Drafts

In this study we propose to investigate the effects of urbanization on the density and diversity of periphyton in the Sylvan Stream. Periphyton are indicators of aquatic environmental conditions and serve as the primary producers in freshwater food webs. In this experiment, there will be 8 teams that will sample different sites along the Sylvan Stream.  The 8 sites of collection will span 800 m of the river starting 15 m from Sylvan Residential Area. Microscope slides will be used as a surface by which to collect periphyton over the course of two weeks. The collected slides will be analyzed by light microscope and compared. As a result of this experiment, we hope to provide insight about local effects of pollution radiating from a point of origin on nearby watershed.

The melting point of this recrystallization could not be obtained due to the fact that no melting was observed after it was heated to 160 °C. This could be due to impurities, contamination, or the incorrect measurement of reactants. The second recrystallization’s MP shoulder higher because more impurities should be removed after the second recrystallization, however it should only be higher by a couple degrees. Trimyristin is a saturated fat found in coconut oil, palm oil, and nutmeg. Through hydrolysis of trimyristin, myristic acid was obtained. Myristic acid is a fatty acid commonly found in coconut oil, palm oil, and other beauty products, and because of this it is vital to obtain the purest form of myristic acid during isolation. This is why it is best to obtain myristic acid from natural sources.

Summary of Persson and Savulescu: “Moral Transhumanism

In this article, Persson and Savulescu discuss moral transhumanism by evaluating what is means to be part of the human species, the human moral psych, and societies moral shortcomings, all in an effort to show the importance of enhancing humans’ moral ability.

1.      The Superficiality of Species Membership

Persson and Savulescu begin their argument by highlighting that the way we view species membership is full of paradoxes and counterintuitive ideas.

-        They begin by explaining that humans as a whole view our membership of the Homo sapiens species to give us some sort of especially high moral status. The authors argue that this ideology thus makes the claim that species membership is an essential property of an organism that determines its nature.

In honor of a belated April fools day the Journal of Ethics published a short research article describing the extensive benefits of laughter. Laughter is good for the soul is a common saying throughout culture, but this article identifies the numerous benefits that laughter has on the physical health of patients. Laughter is a common therapy utilized at mnumerous hospitals and clinics around the country. The University of New Mexico Hospital actually has a "humor room" for patients. Physiologists have concluded through various studies that laughter helps with ventilation and clearing mucous. These benefits show that laughter can be an effective treatment for patients that suffer from chronic obstructive lung diseae. Laughter also increase perfusion by increasing overall circulation within the circulatory system. 

The crude trimyristin was recrystallized twice in order to produce a more pure version of trimyristin. The percent recovery of the first recrystallization was 8.94%. The reason that the percent recovery is so low is due to the fact that the initial amount of nutmeg, 1.029 g, is included as the starting material. The melting point of the first recrystallization was 52-53°C. The listed MP of trimyristin is 56-57°C, and thus the obtained melting point is lower than the listed MP. This could be due to impurities within the mixture. The second recrystallization of trimyristin yielded a percent recovery of 0.972%.

This experiment uses the diversity of insects on different parts of the UMass campus in Amherst, MA to indicate different factors about its microclimates. There has been a great deal of research focused on finding what different insect species says about the area they live. This experiment is designed so different groups can set up traps in various spots so they might be compared and conclusions can be drawn. This project would tell us a great deal about the environment in our area.

Hydrolysis using trimyristin (0.06 g, 0.083 mmol), 6M NaOH (2 mL, 0.107 mol), and ethanol (2 ML, 95%) was performed for 45 minutes. The flask was then cooled to room temperature and the contents poured into a 50 mL beaker with water (8.0 mL). HCl (2 mL, 81.7 mmol) was then added dropwise. The beaker was cooled in ice water for 10 minutes and the final product of myristic acid (0.032 g, 3.28%) was collected via suction filtration. The melting point of trimyristin was taken at the first recrystallization (52-53 °C) and the second (not observed). The melting point of the final product, myristic acid (52-53 °C) was also taken.

Chapter 1 - The Natural History of the HIV Epidemic

• HIV has infected over 65 million people, 30 million deaths, spreads via bodily fluids

• Antiviral drugs reduce risk of transmission

• HIV is an intracellular parasite incapable of reproducing on its own, afflicts immune system

• HIV virions enter host cells by binding to proteins on surface, then use host machinery to make new virions

• Dendritic cells patrol vulnerable tissues, take viruses to lymph nodes, present bits of its protein to naive helper T cells, these cells divide to produce helper T cells

• Effector helper T cells stimulate B cells to mature into plasma cells, which make antibodies

• Killer T cells destroy infected host cells

• HIV infection depletes CD4+ T cells in gut, impaired gut defenses allow translocation of bacteria into bloodstream, activates immune response, effector T cell proliferation, gives HIV more target cells, chronic infection and inflammation, damaged lymph nodes

Why Does HIV Therapy Using Just One Drug Ultimately Fail?

• Drugs inhibit enzymes that are special to the virus

• AZT blocks reverse transcription, loses effectiveness, population of virions become resistant to disruption by AZT

• Categories of drugs used: Coreceptor inhibitors, fusion inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, protease inhibitors

• Multiple drugs that target different point in HIV life cycle is much more effective, reduces the genetic variation for resistance, HIV can be resistant to multidrug cocktails

Ancient DNA and Human Evolution

• Started with Egyptian mummies, looking at tissues

• Cloned DNA from mummies, PCR made this possible

• Ancient DNA carries modifications, degraded to short sections, can be contaminated and polluted with other DNA

• Studying cave bears provided insights to neanderthals

• Total replacement vs assimilation theories

• First mitochondrial dna share dabout 0.5 mya

• There is no mtDNA remaining from neanderthals today in humans

• Library based techniques can be amplified and immortalized to construct genome

• Found neanderthals bones in Vindija Cave, Croatia

• DNA extract is a mixture of microbial DNA deanimated DNA and contamination

• Focused on C-T changes, Deanimated DNA

• Europeans should share more variants with Neanderthals than Africans

• About half of the Neanderthal genome is available in people that live today

• Denisovans contribute DNA in mainland Asia

• “Leaky Replacement” Genetic replacement and some contribution

• People that live in Europe today share more with the genome from Croatia

• Direct evidence of Neanderthal mixing in Europe with mandible

• A risk variant for type 2 Diabetes came from Neanderthals, possible adaptation to starvation

• High altitude adaptation in Tibet came from Neanderthals

• DNA can be obtained from archaeological sediments

• There are some functions that are unique to modern humans

• There are about 30,000 single nucleotide changes that are fixed in present day humans

• Humans have less GMP, AMP, Guanine and Adenine in brain

• Humanized mice have decreased ADSL activity

To a 10-mL round-bottomed flask (RBF), propanoic acid (0.823 mL), 1-propanol (0.973 mL) and concentrated sulfuric acid (4 drops) was added. Contents were thoroughly mixed and permitted to gently reflux for 15 minutes.  Apparatus was then tipped while ensuring lower water layer remained in the side arm. Reflux was resumed for another 15 minutes. After having had allowed it to reflux for an additional 15 minutes, total of 45 minutes, the solution was permitted to cool. At this time, the solution was a light tan color. Entire contents in side arm were dumped back into RBF. After transferring contents into new tube, the solution was washed with water (1 mL), two times with saturated aqueous sodium bicarbonate (1 mL), and then with saturated aqueous sodium chloride (1 mL).