Drafts

This is what I need to study for my next exam:
SLEEP – CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS
Circadian rhythm –
1. Fluctuations in alertness, energy and mood over the course of the day.
Biological clock: ~24 hr period
2. These shifts are related to underlying bodily processes
Daily cycles occur in: hormone production, body T, blood pressure
3. Changes as we get older
EX: we don’t wake up as early now as we used to as kids
4. We seem to function better (both cognitively/ physically) in our peak time:
MEQ = “morningness eveningness questionnaire”
- college studens are mostly neutral&evening
- adults over 60 = 80% morning
5. Our circadian cycles run a little bit long. We see evidence of this in: Jet Lag (it is difficult to go from east to west), Monday morning
blues
Why Do We Sleep?
Nobody really knows, but here are a few theories…
1. Sleep provides some essential biological function
- Evidence: make up lost sleep, sleep deprivation effects: moody/irritability, mental work suffers (major accidents), immune system,
sleep debt, etc
- Problems with this theory: the amount of sleep any individual needs varies,
motivation can overcome cognitive deficits (like money),
too much sleep increases mortality rates (7-8 hrs optimal, 10 hours = 2x
as high mortality rate)
Paradox: when allowed to free-run, people sleep 9-10 hrs/day

The experiment we decided to run is comparison of physical attributes between the campus pond and the nearby puffers pond. The physical attributes we tested were temperature, pH, turbidity, plankton diversity, emergent vegetation, submerged vegetation, water velocity and direct and general biodiversity of surroundings. The temperature was tested by approaching the shore and inserting a the thermometer into the water for 1 minute and recording the resulting temperature after the minute. pH was tested by inserting a pH strip into the water and approximating the pH based on the color that appeared. Turbidity was tested using a homemade secchi disk, which was constructed by attaching a rock covered in tin foil to a piece of string of approximately 3 feet. This homemade disc was then lowered into the water and the length of rope submerged was recorded. Plankton biodiversity was tested using a plankton net and then by taking a 1 mL sample and counting the amount of organism present in the sample. Emergent and submerged vegetation were recorded as present and not present. Water velocity and direction was found by a bottle of water filled up halfway and recording the time it took to travel a set distance. General biodiversity was recorded through descriptions of the vegetation and wildlife seen around the bodies of water.

For the 60:40 hexane:EtOAC mixture, the Rf value of 2-naphthol was 0.406 and the Rf value of the product was 0.417. It can be concluded that the 60:40, hexane:EtOAC, was the best solvent mixture due to the fact that the Rf values are within the ideal Rf range of 0.3-0.7. TLC indicated that the product was pure because there were no traces of the starting material (2-naphthol). Therefore it can be concluded that the reaction was successful since the TLC plates showed no trace of other compounds in the final product of butyl naphthyl ether. In all instances the substances traveled an acceptable distance to the top and they did not smudge over each other.

The plates were run in a 9: 1 of CH2Cl2: ethanol, which is a moderately polar solvent.  The starting material (benzoin) had an R_f value of 0.75 on both plates.  The crude R_f (0.44) and recrystallized R_f (0.48) traveled less distance on the plate than benzoin indicating their increased polarity.  Hydrobenzoin is less polar than benzoin because secondary alcohols are more polar than ketones.  Sodium borohyhdride was selected as the reducing agent in this experiment instead of more explosive lithium aluminum hydride, and it is selective in reducing only aldehydes and ketones.  Sodium borohydride was sufficient for fully reducing the benzoin, demonstrated by the lack of observed benzoin in both crude and recrystallized products. 

Group proposal characteristics

physical characteristics:

1.temperature

2. pH

3. Turbidity

4. sampling plankton for biodiversity

5. Emergent vegetation

6. Submerged vegetation

7. Water velocity and direction

8. General biodiversity of surroundings

ponds to compare

    campus pond

    puffers pond

​Most of the characterisitcs will be tested on a present versus not present basis and or on a comparison bassis between the two ponds

If only one breed of dog can be saved from extinction, the chosen breed should be the Golden Retriever. The Golden Retriever is a common household dog, and is well loved by nearly all dog lovers. The fact that only one breed of dog would remain means that anybody who would want a dog as a pet would be stuck with whatever breed is left. Other breeds (such as pit-bulls) are very divisive in the community, with some people liking the breed and others hating it. The saving of this highly loved breed should leave nearly everybody satisfied. Another beneficial factor of saving a Golden Retriever is that the average litter size is eight puppies, sometimes being up to 12 puppies. This means that the one saved dog would be able to produce many children, and begin to build up a population.

If an organism was poisoned with malathion, there would be major malfunction in the cholinergic neurons. Acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is used both in the PNS and the CNS would be released from the neurons, and acetylcholinesterase would be taken out of the normal cycle where it breaks ACh down into its substituents. There would be an overabundance of acetylcholine binding to receptors, as it would continue to be released from nerve cells, and would never be removed from the synaptic cleft by acetylcholinesterase. This would cause a greater response and a continued response from the receptors, something that the nerve cell wasn’t intending.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common metabolic and endocrine disorder in premenoausal women. Recent studies have mounted evidence that PCOS is a disorder caused with strong environmental and epigenetic influences, including diet and other lifestyle factors.PCOS frequently appears in pair assocaition with metabolic disorders, cardiovascular risks, insulin resistance and obesity. This disorder does not require complicated treatments or extensive changes to ones life styles. Recent studys have found that the disorder requires appropiate therapies that address hyperandrogenism, a consequence of metabolic disorders. 

In this experiment, 2-naphthol, sodium hydroxide, and ethanol were reacted via SN2 reaction and butyl naphthyl ether was obtained in 13.6% yield.  The product was identified to be ether via melting point which was measured at 32-34°C. TLC analysis was then performed to determine which components dominate the solvent mixture. For the 95:5 hexane:EtOAC mixture, the Rf value of 2-naphthol was 0.723 and the Rf value of the product was 0.702. For the 95:5 EtOAC:hexane mixture, the Rf value of 2-naphthol was 0.879 and the Rf value of the product was 0.914. For the 60:40 EtOAC:hexane mixture, the Rf value of 2-naphthol was 0.808 and the Rf value of the product was 0.787.

    This study can help the students and faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst get a better understanding of the insect and invertebrate biodiversity found on the school’s campus. The information gathered in this study can also help understand the overall distribution and favored environments of the species found at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. INsects are the foundations of many ecosystems and understanding their biodiversity and distribution can be huge in promoting a healthy environment. Additional information that could be found in this study may include the effects of urban development on insect and invertebrate biodiversity, the effects of pollution on insect and invertebrate biodiversity, and the favorable soil quality and water availability of specific insects and invertebrates on our campus. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is trying to become a clean, and green campus and the understanding of the biodiversity, favorable habitats, and overall abundance of the insects on the campus is the next step in understanding how the students and faculty can make the University of Massachusetts Amherst a cleaner campus.