Ecdysone Used to Induce a Hyperandrogenism Phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster as a Basis for a Novel Invertebrate Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Model

Overview

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the largest contributor to infertility in women. PCOS contributes to serious health problems due to the overproduction of androgen in females, leading to miscarriages and infertility, as well as an increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus. The etiology of PCOS is unknown. However, to control the variety of symptoms, several approaches exist; these include using oral contraceptives, making changes in diet and exercise, as well as using the drug metformin. Although researchers currently use vertebrate models induced with PCOS -like phenotypes, t he development of a reliable vertebrate model requires research over multiple generations, which is expensive and time-consuming. This experiment developed a novel invertebrate model for PCOS, using Drosophila melanogaster D. ( phenotypes utilizing various amounts of like-induced with PCOS ,)melanogaster ecdysone in their diets. over three generations to determine the impact of were tested D. melanogaster ecdysone diets on fertility with respect to egg laying. The results demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in egg production (one-way ANOV A when ecdysone levels in the fly media <0.0001) p were increased by, respectively, 10μl and 40μl. The results of this experiment provide support for the effectiveness of ecdysone as a method of inducing PCOS -like fertility changes in D. ,melanogaster demonstrating the potential for a novel invertebrate model for studying PCOS. An invertebrate model that uses effective and -a cost and ecdysone would allow for D. melanogaster efficient way to study the syndrome. Smartphone Biomarkers: Linking Motor Patterns to ADHD Niyathi Girish William Fremd High School, Palatine, IL Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition, particularly among adolescents, that is often challenging to diagnose accurately. Current diagnostic approaches, which rely heavily on subjective self -report surveys, frequently result in overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis due to their inability to effectively differentiate overlapping symptoms. This study aims to explore whether motor patterns, captured through passive sensing using smartphone accelerometers and gyrosc opes, can serve as an objective biomarker for ADHD among high school students. Data was collected from participants using a smartphone app that logged accelerometer and gyroscope readings over a 24 -hour period. These data were correlated with scores on the Hyperactive/Impulsive subscale of the Adult ADHD Self -Report Scale (ASRS). The findings demonstrated significant correlations between features such as mean angular velocity and variance in pitch axis with the participants' motor scores, suggesting that specific motor activity patterns may provide a reliable indicator of ADHD. Although this study did not directly assess neurochemical changes, such as dopamine fluctuations, emerging research highlights the role of dopamine in regulating motor activity via the nigrostriatal pathway. The motor patterns identified in this study may reflect underlying dopaminergic activity, suggesting a potential neurophysiological link to ADHD symptoms. Overall, the findings support the feasibility of using passive motor data fr om smartphones as an objective tool to identify ADHD, potentially reducing the rate of overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis. Future research should focus on further exploring these motor patterns in relation to neurophysiological processes to enhance the understanding and accuracy of ADHD assessment.

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• JSHS 2025 Category not listed

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