Summer Fellowship Program Research Articles

P300 or CBP are required for calorie restriction-mediated enhancement of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity

A calorie-restricted diet robustly improves skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and is a cornerstone lifestyle intervention for preventing and treating clinical hyperglycemia. While studies demonstrate that insulin-stimulated activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and RAC-beta serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT2) are fundamental to enhanced muscle insulin sensitivity after calorie restriction (CR), the downstream signaling steps remain to be fully elucidated. We have previously demonstrated that the lysine acetyltransferases, E1A binding protein (p300) or cAMP response element binding protein binding protein (CBP) are required for insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by skeletal muscle, at both sub-maximal and maximal concentrations of insulin. Moreover, p300/CBP are phosphorylated by AKT, which increases their acetyltransferase activity. Considering these findings together, the objective of this study was to determine whether p300 or CBP are required for the ability of CR to enhance skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. We hypothesized that combined inhibition of p300 and CBP acetyltransferase activity would prevent CR-induced enhancement of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. To address this objective, 8-week-old male C57BL/6NJ mice were either fed ad libitum (AL; n=16) or were fed a CR diet (60% of AL intake; n=16) diet for 20 days. Then, an ex vivo [3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2DOG) approach was used to assess basal and insulin-stimulated (60μU/mL [0.36nM]) 2DOG uptake in paired extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus from fasted (4 h) mice. To define the role of p300/CBP acetyltransferase activity, paired muscles from AL- or CR-fed mice were pre-incubated for 60 minutes with either DMSO (experimental control; n=8/dietary group [AL-DMSO, CR-DMSO]) or the p300/CBP acetyltransferase activity inhibitor, ip300w (25mM; n=8/dietary group [AL-ip300w, CR-ip300w]). As expected, insulin-stimulated 2DOG uptake (i.e. Insulin 2DOG minus basal 2DOG) in DMSO incubated muscles was ~2.3-fold and ~3.3-fold higher in the soleus and EDL, respectively, from CR- vs. AL-fed mice. Remarkably, ip300w not only blocked insulin-stimulated 2DOG uptake in AL-fed mice, but it also abrogated the insulin-sensitizing effects of CR on muscle insulin sensitivity. To further define the importance of p300 and CBP to CR-induced enhancement of skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity, we studied mice with tamoxifen-inducible and skeletal muscle-specific knockout of CBP and heterozygous (HZ) loss of p300 (referred to as, i-mCKO/PHZ) or knockout of p300 and HZ loss of CBP (referred to as, i-mPKO/CHZ). In these mice, the AL diet or 20 days of CR was initiated 3 weeks after ~10 week-old mice were dosed with tamoxifen (5 consecutive days, 2 mg/day); Cre recombinase-negative littermates, who were also dosed with tamoxifen, were the experimental controls (referred to as wildtype [WT]). Interestingly, oral glucose tolerance and EDL insulin sensitivity were comparably enhanced by CR in WT and both i-mCKO/PHZ and i-mPKO/CHZ mice, thus suggesting that just one allele of p300 or CBP is suffcient for CR to enhance skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. Taken together, these results demonstrate that p300 or CBP are essential for the ability of calorie restriction to enhance skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. This work was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (R56 DK1311211), and the Dr. Maryam Ahmadian Memorial Summer Fellowship Program (L.M.L.) and the UC San Diego Medical Scientist Training Program (L.S.F.). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Leveling Up an Award-Winning Undergraduate Research Program

This case study delineates the process that a small, private liberal arts university employed to amplify its high-impact practices in an already award-winning undergraduate research (UR) program. The process was catalyzed by combined institutional factors: the start of a new accreditation cycle and the launch of our university’s strategic vision, The Furman Advantage (TFA). Established in 2016–2017, TFA ensures all students have access to a high-impact engaged learning experience—UR, study away, and/or an internship. This institutional imperative provided an opportunity to assess the degree to which Furman’s UR program was meeting high-impact criteria. We compared Furman’s summer UR program against the emerging research on high-impact practices and made changes to enhance learning and to close equity gaps in access. We reoriented our UR program to focus on the characteristics of high-impact practices, particularly the mentoring relationship between faculty and students and the importance of student self-reflection. We reviewed improvements to our summer fellowship program, namely, changes in the application and review process, professional development for faculty, pre-experience training for summer research fellows, and modifications to our survey and self-analysis instruments. Broader programmatic changes included articulating common learning outcomes for engaged learning experiences and creating an evidence-driven assessment mechanism to help us meet learning outcomes and institutional objectives. Implementation of these changes required sustained collaboration at the institutional level between the Offices of Undergraduate Research, the Center for Engaged Learning, the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, and the Faculty Development Center. In addition to measuring changes within UR over time, we have also been able to make comparisons across different engaged learning experiences, principally study away and internships, and then use this data to continue TFA improvements. Preliminary findings indicate that we have successfully enhanced our implementation of high-impact practices.

Abstract C125: University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center partnership: Fifteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders

Abstract The University of Guam (UOG)/University of Hawaii Cancer Center (UHCC) Partnership aims to grow cancer research capacity at UOG; develop cancer health disparities research at UHCC focusing on Pacific Islanders (PI); raise awareness of cancer and cancer prevention in Guam (GU), Hawaii (HI) and the US Associated Pacific Islands (USAPI); and increase the number of cancer and biomedical science researchers of PI ancestry in the United States. An infrastructure comprising 5 principal investigators, over 30 participating faculty, administrative staff, and external and internal reviewers, backed by institutional support and NCI sponsorship, has supported 15 years of research, training, and outreach designed to reduce cancer health disparities and advance health equity among PI in GU, HI, and the USAPI. Since 2009, the Partnership has funded 18 cancer research projects addressing cancer research priorities of global and regional relevance, including cervical cancer and betel nut chewing—a traditional practice associated with oral pre/carcinoma, affecting 600 million users worldwide. Approximately 75 manuscripts have been published, approximately 100 abstracts presented, and 16 grants secured. To address the under-representation of PI in biomedical sciences, the Partnership has supported 30 graduate fellows, including 8 doctoral students at UH. Two PhD graduates are now faculty members at UOG and engaged in cancer health disparities research. UOG's Micronesian Studies Program now offers a cancer health disparities track, developed by the Partnership and tailored for the Pacific region. In addition, UOG/UHCC faculty, junior investigators, and pre/postdocs receive mentorship, career development, and summer research fellowships; to date, 8 UOG faculty have participated in the summer fellowship program at UHCC, and two have subsequently secured pilot funding. Outreach projects have explored community-based participatory approaches to youth tobacco use prevention and cessation in Guam, and the use of social networking to reduce tobacco-related cancer risk. Community-based participatory research has also led to landmark tobacco-control legislation in Guam, resulting in decreased tobacco use and increased tobacco taxes, a percentage of which supports cancer programs and patient services in Guam, including the Guam Cancer Registry. Current outreach efforts aim to increase cervical cancer screening among Micronesian migrants and build cancer-prevention knowledge and awareness among physicians who serve them in Guam and Hawaii. In conclusion, the Partnership has significantly increased research capacity at UOG and cultivated interest in cancer research among under-represented minority students at the partnering institutions. Supported by NCI grants U54CA143727 and U54CA143728. Citation Format: Carl-Wilhelm Vogel, David C. Ward, Neal A. Palafox, Hali R. Robinett, Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, John A. Peterson. University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center partnership: Fifteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr C125.

Abstract D040: University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership: Sixteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders

Abstract The University of Guam (UOG)/University of Hawaii Cancer Center (UHCC) Partnership aims to grow cancer research capacity at UOG, develop cancer health disparities research at UHCC focusing on Pacific Islanders (PI), raise awareness of cancer and cancer prevention in Guam (GU), Hawaii (HI) and the US Associated Pacific Islands (USAPI), and increase the number of cancer and biomedical science researchers of PI ancestry in the United States. An infrastructure comprised of 4 principal investigators, over 30 participating faculty, administrative staff, and external and internal reviewers, backed by institutional support and NCI sponsorship, has supported 16 years of research, training, and outreach designed to reduce cancer health disparities and advance health equity among PI in GU, HI, and the USAPI. Since 2009, the Partnership has funded 19 cancer research projects addressing cancer research priorities of global and regional relevance, including cervical cancer and Areca (betel) nut chewing - a traditional practice associated with oral pre/carcinoma, affecting 600 million users worldwide. Ninety peer-reviewed manuscripts have been published, over 100 abstracts presented, and 19 grants secured. To address the underrepresentation of PI in biomedical sciences, the Partnership has supported 33 graduate students including 7 doctoral students at UH. Two PhD graduates are now faculty members at UOG and engaged in cancer health disparities research. UOG’s Micronesian Studies Program now offers a cancer health disparities track, developed by the Partnership and tailored for the Pacific region. In addition, UOG/UHCC faculty, junior investigators, and pre/postdocs receive mentorship, career development, and summer research fellowships; to date, eight UOG faculty have participated in the summer fellowship program at UHCC and most had received U54pilot funding. Outreach projects have explored community-based participatory approaches to youth tobacco use prevention and cessation in Guam, and the use of social networking to reduce tobacco-related cancer risk. Community-based participatory research has also led to landmark tobacco control legislation in Guam, resulting in decreased tobacco use and increased tobacco taxes, a percentage of which supports cancer programs and patient services in Guam including the Guam Cancer Registry. Current outreach efforts aim to increase colorectal cancer screening and HPV vaccination while building knowledge and awareness among physicians who serve Pacific Islanders in Guam and Hawaii. In conclusion, research capacity at UOG has significantly increased, disparities research at UHCC has expanded, and underrepresented minority students are pursuing careers in cancer research. Supported by NCI grants U54CA143727 and U54CA143728. Citation Format: Rachael T Leon Guerrero, Margaret Hattori-Uchima, Hali R Robinett, Carl-Wilhelm Vogel, Neal A Palafox. University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership: Sixteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D040.

NP30 Children's Healthy Living Center of Excellence (CHL Center) Year 1

Objective To serve as a Center of Excellence to further build capacity and new knowledge for collective impact on child health in the US Affiliated Pacific Region. Description CHL Center continues to strengthen capacity with the Child Health in the Pacific (CHAP) Summer Fellowship Program and the CHL Dietetics Scholarship Program (CHLD), the CHL Summer Institute. Ten fellows from CNMI, Guam and Hawai‘i completed the CHAP Summer Fellowship program and the CHL Summer Institute had a total of 123 students completing online courses (nine offered) related to childhood obesity. To examine the CHL intervention's long-term impact, retraining and standardization workshops are being conducted; and data collection has begun. Eighteen community reports provide a comprehensive compilation of data already collected, and CHL data are available for continued analysis to fill the void in basic nutrition and health information of children in the region. A CHL network multistate project (W1194) has expanded CHL's reach, with members from Arizona and West Virginia. Evaluation The published CHL intervention effect showed significant improvement in intervention communities compared with control in overweight and obesity prevalence (effect size [d] = −3.95%; 95% CI, −7.47% to −0.43%), waist circumference (d = −0.71 cm; 95% CI, −1.37 to −0.05 cm), and acanthosis nigricans prevalence (d = −2.28%; 95% CI, −2.77% to −1.57%). Greater differences existed among intervention communities in acanthosis nigricans prevalence in the group aged 2 to 5 years (−3.99%) vs the group aged 6 to 8 years (−3.40%), and the interaction was significant (d = 0.59%, P Conclusion and Implications Year one built on efforts established by the CHL program to build the CHL Center of Excellence.

Examining Adherence with Different Mediterranean Diet Scoring Systems (P13-032-19)

ObjectivesThe primary aim of this study is to compare adherence levels between several Mediterranean Diet scoring (MDS) systems. MethodsFifty weeks’ worth of participants diets were analyzed and scored for adherence (>70%) with four MDS methods. The MDS method 1 had 11 total available points. This method based adherence on a met or not-met scale and awarded points per category if the participant met the noted requirements. MDS method 2 had 17 available points with increased value and partial points given in certain categories (vegetables, fish, beans, grains) based on serving thresholds. MDS method 3 also had 17 available points, but partial points were given in the select categories based on percentage. MDS method 4 only had 11 points total but awarded partial points to the same selective categories based on a percentage met. ResultsIn the 50 diets analyzed, the number of diets that met the 70% adherence threshold differed based on MDS system. We found that 15 of the diets scored our 70% threshold for adherence with MDS method 1, 18 scored with MDS method 2, 24 scored with MDS method 3, and 26 scored with MDS method 4 met adherence. ConclusionsAdherence levels may differ based on MDS system used. In future HEART lab studies, we will use MDS system 2 to score our diets. We feel that it sufficiently scores participants adherence while emphasizing the important aspects of the diet. Funding SourcesSupport by the FUTURE summer Fellowship program.

Abstract A44: University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership: Fourteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders

Abstract The University of Guam (UOG)/University of Hawaii Cancer Center (UHCC) Partnership aims to grow cancer research capacity at UOG; develop cancer health disparities research at UHCC focusing on Pacific Islanders (PI); raise awareness of cancer and cancer prevention in Guam (GU), Hawaii (HI), and the U.S. Associated Pacific Islands (USAPI); and increase the number of cancer and biomedical science researchers of PI ancestry in the United States. An infrastructure comprising 6 principal investigators, over 30 participating faculty, administrative staff, and external and internal reviewers, backed by institutional support and NCI sponsorship, has supported 14 years of research, training, and outreach designed to reduce cancer health disparities and advance health equity among PI in GU, HI, and the USAPI. Since 2009, the Partnership has funded 17 cancer research projects addressing cancer research priorities of global and regional relevance, including cervical cancer and betel nut chewing--a traditional practice associated with oral pre/carcinoma, affecting 600 million users worldwide. Approximately 75 manuscripts have been published, approximately 100 abstracts presented, and 13 grants secured. To address the under-representation of PI in biomedical sciences, the Partnership has supported 30 graduate fellows, including 76 doctoral students at UH. Two PhD graduates are now faculty members at UOG and engaged in cancer health disparities research. UOG's Micronesian Studies Program now offers a cancer health disparities track, developed by the Partnership and tailored for the Pacific region. In addition, UOG/UHCC faculty, junior investigators, and pre/postdocs receive mentorship, career development, and summer research fellowships; to date, six UOG faculty have participated in the summer fellowship program at UHCC and two have subsequently secured pilot funding. Outreach projects have explored community-based participatory approaches to youth tobacco-use prevention and cessation in Guam, and the use of social networking to reduce tobacco-related cancer risk. Community-based participatory research has also led to landmark tobacco-control legislation in Guam, resulting in decreased tobacco use and increased tobacco taxes, a percentage of which supports cancer programs and patient services in Guam including the Guam Cancer Registry. Current outreach efforts aim to increase cervical cancer screening among Micronesian migrants and build cancer prevention knowledge and awareness among physicians who serve them in Guam and Hawaii. In conclusion, the Partnership has significantly increased research capacity at UOG and cultivated interest in cancer research among under-represented minority students at the partnering institutions. Supported by NCI grants U54CA143727 and U54CA143728. Citation Format: Carl-Wilhelm Vogel, David C. Ward, Neal A. Palafox, Hali R. Robinett, Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, Robert A. Underwood, John A. Peterson. University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership: Fourteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr A44.

P75 - Long-Term Impact of the Child Health Assessment in the Pacific (CHAP) Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program

P75 - Long-Term Impact of the Child Health Assessment in the Pacific (CHAP) Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program

Cosinor Analysis Reveals Non‐dipping Hypertension in Mixed Background Strain Mice Lacking the Circadian Clock Protein PER1

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among Americans. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, thus blood pressure (BP) regulation is imperative for maintaining cardiovascular health. BP exhibits a circadian rhythm that is regulated through many mechanisms. Humans experience a BP rhythm resulting in a 10–20% dip in BP during their resting period. Individuals who fail to maintain this dip, termed non‐dippers, are associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes. The circadian clock mechanism, which includes the transcription factors PERIOD, BMAL1, CLOCK, and CRYPTOCHROME, is necessary to maintain this rhythm. Past studies in our lab have shown that global loss of PER1 leads to non‐dipping hypertension in male C57BL/6 mice in response to high salt diet plus an aldosterone analogue desoxycorticosterone pivalate‐salt (DOCP) (Solocinski et al. 2017). The goal of this study was to determine the BP phenotype of Per1 knockout (KO) mice on a salt‐sensitive 129/sv/s1s4 background strain. 129/sv/s1s4 mice were implanted with radiotelemetry devices and maintained in a normal 12‐hour light/dark period. BP was monitored continuously while the mice were subjected to a control diet, a high salt (HS) diet, or a HS diet plus treatment with an aldosterone analogue DOCP. BP rhythms were analyzed through the program Cosinor (www.circadian.org) to determine the mesor, amplitude, and acrophase. When evaluating a cosine wave, the mesor is the midline between the peak and the trough, the amplitude is the measure of the mesor to the peak, and the acrophase is the time point of the peak. These values were then used to discern whether the mice maintained a BP rhythm. The 129/sv/s1s4 Per1 KO experienced a 9‐mmHg increase in BP in response to HS/DOCP (P<0.01, n=8). In contrast, the wild type (WT) mice (n=5) did not experience a significant increase in BP after HS/DOCP. Furthermore, the KO mice had a 2.4‐mmHg decrease in amplitude (P=0.01), whereas the WT mice did not exhibit a significant decrease in amplitude. The WT mice on control diet exhibited a 12.8% dip in BP during their inactive period compared to their active period, which insignificantly decreased to an 11.5% dip on HS/DOCP diet. However, the KO mice on control diet had an 11% dip, which decreased to 5.4% dip on HS/DOCP diet (P<0.05, n=5–8). These data demonstrate that loss of Per1 in male 129/sv/s1s4 mice leads to a non‐dipping phenotype in response to HS/DOCP treatment. Importantly, these findings represent the reproducibility of the non‐dipping hypertension phenotype we previously observed in C57BL/6 mice in a distinct strain on a mixed background.Support or Funding InformationAmerican Physiological Society Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program; American Society of Nephrology Foundation for Kidney ResearchThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Integration of a Field Experience Component in the Child Health Assessment in the Pacific (CHAP) Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program

To evaluate the field experience component of the Child Health Assessment in the Pacific Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Program (CHAP). Experiential learning is a pedagogical approach to reinforce concepts taught in a didactic learning environment. In a region with limited childhood health assessment programs, experiential learning may increase the likelihood that students learn key CHAP concepts. The target audience was ten undergraduate students participating in CHAP from institutions in Hawaii, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Chuuk, and Guam. Students were paired with a mentor for a child health assessment summer field experience. Students completed two online courses, a one-week hands-on training, and monthly virtual sessions for background knowledge and skills. Each student had a $400 budget. Upon completion, students submitted a written and video summary. Students were provided feedback using program rubrics. Eight students completed all field experience components with at least a satisfactory performance. Eight students provided field experience feedback through an online end of program evaluation. All eight students strongly agreed/agreed that the field experience was a valuable component, that their mentor provided meaningful guidance, and that they were provided with satisfactory assistance. Positive aspects included applying their skills, creativity, and leadership, as well as engaging with the community. Areas of improvement were related to providing clearer expectations and having more time to complete the experience, and for hands-on training. The field experience contributed positively to the CHAP student learning experience. Long-term follow-up is needed to determine if these skills are being applied by this interdisciplinary cohort of students post-program.

Abstract A48: University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership: Thirteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders

Abstract The University of Guam (UOG)/University of Hawaii Cancer Center (UHCC) Partnership aims to grow cancer research capacity at UOG, develop cancer health disparities research at UHCC focusing on Pacific Islanders (PI), raise awareness of cancer and cancer prevention in Guam (GU), Hawaii (HI) and the US Associated Pacific Islands (USAPI), and increase the number of cancer and biomedical science researchers of PI ancestry in the United States. An infrastructure comprised of 6 principal investigators, over 30 participating faculty, administrative staff, and external and internal reviewers, backed by institutional support and NCI sponsorship, has supported 13 years of research, training, and outreach designed to reduce cancer health disparities and advance health equity among PI in GU, HI, and the USAPI. Since 2009, the Partnership has funded 15 cancer research projects addressing cancer research priorities of global and regional relevance, including cervical cancer and betel nut chewing - a traditional practice associated with oral pre/carcinoma, affecting 600 million users worldwide. Over 70 manuscripts have been published, 90 abstracts presented, and 9 grants secured. To address the underrepresentation of PI in biomedical sciences, the Partnership has supported 26 graduate fellows, including 6 doctoral students at UH. One PhD graduate is now a faculty member at UOG and engaged in research supported by the Partnership. UOG's Micronesian Studies Program now offers a cancer health disparities track, developed by the Partnership and tailored for the Pacific region. In addition, UOG/UHCC faculty, junior investigators, and pre/postdocs receive mentorship, career development and summer research fellowships; to date, five UOG faculty have participated in the summer fellowship program at UHCC and two have subsequently secured pilot funding. Outreach projects have explored community-based participatory approaches to youth tobacco use prevention and cessation in Guam, and the use of social networking to reduce tobacco-related cancer risk. Community-based participatory research has also led to landmark tobacco control legislation in Guam, resulting in decreased tobacco use and increased tobacco taxes, a percentage of which supports patient services in Guam as well as the Guam Cancer Registry. Current outreach efforts aim to increase cervical cancer screening in the islands. In conclusion, the Partnership has significantly increased research capacity at UOG and cultivated interest in cancer research among underrepresented minority students at the partnering institutions. A regional research infrastructure has been established and resources continue to be leveraged to address PI cancer health disparities in Guam, Hawaii, and the USAPI. Master's and PhD-trained graduates of the program are now participating in and directing cancer studies relevant to their communities, and mentoring future scientists committed to the Pacific Region. Supported by NCI grants U54CA143727 and U54CA143728. Citation Format: Carl-Wilhelm Vogel, David C. Ward, Neal A. Palafox, Hali R. Robinett, Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, Robert A. Underwood, John A. Peterson. University of Guam/University of Hawaii Cancer Center Partnership: Thirteen years of progress in addressing cancer health disparities in Pacific Islanders. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr A48.

Child Health Assessment in the Pacific (CHAP) Summer Fellowship Program

Child Health Assessment in the Pacific (CHAP) Summer Fellowship Program

Myostatin Inhibitors Affect MyoD and Myogenin Expression

Myostatin (growth differentiation factor 8, GDF8) inhibits myogenesis and is a potential therapeutic target for muscular dystrophy and other myopathies. Animals with mutations in myostatin genes have increased muscle mass resulting from hypertrophy and hyperplasia. In this project three common myostatin inhibitors, GDF8 antibody, ActRIIB-Fc, and Alk4/5 inhibitor, were examined for their effects on agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering and expression of myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and myogenin. C2C12 cell cultures were maintained, myoblasts were differentiated into myotubes, and then cultures were exposed to motor neuron derived agrin to enhance AChR clustering. Untreated cultures were compared with cultures exposed to myostatin inhibitors at various concentrations. GDF8 antibody and Alk4/5 inhibitor decreased the frequency of agrin-induced AChR clustering with a dose response, while ActRIIB-Fc had no effect. Moreover, GDF8 antibody and ActRIIB-Fc increased MyoD expression and decreased myogenin expression, while Alk4/5 inhibitor decreased MyoD expression and increased myogenin expression. The differential effect of myostatin inhibitors on these events may be dependent on the different mechanisms of inhibition. Additional research could reveal if a myostatin inhibitor is an appropriate treatment for myopathies like muscular dystrophy. Jacqueline Sohn was supported by the Midwestern University Summer Fellowship Program. Wade A. Grow was supported by Midwestern University intramural funds.

Salt, Sand, and Sweetgrass: Methodologies for Exploring the Seasonal Basket Trade in Southern Maine

Salt, Sand, and SweetgrassMethodologies for Exploring the Seasonal Basket Trade in Southern Maine Alyssa Mt. Pleasant (bio) On an early summer evening in 2001, visitors knocked on the door of the Elizabeth Bishop Perkins House along the York River in Maine. Susan Lewey and her husband, Passamaquoddy people who were working as itinerant construction laborers in the region, wanted to speak with the people who lived in the house. They had been fishing on Sewall’s Bridge and had a direct view of a cigar-store Indian that stood on the lawn near the house. The property, which is owned, maintained, and interpreted by the Museums of Old York, was the summer home to four fellows in museum studies that year. The museum director, who happened to be visiting the house that evening, quickly called upon me, the sole Native fellow participating in the summer fellowship program focused on Native American history in the Yorks, to speak with these visitors. I was delighted to see Ms. Lewey and her husband, who raised issues that had been part of ongoing discussions among the fellows and with museum staff throughout the summer. Speaking with our Passamaquoddy visitors brought the stakes of museum interpretation at the small local historical society in southern Maine into sharp relief for all of the fellows. Presenting static, stereotypical images of Indians is entirely unacceptable, and the Leweys were quick to voice their objections to this representation in the form of the cigar-store Indian. That said, our interaction quickly transformed from confrontation to genuine engagement. As I and the other fellows talked about our summer research projects, smiles slowly emerged in our small circle. Before long Ms. Lewey explained that, in addition to working as an itinerant construction worker, she was a basket maker. This news delighted me—I was devoting my time as a fellow at Old York to researching [End Page 411] Indian basketry and, more importantly, the network of Indian basket makers who traveled to coastal Maine every summer to sell their wares. My enthusiasm for this craft work inspired Ms. Lewey to invite me back to her efficiency apartment to look more closely at her tools, her materials, and some of her work. Trusting that this was a very good development, I climbed into her car and drove off to learn more. An hour or so later, Ms. Lewey, her husband, and I returned to the Elizabeth Bishop Perkins House, where she allowed me to take photos of her tools (fig. 1) and she gifted me with two ash splint baskets (fig. 2). This interaction, which opened up the lived practice of Wabanaki ash splint basket making to me, was one of the key moments in a research process that combined informal interviews, documentary evidence, material culture, and travel across the Dawnland. Click for larger view View full resolution Fig. 1. Tools for basket making from the collection of Susan Lewey (Passamaquoddy). Photograph by the author. The essay that follows explores the possibilities that emerge in Native American and Indigenous studies (nais) when scholars expand their research methodologies and sources. Drawing on work undertaken in the summer of 2001 as part of a fellowship program dedicated to expanding the interpretation of Native American history at a local historical society, it is intended as a provocation to both scholars working in [End Page 412] Click for larger view View full resolution Fig. 2. Ash-splint baskets made by Susan Lewey (Passamaquoddy). Photograph by the author. the discipline of history and those pursuing work in the field of nais who may overlook or diminish the work of trained historians. The essay presents an argument about methodologies and sources that tracks one historian’s process of research, discovery, disappointment, and renewed hope. It gestures toward the expectations initially brought to bear on the project and the accommodations made in the midst of research for this preliminary effort to begin illuminating the history of Indian basket makers in the Yorks for a broader audience. Rather than offering conclusions, [End Page 413] it opens the door to further inquiry about Wabanaki seasonal communities in coastal New England. Like all proper histories, the story begins with the documentary...

Acoustic particle velocity amplification with horns

Previously [Donskoy and Cray, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 129(4), Pt. 2, 2644 (2011)] the authors numerically investigated an acoustic particle velocity amplification effect with conical open-ended horns. Here, using Webster's approach, an analytical solution for the particle velocity response of conical horns (single and double) is derived and analyzed. The solutions are verified by comparison with direct numerical computations and supported with experimental measurements. It is shown that small horns, compared to the acoustic wavelength, are capable of providing substantial particle velocity amplification. For example, a 20 cm horn, in-water, can deliver nearly 10 dB of amplification over a very broad frequency range (from zero to 1000 Hz) without significant amplitude and phase distortion. Another unique feature of the velocity horn is its dipole directionality. The paper presents a thorough analysis of horn's amplification versus geometrical parameters. [This work is supported in part by the ONR summer fellowship program].

Abstract B38: A summer fellowship designed to engage medical students with demonstrated interest in health disparities: Cancer in the Underprivileged, Indigent or Disadvantaged (CUPID)

Abstract Cancer health disparities persist among racial/ethnic minorities and the poor, who historically have been medically underserved. The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins has developed a summer fellowship program that employs a unique approach to address this chronic problem. The Cancer in the Under-Privileged, Indigent or Disadvantaged (CUPID) program is a highly selective 7 week summer fellowship for students who have completed their first year of medical school. Drawn from an applicant pool of over 250 students from 71 US medical schools (2010 data), the 10-11 CUPID fellows accepted each year are selected based on their demonstration of a sustained commitment to serving underserved populations and addressing general health disparities at the level of the individual health care practitioner. Successful CUPID applicants are mature, goal-oriented and dedicated to service. Accepted CUPID fellows have taken an interest in health care disparities and, at an early stage of their careers, have dedicated significant time and energy into addressing these disparities. The strategy is to actively engage these highly motivated students from diverse backgrounds, to instill a sense of excitement about oncology, and to encourage them to consider postgraduate training in medical oncology or one of the oncological subspecialties. To the best of our knowledge, there is no other program in the U.S. like CUPID. The CUPID program provides a structured research experience in oncology laboratories of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. This laboratory work is accompanied by daily didactic presentations by our diverse faculty that are designed to provide an engaging overview of the molecular basis of cancer, the major areas of modern cancer research, challenges in clinical oncology, and academic approaches to alleviating cancer health disparities. In addition, students are introduced to the efforts of the federal government and a historically black medical college to address cancer health disparities via day programs conducted by partners at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda and Howard University. The desired outcome is for CUPID fellows to eventually alleviate cancer health disparities as practicing physicians, serving the underprivileged, indigent and/or disadvantaged. By bringing a diverse group of highly motivated students together for an intensive oncology experience early in their training, we expect to instill an enthusiasm for oncology in a group of future caregivers who are most likely to serve the underserved. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B38.

Genistein's Mechanism(s) Of Action On Intestinal Chloride Secretion In Mice

The major route for cAMP‐mediated chloride (Cl) secretion across the intestinal epithelial apical membrane is presumed to be via CFTR, a chloride channel widely known to be activated in vitro by genistein. We have shown that daily injections of genistein (600mg/kg body weight, 600G) mediate significant increases in intestinal Cl secretion (Isc) in male mice after 2 weeks and female mice after one week, when compared to control (0G). This study aimed to determine whether genistein‐induced increases in intestinal Cl secretion were attributed to; (a) changes in CFTR protein expression using standard western blot techniques and, (b) changes in intracellular signaling mechanisms using basolateral application of: MDL‐12330A (an adenylate cyclase inhibitor), KT‐5720 (a PKA inhibitor), LY‐294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) and PD‐98059 (a MAPK inhibitor). We found no effect of 1μM KT‐5720, 20μM LY‐294002 or 10μM PD‐98059 on the basal or steady‐state forskolin‐stimulated Isc in 600G male or female mice. MDL‐12330A (10μM)) significantly reduced basal Isc in 600G females from 215.8±12.6 μA/cm2 (n=15) to 157.0±21.5 μA/cm2 (n=8, P<0.05) and decreased steady‐state forskolin‐stimulated Isc from 101.8±17.5 μA/cm2 (n=15), to 35.6±8.3 μA/cm2 (n=8, P<0.05), but was without effect in 600G males. Total CFTR protein expression normalized to total actin protein expression was unchanged in jejunum removed from any groups. These data suggest that the genistein‐mediated increases in intestinal Isc; (a) are not mediated via changes in intestinal CFTR protein expression in male or female mice and, (b) are mediated by adenylate cyclase in female but not male mice. RS and SS were supported by the Midwestern University Summer Fellowship Program. LA was supported by NIH (1R15DK071625‐01A2).

Public Health Education in Veterinary Schools: A Student Perspective

INTRODUCTION The veterinary medical profession is evolving rapidly in the face of societal changes, technological advancements, economic limitations, and a greater recognition of its application in the public health sector. As emphasized during the conference An Agenda for Action: Veterinary Medicine’s Crucial Role in Biodefense and Public Health, veterinary professionals are ideally suited to address many of the headlining issues in public health, such as bioterrorist and agro-terrorist threats, emerging diseases, and food safety hazards. The critical question to be addressed is whether or not colleges and schools of veterinary medicine have programs sufficiently in place to ensure that these needs will be met by their graduates. Participants in the Summer Fellowship Program in Science, Technology, and Public Policy: Implications for Veterinary Medicine, hosted by the Virginia–Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in summer 2003, were encouraged to provide a ‘‘student perspective’’ on this issue. Eleven fellows, secondto fourth-year veterinary students from six veterinary schools, participated in the Summer Fellowship, which focused on bioterrorism, agro-terrorism, and homeland security. Students had the opportunity to meet with experts in the field of bioterrorism; veterinarians serving as fellows in the executive and legislative branches in Washington, DC; and veterinarians working for the Department of Defense, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, industry, the US Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, the Library of Congress, the Homeland Security Council, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture. This experience provided the fellows a unique bridge of perception and insight between their own ongoing veterinary education and these critical needs and obligations of veterinary medical education; it also serves as the basis of the ‘‘student perspective’’ described in this article.

SU‐FF‐I‐54: A Monte Carlo Model of the Discovery ST PET Scanner

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of a GATE (Geant4 Application for Tomographic Emission) Monte Carlo model of a commercial PET scanner for purposes of simulating the generation, propagation, and detection of annihilation photons in PET scanners, and for evaluating image scatter fractions, resolution, sensitivity, and other scanning parameters. Methods: We compare GATE results to experimental data from a GE Discovery ST PET scanner. Our 3D PET simulation model of the GE Discovery ST scanner consists of 10,080 detectors grouped in modules and blocks following the vendor's specifications. NEMA'01 PET commissioning phantoms are also accurately modeled. More than 2 billion positron histories were followed to simulate measured PET scans of the NEMA phantom. Results: The simulated GE Discovery ST's radial sensitivity ratios for the NEMA'01 phantoms agree to within 0.6% of measured values ( versus , sensitivities R are in cps/kBq). The scatter fraction agreement is within 1.6% (the measured and simulated scatter fractions are 45.1% and 45.8% respectively). The model also accurately simulates the behavior of the time curves (measured peak true counts 338 kcps at 32.9 kBq/cc and simulated peak true counts 340 kcps at 32 kBq/cc). In addition, the spatial resolution of the scanner is simulated. Conclusions: The validated model accurately predicts scanner response and performance parameters, can be used to evaluate and improve PET resolution, image quality, and quantitative accuracy, and will aid in the determination of optimum scan parameters. In conjunction with CT images, the model can also be used to assess the accuracy of tumor segmentation for radiation therapy treatment planning. This work is sponsored in part by National Cancer Institute Grant PO1‐CA059017, by the summer fellowship program of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, and by an internal seed grant.

Transforming the Engineering Curriculum: Lessons Learned from a Summer at Boeing

AbstractThe Boeing Corporation conducts an A.D. Welliver summer fellowship program for engineering educators. This article describes the lessons learned by the 1998 summer Fellows. These include increasing emphasis on cost, communications and continuous learning, modifying faculty promotion guidelines to honor collaboration in teaching and research, and collaborating with industry on exit criteria. Eventually, industry has to become a partner in the educational process. The Fellows unanimously agreed that the Welliver Program was a valuable experience.