Endometriosis has created a public health crisis in the United States due to its high prevalence, and its severe health ramifications. Not only does endometriosis have a wide-ranging prevalence in the population, as it is predicted that 1 in 10 females of reproductive age suffer from this disease, but endometriosis significantly decreases this population's quality of life, productivity, and emotional well-being due to chronic pain and infertility issues. There have been several identified reasons behind the endometriosis diagnosis delay, including patient and provider-centered causes, which lead to the dismissal, stigmatization, and tolerance of symptoms. However, there is limited research about the social determinants influencing the United State's diagnosis delay. This study aimed to investigate the social determinants surrounding the endometriosis diagnosis delay by interviewing Endometriosis patients about their own diagnoses. Participants were also asked about their satisfaction about their endometriosis diagnosis. A thematic analysis was conducted using patient testimonials to reveal trends surrounding the endometriosis diagnosis delay. On average, 40 participants reported experiencing a diagnostic delay of 11.75 ± 7.94 years. Participants report significant dissatisfaction with the timeliness of the endometriosis diagnosis, the providers' ability to be communicative and receptive, and the providers' ability to diagnose endometriosis. Many social determinants were also associated with diagnosis delays - including gender, ethnic, racial, economic, geographical location, age, and sexual orientation factors. Not only do participant testimonials reveal the need for culturally competent care, validation, and patient-centered care during the endometriosis diagnosis process, but these testimonials also emphasize the need for diagnostic surgery and specialized care as endometriosis is a complex disease that can have systemic implications on a patient. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AGOG) endometriosis care guidelines should be adjusted to reflect the needs of endometriosis patients.

In the United States, the adult obesity prevalence was 42.2% from 2017-2018 and has been steadily increasing every year.¹ The estimated medical costs for people who were obese was $1,429 higher than medical costs for people with healthier weight. These statistics only give a brief insight of the so called, “obesity epidemic” plaguing the United States. Every year obesity rates continue to increase, and medical conditions related to obesity continue to affect Americans as well. Risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, or cancers are heightened when individuals are obese. This project will explore this epidemic by tracing back to its juvenile roots. As childhood obesity is a serious problem that puts children and adolescents at risk for future health problems, and leads to obesity in their adult years as well. The analysis of socioeconomic, food industry, and school influences in relation to childhood obesity will be conducted, and insight of past and current interventions will be illustrated as well.

Down syndrome (DS) is a common genetic developmental disorder characterized by the trisomy of chromosome 21 (Hsa21). All individuals with DS have some kind of intellectual disability, associated with dysfunction in cognition-related structures, including the frontal cortex. Studies have examined developmental changes in the frontal cortex during prenatal stages in DS, however little is known about cortical lamination and neuronal differentiation in postnatal periods in this neurodevelopmental disorder. Therefore, we examined the quantitative and qualitative distribution of neuronal profiles containing the neuronal migration protein doublecortin (DCX), the non-phosphorylated high-molecular-weight neurofilament SMI-32, the calcium-binding proteins calbindin D-28K (Calb), calretinin (Calr), and parvalbumin (Parv), as well as human β-amyloid and APP (6E10), Aβ1-42, and phospho-tau (CP-13) in the supragranular (SG, II/III) and infragranular (IG, V/VI) layers in the DS postnatal frontal cortex compared to neurotypically developing (NTD) controls from ages 28 weeks to 196.4 weeks using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, cortical lamination was evaluated using thionin, a Nissl stain. We found DCX-immunoreactive (-ir) cells in both the SG and IG layers in younger cases, but not in the oldest cases in both groups. Strong expression of SMI-32 immunoreactivity was observed in pyramidal cells in layers III and V in the oldest cases in both groups, however SMI-32-ir cells appeared much earlier in NTD compared to DS. We found small and fusiform Calb-ir cells in the younger cases (28 to 44 weeks), while in the oldest cases, Calb immunoreactivity was also found in pyramidal cells. Calr-ir cells appeared earlier in DS at 32 weeks compared to NTD at 44 weeks, however both groups showed large bipolar fusiform-shaped Calr-ir cells in the oldest cases. Diffuse APP/Aβ-ir plaque-like accumulations were found in the frontal cortex grey and white matter at all ages, but no Aβ1-42 immunoreactivity was detected in any case. Furthermore, neuropil (but not cellular) granular CP-13 immunostaining was seen in layer I only at 41 weeks NTD and 33 weeks DS. Cell counts show a significantly higher cell number in SG compared to IG for all the neuronal markers in both groups, except in Calb and SMI-32. In NTD, age and brain weight showed the strongest correlations with all cellular counts, except in thionin where DS had a stronger negative correlation with age and brain weight compared to NTD. In addition, height and body weight showed a strong negative correlation in NTD with the migration and neurogenesis marker DCX. These findings suggest that trisomy 21 affects the postnatal frontal cortex lamination, neuronal migration<br/>eurogenesis, and differentiation of projection pyramidal cells and interneurons, which contribute to the disruption of the local and projection inhibitory and excitatory circuitries that may underlie the cognitive disabilities in DS.

Yoga has become one of the most popular contemporary health approaches practiced by young adults in the United States. It is an ancient mind and body practice with origins in Indian philosophy dating to over 5,000 years ago. Yoga combines physical postures, rhythmic breathing, and meditative exercises to offer the participants a unique, holistic mind-body experience. In this report, the Sutras first introduced by Patanjali, an ancient Indian sage, are broken down into modern definitions. Each sutra has its own unique mental and physical benefits that can be attained by college students. Yama encourages maintaining a personal moral code. Niyama allows for personal connection and self-awareness. Asana refers to the poses that are still commonly practiced today. Pranayama helps to practice deep breathing. Pratyahara offers a disconnect from the world around us. Dharana allows us to focus and hone in on one thought. Dyana promotes a continuous flow of focus in meditation. Samadhi is reaching a state of pure relaxation. All of these take time and practice, but when implemented in different aspects of daily life, college students can reduce their overall stress and anxiety to improve focus and success.