Poster # 3017, Tristan Odonoghue, UAF BLaST
DNA repair dynamics in Colon Cancer cell lines
Cancerous cells have abnormal DNA repair dynamics. Following this idea, this project aims to further illuminate the differences in repair efficiency of cancerous cell lines after exposure to UV-C and X-ray radiation. The cancerous cell lines I will be examining are HT-29 and HCT-116, both colon adenocarcinoma cells from the American Type Culture Collection. By damaging cells with both UV-C and X-Ray radiation we are able to see how well they are able to perform Base Excision Repair and Nucleotide Excision Repair, two of the fundamental DNA repair pathways. The design of this experiment consists of two elements; cell culture, and comet assay methodology. The cell culture portion of this experiment involves ensuring uniform, sterile growing environments in gross media solutions stored in an incubator set to 37?C. Following this, cells will be subjected to the comet assay experiment with normal human fibroblasts (HDFa) cells as the control when inducing DNA damage to the cells. The doses of UV-C to be treated in the experiment will be 10 and 20J/m^2 and data will collected on post-exposure times of 1, 2, 4, and 6 hour increments. The level of DNA damage from UV-C radiation will be visualized on a fluorescent microscope and images will be analyzed with the VisComet software. The data from this experiment will be formatted as two entries into the future online database that will be investigating numerous more cancer cell lines response to UV-C radiation that were not part of this project.

Poster #3008, Sequoyah Bell, XULA Project Pathways
Characterization of Neurokinin 1 receptor signaling in the manifestations of nicotine withdrawal symptoms
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. The emergence of withdrawal symptoms is cited as a major reason for smoking relapse. Current smoking cessation aids display limited success rates, highlighting the need for novel drug targets. One such target is the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R). NK1R antagonist have been studied for the treatment of alcoholism in humans and, reduce of alcohol withdrawal-associated behaviors in rodents. Previous research also suggests that NK1Rs play a role in physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. To date, no research has been done on the role that NK1Rs play in the manifestations of effective withdrawal symptoms, such as increased anxiety and depression. We hypothesize that the NK1R receptor antagonist, L-732,138, will reduce both anxiety- and depression-like behaviors during withdrawal. Mice will be treated with nicotine in the drinking water for six weeks to establish dependence. Animals will be tested in the elevated plus maze and the open field arena to test for changes in anxiety-like behavior. To test for changes in depression-like behavior mice will be tested in the forced swim and tail suspension test during nicotine withdrawal. The results of our study will provide insight into novel nicotine cessation targets.

Poster #3009, Zoela Leon, XULA Project Pathways
Role of Neurokinin Receptors in the Modulation of Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms and Reward in Mice
PURPOSE: Although prevalence of cigarette and tobacco use in America's minority population is statistically lower compared to the American White population, minorities are more likely to die from smoking related diseases. The most effective way to intercept and circumvent the effects of first and second hand smoking is cessation. The emergence of nicotine withdrawal symptoms after cessation is the most challenging thing to overcome, and failure to do so often leads to relapse. The aim of this project is to measure the ability of neurokinin receptors (NKRs) to alter nicotine intake by either minimizing withdrawal symptoms or altering the rewarding properties of nicotine. METHODS: For withdrawal studies, nicotine dependence was established by treating mice with nicotine in the drinking water for a minimum of six weeks. Spontaneous withdrawal was induced by replacing the nicotine drinking water with control water for twenty-four hours. Mice received injections of NKR1 receptor antagonist before testing for increased anxiety-like, depression-like or physical withdrawal behaviors. Conditioned place preference is used to test the rewarding effects of nicotine in the presence of NKR1 antagonists. NKR1 antagonists will be administered during the training phase of the experiment in both nicotine naive mice and mice undergoing nicotine withdrawal. RESULTS / EXPECTED RESULTS: Given that physical signs of nicotine withdrawal are precipitated by NK1 antagonists, we anticipate changes in affective symptoms of withdrawal. We are anticipating that NKR1 antagonism will alter nicotine CPP. Depending on NKR1 blockade ability to alter withdrawal symptoms, it is likely that the reward will be altered in a state dependent manner. DISCUSSION / CONCLUSION: The latest results of these studies will be presented. Overall our studies will provide more insight on the behavioral and biological factors that are linked to the physical and psychological manifestations of nicotine dependence as well as the positive rewarding effects of nicotine. In the future we plan to measure dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in response to nicotine treatment in naive mice and mice experiencing nicotine withdrawal. GRANT SUPPORT: The work was supported by the BUILD Pilot Subaward UL1GM118967 to EP. Salary support was provided by BUILD Technician program 5RL5GM118966 to ZL and BUILD Scholars program TL4GM118968 to SB, ZH, and EP. *All Authors contributed equally on this project.

Poster #3016, Citlalli Garcia-Plascencia & Priscilla Macias, CSUN BUILD PODER
CSUN's Champions For Change: A Qualitative Assessment for Healthy Communities Initiatives
According to the CDC, an estimated 18.5% of U.S. children and adolescent population 2-19 y have obesity, 5.6% with severe obesity, and 16.6% of the population are overweight (2018). Hispanic adults and children/adolescents had higher prevalence of obesity compared to other ethnic groups (2017). This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CSUN Champions for Change implementation of community gardens and SNAP-ed approved nutrition education and workshops. A qualitative assessment was performed from data collected from three focus groups, where SNAP-ed participants shared their experience and nutrition, gardening, and physical activity obtained from the Champions for Change program. According to our qualitative data, outcomes showed positive impacts in regards to increasing nutrition knowledge, accessing fresh produce, and gardening to utilize space available.

Poster #3013, Shelby McCahon, UAF BLaST
Effects of short photoperiod on sleep and carbohydrate consumption in diurnal grass rats
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of recurrent depression triggered by reduced exposure to sunlight, has been associated with circadian dysfunction, increased carbohydrate consumption, and weight gain. SAD disproportionally affects high latitude communities, posing a serious concern for Alaskan residents. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between shortened photoperiod, sleep disruption, and sucrose consumption in a diurnal rodent model, the Nile grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus) to determine how well this species? symptoms parallel those of humans that are diagnosed with SAD. Grass rats exhibit depressive-like behaviors under short photoperiods but whether carbohydrate consumption and/or sleep patterns are affected is unknown. We monitored sleep-wake behaviors using piezoelectric sheets, and measured weight, sucrose consumption, and liver fat content in 45 grass rats in response to short photoperiod (n=22; 4:20 LD) and neutral photoperiod (n=23; 12:12 LD) conditions. Results indicate that short photoperiod conditions caused sleep disruption, but did not affect sleep bout lengths. For animals subjected to short photoperiod conditions, activity onset occurred 8 hours before lights on (12 hours before lights off), followed by a resting phase, with higher intensity activity occurring during the light phase. We found no effect of photoperiod on sucrose consumption. Most grass rats had fatty livers with substantial macro and/or micro steatosis; analyses regarding the effects of photoperiod and sucrose consumption on liver steatosis are ongoing. Our findings suggest that complex interactions between photoperiod, sucrose consumption, and sleep activity should be considered when determining grass rats? suitability as a rodent model for SAD.

Poster #3001, Jozelyn Rascon, UTEP BUILDing SCHOLARS
Exercise-Induced Blood Flow Patterns in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Endothelial dysfunction is seen in early stages of coronary artery disease (CAD). Endothelial cells maintain vessel wall homeostasis and are regulated by blood flow-derived endothelial shear stress (ESS). Aerobic exercise (AX) is known to have cardioprotective effects. However, a decrease in traditional CAD risk factors explains only ~50% of AX benefits. Another possible factor is exercise-induced ESS. Exercise-induced blood flow patterns (BFP) in young, healthy individuals are bidirectional, intensity dependent, and turbulent at higher intensities. The purpose of this study is to determine BFP in patients with CAD. Thirteen subjects (64.23 (7.47) years) participated in the study. (7 with stable CAD, 6 active aged-matched controls). Subjects underwent 2 cycle ergometer exercise tests (ET). Lactate levels during ET1 determined workloads for ET2: 0-2 mmol/L (low intensity), 2-4 mmol/L (moderate intensity), and at >4 mmol/L (high intensity). Brachial artery diameter (BAD) and blood flow velocity (BFV) were measured simultaneously (right arm). ESS was estimated using Womersley?s approximation. Reynold?s number (Re) and peak critical Re (Re_crit) determined if flow was laminar or turbulent. A repeated measures 2-way ANOVA calculated the differences between groups. Results BFV, ESS, Re_crit, and Re increased (intensity dependent manner) in antegrade and retrograde flow, and were similar between groups. BAD did not increase with intensity and was similar between groups. ESSAnte was comparable between groups at all intensities. ESSRetro was higher in controls at LI. No significant differences between groups in BFVAnte at any intensity. The control group had a significantly higher BFVRetro than the CAD group at BL.

Poster # 3003, J. Zak Peet, CSUN BUILD PODER
The Relation Among College Generation Status, STEM, and Adverse Health Conditions in a Sample of University Freshmen
Although research has found that first-generation college students experience higher rates of stress in comparison to continuing- generation students (Stebleton, 2014), there are few studies that examine how college-generation status and college major impact students? physical health. Studies have suggested that majoring in a STEM field may be more stressful due to several factors (e.g., heavier workload, higher expectations, competitive nature; Rozek et al., 2019; Malcom, 2016). Additionally, experiencing more stress has been linked to developing adverse health conditions, such as hypertension, ulcers, asthma, and heart disease (Peltzer et al., 2008). The purpose of this study was to examine whether college-generation status and majoring in a STEM field impacts students? health. Our study proposed three hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: We expected that first-generation students would have significantly higher adverse health conditions when compared to continuing-generation students. Hypothesis 2: We hypothesized that STEM majors would have significantly higher adverse health conditions when compared to non-STEM majors. Hypothesis 3: Lastly, we predicted a significant interaction whereby being a STEM major would exacerbate or intensify the difference between first- and continuing-generation college students. Participants were freshmen university students (n = 325, 66.2% female) that completed an online pre-screening towards the end of their first year of study for a larger project that focused on the factors that contribute to students? health and academic success during the transition to college. The sample consisted of 221 first-generation college students and 101 continuing-generation students, as well as 65 STEM majors and 257 non-STEM majors. First-generation college students were defined as having both parents with some college education or less. STEM majors were defined as students who were majoring in the physical sciences (i.e. biology, chemistry), math, or engineering. Participants were asked 10 questions concerning their health (e.g., heart problems, breathing problems), two of which were excluded as they did not pertain to all participants. A 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to test our hypotheses. We found no interaction and no main effect for being a STEM major. It could be possible that it was too early in our participants? academic careers to detect the impact of majoring in the STEM field on their health. We did, however, find a significant main effect (F (1, 318) = 5.13, p = .024) for college generation status that was not in support of our hypothesis. We found that continuing-generation college students had higher levels of adverse health conditions compared to first-generation college students. One explanation for this could be that having parents who obtained degrees could give rise to higher expectations for the student, resulting in higher levels of stress and therefore higher rates of adverse health conditions. However, it is not known when these adverse health conditions emerged. Thus, these findings illuminate the importance of research that focuses on continuing-generation college students and how their experiences during college impacts their health. We plan to further examine this finding by conducting in-depth interviews with participants who reported adverse health conditions.

Poster #3002, Victory Idehen, CSUN BUILD PODER
Associations Between Environmental Indicators and Cortisol Levels in Minority Children Living in Los Angeles
Background: Physical environmental stressors have recently been shown to be associated with a variety of health issues, such as obesity and diabetes. This project seeks to investigate how environmental stressors affect our biological stress responses, such as cortisol patterns. The purpose of this study is to discover what aspects of the environment-- specifically pollution burdens, may be directly affecting our hormones (cortisol). Objective: To examine if children who reside in greater environmental burden groups have different cortisol levels and patterns compared to those who reside in the lower environmental burden groups. Methods: By analyzing the Diabetes Risk due to Ectopic Adiposity in Minority Youth (DREAM) data, we collected data on Salivary Cortisol at 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM, which was used to calculate the cortisol awakening response (CAR). CalEnviroScreen Version 3.0 was used for overall environmental burden scores (includes: Ozone, Hazardous Waste, Toxic Release, Poverty, and overall Pollution Burden). The less environmentally burdened group had CalEnviroScreen scores less than 90th percentile based on a number of unique environmental burdens (CES percentile < 90th). The greater environmentally burdened group had CalEnviroScreen scores greater than or equal to the 90th percentile based on a number of unique environmental burdens(CES percentile > 90th). Results/Conclusion: There were no differences in age, ethnicity, and gender by CES burden group (CES percentile < 90th group: age was 14.3 ? 0.39, ethnicity 50% African-American and 50% Latino, and gender 55% male vs. the CES percentile > 90th group the distribution of age was 14.6 ? 0.38, the distribution of ethnicity was 58% identifying as Latino, and the distribution of gender was 60% identifying as male). Adjusted for these variables, the CAR was shown to be lower in the CES percentile > 90th group, than in the CES percentile < 90th group (0.723 mg/dL vs. 0.982, p<0.05). Conclusion: Those in the higher environmentally burden group had a more blunted response compared to the less environmentally burdened group. In future studies, these results may bring attention to the importance of stress related health issues and the impacts of environmental burdens on human health.

Poster #3012, Diana Moreno, UTEP BUILDing SCHOLARS
The association of calcium whole blood levels with child blood lead levels
Hundreds of thousands of children nationwide are affected by low-level lead exposure. The adverse effects of lead on children are well-described, including declines in motor skills, intelligence, and memory. These findings have led to the broad acceptance that no level of lead exposure is safe for children. The latest CDC guidelines for management of elevated blood lead levels (BLLs) in children advise adequate calcium intake. Calcium and lead use the same mechanisms to cross intestinal cells. The mechanism includes passive transport through epithelial tight junctions and active transport, via luminal calcium transport protein 1 (CaT1). CaT1 has a high affinity for calcium and lead, making lead absorption more likely in calcium-deficient individuals. However, few studies have examined the relationship between elevated BLLs and low calcium intake. More studies are needed to examine whether calcium stores are associated with lower child BLLs. Based on the mechanisms of calcium and lead absorption, we hypothesize that children with adequate whole blood calcium levels (<2 years: 9-10.6 mg/dL, 1-17 years: 8.8-10.8 mg/dL) will have lower BLLs compared to children with deficient blood calcium levels. To test this, we are collecting blood samples from consenting participants (6mo-15 years old) by finger-stick (6-10 drops). These samples are analyzed for calcium and lead by ICP-MS. Approximately 100 children will be tested and the data will be analyzed using multiple regression, controlling for age and sex. We hope this cross-sectional study will elucidate the relationship between calcium and lead levels in the blood.