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DETERMINING IF BURNT FOOD CAN INDUCE CYP1A1 EXPRESSION IN MOUSE HEPATOCYTES**
No full textBenzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon found in cigarette smoke and burnt meats. B[a]P is a ligand of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, which binds to the promoter region of the cyp1a1 gene, causing expression of the CYP1A1 enzyme. Metabolism of B[a]P by CYP1A1 will bioactivate it into a diol epoxide, which causes DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Research has shown that bioflavonoids, such as apigenin, can prevent the expression of CYP1A1. This research will examine if CYP1A1 expression can be induced by extracts of dry-sautéed vegetables (onion, mushroom, carrot, and yellow bell pepper) by using a luciferase reporter assay in mouse hepatocytes. We will further determine if co-treatment with 100nM apigenin can inhibit any induced expression by these vegetables. By comparing these results with those obtained with grilled chicken, we hope to address how possible differences in food options relate to cancer risk
DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH THROUGHPUT MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE PRESENCE OF CYANOBACTERIA**
No full textWe are developing a high throughput system for the simultaneous extraction and measurement of chlorophyll and phycocyanin from water samples collected from the environment. Extraction is biphasic, using octanol and water in a mixture along with a filter upon which algae and or cyanobacteria been collected . A high throughput monitoring system for detecting and measuring cyanobacteria in environmental water involves optimizing many aspects. We report here progress in the optimization of several parameters. These areas include the selection of filters for the collection of algae from water and the freeze-thaw effect as part of the extraction process. The use of glass fiber filters in the collection and subsequent extraction procedures was shown to present two problems: 1) the filters absorb so much water during extraction that the resulting bulk impedes the removal of the aqueous layer in the 2 ml vials used in the extraction procedure; 2) phycocyanin tends to bind to the glass fiber filters, thus leading to the underestimation of the amount of phycocyanin. We have found filters that perform better than glass fiber filters. Also, addressed with data is a demonstration of the quantitative release of phycocyanin from the cyanobacterial species Limnothrix and the effect of freeze-thawing on the extraction of phycocyanin. This research is supported by the Biology Department of East Georgia State College
COMPARISON OF EXTRACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF SECONDARY AND TERTIARY AMINES FOR DESALINATION
No full textTemperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) is an effective technique characterized by membrane-less desalination and being a low energy, cost-effective alternative for saline feeds. Evaporative technologies such as distillation consume a great amount of energy and membrane-based technologies are applicable only to sources with low dissolved solids. While the application of TSSE in desalination has been studied, little is known about the effect of different amines on the efficiency of the technology. Therefore, this study focuses on the systematic elucidation of the parameters influencing the TSSE, in particular, the comparison of the affinity of secondary and tertiary amines to water. Diisopropylamine, diisopropylethylamine, N,N-diethyl cyclohexylamine, and other amines were chosen to test the effect of degree of substitution and the types of functional groups on the extraction performance. A cycle of temperature swing extraction was conducted for each type of amine, and Sudan IV dye was employed to visually demonstrate a clear separation between the amine and the aqueous layers. There were noticeable differences in the efficiency of extraction of water from highly concentrated brine for secondary and tertiary amines. A larger volume of water was recovered from the extraction with secondary amines when the same volume of solvents was used, which strongly suggests the differential affinity of solvents to water. Further tests with varying experimental conditions are being conducted, and the conclusive extraction results and analysis of the correlation among parameters will be presented. Future work will include additional set of extraction experiments using asymmetric substituents and the optimization of the extraction temperature for individual amines
Valdosta Smart City Project for Improved Traffic Safety: Data Analysis
No full textThe purpose of this study is to describe the results obtained from analyses of survey data and other data corresponding to a collaborative study between Valdosta State University (VSU), Georgia Tech, the City of Valdosta, and two technology development industries (Temple and Applied Information) to develop a new traffic management system in Valdosta that will provide improved safety, connectivity, and efficiency for the community including drivers, pedestrians, bikers and all transportation methods. The goal of the smart city project is to improve traffic management with the city, engage the local community and build a platform for community members to communicate with each other for all modes of travel around the city’s 128 intersection. Students, from the engineering programs at VSU have participated in a survey data to provide their feedback related to the application of the Travelsafely App, and the current traffic conditions in Valdosta. The App is developed by Applied Information and is used for traffic related communication and connects drivers, pedestrians, emergency vehicles, traffic lights and their surrounding environment to one another using mobile devices such as smart phones. Preliminary analyses of the survey data indicate that in general, most VSU engineering students are interested in applying the technology when driving in Valdosta. However, following the COVID-19 guidelines we will determine methods of community engagement to encourage the members of the VSU and Valdosta community to participate in the survey and become more familiar with the software and its benefits when driving in and around the city of Valdosta
PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO WATER DEFICIT BY SORGHUM BICOLOR GENOTYPES VARYING IN EXPRESSION OF THE LIMITED TRANSPIRATION TRAIT
Get PDFThe ability by land plants to partially close their stomata in response to high vapor pressure deficit, called the limited transpiration trait, is a rare phenomenon in crop plants. The characteristic has been demonstrated in several crop species including Sorghum bicolor. The molecular and physiological basis for the limited transpiration trait is however, not clear. This study was conducted to determine the physiological attributes associated with the limited transpiration trait in three sorghum genotypes SC1345, SC35 and Macia. Plants of these three sorghum genotypes were established in a greenhouse and subjected to water deficit stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence and relative water content were assessed after exposing plants to water deficit. The two genotypes with an ability to express the limited transpiration trait (SC35 and Macia) were able to maintain a higher water status while genotype SC1345, which does not have a transpiration breakpoint, had a significantly lower water status compared to controls. In addition, an interesting pattern for chlorophyll fluorescence was observed in the genotypes expressing the limited transpiration trait. The results confirm that the limited transpiration trait helps to maintain plant water status, and also suggest that chlorophyll fluorescence could be used to screen for the trait
CRITICAL MENTORING IN STEM LAB**
No full textThere is a lack of effective approaches and guidelines for mentoring undergraduate students who experience marginalization in STEM research in culturally responsive ways. The dearth of research in this area poses the following question: What mentoring practices are used on undergraduates who experience marginalization in STEM research? To address this issue, we will use a mixed-methodology approach to observe, measure, and understand how students, faculty, and staff at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) engage in culturally responsive mentoring (CRM) practices. The Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) will be used as a guide to understand undergraduates who experience marginalization in STEM. The undergraduates who experience marginalization in STEM is analyzed through the results of the College Student Mentoring Scale (CSMS) survey. Data from the CSMS survey was collected on the experiences of undergraduate research fellows, faculty, and staff and will be used to aid in program development by highlighting mentoring components that undergraduate students may not be receiving at their institutions. Demographic information is also considered when looking at the CSMS data, such as the ways in which mentoring practices differ according to gender. The results of this study will provide insight on the current mentoring practices and how they are impacting undergraduate students who experience marginalization in STEM, which can lead to further studies on this topic
MINIMALLY INVASIVE EARLY SCREENING POSSIBILITIES FOR CANCER USING ATR-FTIR SPECTROSCOPY
No full textCancers affect tens of millions of people worldwide. Despite recent technological advances, screening for many forms of cancer continues to be invasive, time-consuming, and expensive. Additionally, the early stages of cancer are generally asymptomatic, and therefore cancer will often develop unnoticed for years before screening is deemed necessary. Many lives could be saved while cutting treatment expenses by identifying cancers in their early stages. Recent studies show that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy can provide an easily accessible, highly accurate, and cost-effective complement to current screening techniques for cancer. Additionally, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy has the ability to identify various biomarkers which could allow for differentiation between healthy individuals and those with cancer. Consequently, this review examines the existing literature to assess the applicability of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy as a screening technique for cancer and to help guide future research on the topic
Water-Glycerol Mixture Viscosity through Optical trapping
No full textA cellular medium is highly viscoelastic in nature. In order to understand the viscoelastic nature of a medium, we have developed a new simple approach to quantitatively measure the viscosity of water-glycerol mixture medium using an optical tweezers technique. In this approach, the position of a trapped bead of radius r in a glycerol-water mixture is measured using a position sensing diode with 40 kHz acquisition rate. By using a Lorentzian fit to the Power Spectrum of the position signal, the corner frequency is obtained. For a small change in volume concentration of glycerol in a water-glycerol medium, the change in trap stiffness can be ignored if incident laser power and bead radius remain unchanged. By following an iterative experimental approach, the viscosity of the water-glycerol mixture can be obtained by comparing the corner frequencies obtained experimentally in a medium of known viscosity. Using this approach, the viscosity of a water-glycerol mixture has been measured for glycerol volume concentration of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. The experimental results are compared with the work of Segur and Oberstar [1] as well as with a simple theoretical approach that models the data behavior versus glycerol concentration. The comparison shows that with this experimental approach using an optical tweezers technique, the viscosity of water-glycerol mixture is determined to an accuracy of 0.0082 percent. [1] J. B. Segur and H. E. Oberstar, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, V43, No. 9 (1951), p2117
USING PROBABILISTIC CELLULAR AUTOMATA TO MODEL THE TRANSMISSION OF AN EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE OF AMPHIBIANS, RANAVIRUS, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM**
No full textEmerging infectious diseases are major threats to amphibian biodiversity. Ranaviruses (Family Iridoviridae) are a group of globally emerging infections that affect poikilothermic vertebrates. In the United Kingdom, the emergence of ranaviruses has been followed by the decline of populations of common frogs (Rana temporaria) across the country. Simple susceptible-infected (SI) and combinatorial models have been developed to explain the spread of Ranavirus in populations of common frogs; here we use those models as a basis for developing a transmission model using cellular automata with the programming language Python
AN INVESTIGATION INTO MARMOTA MONAX BURROWS AND THEIR ROLE AS SHELTERS FOR MULTIPLE SPECIES**
No full textGroundhogs (Marmota monax) exist throughout the Appalachian Mountains, Canada and Alaska. These large rodents are often trapped or hunted due to their garden infestations and excessive burrowing which often causes infrastructure issues. However, their underground burrow networks play an important ecological role by providing vital shelter for foxes, possums, and raccoons. New information relating to groundhog lifestyle and characteristics could be useful for their continued success and the conservation of their potential cohabitating species. In this study we have been observing groundhog behavior within proximity of their burrow entrances by placing trail cameras at select burrows throughout the Lumpkin County, Georgia area. We have recorded several behaviors (i.e. marking, chewing, mating, etc.), GPS coordinates for burrow locations, sex, ambient temperature, time and date of observation, cohabitating species, and plant species consumed or chewed on by groundhogs. To date, our observations include multiple species in or around burrow entrances, mating or territorial grunts that are unique to the groundhogs more well-known “whistle” call, mating rituals, and relocation of pups. Due to the lack of recent data, this research could lead to a considerable advancement in the further understanding of groundhogs and the important ecological role they play for their biotic and abiotic environment