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Chorioamnionitis and the Risk for Preterm Sepsis
No full textNeonatal sepsis is the bacterial infection of the bloodstream in infants under 28 days old and is one of the leading causes of death in children under the age of five worldwide. Early antibiotic treatment is crucial to prevent the spread of sepsis. Symptoms of neonatal sepsis are non-specific, meaning that signs, symptoms, and risk factors must be recognized and monitored closely for diagnosis. This study focuses on how chorioamnionitis, the maternal infection of the amniotic sac, affects the risk of sepsis in preterm neonates. Data for this study was collected from 318 premature neonates and mothers across the University of North Carolina, Eastern Carolina University, the Medical University of South Carolina, PRISMA, and Duke University starting in June 2019 and is continuing to be collected as of July 2023. The presence of sepsis was recorded daily and the presence of maternal chorioamnionitis was recorded at one time. This data was then processed using Python and tested using a chi-square analysis to determine the correlation between the two diseases. The data collected produced a chi-square value of 2.74 with a p-value of 0.1, showing a trend in the data, but not enough to make a significant conclusion. This data gives a phi-value of 0.32, meaning that the sample size was too small to give conclusive information. With the trend shown between the two conditions, premature neonates that have mothers with chorioamnionitis should be watched closely to begin antibiotic treatment as soon as sepsis is suspected and improve prognoses
Understanding Changes in Sound Intensity Level with Different Masking Configurations Used To Prevent Spread of Respiratory Illness
No full textMany people, across a variety of settings, utilize face masks as a form of personal protective equipment (PPE) against respiratory diseases. Immunocompromised individuals commonly wear more than one mask together to improve this protection against airborne particles. Communication issues have been noted across previous research in common masks due to their natural acoustics. The goal of this study was to understand change in sound intensity level (dB) from different masking configurations (single and double surgical mask, surgical mask with cloth mask, surgical mask with N95 mask) at frequencies of vowel formants (peaks in amplitude of the human voice that help define tone). It was hypothesized that at all three frequencies (280, 1030, 1920 Hz), the cloth mask with surgical mask would have the lowest sound intensity level. To test this, a model head was used with a speaker and microphone, and the sound intensity level was recorded using the Praat software. A two-way ANOVA test showed that the interaction between masking configuration and frequency had a significant impact on the sound intensity level, F(6, 348) = 393.23, p\u3c.001. Simple main effects tests revealed that both masking and frequency held a significant effect on the sound intensity level, p\u3c.001 for both tests. It was concluded, therefore, that the masking configurations utilized in the study led to significant decreases in the sound intensity level compared to a single surgical mask. The hypothesis was not supported by the collected data, as the cloth mask with surgical mask did not have the lowest sound intensity level for two of the frequencies
The Impact of Different Octocrylene Concentrations on Ulva lactuca Growth Rate in a Saltwater Environment
No full textThis study explores the impact of varying octocrylene concentrations on the growth rate of Ulva lactuca, a vital green algae species in marine ecosystems. With the surge in the use of chemical sunscreens, concerns about their ecological effects necessitate comprehensive investigations, especially on diverse marine flora. Despite known adverse effects on human health and coral reefs, the specific consequences of octocrylene on algae, particularly at lower concentrations, remain insufficiently explored. Ulva lactuca, chosen for its ecological significance, is a bioindicator in this controlled experiment, exposed to distinct octocrylene concentrations (0%, 7%, and 10%) within a simulated saltwater environment. Growth rates are meticulously measured over a 5-day period, and robust statistical analyses, including a one-way ANOVA test, are employed. The results reveal a significant finding: even at a 7% concentration, octocrylene markedly diminishes Ulva lactuca growth rates, challenging current regulatory standards. The one-way ANOVA test yields an F-statistic of 26.448, with a p-value of less than 0.0001 at an alpha level of 0.05, signifying a statistically significant difference among the means of the experimental groups. This evidence supports the rejection of the null hypothesis, indicating a discernible impact on Ulva lactuca growth rates. The study underscores the need for a holistic understanding of UV filter implications on marine organisms, urging a reevaluation of regulatory standards. Balancing human safety with marine biodiversity preservation is crucial, contributing valuable insights to discussions on environmentally conscious skincare formulations and emphasizing the urgency of safeguarding marine ecosystems
Barrier Tech Innovations
No full textTeachers and students need a way to defend themselves from intruders and school shootings. These worldwide shootings are taking place in multiple schools around the world ranging from high schools and colleges down to elementary schools. Since the Columbine mass school shooting in 1999 more than 356,000 students have experienced gun violence at school which was stated by the Washington Post. Our project, Barrier Tech Innovations, aims to protect everyone in school from a shooting threat since that is a major problem in our country today. If something were to happen at school, our project would accomplish this by having an automatic kevlar barrier that rolls down and rolls up when a button is pushed. This barrier would enable protection for students and teachers by stopping an intruder from coming into a classroom
Creating a Robotic Aid to Assist the Disabled in Standing Up
No full textOlder and disabled members of our society often struggle with falling and not being able to get back up on their own. Because of this, many injuries and consequences that could have been avoided have taken place. The goal of this project is to create a robot that can help a person to stand up from a laying down position, to simulate a person needing help to stand up
Creating a Smartphone Application that Allows Users to Review Restaurants Based on their Compatibility with the Low FODMAP
No full textFermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAPs) are short-chain carbohydrates that ferment rapidly in the gut and draw water into the colon, leading to gastrointestinal distress. To ease gastrointestinal symptoms, patients with conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome may be prescribed the Low FODMAP Diet which restricts the consumption of FODMAPs. However, following this diet while dining out at restaurants can be difficult due to the wide range of cooking ingredients that the Low FODMAP Diet restricts, such as onion, garlic, wheat, and dairy. To combat this, dieticians such as Robin Jaffin and Dédé Wilson, have compiled lists of the Low FODMAP items at certain chain-restaurants. However, this still leaves a gap in terms of non-chain restaurants that may have varying ingredients. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to code a smartphone app that both displays the low FODMAP items at select chain restaurants as sourced from Robin Jaffin and Dédé Wilson’s site, and allows the users to review specific restaurant locations based on their compatibility with the Low FODMAP Diet. Restaurants that have been reviewed and restaurants that have notes from Robin Jaffin and Dédé Wilson’s site are then displayed to the user in either a list or as markers on a Google Map
Now: Reflection on Furman as it is now
Get PDFWhen a first-year student first walks on campus, the world changes for them