By  Jennifer Hu

Received: 2025-9-7 / Accepted: 2025-12-5 / Published: 2026-2-12

PDF Main Manuscript (304.87 KB)  DOI: https://doi.org/10.37906/isteamc.2026.1

Abstract Mental health stigma is a major issue for teenagers, often stopping them from asking for help and causing misunderstandings among peers. Traditional programs like school presentations, guest speakers, and workshops led by mental health professionals usually give information and suggest solutions. While these programs can help, their effects are often short-term. Studies and examples of teen-created content on social media suggest that art can provide a different approach. It allows teens to share and represent experiences in more interesting ways. This paper looks at how teen-created art on platforms like Instagram can reduce mental health stigma and whether it can be more engaging and inclusive than traditional programs. For this project, a comic was created and posted online, and had its engagement tracked over one week. The post received positive responses from peers and health-related accounts, showing that even small scale teen-created content can connect with audiences. These findings suggest that teen-created art can make mental health topics more visible, and shared among peers. This paper concludes that encouraging teens to create and share their own art can improve anti-stigma efforts by making them more personal and engaging. Others can contribute by creating similar content, using social media to reach wider audiences and helping expand conversation about mental health among teens. [More...]

By  Tianyi Iris Shen, Sephina Cai, Jalen Hu

Received: 2026-9-13 / Accepted: 2026-10-16 / Published: 2026-10-19

PDF Main Manuscript (431.11 KB)  DOI: https://doi.org/10.37906/isteamc.2026.2

Abstract Far-UVC light (222 nm) has emerged as a promising antimicrobial technology for airborne disinfection due to its limited ability to penetrate the outer dead layers of human skin and eyes. However, its potential to induce permanent mutagenesis—rather than repairable structural DNA damage—remains insufficiently characterized. To evaluate this hazard, we conducted an Ames reverse-mutation assay across three genetically distinct Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains (TA100, TA102, and TA135), exposing them to 222 nm far-UVC and conventional 254 nm UVC light. After accounting for radiation-induced cell cytotoxicity via initial survival assays (0–80 mJ/cm²), revertant colony counts were measured to identify wavelength-specific mutational mechanisms. Survival assays revealed dose-dependent cell killing, with the repair-deficient strain TA1535 showing the highest sensitivity. Ames assay profiles demonstrated contrasting mutational pathways: conventional 254 nm UVC-induced high reversion in strains TA100 and TA135, confirming direct structural DNA photoproduct formation, whereas 222 nm far-UVC produced a marked surge in TA102 revertants with minimal response in TA100 and TA135. These findings indicate that 222 nm far-UVC is not biologically inert; rather than direct base-pair substitution damage, it drives mutagenesis predominantly through indirect oxidative stress pathways. Safety standards and risk assessments for continuous far-UVC deployment must therefore account for potential cumulative oxidative hazards resulting from repeated daily exposures. [More...]