ekirchner's blog

Today I attended a general Lab Safety training coordinated by UMass EH&S in order to obtain a certification needed to work in a laboratory. The training started out talking about different hazard signs, including but not limited to: flammable, acutely toxic, environmental toxicity, and physical hazards. The woman then went on to say things about engineering solutions to safety protocol, and how those should be the first line of defense against a harmfl situation. I was surprised to learn that personal protection, aka safety goggles, gloves, and lab coats, are the last line of defense and should only be used when they absolutely need to be. Because these items are personal, there is more of a gray area when it comes to who needs to be protected at which times. Ife negineering allows the whole lab to be safe at once, then steps should be taken to improve that before relying on PPE equipment. At the end of the training I got a free pair of safety glasses, and I have my Fire Safety training on Friday.

When setting up a participant for a sleep study, there are 3 types of electrodes that must be properly placed. The first are EEG, electroencephalogram, which are placed around the head and measure brain activity. The second are EOG, electrooculography, which are placed on the sides of the eyes and measure rapid eye movements. The third are EMG, electromyography, which are placed in certain positions on the face. The participant wears an embletta unit that all electrodes are plugged into, as well as two respiratory belts, one for the thorax and one for the abdomen. There is also a nasal cannula and thermistor that the particpant must wear that measure air flow and temperature, as well as EKG monitors for the heart and leg electrodes that will detect restless leg movements. Finally, once the participant's equipment is all set up and everything is working correctly, their head is wrapped with pre-wrap to make sure everything stays secure during the night. 

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are all around us, but the stigma that people have surrounded them with are misinforming the public. There is this idea that consuming or handling a genetically modified produce item could hurt you or affect your health in some way. Crops have been naturally and artificially evolving for thousands of years, and just because the most recent forms of most are due to human interference, does not mean that they are more likely to hurt you. The process through which food can be genetically modified has helped us as a society become healthier as a whole, making sure we all get the most nutrients possible. It has also led to new technologies that are still being developed but will be extremely beneficial to medicine long term. 

The object observed in class has a long stem that is rigid at one end, suggesting it has been harshly plucked instead of cut. The stem has a dark red tint with a thin brown line on one side, which could be dirt or possible decay. The stem is very red at the point where it splits into three green leaves, but as the stem splits, it fades into a light yellow color throughout the vascular system of the leaves. The two leaves on the sides are small, with scalloped edges and dark green coloring. The middle leaf is elongated, is a lighter green color, also has scalloped edges, and it leans slightly to the left. The middle leaf also has two brown squiggles from leaf miners that may have resided there. The plant overall is not planar, as the middle leaf protrudes farther forward than the lateral ones. All 3 of the leaves come to a dull point at the tip, and they are bumpy due to the veins that run through them. The front side of the plant is a slightly darker color and has a waxy coating, while the backside is a lighter green and is a little rougher in texture. The leaves are also scaley or cracked, similar to the skin on the back of a human hand if one looks closely.

The plant I observed in class had a long stem that was rigid at one end, suggesting it had been harshly plucked instead of cut. It has a dark red tint with a thin brown line on one side. The stem is very red at the point where it splits into three green leaves. As the stem splits, it fades into a light yellow color throughout the vascular system of the leaves. The two leaves on the sides are small, with scalloped edges and dark green coloring. The middle leaf is elongated and is a lighter green color also with scalloped edges, and it leans slightly to the left. The middle leaf also has two brown squiggles from leaf miners that may have resided there. The plant overall is not planar, as the middle leaf protrudes farther forward than the lateral ones. All 3 of the leaves come to a dull point, and they are bumpy due to the veins that run through them. The front side of the plant is slightly darker with a waxy coating, while the backside is a lighter green and is a little rougher in texture. They are also scaley or cracked, similar to the skin on the back of a human hand if one looks closely.

The plant measures 65 mm in height and 62 mm in breadth, and the length of the stem from the blunt end to the splitting point is 23 mm. It also has a strong scent that lingers, although I can't exctly place what it smells like.