Chemical Analysis of Cycads from Varied Environment

Cycads are one of the most primitive plants (ancestral species), that are believed to have existed even during the Mesozoic Era, the dinosaurs period. They have evolved over millions of years, in varied climate and habitat, and yet there are some feature that has remained unchanged over years. For my thesis, I study the chemical and functional traits of cycads. The functional analysis includes studying of morphological features the shape, weight, the association of roots with bacterial colonizes i.e; coralloid roots etc. Chemistry study deals with concentration of important elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and other important compounds in the samples, The objective is to either study cycad plants from different species which are adapted to similar habitat like the rainforest, dry forest, desert etc. or study all plants from single species of cycads in a different range of habitat. For the functional analyze of the morphology . First, the samples are collected from the plants, cleaned and preserved, and lastly they are scanned and analysis on a software. For chemical analysis, at first the leaves and roots samples are ground into fine powder, which are micro weighted and concentration of important elements like a carbon isotopes, nitrogen and phosphorus etc. are measured. Chemical analysis of plants to understand ecological factors and evolutional aspect, and studying bacterial colonization in roots called coralloid roots make this an unique an important project. Also, Florida has one of the best collection of cycads an ideal place to research cycads. Many species of cycads are endemic to a certain island like Haiti, Hispaniola, Dominican Republic etc. Understanding the function of morphology and chemistry of cycads in a different environment and their history can help in conservation efforts and can open doors for further researc

A clinicopathological investigation of brainstem nuclei in Lewy body dementia

Introduction: Lewy Body Dementias (LBD) - Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD) - are clinical diagnoses based on the one-year rule and varied symptom onset. Previously, degeneration of the locus coeruleus (LC) and dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) in LBD has been well established. However, the precise relationship between underlying neuropathology and clinical presentation remains to be determined. Methods: Immunohistochemical and image analysis techniques have been performed to examine neuronal loss and protein pathologies in the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems of 20 PD, 20 PD-MCI, 20 PDD, 20 DLB cases and 20 controls. RNAscope technology was used to decipher the role of cell-surface receptors in LBD pathophysiology. Possible associations between administration of pharmacological agents with LBD pathology and disease duration was also examined. Results: The hippocampus, thalamus and cingulate cortex - crucial components of the Papez circuit - were most affected by the proteinopathies, particularly deposition that correlated with the onset of some DLB symptomatology and non-motor symptoms. LC noradrenergic neurons were reduced in LBD compared to PD. The 5-HT2A receptor seemed to be more abundant than the α2A-adrenergic receptor (AR) and serotonin transporter (SERT) in the frontal cortex of a PD patient than a PDD or DLB patient. Conclusion: LBD phenotypes may be differentiated through their limbic involvement in the Papez circuit, where α-syn accumulation may contribute to non-motor symptoms. The behaviour of each protein type may be extremely heterogenous within each region of the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems, such that it correlates with the onset of different symptoms. There may be lower expression of receptors in LBD than PD patients, perhaps due to end-stage disease and more widespread degeneration. Hence, this study may have provided further insights into LBD pathophysiology and possibly assist clinical trials in future therapeutic interventions.Open Acces

The IP of IPAs: A Look Into Trademark Infringement in the Craft Beer Industry

Alcohol isn\u27t just a mind-altering drink: It has been a prime mover of human culture from the beginning, fueling the development of arts, language, and religion. \u27 Alcohol production and consumption can be traced to civilizations dating back thousands of years all around the world, and it has become so essential to our society that experts have gone on to joke that humans should be called Homo imbibens. Within the current alcohol industry, two essential qualities that are becoming more common are creativity and variety. Alcohol has become a defining aspect of human culture and our sense of society. It has grown and formed how we function, and it has been shaped by our constantly changing culture, especially as our culture becomes more sophisticated. Over time, our culture has developed a passion for the arts and a quest for quality. This is where our deeper need to consume local products comes into play. Due to our society\u27s need to consume local products and longstanding tradition of alcohol production and consumption, the craft beer industry is rapidly growing. Consumers are constantly searching for creative beers, whether in taste or by name. The new craft breweries popping up are fighting to succeed in a populated market, so they find themselves in competition with one another or with larger breweries to get consumers\u27 attention, particularly for beer names. As a result, the craft beer industry is struggling to come up with creative, original names, leading to a growing amount of trademark litigation. This litigation is expensive and timely, and hurts craft breweries everywhere

Exposed implants five years after spine surgery: poor outcomes due to poor follow-up

An eighteen-year-old female presented with the complaint of dull aching lower back pain for past 3 months. The pain was localized and was mildly aggravated by movement. She had a history of resolved spinal tuberculosis and vertebral fracture managed with pedicle screw fixation and L1-L3 vertebral fusion before five years. She had not followed up since then. On examination, there were exposed and protruding metallic implants surrounded by dried and foul smelling tissue in the lumbar area of the back (A). The skin surrounding it was normal. Lateral X-ray suggested that the screws were retracted from their original site (B). There were no signs of infection of the deeper tissues. Her vitals were normal. Hematological parameters were suggestive of mild iron deficiency anemia. Her condition was managed by surgical extraction of the implants and debridement of the damaged tissue. She was discharged after one week and her follow-up after two weeks was normal. The most important factor to be considered here is the lack of follow-up appointments. The probable reasons behind the lack of follow-up in our patient are suspected to be lack of patient education and poor socio-economic status. These factors play a major role in patient care, especially in the developing countries

Challenges of Value Added Tax on International E-Commerce in Electronic Goods and Services in Kenya

The current study was on the effectiveness challenges of value added tax on international e-commerce in electronic goods and services in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was 199 KRA VAT officers. The sample size was 50 officers. Primary data were used in this study. For primary data, the data collection instrument used in this study was questionnaires. These questionnaires were used to collect data from the taxation authority officials dealing with VAT. The questionnaires were administered via e-mail surveys and personal visits to respondents, that is the KRA VAT officers. The research findings revealed that the major challenges against an effective VAT system for international e-commerce in electronic goods and services in Kenya included the lack of attention to e-commerce as a unique industry in the VAT Act and the lack of unique policies to regulate the sector. From questions posed to the KRA VAT officers, it emerged that there was a lack of proper and adequate resources, and their usage, within the taxation authority to monitor the industry. The website owners commonly complained of the lack of proper infrastructure that hindered the growth of the industry, for example, the lack of a proper banking and financial infrastructure. it is recommended that the taxation authority (KRA) should make its internal administration processes and policies more efficient and grow with the technology as it grows, for example, through providing e-services to taxpayers to start with. The industry must be regulated through proper policies and legislation before KRA can contemplate properly obtaining the rightful tax from it. There is need to address e-commerce as a unique medium of transactions, demanding its own tax legislation. KRA should solicit the cooperation of stakeholders to regulate the industry, for example, Internet Service Providers could bill their clients on behalf of KRA through a withholding tax. Similarly, banking institutions could withhold value added tax, if need be, on financial transfers for electronic transactions carried out online. There is scarcity of information about the effectiveness challenges of Value Added Tax on International E-Commerce in Electronic Goods and Services in Kenya and in developing economies in general and this paper expands the existing knowledge base. Therefore, the unique contribution of the study has been to bring to light what is unknown about the effectiveness challenges of Value Added Tax on International E-Commerce in Electronic Goods and Services in Kenya. Keywords: Effectiveness Value Added Tax, International Ecommerce, Electronic Goods and Service

On the Road to Better Value: State Roles in Promoting Accountable Care Organizations

Outlines how accountable care organizations can deliver value through incentives to manage utilization, improve quality, and curb cost growth. Profiles states supporting the model with data, new payment methods, accountability measures, and other efforts

Blue Bell Listeria Outbreak from 2013-2015

This paper won a first place writing flag award in the collaborative category. Shivani Shah and Henykumari Patel, writing for D’Arcy Randall 's CHE 333T course, "Engineering Communication".Randall, D'ArcyUndergraduate Studie

Who goes first?: What cues do drivers rely on to evaluate a pedestrian\u27s intention at an intersection?

Throughout our daily interactions we rely on cues provided by body language and facial expressions to navigate social interactions. Similarly, drivers evaluate the intent of pedestrians crossing the road using cues such as body position (facing toward or away from the road), actions (walking or standing), and eye contact. There is little research on how these cues influence interactions between pedestrians and drivers at intersections. For this study, participants viewed videos of driving scenes recorded from the driver’s perspective. Some of the scenes included pedestrians and others did not. Participants were asked to imagine they were driving a car and to evaluate whether it was safe to proceed through the intersection (i.e., safe or unsafe). In cases where pedestrians were present near the intersection, participants were asked to rate how confident they were that the pedestrian was aware of the car. To better understand how drivers evaluate pedestrians, Tobii Pro 2 eye tracking glasses were used to monitor eye movements while participants viewed the driving videos. Results will show how participants\u27 judgments of “safe or unsafe” to proceed are related to a pedestrian’s body position (facing toward or away from the road), actions (walking or standing), and eye contact