Stop and Serve

Stop and Serve will be the first to sell a fully functioning service social media website to specific organizations, companies, and churches. Furthermore, we follow up with our product by providing our customized service and necessary server space. With our product, a fully functioning social media website, users can post various needs (such as helping mow the lawn, pay for medical bills, watch animals, etc.), without limit, and other users help meet those needs. To encourage participation, Stop and Serve websites require users to connect with already existing social media so that each user who has a need met will be required to post a statement of gratitude to whoever met the need (unless meant to be anonymous)

The Forensic Characterization of Bacterial and Fungal Organisms in Traditional Chinese Medicine

There has been an increase in use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in the United States because they are less expensive and believed to be more effective with less adverse effects in comparison to traditional pharmaceutics. Therefore, sales have increased in the US, despite articles and case studies demonstrating the dangers, such as injury and death, related to TCM, stemming from improper labelling, toxic contaminants, and, in some cases, the presence of pathogenic bacteria. The aim of this study was to perform a survival experiment to demonstrate the importance of proper herbal brewing technique and to conduct a molecular and biochemical survey of microorganisms present on eleven Chinese herbal samples. The survival study compared Chinese brewing preparation and American brewing preparation by fortifying the herbal mixture with known bacteria and assessing its survival after brewing. The American brewed herbal tea was calculated to contain upwards of 3000 CFU (colony forming units)/mL, where the Chinese brewed herbal tea contained roughly 50 CFU/mL. FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) analysis was performed on the herbs to characterize any microorganisms present on the plant material already, following purchase. Strains within the Bacillus genus were identified in nearly all eleven of the herbal samples. These included B. subtilis and B. megaterium. Organisms belonging to the Bacillus ACT group (anthracis, cereus, thuringiensis) were identified in five out of eleven herb cultures as evidenced by the large ratio of 15:0 iso to 15:0 anteiso fatty acid biomarkers. Nine out of eleven herbal specimens also exhibited fungal biomarkers such as polyunsaturated 20:4 ω6,9,12,15c, and 18:3 ω6c (6,9,12).https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1291/thumbnail.jp

Assessing the Validity of Statistical Inferences in Public Health Research: An Evidence-Based, ‘Best-Practices’ Approach

Like many fields, public health has embraced the process of evidence-based practice to inform practice decisions and to guide policy development. Evidence-based practice is typically dependent upon generalizations made on the bases of the existing body of knowledge – assimilations of the research literature on a particular topic. The potential utility of scientific evidence for guiding policy and practice decisions is grounded in the validity of the research investigations upon which such decisions are made. However, the validity of inferences made from the extant public health research literature requires more than ascertaining the validity of the statistical methods alone; for each study, the validity of the entire research process must be critically analyzed to the greatest extent possible so that appropriate conclusions can be drawn, and that recommendations for development of sound public health policy and practice can be offered. A critical analysis of the research process should include the following: An a priori commitment to the research question; endpoints that are both appropriate for and consistent with the research question; an experimental design that is appropriate (i.e., that answers the research question[s]); study procedures that are conducted in a quality manner, that eliminate bias and ensure that the data accurately reflect the condition(s) under study; evidence that the integrity of the Type-I error – or false-positive risk – has been preserved; use of appropriate statistical methods (e.g. assumptions checked, dropouts appropriately handled, correct variance term) for the data analyzed; and accurate interpretation of the results of statistical tests conducted in the study (e.g., the robustness of conclusions relative to missing data, multiple endpoints, multiple analyses, conditions of study, generalization of results, etc.). This paper provides a framework for both researcher and practitioner so that each may assess this critical aspect of public health research

Elsie Ezinnwa Nwoko: An Art Music Composer and Music Education Practioner

An art music composer as the term imply refers to a person or persons who were academically or formally trained in the art and techniques involved in music composition.  These categories of composers are broadly divided into two – those whose compositional styles reflect that of western classical music and those whose creative styles seek to leave imprints of Africanness on their works.  On the other   hand, a music education practitioner is one who had had formal training in the field of music education conceptually, theoretically and practically – who in turn trains and or transmit musical knowledge to learners.  In other words, a music education practitioner could be called a music educator.  In Nigeria today abounds art music composers and music education practitioners.  Examples are professor J.H.K, Nketia, T.K.E, Philips, professor Omibiyi-Obidike, Ephraim Amu, professor W.W.C, Echezona, Fela Sowande, professor Richard Okafor to mention a few. This paper focuses on Elsie E. Nwoko as one of the founding fathers of African musical arts education in Nigeria. The topic shall be examined under the following headings: Elsie Nwoko’s biographical data, Elsie Nwoko as an art music composer and music educator, her works and contributions to African musical arts education and conclusion.  In order to achieve the objective of this paper, related materials were perused and reviewed.  Oral interview and random sampling methods were also employed.

Being heard: promoting children and young people’s involvement in participatory research on sexual violence: findings from an international scoping review

This report shares findings from an international scoping review conducted on the engagement of children and young people in participatory research on sexual violence. The report discusses a range of ethical and practical challenges of involving vulnerable children and young people in participatory research on sensitive issues and draws out key considerations for research practice

Polymers From The Hydrolysis Of Tetraethoxysilane

The hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane was studied under various solvent and temperature conditions. A method was developed by which reaction rates can be measured even in the presence of alcohols other than ethanol. The structures of the resulting polymers were dependent upon the reaction conditions employed, those formed at high temperature being highly condensed materials. © 1973

Investigating the Goban Spur rifted continental margin, offshore Ireland, through integration of new seismic reflection and potential field data

The Goban Spur, offshore Ireland, is a magma-poor rifted continental margin conjugate to the well-studied Newfoundland margin, offshore Canada. Published studies demonstrated that a 70-km-wide zone of exhumed serpentinized mantle lies between oceanic crust and stretched continental crust at the seaward limit of Goban Spur. However, the along-strike extent of this serpentinized zone has, until now, been unknown due to insufficient data coverage. The crustal architecture of the margin is complicated due to its multi-staged tectonic history. Here, six newly acquired multi-channel seismic reflection lines are processed and interpreted, along with vintage seismic profiles, to characterize its structure and evolution. These seismic profiles reveal significant along-strike structural variations along the Goban Spur margin, and allow us to delimit five distinct crustal zones related to different rifting stages and their regional extents. The geometries of each crustal domain are variable along the margin strike, probably suggestive of different extension rates during the evolution of the margin or inherited variations in crustal composition and rheology. The transitional zone between oceanic crust and stretched continental crust consists of both shallow peridotite ridges and deeper exhumed serpentinized mantle, much like the conjugate Iberian and Newfoundland margins. Above the top basement in the exhumed domain, the syn-exhumed sediments show strikingly weak reflectivity, rarely seen at other magma-poor margins. Magmatic events occur coincident with each rifting stage, and the volume of magmatic accretions increases from NW to SE, more than previously interpreted. Plate reconstruction of the Goban Spur and its possible conjugate – the Flemish Cap, shows asymmetry in the crustal architectures, likely due to rift evolution involving more 3-D complexity than can be explained by simple 2-D extensional kinematics

Powering lights with piezoelectric energy harvesting floors

The present work introduces a new technology for converting energy from steps into electricity. It starts with a study of the mechanical energy available from steps in a busy corridor. The subsequent development efforts and devices are presented, with an iterative approach to prototyping. Methods for enhancing the piezoelectric conversion efficiency have been determined as a part of the process and are introduced in the present article. Capitalizing on these findings, we have fabricated energy-harvesting devices for stairs that power embedded emergency lighting. The typical working unit comprises an energy-harvesting stair nosing, a power management circuit, and an embedded light-emitting diode that lights the tread in front of the user with an illuminance corresponding to emergency standards. The stair nosing generates up to 17.7 mJ of useful electrical energy per activation to provide up to 10.6 seconds of light. The corresponding energy density is 0.49 J per meter square and per step, with an 8.5 mm thick active layer

FHL2 regulates hematopoietic stem cell functions under stress conditions.

FHL2, a member of the four and one half LIM domain protein family, is a critical transcriptional modulator. Here, we identify FHL2 as a critical regulator of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that is essential for maintaining HSC self-renewal under regenerative stress. We find that Fhl2 loss has limited effects on hematopoiesis under homeostatic conditions. In contrast, Fhl2-null chimeric mice reconstituted with Fhl2-null bone marrow cells developed abnormal hematopoiesis with significantly reduced numbers of HSCs, hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), red blood cells and platelets as well as hemoglobin levels. In addition, HSCs displayed a significantly reduced self-renewal capacity and were skewed toward myeloid lineage differentiation. We find that Fhl2 loss reduces both HSC quiescence and survival in response to regenerative stress, probably as a consequence of Fhl2-loss-mediated downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase-inhibitors, including p21(Cip) and p27(Kip1). Interestingly, FHL2 is regulated under the control of a tissue-specific promoter in hematopoietic cells and it is downregulated by DNA hypermethylation in the leukemia cell line and primary leukemia cells. Furthermore, we find that downregulation of FHL2 frequently occurs in myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia patients, raising a possibility that FHL2 downregulation has a role in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies

Efficacy, safety, and improved tolerability of travoprost BAK-free ophthalmic solution compared with prior prostaglandin therapy

J Charles Henry1, James H Peace2, Jeanette A Stewart3,4, William C Stewart3,41Little Rock Eye Clinic, Little Rock, AR, USA; 2Diabetic Eye Medical Clinic, Inglewood, CA, USA; 3PRN Pharmaceutical Research Network, LLC, Dallas,TX, USA; 4Carolina Eye Institute, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USAPurpose: To evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of changing to travoprost BAK-free from prior prostaglandin therapy in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.Design: Prospective, multi-center, historical control study.Methods: Patients treated with latanoprost or bimatoprost who needed alternative therapy due to tolerability issues were enrolled. Patients were surveyed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) to evaluate OSD symptoms prior to changing to travoprost BAK-free dosed once every evening. Patients were re-evaluated 3 months later.Results: In 691 patients, travoprost BAK-free demonstrated improved mean OSDI scores compared to either latanoprost or bimatoprost (p < 0.0001). Patients having any baseline OSD symptoms (n = 235) demonstrated significant improvement after switching to travoprost BAK-free (p < 0.0001). In 70.2% of these patients, symptoms were reduced in severity by at least 1 level. After changing medications to travoprost BAK-free, mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was significantly decreased (p < 0.0001). Overall, 72.4% preferred travoprost BAK-free (p < 0.0001, travoprost BAK-free vs prior therapy). Travoprost BAK-free demonstrated less conjunctival hyperemia than either prior therapy (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Patients previously treated with a BAK-preserved prostaglandin analog who are changed to travoprost BAK-free have clinically and statistically significant improvement in their OSD symptoms, decreased hyperemia, and equal or better IOP control.Keywords: glaucoma, prostaglandin analog, travoprost, latanoprost, bimatoprost, preservative, benzalkonium chloride, ocular surface diseas