Independent- Amount of Lipopolysaccharide given to the subjects, in milligrams
Dependent- Amount of the protein, Inflammotin, in the subjects' blood
Experimental Design
Groups
Control Group: Elderly people between the ages of 60 and 75 (dosage: 0mg)
Experimental Group #1: Elderly people between the ages of 60 and 75 (dosage: 10mg)
Experimental Group #2: Elderly people between the ages of 60 and 75 (dosage: 50mg)
Experimental Group #3: Elderly people between the ages of 60 and 75 (dosage: 100mg)
Experimental Group #4: Elderly people between the ages of 60 and 75 (dosage: 150mg)
Each group consists of 50% male and 50% female, demographic is random
Number of Subjects Per Group
Control Group:100
Experimental Group #1:100
Experimental Group #2:100
Experimental Group #3:100
Experimental Group #4:100
Subjects will be tested for one year, the subjects' inflammotin level will be monitored and measured for the duration of the study.
The test would be run using a one-way ANOVA test, capable of effectively comparing the five separate control and experimental groups, each with their own specified testing conditions.
Subject Selection
Subjects will be randomly selected from different retirement homes throughout the country to eliminate the possible bias from both gender and environment. The choice of retirement homes will have to omit hospice, so as to prevent the untimely death of subjects. Subjects with pre-existing conditions, i.e. arthritis and allergies, will not be considered for this experiment. Also, such facilities have the capacity to monitor the subjects, their activities, and diets, as well as ensuring that the Lipopolysaccharide doses are taken.
Sources of Error and Bias
Potential Sources of Error
-Pre-existing conditions i.e. arthritis, allergies.
-Subjects not taking the required dosage.
-Subjects' diets in different nursing homes.
-Diseases and conditions sustained during the course of the experiment.
-Adverse effects of repeated exposure to inflammation inducing agent.
-Seasonal environmental factors and ailments like the flu or increased pollen.
-Other medications such as inflammatory drugs.
Potential Methods of Control
-Subjects will be randomly selected from a list excluding people with pre-existing medical conditions.
-Aids will monitor the subjects and help them take their pill.
-Aids will log the subjects' food intake and diet.
-If subjects become ill during the experiment and it interferes with the results we can drop said subjects or account for the change in results.
-If subjects begin to experience adverse effects from the repeated exposure to inflammation, the subjects will be taken off the pills immediately.
-Note the subjects who have had the flu or taken pills for allergies, and if it interferes with the experiment, then they will be dropped.
-We will take note of any variation of results caused by other medications.
BME 100 Fall 2013
