Who’s in control? Perceived stress and emotional regulation partially mediate the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on mental health and life satisfaction.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur during the first 18 years of life and have a strong potential to negatively impact health and well-being in adulthood. The exploration of this connection is important because health and lifestyle behaviors have been linked to the leading causes of death in the United States. ACEs have been found to alter brain development and have been associated with mental health issues and lower life satisfaction, but information about the pathway between these connections is scarce. The present study aimed to investigate if inadequate emotional regulation and higher levels of perceived stress, stemming from ACEs, may explain the relationship between ACEs and mental health issues as well as the relationship between ACEs and lower life satisfaction. Evidence of partial mediation was found in that emotional regulation and perceived stress partially mediate the relationship between ACEs and mental health, and ACEs and life satisfaction

Metabolic Responses of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Collagen I Hydrogels

Peripheral nerve injury affects approximately 44 in 1 million people in the United States every year and can lead to incomplete nerve recovery and loss of motor and sensory function. A significant amount of energy is required for nerve injury repair. A lack of energy allocation to the injury site hinders repair. Current treatments include hollow nerve guidance conduits, decellularized nerve grafts, and autografts. However, they are limited by factors such as donor site morbidity and sustained immunosuppressive treatments. Using three-dimensional collagen I hydrogels laden with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can assist in neural regeneration. Three-dimensional collagen scaffolds aim to mimic the extracellular matrix, while ASCs encourage neural regeneration, providing a platform for nerve injury repair. This project investigated the metabolic activity of ASCs seeded in collagen I hydrogel scaffolds with varying topological properties—warm aligned, warm nonaligned, cold aligned, and cold nonaligned. Metabolic activity was assessed using alamarBlue, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), glutamine/glutamate, and glucose assays. Metabolic assays like alamarBlue showed 2.98% and 5.59% percent reduction values at 3 and 6 hours, respectively, at day 7 for warm stretched hydrogels. In comparison, cold stretched hydrogels exhibited values of 2.55% and 4.62% at the same time points. The ATP assay results showed a luminescence reading of 897,394 Relative Light Units (RLU) for warm nonstretched hydrogels at day 7. The glutamate assay showed a luminescence reading of 310,976.5 RLU for warm stretched hydrogels at day 7. Glucose showed a luminescence reading of 656,380.5 RLU for cold nonstretched hydrogels at day 7. The findings of this project demonstrated that ASC metabolism varies across scaffolds with different topological properties, contributing to a deeper understanding of the changes of ASC metabolism based on microenvironmental differences

Methods for Optimizing Activation of CRISPR-DREAM for RNA-Guided Transcriptional Upregulation of Neuromuscular Disease Modifiers

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder that primarily affects boys. DMD causes a significant reduction in life expectancy due to progressive muscle deterioration through a mutation in the dystrophin protein. Gene editing techniques have been established as a way to combat the effects of DMD and have gradually shown progress in increasing the life expectancy for DMD individuals. A new gene editing technology, CRISPR-DREAM has the potential to revolutionize CRISPR technologies through its use of human mechanosensitive transcription factors as transactivation domains. This has shown promise in overcoming size limitations and toxicity associated with viral transactivation domains in current CRISPR platforms. This research aims to optimize the activation of CRISPR-DREAM through a lipofectamine-mediated time-course transfection. C2C12 mouse skeletal muscle cells were transfected with dCas9, DREAM, and cis-regulatory guide RNA plasmids and subsequently incubated for 24, 48, and 72 hours prior to RNA extraction and RT-qPCR analysis. Using RT-qPCR with primers specific to the CRISPR-DREAM plasmid, optimal transcriptional activation can be quantified. Once activation is sufficient for therapeutic relevance, CRISPR-DREAM can be used to increase the RNA expression of genes that are physiologically similar to dystrophin proteins. The protein products of these genes could be used to combat the detrimental effects of mutated dystrophin proteins

Gene Mutation and Chemotherapy Response in Azoxymethane Induced Colorectal Tumors

Colorectal cancer research is a field of increasing importance as disease prevalence continues to increase over time. In looking at the origin of the disease, a driver gene known as p53 is of particular interest for its role in the stimulation of the mutated Wnt pathway. Developing as a missense-type mutation, this gene that ordinarily functions as a tumor suppressor is investigated as a gene of interest for tumor development. In this study, a mouse model was used to examine the development of colorectal cancer with a total of n=34 samples, including n=9 tumors and n=25 colons. The concentration of the expressed p53 gene was investigated for its relationship to mouse tissue types and its response to the chemotherapies 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, and saline. In order to investigate these relationships, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed on mouse colon and tumor tissue and measured for absorbance. An ANOVA and t-test evaluation for statistical significance showed no significance in mouse tissue type between tumors and colons in the expression of p53. The ANOVA performed for the tumor samples, however, found a statistically significant difference between chemotherapy treatment types and the expression of p53 in the tissue. In comparison the control group of saline chemotherapy, cisplatin was revealed to show the highest amount of p53 expression in the tumor tissue. These relationships should be further investigated in the future with larger treatment groups and similar laboratory conditions. Other potential driver genes can also be investigated for their connection to colorectal cancer development

Do Perceptions Affect Outcomes in Patients with Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease? A Clinical Inquiry.

Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease is a chronic condition that often coexists with metabolic disorders and impacts a significant portion of the global population. The literature indicates that patients’ perceptions are linked to outcomes; however, there is a gap in the literature examining the influence of these perceptions on the outcomes of metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease. This clinical inquiry investigated this relationship. METHODS: Data collection occurred between January and February 2025 in a primary care setting, utilizing a 5-point Likert scale of patients’ perceptions of care, disease severity, and self-efficacy. Patients were identified through a retrospective chart review and were approached for the perceptions survey. The participating Federally Qualified Health Center has participated in several clinical trials addressing metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease. Participants were separated depending on whether they had previously participated in one of the clinical trials or not. Perception scores were compared to hemoglobin A1C, aspartate transferase, alanine transaminase, and body mass index. Descriptive statistics were conducted to conclude how patients’ perceptions influence outcomes. RESULTS: Seven participants completed the survey. Mean perception scores for those previously enrolled in a clinical trial compared to those not enrolled include the following: perceptions of care (5.0 vs. 4.5), perceptions of disease severity (2.3 vs. 3.8), and perceptions of self-efficacy (5.0 vs. 4.25). A positive correlation was found in hemoglobin A1C (Durbin-Watson = 1) with no correlation in body mass index (Durbin-Watson = 2.23) for those enrolled in a clinical trial. A negative correlation was found in hemoglobin A1C (Durbin-Watson = 2.781) and body mass index (Durbin-Watson = 2.95) for those not enrolled in a clinical trial. CONCLUSION: Positive patient perceptions may improve outcomes in those at risk for or diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Strategies should focus on enhancing patient self-motivation and coping skills to mitigate health risks associated with this disease

Characterizing Heating and Resistance Properties of Nichrome Burn Wire to be Used in CubeSat Actuation

This thesis investigates the use of Nichrome 60 wire as a burn wire mechanism, commonly utilized in CubeSats and other aerospace engineering applications requiring precise, single-use release systems. The experiment focused on characterizing the thermal and resistive behavior of Nichrome 60 wire under Joule heating conditions. Four wire configurations were tested: 34-gauge and 36-gauge wires, each at lengths of 1 inch and 2 inches. Each configuration was subjected to a constant current until thermal failure occurred. During testing, real-time measurements of electrical resistance and wire temperature were recorded. This data was used to generate resistance vs. temperature profiles for each wire configuration. The resulting plots provide insight into the material behavior of Nichrome 60 wire leading up to failure and offer valuable information for predicting performance in burn wire applications. Additionally, the obtained experimental results were compared to prior research in the field to evaluate consistency and validate observed trends. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the thermal and resistive characteristics of Nichrome 60 and its suitability for controlled release systems, particularly in the context of CubeSat deployment mechanisms

Cornelius Nepos: Fortune, Biography, and the Late Roman Republic

Abstract: This paper examines ancient biography and the late Roman Republic by analyzing the surviving writings of Cornelius Nepos. Cornelius Nepos was a late Republican intellectual and friend of several of the most prominent literary figures of his day. The literature on Nepos tended to be dismissive of the author until the 1980s, when it began to shift towards viewing Nepos through the lens of ancient biography. By examining the theme of fortuna [fortune] throughout Nepos’ work and contrasting it with usage of the theme in other Latin authors or Greek historians, this paper demonstrates that Nepos adapts a longstanding historical theme to his own project and time in a number of ways. These include treating fortuna as a phenomenon that takes place at the level of the individual and focusing on how the invidia (jealousy) of one’s peers in response to good fortune can prove dangerous. These findings indicate that Nepos was an author with unique insights into the events of his own lifetime

The Associations of Mental Health with Academic and Exercise Procrastination

This study examines the relationship between exercise procrastination and academic procrastination with symptoms of depression and anxiety among college students. Procrastination is commonly studied in academic settings, but limited research has looked at how various types of procrastination can impact mental health. In this study we specifically look at exercise and academic procrastination. A total of 109 undergraduate students participated by completing surveys measuring their levels of academic and exercise procrastination, as well as their symptoms of depression and anxiety. The results showed that higher levels of both academic and exercise procrastination were significantly associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, the significant interaction between academic procrastination and exercise procrastination indicated that students who reported high levels of both experienced the highest levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. This suggests that the combined effect of procrastination in multiple areas of life may intensify mental health challenges

The Relationship of Peer Recovery Support Specialists and Recovery of Perinatal Women with a Substance Use Disorder

Introduction: Substance use in pregnant and postpartum women is a growing issue in the United States. Drug use while pregnant can lead to birth defects, stillbirths, and problems providing positive parenting to their children. Many women with substance use disorders (SUD) feel extreme shame and stigma related to their substance use and have trouble accessing recovery-related treatment and other services. Peer recovery support treatment uses the lived experiences of individuals in current recovery from SUD to facilitate and support recovery in others. Purpose: The purpose of this review was to evaluate the impact of peer recovery support specialists on the recovery outcomes of perinatal women with SUD. Methodology: Studies of peer recovery and their influence on pregnant and postpartum women with a substance use disorder were reviewed. Studies on recovery programs for perinatal women that included some form of peer recovery were included. A targeted search through PubMed and ProQuest was utilized to evaluate existing literature on SUDs, perinatal women, and peer recovery. Results: Findings of the studies demonstrated that peer recovery is an effective way to retain perinatal women in substance use recovery programs. Particularly effective mechanisms related to recovery support specialists serving as role models, accountability partners, and non-judgmental coaches for these women in recovery. Conclusion: This review of the literature demonstrated that peer recovery support specialists provide valuable recovery outcomes for perinatal women struggling with a substance use disorder. The presence of peer recovery specialists creates a non-judgmental environment where perinatal women with a substance use disorder feel comfortable sharing their experiences without stigma. Many recovery organizations would benefit in the recruitment and retention of recovery participants if peer support specialists were present at the treatment facility. Peer specialists can also provide help with childcare, transportation, and accountability with the women participating in the recovery process