NYCSEA

Abstract: The expansion of the digital world in the 21st century has caused an expansion of the less traditional forms of news media, namely the forms of current events information accessible on social media applications such as TikTok and Instagram. Unlike the previous generations, the younger generation raised in the 21st century has access to many digital resources, and despite their convenience, a slew of studies have found that there is a severe threat of misinformation when using the digital or non-traditional forms of news media. This study sought to discover if there is a relationship between the level of geographic literacy and global awareness demonstrated by high school students and their means of accessing current events
information. In October of 2022, participants (n=114) completed an online survey which assessed them on their geographic literacy and global awareness of the democratic and economic conditions of ten selected countries. The survey also asked each respondent to rank the type of media through which they are most likely to learn about current events on a Likert scale from 1-5. The SMPM (Social Media Preference Metric) was then determined, which was a binary variable used to run the correlation tests.
The data collected was transferred into Microsoft Excel, where ANOVA tests were run on both the SMPM v. raw scores and the SMPM v. ranking deviation values. The results of this study show that the use of digital and unverified forms of news media are unable to be correlated with a lack of geographic literacy and understanding of democratic development, but that there is a strong correlation between the use of social media as a news source over verified, traditional forms and a lack of understanding of the economic development in foreign nations.

References

Berndt, A. (2007). Media habits among Generation Y consumers. In A.S.A du Toit, (Ed.). Proceedings of the 19th Annual Conference of the Southern African Institute of Management Scientists. Johannesburg, South Africa, 19-21 September 2007, Accessed 11/22/22 

Dikmenli, Yurdal. “Geographic Literacy Perception Scale (GLPS) Validity and Reliability Study.” Mije.mevlana.edu.tr., Mevlana International Journal of Education (MIJE) Vol. 4(1), Pp. 1-15, 1 April, 2014 , 1 Apr. 2014. 

Francek, Mark A. Burton D. Nelson, Robert H. Aron & Walter J. Bisard (1993) The Persistence of Selected Geographic Misperceptions: A Survey of Junior High Through Undergraduate College Students, Journal of Geography, 92:6, 247-253, DOI: 10.1080/00221349308979666 

Merryfield, M. (2002). Rethinking our framework for understanding the world. Theory & Research in Social Education, Winter 2002, 148151.

Moyer, Melinda. “Schoolkids Are Falling Victim to Disinformation and Conspiracy Fantasies.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2022, 

Schoenbach, K., Lauf, E., McLeod, J.M. & Scheufele, D.A. (1999). Research note – distinction and integration: sociodemographic determinants of newspaper reading in the USA and Germany, 1974-96. European Journal of Communication, Accessed 11/22/22 

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens -2021. 

Torrens, Paul M. Where in the World? Exploring the Factors Driving Place Location Knowledge among Secondary Level Students in Dublin, Ireland. Journal of Geography, 28 Sept. 2007. 

Wolburg, J.M. & Pokrywczynski, J. (2001). A psychographic analysis of Generation Y college students. Journal of Advertising Research 

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1151&context=comm_fac, Accessed 11/22/22 

Abstract: Wealth and social inequality in the United States have been growing. The wealth gap and its implications remain a significant issue for economic policy and social justice in the United States. Those inequalities in the U.S. show several trends and disparities among different groups. The wealth gap between Black and White families, as well as between Hispanic and White families, remains substantial. These gaps illustrate long-standing wealth disparities between these groups. Wealth is increasingly concentrated among the top percentiles, leaving the majority with a smaller share of the total wealth. This trend is exacerbated by racial disparities, with White households holding a disproportionately larger share of real wealth. The United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) uses the Human Development Index (HDI) to assess poverty based on indices and provides an extensive overview of development status.
For statistical and computational analysis, this study used various data from the U.S. Census Bureau, including the multi-dimensional poverty index developed by the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP). Since the assessment goes beyond financial poverty, deprivation can emerge in many forms; it is more practical to use the data to analyze the status of levels of multi-dimensional poverty. 
This research studied the complex nature of social inequality and a multi-dimensional measure of poverty, analyzing the persistent and multi-faceted disparities along racial, generational, and educational lines. This paper shows the specific criteria for determining multi-dimensional poverty can vary depending on the methodology used. Through social welfare services, the homeless and people in severe poverty are getting services and aid that are not enough. Accordingly, the relationship between the economic indicators and homelessness was used to determine whether homeless people could effectively escape homelessness as the indicators vary.
For the numerical simulations in the presented research, a substantial amount of effort was made on effective data collection to understand the extent and causes of inequality and poverty. After that, statistical and computational analyses based on the datasets were performed in the current exploratory data analysis.

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau: Provides data on poverty rates and demographic analysis, essential for understanding the broader context of wealth inequality. 

2.  World Bank: The World Bank conducts extensive research on global poverty and inequality, including multidimensional aspects. They publish reports and provide data related to poverty indicators. Website: World Bank Poverty

3. United States Census Bureau: The U.S. Census Bureau regularly publishes data and reports on poverty and income in the United States, including various dimensions of poverty. Website: U.S. Census Bureau Poverty Data

4.  U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: This department provides resources and information related to poverty and poverty alleviation programs in the United States. Website: HHS Poverty Guidelines

5.  The World Poverty Clock: The World Poverty Clock provides real-time data on global poverty estimates, including multidimensional poverty, by country. Website: World Poverty Clock

6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): The BLS provides data on unemployment rates, job growth, and other labor market indicators, which can be correlated with trends in homelessness. 

7. Economic Roundtable: A nonprofit organization providing research on economic, social, and environmental issues. They have conducted studies on homelessness, particularly in relation to economic factors in specific regions.

8. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER): NBER working papers and publications often explore the links between economic conditions and social issues, including homelessness. 

9. Reports from the U.S. Census Bureau: The Census Bureau provides data on poverty, income, and housing, which are crucial for understanding economic conditions related to homelessness. 

10. National Alliance to End Homelessness: This organization offers reports and policy analyses on homelessness, including the impact of economic factors such as unemployment and housing affordability. 

11.  Global MPI Database: The Global MPI Database, maintained by OPHI, offers detailed information on multidimensional poverty in numerous countries. Website: Global MPI Database

12. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UNDP publishes the annual Human Development Report, which includes information on the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for countries where data is available. Website: UNDP Human Development Reports

Abstract: Asymmetric organocatalysis is the use of small chiral molecules as catalysts for stereoselective reactions. Various organic molecules can be used as several unique catalysts to accelerate chemical reactions. Often, reaction intermediates are used to represent more complex chemical reactions. The intermediate used was an analogue of Chlorpheniramine. A starting material, 1-(3-methoxy-phenyl-)-pyrrolidine, was synthesized in the lab. After purifying, it was used to create (S)-3-(4-Chloro-phenyl)-3-(4-pyrolidin-1-yl-2-methoxy-phenyl)-propanol. (2S,5S)-5-bezyl-2-tert-butyl-3-methylimidazolidin-4-one (catalyst) was added to a flask along with dichloromethane and hydrochloric acid. The solution was cooled to -80 degrees Celsius using a mixture of dry ice and ethanol before adding P-chloro-cinnamaldehyde and cooling for 24 hours. TLC plating was used to determine if a new product had been formed. The solvents used in the TLC process were petroleum ether and ethanol. After the solvent had reached near the top of the chromatography paper, the solvent front was marked and the plates were stained in potassium permanganate and washed in water. Based on the results of the TLC plates, a new product was successfully created. The product contained an amine and had greater polarity than p-chloro-cinnamaldehyde and traveled less far due to the solvents being non-polar. The organocatalyst and 1-(3-methoxy-phenyl)-pyrrolidine were both visible on the plates with a dot directly below the chlorocinnamaldehyde near the starting line, meaning the reaction was successful.

References

Aukland, M. H., & List, B. (2021). Organocatalysis emerging as a technology. Pure and Applied Chemistry, 93(12), 1371-1381. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2021-0501

Bauer, E. B. (2012). Chiral-at-metal complexes and their catalytic applications in organic synthesis. Chemical Society Reviews, 41(8), 3153. https://doi.org/10.1039/C2CS15234G

Baumann, M., & Baxendale, I. R. (2013). An overview of the synthetic routes to the best selling drugs containing 6-membered heterocycles. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 9, 2265-2319. https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.9.265

CHEM 344 Thin Layer Chromatography [PDF]. (n.d.). chrome-
extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www2.chem.wisc.edu/deptfiles/OrgLab/handouts/CHEM%20344%20TLC%20info.pdf
Chlorpheniramine. (n.d.).

Drugs.com. https://www.drugs.com/monograph/chlorpheniramine.html

David W.C. MacMillan: Facts. (2023, January 5). The Nobel Prize.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2021/macmillan/facts/

García mancheño, O., & Waser, M. (2022). Recent developments and trends in asymmetric organocatalysis. European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202200950

Huang, X., & Meggers, E. (2019). Asymmetric photocatalysis with bis-cyclometalated rhodium complexes. Accounts of Chemical Research, 52(3), 833-847. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.accounts.9b00028

Paras, N. A., & Macmillan, D. W. C. (2002). The enantioselective organocatalytic 1,4-Addition of electron-rich benzenes to α,β-Unsaturated aldehydes. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 124(27), 7894-7895. https://doi.org/10.1021/ja025981p

PubChem Compound Summary for CID 4311764, Sodium Borohydride. (2022, January 13). National Center for Biotechnology Information.
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-borohydride

Reductive Amination: General Overview. (n.d.). ACS Green Chemistry Institute Pharmaceutical Roundtable. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://reagents.acsgcipr.org/reagent-guides/reductive-amination

Schmid, A., Dordick, J. S., Hauer, B., Kiener, A., Wubbolts, M., & Witholt, B. (2001). Industrial biocatalysis today and tomorrow. Nature, 409(6817), 258-268. https://doi.org/10.1038/35051736

Zhang, H., Cai, Q., & Ma, D. (2005). Amino acid promoted cui-catalyzed c−n bond formation between aryl halides and amines or n-containing heterocycles. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 70(13), 5164-5173. https://doi.org/10.1021/jo0504464

Abstract: According to the CDC, 3 million people are treated yearly for fall-related injuries. Fall has become a major public health problem and the second leading cause of unintentional deaths. Epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairment, and neuropathy are just a few of the illnesses that can increase the risk of falling. The purpose of this experiment was to use a fall detection algorithm to create a protective mechanism. An algorithm was developed with the use of Arduino and tri-axial accelerometers and gyro sensors. After calibrating the sensors accurately and coding in the Arduino IDE, the accelerometers were placed on a CPR manikin to model the fall of a person. After recording the slant height of the manikin during its fall, the data illustrated that the tilt of 67.01 degrees and the coordinates of (7.78, -4.08, and 8.79) is when the gear must be triggered. Through the aggregation of data,  the ideal location to place the sensors was identified. Using this data, an appropriate airbag mechanism was designed. This is particularly helpful in cases where the elderly have a fall.  The expansion of this project to a global scale can save millions of lives and prevent injuries from other accidental falls. 

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Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounted for an estimated 660,000 deaths in 2020, and the prevalence of HCC is expected to increase by over 55% between 2020 and 2040. Due to the lack of an effective treatment for late-stage HCC, the five-year survival rate is less than 20%. Pyruvate kinase molecule 2 (PKM2) is a rate-limiting enzyme that mediates the last step of glycolysis, catalyzing the breakdown of phosphoenolpyruvate into pyruvate. Upon PKM2 upregulation, cancer cells reprogram their host’s metabolic pathways, increasing glucose uptake and evoking fermentation of glucose to lactate. This altered metabolism allows rapid production of ATP, promoting cancer cell proliferation. This study found that liver-specific knockout of the SPTBN1 gene significantly decreases PKM2 levels and prevents inflammation, cell proliferation, and abnormal vascular development. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining with the PKM2 antibody was performed on paraffin-embedded liver tissue slides from wild-type (WT) mice, WT mice chemically induced with HCC, and HCC mice that had the SPTBN1 gene knocked out in the liver. After IHC staining, the tissue slides were photographed under a light microscope and analyzed in ImageJ, where PKM2 expression was calculated. Results of the IHC staining were also used to assess the severity of symptoms in each group of mice. This study found evidence suggesting SPTBN1 targeted gene knockout therapy may ameliorate HCC-induced symptoms and inhibit HCC development.

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TBD