HRECs were grown in normal (5mM) or high glucose (25mM). Some cells were not treated with the Epac1 agonist and serve as controls. Western blotting was done using primary antibodies for total and phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), insulin receptor (IR) and Akt, as well as beta actin as a control for loading. Anti-Rabbit IgG/HRP was used for secondary antibodies. ELISA analyses were done for protein levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1B. We are not done with data analyses, but we expect to find that Epac1 will increase insulin receptor and Akt phosphorylation, while reducing TNF-alpha and IL-1B levels.

Summary statistics and chi-square tests were generated to examine differences in obesity prevalence by age and gender. An environmental scan that included key informant interviews, document reviews, and photo-mapping was conducted to identify local obesity prevention initiatives. A total of 820 children were screened during the 2013-2014 school year. In total, 31% of children were obese and 24% were overweight. Obesity prevalence was lower among children ages 2-5 years (20%) than among children ages 6-11 (34%) and 12-19 years (34%) (p< .01) but did not differ by gender.

Local prevention initiatives included adoption of recommended nutrition guidelines for school meals, school-based programs to improve nutrition and increase physical activity, and changes to the physical environment to increase access to healthy foods and promote physical activity. Childhood obesity prevalence was higher in our sample compared to national prevalence estimates. Local schools have made strides in implementing obesity prevention initiatives. Ongoing monitoring of local childhood obesity prevalence may facilitate planning and evaluation of future prevention efforts.

We also reported that EHop-016 at ≥ 25mg/kg body weight significantly reduced tumor growth and metastasis in mice. However, our recent pharmacokinetic study of EHop-016 in a mouse model demonstrated that the bioavailability of Ehop-016 needs to be improved for pharmacological development. The hypothesis is that improvement of the EHop-016 structure will provide probes with increased potency against Rac and, therefore, increased bioavailability.

Several Ehop-016 derivatives have been tested for their effects on breast cancer cell viability using the MTT assay. We found one compound, HV-107, which at concentrations ≥1µM inhibits the viability of metastatic breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 by 45%. The effects of HV-107 on the inhibition of Rac activation were tested by pulldown assays. At 250nM, HV-107 inhibits Rac activation by 55% in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435 cells. Taken together, our findings suggest HV-107 has potential as an anti-metastatic agent and should, therefore, be further characterized.

Using equilibrium dialysis, Bacillus subtilis bacteria were exposed to different solution concentrations of BPEI. Removal of small aliquots from solution and subsequent assay with the ninhydrin test were used to measure the amount of BPEI remaining in solution and the amount of BPEI bound to the bacterial cell walls. These data were used to obtain the amount of bound vs. unbound BPEI and determine the equilibrium constant. These data influence the understanding of BPEI antimicrobial properties and impacts the development of antibiotics to treat human disease.

Thus, the main purpose of this research is to determine whether the activation of Gq-coupled receptors in IL prior to the learning of fear affects fear memory. We hypothesized that stimulation of these receptors during fear conditioning would decrease acquired fear. To test this, we utilized a pharmacogenetic approach in the form of Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD), which allow for controlled manipulation of the desired area in the brain using the selective agonist CNO. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were surgically infused with a virus, which expressed a Gq-coupled DREADD. Three weeks later, the rats will be injected with CNO one hour prior to behavioral training and sacrificed for immunohistochemistry to examine neuronal activity.

The purpose of the experiment is to determine whether exosomes in cancer cells can communicate with other cells and create an immunity to treatment. There were multiple steps in the process of attaching cells to an electro-spun fiber sheet and analyzing the exosomes captured. The first step was to take increments of 0.4 ug/ml of biotin to attach a 1-100 dilution of biotinylated anti-CD63, and an APC of anti-CD81 to the sheet. Then, using fluorescent antibodies, we are able track the movement of breast cancer cells and capture the exosomes from the single cells. The transportation of exosomes through multiple cells are thought to have the ability to communicate with another mutated cell to resist the cancer treatment. By acknowledging these cells, it may be possible to isolate them to prevent the proliferation of altered cells. The experiment is ongoing and there are yet to be conclusive results.

To meet this aim, US measure of the RLL was taken from DM II (n=7) and non-DM II (n=5) patients, whom were recruited from 2 endocrinology clinics at SoM-UPR. Preliminary data shows that MAL-CC measure of the RLL from non-DM II patients is 13.99 + 2.53 cm whereas the same measurement among DM II patients is 15.25 + 3.25 cm (Mann-Whitney U test, p= 0.42). It is concluded that there is a non-significant trend for large RLL sizes among DM II patients. Future work aims to increase sample size and to validate our novel measurement with MRI.

To determine the role of tree pollen in asthma, we analyzed the daily data collected from 2015 to 2017 with a Burkard volumetric air sampler located 73 meters above sea level at the San Juan (SJ) Station of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology. With the meteorological factors obtained from the Airport Station of National Weather Service in SJ we determined that the tree pollens are present during the dry season (January-March), decrease during the summer and re-appears during the rainy season (September-November). Diurnal variation of Cecropia scheberiana, the most common tree pollen in Puerto Rico (PR), presents highest levels of pollen at night and lower during the day. Therefore, like fungal spores, tree-pollen in PR has a circadian rhythm with low concentrations during the day and higher at night.

This investigation will have an important impact on the management of asthma as the exposure to pollen and fungal spores can be prevented using a HEPA filter air purifier. Also there will be no need to restrict children indoors during the day as the pollen and spores are at low concentrations.

CRANAD-X is a family of curcumin analogue molecules which have previously been used in NIRF (Near Infra-Red Fluorescence spectroscopy) imaging. This study is to show the computa-tional values of each prospective system for an experimental value such as excitation, emission, and wavelength emission. Experimental values found in this computational study will help to further a close approximation to other molecules that are similar in structure in other experimental investigations. Similar molecules found in this study could be used for probes to detect Aβ aggregates, and ROS levels.

Accordingly, it is necessary to establish the relationship between viscosity and bacterial growth in these experiments, for which our hypothesis is that the rate of bacterial growth in fluids with higher viscosities will be lower due to water displacement. To test this hypothesis, experiments were designed to measure the number of donors, recipients and transconjugant bacteria using optical density. Varying concentrations of the thickeners agar and xanthan gum will be used to achieve different viscosity levels in the media. Media of thicknesses closer to that of bodily fluids, which are more alike to pancake syrup or batter, will be evaluated. Concentrations will be tracked at half hour intervals as a means to obtain data and to formulate a growth curve model. Some preliminary results indicate that our hypothesis has a good probability of being correct. Linear growth curve models were applied to the data for comparison purposes.

This study explored the patterns and characteristics of STI incidence rates in Kern High School District (KHSD) and sexual health behaviors in a local community college. After reviewing five-year incidence rates of 18 high schools representing both urban and rural areas, there appeared to be no clear pattern among demographics, poverty and rural area between the schools and corresponding STI incidence rates. Key informant interviews were conducted to further investigate underlying contributors to the varying STI rates within Kern County.

The second part of the study explored young adult sexual health behaviors. Serving as a strong pipeline from high school to community college, approximately one-third of the Kern High School District attend the Kern Community College District. Bakersfield College completed an American College Health Association Health Assessment (ACHA) to assess health center needs. The study reviewed ACHA survey data (n=1483) to identify sexual health behaviors. Results from the study will be presented to local public health professionals and school educators to examine the need for more comprehensive and effective sexual health programs.

Bakersfield College students (N=1,483) completed the survey of which 36 questions pertained to sexual behavior and condom use. ACHA revealed that aggregated 88% of students (n=1,067) do not regularly or ever use condoms during oral sex. Similarly, 63% students (n=1,084) indicated they do not regularly or ever use condoms during vaginal sex. The study used SPSS analytics to explore condom use and characteristics (i.e, STI information received, sexual behavior, relationships, and/or race).

Chi-Square results showed there was no statistically significant difference in condom use in vaginal sex between those who received information on STIs compared to those who did not receive information. However, there was statistically significant difference in condom use for those who reported condom use during anal sex in the last 30 days and received information about STIs, χ2(1) = 4.984, p = .026. The study findings will be used to better inform health education campaigns to promote condom use among the college age population.

This study involves interviewing community members and 40 households that grow coconuts - 20 from the main island community and 20 from the outer island community. In addition, coconut trees and nuts in the two communities will be characterized according to internationally recognized procedures. Data will also be collected to assess the importance of coconuts for food security, economic development, and health.

Data collected so far clearly indicates that coconut indeed plays a significant role in the livelihood of the two communities. However, these data show that it is not true to say that coconut plays a more significant role on the main island. Hence, the hypothesis is rejected.

In conclusion, even though there is less sale of coconut in the outer island, the local outer islanders use a substantial amount of it in other ways especially as human food and drink, and animal feed. This shows that they should also be seriously engaged in coconut development activities.

The National Park of American Samoa (NPSA) is interested in learning more about what drives giant clam distributions in NPSA waters, and one day hopes to outplant farmed Faisua to help increase population levels. Surveys were conducted to assess Faisua population density and analyze correlations with depth. With this data NPSA will be able to make more informed resource management decisions

Three 50m transects were conducted on the reef flat of Fagasa to assess Faisua density. size and location of each clam was recorded to the nearest cm. This data was then compared to Faisua surveys conducted by NPSA divers at 10, 20, and 30 m depths. It was hypothesized that there would be higher density and larger clam size in shallower depths, because there is more light available for photosynthesis.

The capability of oyster mushroom in utilizing coconut by-product was assessed in terms of mycelial growth, number of fruiting body, cap diameter and biological efficiency conversion (BEC). The mushroom growing media used for this study were composed of shredded coconut husk, dolomitic lime, brown sugar and varying amounts (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) of copra cake with 45-60% moisture content. It was hypothesized that copra cake supplementation will increase production yield. Treatments were distributed in 10 replications and data were analyzed using the Duncan’s Multiple Test Range at 5% level of significance.

Mycelial growth occurred in all treatments in the following order: 10%> 0%, 5%, 15% >20% >25%. Thin mycelial growth occurred at 0%, and slowest growth was observed for 25%. Fruiting bodies did not take place for treatment without copra cake supplementation (0%). The overall growth performance was observed to be very favorable at 10% copra cake supplementation. This result suggests that coconut husk supplemented with the right amount of copra cake could be utilized effectively as locally available materials for mushroom cultivation.

The results of this study are pending at the time of this abstract submission. A future study will be conducted using an in vitro activation assay to determine if the engineered exosomes induce T-cell activation. The potential candidates will be used in an animal study for immunity against ZIKV infection.

In this experiment, water-soluble pigments were extracted from the plant materials through solvent extraction, rotary evaporation, and freeze-drying. The extracted compounds were then bonded to a colorless mordant, potassium aluminum sulfate, through chemical precipitation. The resulting lake pigment was then dried and made into traditional natural watercolors using a mixture of gum arabic and honey. To test for lightfastness, natural watercolors and name-brand ASTM compliant watercolors were subjected to an accelerated UVA exposure test for 14 days. Furthermore, sections of the color swatches were covered to analyze color intensity without exposure to UVA light. Color differences were measured in CIE L*a*b* coordinates in two-day intervals using a spectrocolorimeter. Data obtained from the triplicated samples were compared by analysis of variance and mean and standard deviation were calculated.

Research is currently being conducted and results will be examined and published at a later date.

This study will conduct two rounds of experiments at Marianas Baptist Academy. The radon in the rooms will be measured by a tool called the E-PERM. Electrets that collect ions and act as an ion sensor will be placed in three rooms for four days. Doors must remain shut during the four days. The first round will be managed in an environment where no air is entered into the room. The second round will be in an environment where air conditioning occurs. After each round, the electrets will be placed on a SPER reader to measure the voltage. The voltage will then be used to calculate the radon concentration in units of pCi/L.

The study is ongoing and the results will be discussed and presented at a further date.

The antimicrobial activity of the Allium sativum extract was tested on Escherichia coli, a gram-negative bacteria, using the agar-well diffusion method. A test tube containing only Escherichia coli was used as the control group. Another test tube containing Escherichia coli and the Allium sativum extract was used as the test group. It was hypothesized that the Allium sativum extract would prevent the growth of the Escherichia coli.

With the rising costs of today’s society finding cheap and effective alternative treatments, will be helpful by providing medical help for those who can’t afford regular healthcare treatments.

Using a combined 1999-2014 data set from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we sought to determine if there is an association between race and HTN control among CKD patients. A smaller portion of AA CKD patients (58.2% vs 71.6%; p<0.001) had controlled hypertension than White CKD patients. After adjusting for age, AA had a lower odds of having their hypertension controlled (odds ratio (OR) = 0.58; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.37-0.92) relative to whites. When adjusting for social factors and medical conditions, we observed that hypertensive African Americans with CKD had similar odds of having their hypertension controlled (OR=0.55; 95% CI= 0.25-1.23) relative their White peers.

Social factors and medical conditions account for the race difference in hypertension control among CKD patients. Strategies to control hypertension among AA patients with CKD must include not only efforts for proper health care to treat and control medical conditions, such as diabetes and stroke, but to address social factors. The results highlight the importance of creating interventions specifically focused on chronic disease prevention and management for African American adults to attempt to delay the onset or impede the progression of CKD.

Cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes were mixed with NanoShuttle (1 u/ 10000 cells) for 2 hours to become magnetized. The cells were separated, counted, and redistributed to a cell repellent 384-well plate. The cells were left to interact to form a mature spheroid with ECM. Results showed that the cultures were successfully imaged and yielded viable spheroid samples with greater efficiency and cell interactions. After 15 minutes of printing, viability, spheroid size and cell count increased in a time dependent manner. Day 1: the surface area increased from 3.2 to 3.45 x10⁵ pixels in 12s; by day 7 the number increased to 8.18 x 10⁵ pixels, while showing steadying beating patterns

The Magnetic 3D Bioprinting system yielded cell cultures that revealed higher levels of activity, size, and interaction in the 3D environment.

Over the course of this study, beginning in 2015, researchers utilized the RAAPS to gather data from University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) health clinics around Southeast Michigan. Clinic patients between the ages of 11 and 21 were administered the questionnaire as part of their primary care visit. The simple yes/no structure of each question allowed for a straightforward entry of data that could be analyzed to compare different factors affecting adolescents. Data from the assessment was entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software for an in-depth analysis by researchers through the use of the Chi-squared test for categorical variables.

Results regarding the data obtained from the assessment are still pending at the time of abstract submission; however, it is predicted that significant indications of harmful behavior will be linked to factors such as sexual orientation and/or median household income-level. These findings may suggest a new direction in which physicians can address issues for adolescents who identify with certain characteristics.

The study took healthy, AA women ages 18-45 and grouped them into two main categories based on their Body Mass Index (BMI): lean/ insulin dependent (BMI<25) and obese/insulin resistant (BMI>30). There were two main phases of the study, requiring four sets of measurements from each patient. Phase I was a cross-sectional comparison of endothelial function, adipokines, insulin resistance, inflammatory state, oxidative stress, and circulating endothelial progenitor cells in the two groups of AA women. Phase II was an 8-week randomized controlled trial of the effects of the DASH-type diet on endothelial function, oxidative stress, and endothelial progenitor cells. Measurements of trunk fat were done using the Hologic Discovery QDR densitometer. Coefficient of variation for repeat measurement is 1.0% and correlation of percent body fat between fan beams and hydro densitometry is 0.91. High-frequency ultrasound was used to obtain B-mode images of the left brachial artery in the longitudinal section 2cm above the antecubital crease to measure endothelial function.

Higher trunk fat percentages create greater amounts of oxidative stress and inflammation on the cells, causing a decrease in endothelial function and repair.

FA models of renal fibrosis were induced in Par1a WT and Par1a KO mice with intraperitoneal injections of 250 mg/kg FA dissolved in 300 nM NaHCO3. Mice were examined 7 days after injection—the time of earliest fibrosis and peak Notch expression. Sirius red collagen staining was used to quantify the severity of fibrosis. Immunohistochemical staining for Notch signaling components and Par1a were performed. It was observed that Par1a expression was increased after FA injection. Par1a colocalized in tubules with increased Jag1 expression. Sirius red staining demonstrated less fibrosis in Par1a KO vs. WT mice.

Together, our results suggest Par1a deletion may be protective against renal fibrosis. Par1-Notch interactions may be mediated by effects on Jag1. Par1-Notch signaling could be a novel target for therapeutic intervention and potentially attenuate CKD progression.

The lack of education regarding the importance of oral health and shortage in the number of dentists and dental coverage leads to an influx of patients with mild to severe dental problems at the emergency departments (EDs) across the country. Many studies conclude that by integrating oral health into the overall health system, there would an increase in availability for oral care that would be beneficial to patients, and it would be easier and more affordable for the ED to deal with an influx of patients with oral problems. This study examines reasons why patients with dental problems visit the ED at any of MedStar’s hospitals. The study will allow us to improve our current understanding of dental emergencies treated at EDs.

The study uses MedStar’s database to identify individuals who visited the ED for oral issues or emergencies. We will examine correlations between the dental emergency type and certain demographics as well as insurance type.

Studies in other subpopulations have previously identified differential DNAm at the ABCG1 gene as being associated with T2D. ABCG1 plays a significant role in promoting cholesterol efflux, and it has been associated with T2D and related traits. As such, we sought to determine whether those results generalized to American Indians by assaying DNAm at ABCG1 within a sample population of 285 American Indian participants in the Strong Heart Study (SHS). In verifying whether there is a significant association between DNAm levels and T2D, we hypothesize that individuals diagnosed with T2D will have higher rates of DNAm at loci in ABCG1 than individuals who do not have T2D. Ultimately, we hope the results of this experiment can provide more insight on the role that differential DNAm has to play in the risk and development of T2D.

Pilot data from children in the CANDLE Study (Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development & Learning in Early childhood) were analyzed to identify the 25^th, 50^th and 75^th percentiles for HCC in 1-4 year-old children. Significantly higher HCC were noted in black vs. white children at 1, 2, 3, and 4-years (P<0.001, for all ages). When measuring HCC we must also study the biochemical composition of an individual’s hair, primarily its lipid content. This lipid content is significantly different depending on one’s racial background and may account for some of the observed racial differences in HCC (Robbins, 2012). Establishing age-, sex-, and race-specific normative levels for HCC are essential for investigating the cumulative effects of chronic stress or “allostatic load” across the lifespan. If the normative ranges for HCC can be established, both the causes and effects of maladaptive and toxic stress can be subsequently identified, prevented and/or treated.

The goal of this project is to identify ensembles of neurons associated with distinct stages of the processing of a spatial memory in the hippocampus of mice. We hypothesize that as memory progresses, from early to late (more consolidated) stages, the majority of neurons constituting the ensemble will migrate from the entry to the termination areas of the hippocampal network. Using Immediate Early Gene fluorescent tagging methodology, we examined how the process of acquisition, consolidation, and extinction of memory shape neural ensembles in the hippocampus of the mouse. We trained transgenic mice expressing the Arc-Cre/eYFP double transgene in an active place avoidance task and activated fluorescent (eYFP) tagging at the specific memory stages, by injecting Tamoxifen.

Our hypothesis predicts that each stage of memory would require different amounts of neurons across the hippocampus network. We anticipate that memory acquisition (learning) recruitment of neurons will be higher at the dentate gyrus (DG), the entry point to the hippocampus, and lower at the CA1 area, its exit point. Furthermore, as memory gets consolidated, we expect to see a decrease in the DG and an increase in CA1. With this work, we hope to provide insight into how memory traces are represented in the brain.

We selected 53 variables from the CANDLE study including annual household income, headcount, marital status, health insurance, parental occupation and education. Singular value decomposition imputation (SVDI), a principal components analysis approach unaffected by the 24.4% missing data in our variables, was applied to all 53 variables (Troyanskaya, 2001).

All variables were distilled into 3 principal components explaining 93% of the variability. These components were combined to develop the Family Poverty Index (FPI, range 1-10). All subjects were separated into deciles based on FPI scores. Individuals with FPI=1 were the “poorest” with 79% individuals having annual incomes <$15,000. Those with FPI=9 or 10 were “rich”, since most individuals (98.7%, 73.3%) had annual incomes >$55,000. With FPI=1-3, 95% had Medicaid insurance and 4.8% had employer/private insurance, whereas with FPI=8-10, 86% had employer/private insurance and 11.8% had Medicaid. Other variables showed similar distributions across FPI categories.

FPI appears to be a robust measure of SES in the CANDLE Study population. Further research should test the validity of the FPI in other datasets.

Through experimentation, data suggests LD is not only composed of lipids but also proteins that potentially regulate LD formation and catabolism. Plin2, one of the lipid droplet proteins, suggests a pivotal role in the regulation of lipid levels in the liver via autophagy. Previous studies showed that in the absence of Plin2 the hepatic TG level reduced to only 50% of the control. Results from western blotting and imaging analysis has identified Plin2-deficiency in correlation to increased autophagy activity. The absence of Plin2 on the LD concomitantly caused the elevation of other proteins such as ABHD5, and Plin5 on lipid droplets. By analyzing the TG levels and autophagy flux in different knockout combinations of these LD proteins there can be a more versed understanding of how autophagy regulates TG catabolism in the liver.