16144 research outputs found
Sort by
Testing Antiviral Capabilities of Captopril in Mus musculus
No full textExisting treatments for Herpes Simplex Virus Type I (HSV-1) have negative effects including nephrotoxicity and increasing rates of drug resistance. The use of Captopril against the Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) provides a possible alternative to other drugs, such as losartan, that produce these negative effects. Captopril is an ACE inhibitor used to treat hypertension or high blood pressure. This project tests the hypothesis that captopril will decrease HSV-1 replication and virulence in vivo. Four groups of C57/BL6 female mice were used in this study. Group 1 received a vehicle control with a mock virus. Group 2 received captopril with a mock virus. Group 3 received vehicle control with 10^6 plaque-forming units of the F strain of HSV-1. Group 4 received captopril with the HSV-1 virus (same titer and strain as Group 3). Mice were infected with the HSV-1 virus via corneal scarification 24 hours after captopril or vehicle treatment began. Treatment with captopril was administered via drinking water at 1.25mg/mL for a total of six days. Pathological analysis and viral gene expression level analysis is ongoing. This work builds upon preliminary in vitro data demonstrating that captopril protects cells from HSV-1 cytopathic effects. Thus, the goal of this work is promising to validate these in vitro results and highlight a novel use for captopril in animals
The Evolution of Vulnerable Children Policy in America
No full textHow has policy regarding vulnerable children groups evolved in America? Children who face homelessness, poverty, maltreatment or foster care are at a disadvantage for future success. This paper provides an analysis of foster care policy within the literature on policy impacting vulnerable groups in general and vulnerable categories of children specifically. Lifetime opportunities are severely limited for children who spend time in the foster care system. Current research shows that specifically education and employment outcomes are harmed significantly for youth with unstable home environments. This research will investigate how policy surrounding foster care children in America started, how it has evolved, and the changes being discussed for the future through the lenses of various public policy theories on why and how policy change occurs
The Relationship between Gender, BMI, and Activity Preference Among Preschool Students
No full textChildren 3-5 experience significant changes in growth and development. Activity preferences in these critical ages form significant foundations for lifespan health practices and lifestyles. Previous research suggests that changes in childhood body mass index (BMI) related to adult overweight and adiposity more so in females than males (Guo et al., 2000). It has been suggested that overweight/obesity in childhood is associated with poorer gross motor development and endurance performance, and that an active lifestyle is positively correlated with more effective gross motor development in children (Graf et al., 2003). Moreover, children who are overweight are at risk for diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and poor academic performance (Annesi et al., 2007). The current study aimed to investigate relationships across BMI, gender, and social and individual activity preference. Data was collected from 430 children. Participants’ height and weight were measured in order to calculate BMI-for-age scores as it is best suited for preschool populations. The interview portion of this study contained responses to three open-ended questions evaluating participants’ social and individual activity preferences. We hypothesized that: (1) males would be more likely than females to choose physically-active activities rather than sedentary ones, (2) males would be more likely than females to choose outdoor activities rather than indoor ones, (3) male and female participants who preferred active over sedentary activities would have lower BMI scores, and (4) preferences in social environments would show higher rates of active and outdoor activities. The results of this study have implications for a large span of professions, including parents, teachers, and physicians. Research shows that 50 percent of children who are overweight will be unable to overcome their weight, leading them to become obese adults (Dietz, 1998). Hence, the obese adults of tomorrow could start as overweight children today
Tracing the Sand Dunes: Using a Combination of Panoramic Photography and Dune Pins to Track Changes in Michigan\u27s Sand Dunes Over Time
No full textSand dunes are an iconic part of Michigan’s shoreline. Unfortunately, the sand dunes are disappearing at an alarming rate. This research was part of a continuing project to track changes in sand distribution in the dunes and identify natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the height and shape of the dunes. Through a combination of panoramic photography, GigaPan technology, and “dune pins,” we were able to record the movement of sand over an extended period of time. Using measurements collected from two dune sites in Holland and Saugatuck over the course of 8 weeks, we compiled a large and consistent database tracing the amount of sand recorded at each dune pin, which we in turn analyzed for common patterns of sand movement. GigaPan is a mechanical tripod mount and software combination that creates high resolution photos. Accurate measurements of multiple dune pins can be taken from a single panoramic photo. A single panorama is often composed of over 300 photographs that become a highly interactive data collection tool. These high-resolution panoramas allowed us to take digital measurements that were accurate to approximately 0.1 inches without disrupting the delicate dune ecosystem. In addition, the panoramas provide a visual record of the environmental conditions the day measurements were taken. Our research also entailed creating a workshop for high school teachers that educated them on ways to incorporate GigaPan and sand dune research into their curriculum. Through a combination of GigaPan and methodical data gathering this project found that based on the movement of wind across the sand dunes, loss of vegetation was the most significant direct factor on sand dune movement
Vestibular Role in Concussion
No full textSports related concussions have gained a great deal of publicity in recent years. The prevention, management and rehabilitation of this injury is complex. The purpose of this case study is to examine the effects of vestibular therapy use on an athlete who has sustained multiple concussions and suffered from post-concussion syndrome. After a concussion, the vestibular system is compromised due to the energy crisis in the brain. Vestibular therapy is one of the techniques used to assist with post-concussion syndrome. It aims to tease out and reduce symptoms of a concussion by challenging the complex vestibular system which controls balance, posture, retinal fixation, and proprioception. In this case, the athlete saw decreased symptomology with vestibular therapy. More research on when vestibular therapy can begin with post-concussion syndrome is warranted
Creation and Assessment of Day1 Research Communities
No full textHope College began a new residential STEM learning community in the fall of 2015 that centers around shared research-like experiences and intentional mentorship across many aspects of the first-year student experience. These new Day1 Research Communities (http://www.hope.edu/day1) include aspects such as shared residence halls, course-based research experiences, field experiences, peer mentoring, pre-college trips, and a coupled first-year seminar/chemistry-biology lab sequence. In preparation for this dynamic program and its first cohort of students, a complete literature review on undergraduate STEM programs and supporting theories has been performed in order to design a whole-student theoretical framework. This framework was used to align predictors for success in college, pre-assessments, and post-assessments to evaluate the impact each student experience has on their growth as STEM scholars and individuals within the community. Select institutional metrics will also be collected to provide summative longitudinal data about the program’s success. The whole-student theoretical framework along with the instruments and tools used to collect benchmark data for this inaugural year of the program will be presented along with plans for using future data collected for continued improvement of the Day1 Research Communities
A Chip Off the Block? Does Parental Marital Status Influence the Health Choices of Children?
No full textExisting economic research has established that parental divorce can have negative consequences for a child’s mental health, home environment, and educational attainment. This study extends that research to examine whether parental divorce leads to poor health behaviors in children. With divorce rates hovering around 40 and 50 percent (U.S. Census Bureau), more American children may be at risk of experiencing negative effects of divorce. Negative health effects could be a result of children mirroring their parents’ health behaviors, because parental behavior is a leading influencer on behavior of children. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 provides panel data on individuals born between 1980 and 1984 including child health behaviors and will allow for child fixed effects to account for unobserved individual heterogeneity. This study will provide additional insights to parents about the consequences of divorce on their children and to policy-makers and educators who might respond with health interventions intended to counteract negative health influences at home
Development of Novel Plasmids for use in Neuroregeneration Studies in Zebrafish
No full textSystem xc– is an amino acid transporter that enables the transfer of intracellular glutamate in exchange for extracellular cystine. This process is involved in reducing oxidative stress within cells. This transporter is commonly found in the central nervous system, most commonly in neuroprotective cells such as astrocytes and glia. Mitigation of oxidative stress is thought to be critical to neurogeneration of the central nervous system. Neuroregeneration is a trait found in zebrafish and other teleost fishes, and can be observed following neuronal ablation via laser. In order to examine the role system xc– plays in this process, our project aims to generate novel plasmids for use in zebrafish lines, allowing for the fluorescent expression of xc– in the nervous system. The three plasmids we are creating are hb9:hsp:mCHERRY, hb9:hsp:XCT-EGFP, and GFAP:XCT-EGFP. These can be inserted into zebrafish and the lines grown, to enable studies aimed at understanding System xc– and the neuroregeneration process. The hb9:hsp:mCHERRY plasmid will allow motor neurons to specifically be stained red in our zebrafish so that they can be targeted for neuronal ablation. The hb9:hsp:XCT-EGFP will allow for the expression of a green fluorescent-tagged System xc- transporter only in motor neurons so that we can directly observe how System xc– expression and trafficking changes during the neuroregeneration process. Finally, the GFAP:XCT-EGFP will allow for selective expression of a green-fluorescent form of System xc– in glial cells to determine if these cells also contribute to the regeneration process
Identification of Amino Acid Residues in System xc- that are Important in Regulating its Cell Surface Expression
No full textSystem xCT is an antiporter crucial for the production of glutathione by controlling cellular levels of cysteine, the limiting reagent in glutathione synthesis (Kim, et al., 2001). Glutathione is a key component in the antioxidant cascade that exists to protect neurons and glia from oxidative stress (Kim, et al., 2001). Previous research in the Chase laboratory found that membrane levels of xCT increase 2- to 3-fold in response to oxidative stress. Therefore, we sought to determine the events which regulate cell surface expression of xCT. Studies of other membrane proteins have demonstrated that their cell surface expression and trafficking are controlled through the ubiquitination of lysine residues on the membrane-bound protein (Traub and Lukacs, 2007). Therefore, in our study, we induced lysine to arginine mutations on the seven intracellular xCT lysine residues in order to determine whether these residues are ubiquitinated in vivo and whether these residues are involved in xCT trafficking. We performed biotinylation assays and immunocytochemistry on transfected cells to measure the membrane and cellular expressions of mutated xCT proteins. Ubiquitination assays were also performed. Since only lysine and not arginine residues can be ubiquitinated, we hypothesize that the mutation of key lysine residues to arginine will result in increased membrane xCT levels and a reduction in xCT ubiquitination. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this mutation will only affect membrane trafficking and not overall cellular expression of xCT
Interracial Dating
No full textWith the increased diversity of societies at this time in the history of the world, more and more people are coming into contact with those of different races. This greater amount of interaction will inevitably lead and has led to interracial dating. The purpose of our research is to determine if interracial dating amongst college students (and the increased relations this may cause between different racial groups) is correlated with more positive racial attitudes amongst those involved. Through various sociological studies on race relations and increased interactions among people of different races, much data has been found to support the hypothesis that increased race relations leads to more positive racial attitudes. This can then be translated to dating. Interracial dating, and the increased interracial interactions this has on those involved, leads to more positive racial attitudes of those involved in the relationship