Determining the First Intermediate Host to Parasites Glossocercus caribaensis and Cyclustera ibisae that are found in Fundulus heteroclitus in the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Fundulus heteroclitus serves as a host to many parasites, providing a model system to investigate questions regarding evolution and ecology of host-parasite interactions in natural populations. Previous research from the North Inlet Estuary at Belle W. Baruch shows that F. heteroclitus serve as second intermediate hosts to cestodes, Glossocercus caribaensis and Cyclustera ibisae. Finding larval parasites in the first intermediate host will complete gaps in the knowledge about these parasites’ life cycles. In the experiment, 27 fish were collected from the North Inlet Estuary and were dissected and examined for parasites around the gastrointestinal tract. Parasites collected were sent to parasitologist, Dr. Anindo Choudhury, the associate editor for the Journal of Parasitology, for identification. The parasites were positively identified as G. caribaensis and C. ibisae, indicating that the cestodes were still present in the community. Then, possible first intermediate hosts were collected from the North Inlet Estuary; these specimens included grass shrimp, snails, clams, and fiddler crabs. These possible hosts were dissected and examined for early stage tapeworms (oncospheres). Parasites found were also sent to Dr. Choudhury to be identified. Several different species of parasites were found in dissection of first intermediate hosts. Parasites identified were isopods, trematodes, and a possible cestode. The finding of a possible cestode in only one host, a grass shrimp, out of seventy dissected, led us to the conclusion that grass shrimp are most likely an accidental host to the tapeworms

The Effect of Combination Birth Control Pills on Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Body Weight and Body Temperature

Birth control pills are the most popular method of birth control for women. In the United States of America, roughly 10.2 million women use some type of birth control pills. The two main types of birth control pills available to women are combination pills, which contain both estrogen and progestin, and progestin-only birth control pills that do not contain any estrogen. Numerous biological research studies have been performed studying the effects of combination birth control pills on blood pressure and body weight. However, few studies have examined blood pressure combined with both heart rate, body temperature, and body weight to study the effects of combination birth control pills. We hypothesized that women taking combination birth control pills will have higher heart rates, blood pressures, body weights, and body temperatures when compared to the control group. This research study consisted of 40 women from Columbia College who were either on combination birth control pills or a member of the control group, which meant they were not on any form of hormonal birth control. Students came in twice a week for eight weeks to have their heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature measured to determine the effect, if any, of birth control on these factors. Body weight was measured once during the beginning of the study and once at the end. The research study recently concluded and data was analyzed through statistical analysis (SPSS) using both ANOVA and t-tests