The purpose of this study is to understand recent developments regarding curriculum standards for teaching Indigenous histories and contemporary matters, specifically within Michigan’s K-12 Public Schools(MPS). This presentation draws from interviews with a range of stakeholders, including: current and former students and educators within MPS; politicians and government officials involved in relevant legislation; university professors concentrating their work in Native Studies at universities in Michigan; and representatives of Tribal Nations located in Michigan. This project also integrates relational discussions with Washington-based educators involved in the teaching and implementation of Washington’s Since Time Immemorial (STI) Curriculum. This presentation will share research analyses of relevant pieces of legislation and academic sources pertaining to Indigenous-centered curriculum. The objective of this research is to inform a written piece addressing current efforts to expand education on Indigenous histories and contemporary matters in MPS including efforts made in the past, actions currently in progress, suggested plans for the future, and what Michigan may learn from Washington’s efforts to fully implement STI through examining shortcomings in the implementation of STI curriculum and how these failures may serve to inform Michigan’s protocol for introducing revised standards. Given that one of the major proposals to the expansion of Indigenous-related curriculum involves teaching Indian Boarding School histories, the long-term implications of this research contribute to ensuring youth are educated about the devastating consequences of residential schools, which in turn aims to assure similar policies are not introduced in the future. Discussion of these findings will emphasize institutions which allow(ed) destructive policies like that of boarding schools to be implemented, reframing the common narrative perpetuated in schooling systems that such policies are the result of a few “bad actors.” This research is interested in exploring how curricula contribute to the latter perspective, and whether newly implemented standards effectively convey the former viewpoint.

Ferrate is an effective technology for water treatment applications because of its capabilities as an oxidant, coagulant, and disinfectant. Furthermore, ferrate is an environmentally benign chemical derived from a ubiquitous mineral on the Earth’s surface. However, ferrate rapid reduction to ferric species reduces its oxidation capacity. Ferrate-coated sand has been proposed as a better deployable method for ferrate in water treatment applications. Sand has a high composition (>80%) of silica (SiO₂) which has been demonstrated to stabilize ferrate reactivity and increase its oxidation capacity. A previous study on the treatment of phenol, a common surface water contaminant, showed that ferrate-coated sand was better at degrading phenol than ferrate only (in the absence of sand). However, the study was conducted in pure water matrices. Here, we are evaluating the oxidation of phenol by ferrate-coated sand in the presence of effluent organic matter and trace metals (i.e. copper). Organic matter is ubiquitous in the environment and can impact contaminant remediation efficiency. Studies have detected trace metals in surface waters which can pose environmental and health risks. Through batch tests, we observed that effluent organic matter hinders the stability of the ferrate-coated media and reduces its oxidation capacity. The results of this study will provide information about the ferrate-coated sand reactivity and capacity for the treatment of complex water matrices.

Using data from the United States Sentencing Commission (2014-2022), this study analyzes the impact of a defendant's gender in the sentencing of federal homicide cases. Previous research shows that female defendants experience leniency in criminal sentencing compared to male counterparts. However, studies also suggest harsher punishments are given to female defendants when the crime is violent. This may be influenced by the social construct of gender, where traits including aggression and violence are perceived to be inherently male, and male violence is often expected and excused. Focusing exclusively on federal homicide cases from fiscal years 2014-2022 (N = 3017), I ran linear regression analyses controlling for legal and extralegal factors to analyze the effect of gender on sentence length. I hypothesize that in the case of federal homicide, male defendants will receive shorter sentences compared to female counterparts. This study focuses how gender influences sentencing outcomes in federal courts. It is crucial to understand how gender influences judicial sentencing in order to promote a just legal system.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, with over 6 million Americans suffering from the illness and prevalence increasing each year. My work was conducted as part of an NIH-funded multi-institutional network called TREAT-AD (TaRget Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for AD) that aims to find potential therapies for AD. The bioinformatics core of this network identified genetic targets of interest using RNA-sequencing and proteomic analysis of post-mortem tissue from participants with AD. We hypothesized that manipulating expression of these target genes in a relevant human model would influence levels of AD-related biomarkers. To manipulate genetic expression efficiently, I used shRNA technology in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived neurons. I then analyzed these hiPSC-derived neurons for AD-relevant readouts, such as soluble amyloid beta secretion and intracellular phosphorylation of Tau protein, relevant to the two main neuropathological hallmarks of AD. I ran quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) to measure neuronal expression levels of each gene target, and compared amyloid beta and phosphorylated tau outputs to control samples using MSD ELISA assays. I found four gene targets that have substantial neuronal expression and found that each affected AD-related output levels when gene expression was knocked down with shRNA. My findings provide direct molecular genetic evidence that links these genes to AD pathways, suggesting that these genes could serve as promising targets for therapeutic development.

6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ), a transformation product of an anti-oxidant used in tire manufacturing, was recently identified as the causal agent of acute mortality in coho salmon. Abrasion on tires by road surfaces create tire wear particles (TWPs). Both TWPs and the accumulation of waste tires pose risks of leaching 6PPDQ into stormwater runoff. Crumb rubbers, which are manufactured to reduce landfill tire waste and applied in turf infills, may also leach 6PPDQ. My research aims to determine the conditions at which crumb rubber can be pyrolyzed to prevent 6PPDQ leaching from tire recycling options. If pyrolysis successfully removes 6PPDQ from crumb rubber, then the resulting material can be applied as an absorbent tire char to remove contaminants from water. Waste tire crumb rubber samples were pyrolyzed in a tube furnace under nitrogen flow for 90 minutes at a range of different temperatures. Methanol-based solvent extraction was used to extract the remaining 6PPDQ from the pyrolyzed samples and diluted until suitable for liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analysis. It is observed that as the pyrolysis temperature increases, the mass of 6PPDQ leached from pyrolyzed crumb rubber decreases. The results of this study allow us to understand the limitations of pyrolyzing tire rubber to develop activated carbon. To further investigate the feasibility of waste tire activated carbon, a chemical activation step will be added in pyrolysis to better replicate the creation of activated carbon.

Recent findings suggest that decreased chromatin acetylation leads to neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Histone acetylation alters chromatin structure which regulates gene expression. One of the key proteins involved in this genetic modification is KAT5 (TIP60) acetylase. The Young Lab recently demonstrated that increased chromatin acetylation leads to the expression of genes involved in cognition and neuronal maturation. KAT5 is known to interact with the intracellular region of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), which is a main player in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In wild-type cells, the KAT5 protein is believed to be released from the membrane and translocated to the nucleus where it leads to increased chromatin acetylation and gene expression. Recent hypothesis suggest that an amyloidogenic cleavage of APP, either due to mutations or in AD conditions, prevents KAT5 nuclear translocation. To address this question, we will perform the following three experiments using human brain tissue and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons (hiPSC-Ns): 1. Immunohistochemistry for KAT5 on control and AD brains to see if we can detect a reduction in nuclear KAT5 localization in AD. 2. Immunocytochemistry on hiPSC-derived neurons harboring a familial AD (fAD) mutation in APP (Swedish mutation-K670N/M671L) as well as in neurons derived from cells that are deficient in APP (APP KO). 3. RNA-sequencing to determine differential gene expression between cells with fAD mutations and those that are deficient in APP, with a focus on genes regulated by KAT5. We expect to see aberrant KAT5 localization and gene expression in cells and tissues with AD and fAD mutations. Since treatments targeting the deposition of beta-amyloid led to many unsuccessful medical trials, we anticipate this study will demonstrate the importance of the absence of KAT5 signaling during early development of AD and devise new strategies for treatments.