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Designing a Chitosan-Infused Antibacterial, Highly Absorbent Tampon
No full textMenstrual toxic shock syndrome (mTSS) remains a rare but serious health risk associated with tampon use, particularly with high-absorbency products that create oxygen-rich microenvironments ideal for Staphylococcus growth. Despite regulatory efforts following the rise of mTSS cases in the 1980s, the fundamental design of tampons has remained largely unchanged, leaving a critical gap in product safety, especially for users with heavy menstrual bleeding or high-demand lifestyles who rely on higher absorbency options. Chitosan, a natural, nontoxic biopolymer with demonstrated antibacterial properties, presents promising implications for innovation in tampon design. This study investigates whether chitosan-coated tampons can inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis growth, used as a BSL-1 model for S. aureus, while preserving functional absorbency. High-absorbency cotton tampons were coated with standardized chitosan dilutions and compared with unmodified controls. Both groups were exposed to S. epidermidis suspensions, incubated for 24 hours, vortexed to release bacteria, and plated to quantify colony-forming units (CFUs). Thirty trials per group were conducted, and differences in bacterial growth were analyzed using t-tests
Evaluating the Effects of Vanillin on Hemolysin Activity in Staphylococcus Epidermidis
No full textAntibiotic resistance is a growing global health crisis linked to quorum sensing and virulence factors. Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major cause of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). The virulence factor, hemolysin, contributes to red blood cell lysis and increases infection severity. The purpose of this study was to investigate vanillin’s ability to inhibit hemolysin activity in S. epidermidis and explore vanillin as a potential antivirulence therapy for CRBSIs. The hypothesis of this study was that vanillin would inhibit hemolysin activity in Staphylococcus epidermidis due to its ability to disrupt quorum-sensing signal transduction pathways, which would lead to reduced pathogenic potential in catheter-related bloodstream Infections (CRBSIs), aiding in the production of non-antibacterial treatments. The rationale is that vanillin disrupts quorum-sensing pathways. Vanillin is known to inhibit biofilm formation and virulence factors. A frozen stock of Staphylococcus epidermidis culture was transferred into tryptic soy broth. The cultures were split into three groups; group A & group B were treated with vanillin, all groups were then incubated for 48 hours, and then centrifuged to quantify hemolysin activity. The released supernatant was mixed with the hemoglobin solution, incubated, and the absorbance was measured. Group B of 200 μL produced stronger inhibition, Group C (control) was the baseline, and Group A of 100 μL had the lowest inhibition; the results support a dose-dependent reduction in virulence factor activity, F(2,85) = 5.41, p = 0.006. Vanillin weakens hemolysin activity in S. epidermidis and suggests potential to reduce CRBSI severity, which could provide an alternative antivirulence therapy
Environmental Implications of Nootropics on Daphnia
No full textIn recent decades, the use of nootropic supplements has risen dramatically as individuals seek to gain a mental advantage in school, work, athletics, and other aspects of their lives, causing environmental scientists to wonder about the impact such supplements have on ecosystems. This study aims to test the implications of three popular nootropic supplements: creatine, melatonin, and ashwagandha, on freshwater aquatic environments using daphnia, a species of small filter-feeding crustaceans, to test their biotoxicity. To further investigate potential solutions to pharmaceutical pollution in the environment, the effectiveness of a water filter in protecting daphnia from related health issues was also tested. A significant rise in death rates was found in daphnia exposed to melatonin and creatine, with the t-values being above the critical value of 6.134 or below its negative counterpart of -6.134 for concentrations 1, 2, 5 and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. When the use of a filter was implemented, the death rates among daphnia exposed to melatonin were significntly lower for concentrations 2, 3, 4, and 5, with no significant difference for daphnia exposed to creatine. With these results, the harmful effects of nootropics, particularly the synthetic form, in freshwater environments can be betrer understood. With this newfound knowledge, better water treatment plans can be implemented to limit the amount of nootropics making its way to the environment through treated wastewater, and natural alternatives to cognitive enhancing supplements, such as sleep, nutrition, and exercize, can be implemented
Integrating a Modified Patellar Band With a Progressive Stop to Mitigate Running-Related Injuries Occurring in Individuals With Genu Recurvatum
No full textRunning is frequently regarded as an exercise without numerous health benefits; however, knee injuries, espeically genu recurvatum, are a key reason why many runners are sidelined during their respective solutions. Genu recurvatum is characterized as the excessive knee extension past the 5 degree threshold. There are currently, mulitple approaches to solve this issue, but all of the solutions have their flaws. For example, knee offloader braces are too bulky which restricts mobility for runners, and patellar band, while offloading force, are not able to negate hyperextension in the knee. For this reason, the study aimed at redesigning an existing DonJoy patellar band that would provide a lightweight device that would not only lessen the patellar tendon force but also limit terminal hyperextension without causing any restriction to the movement. The prototype was designed with an quadricep-support band created with neoprene, nylon, and polyeruthane foam and included a progressive stop mechanism created with carbon figer. The device was tested in a single-subject lab with the use of b-skips being performed on a force plate, a goniometer, and an accelerometer. The ground reaction forces, linear and angular accelerations, and other components were imputed in an inverse dynamics model which was derived from the moment arm of the knee and the preperndicular distance. The prototype provided a vertical ground reaction force reduction from 1240 N to 1147 N and a decrease in estimated patellar tendon force from 11.5 kN to 7.31 kN (~36% reduction) when it was compared to the control
The Effect of Intervals of Pulsed LED White Light on the Growth of Lactuca sativa
No full textLittle is known about how lower frequencies of light could impact the growth of plants (Olvera-Gonzalez et al., 2021). While frequencies of 1,000 pulses per second are available to experienced scientists, they are not commercially available for someone who wants to grow their own plants (Miliauskienė et al., 2021). The purpose of this study was to determine the efficiency of pulse light to save energy rather than using continuous light. It was hypothesized that as frequency increased, the lettuce plant would reach greater heights because the pulses were closer to continuous light. To conduct experimentation, 90 pots were filled with soil and had two lettuce seeds placed in them, which were then divided into three separate cardboard boxes that each contained a Light Emitting Diode (LED) strip. Each of the boxes had its own interval of light, continuous light, one Hz, and two Hz. Every other day, the plant height (cm) was measured to find any significant differences between the groups. The results indicated that the 30 plants under the quickest light interval (two Hz) showed the most growth, F(2,89) = 1.00, p = 0.372. Therefore, it was concluded that the quicker the pulse, the more growth would occur. With these results, the use of pulse light could be implemented more in agriculture
Comparing the Antioxidant Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Ascorbic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Modeling Tumorigenesis
No full textExposure to sodium nitrite in processed meats has been associated with a risk of cancer and cellular damage in both animal and cellular models. While antioxidants like alpha-lipoic acid and ascorbic acid are known to reverse the effects of oxidative stress (OS), an imbalance in free radicals overwhelming the body’s antioxidants, which can lead to cell damage, their specific effects on sodium nitrite-induced stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have not been fully investigated. This research study aimed to examine the antioxidant capabilities of alpha-lipoic acid and ascorbic acid in relation to yeast growth. The study involved exposing yeast containing sodium nitrite to varying concentrations of either alpha-lipoic acid or ascorbic acid. Growth inhibition was measured by visually comparing yeast growth across plates to assess the effectiveness of the antioxidants. No statistical analysis was performed because all growth measurements were identical across all treatment groups. The results across all treatment groups suggest that neither antioxidant fully prevented the negative effects of sodium nitrite. These findings indicate that sodium nitrite-induced stress may overwhelm antioxidant defenses, suggesting the need for alternative protective compounds. This study highlights the complex relationship between sodium nitrite-induced OS and the cellular environment in terms of antioxidant activity and protection. Future research should focus on testing a wider range of antioxidant concentrations, directly measuring biochemical stress markers, such as intracellular ROS and malondialdehyde, and consider using liquid-culture models to obtain more accurate growth measurements, clarifying how antioxidants respond to nitrite exposure
Motor Proteins and Their Role in Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s Disease
No full textParkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain. My lab saw that calpain activation in PD may be linked to its degenerative characteristics. My study sought to track PD’s effect on neurons using the motor proteins Kinesin and Dynein, with the inhibition of Calpain. Kinesin mediates anterograde movement of cellular contents, and Dynein mediates retrograde movement of cellular contents. We stained VSC4.1 cells (neuronal cells) with the two motor proteins and Map2 (neuron-specific protein). Using these markers, I observed how the Calpain-2 inhibitor, zLLy, could prevent the loss of neurons against MPP⁺, a toxic metabolite derived from MPTP. When I experimented, I cultured four chambers of VSC4.1 (a motoneuronal cell line). I split the chamber into a control group (only cells), MPP⁺, MPP⁺ & zLLy, and zLLy. First, I plated the cells, then incubated them in CO₂ overnight for cell growth. Next, I added fresh media for the cells and changed it when needed. Finally, I added methanol and immunostained. Finally, I imaged with the electronic microscope. In my findings, the photos suggest that the inhibition of Calpain-2 prevents the loss of motor proteins. Also, my lab conducted experiments where PD can be seen in the spinal cord. To confirm my study with the neurons, I used spinal cord tissue treated with MPTP in mice. The data suggested that inhibition of all Calpain (using Calpeptin, a pan-calpain inhibitor) and Calpain-2 both helped in restoring motor proteins in the spinal cord
Reversal of Drug Resistance Through the Use of Hesperidin and Doxorubicin in a DLD-1 Colorectal Cell Line
No full textChemotherapeutic drugs are a conventional cancer treatment type that are efficient in killing anti-apoptotic cells. However, cancer cells are prone to becoming resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs due to changes in gene expression induced by extended use of chemotherapy drugs. The purpose of this study was to determine if drug-resistance in DLD-1 colorectal cancer cells induced by the chemotherapeutic drug, doxorubicin, could be reversed with the intervention of an added concentration of the organic compound, hesperidin. It was hypothesized that as the added hesperidin concentration to the drug-resistant DLD-1 cells is increased, the cell viability would decrease as a result of hesperidin’s anti-cancer properties. One 96 well plate contained drug-resistant DLD-1 cells and a second plate contained drug sensitive DLD-1 cells, both containing 12 baseline control wells. Below the baseline controls, the plates were further split into thirds of 28 wells, each containing a different hesperidin concentration: 0.1 μM, 10 μM, and 100 μM, along with 100 nM of doxorubicin. The t-test results suggested statistical significance in the 0.1 μM groups, (t(56) = 10.10, p = \u3c0.001), and the 10 μM groups, (t(56) = 13.44, p = \u3c0.001), and none in the 100 μM groups, (t(56)= -1.03, p= 0.310). Therefore, there is sufficient evidence to conclude there is a difference in the cell viability in the 0.1 μM groups and 10 μM groups, and not much difference in cell viability in the 100 μM groups, supporting the hypothesis
Symmetry and Geometry in Architecture Influence Perception
No full textGeometry is a fundamental science of forms and order. Symmetry, an aspect of geometry, is the combination of harmony and proportion while combining movement and shape. Architecture is built from the principles of the science of design and geometry. Symmetry is fundamentally a concept seen everywhere in nature. This causes it to have a big impact on emotion and human perception. A study done by Sarah Lee, a clinical physiologist based in Australia, found that symmetry actually makes a person more attractive. In this case, can the institution of symmetry as a fundamental part of nature and balance be implemented in architecture to please a structures occupants and surroundings. Data from this study is collected from surveys sent out to all populations, age groups, and demographics. Further analysis is done through the use of in-person surveys. This study intends to signify the importance of symmetry on a viewer\u27s preference of architecture, which can be more deliberately used to develop urban areas in the future. The data concluded in this study will also confirm the implication that symmetry can be used for the specific purpose of a structure
Let It Flow
No full textThis project is aimed towards helping women relieve symptoms of their period in a natural way as opposed to using over the counter or prescription medicines. The project asks for women to eat the nutrients they use in each phase of the cycle while they are in the phase, in order to see if the symptoms change. The expectation is that over time, the symptoms of the participants will alleviate or stop completely. Due to the lack of research in this important domain, this project has the potential to improve the lives of over half the population