Alongside 53 teams in the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP), the Montana Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) Balloon Outreach, Research, Exploration and Landscape Imaging System (BOREALIS) Program aimed to livestream a solar eclipse to the NASA website via a high-altitude weather balloon and collect data on atmospheric phenomena. The project required a weather balloon capable of reaching neutral buoyancy for optimal data collection, connectivity and viewership. However, the cost of professionally manufactured balloons and the labor-intensive nature of manual production, coupled with weather constraints, necessitated an innovative, cost-effective solution. The goal was to design a system that organizations with varying resources and expertise could reproduce and operate.

In response to these concerns, we designed, fabricated and tested a vent attachment for latex balloons to enable controlled helium release and achieve neutral buoyancy. The predominantly 3D-printed vent reduced production costs and improved reproducibility, with the entire system manufacturable in under nine hours. Mechanically, it featured a plumbing fixture that acted as a plunger to release helium as needed. For strength, Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol (PETG) was chosen over Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament, and a clear coat lacquer ensured airtightness.

The vent system integrates a cutdown module, custom vent board, servo motor, Hall effect sensor and battery, all housed for easy access. Additionally, a new parachute packing method based on reserve parachutes used by paragliders was developed. While minor modifications are still required, the vent has proven effective in maintaining altitude above 80,000 feet, meeting project objectives.

When it comes to the medical field, 3D modeling has previously been used to render anatomical images in greater detail in order to better understand bodily functions. Lately, however, 3D modeling has made waves in depicting diseases, with a focus on their severity and progression. Unlike a model depicting computer graphics, 3D culture models allow cells to interact in three dimensions and better display cell growth and movement, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Culture models are beneficial in replicating the complexities of disease by promoting interactions between cells and providing insight into potential solutions. In this issue of the Journal of Young Investigators, Priscilla Detwieler and her colleagues demonstrate that atelocollagen incorporated in a 3D model is shown to simulate a potential treatment for inflammation-induced osteoarthritis.  

To combat the harmful effects of stress, neuroscientists are pointing to mindfulness, defined as the practice of being fully present and aware of our external environment and our actions, while not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by external events. To shed light on this, JYI interviewed renowned neuroscientist Dr. Alexandra Fiocco, whose expertise lies at the intersection of mindfulness, stress, and cognitive aging. Dr. Fiocco currently does research at Stress and Healthy Aging Research (StAR) Lab and teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University.