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Sean Nash

Study shows experimental evidence of an altruistic nature in small convict cichlid fish - 0 views

phys.org/...e-altruistic-nature-small.html

ethology behavior behavioralscience convictcichlid cichlid fish research SCI-I model organism study nature science potential research idea biology HSR HSR-2023

shared by Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23 - No Cached
  • Study shows experimental evidence of an altruistic nature in small convict cichlid fish
    • Sean Nash
      Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23
       
      This is a big favorite model organism for me and for a handful of former students. They are fascinating little fish with complex behaviors. However, the struggle is always: studies with vertebrate model organisms are always subject to far more scrutiny and paperwork. You have to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that your study is not invasive, and you have a proper plan for their care before/during/after experimentation. I am actually switching out the back aquarium (that previously had African Cichlids) for these in August.
katherine-medina

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Exchange with Artificial CSF Enriched with Mesenchymal Stem C... - 2 views

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...PMC6480705

CSF-experiments mice stem-cells potential research idea HSR-2023

shared by katherine-medina on 29 May 23 - No Cached
  • Moreover, toxicity of the CSF from patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases has been reported
  • Moreover, toxicity of the CSF from patients affected by neurodegenerative diseases has been reported
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      Good to note.
  • A beneficial effect was also demonstrated under Aβ neurotoxicity in PC12 cells
  • ...21 more annotations...
  • n humans, it was reported that filtration of the CSF was beneficial in Guillain-Barré syndrome [
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      interesting that filtering the liquid can help people.
  • . MSCs produce a variety of neurogenic, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory agents [15,16,17,18,19,20,21], and have been shown to induce beneficial effects when transplanted in EAE-mice [22,23,24,25], stroke [26,27], traumatic brain injury [28], Parkinson’s disease [29], schizophrenia, and autism [30,31] as well as increased neurogenesis in adult mice
  • Moreover, no studies using biologically enriched-aCSF for exchanging the CSF have been published.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      That makes me want to search hard for studies that do involve the transfer, however I would have to figure out a way to create an experiment around this base idea of artificial CSF.
  • Artifical cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) enriched with secretions of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) increases cell viability of PC12 and SH-SY5Y neuronal cell lines
  • While secretions of 2 days growing 10 or 100 K/mL MSCs in aCSF did not show an increase in PC12 cell viability
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      HMMM.... that is utterly fascinating the fact that after 2 days there seemed to be no change amongst the cell viability for both the 10 and 100 ml aCSF.
  • etions of 5 days growing MSCs in aCSF did show a significant increase in the PC12 cell viability relative to unenriched-aCSF treated cells
  • The principle of CSF exchange is similar to plasma exchange by plasmapheresis, which is in use for the treatment of autoimmune disorders
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      Did not know that it was similar to plasmapheresis.
  • a significant increase in cell viability was noticed in the enriched-aCSF (
  • A similar trend of increased cell viability by enriched-aCSF treatment was noticed in SH-SY5Y cells exposed to H2O2, but without reaching a statistical significance
  • while cell viability was reduced under Aβ, a significant increase in cell viability was noted in the enriched-aCSF treated cells
  • significantly suppressed in spleen lymphocytes treated with the enriched-aCSF compared to lymphocytes treated with (unenriched-) aCSF
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      This limiting of the lymphocytes is most likely a good thing under the guise of this paper because the suppression of lymphocytes likely helps with certain autoimmune disorders.
  • These results show that the “in/out” enriched-aCSF therapy was the most effective one, affecting both time of onset (EAE-control mice develop the disease at day 10 while the treated mice at day 14 post induction) and disease progression
  • Prolonged amelioration of EAE clinical symptoms during prolonged CSF exchange therapy: (in/out) enriched-aCSF protocol was more effective than (in) enriched-aCSF and (in/out) aCSF.
  • A trend of less demyelination in the LFB staining in the (in/out) enriched-aCSF treated- mice relative to the EAE-control mic
  • Our results show that elimination of endogenous CSF, and its replacement with MSC secretions enriched-aCSF ((in/out)-enriched-aCSF), delayed EAE onset and reduced the clinical score with indications of reduced axonal damage and demyelination.
  • in vitro and in vivo, has shown that MSCs can promote survival and axonal myelination in sensory dorsal root ganglia neurons and may be effective in non-inflammatory models of demyelination [
  • MSCs transplantation alone has been applied and tested with strong indications of beneficial effects in animal models of MS [22,23,24,25], stroke [26,27], traumatic brain injury [28], PD [29], schizophrenia, and autism
  • showing that local (intraventricular) transplantation of MSCs is more effective than intravenous administration
  • The feasibility of CSF exchange therapy reported here in the EAE model might possibly be applied to other neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS.
  • our approach of CSF exchange therapy could be beneficial for fully developed neurological diseases through a repeated application of the proposed CSF exchange protocol
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 29 May 23
       
      A good thing to recognize and note for future reference.
  • 5. Conclusions
  • katherine-medina on 29 May 23
     
    This is a more recent study about the effects of artificial CSF infused with MSC in mice.
katherine-medina

IJMS | Free Full-Text | Antioxidant Versus Pro-Apoptotic Effects of Mushroom-Enriched D... - 0 views

www.mdpi.com/...3987

mushrooms apotosis anti-cancer cancer-fighting HSR-2023 antioxidants

shared by katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23 - No Cached
  • In addition, the gut microbiota has also been described to be modulated by mushroom bioactive molecules, with implications in reducing liver inflammation during NAFLD progression.
  • non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      I like the abbreviation
  • NASH is currently the third most common indication for liver transplantation in the United States and accounts for 10% of all HCC cases in Europe
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • The increase in nutrient availability causes systemic metabolic alterations that lead to an increase in hepatic mitochondrial respiration as well as changes in the mitochondrial lipid membrane composition.
  • They are also rich in phenolic acids, such as hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonoids, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and carotenoids that are known for their antioxidant activity
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      They are high in polyphenols, just like I had thought, I do wonder if they have tried to single out a certain flavonoid or stilbene in order to determine whether or not it was the mechanism that caused the positive reaction.
  • Of note, indeed NAFLD patients present a “metabolic inflexibility”, that is, a reduced capacity to switch back from
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      I did not know that
  • The increased levels of β-oxidation seem to result in an increase in citrate within the mitochondrial matrix that can be transported to the cytosol via the citrate-malate shuttle and converted to acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate by the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase [90,106]. Indeed, NAFLD patients present increased citrate levels in plasma
  • An alternative explanation for the deficient mitochondrial respiration might be the alterations in the mitochondria lipid composition, which are already present in steatosis.
  • As defined by mitohormesis, ROS production is physiological at low levels, acting as a crucial effector in proliferation, expression of antioxidant enzymes and insulin signalling. However, high levels of ROS formation causes oxidative stress and cell damage by reacting with its different components [90,114,115]. Oxidative stress occurs when the antioxidant capacity of the cell is not sufficient to neutralize the overproduction of ROS. ROS generation causes the peroxidation of phospholipids and cardiolipin at the mitochondrial membrane
  • All these mechanisms seem to be involved in the progression from NAFL to NASH. Indeed, NASH patients present increased ROS production, DNA damage, as measured by 8-Oxo-2’-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) levels, and hepatic lipid peroxidation coupled with decreased expression of ETC Com
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      So essentially NASH patients have a higher level of ROS which damages their DNA. increase of ROS = DNA damage
  • In parallel, the negative regulation on the inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) mediated by the translocation of a series of IAP antagonists such as Smac, HTRA2/Omi and apoptosis-related protein in the TGF-ß signalling pathway (ARTS) to the cytosol, results in the release and activation of caspases
  • Aiming at weight loss, calorie-restricted diets and regular physical activity can improve hepatic mitochondria dysfunction by decreasing FFA liver input and alleviating oxidative stress.
  • New therapies need to be developed to target NAFLD and NASH,
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      Are there any new therapies to treat NASH and NAFLD
  • showed lipid metabolism-modulating properties in the liver
  • This may lead to a decrease in lipogenesis and a concomitant increase in β-oxidation that could explain the reduction in IHTG content [203]. Similarly, the supplementation with a 1% aqueous extract of A. cinnamomea for 8 weeks reduced the expression of leptin and increased the expression of adiponectin, which was accompanied by an increase of AMPK and PGC-1α and a reduced expression of ACC, FAS and SREBP
  • IHTG content that was similar to the positive control group, treated with rosiglitazone, a PPAR-agonist antidiabetic drug
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      Interesting, I wonder if there is more that can be done with this extract with these types of effects.
  • herefore, these studies suggest a pivotal capacity of mushroom extracts to counteract the detrimental oxidative damage of mitochondria in NAFLD.
  • which seems to exacerbate NASH. H2O2 over-production may open the mPTP, while its transmembrane diffusion to the cytoplasm may even result in highly detrimental OH• formation. [93,131,132]. In contrast, the capacity of mushroom extracts from species such as Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm. (oyster mushroom) or G. lucidum to elevate the entire antioxidant defence system of hepatocytes, seems a more promising therapeutic effect against the oxidative stress in NASH.
  • . Such evidence further supports the potential of G. lucidum extracts in reversing mitochondrial dysfunction in NAFLD.
  • In this line of research, novel therapies aim to target apoptosis via mitochondria, using molecules that mimic BH3 proteins and disrupt the interactions of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins.
  • Both aqueous and ethanol extracts, or isolated compounds (GL22 from Ganoderma leucocontextum T.H Li, W.Q. Deng, Dong M. Wang & H.P. Hu) increased the pro-apoptotic Bax to anti-apoptotic Bcl-2/Bcl-xL ratio
  • The antitumorigenic effects of mushroom extracts and isolated compounds have also been demonstrated in in-vivo xenograft models, resulting in tumour size reduction and increased animal survival rates (Table 2). Furthermore, in the HCC Huh7 xenograft mice model, fatty acid binding proteins
  • Therefore, the mechanisms by which mushroom extracts or isolated compounds induce mitochondrial-related apoptosis pathways are diverse and may be related with specific bioactive compounds. Modulation of pathways crucial for cell survival and alterations in lipid homeostasis seem to be related with the pro-apoptotic effects observed in HCC cell lines and in in-vivo xenograft models.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
       
      Cool
  • To sum up, mitochondria play a central role in the pathophysiology and progression of NAFLD as well as in the development of HCC, which can be a late-stage consequence of NASH. Hepatic mitochondria undergo bioenergetic remodelling to face the metabolic burden imposed by the increased FFAs load secondary to systemic IR. In turn, a decompensation of these processes may result in ROS formation and mitochondrial dysfunction, contributing to the development of NASH. Lastly, hepatic mitochondria also seem to be involved in anti-apoptotic oncogenic processes driving HCC. Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction is thus a promising approach for the treatment of the NAFLD continuum. The following section describes some of the in-vitro and in-vivo studies on the beneficial effects of mushroom-enriched diets or mushroom-derived compounds/extracts (Box 2) in preventing/reverting such liver damage.
  • This distinct property of mushroom-based therapy or -containing diet is especially relevant in the multifactorial context of NAFLD and especially NASH, where systemic synergistic metabolic alterations need to be addressed.
  • katherine-medina on 01 Jul 23
     
    An article detailing a bit of the effects that mushrooms can have on the liver's mitochondrial cells.
Sean Nash

Learning in Plants: Lessons from Mimosa pudica - 4 views

www.frontiersin.org/...full

Mimosa learning plants botany research SCI-I science student lab potential research idea biology HSR HSR-2023

shared by Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23 - No Cached
  • there is a lack of observational data on the behavior of plants
  • Observational research allows the researcher to establish baseline activity and response levels of the subject
  • Perhaps the first study of learning in plants was a habituation experiment reported by Pfeffer (1873) using the sensitive plant Mimosa. In this experiment, repeated mechanical stimulation of leaflets led to a decrease in sensitivity
  • ...12 more annotations...
  • the question naturally arises as to whether Mimosa can discriminate between stimuli. This was answered in the affirmative by Holmes and Gruenberg (1965) whose experimental design included a drop of water and finger touch as stimuli
  • the results suggest that Mimosa can discriminate between stimuli
  • Thomas performed an experiment on classical conditioning in Mimosa that took advantage of the finding that, under field conditions, the leaflets of Mimosa slowly drop as dusk approaches and slowly rise at dawn (personal communication). In the experiment, the CS was turning on the light in the growth chamber and the US was touching selected leaflets. Thomas found that leaflets in the paired condition showed conditioning compared to a light only or alternating stimulation condition. This finding should be replicated with controls for pseudoconditioning.
  • Given the importance of the Gagliano et al. (2014) experiment and the failure to replicate some previous experimental results it is critical that the Gagliano et al. (2014) results be repeated by an independent laboratory.
  • In addition to Mimosa, habituation has been found in the carnivorous plant Drosera (sundew
  • Applewhite (1975) cites an experiment by Darwin reportedly showing habituation in the passion flower (Passiflora gracilis). During this experiment, when Darwin mechanically stimulated the passion flower tendrils, the tendrils no longer responded after 54 h of training.
  • Abramson et al. (2002) investigated the use of bioelectrical potentials as a method to explore plant behavior.
  • In an interesting article, Karpinski and Szechynska-Hebda (2010) discuss the intellect of plants from memory to intelligence. By studying recall, the researcher investigates a host of independent variables and that are solidly anchored to a set of dependent variables. This study focused on recall at the cellular level rather than as an externally observable behavior. The discussion of plant learning at various levels, from cellular to organismal and from different scientific fields is exactly what is advocated for in this article
  • There is also interest from behavioral scientists seeking to determine whether the similarities and differences in learning found among invertebrates and vertebrates could also be found in plants (Warden et al., 1940; Applewhite, 1975; Abramson et al., 2002; Guiguet, 2013).
  • The majority of early plant studies used the Sensitive plant (M. pudica). Mimosa has much to recommend it for learning studies. They are easy to maintain, much is known about its natural history, and they have a visible leaf closure response to external stimuli. However, there are drawbacks in the use of Mimosa, for example, it takes about 15 min for a leaf to recover (Holmes and Gruenberg, 1965) and not much is known about its genome in contrast to model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana whose entire genome is known.
  • In the following section we will focus on methods to develop studies utilizing habituation, sensitization, and classical conditioning techniques. Instrumental and operant conditioning will not be covered because at this time there are no Mimosa studies in these areas; although one can envision a situation where the opening and closing of a leaf can be detected electronically. Once detected, the response would produce a consequence such as an airpuff or changes in light intensity.
    • Sean Nash
      Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23
       
      The remainder of this comprehensive article is to outline the main lines of research in this area:
  • Learning in Plants: Lessons from Mimosa pudica
    • Sean Nash
      Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23
       
      This well-compiled article does a really nice job of outlining the history of study regarding plant behavior. It also suggests model organisms for study. Mimosa is a favorite of mine as their response is VERY rapid and quite visible for a plant! There are all sorts of feasible project ideas that could arise from this area of research.
ryleighnyp

BMED010 - Natural and Commercial Moisturizers on Skin Model | Regeneron ISEF 2023 - 2 views

projectboard.world/...ial-moisturizers-on-skin-model

ISEF fair project

shared by ryleighnyp on 23 May 23 - No Cached
  • ryleighnyp on 23 May 23
     
    This is a good example of data collection, experimental design, and presentation.
ryleighnyp

Dissemination of circulating tumor cells at night: role of sleep or circadian rhythm? |... - 1 views

genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/...s13059-022-02791-y

HSR-2023 potential research idea biology

shared by ryleighnyp on 07 Aug 23 - No Cached
  • metastasis
    • ryleighnyp
      ryleighnyp on 07 Aug 23
       
      spread of cancer cells from the primary site to other parts of the body (Copilot)
  • levels of CTCs increased at night in humans with breast cancer and mouse models of breast cancer and that CTCs in the rest-phase are more likely to metastasize
  • Cancer cells spread aggressively during the resting phase; however, whether this process occurs during sleep phases, non-rapid eye movement (NREM), or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep remains to be explored.
prishabpatel

Lectins as Bioactive Plant Proteins: A Potential in Cancer Treatment - 1 views

www.tandfonline.com/...10408390591034445

HSR-2023 botany biology

shared by prishabpatel on 24 Aug 23 - No Cached
Sean Nash liked it
  • Sean Nash on 24 Aug 23
     
    Nifty. OK, here's my initial reaction: do we know what the proposed mechanism of action is for lectins regarding cancers? HOW do we think they are having this measurable effect? If we know that... is there a simple animal model where we could measure the same/similar effect right here in the lab?
Sean Nash

Health Effects from Swimming Training in Chlorinated Pools and the Corresponding Metabo... - 4 views

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...PMC4351252

swimming chlorine mice-experimenting HSR2023 blood liver pools

shared by Sean Nash on 13 Jul 23 - No Cached
  • Numerous epidemiological publications have associated the chlorination of pools with dysfunctions of the respiratory system and with some other diseases
  • Therefore, the health effects from swimming in chlorinated pools and the corresponding stress reactions in organisms are unclear. In this study, we show that although the growth and behaviors of experimental rats were not affected, their health, training effects and metabolic profiles were significantly affected by a 12-week swimming training program in chlorinated water identical to that of public pools.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      This may prove to be a concerning fact that myself and others on the swim team swim rather consistently.
  • The epidemiological evidence for adverse health effects from swimming in chlorinated water primarily originate from studies concerning respiratory function and asthma, althoughVillanueva et al. reported a significant increased risk of bladder cancer for swimmers compared with nonswimmers [5].
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      Kinda scary to think about the fact that swimming could be hurting my lungs.
    • Sean Nash
      Sean Nash on 13 Jul 23
       
      OK... this is all a very rare and interesting topic to me. I've never considered it. Of course, in thinking a bout this as a HS research topic, the fact that it centers around humans... is a feasibility issue. However, what sort of invertebrate models could we use in place? Would we be able to detect DBPs?
  • ...24 more annotations...
  • Interestingly, the eyes and skin are the organs that are more directly affected than the lungs by the irritants in chlorinated water; instead of chlorination, training intensity, training frequency and choking on water may be the primary factors for lung damage induced by swimming.
  • he water for the EG was purified using a water purifier and then disinfected using calcium hypochlorite, similar to public swimming pools, whereas the water for the CG was only purified, not chlorinate
  • Therefore, the health effects from swimming in chlorinated pools and the corresponding stress reactions occurring in our bodies are unclear
  • In fact, similar symptoms, red and swollen eyes, dried skin and nasal mucosal congestion, always appear after humans swim in a chlorinated pool; however, the long-term (12 weeks) and high-frequency (5 days a week) of the experimental swimming training caused even worse symptoms in these experimental rats.
  • however, some unusual appearance changes appeared in the EG rats.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      EG rats had the exposure of a public level of chlorine.
  • First, the skin around their eyes became increasingly red with the development of the experiment, and in the ending period of the experiment, bloodstains could be observed in the rims of most rats’ eyes.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      Wow.
  • Third, their fur became increasingly dry and lackluster, and significant signs of hair loss were observed during the last month.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      This doesn't sound good.
  • These results indicated that the fur, respiratory tracts and eyes of the EG rats were severely affected by chlorinated water, although their growth was essentially unaffected. According to our observations, the daily behaviors and sizes of the EG rats were normal, and their final body weights were even slightly heavier than those weights of the control group. Nevertheless, dried and lackluster fur, hair removal, bloody noses and eyes did occur in the EG rats and not to the CG rats.
  • A meta-analysis performed by Goodman et al. demonstrated that the association between asthma and swimming could only be confirmed among competitive swimmers and could not be confirmed among non-competitive swimmers
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      SO competitive swimmers are the ones with an association of asthma and pool water.
  • Additionally, an interesting phenomenon was observed by comparing the development of the bloody noses and bloody eyes. The bloody noses commonly appeared in the third and in the fourth week; however, approximately two weeks later, this symptom gradually disappeared. The significantly bloody eyes commonly appeared in the ending period of the experiment; however, this problem was becoming worse during the study, and no signs of improvement appeared. The bloody noses appeared first, suggesting that respiratory tracts may be more vulnerable to the irritants from the chlorinated water than eyes; the gradually disappearing symptom suggests that respiratory tracts may have some adaptability to chlorinated water possibly because of the protection from nasal mucous. In contrast, without the mucosal protection, the bloody eyes were becoming increasingly significant during the entire experiment, although this symptom appeared later than the bloody noses.
  • Hippurate is an inhibitor of glucose utilization in the muscle and in the kidneys, an inhibitor of glucose utilization in the kidneys and in the liver, a modulator of fatty acid metabolism, and a stimulator of ammoniagenesis
  • Three rats from the EG were found liver damage, indicating that the positive rate reached 18 percen
  • or instance, Tumasonis et al. reported that a significantly increased incidence of hepatic neoplastic nodules in female rats and a significantly increased incidence of hepatic adenofibrosis in both male and female rats were induced by the chronic ingestion of chloroform [15].
  • Representative hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E, 400×) of liver sections.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      The liver literally changed between the two groups.
  • . We suppose that the primary differences between the competitive swimmers and non-competitive swimmers are training intensity and frequency, not the pool water.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      An interesting theory, but I wonder if it has been proved.
  • The first three principal components (PCs) explain 57.3% of the total variance of the raw data and are sufficient to present the differences between the EG and the CG
  • In Fig. 3, we can see that the majority of the differences between the EG and the CG are explained by PC 1 and PC 3.
  • which suggests that the 12-week swimming training in chlorinated water induced a significant change in the metabolic profiles of the experimental group rats.
  • As an antioxidant, taurine can directly scavenge hypochlorous acid (HClO) and prevents changes in membrane permeability due to oxidative impairment
  • The duration period from the entry into water until the rats reached exhaustion was significantly shorter for the EG rats compared with the CG rats (29.74±11.50 vs. 39.15±9.85 minutes, p<0.05)
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      Rats in chlorine swam ten minutes less on average.
  • Chlorine is a necessary element for our bodies, and nontoxic.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
       
      I did not know that.
  • In summary, the 12-week swimming training in chlorinated pool water did induce some disease symptoms, an impairment of training effects and a significant change in the metabolic profiles, although the growth and behaviors of the experimental animals were not affected
  • Thus, the eyes and skin might be the organs that require greater attention for permanent damage.
  • Symptoms found in the liver and lung sections indicate that the liver is most likely the most possible target organ of DBPs, and training intensity, training frequency and water choking may be the primary factors for lung damage induced by swimming, instead of chlorination. The result of the swimming capacity test showed that training effects were significant affected by chlorinated water through perturbing the TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation.
  • katherine-medina on 13 Jul 23
     
    A really cool article about how chlorine can affect the bodies of mice. (An article I will never be able to forget about due to it being similar to my situation.)
  • Sean Nash on 13 Jul 23
     
    A really cool article about how chlorine can affect the bodies of mice. (An article I will never be able to forget about due to it being similar to my situation.)
ryleighnyp

Electrical grounding technique may improve health outcomes of NICU babies -- ScienceDaily - 2 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...170803120627.htm

HSR HSR-2023 potential research idea

shared by ryleighnyp on 07 Jun 23 - No Cached
Sean Nash liked it
  • "What we can conclude is that a baby's autonomic nervous system is able to sense the electrical environment and it seems as though a baby is more relaxed when grounded,"
  • redesigning incubators to ground babies and cancel out the electrical field
  • ryleighnyp on 07 Jun 23
     
    I think a possible research idea could be redesigning NICU incubators to allow for less electromagnet interference with the babies with the use of grounding.
  • Sean Nash on 07 Jun 23
     
    Interesting, for sure. Two things... the actual measurements they made on children (skin tests, etc.) are a no-go for us. I'm not sure what our model system could be for checking the electrical outputs of whatever design changes were made. We would need to know a lot more about the current setup in NICUs. There is no doubt a lot of design in how things are currently set up. Essentially: why things are set up the way they are right now? You would have to know every variable currently considered, and then look for spots where simple changes can be made. Second thing: go back to the ISEF categories in Engineering and check out how those projects look at the national level. Just go get a feel. Engineering is a bit different from typical "hypothesis testing" seen in most natural sciences. Very cool, but different. Give it a look.
katherine-medina

Anti-Oxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Ginger in Health and Physical Activity:... - 1 views

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/...PMC3665023

Ginger cancer-fighting HSR-2023 botany biology

shared by katherine-medina on 18 Jun 23 - No Cached
izzy kelly liked it
  • the rhizome
  • Ginger has staring potential for treating a number of ailments including degenerative disorders (arthritis and rheumatism), digestive health (indigestion, constipation and ulcer), cardiovascular disorders (atherosclerosis and hypertension), vomiting, diabetes mellitus, and cancer.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 18 Jun 23
       
      It has the potential for it, so there may not be many studies on these different things that ginger can supposedly do. So it makes me Infinitely more curious to look and see if there are other studies that actually have information about these said claims.
  • Furthermore, it has antimicrobial potential as well which can help in treating infectious diseases.[2
  • ...17 more annotations...
  • The bioactive molecules of ginger like gingerols have shown antioxidant activity in various modules
  • Inflammatory disorders such as gastritis, esophagitis, and hepatitis, which are caused not only by infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites but also by physical and chemical agents like heat, acid, cigarette smoke, and foreign bodies, are recognized as risk factors for human cancer
  • This study aimed to review the current evidence on ginger effects as an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative.
  • es.[2
  • 6-Shogaol has exhibited the most potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in ginger, which can be attributed to the presence of alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone moiety
  • Furthermore, feeding ginger to rats at 1% w/w during administration of malathion
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 18 Jun 23
       
      Wow, so they fed the rats pesticides than ginger
  • so it can possibly value in treatment of Parkinson's disease.[17]
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 18 Jun 23
       
      Really cool
  • This effect was improved by a treatment with 1% dietary ginger 1 month in rats which suggest that ginger may have protective role against the ethanol induced hepatotoxicity.
  • could be useful in preventing acute liver injury
  • Habib et al. showed that ginger extract can reduce the elevated expression of NFκB and TNF-α in rats with liver cancer
  • howed that gingerols can inhibit LPS-induced COX-2 expression while shogaol containing extracts has no effect on COX-2 expression
  • Ginger and its bioactive molecules are effective in controlling the extent of colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate cancers
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 18 Jun 23
       
      Wow it can do a lot.
  • They observed that [6]-gingerol inhibits TRAIL-induced NF-κB activation by impairing the nuclear translocation of NF-κB, suppresses cIAP1 expression, and increases TRAIL-induced caspase-3/7 activation
  • Inhibition of angiogenesis in the mouse skin is the mechanism of ginger for treating of skin cancer.
  • However, ginger significantly lowered blood glucose, serum total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, and triglycerides, and raised HDL in hyperglycemic rats, in models that are diabetic, deficient in the apolipoprotein E gene or those that have been fed a high lipid diet.
  • ethanolic extract of ginger reduced body weights and levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, and phospholipids in high-fat diets.
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 18 Jun 23
       
      Overall a good synopsis on what ginger can do.
katherine-medina

Anti-inflammatory effects and possible mechanism of action of lupeol acetate isolated f... - 0 views

journal-inflammation.biomedcentral.com/...1476-9255-7-60

lupeol anti-inflammatory HSR-2023 botany rat-experiments

shared by katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23 - No Cached
Sean Nash liked it
  • The latex collected from its stem bark is used for several purposes including anti-inflammatory properties and presents among its bioactive constituents the pentacyclic triterpene lupeol.
  • administered with LA,
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
       
      they were trying to see if it could work as a prevenatitive treatment
  • carrageenan and dextran,
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
       
      This causes inflammation
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • the effect of a very low dose of LA (0.1 mg/kg) was potentiated by the same dose of pentoxifylline (PTX), a known TNF-alpha inhibitor. L
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
       
      Essentially once they put pentoxifylline into the rat the LA activated.
  • The anti-inflammatory effect of LA probably involves the opioid system, as indicated by the complete blockade of the opioid antagonist naloxone
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
       
      So, the LA helped the body with inflammation due to its interaction with the opioid system.
  • rich in triterpenes
  • Carrageenan-induced mice paw edema
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
       
      Cool to understand that these next two paragraphs are about how to induce inflammation
  • LA injected 30 min before carrageenan significantly decreased the carrageenan-induced neutrophil migration in a dose-dependent manner. The LA inhibitory effect against carrageenan-induced migration was about 52, 79 and 90%, at the doses of 1, 10 and 20 mg/kg, i.p., respectively
  • LA (10, 25 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced both phases of the formalin test, and the results were significant at the two higher doses. However, the effects were mainly on the 2nd phase with 61% inhibition, whereas the 1st phase was inhibited by 41% at the LA dose of 50 mg/kg, i.p. The naloxone pretreatment completely reversed the LA effect, in the 1st and 2nd phases, indicating the participation of the opioid system in LA antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory actions.
  • On the other hand, while no significant enzyme release was observed with LA at the concentrations of 1, 10 and 25 μg/mL, a small but significant LDH release (around 2 times) was detected with the higher LA concentration (50 μg/mL), probably related to the presence of 0.2% Tween 80.
  • The results show that LA at the concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 μg/mL presents no radical scavenging capacity. On the contrary, vitamin E used as the reference drug significantly decreased the absorbance value, as related to controls
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
       
      LA can sadly not kill the free radicals that tend to disrupt and kill DNA and other parts of the cell.
  • In the carrageenan-treated groups pretreated with LA (50 mg/kg, i.p.) or indomethacin (10 mg/kg, i.p.), there were significant reductions of iNOS expressing cells.
  • Lupeol is found in several other species and its antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities have been already demonstrated [24–28]. It is accepted that the anti-inflammatory property of lupeol often accompany its immune modulatory and anti-tumor action
  • lupeol acetate presents an anti-inflammatory activity by regulating TNF-alpha and IL-2 specific mRNA, besides upregulating the synthesis of IL-10 mRNA [31].
  • In the present work, we showed that lupeol acetate (LA, 93.2% purity) isolated from the H. drasticus latex presented a potent anti-inflammatory action, in several models of inflammation in mice
  • These authors concluded that lupeol possessed an anti-inflammatory activity which is probably related to its ability to prevent the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α and IL-1β.
  • katherine-medina on 12 Jun 23
     
    This study is a good one to go back to if you are curious about alternative types of anti-inflammatory plants.
  • Sean Nash on 15 Jun 23
     
    The carrageenan here (and the fact that you seem interested in the biochemical realm) made me think of a supplement my mom recently asked me to scope out for her (Arteriosil). It also contains a seaweed extract (rhamnan sulfate) Her doctor was recommending it for macular degeneration. Here is the product: https://shop.calroy.com/product/arterosilhp/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7aqkBhDPARIsAKGa0oKoQchIRSlzL1_PikNwT71f1BmUVgbIM7sXUQS_lJKaGVSCT4O5R7EaAmaUEALw_wcB Here is one study from the NIH: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32344720/
katherine-medina

Full article: Effect of Dandelion root extract on growth performance, immune function a... - 0 views

www.tandfonline.com/...09540105.2018.1548578

pig-experiments Dandelion Chineses-herbs HSR-2023 supplemental-research

shared by katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23 - No Cached
Sean Nash liked it
  • From days 12 to 14 and days 26 to 28, approximately 100 g of faeces was collected from each pen for 3 days and the faecal samples were stored at −20°C. The 3-d faecal collection was pooled by pen and then dried at 65°C for 72 h.
  • From days 12 to 14 and days 26 to 28, approximately 100 g of faeces was collected from each pen for 3 days and the faecal samples were stored at −20°C. The 3-d faecal collection was pooled by pen and then dried at 65°C for 72 h.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23
       
      Kinda gross, but interesting to know how and when the collected the "feces."
  • There were no differences in the ATTD of GE, CP, NDF and ADF among the three treatments.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23
       
      Interesting that there was no difference between the three groups in that category.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • uring days 15–28, pigs in the CHE group had lower (P < .05) diarrhoea frequency compared with those in the NC treatment, and dietary CHE supplementation decreased the diarrhoea frequency by 63.62% and 57.82% compared with the NC and PC groups, respectively
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23
       
      So the Chinese herbal extract did a better job at reducing the diarrhoea frequency by 63.62 and 57.82% in comparison to the NC and PC groups.
  • Furthermore, pigs in the CHE group had greater (P < .05) formic acid, propionate and butyrate concentrations in faeces compared with pigs in the PC group, and had greater (P < .05) formic acid, butyrate and valerate concentrations in faeces compared with pigs in the NC group
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23
       
      Cool to note that the CHE group had a lower lactic acid concentration in comparison to the PC group.
  • There were no differences in the concentrations of IgA, IgG, IgM, GSH-PX, MDA, TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-1β among the three treatments.
  • Moreover, the concentration of IL-6 in serum in pigs fed the CHE diet was greater (P < .05) than those fed the NC diet.
  • Pigs in the CHE group showed increased relative abundance of Sytrophococcus on genus level, and decreased (P < .05) relative abundance of Clostridiaceae_1
  • In addition, relative abundances of genus Selenomonas, Alloprevotella, Prevotella_2, Rjkenellaceae, and Kitasatospora all increased in faecal samples when pigs fed the PC diet.
  • CHE supplementation decreased the diarrhoea frequency of pigs compared with diets with or without antibiotics supplemented. Some previous studies also reported the positive effects of dietary Chinese herbs supplementation on diarrhoea frequency of weaned pigs
  • he increased concentrations of immune markers in serum and faecal SCFAs in weaned pigs consumed CHE in our study may explain the positive effects of CHE supplementation on diarrhoea frequency and nutrient digestibility
  • but decreased the incidence of diarrhoea and increased digestibility of some nutrients.
  • In addition, CHE supplementation improved faecal SCFAs concentrations and immune function of weaned pigs, and shaped faecal microbial community in weaned pigs. As a result, the traditional Chinese herb medicine, CHE, could act as a potential alternative to the antibiotics such as aureomycin used in weaned pig diets.
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23
       
      I do quite enjoy this closing statement, so in summary CHE works to decrease diarrhoea in weened pigs.
  • katherine-medina on 13 Jun 23
     
    An article showing that pigs who ate CHE had a significant decrease in diahrroea.
  • Sean Nash on 15 Jun 23
     
    Super interesting. Just remember that experimentation on mammals where diet is altered, etc... is a super tightrope walk. It is almost impossible to get those approved. You would have to really dig into the ISEF rules on that. However, you can always think about ways to transfer ideas and concepts down to a "lower" animal model for many studies.
  • Sean Nash on 15 Jun 23
Sean Nash

Low-dose radiation from A-bombs elongated lifespan and reduced cancer mortality relativ... - 1 views

genesenvironment.biomedcentral.com/...s41021-018-0114-3

radiation cancer genes environment fulltext research paper SCI-I potential research idea biology chemistry physics statistical analysis questions HSR HSR-2023 environmental

shared by Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23 - No Cached
  • individuals
    • Sean Nash
      Sean Nash on 23 Jun 23
       
      These "individuals" could just as easily be plants of lower invertebrates (as model organisms at this level). This is fascinating to me. There is no doubt that we would be limited in our ability to work with ionizing radiation, but that's not to say a project couldn't be developed along these lines. I never cease to be amazed at what a motivated student can resourcefully come up with when their passion for a particular line of research is so high.
katherine-medina

Sci-Hub | Dandelion Root and Lemongrass Extracts Induce Apoptosis, Enhance Chemotherape... - 1 views

sci-hub.ru/...31391857

Cancer-fighting dandelions potential research idea environmental HSR-2023

shared by katherine-medina on 04 Jun 23 - No Cached
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 04 Jun 23
       
      They found cancer cell-fighting properties in the dandelion root, lemon grass, long pepper, and hibiscus extract. (I should probably look into what makes these plants prone to killing cancer cells.)
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 04 Jun 23
       
      In order to further understand how these complex extracts exhibit their anticancer efects, the mechanism of apoptotic induction should be investigated. In order to determine if apoptosis is induced through oxidative stress, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is used
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 04 Jun 23
       
      Okay, so they made sure to have a control group of cancer cells, then a group of healthy cells that are being experimented on with the liquid, then they had the cancer-ridden cells.
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • katherine-medina
      katherine-medina on 04 Jun 23
       
      s. Tus, we have shown for the frst time that these NHPs can be used as adjuvants to chemotherapies and potentially enhance their effect.
  • katherine-medina on 04 Jun 23
     
    I will likely come back to this if I so choose to look into how dandelion roots fight cancer.
  • Sean Nash on 04 Jun 23
     
    Yes. Another approach is often... once (if) you can find a suggested mechanism of action... you can often pivot with that action into looking for similar effects in other areas (doesn't have to be human or mammal cancer cells). That area isn't a no-go, but it does present feasibility issues to be tackled. If you can find a suggested mechanism, then you can think more widely about how else could you look to see if that effect can be leveraged in other areas. That is often how you can move toward an easily feasible model organism to test that effect on. Keep up the good work!
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