Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
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Comparing the RSP Accuracy of Dual-Energy to Conventional Single-Energy CT for Potential Reduction of Clinical Safety Margins in Proton Therapy
No full textIn proton therapy, treatment planning is reliant on the accurate prediction of relative stopping power (RSP) to calculate the proton range necessary to sufficiently treat the target volume and minimize the dose given to healthy tissue and organs at risk. However, uncertainties resulting from approximations made in the calculation of RSP from CT numbers necessitates the use of 2.5%-3.5% range uncertainty margin. This study aimed to evaluate the potential reduction of this uncertainty margin using Dual-Energy CT (DECT) by comparing the RSP accuracy of an ultra-fast switching KV DECT to conventional Single- Energy CT (SECT). Reference RSP values of tissue-mimicking cylindrical plugs and fresh, postmortem lamb tissue were obtained using MLIC measurements and proton CT respectively. RSP values were then derived from DECT and SECT of both the tissue-mimicking plugs and the lamb tissue and their percentage difference from the reference RSP values was calculated. Overall, DECT demonstrated a lower mean absolute percentage error than SECT for all tissue types in both tissue mimicking phantoms and in animal tissue, potentially implying that the use of DECT could reduce uncertainty in treatment planning
Integrating CNNS and LSTMs for mouse behavior classification Presenter
No full textUnderstanding animal behavior patterns is central for advancing research efforts in behavioral science. Accurately classifying behaviors allows for insights into how animals respond to different stimuli. Data frames annotated for key points on a mouse’s body were collected to identify specific mouse behaviors, such as when the mouse was shaking or licking. These labeled data points were subsequently used to train a deep learning model. The model uses both Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), which can obtain spatial features from individual frames of data, and Long Short- Term Memory (LSTM) networks, which are skilled at modeling long-term temporal dependencies within sequential data. This combination enabled the model to ingest both the visual data of each frame, i.e., the position of key annotated points, and the temporal patterns of behavior. The final model provides a tool for classifying mouse behaviors based on spatial and temporal information. The model was able to detect when the mouse was performing certain behaviors at the same time with precision but had difficulties identifying when only one of the behaviors was present
Effect of Senescent Depletion of Nup93 in Endothelial Cells on Nuclear Shape and Size
No full textVascular aging, a chronic state of low-grade inflammation, is a known risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. As the innermost lining of the blood vasculature, endothelial cells (ECs) play a major role in vessel health. At the cellular level, appropriate nuclear structure determines proper cell functionality and homeostasis. Previous research identified nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) as crucial factors in maintaining nuclear integrity. Cell senescence has been shown to promote NPC degradation, leading to impaired nucleocytoplasmic transport. Age-induced loss of structural NPC component, nuceloporin93 (Nup93), in vascular endothelium increases pro- inflammatory signaling. However, the impact of NPC component degradation on the EC nuclear structure is undescribed. Due to Nup93’s role in NPC assembly, we hypothesized that targeted depletion of this protein would decrease nuclear size and disrupt its shape. To identify those changes, we employed a model of Nup93 depletion in endothelial cells, and through immunofluorescent visualization of the nuclear markers, we measured nuclear properties. Interestingly, loss of Nup93 in ECs increased nuclear size and decreased nuclear circularity, indicating the importance of proper nucleoporin expression in maintaining nuclear structure. Our findings signify the impact of Nup93 and cellular aging on nuclear shape and size, allowing to unearth more molecular mechanisms affecting nuclear structure
Unsown Seeds: Eugenics, Immigration, Civil Rights in Twentieth-Century America
Get PDFDuring this panel, we will discuss the intersection of Progressive Era reforms and the pseudo-science of eugenics, looking at their impact on civil rights and immigration in American history and theories of Nazi Germany. This will include a full lesson plan run-through, with a set of primary sources, a PowerPoint slide deck, and extension assignments available for class use
Bisecting Science Through the Use of Art
Get PDFParticipants will discover, through art and drawing, how students can understand the inner workings and parts of a bisected specimen. In this hands-on session, we will explore the inner workings of an Indigenous plant. We will also explore the use of both low- and high-end technology within a classroom. Takeaways will include concepts and hands-on activities for use in grades 6-12
