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Summer 2001

A DREAM COME TRUE -- by: Dr. Fredric Rieders

The Fredric Rieders Family Renaissance Foundation through its Forensics Mentors Institute focuses on teaching through research, academic instruction and support of scientific and humanistic activities. I have endeavored to provide an educational experience that will nurture a love for science. To this end, the Foundation provides an academic milieu and experts in various fields who act as advisors to small groups of researchers. The philosophy is that knowledge of the basic sciences and humanities is the fundamental tool required to investigate any of life's problems - scientific or otherwise. Once the basic "tool bag" is filled with an understanding of these topics, one is truly ready to advance in the fields of science and in life.

In 1994, I decided to bring to fruition a long held dream to establish a charitable foundation that fostered the love for science and art in students young and old, but especially in the young and under represented minorities. The students have come from all over the Philadelphia mostly from disadvantaged areas. Both the students and teachers come from high schools all across the Philadelphia area, especially from the inner city. During eight weeks of their summer vacation, high school and college students, as well as science teachers, are assigned a hands-on research project working under the direction of mentors at the Foundation. One or two mornings a week, biology, chemistry and mathematics enrichment courses are presented for the high school students. Extramural activities are also supported and include providing grants for special projects; during their summer vacation.

A word from Dr. G.J. DiGregorio...

The Forensics Mentors Institute is presently completing its third year of our summer research mentoring program. This year we have enrolled 12 high school students, 5 high school teachers, and 4 graduate students. From a personal perspective, this program is the most rewarding activity that I have been involved with in my 40 years in academic medicine. There is a indescribable enjoyment and self-satisfaction in observing the metamorphosis of the students and teachers into scientists beyond which they started the program. The truly come out of their shell. To observe the high school students running experiments on different types of projects including date rape drugs, botanicals and formaldehyde is amazing. Over the course of three years we have counseled and mentored over 45 students and teachers. Due to the great success obtained from this program we will hopefully be able to continue to provide this opportunity for many more students.

Detection of Kava Kava in Hair and Urine Using Thin Layer Chromatography

Aita Harmon, Arnita Hill and Judy Owens

This research team is composed of high school students Aita Harmon and Arnita Hill from Edison High School, Mentor and Ph.D. candidate Jeegar Patel from Hahnemann University, and teacher Judy Owens from Saint Pius X High School.

Their work concentrates on investigating methods using thin layer chromatography to detect components of the herbal preparation Kava Kava in hair and urine. This herbal remedy has become more popular as a treatment for anxiety. While its exact mechanism of action is not fully understood, it is possible that taking Kava Kava may change the effect of some prescription drugs. Since the general public does not consider taking herbal preparations in the same way they think of taking prescription or over- the- counter drugs, it would be beneficial to be able to detect the presence of this herbal so that a physician would have a better picture of their patient’s overall health.

So far, they have been successful in determining a predictable pattern for Kava Kava found in a commercial extract on the TLC plate, comparing this pattern to a known standard and working on an extraction procedure to find Kava Kava in urine and hair. The next step would be to use these extraction procedures to find Kava Kava in actual hair and urine samples from a mammal that has been consuming known quantities of the commercial Kava Kava preparation.

Coming Together at the Wetlands Institute

Jeegar Patel

On July 20 we made our annual trip to the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. This trip exposes the student to another approach to scientific research. With the idea that not all research is done in a laboratory setting we set out to explore the world of field biology.

The objective of the Wetlands Institute is conservation of the salt marshes and its wildlife at the South Jersey shore. Their main project is the Terrapin turtle population re-stabilization. In this project, interns from various domestic and foreign universities try to cultivate eggs obtained from turtles that have struck by vehicles on the highway.

Through various activities the students understood the fundamental message of this trip not all research is done in the laboratory. In addition, the most incredible phenomena was to see all the students coming together with the teachers, mentors, and Dr. Fred Rieders as scientific colleagues.

Quantification of Amiodarone in the Human heart tissue using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Jamilah Patton, Diem Pham, Ms. Hyman

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug used in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmia, a condition which causes a decrease in the blood flow through ventricles. Some arrhythmias act as a restorer of a normal beating pattern. Amiodarone can stay present in a human body for 25-100 days depending on the amount of adipose tissue present. This side effect of amiodarone may cause the duration time of the drug in the body to become longer.

Unfortunately, if a new heart is transplanted during this period, it may be overworked due to the presence of amiodarone. Therefore, it would be valuable to quantitate amiodarone.

In our experiment HPLC will be utilized to quantitate amiodarone. HPLC is a technique to determine the concentrations of a substance in a liquid by separating it under high pressure and then measuring the amount of light that is being transmitted/absorbed through the sample. Standards solutions of amiodarone ranging from 0.10 - 3.00 mg/ml were analyzed for absorbance measurements. The amiodarone extractions from human heart were then analyzed and compared to the standard results.

Stabilization of Cyanide in Blood

Shawnna ber, drew beard and steve kominsky

Cyanide is a very unstable molecule, and commonly occurs as a white crystalline solid when in the form of KCN or NaCN, and as a gas in the form of HCN.

Around 20 to 40% of the Human population is unable to detect the bitter almond odor of the compound.

Cyanide is absorbed by the body through all routes, and upon a lethal dose, death occurs quickly. Cyanide can be found in some rat and pest poisons, metal polishes, photographic solutions, and fumigating products.

After death from cyanide poisoning, the concentration of cyanide in the body does not remain constant. This creates a problem for toxicologists who cannot test for cyanide poisoning after extended periods of time because results from the sample are often unreliable.

Our project attempts to solve this problem by developing a mixture that could be added immediately to blood samples containing cyanide so that the original concentration will be stabilized and no more cyanide will be produced. We will add various metals that have a high affinity toward cyanide to stabilize the molecule, and then introduce an anti-bacterial agent, which will prevent more cyanide from forming. We used the spectrophotometer and found the peak of cyanide was at 558.5 with an abundance of .786. We then used the GC/MS and the peak was at 27.

...On being a Mentor

Jeegar Patel, Monique Hopkinson and mimi ausmanas

On the first day of the Forensics Mentors Institute we observed sixteen students of various scientific, academic and socio-economic backgrounds start on an eight week adventure. Though diverse, these students had one thing in common the burning desire to learn and seek out information. However, this desire had previously been extinguished after various experiences within the Philadelphia school system.

So we took on this arduous task of re-motivating these highly intelligent and capable students through various assignments within each of our projects. Rather than just give out assignments, we strove to get our students to assume full responsibility for the daily grind of the project. At first the students resisted but then toward the conclusion of the summer, they started to take command of daily activities and project planning as true young scientists.

This opportunity to be a mentor has been truly rewarding and fulfilling. We would like to thank the Reiders Family, Dr. DiGregorio, and the students for giving us this life changing opportunity.

SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE

Chantell Bowman

The students in the Scanning Electron Microscope Project are Sheriff Osei-Tutu and myself Chantell Bowman. We are both upcoming seniors at Abraham Lincoln High School.

The project we are working on is the Scanning Electron Microscope Project. The objective of our project is to use the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to check for the presence of selenium contamination in patients. We will also be using the SEM to study the effects of cocaine and other drugs on the morphology of hair in humans.

The SEM is an instrument that enlarges the image of a specimen by using an electron beam that scans the surface. The electric signal created when the beam strikes the specimen is converted into a signal on a cathode-ray tube. When the electrons hit the specimen, changes occur to the surface and it emits its own electrons known as secondary electrons (SEC) and backscatter electrons (BSE). Secondary electrons view the surface structure of the specimen where as the backscatter electrons depicts the differences in atomic mass. The SEM differs from other microscopes because produces a 3D view of a specimen and is very helpful in analyzing a specimens shape and structure. The SEM can also produce images in a range from 10 to 100,000 their normal size. The highest magnification that we have elicited is 20,000.

So far our group has been investigating four allotropes of selenium. They are black (grey) selenium, gray amorphous selenium, selenium sulfide and selenium dioxide. We will be using these forms of selenium to assist us in determining selenium’s crystalline and amorphous forms and habits. We will be using these results to determine if the red powdery substance excreted through sweat from patients exposed to selenium will contain the element. We have been able to detect that selenium is hexagonal and that forms of selenium may consist of rods, platelets or minute crystals.

With the hair morphology project, we have taken hair samples from various people and examined them using the SEM. We were able to descry scales on the surface of the hair. We hope to discover a way to investigate the internal structure of the hair.

The next steps of our project will be to examine the gauze form the contaminated patients and to look at the hair that has been exposed to drugs.

Words from Dr. James King

This year the students really hit the floor running and they never stopped moving. The students and teachers came to grips with highly technical and intricate subjects including gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, high performance liquid and thin layer chromatography.

This rapid response was without doubt due to the inclusion of our four mentors, Gene, Jeegar, Mimi and Monique, and the dedication of our teachers, Judy, Ray, Rob, Steve and Veresta. And above all this year's response was due to all of the students who worked so hard and so quickly learning completely new subjects and acquiring new manual and mental skills. The mentors taught the teachers and students how to do research, so that everyone had a good idea about how they would start from the first day.

And finally but not least, this year's efforts have benefited from Dr Rieders' presence who has acted as a mentor and a teacher to all of our students, teachers and mentors; and Dr. DiGregorio whose calm presence always offered rational help for any problem.