STAR Scholars Abstract

Title: COVID-19 and the Shifting Landscape of Sex

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the ways in which we make negotiations, shifting from in-person exchanges to virtual, resulting in a collective reevaluation of the ways that we negotiate trust through long-term online discussions, rather than face-to-face calculations. Sexual interactions have been affected by these shifts, as many were forced to seek sexual satisfaction through virtual chats and/or monetary exchanges on platforms like Grindr and OnlyFans.

Using data collected through 25 interviews in a CDC-funded study among MSM in the Philadelphia area, we found that many participants had begun using dating apps for the purpose of social interactions and seeking sexual connections differently, to avoid risks related to COVID-19.  We also examined in a different case, through an online exploration of the digital platform OnlyFans, that the platform had observed an increase in use as a result of the transition to virtual interactions and exchanges, rather than in-person transition to virtual interactions and exchanges, rather than in-person sex work (Jarvey, 2020). Using this data, we analyze the new ways that people are calculating risks and negotiating exchanges in a socially distanced world, as well as the implications of these social shifts on a post-COVID-19 world and beyond. 

Hyperspectral Imaging System Through Holographic Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals (H-PDLC) Switchable Filters   

The ability to capture visual data at a high-fidelity rate along the electromagnetic spectrum, and interpret it, is an emerging technology known as Hyperspectral imaging; this technology allows us to understand our world at a deeper level. Using Holographic Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystals (H-PDLC) filters mounted onto a camera, an enhanced vision system can be created to analyze data in a broader range than just the visible spectrum, reaching into both the infrared and ultraviolet light. The use of expanded vision can be integrated into industries such as environmental monitoring, biotechnology, machine vision, and much more. For example, forest fires have managed to cause irreversible damage in many parts of the world. Through an advanced hyperspectral image system, specialists can capture images in the infrared to detect the heart of these fires to best attack it, and due to the physical properties of liquid crystals, the filters can be switched off instantly to capture images in the visible spectrum at the same instance. The capability to create an advanced imaging system allows for more data to be collected to help make more effective decisions in fields such as vision-systems, autonomous vehicles, and crop production.      

Theory of mind (ToM) is a precursor to empathy development, and it is known that parental use of mind minded (MM) statements (i.e., comments that use internal state terms to speculate on what a child is thinking, experiencing, feeling) predicts ToM skills. This is crucial, especially for Down syndrome (DS), a developmental disorder (DD) associated with weaknesses in ToM but relative strengths in empathy skills. This study sought to examine differences in parental use of MM statements among 14 children with DS and 14 typically developing (TD) peers of a similar mental ability level. As it has been suggested that individuals with DS may be treated as developmentally younger, it was hypothesized that parents of those with DS may make fewer MM statements than parents of TD youth. To test this, videos of parent-child interactions were transcribed and coded for parental use of MM statements. Contrary to expectations, groups did not differ in the use of MM statements about cognitions and desires, but parents of youth with DS made more emotion-focused MM statements than parents of TD youth. Future research should seek to replicate these findings with a larger sample and also include a sample of children with another DD (e.g., autism).

I participated in STAR in the summer of 2021. The title of my project was "Uncovering the Interactions Between Kismet and HATs/HDACs in Axon Pruning in Drosophila melanogaster Gamme Neurons" and my abstract was as follows: "Axon pruning (AP) is a normal neurodevelopmental process that refines synaptic connections. In Drosophila melanogaster, AP in gamma neurons is driven by the steroid hormone ecdysone binding to its receptor (EcR). Kismet (Kis) is a chromatin reader that recognizes epigenetic marks and, upon binding to the EcR locus, promotes additional epigenetic modifications. Loss of Kis and subsequent loss of EcR transcription prevents proper AP, and this loss is associated with defects in immediate recall memory in the adult fly. Kis cannot modify chromatin alone. It is thought to recruit enzymes that can modify histones, such as histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). The specific HATs and HDACs that regulate EcR expression are not known. We used pharmacological inhibition and RNA interference (RNAi) to ask which HATs and HDACs regulate the EcR locus. We are looking to see whether these specific inhibitor or RNAi treatments lead to changes in axon pruning or EcR expression, which would suggest that these enzymes are relevant to regulating this process. Understanding how HATs and HDACs affect AP will expand our knowledge of epigenetics while providing leads for therapeutic targets of neurodevelopmental conditions."

Determining the Localization of Absent in Melanoma (AIM2) Protein in Human Fibroblast Cells in 2D and 3D Environments  

Cells use varying modes of migration depending on their environment. Cells migrating in a highly crosslinked 3D cell-derived matrix (CDM) use a nuclear piston mode of migration. Piston cells form pressure-driven protrusions termed lobopodia to squeeze their bulky nucleus through narrow pores in the CDM. Cells have defenses to prevent damage to DNA and during migration, cells require extra damage control. The protein Absent in Melanoma (AIM2), a cytosolic DNA sensor, is known to mediate DNA damage, but its cellular localization is unknown in migrating cells. AIM2 is also part of the actomyosin machinery that creates lobopodial protrusions. As piston cells migrate through tight spaces, the nucleus briefly ruptures, allowing DNA to leak into the cytosol where AIM2 activates the AIM2 inflammasome to further protect the cell. This work aimed to compare AIM2 localization in 2D and 3D migrating fibrosarcoma cells. We hypothesized that AIM2 localizes perinuclearly in both 2D and 3D migrating cells. We performed an immunofluorescence assay to determine AIM2 localization on 2D glass and in 3D CDM. Results showed AIM2 is located in the nuclear envelope in both 2D and 3D, with more cytoplasmic signal in 2D cells. We concluded that the function of AIM2 is dependent on dimensionality.  

Title: Optimization of the pharmacophore that binds the CD4 pocket at residue x improves potency of synthesized cPT
In 2020, approximately 37.6 million people worldwide had ongoing HIV infections. Currently, there are some drugs on the market to slow down the spread of HIV, however there is no cure or vaccine. Therefore, it is imperative to work towards a drug which could prevent infection in the first place. Some of the current drugs on the market focus on inhibiting the process of viral replication within the cell by targeting enzymes such as integrase and protease. The gp120 trimer complex on the viral envelope on HIV is of particular interest as this spike attaches to host cells to allow entry of the viral proteins and genetic material. The Chaiken lab group focuses on developing a peptide to bind to the CD4 Phe 43 pocket to prevent viral entry. The cyclic peptide triazole of N8 is the lead candidate to bind to the pocket. This summer, I focused on the synthesis of N8 and measured the compound’s ability to bind to the targeted proteins of YU2 gp120. On the N8 compound reside three potential moieties for modification: the triazole, tryptophan and isoleucine groups. Moving forward, various modifications of these groups may improve N8’s binding ability to its target gp120 complex.

The field of computational cognitive modeling of human behavior in computer science is relatively new and vast with respect to its capabilities. Several frameworks, referred to as cognitive architectures, exist in aiding the development of computational models by considering the realistic capabilities of humans. Complex tasks, such as driving, have been successfully modeled, allowing researchers to examine what processes in the brain are invoked. While existing models have been attentive to a human’s abilities and limitations, the effects of individual differences in attributes and environmental conditions haven’t been as extensively researched. Attempting to integrate such differences is essential to applying a model’s findings to realistic conditions. With regard to driving, humans regularly find themselves in situations where music is played aloud, which takes up a portion of their cognitive abilities. Through attempting to model this common occurrence of music playing during a complex task, such as driving, there can be a deeper analysis and discussion behind the cognitive, perceptual, and motor processes involved, allowing for a comprehensive application to actual human behavior.