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The effect of a possible glioblastoma treatment on somatic cells
Get PDFGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a serious intracranial cancer which maintains a low survival rate due to its aggressive nature and invasive morphology that is resistant to current treatment methods. Recently, superparamagnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) bound to a TWEAK ligand have been proposed to specifically target glioblastoma cells at their Fn-14 receptor by inducing cellular death of the cancerous cells through the disruption of the membrane when exposed to a magnetic field. While apoptosis in GBM cells was successfully induced in vitro, the effect of the SPION-TWEAK complex on normal somatic cells and the effect of external environments on the SPION biopolymer is currently being evaluated. Specifically, in vitro endothelial cells, a common somatic cell type used in the lining of blood and lymph vessels, were subjected to the SPION-TWEAK complex in the presence and absence of a magnetic field. These cells were visualized via fluorescent microscope to observe if the endothelial cells underwent programmed cell death from the proposed treatment. Results from fluorescence microscopy demonstrate that the SPION-TWEAK complex has no effect on the endothelial cells, maintaining the theory that the conjugated nanoparticles only affect GBM cells. Also, previous studies have shown that the physicochemical properties and integrity of nanoparticles undergo drastic changes in vitro and in vivo, and these changes are attributed to cellular lysosomal degradation. Transmission electron microscopy studies should be conducted to determine whether the biopolymer from the SPION-TWEAK complex is affected by the magnetic field presence, or if the biopolymer is shed by lysosomal degradation. It is crucial to establish the interactions of the nanoparticle complex with benign cells and their magnetic field environment in order to utilize the proposed treatment in vivo so that it does not affect the essential, noncancerous cells in the body
Exposure effects of thiamethoxam on the viability, growth, and behavior of Physa acuta
Get PDFThiamethoxam is a neonicotinoid insecticide that targets the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of target organisms. It is used on a wide variety of crops and can be applied in multiple methods including seed coatings, broadcast sprays, or foliar sprays. As thiamethoxam is highly soluble, it easily enters aquatic environments and surface water through run-off events from agricultural fields. Detected environmental concentrations have ranged from the low ng/L range up to 225 ug/L. While the effects of thiamethoxam exposure has been well studied in aquatic vertebrates, few studies have examined their impacts on freshwater invertebrates. As such, this study assessed the impacts of thiamethoxam exposure on the viability, behavior, and shell growth of juvenile freshwater bladder snails (Physa acuta). Adult P. acuta specimens were collected from local waterways in Fredericksburg, VA and bred under laboratory conditions for several generations. Laboratory hatched one-week old juveniles were then exposed to various concentrations of thiamethoxam (0 (EtOH control), 1.56, 3.13, 6.25, 12.5, or 25 ug/L) for two weeks using a static replacement exposure method (100% change every four days). Mortality was assessed every 24 hours, while shell growth and behavior were assessed on day 7 and day 14. Photos of each snail were obtained after one and two weeks and growth was measured using ImageJ (v1.8.0). Behavior was assessed using ToxTrac (v2.83) including average speed, average velocity, total distance traveled, and time spent stationary. While this experiment is still ongoing, we expect to see higher mortality rates and decreased growth concurrent with higher concentrations of thiamethoxam. We also expect to see increases in average speed, average velocity, and total distance traveled with increased exposure concentrations. Our findings will help expand our knowledge on how thiamethoxam impacts multiple physiological endpoints of a novel freshwater invertebrate species
What Is CBD And Why Should Employers Be Aware?
Get PDFCannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound present in the cannabis plant, which can be sued medicinally as a remedy for a variety of ailments and pain management. The varying nature of CBD products on the market may present some obstacles for employers. Will CBD trigger a positive test result and inadvertently violate a valid workplace drug policy? This project will discuss the current classification, various legislation, and approved uses of cannabis derived products such as CBD. The need for various workplace drug policies will also be reviewed. The purpose of this project is to generate awareness to employers on the evolving CBD marketplace and the multiple layers of complexity of this topic in order to decide if current drug policies need to be amended or revised
Dimensions of the DSM
Get PDFThe Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or the DSM, is the book that helps psychologists diagnose mental illnesses. Its weakness lies in its categorical approach, a labeling system without exceptions for individuals. Many psychologists agree that it should be changed to support less black-and-white criteria for mental illnesses. I want to tackle this issue through a series of three nontraditional essays that use the DSM criteria as building blocks for the scenes of the story. Each piece will feature a character with a specific mental illness, with the focus being on building a three-dimensional character out of the two-dimensional and categorical structure that the DSM provides. This project attempts to go beyond the limits of the DSM by showing that people cannot be limited by labels of their disorders—that they exist to be so much more than their illness
Trump’s 2016 Campaign, the Republican Party, and Trade
Get PDFThis paper explores the 2016 Trump campaign\u27s position on trade. It starts from the perspective of a Republican Party that has traditionally focused on promoting free trade and an executive branch that had been seemingly designed structurally to promote free trade. The Trump campaign was a drastic change in both standards as it successfully advocated more protectionist positions. The paper looked at all of Trump\u27s 2016 campaign documents and compiled ones focusing on trade. Through a qualitative analysis, this is contrasted against previous Republican presidential campaigns. Ultimately, the Trump administration had pursued a novel strategy of using a protectionist platform to win over specific regions of the electoral college
Exploration of Solvable Quintic Polynomials
Get PDFA polynomial f(x) with rational coefficients is solvable by radicals if its roots (in the field of complex numbers C) can be expressed in terms of its coefficients using the basic operations and radicals. It is known that for quintic polynomials there is no generic formula for the roots. That is, some quintic polynomials are solvable and some are not. In this paper, we address the mathematical theory that makes the formula for the roots of a polynomial. Primarily we will focus on our methodology of generating and examining quintic polynomials. In one case study, we will examine quintic polynomials that may have roots that can be expressed in a radical form. In the other case study we show the methodology of generating polynomials that do have solutions which can be expressed in a radical form from the coefficients of the polynomials
Hair and Power in Ovidian Love Elegy; A Discussion of Feminine Dominance and the Hair Apparent
Get PDFWhen considering the love elegy of Ovid, there are multiple cases in which love, beauty, or infatuation with a woman is expressed through visual descriptions of her hair. In the Amoresand Ars Amatoria, these descriptions of hair support a seemingly subjective view of beauty when compared to current hairstyle trends at the time. As a result, this view of feminine beauty suggests that the woman holds the power within the amorous relationship described. However, the nature of the hair description reduces Ovid’s view of feminine beauty to an objective one, revealing a disingenuous view of feminine power and therefore supporting Ovid’s claim to masculine dominance in the relationship
A Cool Brisk Walk Through Discrete Mathematics
Get PDFA Cool Brisk Walk Through Discrete Mathematics - and its companion site allthemath - are completely-and-forever-free-and-open-source educational materials dedicated to the mathematics that budding computer science practitioners actually need to know. They feature the fun and addictive teaching of award-winning lecturer Dr. Stephen Davies of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia
Creating Variety in the Classroom: Using New Ways to Keep Students Engaged in Reading
Get PDFResearch shows that, there is has been a dramatic drop in how much students are reading as they move up in grade levels. The goal of this research is to find ways that teachers can provide variety for reading material in classrooms and strategies to promote student interest in reading. A survey of English teachers was conducted in order to understand teachers’ perspectives of strategies to engage students in reading. The survey also explored reasons why some teachers have been unable to use strategies that can provide variety in reading material to engage their students. This research provides tools and information to new and veteran teachers on how to motivate students and help them to be more engaged readers in the classroom
Arabic to Urdu: The Journey of Semantics
No full textUrdu is a language mainly spoken in South Asian countries like Pakistan and India. The language has been influenced by several different languages spoken in India, Europe, and the Middle East; one such language is Arabic. There are several Arabic borrowings in Urdu, but interestingly, the borrowed words don’t always have the same meaning as they did in Arabic. Throughout the semester, I analyzed borrowed words that have either (1) retained their meaning, (2) evolved in meaning, or (3) completely changed their meaning when they transferred to Urdu. I analyzed a total of 44 words—17 that retained their meaning, 17 that evolved their meaning, and 10 that completely changed their meaning. I analyzed the form, meaning, and use of each word. Through my research, I attempt to fill in gaps within existing research and try and come up with plausible hypotheses as to why the semantic changes have or have not occurred. A couple of the hypotheses I have come up with are (1) borrowed words that referred to more general concepts in Arabic were used to refer to more specific ideas in Urdu and (2) since a majority of the transferred words seem to conform to Urdu’s rules (syntax, grammar, etc.), borrowed words had conformed to Urdu’s needs at the time. Through my research, I have learned that there are many layers to the borrowing of words from Arabic to Urdu. There is no one reason that can attribute to the retention, evolution, or change in meaning. However, I aim to help the existing research and find more plausible reasons for the evolution of semantics through borrowing words