Are Diet and Mental Health Associated for College Students Today? Dietary intake not only physically affects the body but can also affect the mental health of individuals. PURPOSE: The LMU Food and Mood Study analyzed the diets and mental health of college students to discover if there are any correlations between their mental health and eating habits. In addition, the physical activity levels of the participants were evaluated for correlation with their mental health. METHODS: 44 college students, 20.2 plus or minus 1.3 years, completed three-day diet records which were analyzed in Food Processor software for nutrient intake and food groups. Mental health was analyzed by questionnaires including the Beck Depression Inventory, Profile on Mood States (POMS) short version, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Kessler K10 Scale of Psychological Distress, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). RESULTS: Omega-3’s were significantly correlated to depression (r equals negative 0.337, p equals 0.025). Zinc (r equals negative 0.302, p equals 0.047) and protein (r equals negative 0.342, p equals 0.023) were significantly correlated to mood. Dietary restraint was significantly correlated to anxiety (r equals 0.444, p equals 0.003). Physical activity did not correlate to mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Omega-3’s are associated with less depressive symptoms. Zinc and protein were associated with better mood. Dietary restraint was associated with more anxiety. Among college students there is a correlation between diet and mental health. Further research is needed to correlate physical activity and the mental health of college students.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Black, Indigenous, people of color, and immigrant communities in Yakima County to experience exacerbated health disparities. This included substantial disparities in COVID-19 infection, outcomes, and vaccinations. Yakima is located in Eastern Washington where there is a thriving agriculture industry labored by Latinx migrant farmworkers. The purpose of this study was to gather information from communities in Yakima County about their opinions and knowledge about COVID-19 and address COVID vaccine barriers among underserved communities. To achieve this, I collaborated with our community partner organization, Yakima Health District to collect data and learn about COVID-19 barriers among Latinx populations to then come up with solutions to increase confidence and uptake in vaccinations. In this qualitative research project, I recruited people from farmworker backgrounds to participate in focus groups for agricultural workers, parents, and bilingual (Spanish and English) individuals. Additionally, I collected surveys from community vaccination events on vaccine hesitancy, vaccination rates, and vaccine knowledge. I use this data to develop toolkits for local businesses who distribute these resources and information to dispel myths surrounding COVID-19. Disseminating accurate information about COVID-19 and vaccines for adults and children could increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Latinx communities. Engaging with communities to tailor and develop communications efforts that are salient and culturally relevant is critical for the success of vaccination campaigns and health dissemination messages.

The United States is becoming extremely diverse. There are people of different races, ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation, and different walks of life. Despite the diversity of the population, the healthcare workforce in the United States is prominently comprised on white males. More Specifically, Milwaukee’s metropolitan area is a very diverse city in the United States. Educating both current healthcare leaders and the community about the lack of diversity, equity and inclusion within leadership positions will improve the work culture, encourage individuals to voice their opinion and develop tools to improve the workforce. The individuals who create health policy, laws, provide care, and manage healthcare settings should reflect the population they are serving. Different thought processes and perspectives have been proven to be the most efficient for problem solving and innovation. There needs to be more inclusion within the workforce to provide quality care for patients. People are prone to have blind spots, or a subconscious bias that can limit diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. Using quantitative data, information was gathered that highlights the current workforce in the United States in additional to tools and frameworks that Milwaukee has tried to implement to make management overall more inclusive. Furthermore, using qualitative data, current healthcare leaders in Milwaukee were interviewed to provide a better insight into work culture and their involvement process for their current position.

Assessing the efficacy of newly synthesized antifungal candidate Kalen Strunk , Noopur Dasgupta, Jeanne Bolliger, Erika Lutter One growing concern within the realm of medicine is the overuse of antifungal compounds and the eventual consequence of substantially less effectiveness against strains of pathogenic fungi. The crucial issue is that if more pathogenic fungi become resistant to current treatment, scientists will run out of options for minor and life-threatening fungal infections. In turn, this will contribute to the morbidity of pathogenic fungi species. Another issue posed by the limited repertoire of antifungal treatment is communities exposed to higher morbidity rates when associated with fungal infections such as immunocompromised patients or individuals living in underserved populations, further contributing to infectious fungi morbidity rate. My research aims to add to the growing need for antifungals by examining the six potential antifungal candidates synthesized in the Department of Chemistry at the Oklahoma StateUniversity. I will evaluate these newly synthesized compounds for their effectiveness against a laboratory strain of yeast, Candida albicans. I will measure antifungal properties by determining their minimum inhibitor concentration (MIC) and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) with C. albicans and then perform follow-up testing using clinical fungal isolates.. Also within in the experimental phase, I will compare the six candidates’ effectiveness against the popular fungicide fluconazole.