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This paper’s objective was to explore the possibility of restoring movement to a patient with tetraplegia from a high-cervical spinal cord injury. In experiments done previously, the patient usually had a lower and less severe injury so there was less loss of function. This experiment aimed to stimulate both a reach and grasp movement using a combination of iBCIs and FES systems. Patients with these injuries need constant aid so this is aimed to make the patient become self-sufficient.

                This experiment used a man with a severe spinal cord injury that occurred eight years before the testing. Its important to do these tests on humans because animals do not get these types of injuries and survive. The long period of time between injury and testing eliminates the possibility that the movement stimulated is a result of residual function in the muscles. The severity just shows how effective the systems are even with so much loss of function.

Sjogren's syndrome, also known as Sicca's syndrome, is an autoimmune disease that affects various organs (pancreas and the liver) and causes severe dryness in the mouth and eyes. There are various studies on this disease but scientists are still trying to figure out the genetic and/or environmental causes. A study done in 2013 by Christopher J. Lessard looks at "variants at multiple loci implicated in both innate and adaptive immune responses are associated with Sjögren’s syndrome." The contributors to this study formed a database to contain all the information about the disease in one place along with the various case studies, in order to bring awareness to Sjogren's syndrome. Something interesting about treatment of this disease, is the invention of artificial tears to combat the extreme dryness of the eyes. Because of the long list of symptoms, it has become difficult to identify a single cause as well as a well-rounded treatment plan.

Through complementation analysis, unknown mutations within the yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) adenine biosynthesis pathway were identified. Studying the ability of unknown mutant colonies to produce successful colonies with known mutants revealed the identity of the unknown mutation as either a mutation in Ade1 or Ade2. Four mutant strains were examined, two strains of the A mating type and two strains of the alpha mating type. The A type yeast produced living colonies when crossed with a known Ade2 mutant as well as the unknown alpha type mutants. The alpha mutants produced living colonies when crossed with a known Ade1 mutant as well as the unknown A type. Using complementation analysis it was determined that both unknown A mutations were in the Ade1 gene and both unknown alpha mutations were in the Ade2 gene.

Semiarid deserts are primarily found in Europe, Northern Asia, and the western states of the United States and are significantly less harsh as dry deserts. Semiarid deserts have two main seasons, summer and winter. The semiarid desert has an average temperature of 23° C during the summer, though it can reach 38° C during the day and 10° C at night. During the winter, temperatures can reach as low as -3° C. Average rainfall is very low, at 2-4 cm a year (The Desert Biome).

Although rainfall is minimal, dew accumulates on vegetation during the night, which can equal or even surpass the total annual rainfall. The terrain is comprised of relatively flat land surrounded by large rocky mountains. The soil found in semiarid deserts consists of loose innutritious rock underneath a layer of fine sand. This type of soil composition makes it hard for large vegetation to survive, leaving only small trees, shrubs, and durable cacti to grow. Animals use the shade from this vegetation as protection from the sun. Because of the limited vegetation and food sources, animal populations are dispersed. The animals that have managed to survive in this climate are small and include lizards, snakes, and insects (Major Types of Deserts on Earth). These organisms, including the newly discovered Bradyrhinus gironi, or the American Rhingon, have been able to survive in this environment because they have adapted to the harsh conditions.

    N-propyl propanoate (n-propyl propionate) was synthesized using propanoic acid and 1-propanol in the presence of sulfuric acid, resulting in a 62.5 % yield. The initial odor of the mixture of propanoic acid and 1-propanol was very unpleasant and strong. After the reaction was complete, the odor was like that of rubbing alcohol (Table 1). IR spectroscopy was used to determine the purity and identity of the product. The IR spectroscopy revealed the presence of an ester, which correlates to the strong, sharp peak at around 1741 cm-1. In addition, the peak at 2968 cm-1 indicates the presence of the C=O bond commonly found in esters. Lastly,  there was a broad peak at 3550 cm-1, which indicates the presence of -OH groups. Because of the presence of alcohol impurities, this suggests that some of the reagents had not undergone the reaction.

Corals live in nutrient poor waters and have certain zones of tolerance to water temperature, salinity, UV radiation, opacity, and nutrient quantities. Scleractinian corals build skeletons of calcium carbonate and when the coral polyp dies, this skeleton remains incorporated in the reef framework.  Scleractinian corals are in the Phylum Cnidaria, and they receive their nutrient and energy resources in two ways. They use the traditional cnidarian strategy of capturing tiny planktonic organisms with their nematocyst capped tentacles, as well as having a obligate symbiotic relationship with a autotrophic microalgaes known as zooxanthellae.  Zooxanthellae live symbiotically within the coral polyp tissues and assist the coral in nutrient production through photosynthetic activities. These activities provide the coral with fixed carbon compounds for energy, enhance calcification, and mediate elemental nutrient flux. The host coral polyp in return provides its zooxanthellae with a protected environment to live within, and a steady supply of carbon dioxide for its photosynthetic processes.  This symbiotic relationship between polyps and zooxanthellae can be disturbed by anthropogenic impacts including overfishing, increased sedimentation and nutrient overloading.

In 2009 the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to three scientists for their discovery and research in telomeres and the enzyme telomerase. Since Watson and Crick published the structure of our DNA and Meselson and Stahl discovered the mechanism by which our DNA is replicated, a mechanism for how the ends of chromosomes can be replicated and maintained. Through years of work, Elizabeth Blackburn, Jack Szostak and Carol Greider were able to determine the mechanism for the replication of telomere DNA, its conserved nature evolutionarily, and key enzymes involved in the process such as telomerase. There findings could have great potential medical application in such fields as cancer and aging.

Plants are photosynthetic and require light to survive. When plants are left in the shade they don’t die immediately though. When left in the shade, plants become etiolated. Etiolation results in stem elongation, paleness, and a lack of photosynthetic maturation. Etiolation occurs usually in plants below a canopy. Far red light is what triggers etiolation, which penetrates through the shade of the canopy. In order to reverse etiolation, all that would be necessary would be for the plant to be exposed to red light again, because red light is what activates de-etiolation.

The results for experiment 2 were as expected, and strongly support the hypothesis. In the experiment there were 5 various levels of predation tested. All the data show that as predation increases, spot brightness will decrease over time. This is because the guppies with elaborate colors are more apt to attract predators, thus high spot brightness results in a lower fitness. For the first four levels of predation, the spot brightness still increased. However, the net increase became smaller as predation increased. Finally, with enough predators present, the spot brightness decreased. This is likely because the effects of predation on fitness were stronger than those of sexual selection. Without predation, the data show that spot brightness should increase
substantially over time, due to sexual selection. Therefore, the guppies unknowingly play a fitness balancing game between higher predation and more potential mates.

 As I examined the diet of this species, I found that the species diet consisted of grass. I looked at the structure of the teeth, and observed hypsodont teeth. These teeth were also occulusal, lophodont teeth consistent with the diet of grazer such as horses. The digestive system also pointed in the direction of a grazers’ diet. The esophagus was 5-7 feet long. The stomach was could hold between 10-22 quarts. The small intestine was around feet and could hold 72 quarts. The cecum was around 6 feet long and could hold 30-38 quarts. The large colon and small were 12-14 feet and held 86 quarts and 16 quarts. The colon also contained commensal bacteria which helped with the breakdown of the grass in the digestive tract. The rectum of this animal was 2 feet. The length of each part of the digestive tract had resembled that of the Equidae family, although, due to this animal being larger the tract was also larger.