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The Effects of Sex on Zebrafish Bone Metabolism
Get PDFI investigated the effects of diet and sex on zebrafish bone metabolism. Zebrafish were subjected to either a high-calorie or low-calorie diet over a five-week period. After this diet, zebrafish scales were used to measure alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) enzyme activity with a fluorescent substrate. The enzyme activities were markers of the osteoblasts (ALP) and the osteoclasts (TRAP). These data were compared among sex and diet of the zebrafish using a repeated measures ANOVA statistical test. I also measured the number of resorption lacunae per scale (another indicator of osteoclast activity). The results showed higher TRAP activity in the low-calorie diet group (p = 0.03) but no effect of sex (p = 0.55). The low-calorie diet group had a higher number of lacunae per square mm of scale (p = 0.01). I interpret these results as low-calorie treatment increases osteoclast activity in zebrafish
Finding An Accurate Method to Measure Pollinator Visitation Rates
Get PDFPollinator visitation rates are a helpful way to monitor the health of ecosystems; however, there lacks a standardized method for obtaining these rates. The pollinator visitation rates for five plant species were collected and the relationship between the standard error of these rates and the time interval was determined. Monarda, Echinacea purpurea, Pycnanthemum muticum, and Baptisia alba all exhibit more accurate pollinator visitation rates as the time interval increased. Trifolium repens exhibited less accurate pollinator visitation rates as the time interval increased
Assessing Consistency of Three Perfectionism Scales
No full textPerfectionism is generally described as a personality trait characterized by excessively high standards, overly critical evaluations of performance, and disproportionate amounts of distress in response to perceived flaws or failure. However, there is some debate as to whether perfectionism is a stable personality trait or a fluctuating state attribute. To investigate this, the current study assessed the test-retest reliabilities of the three most widely used perfectionism scales (the APS-R, HFMPS, and FMPS) over a three-week period and examined the influence of various contextual variables. Data from this college sample (N=43; mean age=21; SD=3.7) demonstrated high reliability and internal consistency for all three scales with negligible influence from the contextual variables examined. These findings support the notion that perfectionism is a trait characteristic that remains stable over time
Furniture Mover
Get PDFThe movement of furniture is an often overlooked pain point for physically-challenged individuals, especially when rearranging furniture in a room. These individuals may try to minimize the risk of tip-over or strain-related injuries by seeking assistance from others. Still, some individuals are limited in finding volunteers forthcoming and capable of helping. This can lead to a dilemma of either being able to find individuals willing to assist in the process or risking one’s own personal safety when moving furniture. The proposed design project implements the use of multiple, independent platforms with mecanum wheels placed underneath each corner of a piece of furniture by a user. These devices will work together to move furniture based on commands from a wireless device, allowing for the adjustment of furniture with more flexible positioning and will negate the requirement of human force, preventing physical strain on one\u27s body
Repeat Recall Test Literature Review
Get PDFThe Repeat Recall Test was created to assess a patient’s repeat, recall, tolerance, and effortfulness in communicating in different noise environments. This is important to audiology because there has never been a test that claims to assess these attributes all at once in a way that is realistic and efficient. For my project, I will be researching and writing a literature review on the Repeat Recall Test. Additionally, I will obtain a copy of the test and administer it to myself
Beeswax Wraps as an Alternative to Single-Use Plastics
Get PDFThe project goal was to compare the food storage efficacy of sustainable beeswax wraps verses the single-use plastic methods of resealable plastic sandwich bags and plastic cling wrap. The goal was also to test the reusability of the beeswax wraps, as it is a key advantage of beeswax wraps that is advertised. The project purpose was to explore sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to single use plastics, which are harmful to the environment in both their production and their disposal. Food spoilage was compared in beeswax wrap, plastic sandwich bags, and plastic cling wrap, and spoilage was also observed in a washed beeswax wrap to determine its reusability. The spoiled surface area of the food as a function of time was measured to be used as a comparison. The study found that beeswax wrap was more effective for food storage than plastic wrap but less effective than plastic sandwich bags. It also found that the reused beeswax wrap was less effective than the new beeswax wrap, and that washing the beeswax wrap destroyed the moisture barrier of the wrap, as the samples would dry out
Neonatal Intraocular Injection and Delivery System
Get PDFThe proposed project is a way to deliver liquid medicine into the neonatal eye to prevent retinal detachment with lower risk for bacterial infection and drug misplacement. Currently, ophthalmologists use diabetic needles to introduce medication to the neonate eye. They estimate the injection location with hand-held calipers. This may allow the medicine to be misplaced from poor needle placement and introduce preventable error. The goal is to improve the delivery system ophthalmologists currently use by investigating ways to alter or enhance commonly used injection systems to make the procedure safer and more effective
Mouthpiece for Patients with Neuromuscular Disorders
Get PDFNeuromuscular Disorders (NMDs) impact people throughout the world. An early hallmark of these disorders includes some degree of facial muscle weakness. Respiratory testing is important to evaluate the progression of these patients’ NMDs. However, these tests require that the patient purses their lips around a mouthpiece to create a tight seal. This is a difficult task for one with facial muscle degeneration. This often leads to results that fail to reflect the patient’s true respiratory ability and prevents their physician from providing the appropriate degree of care. The objective of this project was to develop a face mask or mouthpiece for Negative Inspiratory Force (NIF) testing to allow these users to create a proper seal without use of their facial muscles. Through the engineering design process, a 3D printed prototype was designed to interface with NIF testing equipment. This proposed design uses bite force to create a tight seal, allowing for accurate test results, enhanced comfort, and better patient outcomes
Nicotine and e-cigarette effect on maximal metabolic rate (MMR) in Procambarus clarkii
Get PDFThe use of electronic cigarettes, commonly referred to as e-cigarettes or vapes, has increased exponentially in recent years despite the lack of research into potentially negative physiological effects. The rise in e-cigarette use is likely due to the overwhelming evidence regarding the addictive properties of nicotine and the damage caused by traditional tobacco cigarettes. Most e-cigarettes, however, still contain nicotine and are associated with a rise in nicotine-related intoxications (Belkoniene et al., 2019). There are nicotine-free e-cigarette options, which are gaining popularity, but it is unknown if they carry similar or other negative physiological effects. Studies involving e-cigarettes containing nicotine show that inhalation increases whole-body metabolic rate, yet studies including nicotine-free e-cigarettes are currently lacking (Olfert et al., 2018). This project intended to investigate any differences in maximal metabolic rate (MMR) following an acute exposure period to water with dissolved e-cigarette vapors; with the hypothesis that both nicotine and nicotine-free vapor will increase MMR. The Louisiana crayfish, Procambrus clarkii, was the organism studied due to availability and their low maintenance requirement. E-cigarette vapor did not have a statistically significant effect on MMR between treatment groups or with the control group
Factors that Affect the Well-Being of College Students
Get PDFThe purpose of this paper was to research the existing literature regarding the factors that affect the well-being of college students and make suggestions for further research. There are a number of factors that contribute to the well-being of students during their time in college. This topic is important to cover in order for colleges to make adaptations to increase their students’ well-being. The factors currently in the literature include involvement, living situation, participation in class, social factors, diets, Internet usage, sleep, individuation from parents, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Each of these factors were found to impact a college student’s well-being over their time in school. The research shows in what ways colleges can improve to benefit their students. Suggestions for further research include looking at correlations between various majors and their levels of well-being, multi-institutional studies, and studies researching large populations to ensure minority groups are being represented