The Charles Wilcox Papers belong to the Keene, New Hampshire resident who was a Union soldier during the Civil War and was captured and imprisoned in Confederate internment camps as well as prisons from 1864-1865. These papers include Wilcox’s diary, correspondence, and official documents. The papers are part of the archival holdings of the Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene, New Hampshire, and were included as part of the NH Citizens Archivists' Initiative.
The common pollutant pyrene (PYR) is known to cross the placenta thus exposing human fetuses in utero. To better understand the potential risk of PYR exposure to the developing nervous system, behavioral assays were preformed on the larvae (stage 49, day 12) of Xenopus laevis. The swimming behavior of larvae continuously exposed to PYR was captured in 10-minute video recordings and analyzed for the following parameters: activity level, distance traveled, spatial use of arena, and speed. Our results reveal that larvae exposed to the highest dosage (2.5 uM) were hyperactive and traveled longer distances than control larvae. We also found a negative correlation between larval growth and activity. In future studies we will be assessing the impact of PYR on the startle responses of larvae. These findings indicate that developmental exposure to PYR may alter normal development of the nervous system.
