these disparities. With a 5-year relative survival rate of 97%, men are living longer after CaP diagnoses. This study aimed to explore the survivorship experiences of SSAI living in the US. Methods: 16 SSAI including CaP survivors aged 40 to 70 years participated in this qualitative study guided by Grounded Theory and the NIMHD Framework. A purposeful sampling was employed to ensure diversity in socioeconomic status, age, duration of stay in the US and country of origin. One-on-one interviews were conducted and transcribed, followed by a two-step verification process. Nvivo 12 was utilized for open, axial, and theoretical coding. Results: This study identified four major trends affecting survivors: (a) the impact of CaP on sexual health, (b) emotional health, (c) dietary changes, and (d) changes in physical activity. Participants reported CaP has reduced their ability to perform sexually, which in some cases, resulted in marital strife. Furthermore, major triggers of declining emotional health were mentioned by survivors including partner rejection and difficulties acculturating. Dietary changes were especially difficult due to the major change in available foods options in the US versus their home country. Multiple survivors expressed the hardship of limited access to fresh, healthy foods compared to unhealthy food options, making it challenging for them to have a healthy diet. Lastly, some survivors found it harder to be physically active in the US compared to their home country due to lifestyle, environment, and cultural differences. For instance, in the US, motorized vehicles are the most utilized form of transportation, but in most sub-Saharan African countries, walking is more common. Without walking, it is challenging for some survivors to achieve their physical activity goals in the US. Conclusion: This research illuminates how the CaP survivorship and acculturation experience are heavily intertwined, influencing one another. This interwoven relationship can be utilized in healthcare to facilitate improved CaP survivorship outcomes and to increase other positive health outcomes for SSAI. Key Words: African immigrants, survivorship, prostate cancer, sexual health, emotional health, diet, physical activity. Funding Source: This study is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (1R15MD017012-01A1). This study is also part of the Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC) network
The efficacy of direct reading instruction on reading comprehension
Get PDFExamining the Efficacy of Direct Reading Instruction in Improving Reading Comprehension Skills Among Struggling Secondary Readers
This researcher in this study researched the effectiveness of direct reading instruction in improving comprehension skills among struggling secondary readers. There are many students on a secondary level that is unable to read on grade level. As a result, educators have been tasked with closing large gaps in a short period of time. This study used a mixed method research design, to determine the effectiveness of direct reading instruction for struggling readers and their perceptions regarding the implemented reading intervention. The following questions were the origin of this study: What are the effects of the direct reading instruction on measured reading comprehension with struggling readers? What are students’ perceptions regarding the efficacy of direct reading instruction on reading comprehension? Quantitative data was an assessment of students reading comprehension skills and the qualitative approach of student perception of the intervention. Quantitative was collected via a pre and post assessment via the Read 180 application. The pre assessment took place before the direct instruction was given, so that the researcher would have data showing students deficits. The post assessment occurred after the instruction and interventions were administered, as a result the research would have data to support or not to support the direct reading instruction. Close reading was the main direct instruction used, and participants received various assignments that were directly related to deficits. Qualitative data was gathered from individual interviews with each participant. The researcher hopes that the results will reflect an improvement in student reading comprehension lexile
Development and Evaluation of a Mitochondrial DNA Marker for the Detection of Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus Fecal Contamination
Get PDFConfidence as a Predictor of True or False Memories for Lies
No full textA wealth of research has shown that false memories can result from erroneous eyewitness reports (e.g. Zaragoza et al., 2006). Additionally, recent research has shown that confidence on false reports can be high when involving insertions of elements on key events (Faucz et al., 2021). Instead of looking at the confidence of participants when misinformation was given to them, we wanted to look at the confidence of participants when they generated misinformation themselves through lying. This study researched confidence as a predictor of participants’ memories as true or false for the false details they had previously lied about. Participants were assigned to watch a twenty-minute video on a bank robbery. After watching the video, they were given a questionnaire of 16 questions. Eight of these questions were asked about things in the video that happened, and the participants were told to answer truthfully. Eight of the questions asked about things in the video that never happened, and the participants were instructed to create believable lies as a response to the questions. Some of the participants were presented face to face with another individual asking them questions about the video, while others were presented with the questions on a computer. Participants then returned four weeks later to receive three different tests, in which they were instructed to answer all the questions truthfully. The test we looked at specifically asked them about their confidence in whether they think the events happened in the video. Their confidence was rated on a point slider from not at all confident to extremely confident, which was later converted to a numerical value. We wanted to see if there was a difference in confidence between questions they got correct and questions they got incorrect