Life Sciences Commons^™

Creating A Pre-Illness Covid-19 Action Plan: A Web-Based Public Education Initiative, Brian S. Hustad

DNP Research Projects

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm in the beginning stages of 2020. Public health agencies were overwhelmed, undermanned, and therefore slow to respond. Information began to flow at an unprecedented rate. Yet, very limited resources were put into place to present this information or to instruct the public on evidence-based prevention, treatment, or care at home during active infection.

Intervention: A project website was created and accessed through a QR code on the project flyer or by entering the URL into any browser. Participants were able to access three evidence- based video modules, which introduced the …

Effects Of Environmentally Relevant Concentrations Of 4-Methyl-1- Cyclohexanemethanol (Mchm) On General Esterase And Glutathione-S-Transferase Activity In Fathead Minnows (Pimephales Promela), Emily De Wind

Research in Biology

Abstract

In 2014, several thousand gallons of coal-processing chemicals, which included 4-methyl-1- cyclohexanemethanol (MCHM), spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia. The location of this spill in West Virginia’s chemical valley is historically significant in defining the exploitations of people residing in this area. The concentration of crude MCHM in the river was approximated at 0.15 µg/L. Although some initial studies did consider the effects of MCHM exposure on humans, little attention has been given to aquatic wildlife. In this project, I will expose fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, an environmentally relevant species, to concentrations of MCHM between zero …

Hplc Detection Of The Possible Presence Of 17-A-Ethindyl Estradiol In Treated Effluents Released From The Chattanooga Water Treatment Plant, Jacqueline Dulanto, Benjamin Thornton, David Nelsen

Research in Biology

Research has confirmed that elevated synthetic estrogen in surface waters can lead to intersex characteristics in aquatic vertebrates. Unmetabolized antibiotics, hormones from animal wastes, including humans, and discarded pharmaceuticals are some ways synthetic estrogen enter aquatic ecosystems through the release of contaminated effluents. In this investigation, the Agilent 1260 Infinity HPLC was used to detect the possible presence of 17-α-ethindyl estradiol in effluents released from the Chattanooga Sewer Treatment Plant. Results were analyzed by comparing HPLC chromatograms from effluent and spiked samples. We detected a possible peak of synthetic estrogen in the effluent samples with a retention rate of 6 …

4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol Acute Toxicity To Daphnia And Its Effects On General Esterase And Glutathione S-Transferase Activity In Fathead Minnows, Rachel Clark, Jared Lewis, Jeehoon Jung, Benjamin Thornton

Research in Biology

In 2014, 10,000 gallons of crude MCHM spilled into the Elk River in West Virginia. Due to a paucity of information about the toxicity of this chemical prior to the spill, our research aimed to verify the published 48-h EC₅₀ for Daphnia magna (Daphnia) examine the effects of MCHM on two enzyme detoxification systems, general esterase and glutathione S-transferase, in Pimephales promelas (Fathead Minnow). We used pure MCHM instead of the crude form used in Eastman’s toxicity tests because the composition of crude MCHM is variable. The EC₅₀ we obtained for pure MCHM did not differ significantly from …

The Effects Of Selected Drugs On The Memory Recall Of Sleep Deprived Mice, Jenn Pauldurai

Senior Research Projects

Humans often make use of the neurotransmission altering effects of drugs such as caffeine, ephedrine, and ethanol. These drugs induce changes in memory and learning ability, specifically when used for sleep deprivation. English white mice (Mus musculus) have been shown to exhibit similar cognitive changes when administered drugs while sleep deprived. A sample of 20 mice was divided into three experimental groups (each group receiving a different drug) and one control group. Maze-testing demonstrated that mice performance decreased with sleep deprivation (Treatment-1) but all groups returned to baseline performance when injected (IP) with selected drugs (Treatment-2), regardless of …