16144 research outputs found
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Antiproliferative Ruthenium Complexes
No full textDue to the severe toxicity of anticancer platinum complexes and acquired drug resistance, research has focused on cymene ruthenium complexes as viable alternatives. Specifically, [(η6-p-cymene)Ru(ethylene-diamine)Cl]PF6 (RAED-C) is cytotoxic against primary tumors while [(η6-p-cymene)Ru(1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane)Cl2 (RAPTA-C) is effective against cancer metastasis, but both exhibit low uptake in cells. Our hypothesis is that glucose ligands will improve cellular uptake of cymene ruthenium complexes and therefore cytotoxicity. Reaction of the sodium salt β-D-thioglucose with [cymeneCl2Ru]2 dimer forms either a dinuclear, dithiolate bridged complex or a dinuclear, trithiolate bridged complex depending on reaction conditions. We are working towards building a library of related compounds focused on variations to the cymene backbone and placement of the thioglucose. Collaboration with Luke Wisniewski and Dr. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin has allowed us to determine some of the properties of these compounds in vitro
Comparing the Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate on Time to Exhaustion on a Cycle Ergometer Test in Men vs. Women
No full textTaking sodium bicarbonate as an ergogenic aid has been shown to improve time to fatigue in highly trained athletes in quick bouts of strenuous exercise. This supplement has been previously shown to act as a buffer and may reduce the amount of hydrogen ions in the blood, allowing the participant to continue exercise for an extended amount of time before fatigue sets in. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference that sodium bicarbonate has on time to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer test in moderately trained men and women. Twenty college students, ten males and ten females, were assessed for time to exhaustion and lactate levels during a high-intensity cycle ergometer test, designed to elicit fatigue within 2-4 minutes. Participants were given either 16 oz. of water or 0.3g/kg of sodium bicarbonate dissolved in 16 oz. of water two hours before exercise, and then asked to cycle for as long as possible. It was hypothesized that men would have a greater mean difference in time to exhaustion while taking the supplement than women. Significant results would allow sodium bicarbonate to be given prior to gender-specific sports, to allow a greater advantage. This study is ongoing, and results will be available during the poster celebration
Distributed Leadership: Understanding Leadership in Communities of Practice
No full textDistributed Leadership (DL) is an emerging model of leadership that focuses on the interactions between leaders in an organization rather than the individual actions of one leader. Contrary to traditional hierarchical leadership models, DL is a collaborative process that engages multiple people with different expertise through trust, respect, and support, to grow the leadership capacity of an organization. We are using a DL framework to study the leadership in an established faculty community of practice: IONiC (Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists). IONiC has been shown to be effective in helping faculty improve their teaching and grow their professional support networks. We believe that studying the leadership in IONiC will provide a needed case study on DL and provide guidance for other communities of practice in higher education. A literature review on distributed leadership was used to develop a survey given to members of the Leadership Council (LC) of IONiC. Preliminary findings from interviews of LC members and analysis of LC interactions on IONiC’s website confirm the effectiveness of engaging leaders with different expertise in collaborative decision making and the importance of trust among leaders in a distributed leadership network
Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance and Simplex Optimization Study of Ruthenium-Based Films of 5-amino-1,10-Phenanthroline
No full textRuthenium-based polymer films of 5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline, a potential redox mediator, were prepared and characterized on the gold electrode surface of the quartz crystal in the Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM) instrument. The ruthenium compound was dissolved in acetonitrile with tetraethyl ammonium perchlorate (TEAP). The mass change of the electrode during characterization was evaluated, showing that the solvated perchlorate anion is most likely involved in maintaining charge electroneutrality when the film undergoes a change in redox state. The mass polymerized was also studied under different electropolymerization parameters, and it was noted that significantly more mass was immobilized on the first cycle of cyclic voltammetry. The concentration of the ruthenium compound, scan rate, and number of cycles during polymerization via cyclic voltammetry onto a glassy carbon electrode were optimized with simplex optimization
Factor Analysis of the Postpartum Depression Risk Factors Questionnaire (PDRFQ) plus the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
No full textPostpartum depression (PPD) can have a negative impact on a mother, infant, and family. Developing methods to identify risk factors or the presence of PPD is an important step in helping mothers’ receive treatment. The purpose of this study is to run factor analysis on the revised Postpartum Depression Risk Factors Questionnaire (PDRFQ) given alongside the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). This will allow for the comparison of common underlying dimensions. The PDRFQ is a nine-item risk factor screening tool and the EPDS is a 10-item self-assessment tool. The PDRFQ and EPDS will be administered in the hospital within two days after giving birth, and the EPDS again through phone follow-up at 6 weeks, 6 months, 12 months and 18 months postpartum. The nursing theoretical framework used is Sr. Callista Roy’s Adaptation Model which speaks to how mothers may have to adapt to the change of caring for an infant. A convenience sample of postpartum women will be used. The setting is a large Midwest hospital with the possibility of a multisite study in the future. This is a longitudinal, descriptive, prospective research study. SPSS21 software will be utilized. The overall results and conclusions of the study are pending. This study will provide nurses with the information of how different factors may relate or interact in the development of PPD, thus helping to better understand and predict PPD in patients. Limitations include limited generalizability, limited diversity, and the possibility of skewed results because of the self-assessment of the EPDS
Host Lipids Associated with Genome Replication in Flock House Virus
No full textPositive-strand RNA [(+)RNA] viruses are significant human pathogens. A universal feature of (+)RNA viruses is that they replicate their genomes in association with host intracellular membranes. This association may be a target for broad spectrum antivirals against (+)RNA viruses. The (+)RNA virus we used for our studies is Flock House virus (FHV). FHV is a simple (+)RNA virus with a 4.5 kb bipartite genome that replicates in insect cells; Drosophilia melanogaster cells were used in this study. Previous work by others has shown an involvement of specific lipids, including phosphatidylcholine (PC), in FHV genome replication. To extend this work, we performed genetic knockouts of PC biosynthesis genes using Crispr/Cas9 genome editing. Lipid analysis indicated a reduction in total cellular PC content in these cells. Importantly, qPCR data showed a reduction in FHV RNA replication in cells where PC biosynthesis genes were knocked out. Next, we sought to more specifically examine the role of lipids in FHV genome replication by localizing lipids relative to sites of virus replication. We observed no significant enrichment of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidylserine (PS) near or at sites of FHV replication. We are currently optimizing studies for imaging PC as well as lipid droplets. These initial studies have provided promising data regarding the role of specific lipids in (+)RNA virus replication
Incidence of Infection of Wolbachia Bacteria in Botanophila Flies
No full textBotanophila flies are thought to be pollinating predators of the sexual forms of endophytic fungi in the genus Epichloë. When flies visit the fruiting bodies of the fungus, they oviposit on the surface of the stroma, then feed, and defecate along the whole length of the stroma. The spermatia pass through the gut of the fly unharmed and fertilize the next stroma of the opposite mating type that the fly lands on to oviposit, feed, and defecate. In this study, I screened samples of Botanophila fly larvae from the USA and Europe for the presence of the sexual parasite, Wolbachia, which could lead to dramatic alterations of the sex ratios and fertility rates in fly populations when present. I found a 50% overall infection rate (12 out of 24 samples were infected); however, a majority of these were from one site in the USA (9 out of 12 samples from the USA were infected). Should this infection be prevalent in an area, it may have wide reaching effects on both the fly populations and the Epichloë fungus that the flies cross-fertilize, as well as the grass hosts of Epichloë
Is Poverty Higher Among Immigrants Than Among Other Minority Groups?
No full textThe purpose of this research is to determine what factors influence the socioeconomic well-being of legal immigrants to the Unites States, and why those factors are important. In line with other research, this project defines a family’s socioeconomic well-being as a combination of their annual income, work experience, and educational background. This project investigates what factor(s), such as a legal immigrant’s country of origin, economic status of origin, prior education before immigration, reason for immigration, state of current residency, or even the ability to access governmental programs like welfare, affect the socioeconomic well-being of legal immigrants. Once the importance and sequencing of the influential factors on immigrant well-being is determined, this project will go further and seek to explain why certain immigrants have better or worse socioeconomic standing than other ethnic minority groups in the United States
“Peace and Quiet and Good Tilled Earth:” Mimesis in Tolkien’s Shire
No full textTwentieth century author J. R. R. Tolkien permanently impacted the world of fantasy with his work about Middle-earth. Countless aspects of his legendarium have been examined through various lenses of literary theory and criticism; however, few scholars have explored the relationship between Tolkien’s works and literary theorist René Girard’s concepts of mimetic desire and scapegoating, leaving this relatively untraversed field ripe for study. Girard’s mimetic theory offers insight into Tolkien’s understanding and portrayal of power by providing a method of interpreting his use of objects of power to demonstrate the corruptive nature of such items and the rivalry they incite. In addition to this, however, Tolkien’s work extends Girard’s theories by offering examples of a positive branch of mimetic desire which Girard does not himself elaborate on. The lives of Tolkien’s hobbits illustrate a unique, living example of this positive desire, and demonstrate a firm resistance to the negative desire fostered by objects such as the One Ring. Girard’s theories supply a new way of understanding Tolkien’s hobbits as less susceptible to the power of objects of negative mimesis due to their living in an environment of positive desire, rather than to some inherent magic or feature of character that hobbits may possess. Similarly, Tolkien’s Shire illustrates Girard’s concept of positive desire, and offers a tangible example of a society that thrives on this receptive, rather than acquisitive, mimesis. This research examines Girard’s theories, applying his ideas of mimesis to Tolkien’s Shire and expanding upon them by seeking out examples of hobbit life that illustrate the positive desire that is so vital to the health of the hobbit community
Shaped by Flames
No full textHope College occupies about a four block diameter of downtown Holland, MI, but it wasn\u27t always so. We (Noah Jurik & Robert Byrne) began investigating the consolidation of Hope\u27s campus after Van Raalte Hall, a major administration building, burned to the ground in April of 1980. This documentary follows the stories of six people that were on campus at the time, from their experiences of the building, the fire, and the aftermath, to their impressions of how campus life changed as a result. Thanks to the Joint Archives of Holland and Hope College\u27s Former Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Tom Renner, we were able compile an extensive photographic history of the event