Among children in the United States, there is a high prevalence of psychopathology. Understanding what contributes to the development of these disorders in early adolescence and late childhood is key to informing intervention efforts. This study aimed to understand the impacts of economic and social stress on the development of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in children. Additionally, with the knowledge that supportive adult relationships can buffer psychopathology impacts, it sought to uncover if supportive sibling relationships can alter the relationship between stress and psychopathology. Data was collected through both home visits and online questionnaires as part of the Arizona Twin Project. The sample of the twins at eight years old included 355 families (M = 8.43 years, SD = .68) and 709 twins (MZ = 29.9%, same-sex DZ = 37.8%, opposite-sex DZ = 31.7%, and unknown zygosity = 0.6%) with ethnically and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. Families were followed longitudinally with annual assessments at ages 9, 10, and 11. Our results showcased a significant positive relationship between economic stress and the development of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology symptoms in children. Our social stress indicators were categorized into family stress and negative parenting constructs. It was observed that family stress was linked to an increase in both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, when it came to parenting behaviors, no significant associations were identified with the development of either externalizing or internalizing symptoms in our study. In terms of the potential moderating effects of a positive sibling relationship, no significant results were found. Ultimately, our study showcases the adverse impact of stress on children and early adolescents. Further research on the impacts of the relationship between siblings can help us to better understand the dynamics in the home as a whole and explore whether relationships beyond those with supportive adults can contribute to resilience in children. This knowledge may guide interventions and preventive measures aimed at mitigating the effects of psychopathology in young individuals.

Summer temperatures in Arizona are some of the highest in the nation. Arizona also ranks within the top ten states for percentage of homelessness per capita (Wisevoter, 2023). Extreme heat poses a threat to the rising homeless population in Phoenix, Arizona, as it causes severe dehydration, which can lead to potentially fatal heat-related illnesses like heat stroke. Sufficient hydration and lowering body temperature are the first paths of treatment for such illnesses. Thus, there is a critical need for water and heat-relief for homeless individuals in the Phoenix community. This paper responds to this crisis by proposing The Hydro-Drive Project, an incentivized, donation-based charity that provides cold water storage solutions to the homeless community in Phoenix. Using a three-pronged approach, The Hydro-Drive Project will collect, sanitize, and distribute insulated water bottles to homeless individuals in Phoenix. Providing insulated water bottles to persons experiencing homelessness can provide both hydration and coolness, which in turn, can help prevent heat-related illnesses. This paper also outlines a comprehensive plan for securing grant funding and establishing partnerships with like-minded organizations, as well as other elements necessary to ensure the success and sustainability of the program such as participant recruitment strategies, success and impact measures, project limitations, budget, and sustainability. Overall, The Hydro-Drive Project is an innovative response to a critical issue in the Phoenix community that requires grant funding and input from partnerships.

As the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, Parkinson’s affects around 1 million people in the United States, and 10 million worldwide (Parkinson’s Foundation). Thus there are 10 million people who are suffering from a disorder with no cure. Because of this, treatment of Parkinson’s disease and management of symptoms is crucial as the disease advances. Some non-physical symptoms include anxiety, sleep troubles, fatigue, and loss of smell, while some physical symptoms include a resting tremor, bradykinesia, dyskinesia, instability, and rigidity (Parkinson’s Foundation, 2023). These symptoms lead to gait instability, gait freezing, higher fall risks, an overall lack of flexibility, and a struggle with dual-task performance (Johannson et al., 2023). The goal of this thesis project is to create a game design document and potential study outline of a Virtual Reality (VR) game that targets upper body bradykinesia and allows Parkinson’s patients to improve their arm mobility and decrease rigidity and reaction time. This game, REACH, is designed to be used in conjunction with weekly physical therapy, and progress within the game should be monitored by the therapist. Because it is important for rehabilitation to be individualized for each patient, in this game, the patient’s physical therapist will select a “level”, which corresponds to the patient’s range of motion (ROM) and reaction time. However, the exercise game will keep track of performance and log the degrees of motion, corresponding reaction time, and time on task. This performance profile will allow the therapist to monitor the patient's progress and make well-informed decisions about the patient’s progress and goals.

The presence of pesticide contaminants in cannabis, such as organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides, has resulted in multiple recalls by manufacturers in the U.S. There are no national guidelines to mitigate the health risk of pesticide exposure in cannabis because it is an illicit Schedule I substance under federal law. Here, we reviewed the state-level regulations of organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides in cannabis between 2019 and 2023 and found that 14 more jurisdictions (for a total of 29) are regulating organophosphate or pyrethroid pesticides in the U.S. We evaluated the potential connections between pyrethroids, organophosphates, cannabinoids, and Parkinson’s disease using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). 10 pyrethroids, 27 organophosphates, and 15 cannabinoids were associated with 68 genes to form 2,320 inferred and curated Chemical-Gene-Phenotype-Disease tetramers. Exposure to chlorpyrifos and permethrin, but not Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), results in dose-dependent effects on 1-nonanol repulsive behaviors in Caenorhabditis elegans, indicating dopaminergic neurotoxicity (p < 0.01). Dose-dependent effects of chlorpyrifos, but not permethrin, are different in the presence of Δ9-THC and CBD (p < 0.001). Our findings show that (1) U.S. states are reaching a consensus on pesticide regulation in cannabis and (2) regulators need to consider the mechanistic interaction of pesticides and cannabinoids. Further research should apply new approach methodologies such as C. elegans and CTD can help inform pesticide regulation in cannabis by chemical class.

Meloscape, an innovative music therapy iPad app, addresses the challenge of providing an authentic therapeutic experience virtually to older adults. Meloscape offers a user-friendly platform that goes beyond existing apps by providing standalone simulations of music therapy sessions that can also be used as a tool between in-person sessions. Developed with a focus on research, accessibility, lifelong learning, and the unique needs of older adults, Meloscape features follow-along video sessions, guided meditations, personalized music selections, and journaling capabilities, creating a holistic and immersive music therapy experience. Meloscape strives to empower older adults to independently engage in music therapy, fostering cognitive and physical well-being and enriching their lives in profound ways.

Past studies have supported that religion plays a role in how people engage in moral psychological processes, specifically regarding a person’s thoughts versus their actions. It is important to look at how religion can play a role in the sentencing of inchoate crimes, since they are crimes that have not yet been completed involving thought. It is a current practice that lawyers and judges may include or exclude a juror based on their religious affiliation due to their assumption that their religion will play a role in their decision making. However, this current practice is based on assumption and there is limited research to support that this practice is actually effective. To address this gap in the literature, I looked at the role of religion when individuals are presented with jury instructions, and asked participants to make judgements about inchoate crimes. There was an overall significant main effect of religion on sentencing decisions of inchoate crimes, and there was no significant interaction of jury instructions and religion on sentencing decisions. The results of this study indicate that the practice of excluding jurors based on religion may actually be effective and that jury instructions do not mitigate these religious biases.