songs present upbeat drum parts, which have been mimicked by countless enthusiastic “Air Drummers.” All equipment will be provided by the performer, and there will be time for questions and discussion. Madison Mills - “Car Seat Safety for School Age Children” (session 4) Injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death among children. Car seat instructions can be unclear and confusing for parents to understand. Proper use of car seats and advancing children to the next car seat at the appropriate time is critical to child safety when riding in the car. Parents must receive clear and standardized instructions regarding car seat safety in order to understand when the appropriate time to advance their child to the next seat is. After being given proper instruction, parents are more likely to use a car seat correctly. The intent of this project is to make an educational module that includes the appropriate times to advance a child to the next type of seat for children ages 3 through 12. The educational module will include the maximum height and weight a child should be in each kind of car seat in general and will include how to check and understand safety instructions listed on the car seats themselves. The hope for this project is to improve parental knowledge which leads to a decrease in motor vehicle related injuries in the pediatric population. Avery Mohr - “JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway: The Future of Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment” (poster session I) Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that affects millions of people around the world and is characterized by inflammation of the synovial joints, causing joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. A wide range of processes, including the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, are involved in immune system mediation and can cause hyperactivity when dysregulated. There is currently no cure, but targeted treatments can relieve symptoms and slow disease progression. A newer targeted therapy called JAK inhibitors (JAKi) works to decrease gene expression in a cell, ultimately regulating the immune system. Unfortunately, the JAK-STAT pathway has a generalized control, and influences cellular functions not related to the immune system, resulting in a high number of adverse events. Research advancements have developed more specific targeting mechanisms, helping to reduce these adverse events. Current research focuses on targeting different parts of the JAK- STAT pathway to limit the side effects as well. Analysis of the mechanisms associated with the JAK-STAT pathway is essential to understanding how dysfunction of the immune system is displayed clinically and how JAKi can relieve RA symptoms and limit disease activity, providing a better quality of life for those affected. It is crucial to continue developing drugs that target the JAK-STAT pathway with minimal side effects so that patients have the ability to live a life they are truly passionate about. DeRel Morris - “Wooden Spoon” (session 22) Purple Patch Editor’s Choice Award Winner Raychael Moseley, Lucía Vizcaino Torres, & Joseph Pollard - “War and Reform: How World War II Reshaped Democracy in Jackson County” (session 19) This presentation examines the political, social, and economic transformation of Jackson County, Missouri, before, during, and after WWII, focusing on the evolution of democratic
practices in Jackson County. Before the war, the Pendergast political machine dominated labor systems, elections, and everyday life. Through this, it limited fair political participation. Wartime mobilization expanded industrial labor and increased engagement from civilians, while also showing that the U.S. wasn’t living up to its own democratic ideals, particularly around access and equality. After the war, machine politics started to fade, and reform movements gained traction. With the help of returning veterans, the government became more open. Using newspapers, primary documents, and historical analysis, this research evaluates changes in participation and social equity during this time. The findings suggest that WWII served as a catalyst for reform in Jackson County, expanding while also highlighting persistent social and political inequalities. Jordyn Muller, Kelby Thomason, Candice Alabi, Hannah Roberts, Waheeb Ali, and Cole Carlson - “Student Mental Health Outreach” (session 17) Our project focuses on evaluating mental health awareness among college students at Missouri Valley and finding ways to improve support and reduce the stigma of asking for help. Our project is to better understand how students view mental health and find better ways to reach out to them. This will also give students an opportunity to share their own input on changes that could be made on campus. Tru Naumovitz - “Alienation in Literature: A Dive in to Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore from a Disabled Lens” (session 24) Topics of neurodivergence are largely considered new in the world of critical theory, even in the world of critical disability theory, where most emerging works about these concepts are rooted. Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore is a work that greatly lacks scholarship relating specifically to neurodivergence. I will argue in this presentation that, one, ‘mental disability’ is too broad of a framework to apply to the character of Nakata in Kafka on the Shore , and, two, that the character of Nakata is a neurodivergent person (exemplified by his speech, actions, and mannerisms) who is consistently punished by his able bodied surroundings. This project will be of academic importance due to the lack of exploration on neurodivergent topics in contemporary literature, as well as a necessary extension of disability studies bringing the categorization of characters from being ‘mentally disabled’ to a more modernized and useful term of “neurodivergent.” The intended audience for this project will be individuals seeking to know more about neurodivergence, as well as scholars interested in expanding the subject within the field. Tru Naumovitz - “CDT in Postmodern Literature: Holden Caulfield’s Neurodivergence in Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye ” (session 4) As the scope of critical disability theory (CDT) continues to grow and take shape within the academic community, an area of particular importance for critical analysis is postmodern literature. A dive directly into one of the most influential pieces of the time, Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye , displays a new gateway for a postmodern neurodivergent perspective to be brought to light. This presentation will argue that, one, Holden Caulfield is a neurodivergent character, displayed by his actions and his words alike, and two, despite the presented talents of Caulfield, he is consistently punished into submission by the normative characters and the social environment in which he
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator