Wayne State University Research Articles

Identifying potential exercise mimetics that deliver the benefits of exercise

Identifying potential exercise mimetics that deliver the benefits of exercise Robert Wessells, Associate Professor at Wayne State University, discusses his research on identifying potential exercise mediators or mimetics to deliver the benefits of exercise to less mobile individuals and help reduce the global disease burden. Exercise is an indispensable part of our daily life to maintain a healthy body and brain across ages. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the incidence of many age-related diseases and preserve healthy function during normal aging, improving quality of life and independence. However, regular exercise remains inaccessible to portions of the population due to injury, illness, advanced age, or job-enforced sedentary periods. Therefore, identifying potential exercise mediators or mimetics that can deliver the benefits of exercise to sedentary people would be potentially transformative in reducing disease burden worldwide.

Developing and delivering a migraine disparities and diagnosis undergraduate medical educational program to underrepresented in medicine medical student members of the Student National Medical Association: A pilot project.

Migraine is underdiagnosed. On average, medical students have approximately 3 h of exposure to headache education throughout medical school training. Moreover, some medical students have racially-based biases in pain. There is a paucity of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) headache practitioners. UIM practitioners are more likely to practice in underserved communities and provider-patient ethnic concordance may help eliminate healthcare disparities. The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is an organization committed to supporting current and future UIM medical students and addressing the needs of underserved communities. The goal of this project was to develop and deliver a brief Migraine Diagnosis and Disparities Undergraduate Medical Education Program (MD2UMEP) to increase awareness of migraine diagnosis and disparities in UIM medical students in the SNMA. For connecting/relationship-building with SNMA, the SNMA Region V website was reviewed. Calls were made to Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) explaining the educational initiative with subsequent emails to the Director of WSUSOM's ODEI followed by a video-conference meeting (VCM). VCMs were conducted with two SNMA member leaders from WSUSOM. A local and regional presentation/delivery of the MD2UMEP was planned. Communication was maintained electronically. For development/delivery of the MD2UMEP, headache literature was reviewed for key concepts underpinning migraine diagnosis and migraine disparities with a focus on African Americans. Slides with talking points were developed with references. Pre- and posttest questions were drafted and made accessible via a QR code. The MD2UMEP was presented and students completed the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to quantify responses. The MD2UMEP work began July 31, 2021, with program delivered in final form on October 1, 2022. A professional relationship was established with SNMA leadership. A MD2UMEP was developed then administered at the 2022 SNMA Region V Medical Education Conference. Headache medicine was introduced to UIM SNMA medical students. Anonymously, nine individuals responded to the MD2UMEP pretest questions. Eight individuals answered the posttest questions. At the program's conclusion, UIM student performance improved on seven of 10 test questions on migraine diagnosis and disparities and remained at 100% on one of 10 test questions. On two of the questions, the number correct remained the same (although percentage overall increased due to the smaller denominator). There was a higher proportion of correct responses on the posttest. There is great need for migraine diagnosis and disparities education among medical students. A new migraine diagnosis and disparities program was developed for medical students. SNMA members were receptive to the MD2UMEP and it strengthened their knowledge of migraine diagnosis and disparities. This program exposed UIM medical students to headache medicine.

The vaginal immunoproteome for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth: A retrospective longitudinal study.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Most cases of preterm birth occur spontaneously and result from preterm labor with intact (spontaneous preterm labor [sPTL]) or ruptured (preterm prelabor rupture of membranes [PPROM]) membranes. The prediction of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) remains underpowered due to its syndromic nature and the dearth of independent analyses of the vaginal host immune response. Thus, we conducted the largest longitudinal investigation targeting vaginal immune mediators, referred to herein as the immunoproteome, in a population at high risk for sPTB. Vaginal swabs were collected across gestation from pregnant women who ultimately underwent term birth, sPTL, or PPROM. Cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and antimicrobial peptides in the samples were quantified via specific and sensitive immunoassays. Predictive models were constructed from immune mediator concentrations. Throughout uncomplicated gestation, the vaginal immunoproteome harbors a cytokine network with a homeostatic profile. Yet, the vaginal immunoproteome is skewed toward a pro-inflammatory state in pregnant women who ultimately experience sPTL and PPROM. Such an inflammatory profile includes increased monocyte chemoattractants, cytokines indicative of macrophage and T-cell activation, and reduced antimicrobial proteins/peptides. The vaginal immunoproteome has improved predictive value over maternal characteristics alone for identifying women at risk for early (<34 weeks) sPTB. The vaginal immunoproteome undergoes homeostatic changes throughout gestation and deviations from this shift are associated with sPTB. Furthermore, the vaginal immunoproteome can be leveraged as a potential biomarker for early sPTB, a subset of sPTB associated with extremely adverse neonatal outcomes. This research was conducted by the Perinatology Research Branch, Division of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (NICHD/NIH/DHHS) under contract HHSN275201300006C. ALT, KRT, and NGL were supported by the Wayne State University Perinatal Initiative in Maternal, Perinatal and Child Health.

Evaluation of pilocarpine iontophoresis vs. exercise-induced sweat sodium concentrations at different exercise intensities

Differences between passive versus active sweat sodium concentration ([Na+]) may alter sodium replacement strategies. The primary purpose of this pilot trial was to compare pharmacologically induced sweat [Na+] (passive) with exercise-induced sweat [Na+] (active) at three different exercise intensities. Methods: This was an internal validation trial, reviewed by Wayne State University’s IRB (IRB 23-02-5555). WSU’s IRB determined that this retrospective, observational, data collection did not fall within the scope of human research regulations. As such, fifteen endurance cyclists participated in four cycling trials (different days, separated by a week) at three exercise intensities (50, 75, and 100% of functional threshold power/FTP) for 20 minutes. Sweat was collected prior to each trial via pilocarpine iontophoresis (passively induced sweat). Then, a macroduct™ (Wescor Inc, Logan, UT) sweat collector was affixed to the same forearm (at a different location than the passively induced sweat collection) and the athlete cycled at the given intensity to collect exercise-induced sweat. Sweat samples were analysed for sweat [Na+] immediately (Sweat Chek Conductivity Analyzer, Wescor Inc, Logan UT), which was the main outcome variable. One-way ANOVA was utilised to detect differences in passive and active sweat [Na+] levels across different exercise intensities. Statistical significance was set a priori at P &lt; 0.05. Results: Fifteen highly trained cyclists between 19-45 years (10 male, 5 female, weight 69 ± 9 kg, FTP 4.16 ± 0.56 W/kg, passive sweat [Na+] 55.6 ± 18.5 mmol/L [range 30-89 mmol/L]) completed this trial. No statistically significant differences were noted between pre (passive) to post (active) sweat [Na+] levels during the 50% FTP, 75% FTP, or 100% FTP conditions. However, when assessing exercise-induced sweat [Na+] minus passive-induced sweat [Na+], significant differences were noted between the 50% (−12.4 ± 7.6mmol/L), 75% (1.3 ± 6.2mmol/L) and 100% FTP (7.5 ± 6.8 mmol/L) exercise intensity conditions (P &lt; 0.001; R2 = 0.61). Although sweat rate was different between the 50% (0.62 ± 0.21 L/h), 75% (1.26 ± 0.34 L/h), and 100% FTP (1.89 ± 0.50 L/h) conditions; P &lt; 0.001; R2 = 0.68, there were no significant associations between sweat rate versus sweat [Na+] change except for the 100% FTP condition (R2 = 0.29; P = 0.04). Conclusions: Exercise-induced sweat approximates pharmacologically induced sweat at cycling intensities around 75% FTP, with lower sweat [Na+] readings at lower (50% FTP) intensities and higher sweat [Na+] readings at higher (100% FTP) cycling intensities.

Guidelines for descriptor assignments for the solvation parameter model by separation techniques

The solvation parameter model uses six compound descriptors to model equilibrium properties in biphasic systems formally defined as excess molar refraction, E, dipolarity/polarizability, S, overall hydrogen-bond acidity, A, overall hydrogen-bond basicity, B, McGowan's characteristic volume, V, and the gas-liquid partition constant on hexadecane at 25 °C, L. The V descriptor can be assigned from structure and the E descriptor for compounds liquid at 20 °C can be calculated from its refractive index and characteristic volume. The E descriptor for compounds solid at 20 °C and the S, A, B, and L descriptors are assigned from experimental properties traditionally obtained by chromatographic, liquid-liquid partition, and solubility measurements. Here I report an efficient experimental design using the Solver method for the accurate assignment of descriptors for neutral compounds that simultaneously minimizes laboratory resources. This multi-technique approach requires 3 retention factor measurements in a 60 °C temperature range per compound on four columns by gas chromatography, 3 retention factor measurements in a 30 % (v/v) acetonitrile composition range per compound on two columns by reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and eight partition constant measurements by liquid-liquid partition in totally organic and aqueous biphasic systems for a total of 26 experimental measurements. The accuracy of the descriptor assignments was validated by comparison with the values in the Wayne State University (WSU) descriptor database taken as the best estimate of the true descriptor values. The E, S, A, B and L descriptors were assigned simultaneously by the Solver method using the above approach without significant bias and with an average absolute deviation (AAD) of 0.054, 0.018, 0.015, 0.013, and 0.040, respectively, compared with the WSU database values, corresponding to a relative absolute average deviation in percent (RAAD) of 7.2, 1.9, 3.6, 5.1, and 0.84 %, respectively, for 32 varied compounds. This streamlined approach represents a significant improvement on earlier single-technique approaches used as the starting point for the development of the multi-technique approach. For compounds of variable hydrogen-bond basicity modifications to the multi-technique approach were implemented while maintaining the same number of experimental measurements. Acceptable descriptor assignments for B/B° were obtained for compounds liquid at 20 °C for which the E descriptor was available by calculation. For solid compounds at 20 °C the E and B/B° descriptors are restricted to qualitative application where approximate values may be acceptable.

Muscle function and structure in a mouse model of dysfunctional central nervous system myelin

INTRODUCTION. Claudin-11(CLDN11)-deficient mice have been reported to have dysfunctional central nervous system myelin, and altered motor control and muscle tone in their hindlimbs. OBJECTIVE. We compared CLDN11-deficient mice with strain-, age-, and sex-matched controls (CLDN11-suffent mice). We hypothesized that CLDN11-deficient mice will have reduced muscle strength and will show a greater resistance to high stretch velocities compared to their CLDN11-suffcient counterparts. METHODS. We studied the ankle dorsiflexor and plantarflexor muscles in a convenience sample of ten CLDN11-deficient and four CLDN11-suffcient mice (3-4 months, males). We recorded the maximum isometric contractile torque of the ankle plantarflexor and dorsiflexor muscles measured in milli-Newton-millimeter (mNmm), and the maximum contractile torque at low (100 °/s) and high (1200 °/s) muscle stretch velocities during eccentric contractions to assess spasticity. We also studied structural changes in muscle cross sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. RESULTS. Data are reported as mean ± SD. Maximum plantarflexor contractile torque was 7800 ± 1651 mNmm and 9646 ± 2637 mNmm in CLDN11-deficient and -suffcient mice, respectively. Maximum dorsiflexor contractile torque was 1956 ± 347 mNmm and 2975 ± 195 mNmm in CLDN11-deficient and -suffcient mice, respectively. Spasticity assessed as the ratio of maximum eccentric torque measured at 1200 °/s to 100 °/s was 0.94 ± 0.07 and 0.93 ± 0.01 in the plantarflexors of CLDN11-deficient and -suffcient mice, respectively, and 1.41 ± 0.19 and 2.1 ± 0.33 in the dorsiflexors of CLDN11-deficient and -suffcient mice, respectively. One-way ANOVAs indicated that CLDN11-deficient and -suffcient mice were not statistically different (p&gt;0.05) in maximum torque production and spasticity. CLDN11-deficient mice showed no remarkable alterations in muscle structure. CONCLUSION. Claudin 11 deficiency in mice does not affect maximum contractile torque and stretch-velocity-dependent muscle tone when studied by robotic dynamometry under general anesthesia, nor does it prominently affect muscle structure. We thank the WSU UROP funding mechanism for supporting Ms. Iman Manzoor’s involvement on this project. We thank the Wayne State University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program for supporting student research and providing research training through coursework and research experiences. We thank Dr. Alexander Gow for sharing mice and mentorship. 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.

Maintenance of muscle fiber-type memory in a human-to-mouse muscle xenograft model

INTRODUCTION. Muscle tissue can regenerate through muscle stem cells known as muscle satellite cells (MuSCs). MIME is a technique developed in our laboratory, through which, donor muscle tissue with MuSCs can be implanted into a host muscle to promote donor-cell-derived myogenesis. OBJECTIVE. We studied whether or not MuSCs maintain memory of the type of muscle fibers (fast or slow) with which they were associated. We hypothesized that MuSCs do not maintain memory of the fibers with which they are associated and form slow or fast muscle fibers based on the host environment. METHODS. We tested our hypothesis by implanting donor muscle, which contained mostly slow fibers, into host muscle, which contained mostly fast fibers. Implantation of donor tissue was performed by MIME. Following MIME, we injected a myotoxin (1.2% barium chloride, BaCl2) into the host muscle, which induced concerted degeneration followed by MuSC-dependent regeneration. Specifically, we studied mouse tibialis anterior muscles, which were implanted with segments of human donor tibialis anterior muscle. The human TA is comprised mostly of slow fibers (~60%; i.e., slow myosin heavy chain positive [sMyHC+]). The mouse TA is comprised 100% of fast fibers (i.e., fast myosin heavy chain positive [fMyHC+] fibers). This experimental paradigm is appropriate to ascertain whether or not satellite cells retain memory of the muscle fibers with which they were originally associated. We collected host muscles after 12 weeks of regeneration to ascertain if there was an increase in the percentage of slow muscle fibers. We used antibodies specific to sMyHC and fMyHC to stain frozen TA muscle sections. Host mice were immunodeficient and ubiquitously expressed enhanced green fluorescent protein (NSG-EGFP, The Jackson Laboratory Strain #021937). Since host mouse muscle fibers exhibited green fluorescence, but donor human muscle fibers did not, host and donor muscle fibers could be easily differentiated under fluorescence optics. RESULTS. Quantitative data confirmed that the cluster of human muscle fibers, which regenerated in the host mouse TA muscle had more slow (~50%) than fast (~30%) fibers (T-test, p&lt;0.01, N = 4 TA muscles from 4 different host mice). CONCLUSION. Contrary to our hypothesis, our data suggest that MuSCs do maintain memory of the type of muscle fibers with which they were originally associated. MuSCs give rise to fast or slow muscle fibers based on their donor origin when they are implanted along with their original donor muscle tissue. This work was supported by NIH R03HD091648, Pitch Award from the Alliance for Regenerative Rehabilitation Research and Training (AR3T) from NIH P2CHD086843, and a subcontract from NIH R01AR079884-01 (Peter L. Jones PI) to JAR. We thank the Wayne State University DPT Program for supporting student research and providing research training through coursework and research experiences. 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.

Fertility Knowledge and Educational Experiences of Graduating Medical Students: A Multi-Institution Survey.

Objective: Our goal was to assess the fertility knowledge and educational experiences of graduating U.S. medical students to evaluate areas of improvement for future educational interventions. Design: Web-based cross-sectional survey. Subjects: Medical students graduating in 2023 from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (SOM), New York University (NYU) Grossman SOM, Wayne State University SOM, Perelman SOM at the University of Pennsylvania, and Mayo Clinic Alix SOM. Main Outcome Measures: Fertility-related knowledge and educational experiences of U.S. medical students in their final year of school. Results: In total, 117 students (14.4%) completed the survey. The average knowledge score was 78%. Twenty-three (22%) overestimated the age of most precipitous fertility decline, and 50 (52%) overestimated the chance of getting pregnant for a 40-year-old person with ovaries. One-third of students (30, 32%) incorrectly believe that physicians have equivalent infertility rates to the general population. Students were less cognizant of male fertility issues, incorrectly believing there was no negative impact on male fertility by age (43, 42%) among other factors. Seventy-five (81%) reported less than 5 hours of fertility-related education in medical school. Only one-third (32%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the fertility education they received. In an open-response question, students expressed interest in additional education on transgender and cancer patient care, fertility preservation, assisted reproductive technologies, and reproductive life planning in medicine. Conclusions: There is a need and an opportunity for medical education programs to enhance fertility education. Giving students and trainees the knowledge required to make informed decisions for their family-building purposes and improving their ability to counsel patients adequately should be a goal of future educational endeavors. The data collected in this study will serve as a guide for the development of fertility-related learning modules for medical students and trainees.

Francesconi, Federica, and Rebecca Lynn Winer, eds. Jewish Women’s History from Antiquity to the Present. Detroit MI: Wayne State University Press, 2021.

Book Review

Determination of the hydrogen-bond basicity descriptor by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Except for alkanes, most organic compounds are hydrogen-bond bases. The B° descriptor of the solvation parameter model provides a convenient measure of the effective (or summation) hydrogen-bond basicity of organic compounds. A fast and convenient method to assign the B° descriptor is required to support studies of hydrogen-bonding in separation systems. A two-column system with acetonitrile-water mobile phase compositions and the measurement of up to eleven isocratic retention factors is proposed for this purpose. Several reversed-phase column chemistries and mobile phases were evaluated with the two-column system consisting of a pentafluorophenylpropylsiloxane-bonded and octadecylsiloxane-bonded silica columns recommended for this purpose. To assess the accuracy of the method values for B° were taken from the Wayne State University (WSU) compound descriptor database, which were assigned using conventional multi-technique methods and large datasets. The two-column systems provided an unbiased assignment of B° with an average deviation of 0.008 and an average absolute deviation of 0.021 compared with the target value for 55 varied compounds. The two-column system is unsuitable for assigning the other descriptors used in the solvation parameter model and results in erroneous assignments of B° for nitrogen-containing compounds capable of electrostatic interactions on silica-based reversed-phase columns.

A Prison to Higher Ed Pipeline: The Education Transition Coordination Program

The Educational Transition Coordination program is a pilot intervention at Wayne State University with the goals of increasing the well-being and economic mobility of formerly incarcerated individuals who confront both structural and functional difficulties navigating community reentry. This article describes the program, the population served, the evaluation to date, including functional and structural barriers, and policy implications.

The birth of pediatric urology in the United States: From pioneers to subcertification

Pediatric urology is a subspecialty of urology that emerged from a culture in which children with urological disorders were cared for by general urologists and general pediatric surgeons. The development of pediatric urology as a subspecialty was years in the making, highlighted by individuals who recognized that children with urological conditions were not just "small adults," but required special experience and training. Subspecialization was initiated by persistent visionaries who recognized the need for a trained cadre of experts to provide better care for children. It took the coordinated effort of all subgroups and leaderships in pediatric urology to push these efforts over the goal line. The focus of this review is to highlight certain individuals who played major roles in this vision and to document the efforts of many to coordinate the pathways to sub-specialization. The careers of Meredith F. Campbell and Frank B. Bicknell were researched to identify their rationale and roles in developing pediatric urology as a distinct medical specialty in the United States. In addition, the minutes of the meetings of the Pediatric Urology Advisory Council (PUAC) with the American Board of Urology (ABU) were reviewed. The origins of the Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Urology (AAP-SOU) were researched. The contributions of each to the certification of pediatric urology as a distinct subspecialty was delineated. Campbell was Chair of Urology at the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and wrote prolifically about pediatric urology. He published one of the first practical textbooks in pediatric urology, almost completely self-written, in 1937. Bicknell, a general urologist in Michigan on the faculty at Wayne State University School of Medicine, led the initiative to create the Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) that first met at the 1951 annual American Urological Association (AUA) meeting in Chicago and included nine attendees. Subsequently, John Lattimer (College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University) organized a well-attended meeting of urologists interested in pediatrics at the 1964 annual AAP meeting in New York City. This led to the formation of the AAP Section on Urology. Integral to the justification for the development of a subspecialty was evidence of a published corpus of content. In addition to published textbooks devoted exclusively to pediatric urology, this was further fulfilled by the AAP Section on Urology Pediatric Supplement to the Journal of Urology, first published in 1986, and later with the Journal of Pediatric Urology in 2005. The SPU and the AAP Section on Urology came together to form the Pediatric Urology Advisory Council (PUAC) in 2000, which worked with the ABU to create subspecialty certification in pediatric urology with an independent exam, first administered in 2008 to 176 applicants. The metaphor "We have stood on the shoulders of giants" is apt for pediatric urology: Meredith Campbell, Frank Bicknell, David Innes Williams (Hospital for Sick Children, London), and J. Herbert Johnston (Alder Hay Hospital, Liverpool) come to mind among the first generation of pediatric urology pioneers, and others among their colleagues also had significant impact. Clearly this is a story of persistence and attention to detail on the part of those giants and those who followed. Pediatric urology became a distinct discipline after the SPU and AAP-SOU came together to create a robust cohort of pediatric urologists who through education and negotiation were able to help the ABU and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognize that subspecialization would lead to better care for children with urologic disorders. This benchmark set a high bar for future subspecialization in urology and other fields.

TRUST AND BETRAYAL TRAUMA IN OLDER ADULT FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION

Abstract Despite a growing body of literature on financial exploitation (FE) and older adults, considerably less research has focused on sub-populations of older adults’ experiences with substantiated financial exploitation, particularly exploitation by trusted others. A 2023 study conducted through Wayne State University’s Successful Aging through Financial Empowerment (SAFE) program used a sample of 95 clients ages 55 and over to examine factors associated with participants’ experiences of substantiated FE perpetrated by trusted others. The SAFE program was created in early 2017 to provide no cost assistance to older adults addressing the financial fall out associated with being financially exploited. The study used betrayal trauma theory (BTT) as a conceptual framework in an attempt to understand how financial vulnerability and mental health are associated with FE committed by trusted others. The study used a cross-sectional design to investigate group differences among 32 (33.7%) older adults who were victims of financial exploitation by trusted others and 63 (66.3%) older adults who were victims of financial exploitation perpetrated by strangers. The group of older adults who were victims of FE by trusted others had lower functional ability scores, higher stress and financial exploitation vulnerability scores and lost more money on average than those victimized by strangers. These results suggest older adults who have been victimized by trusted others are more vulnerable and need more assistance with functional tasks than those victimized by strangers. The present study also supports the notion that BTT provides a valuable framework for understanding vulnerability to various types of FE.

SELF-PERCEIVED COGNITIVE CHANGES IN OLDER BLACK ADULTS DURING COVID-19

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has had myriad effects on health and well-being. Contracting the COVID-19 virus and concerns of social and physical consequences during pandemic-related restrictions have been proven to negatively impact health. To better understand possible effects of COVID-19 on Black community-dwelling older adults’ perceived cognitive changes, we conducted a pilot study with 48 community-dwelling African Americans with measures obtained over 24 months from 10/2020 to 10/2022. Participants were recruited from the Wayne State University Institute of Gerontology Healthier Black Elders Center, and Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and the general Detroit Area (Mage=73.07, Range=65-87 years). The Cognitive Change Index (CCI) was used as a self-report measure of perceived change over the last five years. The COVID Impact Survey (CIS) was used to assess the burden of COVID-19 on daily living. To evaluate emotional-being, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS responses referred to the last month) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS, within the last week) were administered. Stepwise regression models showed CIS outcome measures did not predict CCI. GDS outcome measures predicted CCI to some degree (R2adj = .15, p = .008), whereas PSS was the strongest predictor (R2adj = .50, p &amp;lt; .001). Results suggest that for older community-dwelling African Americans, past COVID-19 pandemic experiences did not affect their self-evaluated cognitive changes. Higher levels of self-perceived stress within the last month best predicted their subjective cognitive decline. Future research should involve interventions focused on stress reduction, and clinicians should consider stress level when diagnosing cognitive status in older adults.

1798. Vaccine Ambassadors: An Educational Model to Spread Awareness About Vaccines in Detroit

Abstract Background Since the COVID-19 pandemic, national vaccination rates show a dangerous decline with Detroit being amongst the lowest with only 41.3% of adolescents completing the vaccine series. The Vaccine Ambassador program was created to mitigate the decline in vaccination rates through the education and empowerment of youth via train-the-trainer model of education. Methods The program was implemented with eleven high school students who received education on the history and mechanism of vaccines, herd immunity, and how to effectively communicate. The program was created in collaboration with physicians in Infectious Diseases and a professor of communication at Wayne State University. Ambassadors aimed to spread this knowledge to youth in Detroit communities through outreach events. The impact of the program was measured through a two-pronged approach—through a pre- and post-survey given to the Vaccine Ambassadors and through a pre- and post-test given to the youth at the events. The survey for the Ambassadors included thirty-one items that measured their knowledge about vaccines and immunity and were evaluated through a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The test for the youth at the outreach events included seven items that tested knowledge about vaccines. Results The following prompt is an example from the survey given to the ambassadors: Inactive vaccines create a better immune response than live vaccines. Compared to the pre-survey, six participants (54.5%) indicated a less agreeable response. With regards to the youth outreach events, twenty-five youth participated in the pre- and post-test, and nineteen youth (76.0%) improved their score after the presentation. Post-test scores improved across all seven questions (Figure 1). Comparison of Pre and Post Test Responses During Outreach Events Representation of the percent correct questions before and after the Vaccine Ambassador presentation Conclusion Based on both pre-test responses, it is apparent that Detroit’s youth lack knowledge regarding vaccines. The Vaccine Ambassador program increased the ambassador’s depth of knowledge and reaffirmed their positive attitudes about vaccines. Not only are youth able to learn, but they are able to apply their knowledge and teach others. By teaching their peers, youth can make informed decisions when older and enact behavioral changes that promote healthier living. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

First person – Imad Soukar

ABSTRACT First Person is a series of interviews with the first authors of a selection of papers published in Biology Open, helping researchers promote themselves alongside their papers. Imad Soukar is first author on ‘ Analysis of the chromatin landscape and RNA polymerase II binding at SIN3-regulated genes’, published in BiO. Imad conducted the research described in this article while a PhD student in Lori A. Pile's lab at Wayne State University, Detroit. He is now a Postdoc in the lab of Rhoda Alani at Boston University, Boston, investigating manipulation of epigenetic control of genes, to solve important scientific problems.

Epigenetics research in eye diseases: a bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2023

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance A bibliometric analysis is a quantitative study that utilises methods such as citation analysis to evaluate research performance. A bibliometric analysis could provide a valuable reference for ophthalmic researchers to understand the trends in epigenetics research. Background The number of studies on epigenetics in eye diseases has exceeded 5,000, but the progress and scope of epigenetic research on eye diseases remain unclear. The study aimed to bibliometrically analyse epigenetic research conducted in eye diseases. Methods Studies concerning epigenetic research on eye diseases from 2000–2023 were searched using the Web of Science Core Collection. Following this, the included studies were analysed for citations, journals, keywords, authors, and countries, using the Bibliometrix package in R Studio. Results In total, 3758 studies were included in the analysis, including 3099 original articles, 599 reviews, 11 editorials, and 49 early access articles. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the most published journal with 185 articles, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America was the most cited journal, with 8727 citations. The journal with the highest h-index was Oncogene (h-index = 38).Renu A Kowluru from the Kresge Eye Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA, had the most citations with 1,690 and the highest h-index (h-index = 23). China and the USA were the countries with the highest number of publications (1739) and total citations (40533), respectively. Furthermore, from 2000–2023, the top five frequent research topics were diabetic retinopathy, 522; microribonucleic acid, 469; retinoblastoma, 370; apoptosis, 268; and epigenetics, 206. Conclusions The results of this bibliometric study provide the current status and trends of epigenetic research in eye diseases and will help researchers identify areas of current interest in the field, which should help highlight new research directions.

The mechanisms and benefits of exercise

The mechanisms and benefits of exercise At Wayne State University, Robert Wessells and his team are making significant strides in identifying potential exercise mediators or mimetics that could help mitigate pathologies resulting from prolonged sedentary periods. Exercise is an indispensable part of our daily life to maintain a healthy body and brain across ages. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce the incidence of many age-related diseases and preserves healthy function during normal aging, improving quality of life and independence. However, chronic exercise remains inaccessible to portions of the population due to injury, illness, advanced age or job-enforced sedentary periods. Therefore, identifying potential exercise mediators or mimetics that can deliver the benefits of exercise to sedentary people would be potentially transformative in reducing disease burden worldwide. At Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA, Dr Robert (RJ) Wessells and his lab team have used the many genetic tools available for use in fruit flies to identify several single molecules that act as powerful exercise mimetics in the brain and muscle of sedentary flies.

6.Q. Workshop: Anti-Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) Stigma: How Prejudice Affects the Health of SGM Globally

Abstract Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) suffer from stigma globally, which has severe health-harming effects, including an inability to live authentically, reduced access &amp; quality of services, &amp; poor physical &amp; mental health. Societal othering creates structural barriers for SGM to meet their needs. This workshop is essential because of the rising global stigmatization of SGM persons &amp; the adverse health impacts. Understanding SGM's lived experiences &amp; perceptions of healthcare professionals &amp; identifying needs is critical to developing public health programs &amp; policies that support SGM health. This workshop will give examples of studies on SGM discrimination &amp; health, drawing from research in Brazil, Chile, France, Italy, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, &amp; the United States. The workshop will first outline the situation &amp; public health problems experienced by SGM living in various countries, such as stigma, mental health, &amp; underdiagnosis of gender incongruence. Then the workshop will discuss public health-oriented solutions &amp; policy directions, including improving medical providers’ attitudes &amp; knowledge &amp; other implications for public health practice &amp; policy. The workshop will open with a study by Kristefer Stojanovski from Tulane University, USA examining societal stigma's role in “othering” SGM in Rwanda with implications for studying SGM issues. Then Alain Giami from Inserm, France will discuss trans persons’ self-identification of identity &amp; the implications for diagnoses of gender incongruence from a cross-country study in Brazil, Chile, Italy, &amp; France. Afterward, Jaime Eduardo Barrientos from Complutense University of Madrid, Spain will discuss the implications of transgender prejudice &amp; the health ramifications among trans-identifying persons in Chile. Next, Nadeeka Chandraratne from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka will interrogate medical providers’ attitudes &amp; knowledge about SGM issues in Sri Lanka &amp; the implications for clinical care. Lastly, Sasha Zhou from Wayne State University, USA will describe the mental health situation of Asian American &amp; Pacific Islander university students across the United States, examining stigma &amp; discrimination roles in perpetrating poor mental health. After the individual presentations, which will each last 7-8 minutes, the audience will be invited to a moderated 20-25-minute open discussion on the papers &amp; how the findings can help inform public health practice &amp; policy to address SGM social exclusion &amp; health globally. The situation for SGM persons’ lives &amp; health across the globe is worrisome from a public health standpoint, particularly as discrimination &amp; prejudices increase, which have severe health-harming effects across numerous physical and mental health states &amp; domains. Our workshop aims to facilitate a conversation on understanding the structural situations that shape SGM health &amp; exploring ways to reduce the disproportionate health burden &amp; risk factors SGM persons face. Key messages • SGM across the globe have an elevated risk of structurally induced stigma, which negatively influences physical and mental health, and access to care. • Disproportionate societal burdens experienced by SGM require urgent attention from public health professionals, given the health-harming effects of discrimination and exclusion.

Revised descriptors for polycyclic aromatic and related hydrocarbons for the prediction of environmental properties using the solvation parameter model

Revised descriptors for twenty-five polycyclic aromatic and related hydrocarbons (PAHs) forming a component of the Wayne State University (WSU) descriptor database are provided for use with the solvation parameter model. The descriptors are determined by the Solver method using experimental data for calibrated gas-liquid and reversed-phase liquid chromatographic retention factors and liquid-liquid partition constants in totally organic biphasic systems. The characteristic solvation properties of the PAHs are accounted for mainly by the additional dispersion interactions (E descriptor) and dipole-type interactions (S descriptor) resulting from the availability of easily polarizable electrons that complement typical dispersion interactions for saturated hydrocarbons. The descriptors afford acceptable prediction of the water-air partition constant (average absolute deviation AAD = 0.17, n = 22), octanol-air partition constant (AAD = 0.12, n = 20), and water-octanol partition constant (AAD = 0.10, n = 23). A two-parameter model containing only the V and B descriptors provides an unbiased prediction of aqueous solubility for the PAHs with an AAD = 0.26 (n = 22). The descriptors estimated by convenient chromatographic and partition constant measurements are demonstrated to be a viable alternative to the experimental determination of environmental properties otherwise only available by tedious, expensive, and low data throughput experimental techniques.