he Effect of Light Therapy on the Memory of Carbanotids elegans as a Model for Alzheimer’s Disease

Research involving the discovery and development of cures/treatments for Alzheimer\u27s Disease (AD), Parkinson\u27s Disease, and other neurological degenerative diseases are becoming increasingly popular. This research has resulted in an increase in studies relating to the relationship between memory and light, color, smell, etc. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of blue and red therapy lights on C.elegans as a potential treatment for Alzheimer\u27s Disease. It was hypothesized that if the blue light and red light were introduced to Caenorhabditis elegans, then the blue light would improve cognitive function better than the red light because blue light alleviates deficits found in the brain and has a cooling effect on the brain. The C.elegans were introduced to no light (control), red light, or blue therapy lights. Using lights placed on top of a box, the C.elegans over a time span of an hour were exposed to each type of light. Every 10 min, the petri dish containing the C.elegans was tapped 30 times, and the # of C.elegans that remained still and moved back was recorded. If more C.elegans stay in one place, then according to the Tap Withdrawal Response (TWR) test, it can be assumed that the memory of C.elegans was unaffected. The p value of the data was 0.000, a value less than 0.5, suggesting that the data can be considered significant

Quantifying Desensitization to Mass Shootings Through the Duration of Search Interest and Legislative Activity

Mass shootings have become routine in America, with almost 100 since 2010 (Mother Jones [MJ], 2023). The sheer number of killings poses the threat of desensitizing the American public, a phenomenon known as psychic numbing. Research has focused on the initial attention spike after a mass shooting and has applied this inquiry to Congressional action. However, research on the temporal trends of public interest is lacking, and Congressional analysis has been limited by extraneous political variables. To address this deficiency, analysis of Google Trends and Congressional transcripts 30 days after the deadliest shootings since 2010 provided data on the country’s time-dependent reaction to mass shootings. Synthesis of psychological phenomena surrounding gun violence and methods to assess these phenomena prompted the question: as the frequency of mass shootings in America has persisted, how has the duration of Google search interest changed in relation to the length of legislative attention? It was hypothesized that as the frequency of mass shootings in America has increased, the length of Google search interest following each event has decreased and, accordingly, the length of legislative focus has also decreased. This hypothesis was partially supported, as monotonic, or consistent, downward movement in Google Trends data was observed in several days of analysis, and popularity values of Google Trends and Congressional transcripts were significantly correlated for many events. Contrary to the hypothesis, monotonic upward trends in some Congressional transcript data were observed. The potential desensitization may hinder legislative action and reveal the moral status of American society

The Impact of Different Octocrylene Concentrations on Ulva lactuca Growth Rate in a Saltwater Environment

This study explores the impact of varying octocrylene concentrations on the growth rate of Ulva lactuca, a vital green algae species in marine ecosystems. With the surge in the use of chemical sunscreens, concerns about their ecological effects necessitate comprehensive investigations, especially on diverse marine flora. Despite known adverse effects on human health and coral reefs, the specific consequences of octocrylene on algae, particularly at lower concentrations, remain insufficiently explored. Ulva lactuca, chosen for its ecological significance, is a bioindicator in this controlled experiment, exposed to distinct octocrylene concentrations (0%, 7%, and 10%) within a simulated saltwater environment. Growth rates are meticulously measured over a 5-day period, and robust statistical analyses, including a one-way ANOVA test, are employed. The results reveal a significant finding: even at a 7% concentration, octocrylene markedly diminishes Ulva lactuca growth rates, challenging current regulatory standards. The one-way ANOVA test yields an F-statistic of 26.448, with a p-value of less than 0.0001 at an alpha level of 0.05, signifying a statistically significant difference among the means of the experimental groups. This evidence supports the rejection of the null hypothesis, indicating a discernible impact on Ulva lactuca growth rates. The study underscores the need for a holistic understanding of UV filter implications on marine organisms, urging a reevaluation of regulatory standards. Balancing human safety with marine biodiversity preservation is crucial, contributing valuable insights to discussions on environmentally conscious skincare formulations and emphasizing the urgency of safeguarding marine ecosystems

Investigating Factors That Could Associate With Length of Stay of Patients With Acute Subdural Hematomas​

Over 2.8 million people in the United States suffer from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), a brain dysfunction caused by an outside force. Patients with this condition can have longer Lengths of Stay (LOS) and hospital bills ranging up to $400,000. Factors associated with LOS in TBI patients are currently unknown, and we aim to identify them. We hypothesized that certain patient-specific factors predict LOS. To test this, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) provided us with a 212-patient TBI Database from January 2023 to July 2023. To make the database smaller, we decided to filter it to only people with Acute Subdural Hematomas (aSDH), a pool of blood between the brain and its outermost covering. The new total was 49 patients. We chose to focus on factors like age, gender, mechanism of injury, and discharge location. We also used MRIcroGL, a software that can trace lesions from Computed Tomography (CT) scans, on three patients. It makes a 3D model where you can measure the volume of an aSDH in voxels. We noticed that males, patients who went to rehab, younger patients, and people with a larger aSDH had a longer LOS. All of the factors examined ended up having no statistical significance. In the future, we aim to increase the number of patients for more generalizability, find an automatic hematoma lesion tracer, and examine more factors like socioeconomic status. This research could lower patient costs in the hospital if associations are found with longer LOS

Correlations Between Parent and Child Confidence

Confidence is the positive viewing of oneself and one’s abilities in a given situation. Someone who is confident can approach another person with fewer reservations or fear of rejection than someone who is not confident. This study’s definition of confidence is operationalized from the level of self-esteem one has, and one’s socially depicted self-image. This study believes that if the reports of the parents about their behavior are not congruent with the reports of the children about their parents’ behaviors, the child will be less confident in their daily life due to the parent and/or the child’s inability to accurately interpret the behaviors in the household. SC Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics students and their parents were given six different surveys, each collecting data for a specific facet of confidence. The surveys were as follows: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), Social Connectedness Scale Revised (SCS-R), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Cornell Parent Behavior Inventory (CPBI), Adolescents’ Interpretation and Belief Questionnaire (AIBQ), Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). The researchers believe the data will show that if a student perceives their parent’s behaviors to be too supportive or not supportive enough, the child’s data will suggest a low level of confidence. Furthermore, if the parent’s data suggests a low level of confidence, the child’s data will also suggest a low level of confidence

Correlation Between Kudzu and Soil Salinity

Today, kudzu is estimated to span over three million hectares, or 30 billion square meters. Kudzu continues to spread at a rate of 50 thousand hectares, or 500 million square meters per year. Kudzu has been shown to increase nitric oxide and ozone pollution in the atmosphere, so this research looks into how kudzu affects the soil below. Soil salinity is the amount of dissolved salts (such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride) in a particular sample of soil. Having plants at an unnatural soil salinity to them can lead to limited plant growth, or possibly its death, although plants can temporarily adapt to soil salinity by shrinking their root cells. This leads to the research question: To what extent is the correlation between a kudzu infestation and the salinity of soil within 3 feet of a kudzu infestation in South Carolina prevalent? It is hypothesized that if kudzu is present within three feet of sampled soil, then the soil will have a higher salinity than soil farther than three feet away from kudzu. After analyzing using a Two-Sample T-Test, it was found that there was a strong correlation, with the hypothesis being proven correct. There is a definite correlation between a kudzu infestation and the soil salinity within 3 feet of the kudzu infestation

The Effect of Polycarbonate Microplastics on the Mortality Rate of Artemia franciscana

The world is facing the immense issue of microplastics accumulating in the environment. When microplastics enter the environment, they can cause damage to the base of food chains, tiny invertebrates that support all life above them. As more and more large plastics break down into microplastics, the amount of life that they can affect increases. This project was focused on finding the effects of a specific type of microplastic, polycarbonate, on a relatively unexplored marine environment, salt lakes. Polycarbonate is commonly used in products such as automobiles, eyewear, medical devices, and electronics. With all of these applications, its use, and subsequent formation of microplastics, are constantly growing. Salt lakes are fundamental ecosystems that support many birds, fish, and other crustaceans. At the base of these lakes are brine shrimp, or Artemia franciscana. By testing how microplastics affect brine shrimp, a better understanding of the effect that human pollution has on this important ecosystem can be achieved. The Artemia franciscana were exposed to concentrations of 25 mg/25 mL, 50 mg/25 mL, and 75 mg/25 mL of polycarbonate microplastics. After 24 hours, the mortality was observed. The results of the Chi-square test revealed a p-value of 0.03. With the mortality rate increasing as the concentration of polycarbonate microplastics increased (0.03\u3c0.05). This suggests that there is a correlation between the mortality of the Artemia franciscana and the increase in polycarbonate microplastics. When assessing the data, it can be reasonably concluded that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a difference in the mortality of Artemia franciscana exposed to polycarbonate microplastics in relation to those not exposed to polycarbonate microplastics

Understanding the Human and Emotional Perspective Placed on COVID-19 Related Objects by High Schoolers

The COVID-19 pandemic was one felt around the world. The highly contagious virus left six million people dead, infected over 773 million people (World Health Organization, 2023), and many are scarred in its wake. The purpose of this research was to examine the mental connotations evoked by COVID-19 items on high school aged youth and determine if a negative relation could create foundation for exposure therapy for youth with COVID-19 induced PTSD. Through a survey asking for high school students to rate groups of COVID-19 related images on a scale of how it made them feel, the data was then compiled and ran through a Friedman Test on SPSS Statistics. The findings of this research have statistically shown that viewing high COVID-19 related images correlates to an association with negative emotions evoked in high school aged youth. These findings show that exposure therapy is a feasible solution to PTSD, a problem that plagues many