Bio-Active Plants
My Science Fair project last year tested a local native plant for it’s toxic effects on insects (fruit flies), bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The root of the plant Lomatium dissectum, had been used by the Salish People to control lice and other insect pests in horses and cattle. The root was also used to kill fish, which could then be harvested by women and children. The fish killed in this way were not harmful to eat as long as they were consumed soon afterward. I have found also that fishing with the aid of plant toxins was formerly very common in tropical Africa. \r Lomatium dissectum, grows in dry rocky slopes in conjunction with Sagebrush.\r Many desert plants produce toxic substances that inhibit the growth of competing plants\r nearby. This adaptation is called Allelopathy. In a natural ecosystem, Lomatium does not\r kill fish because it does not grow beside creeks. But this raises the question of whether\r allelopathic plants growing outside their natural ecosystem are having a toxic effect on\r animal life. There are introduced invasive weeds that are allelopathic, such as\r Knapweed,growing near streams. And there are crop plants that are allelopathic – Rye and\r Alfalfa. Do these “natural herbicides” also kill fish? Walnut trees are allelopathic and\r compounds from Walnut kill fish.\r If this effect does go beyond toxicity to other plants, it would be an important\r consideration to environmental guidelines for private land bordering on streams and\r rivers. The B.C. Ministry of Environment notes the importance of shade cover for\r spawning streams. It does not recognize the harmful effects of introduced plants. Yet,\r when we were purchasing supplies for our Koi Pond the pet supply company offered a list\r of “Some of the Worst Plants to Have Around Koi”. We do not know if the introduced\r allelopathic plants are poisoning fish or reducing fish stock by poisoning the food that fish\r need.\r Science Fair rules do not allow any research that is expected to have any negative\r impact on vertebrate animals. Because of this, I have decided to test the effect of\r allelopathic plants on fruit flies (Drosophila). Fruit flies are similar to fish since, during\r larva and pupa forms, they live in direct contact with their culture media. I will also be\r testing the effect of allelopathic plants on Planaria (Turbellaria), an aquatic invertebrate.
Biological control of Aphis craccivora Koch., a common pest of the cow pea Vigna unguiculata(L.)
The purpose of this project is to control the Aphis craccivora Koch. on the cow pea Vigna unguiculata (L.) by using two predators, the earwigs (black) beetle, Proeus simulans Stallan and the ladybird beetle, Micraspis discolor (F.). The experiments were carried out in the closed system in the laboratory and in the opened field with various ages of Proeus simulans Stallan and Micraspis discolor (F.) from the 1st - 4th stage of embryo to the adult form. Prior to the study in the field, the capability of the predators, Proeus simulans Stallan and Micraspis discolor (F.), that can eat the Aphis craccivora Koch. within a period of time was set up in the laboratory. The result showed that the 1st-4th stage of embryo of Micraspis discolor (F.) can eat 8.46+1.25 – 12.50+0.60, at 95% confidence, Aphis craccivora Koch. per day, while its adult can eat at the average number of 43.66 + 0.78, at 95% confidence, per day. The 1st–3rd stage of Proeus simulans Stallan embryo and the adult form can eat Aphis craccivora Koch. at the average number of 2.37+0.33 – 3.74+0.29 and 9.84+0.36, at 95% confidence, per day, respectively. This data showed that Micraspis discolor (F.) was more efficiency as predator than Proeus simulans Stallan. The insecticide activity of these two predators in the closed field (8 m x 9 m) was then determined. The number of Aphis craccivora Koch. on the plant was randomly counted everyweek for 10 weeks. It was found that the number of Aphis on the experimented and control groups were 16.20+4.30 and 2,582.00+102.40, at 95% confidence, per plant, respectively. The result support the efficiency of the two predators in controlling the pest. When the experiment was set up at the two opened field (6 m x 30 m, each field), 27.51+2.74 and 52.11+5.21, at 95% confidence, of Aphis craccivora Koch. were found on the plant of experimented and control groups, respectively, at the 10th week. The lower number of Aphis on the control plant might possilbly due to the interference from natural predators. From this study, the biological control of Aphis craccivora Koch. on the cow pea Vigna unguiculata (L.) could be achieved by using Proeus simulans Stallan and Micraspis discolor (F.). To avoid the use of chemical insecticides, biological control should be trained to farmers to help reduce the environmental problem.
The Neem Dream: "Nature vs. Malaria""
The purpose of investigation was to find and test an inexpensive and effective remedy against malaria. After a great deal of research, I learnt that an effective herbal remedy against malaria may be extracted from Neem (Azadirachta indica)leaves. This remedy is not very well known about all around the world, however, the Neem tree is found in many parts around the world and is therefore a very accessible and inexpensive remedy against malaria. The purpose of my project was also to inform people about the harmful effects of malaria on the human body, as well as to advise people on how to protect themselves.
Screening, Isolation, and Characterization of Fluorescent Proteins from Nudibranchs
Fluorescent proteins are used to label and tag tumor cells. These are also used in molecular cloning methods, and in monitoring cellular processes. However, the Philippines does not have a local source of fluorescent proteins, and thus imports these expensive chemicals from other countries. Possible sources of fluorescent proteins may come from marine organisms and certain plants. This work presents the screening, isolation, and characterization of fluorescent proteins from a potential local source—nudibranchs. The pigments of nudibranchs function to make their different body parts, as well as the cerata, brilliantly colored for defense and protection as in camouflage and aposematic behavior. The pigmentation in the skin of the nudibranchs was used as the fluorescent protein source. Crude protein extracts from the seven species of nudibranchs collected from Mabini, Batangas, Philippines were run through Reversed- Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) for screening. Graphs of the absorbance of the seven species showed which species exhibit the most number of aromatic amino acids, the main component of fluorescent proteins. The species with the highest absorbance at 280 nm, which is Chromodoris willani, was run through the HPLC again for recovery and collection of fractions. The fractions were examined through fluorescence microscopy, wherein the samples were filtered at three emission ranges, the first at 450-470nm,the second at 515-545 nm, and the third at 600-650 nm, which corresponds to blue, green, and red, respectively. The proteins which emit at the said ranges were the only component allowed to pass through. The results, which are images of the excited proteins, showed that fluorescent proteins are present in the fractions of Sample 6—Chromodoris willani.
Mathematics in Music
Mathematics and music are two poles of human culture. Listening to music we get into the magic world of sounds. Solving problems we are immersed in strict space of numbers and we do not reflect that the world of sounds and space of numbers have been adjoining with each other for a long time. Interrelation of mathematics and music is one of the vital topics. It hasn’t been completely opened and investigated up to now. This is the point why it draws attention of a lot of scientists and mathematicians to itself. This is the point why it draws attention of a lot of scientists and mathematicians to itself. Having considered the value of these two sciences, it seems to us that they are completely non-comparable. In fact can there be a similarity between mathematics – the queen of all sciences, a symbol of wisdom and music – the most abstract kind of art? But if you peer deeply into it you can notice that the worlds of sounds and space of numbers have been adjoining with each other for a long time. In the work I will try to establish the connection between mathematics and music and to find their common elements, to analyze pieces of music with the help of laws and concepts of mathematics to find a secret of mastery of musicians using mathematics and also to investigate the connection of music with mathematics with the “research part”. They are my own calculations and researches which are an integral part of the work. The connection of mathematic and music is caused both historically and internally in spite of the fact that mathematics is the most abstract of sciences and music is the most abstract kind of art. V. Shafutinskiy, I. Matvienko, m. Fadeev, K. Miladze, Dominik the Joker – modern composers of the XXI century – have used the golden proportion only in 4% of their pieces of music and more often in romances or children’s songs. I have revealed this fact after investigating their pieces of music of different genres. However there is a question: why does modern music attracts all of us more but the classics is being forgotten? Investigating connection between mathematics and music I had come to the conclusion that the more deeply the piece of music gives in to the mathematical analysis, to research and submits to any mathematical laws, the more harmonious and fine its sounding is, the more it excites human soul. Besides I am convinced that many important, interesting and entertaining things have not been opened in this field. We can safely continue our research of these things. I think that I have managed to lift a veil over mathematics in music, to find something common for apparently incompatible science and art. In due time English mathematician D. Silvestre called music as mathematics of feelings, and mathematics – as music of intellect. He expressed hope that each of them should receive the end from the part of the other one. In the future he expected the occurrence of a person in which Beethoven and Gauss’ greatness would unite. Terms ‘science’ and ‘art’ practically didn’t differ during far times of antiquity. And though roads of mathematics and music have gone away since then music is penetrated with mathematics and mathematics is full of poetry and music!