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This paper examines the etiology of dissociative identity disorder. Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental disorder defined by the presence of more than one personality state within an individual. Although there is consensus among experts that DID follows from severe childhood trauma, there is currently disagreement about the exact mechanisms underlying DID symptoms. Some researchers argue that DID arises directly as a result of trauma. These researchers contend that victims dissociate as a way of protecting their childhood self, who is unable to cope with sexual or physical violence. Other researchers argue that DID results as an artifact of treatment for DID. This paper reviews evidence for each of these theories and concludes with recommendations for treatment.
Recent Advances in Drug-Eluting Stent Biomaterials for the Disruption of Biofilms in the Upper Airway
By Cathy Wang, Carey Baptist Grammar School
Mentor
Matthew Aronson
University of Pennsylvania
Abstract
Upper airway diseases are one of the most frequent ailments in and outside of hospitals, as the region is exposed to environmental stressors and essential for life. Some diseases, such as subglottic stenosis and laryngeal cancer, cause the constriction of the airway necessitating stenting. One concern with medical airway stent usage is the attachment of bacterial biofilms on stent surfaces. After stent implantation, biofilm communities trigger inflammatory responses and other complications such as tissue granulation within patients. Researchers have developed drug-eluting stents either coated with anti-biofilm chemicals or incorporated within the stent for sustained release, to alleviate infection. This review examines published literature on the recent development of drug-eluting biomaterials to disrupt biofilm formation in upper airway applications, by assessing outcomes in both in vitro and in vivo models. Promising results have been shown in nanoparticle-mediated drug-delivery pathways; specifically, inorganic metallic nanoparticles such as silver nanoparticles that display both intrinsic and bio-responsive anti-biofilm properties after applying them to drug-eluting stents. The review also discusses the effectiveness of synthetic polymers such as PLGA, small molecules such as Sirolimus, and natural polymers such as chitosan in the biofabrication of stents to reduce biofilms. These molecules can act as potential therapeutic strategies and improve the efficiency of these necessary medical devices. Overall, drug-eluting airway stents are advancing rapidly in efficacy, complexity, and success to prevent bacterial infection, reduce associated comorbidities, and improve patient outcomes.
Stellar Evolution: A Star’s Journey from Birth to Death
By Caden Burkhardt, Canton High School
Mentor
Ana Mikler
Argelander institute for Astronomy
Abstract
Looking up into the night sky, we see thousands of stars, with billions more in our galaxy and an untold amount more in our universe. But while they may seem to be static unchanging points of light, scientists know that they are not. We know that stars change, they are born, they mature, they grow old, and they eventually die. This Journey, from the birth to the death of a star is called stellar evolution and it is a very important part of astronomy. Understanding the process helps to give us the ability to answer important questions, such as understanding the synthesis of heavy elements through star death, and the creation of new stars, and galaxies.
This paper investigates how infants and toddlers use both innate predispositions as well as observations of their social environments to determine social dominance. In particular, it evaluates how children use others’ appearance, behaviour, and race to make inferences about social hierarchies. Finally, this paper explores the role of culture in impacting children’s beliefs about power.
Published in Social Science Research Network (SSRN) on Elsevier (2023)
Mentor
Brian Amorim Cabaco
University College London
Abstract
Cryptocurrencies are extremely popular assets with retail investors, most of whom glean information on social media as to which coins they ought to invest in. In this paper, we investigate the impact of social media influencers on cryptocurrencies using an event study methodology and a cryptocurrency empirical asset pricing model for the counterfactual. Our findings highlight that social media events have a large, persistent, and statistically significant effect on cryptocurrency returns, with cumulative average abnormal returns of 8% 15 days after the publication of a YouTube video. As such, our results underline the need to account for social media presence in empirical asset pricing models for cryptocurrencies, along with the potential for market manipulation in less-traded coins.
By Jordan Pefianco, United World College of South East Asia
Mentor
Jedidiah Thompson
Stanford University
Abstract
The true nature of dark matter is an extremely important and fundamental problem in the study of astrophysics, particle physics, cosmology and many other areas within the study of physics. This paper presents experimental evidence for the existence of dark matter through discussing the experimental results of mass profiling a galaxy and gravitational lensing. The fundamental properties of dark matter are then discussed, and evidence for these properties is presented. This allows further discussion of one of the most promising models of dark matter - the axion. The purpose of this paper is to present the evidence for the axion model, describe the nature of the theoretical axion particle, and to highlight the effects this model would have on other theories in physics such as solving the Strong CP Problem in the theory of quantum chromodynamics.