Certain Cultural Characteristics of Digitalis Pupurea, (Linne) with a Proposed Chemical Assay

Since its introduction into modern medicine digitalis has occupied a very important position in our material medica. Its widespread use as a remedy in conditions of failing heart, and its effectiveness as a diuretic in certain dropsical conditions have gained for it a reputation which is equaled by few other drugs. The opinion of pharmacologiate and physicians as to its mode of action and its field of clinical usefulness has been revised a number of times, and there is much diversity of teaching as to its use in special ailments. Among some workers there is a tendency to restrict its use to the correction of arrhythmias - or even of auricular fibrillation, and the majority are agreed that although in certain cardiac affections digitalis is the most effective remedy we posess, it is not to be regarded as a cure-all in all forms of chronic heart disease

An at Home Cardiorespiratory Monitor in Low Income Countries

ME450 Capstone Design and Manufacturing Experience: Winter 2021This project starts the design process of a device that helps address the issue of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in infants in low income countries. It is a pulse oximeter that is modified to infants small features and constant movement. It also considers the environmental conditions that are associated with most low income countries. The current solution for the problem is a two housing monitor that would be worn the infant's ankle and foot to consistently monitor their blood oxygen levels while they sleep.Prof. Aubree Gordon, Caroline Soyars: Global Health Design Initiativehttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167653/1/Team_10-Cardiorespiratory_Monitor.pd

Effects of the Ras-GEF Inhibitor, BAY-293, on Gene Expression and Protein Phosphorylation in Tetrahymena Thermophila

The Ras/MAPK signaling pathway is a highly conserved mitotic pathway that is is mutated or dysregulated in many cancers. Until recently, Ras was considered “undruggable”, but recently drugs have been designed that would inhibit mitotic signaling through Ras, thus slowing down cancer progression. Our previous work with the Ras-GEF inhibitor, BAY-293 has shown that BAY-293 inhibits mitosis, decreases histone acetylation, and reduces expression of rRNA and mRNA populations in Tetrahymena thermophila. We found that two RNAs, the NgoA RNA and a homologue of the ENO2 gene in yeast, both of which have unknown functions, are differentially regulated in Tetrahymena thermophila that are treated with BAY-293. In our current study, we purified polyadenylated RNA and found that both the ENO2 homolog and the NgoA RNA are polyadenylated. We found evidence that mRNA turnover is greatly increased in cells that have been exposed to BAY-293 for 90 minutes, and that gene expression and signal transduction is altered after 24 hours of exposure to the drug. Using fluorescence microscopy, we found that phosphorylation of MAPK substrates, as well as phosphoserine and phosphotyrosine concentration, were significantly increased by 90-minute exposure to BAY-293, while 24-hour exposure to BAY-293 showed no significant difference in phosphorylation levels between control and drug-treated cells

Quantification of the Antioxidant Activity of Wine Polyphenols

Many of the primary and secondary metabolites produced by plants are polyphenols. When consumed, these polyphenols have been shown to offer many health benefits. These polyphenols are often called antioxidants and are especially abundant in natural products such as tea and wine. While we have studied both beverages, this work focuses on the polyphenols commonly found in wine. This study utilizes differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and the ABTS system to elucidate how the radical scavenging ability of wine polyphenols correlate to the number of polyphenols in solution. The ability of polyphenols to function as antioxidants depends heavily on the pH of the solution. As wine is aged, several biotic and abiotic factors increase the pH from around 3.5 to 4.0, depending on the length of storage. Our current work quantifies how these aging related changes in pH effect the ability of polyphenols to scavenge radicals. Since we have previously studied tea, we also plan to compare tea to wine to elucidate would be a more effective source of antioxidants

Admissions and Marketing at IWU: Findings from Focus-Group Discussions

When faced with the decision of where to apply to and attend college, students must weigh a variety of factors. To better understand the driving factors that lead to students’ decisions to attend Illinois Wesleyan University, as well as what factors drew them to apply to the university in the first place, eight focus groups were conducted. Participants consisted of 68 students that came from every grade level and from 22 different majors. Results revealed that the most frequent factors that influenced students’ final decisions were the small class sizes offered, the reputation of the school, and the atmosphere felt on campus. Participants also made suggestions to help increase prospective students’ interest in attending Illinois Wesleyan, including adding a virtual campus tour to the school website, increasing contact from admissions before the decision to deposit, and improving the website for easier accessibility to information