Chemicals and Drugs Commons^™

Nicotine And E-Cigarette Effect On Maximal Metabolic Rate (Mmr) In Procambarus Clarkii, Nathan Cuttica

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The 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 …

The Effects Of Sex On Zebrafish Bone Metabolism, Simon Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I 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 …

Effects Of Electronic Cigarettes On The Standard Metabolic Rate Of Crayfish, Frank Shaffer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study aims to examine the relationship between e-cigarettes (both with nicotine and without) and the effects on the standard metabolic rates of crayfish. In this experiment, 42 crayfish were divided into three treatment groups and exposed to a designated solution of either a control solution or a solution containing e-cigarette (nicotine or non-nicotine) vapor. Their standard metabolic rates were then measured by using oxygen uptake as a proxy. The results of this experiment indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship between the use of electronic cigarettes and the standard metabolic rate of crayfish. However, this study can be …

Familial Hypercholesterolemia And Treatments, Alexis Steer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My project will be a literature review regarding the genetic mutations associated with

familial hypercholesterolemia and the current available treatments.

Effects Of E-Cigarette Vapor On Zebrafish Cell Regeneration And Wound Healing, Alyssa A. Grismer, Jenna E. Pumneo, Brian Bagatto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In regards to wound healing, smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes is known to have negative effects on wound healing (Akoz, 2002). An increased risk of skin necrosis has been observed in patients who smoke throughout the surgical process (Akoz, 2002). It is known that nicotine, whether introduced through inhalation or intravenously, leads to peripheral skin vasoconstriction (Akoz, 2002). The full physiological effects of e-cigarettes are not known and research is being done to improve our understanding on the effects that these products may have on our bodies. This research is intended for that purpose. Zebrafish have recently been used as a …

An Investigation On The Effect Of The Chain Length Of Glutamic Acid Oligomers On The Nucleation, Precipitate Growth, And Phase Transformation Of Amorphous Calcium Phosphate To Crystalline Hydroxyapatite, Emma Harmon

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to analyze the effect that the chain length of oligo0glutamic acid sequences has on the nucleation, growth, and phase transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate to crystalline hydroxyapatite. As cited in the formal proposal, hydroxyapatite is the main mineral in bone and dentin and it is of particular interest as a biomaterial. Mineralization is required for much of its structural and protective functioning, however the timing of mineralization is also important for proper growth and development. The presence of glutamic acid containing protein residues impacts the mineralization patterns of hydroxyapatite and this study aims to determine exactly what …

Non-Pharmacological Interventions For Alcohol, Marijuana, And Opioid Use During Pregnancy: A Systematic Review, Hannah Safranek, Madeline Frausto, Amy King, Stoneking Madison

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this review is to analyze evidence on prevalence of opioid, alcohol and marijuana use during pregnancy and answer the PICOT question: In pregnant women addicted to or using marijuana, opioids, and alcohol, how do non-pharmacological interventions, compared to standard care of pharmacological interventions alone, affect health outcomes in mothers and neonates between birth to hospital discharge? Diagnosis of substance use disorder is increasing and with it comes increased risk of complications to mother and neonate including neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other negative neonatal and maternal outcomes. Evidence was identified on the online …

Development Of A Method For The Detection And Quantification Of Various Benzodiazepines And Z-Drugs In Human Blood And Qualitative Identification In Urine Samples Using Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms), Haley Michel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This method developed in the toxicology department at the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office (CCMEO) detects 40 benzodiazepines and metabolites along with several z-drugs in blood and urine by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A sample amount of 0.5 mL was used to detect analytes in postmortem drug facilitated sexual assault and impaired driving cases. Twenty-nine analytes met criteria for quantification while the remaining 14 were used as qualitative indicators. Bias and precision results for quality controls met criteria, staying within ±15% except for clonazolam and etizolam which were within ±20%. Quantitative reporting criteria which included dilution integrity was met …

Analyzing The Effects Of Opioids On Cortical Pore Networks In Rabbit Tibiae And Femora, Kassidy Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following project was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) (Protocol number #18-11-12 ARC). This study was completed as a subset of Dr. Andronowski's overarching lab project. Femora and tibiae were procured from New Zealand White rabbits to study the prolonged effects of opioid use in bone remodeling. This specific project analyzed the effects of opioids on the pore networks and the pore orientation.

Leucine Supplementation In Cuprizone-Induced Oligodendrocyte Toxicity, Michael Ley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Cuprizone is a copper chelator that induces demyelination in the central nervous system when fed to mice. This compound is thought to target Complex IV and disrupt mitochondrial metabolism leading to loss of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. In this proposal, we further examine the chemical and toxicological properties of cuprizone. Immunofluorescence imaging and microarray data on MO3.13 cells treated with cuprizone revealed the possibility of alterations in lysosomal function, as well as mitochondrial disruption via mTOR and Electron Transport Chain (ETC) related pathways. Cell viability assays conducted suggest that addition of Branched-Chain Amino Acids, most commonly used from literature, leucine, can increase …

Multidimensional Mass Spectrometry Of Chemonic™ Ccg-6 Nonionic Surfactant With Separation By Polarity And Shape, Charles Johnson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Chemonic™ CCG-6 surfactant is a water-soluble poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugated alkyl glyceride emollient. This surfactant exists as a complex mixture of a glycerol cores conjugated with poly(ethylene glycol) branches (PEGylation) that were partially esterified with caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acids. These may be esterified on one, two, or all three arms of the glyceride. The architecture of the structures in this mixture was studied using multidimensional mass spectrometry (MS). Mass spectrometry was interfaced with ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and ion mobility (IM) separation. The mixture was separated by reversed-phase LC, oligomers of the star-branched polymer were separated according to …

Calling Attention To The Growing Heroin Epidemic And How To Fight It, Kendal Rozaieski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of creating a grassroots heroin awareness organization on a university campus through qualitative research. Various meeting types were attended as the grassroots efforts began: a student organization dedicated to the cause, the campus Alcohol and Other Drug Board, a local community treatment center agency, multiple University of Akron faculty members, and other heroin awareness groups in the community. Through observation and journaling of these meetings, I am sharing my experience based off analyzed field notes. After analyzation of these notes, common themes related to the formation of this kind of …

Functionalizing Titanium Implants With Bioactive Peptides To Increase Osseointegration, Neil Bernard

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Orthopedic surgeries have continued to increase, but the material of choice remains constant: titanium. Titanium has become the benchmark implant material due to its durability and non-immunogenic properties. However, while high rates of success are correlated with joint replacement surgery, certain patients with predisposed diseases such as diabetes or arthritis may have increased complications.¹ This can be due to lack of osseointegration due to decreased bone formation and mineralization,² which will lead to increased rates of infection or aseptic loosening of the implant from the bone. ³ Current methods to alleviate these complications include invasive revisional surgeries, which …

The Relationship Between Alcohol Use And Familial And Social Influence In College Nursing Students, Darren C. Crooks, Kathleen A. Gillota

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

College students are a population with a high prevalence of risky consumption of alcohol and nursing students, specifically, are no exception. Yet few studies have been done on the use of alcohol in the student-nurse population. Since nursing education and practice are highly stressful, unhealthy coping strategies, such as risky alcohol consumption, are sadly common and seriously detrimental.

This paper explores the self-reported consumption of alcohol in undergraduate nursing students as related to peer, familial, and social influences. Based on the Biopsychosocial Model, many different factors contribute to alcohol use. Using anonymous online survey methodology and convenience sampling, data about …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Imidazolium Salt Derivatives For Anti-Tumor Activity, Ryan W. Pearce

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Several aldehydes (butanal, pentanal, hexanal, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) were reacted with 1,3-bis(naphthalen-2-ylmethyl)-imidazolium bromide (1) to produce novel C² substituted imidazolium salts for the potential use against non-small cell lung cancer in humans. Compounds 2-(1-hydroxypentyl)-1,3-bis(naphthalen-2-ylmethyl)-imidazolium bromide (3) and 2-(1-hydroxyhexyl)-1,3-bis(naphthalen-2-ylmethyl)-imidazolium bromide (5) were successfully synthesized with structures supported by NMR and mass spectrometry. Characterization by ¹H NMR showed evidence of 1 in both compounds. The tumor cell growth inhibition of 3 against non-small cell lung cancer lines NCI-A549, NCI-H460, HCC827, and NCI-H1975 was tested and found to be comparable to cisplatin as measured by MTT assay. …

Polymer Interactions With Nucleic Acids Under Various Physiological Conditions, Matthew S. Obrzut

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of nucleic acid interactions with cationic polymers with the theory that the polymers could protect the nucleic acids from degradation caused by biological enzymes. We seek to understand what the limitations of the cationic polymers are which, in this case, is mainly polymer-DNA compatibility. This experiment utilized peptide-dextran hybrid polymers with differing functionalizations to condense anionic nucleic acids into nanometer-sized polyplexes. Techniques of dynamic light scattering and zeta-potential were utilized to determine the particle sizes and surface charges of polyplexes.

In this experiment, dextran with a molecular weight of 20 …

Sharp Rna Recognition Motif Optimizations, Extensions, And Mutations For Use In 2d And 3d Nmr Experiments, Shaun M. Christie

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

SMRT/HDAC Associated Repressor Protein interacts with the long noncoding RNA, produced by SRA, by binding at the RRMs. Three projects were done to prepare the truncated proteins for use in 2D and 3D NMR experiments. The first focuses on RRM 3 and its optimization during the purification process. The second focuses on RRM 2-4, which was found to be missing two alpha helices that may be important for protein stability. These helices can also interact with RRM 3 as well due to the tight association of RRMs 3 and 4. The two step PCR extension of RRM 2-4 was assumed …

Drug Interactions With Glutaredoxin Orthologues, Kahlilah R. Napper, Thomas C. Leeper, Ram Khattri, Daniel Morris, Caroline Davis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Glutaredoxin, an enzymatic protein, is an important component of cell viability and function. It catalyzes reactions involved in DNA synthesis and innate immunity [1,4]. Glutaredoxin is also essential in antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacterial species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa in particular is responsible for infecting the lung tissue of its human hosts, resulting in the development of pneumonia and cystic fibrosis [3]. Because glutaredoxin is pertinent in cell proliferation of eukaryotic and bacterial cells alike, medicinal fragments that take advantage of the subtle differences in protein structure of the orthologous proteins can be synthesized and enhanced to bind bacterial glutaredoxins, without inhibiting …