STAR Scholars Abstract

Mobile neuroimaging technologies can be used to monitor brain activity in increasingly natural everyday settings. In particular, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) measures cortical oxygenation changes using wearable optical sensors that can be miniaturized, built battery-operated and wireless for untethered monitoring of active participants. While studies involving fNIRS have been recently increasing, there are very few studies that use fNIRS in multi-brain scenarios to evaluate the similarity in brain-to-brain activity during interactions, or neural synchrony, and none that measure neural synchrony in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in immersive social interaction. This neuroengineering and neuroergonomics research study at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems is in collaboration with the AJ Drexel Autism Institute and Drexel College of Medicine to examine the brain activity and engagement of children aged 18-42 months with and without ASD while watching social and nonsocial videos and while interacting with an adult caregiver in hopes of better understanding the neural mechanisms of the condition.

Risha Patel – STAR Scholars Abstract – 2020 Identification of Viral Signatures in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Transcriptomes  Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and makes up approximately 80% of known cases. HCC is often caused by viral infection, primarily Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV); however, there is little known about their mechanisms and viral signatures. To address this gap in knowledge, we used bioinformatics tools to create and test a data analysis pipeline that identifies RNA transcripts and quantifies their expression relative to the human genome. In our study, we applied this pipeline to both a non-tumor liver tissue sample and an HCC liver tissue sample to produce a list of genes, including AKT1 and CHORDC1, that are differentially expressed within the two tissues. Previous studies have shown that AKT1 is upregulated in tumor liver tissue samples relative to non-tumor liver tissue samples and CHORDC1 is down-regulated, parallel to the results of our pipeline. This pipeline can be used to identify correlations between the genes expressed in HCC, while also being able to identify the expression of viral signatures. This can be accomplished by comparing the RNA to viral genomes, creating the potential to detect viral signatures of HBV and HCV in other cancers, and even other diseases. 

Along with rising temperatures, the number of days over 90 degrees is rising in Philadelphia. Historically, Philadelphia averaged 21 days at 90 degrees or higher yearly; however, July 2020 recorded 21 days in the nineties. Projections show Philadelphia will double the number of 90-degree days by 2030. Increasing heat unequally impacts low-income communities and communities of color. The Hunting Park neighborhood of mostly Hispanic and Black residents records surface temperatures more than 22 degrees hotter than greener areas in the city. Drexel University, the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, and the non-profit Esperanza, funded by the William Penn Foundation, collaborated to install cooling structures of umbrellas and planter boxes in the neighborhood to combat heat. This study initiates the quantitative analysis needed to examine the effectiveness of the cooling structures. Comparisons of temperatures between blocks will be used to analyze the capability of the cooling structures to reduce the overall heat. With the help of Civic Scientists, the localization of urban heat islands will be determined to help assess areas within Hunting Park at risk of increased heat so that future cooling structures can be implemented there.

Despite being implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, the physiological functions of activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) are not well understood. The Toyooka lab found that loss of ADNP in mouse embryonic development affects late stages of neuronal morphogenesis and subsequent cortical connectivity and neuronal function in adult mice. This study aims to fill a gap in the current literature by examining how ADNP affects neuronal polarity, an early stage in brain development in which neurons specify axons and dendrites. To observe predicted changes due to loss of ADNP, I performed immunofluorescence staining to visualize different molecules related to neuronal polarity. Neurons were nucleofected or chemically transfected with ADNP shRNA or scramble shRNA to knockdown expression or act as a negative control. I observed and quantified neuronal shape and the localization of different molecules at various time points as neurons developed, and found ADNP-deficient neurons had faster polarization than the control group. Further examining how loss of ADNP affects neuronal polarity can help guide subsequent research exploring possible pharmacological treatments for many disorders in which neuronal shape is affected. 

Labeling Theory emphasizes the significance of the processes through which people are characterized by others and how this may impact their evaluation of themselves. This study examines judgments concerning deviant individuals from three discrete groups: university students, church members, and previously incarcerated individuals, all of whom are residents of a North Philadelphia neighborhood (N=23). A 20-question online survey was implemented to measure attitudes toward deviant individuals, likelihood of recidivism, and impact on employment opportunities for previously incarcerated individuals. Based on the current literature, we hypothesized that each subsample would respond differently to the presence and nature of a label indicating a criminal history. The results of the survey indicated students respond positively to individuals with criminal histories, church members had the lowest expectations of recidivism, and previously incarcerated individuals believed the presence of a label would meaningfully limit opportunities of employment. Overall, these data emphasize the impact of a deviant label and questions the relationship between diverse criminal backgrounds and formerly incarcerated individuals’ expectations of employment. 

Polymers can be found everywhere—both naturally occurring or artificially synthesized such as starch and toothpaste. New methods for polymer synthesis are at the forefront of materials research due to their ideal mechanical and chemical properties, such as strength, hardness, and durability. Properties can be influenced by polymer length and polymerization conditions. This research investigated a novel dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD), non-thermal plasma-based approach to prepare poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) in situ. The goal was to achieve a reduction in the energy and preparation time required to prepare PAA on specific surfaces such as porous materials, which has proven a challenge for different methods of polymerization such as UV, thermal, and traditional hot plasma polymerization. This work generated data that will provide guidance for the overall efficiency, such as cost and polymerization time of the DBD plasma approach for the treatment of polymer coatings. This research will study the plasma-initiated polymerization of PAA and display the concept of remote polymerization. This efficient method could be applied in the industrial setting. The DBD plasma- initiated polymerization of AA will be explored with a focus on the kinetics and mechanism of polymerization and we will compare our PAA data to other studies using different polymerization methods.

QUANTITATIVE INVESTIGATION ON LITHIUM POLYSULFIDE ADSORPTION OF MXENE COMPOSITIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE Li-S BATTERIES
 By: Marley Downes and Geetha Valurouthu
Lithium-Sulfur batteries have attracted a lot of attention because of their high theoretical energy density, low cost, and relative abundance of their host materials. However, the practical utility is hindered by poor cycle stability and cell efficiency due to loss of active material by the dissolution of intermediate lithium polysulfides (host material) in the electrolyte and the incomplete utilization of sulfur due to its insulating nature. In this study, MXenes, a new family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides with rich surface functionalities and high conductivity are used to tackle the challenges associated with rapid capacity decay by physically confining the soluble polysulfides to conductive MXene. Here, we quantitatively compared the lithium polysulfide (LiPS) adsorption capacities of Ti-based MXenes - Ti3C2Tx and Ti2CTx. Interestingly, large-flake Ti2CTx has the highest polysulfide adsorption capacity of ~226 mg over large-flake Ti3C2Tx (68 mg) per gram of MXene. In the future, by expanding the quantitative investigation to other MXene compositions, it is possible to select a suitable MXene composition for use as a cathode material in Li-S batteries.

I participated in STAR in 2019.

Title: Investigating the effects of 1700 FDA-approved drugs on proneural protein knockdown in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract: Basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) proneural proteins comprise a superfamily of transcription factors that are critical to early development. This superfamily includes the Daughterless (Da) gene in Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, and the homologous TCF4 gene in mammals. These genes have many essential functions in sex determination, cell proliferation, muscle development, and neurogenesis. In addition to these roles in development, our laboratory has shown that both Da and TCF4 function in mature, differentiated neurons, where they restrict neurite branching and synapse number. Knockdown of Da thus results in decreased motor function, a readout of proper glutamatergic neurotransmission. These results are important because mutations in TCF4 have been associated with the neurodevelopmental diseases PittHopkins syndrome and schizophrenia. The purpose of this research is to screen 1700 FDA approved drugs in our Da knockdown model with the hope of using this information to better determine future therapy for individuals with Pitt-Hopkins and schizophrenia

Forensic psychology is a newer field due to the increasing need to provide justice for those with mental health issues. Forensic psychologists are retained by a side of a legal case to offer an objective opinion on a defendant’s mental state. Research, however, has suggested that experts may be biased towards the side that hires them. Current studies have only focused on how evaluators score defendants differently on evaluation tests, but there is no research on bias based on expert opinions themselves. Our project is investigating if there is adversarial allegiance, which is bias based on the side that forensic psychologists are retained by when providing evaluations. My specific role is analyzing further if demographics of the forensic experts influence bias.          

Our methods are emailed surveys consisting of a hypothetical legal case. The participants are randomly assigned to one of three sides: prosecution, defense, or court-appointed as a control group. The participants receive the same scenario, therefore if there are discrepancies in answers there is bias.  Discovering bias is the first step to change how the forensic field conducts evaluations in order for defendants to receive fair evaluations and for courts to make properly-informed decisions.  

Endothelial cells (ECs) line the interior surface of blood vessels and drive angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation from existing blood vessels. Angiogenesis is thought to be a critical factor in tumor growth [1].  Angiogenesis occurs through a complex, 3D process of endothelial proliferation, migration, and eventual maturation into a blood vessel. Recently, EC metabolic activity has been shown to be important to angiogenic sprouting [2]. For this project, we decided to test two metabolic inhibitors, namely 3PO and OGTi, in an endothelial tube formation assay to determine their effects on angiogenesis. 3PO is known to inhibit glycolytic activity, and OGTi decreases protein O-GlcNAcylation through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of these two inhibitors and understand the use of these inhibitory mechanisms in angiogenic sprouting in ECs.