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CCSU Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement Day, May 8, 2003
 

ORANGE TREE STUDY

Chrystal Lodovico and Jack Tessier
Department of Biological Sciences, Central Connecticut State University

The objectives for this study include to learn the different pesticide used how effective they are toward orange tree pests. The methods to the study include taking 30 samples from 30 different orange trees before and after pesticide spraying. I Collected and recorded the insect abundance and insect composition and facilitated graphs and tables. The results of the study are that pesticide use is very effective but very expensive. Nearly all insects on the on the trees were eliminated after the spraying. The implications of the study are, from talking with scientist Dr. McCoy at the University of Florida Agricultural Center, pesticide use is expensive and only used on oranges that are to be sold for eating because cosmetically they look appealing. However for the most part the grove farmers in central Florida use biological control such as lady bugs, this method is much cheaper but cosmetically less appealing therefore the oranges are processed into juice.

IS THE HEART RATE VARIABILITY OF SPRAGUE-DAWLEY RATS AFFECTED BY TYROSINE PHOSPHORYLATION?

Michael Summa and Cheryl Watson
Department of Biological Sciences, Central Connecticut State University

Two Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this pilot study to observe heart rate variability related to the affects of tyrosine phosphorylation. Once anesthetized, the rats were injected with the drug vanadate. The drug vanadate was used based on its inhibitory effects on tyrosine phosphorylation. Vanadate dephosphorylates proteins. The action of the drug vanadate removes phosphate from tyrosine residue, which allows the full affect of tyrosine kinase to be present. Vanadate generally slowed heart rate , but also increased the variability of the R-R interval.


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Questions/Comments: Tiffany Doan at DoanTiM@ccsu.edu

Last Modified: Wednesday, 31. October 2007