Drafts

A second recrystallization was performed on the trimyristin using the minimal amount of acetone to dissolve the solid. The liquid solution was heated till boiling and cooled at room temperature for ten minutes. The solution was then cooled in an ice bath for another 10 minutes. The product was dried, and the mass was determined. The melting point of the twice recrystallized trimyristin was found and the percent recovery after the first recrystallization was determined.

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes an individual to experience excessive uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. Symptoms for narcolepsy begin between the ages of 15-25 and could significantly become worse as time goes on. People with this disorder often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time and often experience sudden attacks of sleep. This disorder unfortunately does not have a cure, but there are certain medications that those who do experience this excessive uncontrollable sleepiness can take to help manage the drowsiness. REM sleep is typically when most dreaming occurs and usually happens after the first 90 minutes of falling asleep. For those with narcolepsy, REM occurs immediately or within 15 minutes of falling asleep. The cause of this disorder is still unknown, but scientists have come to a conclusion that people with type 1 narcolepsy often have low levels of hypcretin which is a neurochemical in our brains that help control and regulate wakefullness. With low levels of this neurochemical, regulation of REM sleep is being altered and causing those with this disorder to experience excessive daytime sleepiness. 

Although resistance can develop in PaCSCs in response to treatment with OXPHOS inhibitors, it can be combated through the inhibition of the protein Myc. PaCSCs’ dependence on OXPHOS is mediated by Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator 1 α (PGC-1α), a transcription factor that is inversely regulated by the expression of the c-Myc oncogene. The Myc protein is expressed at low to undetectable levels in PaCSCs normally, thus indicating a high expression of PGC-1α (Sancho et al. 2015). When resistance in PaCSCs arises, c-Myc expression increases as well. This resistance has been reversed with inhibition of c-Myc (Sancho et al. 2015). Therefore, the researchers will include a c-Myc inhibitor in all phases of treatment to continually combat this resistance. RRx-001 is a minimally toxic c-Myc inhibitor that has been found to effectively target CD133+/CD44+ cancer stem cells from colon cancer (Oronsky et al. 2018). It also inhibits Wnt signaling as a result of this c-Myc downregulation. The researchers plan to incorporate RRx-001 into their treatment to further suppress PaCSC self-renewal and resistance.

Neurotoxins are chemicals that disrupt the nervous system. Neurons send neurotransmitters to other neurons, which is the form of communications organisms use to communicate within its body. Neurotoxins block the neurotransmitter receptor sites, so the signal would not be transmitted. The genes have evolved to produce a neurotoxin called clacicludine. Calcicludine is a 60-amino acid long polypeptide. The amino acid is made up of six cysteines which form three disulfide bridges. The disulfide bridges that are formed provide a stable structure for the calcicludine. The bonds inhibit any extra folding of the proteins, meaning that the protein would remain in its shape. A change in the shape of a protein would change the function of that particular protein. The three disulfide bonds that calcicludine has means that the development of the venom has become important to the survival of the eel. Calcicludine is a protein that blocks voltage-gated calcium channels.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmenary Disease is a term used to describe a group of diseases that essentially block airflow and make it difficult to breathe. This disease is characterized by the increase of breathlessness and includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and refractory asthma. COPD is caused by the constant and long term exposure to irratating gasses and matter. Individuals diagnosed with COPD are at a high risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer and other severe conditions. COPD symptoms arent diagnosable until a significant amount of damage has been done to an individuals lungs and the disease is treatable. Many people who are diagnosed are able to live and manage the symptoms and live a good quality life. 

Over the past few years, the concern of mental health in teenagers has been on the rise in the United States. Research and studies are publishing astonishing results that show the increase in depression and anxiety in young adults. A recent article published in The New York Times, “Why Are More American Teenagers Than Ever Suffering From Severe Anxiety”, states that more college students are seeking help at counseling services due to anxiety more so than depression. Another research by the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors reports that “more than half of the college students who visited their campus counseling centers during the 2015-2016 academic year reported symptoms of anxiety” (Tate, 2017). According to The National Institute of Mental Health, “anxiety is the most common mental-health disorder in the United States, affecting nearly one-third of both adolescents and adults” (Denizet-Lewis, 2017). Recently, anxiety in teenagers has been overlooked and perceived as somewhat normal from schools and parents to experience stress to a certain degree. However, the cases are quickly increasing and more attention must be brought to control and tame this health crisis.

During and following the study the participants function of fitness will be expected to change over time. Factors such as VO2 max, BMI, one rep max, heart rate, and blood pressure will be expected to improve in their own regard. Possible predictors in change in nerve function may include: nerve conduction velocity, vibration perception threshold, nerve action potential, and nerve fiber branching. The variables and results expected to be most likely to change are a drop in blood glucose/A1C, increased nerve conduction velocity in both motor and sensory neurons, and an overall increase in function of fitness.

There is growing evidence that microbes shape the way organisms develop in early embryonic stages and then continue to play a critical role throughout an organisms’ adult life. Even animals that develop in areas that do not contain microbes are thought to eventually need microbes in order to complete postnatal development. Evidence of this is found in studies that have been done on germfree mice. These mice have been bred to lack gut bacteria. The studies have shown that microbes are necessary in postnatal maturation of the intestinal tract, immune system, and parts of the brain. 

The documentary focuses on how homo sapiens were able to adapt to different environment in various parts of the world without becoming extinct. They had incredible features that could withstand harsh climates and tough ways of living but yet the genes were still passed on from generation to generation. Our earliest ancestors lived in hot, dry climates in Africa while later others lived in isolated freezing temperatures up to -40 degrees. Moreover, certain groups of homo sapiens were adapted to live in dry lands with little access to water while others lived by the ocean and depended on sea animals for survival. Homo sapiens acquired several skills that allowed them to create sophisticated tools for hunting and consumed nutrient rich foods which together expanded the capacities of the brain. Over time, our brains expanded and become capable of performing more complex tasks. The findings of Lucy show how much smaller our brains were when the species first appeared. Paleontologists and archaeologists from around the world have found groundbreaking evidence through fossils and genetic DNA sequencing to find that there are overlapping similarities between the different groups such as Denisovans, Neanderthals, and Homo Sapiens.

The accepted melting point of trimyristin is 56-57°C. In the experiment, the melting point range of the first recovery was 53-58°C. This is significantly wider and lower than the accepted range for trimyristin. The first recovery was therefore found to by impure. It is possible that the acetone had not all evaporated or there was still contamination with other compounds from the extraction of trimyristin from the nutmeg. This was improved with the second recrystallization, which significantly reduced the range to 55-57°C, which is in range of the accepted melting point. It is most likely that this was the expected product from the reaction.