Exploring Whether Beta-Amyloid Accumulates in Sympathetic Nerves within Pancreatic Islets as Part of the Aging Process

Pancreatic islets contain beta cells that synthesize and release insulin, a key hormone in glucose metabolism. Islets are innervated by sympathetic innervation, which inhibits insulin release when activated. Research from our lab has shown an increase in sympathetic varicosity size in older animals, but the mechanism underlying this remains unclear. This research hypothesizes that the age-related increase in sympathetic varicosity size is associated with beta-amyloid aggregation. According to this hypothesis, beta-amyloid accumulation may compromise the release of the sympathetic neurotransmitter norepinephrine, thereby impacting hormone release. Using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, we standardized labeling of the beta-amyloid and sympathetic varicosities within pancreatic islets from young (4-5months), middle (10-11 months), and old (18-22months) mouse groups. Our preliminary data shows a clear signal of beta-amyloid and sympathetic varicosities within pancreatic islets across different age groups. Our next step is to evaluate whether the two signals colocalize and if there are age-associated changes. This research will contribute to determining the specific mechanisms associated with the increase in sympathetic varicosities related to aging

R.E.M.: Science Fiction Short Film

In the Spring semester of 2025, my research included an intricately outlined plan to execute the making of my film “REM” from start to finish. At the beginning, all of my deadlines were completed promptly starting with auditions, to location scouts, to storyboarding, shot listing, and schedules - everything was accounted for down to the most minute details. I learned a lot about the process of filmmaking and how incredibly helpful the specifics of planning are when production begins. Throughout the production and post production process, some advice for myself is to begin a film production only when the script is officially finished and the director (me) knows the story like the back of their hand. This is something that I questioned on and off set almost every day and I realized how imperative it is to understand how to stitch every bit of the story together because when it gets to the editing bay, it becomes another person’s movie. My goal was not to just make “REM” a film, but rather a message challenging the controversial impact of advanced technologies on the human species. I hope that by the final stages of the editing process, my project will be something to watch and something to talk about

Lipid and Cholesterol Peroxidation Leads to α-Crystallin Membrane Aggregation and Cataract Formation

Purpose: The significant lens chaperone protein α-crystallin (αABc), comprised of αA-crystallin (αAc) and αB-crystallin (αBc) subunits, is found to form membrane-bound aggregates with age and cataract formation. However, the molecular basis for such aggregate formation is still unclear. Our research primarily aims to elucidate the effect of lipids (phospholipids and sphingolipids) and cholesterol (Chol) peroxidation on the aggregation of αAc, αBc, and αABc to bovine lens nuclear membrane (NM). Methods: Lipid and Chol peroxidation was induced by a photosensitized peroxidation reaction, and topographical images of NM and oxidized-NM (Ox-NM) with and without αAc, αBc, or αABc were obtained using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Results: The percentage of membrane area occupied (PMAO) by αAc, αBc, or αABc aggregates on NMs was significantly smaller without lipid and Chol peroxidation. However, with NM lipid and Chol peroxidation, the PMAO of αAc, αBc, or αABc aggregates on the Ox-NM was significantly more extensive, and PMAO increased with an increase in lipid and Chol peroxidation. Large-size aggregates of αAc, αBc, or αABc on Ox-NM with the depressed central region for αAc and αABc aggregates on Ox-NM were observed to a greater extent with increased lipid and Chol peroxidation. Conclusions: Lipid and Chol peroxidation induce membrane defects on NM, followed by extensive aggregation of αAc, αBc, and αABc on Ox-NM, suggests that lipid and Chol peroxidation promotes the aggregation of αAc, αBc, and αABc to Ox-NM, and the formation of such large aggregates likely promotes increased light scattering and cataract formation

Exploring DNA Metabarcoding to Understand Diet in Declining Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse (\u3cem\u3eTympanuchus phasianellus\u3c/em\u3e)

The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus; hereafter CSTG) formerly occupied shrub-steppe ecosystems across western North America but now inhabit less than five percent of their former range due to habitat loss and other anthropogenic factors. Despite their social and ecological significance, research on CTSG diet has been limited, with the last comprehensive study taking place over 20 years ago. Understanding dietary habits is crucial, as food availability directly impacts population dynamics, local adaptation, and overall fitness of this species. Through the application of plant DNA metabarcoding (i.e., p6 loop of trnL) from non-invasively collected fecal samples, this study identifies plants consumed by CSTG across western North America. Preliminary results from 2022-2023 indicate that the spring diet of CSTG includes a large abundance of taxonomic reads from the plant families Apiaceae (parsley family) and Asteraceae (composite family). While there is not a significant difference between years, there is a significantly higher diversity of plants eaten in British Columbia than populations in Idaho, Washington, or Wyoming. Additional 2024 samples will be sequenced this summer, with 2025 samples in preparation. This preliminary work sets the foundation for future studies to shape habitat management and restoration strategies for CSTG, supporting long-term conservation efforts

Does Motor Skill Competence Influence Physical Activity Behavior? Focusing on Sport-specific Skills

The purpose of this study was to investigate the widely held belief that motor skill competence positively affects physical activity behavior (PA), considering the task-specific nature of motor skill competence and the context-specific nature of PA. Specifically, we examined the effects of students’ jump rope (JR) and basketball (BB) competence on their PA in six contexts. A total of 134 sixth grade students participated in this study. All variables were assessed using appropriate tools. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to address the research questions. Students’ JR competence did not significantly influence their PA in either JR-related or JR-unrelated contexts. Students’ BB competence (dribbling skill and perceived competence) significantly influenced their BB playing behavior during free time. The findings challenge the general assertion that motor skill competence positively influences PA and imply two possible boundaries of this theoretical proposition

Keynoter, September/October 2025

President\u27s Message Talent Show Guest message: Prioritizing Professional & Personal Development Recipes NAEOP Enrichment Program Treasurer\u27s Report Readership PSP Certification Membership General AOP Info Calenda

Subsurface Water Storage Dynamics of a Semi-Arid Hillslope Revealed by Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography

Weathering in the Critical Zone (CZ) not only transforms bedrock into regolith but also increases the moisture storage potential of the subsurface by producing porosity. In the subsurface, water may be stored in the soil/regolith layer (i.e., soil moisture), or in the matrix and fractures of weathered bedrock (i.e., rock moisture). Examining the seasonal variation of subsurface water storage will develop a better understanding of water partitioning in the CZ, specifically under a warming climate with shifting precipitation patterns. In this thesis, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is used to monitor subsurface water storage dynamics in a semi-arid snow dominated hillslope from late summer to early winter to answer the research question: are shallow soil moisture and deep rock moisture synchronized in their responses to hydrologic events (precipitation and evapotranspiration)? Thanks to the strong correlation between resistivity and moisture content, the ERT method allows us to examine subsurface water storage changes in the region of the critical zone that is difficult to monitor with other costly methods. The seismic refraction imaging was used to determine the subsurface CZ structure of the hillslope, and by combining two geophysical methods, it is possible to accurately distinguish resistivity trends of shallow and deep storage reservoirs. To evaluate storage responses to hydrologic events, measured meteorologic data are used to estimate subsurface storage, which are then used with a petrophysical model to estimate resistivity changes for evaluation. It is found that shallow (~5 m deep in subsurface) and deep resistivities ( \u3e 6 m deep) of the hillslope are asynchronous, with time lag during seasonal wetting and drying. During wetting, soil and rock moisture are asynchronous across the hillslope with a substantial lag time (~15 weeks); whereas during dying soil and rock moisture have a smaller lag time (~4 weeks). Soil moisture is constantly recharged during precipitation events; whereas rock moisture is only recharged after soil moisture, requiring longer time scales for recharge. After soil moisture is depleted, with continuing ET demands, rock moisture diminishes quickly. Different wetting and drying trends indicate the vulnerability of rock moisture to drought, and further demonstrate it is a vital resource when soil moisture is depleted. This research advances our understanding of subsurface water storage dynamics, highlighting the utility of hillslope-scale geophysical investigations to help better predict how mountainous hydrologic systems store and release water for ecohydrological use

Aging-Induced Increase in Top-Down Connectivity from DLPFC to SMA/M1 and Decrease in Inter-Limb Motor Coordination During Standing Tasks

This study aimed to investigate the effects of aging on inhibitory control from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to the motor cortices and inter-limb coordination during dual task standing. Participants performed single-task and dual-task standing. Ground reaction force, center-of-pressure, muscle activity, and cortical activation were measured. The older group showed a greater effective connectivity index from the intra-hemispheric dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) to supplementary motor area (SMA) (right, p = 0.009; left, p = 0.003) and left DLPFC to right M1 (p = 0.020)than the young group across task conditions. Also, the older group had greater inter-tibialis anterior coherence at 15–35 Hz (p = 0.001) and inter-soleus coherence at 35-55 Hz (p = 0.003) during dual-task than single-task standing. Furthermore, the older group showed greater variability of inter-foot coordination in the medial-lateral direction than the young group during dual-task standing (p = 0.031). Our results indicate that older adults present stronger top-down connectivity from DLPFC to SMA/M1 compared to young adults in both single-task and dual-task standing, highlighting an excitatory control deficit with aging. This failure to inhibit the DLPFC on SMA/M1 in older adults may lead to impaired motor coordination between lower limbs during dual-task standing

Site- and Tissue-Specific Microbial Richness and Abundance in Slickspot Peppergrass: A Culture-Based Diversity Study

Slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) is a rare, federally threatened mustard native to the sage-steppe of southwestern Idaho; it occupies microsites known as ‘slickspots’—clay-rich soil depressions that collect seasonal moisture. These environments are sensitive to disturbance and host fragile plant assemblages susceptible to habitat degradation. Despite the conservation importance of L. papilliferum, little is known about its associated microbiome. This project may aid in future studies of key plant microbe interactions and relationships between peppergrass and other native species. In this project, both endophytic (internal) and epiphytic (external) microbes were cultured from leaves and flowers of slickspot peppergrass collected across multiple sites in Idaho. Fungal isolates were grown on potato dextrose agar, and bacterial isolates on nutrient agar for optimal growth. Microbial richness, number of distinct colony morphospecies per plate, and total abundance using colony-forming units (CFUs) were quantified to measure alpha diversity within tissues of plants from the same sites and beta diversity across tissues

Nutrient Density (Lecture)

Dan Kittredge has been an organic farmer for more than 30 years and is the founder and executive director of the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA), a non-profit whose mission is to “increase quality in the food supply.” Known as one of the leading proponents of “nutrient density,” Dan works to demonstrate the connections between soil health, plant health, and human health. We will cover current research on nutrient density and the vision for how this exciting work could serve to profoundly disrupt the dynamics of the food supply. Can agriculture meaningfully reverse climate imbalances, and be used to reverse chronic disease as well? We think so