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The Role of Shot in Spermatogenesis
Get PDFThe biological process known as spermatogenesis is how sperm cells develop. Our study looks at the role of the short stop (shot) protein, which encodes a spectraplakin protein involved in regulating microtubules and actin. Shot’s function in Drosophila ovaries is well-known, but its role in spermatogenesis remains unexplored. Given the importance of microtubules and actin in sperm maturation, we believe that Shot coordinates their activity in the testes. To research this, we reduced Shot protein levels in testes somatic cells using RNA interference (RNAi) and GAL4/UAS system. By crossing tj-Gal4 flies with UAS-shot-RNAi flies, we can examine the effects of reduced Shot levels in spermatogenesis. The testes dissected, fixed, immunostained, and imaged using confocal microscopy to see the impact of Shot reduction on spermatogenesis. Preliminary data suggests that a decrease in Shot protein negatively affects sperm development. However, future studies must be conducted to prove this further
Enhancing Personal Writing Using Artificial Intelligence: Does Creativity Influence the Usability of Artificial Intelligence Interfaces?
Get PDFCreativity, the ability to use imagination to solve complex problems (Kupers et al., 2018), is essential for prosperity. Many questions remain about how AI affects human creative capacity and control (O’Toole, 2024). In this study, we will evaluate whether human creativity impacts the creativity of AI generated text. Using performance-based measures of intelligence and creativity, we will assess human creativity and apply Semantic Distance methods to evaluate essays written with and without the assistance of a static AI model (Reilly, Jamie, et al., 2022). This will allow us to examine how human-AI collaboration impacts the output from AI
Building Food System Resiliency and Sustainability: SES Urban Agriculture Internship
Get PDFThis poster presentation will outline the roles and responsibilities of an SES Urban Agriculture Intern, the ways in which it supports local food system efforts, and why it is essential to work for our community. Our production practices include growing mushrooms, managing greenhouse hydroponic/aquaponics systems, farmers market sales, and outdoor garden production. This internship develops leaders in the food system, teaches technical knowledge on sustainable cultivation, and aims to support urban agriculture efforts across Chicago
Practicing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Students in Temporary Living Situations
Get PDFIn the context of my social work internship, I interned at Sullivan High School in the Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) department. I practiced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and trauma-informed care one-on-one with students assigned to my caseload. This presentation will discuss the STLS department in Chicago Public Schools, strategies and techniques of CBT, and approaches to ensure the dignity and well-being of each student
Instruments for assessing patient-reported experience measures among patients with diabetes mellitus: a scoping review
No full textPurpose: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) management is increasingly focusing on patient-centered care, making patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) critical for understanding the subjective aspects of diabetes treatment and self-management. These measures differ based on cultural contexts and individual perspectives, leading different countries to the development of country-specific tools to assess care quality from the patient’s viewpoint. This review aimed to identify available instruments for assessing patient-reported experiences in individuals with diabetes and examine the different domains, items, and the validity and reliability of these instruments. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, and Scopus were searched for English-language articles without year limitations. This scoping review focused on PREMs that evaluate the quality of diabetes care among adolescent and adult patients with type 1 and type 2 DM. Studies that used patient expectation questionnaires, involved individuals not receiving care, or focused on patient-reported outcomes rather than experiences were excluded. Results: Eight articles from six countries representing different healthcare settings were included, mostly from developed countries. A variety of methodologies were used to develop these PREM instruments, with unique domains and items. Content analysis revealed five commonly measured domains: (1) care planning, (2) patient education, (3) professionalism, (4) quality of care, and (5) hospital care and transition, reflecting diverse patient experiences across healthcare services. Conclusions: This scoping review identifies a limited number of tools for evaluating PREMs in diabetes care, highlighting variability in their development and domain coverage. Five core domains are proposed across different settings, with an emphasis on culturally adapted measures to enhance the accuracy of patient experience capture in diverse populations
Benefits and challenges of collaborative networks addressing food system disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted food systems with disproportionate impacts on marginalized social groups, which in the USA included racial and ethnic minorities, working class families, immigrants, seniors, and people with disabilities, among others. The pandemic also greatly affected the operations of nonprofit organizations, which play important roles in disaster response. We explored how social networks supported non-profit organizations’ efforts to address increased food insecurity and food-related business disruptions during the pandemic in the Chicago region, IL, USA. We used mixed methods including a Social Network Analysis (SNA) of 48 organizations and their reported partners plus focus group discussions with representatives of 20 organizations to learn about their experiences. SNA revealed that partnership interactions occurred more often among organizations of similar type or within the same sector, although cross-sectoral interactions also took place. Over half of the interactions occurred through established relationships among organizations, while at least 32% of interactions involved newly created partnerships. Focus group participants reported that partnering with other entities was essential to implement program activities, increase resources (e.g., funding, volunteers, food and supplies for distribution, facilities or land), and expand outreach and services to broader audiences. Yet, participants also described challenges of collaboration, such as disrespectful treatment, inequitable workloads, and poor coordination among some partners. Building genuine relationships, clarifying roles, sharing resources equitably, and fostering trust through transparency and accountability were recommended for effective partnerships. Our results demonstrate the importance of social networks to overcome challenges caused by disasters and suggest directions for future research exploring how to foster cross-sectoral collaborations to create equitable, sustainable, and resilient food systems
Releasing the Imagination in Judiciary Education: Object-Based Inquiry in Civic Wellness.
No full textThis paper incorporates an interview between a curriculum specialist and a court judge that examines the value and influence of integrating esthetic education, specifically through object-based inquiry (OBI), into judiciary education. Esthetic experiences, when combined with reflective and thoughtful discussions, enhance legal professionals’ imaginative capacities, promoting fair, ethical decision-making. This interview addresses how OBI has great potential to inspire legal professionals to enrich their perspectives on structural inequities. Through engagement with art and artifacts, legal professionals have been exposed to a deeper understanding of implicit biases and have learned to rethink the myth of objectivity in their judgments and practices. Rooted in Maxine Greene’s esthetic theories, this interdisciplinary approach underscores the importance of arts-based inquiry in cultivating open-mindedness and promoting civic wellness within the legal system and museum education. The study requests expanding such pedagogical strategies to create a more inclusive and equitable educational environment
Situational safety: exploring the relationship of environmental change & sense of belonging for GSM students in academic-required internships
No full textThis research focused on recently enrolled undergraduates in programs including an academically required internship that bridges the transition between being a student at an IHE to being a professional in the field. Students who identify as LGBTQIA+ comprise a group referred to as Gender and Sexual Minorities (GSM) (Smalley, et al., 2018). The purpose of this research is to explore differences in the sense of belonging between students who identify as GSM their IHE versus experiences during their internship. The conceptual framework for this study draws on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943), Chickering’s seven vectors of student development (1969), and Vaccaro & Newman’s development of sense of belonging for privileged and minoritized students (2016). A new concept—Situational Safety—is introduced. When the same person experiences a change in a sense of safety in different environments, I refer to this phenomenon as Situational Safety. This may trigger a retreat to a lower level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Prior research on this topic to date is almost non-existent. Learning more about how this environmental change from the IHE to the internship may impact GSM students’ sense of belonging is a primary outcome. A modified version of the Sense of Belonging Instrument (SOBI) initially developed by Hurtado & Ponjuan in 1995—called the GSM SOBI tool—was utilized to collect data. Analysis included running a paired sample t-test on the scores for GSM students, comparing their sense of belonging ratings between on-campus and at the internship. The results of my study demonstrate that GSM students report a lower sense of belonging in the internship site compared with their on-campus experience. My findings also support key factors that may contribute to persistence, including the significance of one important person, and future research
Exploring the Ecological Relevance of Biotic and Abiotic Stressors in Structuring Legume Microbial Communities
No full textHeavy metal hyperaccumulation is prevalent throughout plant evolution, particularly in the legume family (Fabaceae), and acts as a presumed chemical defense against herbivory. However, heavy metal hyperaccumulation can have non-target impacts on other biological interactors including plant-microbe interactions. This information is important given the interest in utilizing hyperaccumulating plants for phytoremediation of anthropogenically contaminated soils. Here we employ a greenhouse experiment manipulating selenium level along with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing methods to explore the effect of selenium on the prokaryotic microbiome of the selenium hyperaccumulator Astragalus crotalariae and non-accumulator Astragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus. Regardless of hyperaccumulator status, both plant species accumulated high levels of selenium in leaf tissue when grown on soils with high selenium levels. The effect of selenium on the prokaryotic communities was slightly more pronounced in A. lentiginosus than in A. crotalariae, explaining ~5% more of the observed variation. This effect of selenium addition is seen most prevalently in A. lentiginosus root endosphere communities, in which selenate treatment impacted alpha diversity and whole community composition. Many individual microbes were affected by selenium addition; notably, an ASV identified as Allomesorhizobium, the nodulation-inducing genera of Astragalus spp., appeared in significantly less abundance in roots of A. lentiginosus plants grown on highly seleniferous soils. This project highlights the potential significance of ecological partners in heavy metal accumulating plants and the necessity of their consideration when using these plants for phytoremediation
Deciphering the Source of Escherichia Coli in Urinary Tract infections: A Comparative Metagenomic Analysis of the Female Urogenital Microbiome
No full textIn 2019, there was a 140.19% increase in deaths due to urinary tract infections (UTIs) compared to 1990, worldwide. One of the common uropathogens known to associate with UTIs in females is Escherichia coli. The prevailing belief is that E. coli in the bladder originates in the rectum, passing its way from the perineal, to the vagina, and finally into the bladder. Known as the Fecal-Perineal-Urethral (FPU) hypothesis, this “origin story” has been supported by several studies that have relied on genotyping or serotyping isolates collected from the bladder and rectum. Most notably, culturing isolates from samples has been central to these studies. Metagenomics avoids cultural biases, and to our knowledge, it has yet to be employed to test the FPU Hypothesis. Here I present a metagenomic study of the microbial diversity present at four anatomical sites, the bladder, periurethral, vagina, and rectum, collected from 19 female participants with E. coli-associated UTIs. Each of the site samples was amplified using three different types of media, which created 12 treatments for each participant. Each treatment was sequenced, and metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of E. coli in the bladder samples were created. Using these MAGs, we were able to generate MAGs for the other anatomical sites to ascertain if they represented the same strain as present in the bladder, signifying that the bladder E. coli strain is a recent acquisition from the rectum. Ten of the 19 participants clearly supported the FPU hypothesis; the same strain of E. coli was found at each site (ANI ≥ 99.99%). Three participants (1, 3, and 38) were missing data for one of the sites; however, the other 3 sites contained the same strain. For the remaining six participants, one or more of the sites had evidence of more than one E. coli strain present, and as a result, determining if the same strain was present was unclear, as separating these two strains posed significant bioinformatic challenges. Overall, we hypothesize that 10 of these participants show strong evidence, 6 may support, and 3 need new bioinformatic approaches to determine if the E. coli found in the bladder is a recent acquisition from the rectum