10368 research outputs found
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A Helping Hand
Get PDFSince experiencing a major stroke more than a decade ago, former Furman football great Allen Edwards \u2792 has learned he can still count on his teammates
The Bactericidal Effects of Coptis teeta Herbal Mouthwash on Streptococcus salivarius
No full textDespite the known connection of oral health to overall health, many people continue to disregard its overall significance. This study focused on chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwashes\u27 effect on the oral microbiome\u27s beneficial bacteria. The purpose of this study was to determine if CHX harms beneficial bacteria and if C. teeta could be used as an alternative. The hypothesis was that a 10% C. teeta solution by weight would better encourage S. salivarius growth compared to 0.2% CHX. Previous studies showed CHX overuse leads to salivary pH fluctuation, and natural remedies could be used as alternatives. Bacteria were placed in Petri dishes containing a solution of either 10% C. teeta by weight or 0.2% CHX solution. Results showed that within 0.2% CHX killed virtually all bacteria. The C. teeta solution allowed more bacteria to grow, averaging 2.43 CFU/mL higher than CHX. Within F(2,93)=6.17, P=0.003 results were found not significant enough to suggest a difference in 10% C. teeta and 0.2% CHX antibacterial properties against S. salivarius. Showing that both C. teeta and CHX would kill beneficial bacteria, but that 10% C. teeta has very similar antibacterial properties compared to CHX
CrutchUp
No full textOur project, CrutchUp, aims to solve the common issue of crutches falling when they are leaned up against something like a table, chair, counter, etc. We discovered this problem through personal experience and we have also seen our fellow classmates struggle with this problem. Every year more than 575,000 individuals in the United States are prescribed crutches. When crutches fall over it provides an inconvenience for crutch users and those around them. When your crutches fall you have to pick them up. Which is very difficult to do while managing an injury. Apart from our observations, we have also found blogs of people explaining their experiences with crutches. Oftentimes this issue appeared in these blogs and forums. Some of the requirements for our project are accessibility while sitting, versatility across objects, durable, portable, and lightweight design, and finally convenience in different scenarios. Accessibility is arguably the most crucial part of our CrutchUp design. Our design is a clamp that you could line up with a table, vanity, chair, etc and you would press down on it and it would clamp down on the object and this would prevent the crutches from falling over. You would be able to connect both crutches using something almost like handcuffs. Through our innovative clamp design, we hope to solve the problem of crutches falling over which would make everyday life easier for crutch users
Phase Transition Analysis of Thermoresponsive Polymer PNIPAM at Multiple Concentrations
No full textThis research aimed to study the behavior of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), a thermoresponsive polymer, as temperature varies. PNIPAM possesses a critical temperature of 32 degrees Celsius, rendering it suitable for medical applications, particularly in cancer treatment. Its critical temperature allows targeted drug delivery to cancerous areas while sparing the rest of the body from aggressive treatments. The investigation focused on three different concentrations of PNIPAM fluid (10%, 5%, and 1%) using a molecular dynamics simulation called dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). Due to DPD\u27s lack of energy conservation, the study adopted a new system, eDPD, with its own measurement units called eDPD units. The simulation involved linearly increasing the temperature from 0.8 to 1.2, calculated relative to the critical temperature. At an eDPD time unit of 750, the phase transition was observed as the temperature reached 1. To analyze the phase transitions, the radius of gyration was employed, defined as the distance from the center of mass of a body at which the mass could be concentrated without changing its moment of rotational inertia about an axis through the center of mass. After recording changes in the radius of gyration at 5 eDPD time units for all three concentrations, the study concluded that a 10% and 5% concentration of PNIPAM is optimal for its behavior during the phase transition. This finding has implications for potential applications in medical contexts, particularly cancer treatment, where targeted drug delivery is essential for effective therapies while minimizing adverse effects on healthy tissues
The Effect of Increasing Layers of Nylon 6/6 as a Matrix for the Flame-Retardancy of Bamboo Fiber
No full textCompound combinations have been used to test dimensional stability in thermochemistry. Nylon 6/6´s dimensional stability as a matrix around bamboo fiber was tested. The purpose of the study was to identify a possible relationship between nylon 6/6 and bamboo fiber when combusted against flame spread and melt-dripping to determine whether it could be a viable material to use in substitution of more environmentally damaging and economically draining materials. It was hypothesized that there would be a converse relationship between the amount of nylon 6/6 added and the flame-retardancy of the sample justified by the reduction in melt dripping and flame spread. The UL-94 vertical burning tests were conducted to determine flame spread and melt dripping after two separate ignitions. Results showed that nylon 6/6 began to break away when set on fire as its dimensional stability was not strong in its current state as a matrix. Further application of nylon 6/6 seemed to decrease variance in general and increase flame spread. In conclusion, the results showed that nylon 6/6 had an increasing impact on flame spread and ignition length and a negative impact on flame retardancy when surrounding bamboo fiber. ANOVA testing was used to find a p-value of less than 0.001 rejecting, the null hypothesis that the means in the groups were similar. It was found using post hoc testing that the initial ignition until extinguishment times of the layered groups differed significantly from that of the control group
The Synergistic Effect of Aqueous Garlic Extract and Aqueous Chitosan on the Root Length of Eruca sativa
No full textThe increased use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture has led to major environmental issues, such as soil acidification, water pollution, and increased nitrogen in the atmosphere. In addition to this, chemical fertilizers pose health risks to humans, including various diseases such as cancers and embryonic development issues (Ahmed et al., 2017). Biostimulants are organic fertilizers that have gained popularity in the past decade due to their abilities to promote various factors of plant growth and quality and because of their ecofriendliness. While research exists on the effects of individual biostimulants on plant growth, there are limited studies on combined biostimulant application, particularly on chitosan and garlic extract. The purpose of this study was to determine if chitosan and garlic extract are effective biostimulants that can increase root growth in Eruca sativa. It was hypothesized that the combined biostimulant application would result in the greatest root length in Eruca sativa when compared to the control and chitosan groups because the garlic extract would increase the root absorption of chitosan in the plants, leading to increased root growth. In order to perform this experiment, Eruca sativa plants were grown in three different groups, one control, one where chitosan was applied, and one where chitosan and garlic extract were both applied. The results of this experiment indicated that there was a significant difference in the root lengths after biostimulant application based on a one-way ANOVA test with an alpha value of 0.05, with the p-value being \u3c0.0001, meaning the null hypothesis was rejected. Therefore, there was significant evidence to suggest that combined garlic extract and chitosan biostimulant application is effective at increasing root length, a parameter of plant growth and quality
Synergistic Effect of the Epithelial Membrane Protein 3 (EMP3) Knockdown with Inhibitors of Tyrosine Kinases on Glioblastoma Cell Death
No full textGlioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive form of brain tumor, contains two deregulated tyrosine kinase proteins, c-Met (Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor receptor) and EGFR (Epithelial Growth Factor Receptor), causing aggressive proliferation rates. Drugs targeting these proteins show very little promise. However, Epithelial Membrane Protein 3 (EMP3) may play a role in these protein pathways and therefore may prove to be a viable target for GBM. The aim of this research is to explore the synergistic effect between EMP3 gene knockdown (KD) along with c-Met/EGFR inhibitors in GBM cells. Four second generation cell lines were generated from NCH 1425: a) scrRNA + DMSO (SP790); b) scrRNA + DOX (SP790); c) shRNA + DMSO (SP1764); and d) shRNA + DOX (SP1764). Cell lines a-c served as negative controls that did not undergo EMP3 KD while line d experienced KD after induction with antibiotic doxycycline (DOX). These cell lines were then either treated with c-Met inhibitor bozitinib (0-50uM) or EGFR inhibitor osimertinib (0-10uM). The results indicate that there is a general decrease in cell viability with both drugs, regardless of the presence or absence of EMP3. Cell line d+osimertinib shows minimal drop in viability while cell line d+bozitinib shows no drop in viability compared to the control groups. These results could be due to the fact that there was only a 30% EMP3 KD in cell line d, as shown by western blot analysis. In order to understand the synergistic effect, it is imperative that cell line d has nearly a 100% EMP3 KD
Investigating the Synergistic Antibacterial Effects of Ulva lactuca and Fucus vesiculosus Extracts on the Growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis
No full textThis study investigates the antibacterial properties of extracts from marine macroalgae, Ulva lactuca (green algae) and Fucus vesiculosus (brown algae), individually and in combination, with a focus on combating antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The escalating challenge of antibiotic resistance requires the exploration of alternative antimicrobial agents derived from natural sources. Utilizing the agar well diffusion method, the study evaluates the inhibitory effects of the algae extracts on Staphylococcus epidermidis. Chloramphenicol serves as the positive control, while 5% dimethyl sulfoxide acts as the negative control. The combination of Ulva lactuca and Fucus vesiculosus extracts did not exhibit a significantly greater antibacterial effect than Ulva lactuca alone. Chloramphenicol demonstrated strong antibacterial activity, validating the experimental setup. Ulva lactuca displayed significantly higher antibacterial efficacy than Fucus vesiculosus, challenging the initial hypothesis. The observed relationships between Ulva lactuca, Fucus vesiculosus, and their combination suggest complex interactions among bioactive compounds. After analyzing the data through the use of a one-way ANOVA and a Tuckey’s HSD test, it was determined that while Ulva lactuca alone outperformed the combination of both extracts, the combination showed a slight advantage over Fucus vesiculosus alone, hinting at potential synergistic effects. Acknowledging limitations, including equipment constraints and time considerations, emphasizes the need for future studies to address these factors for more robust findings. Despite unexpected outcomes, this research contributes to understanding the intricate dynamics of algae extracts and opens avenues for further exploration in the quest for effective antimicrobial strategies against antibiotic resistance
The Effect of Bile Acids on the Structural Integrity of Bacterial Membrane-Mimicking Lipid Vesicles via Dye Leakage
No full textThe exploration of alternatives to antibiotics has become increasingly popular and demanding, with scientists and doctors all looking for ways to mitigate the effects of bacterial resistance. This research is crucial because deaths related to antibiotic resistance are at an all-time high; when repeatedly exposed to the same treatments, bacteria mutate and form a biological genome that is resistant to that treatment. Bile acids are naturally occurring compounds that are found in the liver of most mammals. The purpose of this study was to explore how cationic bile acid attacks a bacterial membrane and whether its effectiveness changes with varying dosing concentration to evaluate its potential as an antimicrobial alternative to antibiotics. It was hypothesized that as the concentration of bile acid increased, the intensity of dye-leakage released from anionic lipid vesicles, which mimic bacterial membranes, would increase because the cationic compound would break down the vesicles, causing the dye to leak out. Four different concentrations of bile acid in anionic DOPC/DOPG-based lipid vesicles were placed in a fluorescence spectrometer and the leakage intensities were recorded. The leakage intensities increased with the increase of the concentration of bile acid. A one-way ANOVA with a significance level (alpha) set at 0.05 gave a p-value of \u3c0.001. It was concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that a significant difference exists in the mean leakage intensities among the four different concentrations of bile acid