Digital Commons Network^™

Axillary Management After Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy (Net), Laura Leonard, Min Yi, Emma Wingate, Puneet Singh, Abigail Caudle, Rosa F Hwang, Isabelle Bedrosian, Vicente Valero, Jennifer Litton, Nuhad Ibrahim, Kelly K Hunt

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: In patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients with clinical stage I-III, HR

RESULTS: A total of 230 patients were included; 120 (52.2%) were clinically node-negative (cN0), while 110 (47.8%) were clinically node-positive (cN+). In the cN+ group, 7.3% (8/110) had a nodal pathologic complete response (pCR). In total, 76.4% (84/110) in the cN+ group underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) as the initial axillary procedure, and 90.9% (100/110) underwent ALND overall. In total, 98.3% (118/120) with cN0 disease underwent sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND), and 28 (23.7%) had positive nodes. …

Multiparametric Mri To Predict Response To Irreversible Electroporation Plus Anti-Pd-1 Immunotherapy In Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Qizhen Cao, Mark D Pagel, Charles V Kingsley, Jingfei Ma, James P Long, Xiaoxia Wen, Seth T Gammon, Jorge Delacerda, Sanaz Javadi, Chun Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To investigate contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MRI and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) for early prediction of tumor response to combined irreversible electroporation (IRE) and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Methods: Murine pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells KRAS* were inoculated into the pancreas of C57BL/6 mice. IRE was performed when tumors became palpable. After IRE, mice received six intraperitoneal injections of anti-PD-1 over 2 weeks. T2-weighted MRI, T1-weighted MRI with macromolecular contrast agent poly(L-glutamic acid)-conjugated gadolinium (PG-Gd), and DWI were performed before and after IRE. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Mice surviving at least 100 days without recurrence after IRE were considered complete …

Neutrophil-Microglia Interaction Drives Motor Dysfunction In A Neuromyelitis Optica Model Induced By Subarachnoid Aqp4-Igg, Fangfang Qi, Vanda A Lennon, Shunyi Zhao, Yong Guo, Husheng Ding, Caiyun Liu, Whitney M Bartley, Tingjun Chen, Claudia F Lucchinetti, Long-Jun Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) contribute to early neuromyelitis optica (NMO) histopathology initiated by IgG targeting astrocytic aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels. Yet, the mechanisms underlying neutrophil recruitment and their pathogenic roles in disease progression remain unclear. To investigate molecular-cellular events preceding classical complement cascade activation in a mouse NMO model, we continuously infused, via spinal subarachnoid route, a non-complement-activating mouse monoclonal AQP4-IgG. Parenchymal infiltration of netting neutrophils containing C5a ensued with microglial activation and motor impairment but no blood-brain barrier leakage. Motor impairment and neuronal dysfunction both reversed when AQP4-IgG infusion stopped. Two-photon microscopy and electron microscopy-based reconstructions revealed …

Structural-Functional Analyses Of The Huntingtin/Hap40 Complex In Drosophila And Humans, Stephen M Farmer, Amanda Solbach, Shiyu Xu, Beatriz Rios, Xin Ye, Amy Gao, Daniela Covarrubias, Yue Yu, Lili Ye, Vicky Chuong, Erin Furr Stimming, Haiqing Zhao, Sheng Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal CAG expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Given its simple genetic cause but complex pathogenic mechanisms, interest in targeting HTT for HD treatment is growing, necessitating a clear understanding of HTT regulation. HTT protein primarily exists in a core complex with HAP40, forming a highly ordered structure with two large globular domains connected by a bridge. We previously demonstrated that HAP40 is conserved in

Careers In A Box: A Promising Career Exploration Curriculum For Rural Youth, Kristine M. Ramsay-Seaner, Amber Letcher, Elizabeth Koob, Meagan Scott Hoffman, Laura Hasselquist

The Rural Educator

This article highlights a career exploration curriculum that was developed to support the vocational guidance needs of school counselors working in six rural, high-need communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. Based on social cognitive career theory, Careers in a Box was created to bridge existing gaps in career exploration curricula for rural middle school youth. This grab-and-go curriculum introduces participants to specific careers across the spectrum of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and provides them with hands-on activities associated with these careers. While program evaluation is ongoing, preliminary results indicate an associated increase in personal resilience in …

Evaluating A Research Experience For Teachers: Benefits And Challenges For Summer Stem Professional Development, Mark T. Felts, Darcy Tessman, Emily Simpson, Mark Nanny

The Rural Educator

This focus group study examined the participant motivation for and potential impact of the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program on rural STEM educators. Due to geographic isolation and low wages in rural areas, STEM teachers often engage in summer work, which provides practical, real-world applications of STEM principles and enhances instructional methods during the school year. By fostering university partnerships and providing summer research opportunities, RET aligns with the National Rural Research Agenda’s (NREA) priorities of enhancing community relationships and bolstering teacher preparation, recruitment, and retention. Findings indicate that participation in RET boosts teachers’ curricular skills, professional networks, and …

Outdoor Learning In Rural Schools: Lessons From A Positive Outlier Case Study, Lauren E. Jacobs, Christiaan G. Abildso, Adam J. Daigneault, Jessica E. Leahy, Christopher J. Nightingale

The Rural Educator

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to outdoor learning and outdoor activities in a small K–12 case school in rural Maine. The case school was a positive outlier (PO), providing significant outdoor learning and activity opportunities to all students during the school day. Outdoor learning and outdoor pursuits in school settings can increase student physical activity, provide opportunities for students to reap the mental and emotional benefits from time in nature, and help them make important connections to local culture. The positive outlier methodological approach sought to uncover reasons for the case school’s PO status and find practical strategies …

Concerns Regarding The Efficacy Of Utilizing The Vibrational Response Of Aminocyanine Molecules To Near Infrared Light For Cancer Cell Destruction, Parsa Faghani-Eskandarkolaei, James Welsh, Seyed Ali Reza Mortazavi, Parmis Taghizadeh, Mobina Baramaki, Fatemeh Shams, Mohammed Nasir Abubakari, Seyed Mohammad Javad Mortazavi, Lembit Sihver

Informatics and Engineering Systems Faculty Publications

Recent advancements in cancer treatment have introduced the use of aminocyanine molecules, activated by near-infrared (NIR) light, to induce vibrational responses that can selectively destroy cancer cells. This commentary critically examines a study that reports a 99% efficacy of this method against human melanoma cells in vitro, and significant tumor reduction in murine models. While the findings are promising, our analysis highlights crucial oversights in the study’s implications for clinical applications. Specifically, the persistence of even a small fraction of cancer cells post-treatment poses significant risks for tumor regrowth and acquired resistance. Additionally, the study’s approach neglects the heterogeneity of …

Factors Associated With Child Protective Services Referrals In Young Children With Isolated Skull Fractures., Karli Breeden-Carino, Joanne N. Wood, Cindy W. Christian, Tagrid M. Ruiz-Maldonado, Daniel M. Lindberg, Angela Bachim, Lori Frasier, Terra N. Frazier, Nancy S. Harper, Sara E. Kruczek, Farah Brink, Jennifer E. Wolford, Jan Leonard, M Katherine Henry

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: Many young children with isolated skull fractures are referred to child protective services (CPS) despite being assessed to have a low likelihood of abuse. We sought to identify factors associated with CPS referrals in this population and to quantify hospital-level variation.

METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study of children < 2 years with skull fractures with or without a small underlying intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and no additional injuries undergoing a child abuse pediatrics (CAP) subspecialty evaluation. We explored associations between demographic factors, clinical characteristics, psychosocial risk factors, and hospital site with CPS referral status. We performed multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for transfer status and all significant covariates from unadjusted analyses. We utilized marginal standardization to calculate the estimated probability of CPS referrals at each site, adjusting for all factors in the final model.

RESULTS: Of 528 children, 303 (57.4%) were referred to CPS, with 86.5% referred before CAP consultation. In multivariable logistic regression, presence of psychosocial risk factors (OR 4.00; 95% CI 2.25, 7.11), in-person CAP consult (OR 3.93; 1.61, 9.62), inflicted or no trauma history provided (OR 6.15; 3.30, 11.45), …

Confessions In Cases Of Child Physical Abuse-A Capnet Study., Margaret R. Russell, Antoinette L. Laskey, Henry T. Puls, Suzanne P. Starling, Joanne N. Wood, Daniel M. Lindberg, Nancy S. Harper, Caitlin R. Mcnamara, Angela W. Bachim, Farah W. Brink, Lori D. Frasier, James Anderst, Porcia Vaughn, Kristine A. Campbell

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: Prior research on confessions of physical abuse (PA) has explored mechanisms of injury. Little is known about conditions supporting a confession of abuse or how confessions may influence case outcomes.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study of suspected PA in children aged < 10 years at 10 centers participating in CAPNET, a multicenter child PA research network, included children with in-person Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP) consultations between February 2021 and December 2022 and excluded children without injury. Our focus was a confession of inflicted injury known to the CAP during clinical involvement. We compared child and clinical characteristics, out-of-home (OOH) placements, and arrests between cases with and without confessions. Multivariable models using generalized estimating equations (GEE) produced adjusted predicted probabilities (APP) clustering by CAPNET site.

RESULTS: Confessions were known to CAPs in 115/4297 (2.7%) cases, with significant site variability. In a multivariable GEE model, confessions were more likely in cases with injuries with high specificity for abuse (APP 6.0% vs 1.6%, P < .001), near-fatality (APP 5.6% vs 2.3%, P < .001), and older children (APP 4.8% vs 2.5%, P = .025). OOH placements and arrests were more common in cases with confessions. CAP awareness of confessions, OOH placements, and arrests did not follow racial or ethnic patterns seen in the US child welfare system. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with OOH placements and arrests but not with CAP awareness of confessions.

CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight differences in case characteristics and outcomes where a confession is known to the CAP and raise questions about …

Exploitive Adolescent Labor And Labor Trafficking: Clinical Perspectives For Adolescent Healthcare Providers., Romina Barral, Michele A. Kelley, Abigail English, Marissa Raymond-Flesch, Tonya Chaffee, Veronica Svetaz, Tamera Coyne-Beasley, Nuray Kanbur

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

Sialylation In The Nervous System: Functions And Mechanisms., Kate Koles, Elena Repnikova, Boris Novikov, Vladislav Panin

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Glycoprotein sialylation represents a critical posttranslational modification with diverse biological roles in animals. This review explores its multifaceted functions in the nervous system, with particular emphasis on neurophysiology, homeostasis, and associated neurological disorders. The sialylation pathway modulates key neural processes through effects on glycoprotein stability, localization, activity, and molecular interactions. Examples include its crucial role in the regulation of neuronal excitability by modulating the functions of voltage-gated ion channels. Recent studies have uncovered remarkably rapid, activity-dependent changes in synaptic sialylation, suggesting dynamic sialylation-mediated regulation of neural transmission and highlighting the importance of neuraminidases in these processes. Beyond synaptic function, sialylation …

Protocol For Non-Invasive Assessment Of Skeletal Muscle Structure And Function In Adolescents With Single Ventricle Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional, Case-Control Study., Tyler A. Fick, Trent J. Herda, Emily Cramer, David A. White, Daniel Forsha

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation, and the most severe type, single ventricle (SV) heart disease, requires the Fontan surgical palliation. Fontan palliation minimizes hypoxemia and volume overload by separating systemic and pulmonary circulations, resulting in the absence of a sub-pulmonary pump. Skeletal muscle health may have a greater relative contribution to overall functional capacity of those with SV physiology, via the skeletal muscle (SkM) pump mechanism and oxidative capacity. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively evaluate multiple domains of SkM in this population compared to those with normal cardiac anatomy.

METHODS: Forty …

Neighborhood Physical Disinvestment And Incident Diabetes Between Visits 1 And 2 Of The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos (Hchs/Sol)., Cara M. Smith, Elizabeth W. Spalt, Linda C. Gallo, Jordan A. Carlson, Matthew Allison, Bharat Thyagarajan, Earle C. Chambers, Amber Pirzada, Martha Daviglus, Christina Cordero, Qibin Qi, Elena Austin, Amanda M. Fretts, India Ornelas, Robert Kaplan, Joel D. Kaufman, Stephen J. Mooney

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Neighborhood-scale environmental factors, including disinvestment in infrastructure, may impact cardiometabolic disease risk. To our knowledge, no prior studies have investigated the association between neighborhood disinvestment and incident diabetes. We used a virtual street audit of Google Street View Imagery to generate a neighborhood disinvestment score for participants' residential addresses in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). An item response theory model was fit to indicators (litter, graffiti, under-maintained buildings, bars on windows, and abandoned buildings) to form a scale measuring a latent level of disinvestment. Ordinary kriging was used to estimate levels for each residential address within the …

Repurposing Glp-1ra Drugs For Modulating Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy And Neurodegeneration, Janhavi Tonge

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Sepsis, a life-threatening disorder caused by an exacerbated immune host response towards a pathogen, accounts for about 1 in 5 deaths worldwide with more than 11 million deaths. In septic pathophysiology, pathogen components interact with the receptors of immune and endothelial cells, causing the release of inflammatory signals. This results in a hyperinflammatory phase that leads to "leaky" blood vessels through vasodilation, which causes improper tissue perfusion and hypotension. If untreated, this can lead to multiorgan damage and can be especially damaging to vulnerable, non-regenerative organs such as the brain. Post-sepsis recovery has long term consequences in the central nervous …

From Resume To Risk Factor: The Connections Between Occupation, Chronic Disease, And Mental Health In The United States, Nemo Thomas, Joshua Dumond, Nicole Real

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Mental health affects various aspects of overall health, including physical, emotional, and social well-being, which influences behavior and management of disease. Furthermore, occupational types (blue-collar, white-collar, and grey-collar) can influence how individuals manage stress. This can be due to the various responsibilities an individual has or the work environment that one is consistently exposed to, which can lead to detrimental mental health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between occupational type and the occurrence of individuals' self-reported levels of distress, anxiety, hopelessness, restlessness, sadness, and worthlessness. The data from this study was obtained from the IPUMS NHIS 2024 surveys, a …

Psychological Separation As A Developmental Moderator Of Cognitive Maladjustment, Tanvi Rudrangi, Kaleigh Cummings, Misha Patel

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Developing a personal identity is a central task of late adolescence (Erikson, 1968). Emerging adulthood, a developmental period spanning the late teens to mid-twenties, is characterized by increased independence and self-focus, providing opportunities for life skill development and self-understanding. Despite this emphasis on self-focus, emerging adults' psychosocial adjustment remains closely tied to parent relationships, particularly the process of separation-individuation from parents. The present study examined whether paternal psychological separation moderates the relationship between self-focused life perspectives and maladaptive cognitions of ego inflation/superiority. Participants included 95 emerging adults (ages 18-25, M=20.7, 60 women). Paternal separation was assessed using the 69-item Psychological …

Effects Of Renin-Angiotensin System Targeting Drugs On Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy And Related Neuropathology, Anna Maria Weber, Ariana Hernandez, Chana Vogel, Victoria Pulido-Correa, Maria Agustina Paiz, Shaina Binu, Sonakshi Kose, Aayush Doshi, Dylan Kuni, Sylvia Yousef

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common cerebrovascular disease characterized by beta-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation in the cerebral vasculature, resulting in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) along with other neuropathologies such as inflammation. Given that medications approved to treat CAA currently do not exist, this highlights that there is a pressing need for more innovative approaches to drug discovery. In this study, classical renin-angiotensin system (RAS)-inhibiting antihypertensive drugs were repurposed to investigate their efficacy for mitigating CAA-associated neuropathology and cognitive decline, while additionally evaluating for sex-specific outcomes. Male and female Tg-SwDI mice were treated for 4 months with non-hypotensive doses …

The Functional Movement Screening In Collegiate Soccer Players, Sophia White, Karina Manrique

Undergraduate Student Symposium

About 70% of soccer injuries are non-contact, resulting from underlying mobility, stability, or movement pattern issues. Soccer players are particularly susceptible to ankle, knee, and hip injuries due to the high demands on lower body mobility, stability and repetitive dynamic motions. Functional Movement Screening is a popular evaluation method that is used to find asymmetries and dysfunctional movement patterns that could put athletes at risk for injury. Scores from the FMS test have been linked to injury risks. The purpose of this study is to conduct and evaluate the FMS performances among collegiate soccer players (n=26) to decrease injury risk, …

Evaluting Practical Limitations Of Signal Detection Theory In Clinical Behavioral Research, Xinlei Zhang, Prarthana Harikrishnan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Deficits in inhibitory control - the ability to suppress automatic, impulsive responses - has been widely considered as a potential biomarker for mental health disorders. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) has provided a systematic measurement method for inhibitory control in clinical behavioral assessment. To evaluate the feasibility of inhibitory control as a biomarker, researchers have used meta-analysis to examine its effect size (Hedge's g) in differentiating between individuals with mental health disorders and healthy controls. Values of g>0.8 indicate that inhibitory control may serve as a clinically useful biomarker for distinguishing patients from healthy individuals, whereas g<0.8 suggests limited clinical utility. However, our study found that a limitation of SDT - its lack of reliability when participants show perfect performance - would lead to distorted and misleading results when evaluating the efficacy of inhibitory control as a biomarker. In our computational simulation, we found that when applying SDT to a clinically useful biomarker (for example, true effect size g = …

Resilience Factors For Physical Activity After Completion Of Intensive Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment: A Qualitative Analysis., William R. Black, Lora L. Black, Jennifer Christofferson, Liesbet Goubert, Cara M. Hoffart, Dustin Wallace

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: This study explored potential resilience factors that facilitate engagement in physical activity (PA) among adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain after completing intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment.

METHODS: Ten adolescents aged 13 to 17 years with a history of chronic musculoskeletal pain from a mid-western pediatric hospital in the United States participated in this qualitative study. Participants provided demographic information and completed semistructured virtual interviews. The interviews focused on their pain experiences, resilience, and engagement in PA. Transcripts were analyzed using primarily directed content analysis based on a pain resilience framework.

RESULTS: Participants highlighted several key resilience factors that influenced their …

Buried Identities: Analyzing Maya Gender Roles Through Burials At Chan Chich, Belize, Nicole Watson

Student Publications

The site of Chan Chich, Belize, has undergone excavations since 1996, but there has been little attention given to the question of gender. Burial analyses serve as the most fruitful way to comprehend gender inequalities and differences at Chan Chich, and this paper examines every burial excavated at the site since its first field season. The findings show evidence for elite women engaging in craft production and ritual activities, while also receiving immense care and effort in their burial constructions. Although there is limited data to work with, it is clear that some women held essential responsibilities and gained respect …

Effects Of Invasive Water Hyacinth On Boldness And Habitat Preference In Mosquitofish, Nicolas Borca, Chancellor Rockwell Marks

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) are small freshwater fish that play an important role in aquatic food webs. Their behavior, especially boldness and risk-taking, can change depending on the type of habitat they occupy. In this study, we investigated how mosquitofish respond behaviorally to the presence of the floating invasive plant water hyacinth by comparing their boldness, preference for cover, and predation rates between water hyacinth and its native competitor, pennywort. Fish boldness was measured using a two-factor latency experiment. Fish were collected from freshwater locations in South Florida that either had the invasive plant or were free of …

Porites Coral Colony Recovery At Caño Island , Sophia Bost

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Coral reefs are essential marine ecosystems and Porites lobata is an important Eastern Pacific reef-building coral that plays a major role in reef structure and ecosystem stability. This project documents Porites lobata responses to impacts associated witl1 the 2023-24 El NiÑo-Southern Oscillation, comparing coral tissue condition from 2024 and 2025. Overlapping digital images (~500 each year) utilizing two GoPro Hero 11 cameras were obtained from one, large (~13 m²) Porites lobata colony at Caño Island, Costa Rica. The program Agisoft Metashape was used to generate a 3D photogrammetry model constructed from these digital images. Living, bleached and dead …

Analysis Of Accuracy In Ecgs Data Captured By Patients Using At-Home Ai-Assisted Device Compared To Qualified Clinician Recordings, Snehana Chinnola, Colin Pulickathadam

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) introduce promising opportunities in the field of cardiology to support healthcare services outside traditional clinical settings. At-home care generally promotes patient independence and improved health outcomes, while staying cost-effective due to decreased hospital visits. This study will analyze deidentified patient pilot data to assess the feasibility and performance of AI-assisted at-home electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring compared with standard clinician-obtained ECGs during routine clinical visits, focusing on signal quality and accuracy. Additionally, the data consistency will be examined to …

Distinct And Cooperative Effects Of Epigenetic Inhibitors On Cell Viability And Cell Cycle Regulation In Neuroblastoma Cells, Tamanna Dipen Shah, Anushka Ayanampudi, Shyam Jaganathan

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Epigenetic dysregulation plays a central role in uncontrolled cell proliferation and therapeutic resistance in cancer. Consequently, targeting epigenetic regulators with small-molecule inhibitors has emerged as a promising strategy to disrupt cell cycle progression and induce tumor cell death. In this study, we evaluated the cytotoxic and molecular effects of two epigenetic-targeting agents, CM-272 and JNJ-64619178, administered as individual, simultaneous, and sequential treatments in neuroblastoma cell models. Cell viability was assessed using XTT assays, and changes in cell cycle regulatory proteins were analyze by Western blotting. Our results demonstrate that simultaneous combination treatment produced the greatest reduction in cell viability compared …

Proximal Power Gains In Football: Position-Specific Adaptations Revealed Through Compositional Data Analysis, Isabella Estrada Hernandez, Alyana Andal

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Training-induced adaptations in joint power distribution during speed running may enhance performance, but how these changes manifest across different American football position groups remains poorly understood. We investigated the influence of training and player position on joint power composition among players training for the National Football League draft. Forty-eight draft-eligible players performed pre- and post-training camp running trials at 23.4 km/h. We used motion capture software and MATLAB to calculate bilateral peak hip, knee, and ankle joint power. Compositional data analysis (CoDA) was used, in which positive/generated and negative/absorbed power compositions were expressed as isometric log-rations: hip versus knee + …

Perceived Family Influences On Sexual Decision-Making Among Emerging Adults, Hassan Gowani, Mariana Santiago-Lopez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Research on familial influences on sexual decision-making has focused primarily on adolescents, resulting in limited understanding of how family relationships may influence emerging adults' sexual decision-making. To fill this gap in the literature, we asked participants (ages 18-29) to indicate yes/no to "Do you think that your family has played a role in your current decision to be or not to be sexually active?" and then provide qualitative responses to "Please elaborate on why you think your family has or hasn't played a role in your current decision to be or not to be sexually active." Based on preliminary analysis, …

Time-Lapse Microscopy To Characterize Astrocyte Precursor Cells Migration Using A Double Reporter Mouse Line, Megan Hilliard, Sravika Chirla, Maria Ramirez

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Astrocytes, the most abundant non-neuronal cell type in the brain, are a diverse population of cells that play a central role in regulating synaptic activity, supporting neuronal energy demands, and modulating interactions among neurons, glia, and blood vessels. Astrocytes originate from astrocyte precursor cells (APCs) in the subventricular zone, from where they migrate to the cortex postnatally. Once in the cortex, APCs continue to proliferate and then undergo morphological and functional maturation. Using a double reporter mouse line engineered to express enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) under the control of the entire glutamate transporter 1 (GLT1) gene and tdTomato (tdT) …

Acute Effects Of D- And L-Beta-Hydroxybutyrate On Vigilance (Sustained Attention And Reaction Speed) In Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Catherine Holen

Undergraduate Student Symposium

Exogenous beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) supplements are increasingly promoted for cognitive and performance benefits but controlled human data--particularly comparing BHB isomers--remains sparse. This study evaluated whether a low dose, acute ingestion of D-BHB or L-BHB influences vigilance (sustained attention, reaction speed) and fine motor control in fasted, non-keto-adapted healthy adults. A total of 136 participants (20.5 ± 1.4 years; 70.2 ± 15.6 kg) were randomized into three groups: D-BHB (n = 47), L-BHB (n=46), or placebo (n = 43). Measures included the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT reaction time) and the central nervous system tap test. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 60 …