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The Life of Marie Curie and Her Impact on Feminism in the Sciences
Get PDFChemist Marie Curie had an incredible impact on the field of chemistry by discovering radium and polonium and being the first person to win two Nobel Prizes - one in physics and one in chemistry. Despite the extreme sexism that she faced as a female scientist, she still made a lasting impact in the chemistry and feminism through her accomplishments. Today, women make about half of the United States’ workforce and 57 percent of college graduates, yet they remain underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. For this project, we investigated the influence of Marie Curie’s life on feminism in her time, and its continued effects into the 21st century. Through an extensive review of peer-reviewed literature, we explored her personal life and scientific career, her growing role in the growing feminist movement during the 20th century, and the evolution of female representation in STEM. We hypothesize that she dismantled several systemic barriers in the sciences, paving the way for other women to enter these male-dominated spaces. However, it is evident that this misbalanced representation of women in fields of STEM still exists today, which highlights the need for continued efforts to support and retain women in scientific careers
Role of Hepatic Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 1 (LRP-1) on Amyloid Beta Pathology in a Mouse Model of Amyloidosis
No full textTitle: Role of hepatic lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 on amyloid beta pathology in a mouse model of amyloidosis.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease caused by an abundance of extracellular neuritic plaques containing enormous amounts of amyloid beta (Aβ) and excessive numbers of tau-rich neurofibrillary tangles. AD is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and is the most common cause for dementia in older adults, with limited disease-modifying treatments. Therefore, there is growing emphasis on elucidating mechanisms that can be targeted to prevent or delay the course of disease. In this regard, AD is considered a disease of the brain, and the contribution of the periphery in AD pathogenesis is understudied. The current study focuses on the crosstalk between the liver, the largest internal and metabolic organ, and the brain, the organ harboring the pathological hallmarks of AD. Specifically, we focus on the hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein-1 (LRP1) which is the major receptor involved in the peripheral clearance of Aβ. Our preliminary work on the same lines showed a reduction in hepatic LRP1 in alcohol-fed mice with a concomitant increase in brain Aβ. Therefore, we hypothesized that a decrease in hepatic LRP1 will reduce peripheral Aβ clearance and increase Aβ deposition in the brain to instigate or enhance AD pathology. For this, LRP1 was silenced specifically in the livers of APP/PS1 mice using LRP1 microRNA (miRNA) delivered by adeno-associated virus 8. (AAV8) and the hepato-specific thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) promoter, designated as AAV8.TBG.LRP1miRNA. Briefly, male APP/PS1 mice (four months at the time of injection) were divided into two groups, the AAV8 control group (n=6) and the AAV8 miRNA LRP1 group (n=7). 12 weeks after LRP1 silencing, behavioral studies including Y-maze, nesting behavior, and open-field testing, were performed, and mice were sacrificed. The brain, liver, and plasma were collected to measure Aβ load using immunoassays. After performing all these studies, we did see a difference between both the groups as hypothesized by observing the increase in brain Aβ, this further lead to see if this hypothesis did stand still in aged mice and how much role age plays in aggravating Aβ and Aβ plaque load. For this, the same mouse model of APP/PS1 male mice with hepato-specific LRP1 silencing but at 28 weeks were used and divided in two groups in the same way, the AAV8 control group (n=6) and the AAV8 miRNA LRP1 group (n=6) to perform behavioral studies and immunoassays to measure Aβ, as well as compare and contrast Aβ and plaque load at different age and between both the groups. If successful, this research will provide valuable insights into the liver-brain axis in AD and will highlight the role of hepatic LRP1 as a key regulator of brain amyloidosis. These findings will be relevant to conditions resulting in liver damage and hepatic LRP1 reduction such as obesity and alcoholism
As Above, So Below: the Cognitive Impact of Found Footage Horror
Get PDFWhat makes a horror movie good? Why do we like horror movies? Using the 2014 movie As Above, So Below my poster presentation explores the cognitive impact of found footage horror on its viewers. Employing the use of a handheld camera and first person perspective, the film is able to immerse its audience in a supernatural version of the Paris Catacombs. I discuss found footage as a narrative tool, particularly focusing on how it amplifies psychological and physical responses like fear and anxiety
Exploring Smoking Habits, Neighborhood Characteristics, and Polygenic Risk: Data Analysis Using The Health and Retirement Study
Get PDFSmoking is among the leading causes of death, necessitating the identification of individual and environmental risk factors. The study tested the hypotheses that both genetic risk and perceiving one’s neighborhood as undesirable (i.e., that the neighborhood was less cohesive and more disordered) would increase smoking risk. An additional hypothesis was that these individual and neighborhood-level risk factors may synergistically increase smoking risk. Data from the Health Retirement Study, a racially/ethnically diverse sample of older U.S. adults, was utilized for this study. All but one hypothesis was supported within this study. Non-Hispanic White participants who perceived their neighborhoods as more cohesive were significantly less likely to smoke. Incidentally, the same association was not significant among non-Hispanic Black participants. These findings suggest that non-Hispanic White individuals benefit more from perceived neighborhood cohesion than do non-Hispanic Black individuals and interventions aimed at increasing cohesion may be an effective strategy for preventing smoking in different neighborhood areas. Specifically, programs that include bonding and bridging interventions can be implemented to increase cohesion in diverse communities so that all benefit from mutual trust
Where Has Saudi Arabia Been? Reframing Power, Progress, and the Privilege of a Region Misunderstood
Get PDFEverywhere—from policy circles to tech summits—people are asking: What is happening in Saudi Arabia? Why is everyone talking about it now? What changed?
And so I ask: Where has Saudi Arabia really been?
The answer is layered and long overdue. Saudi Arabia hasn’t been absent. It has been building—quietly, strategically, and deliberately. During my recent visit to Riyadh, I conducted extensive interviews, site visits, and both qualitative and quantitative data collection across public and private sectors. I engaged with professionals from ministries, startups, universities, and cultural institutions. This piece is not a mere reflection—it is grounded in data, dialogue, and immersion. It’s a response to lived change
Does Choice of Media Amplify Support for Political Violence?
Get PDFActs of political violence have increased in frequency and exposure to American society via news media. Violent rhetoric is a common theme among many forms of media Americans consume, including social media, which has become an essential platform where Americans increasingly get political news information. The events of the January 6 Capitol Riots and the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in late 2024 show how urgent the rise of political violence is and its destabilization of American Democracy. In this paper, I examine the relationship between the types of news media people consume and their potential to increase people’s support for political violence and radicalization. I also investigate other independent factors, such as economic anxiety and level of education. Using Chapman University’s Survey of American Fears\u27 original data set, a national sample of U.S. adults, I find a strong relationship between Americans’ support for political violence and one’s level of educational attainment. Notably, lower than high school and high school levels of education correlate to higher support and approval for acts of political violence. I also find that Fox News audiences exemplified higher levels of support for political violence compared to other news networks and even social media usage, while feelings of victimhood had a noticeable effect on radicalization, evidence being that survey questions implicating unfairness and injustice showed higher respondent support for political violence. Consequently, an inquiry into possible solutions for how we talk about politics in news coverage should be pursued to save the future of American Democracy
Examining the Influence of \u3cem\u3eVision and Change\u3c/em\u3e and a Mentoring Network on Teaching Philosophies and Strategies
Get PDFThe 2011 report Vision and Change: A Call to Action (V&C) resulted from a national effort to rethink biology curriculum. V&C outlines core concepts and core competencies for biology undergraduates and promotes evidence-based pedagogy, undergraduate research, and inclusive practices. However, it is unclear how much biology educators know about V&C and what motivates educators’ development of their teaching philosophy and practices. We leveraged the Promoting Active Learning and Mentoring (PALM) Network, a group that introduced evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) to instructors through mentoring, journal clubs, and a community of practice, to investigate how much V&C has influenced educator knowledge and motivation. Through focus groups, 16 mentors and 22 fellows were asked about their motivations to join PALM, familiarity with V&C, how they learned about V&C, and how PALM and/or V&C shaped the development of their teaching philosophies and strategies. We found that the teaching philosophies and practices of these educators align strongly with V&C principles. V&C provided expectancy (established value), while PALM contributed to greater instructor self-efficacy in EBIPs, overall resulting in reformed teaching philosophies and practices. This model highlights the importance of mentorship and community to successfully drive biology education reform
