Digital Commons Network^™

Arsenic Targets Neural Plate Border Specifier Cells In P19 Cells, Christopher Mccoy

All Theses

Epidemiological studies have shown that arsenic exposure during early embryogenesis can cause reduced weight gain and neurological deficits later on in life. In addition, in vitro and in vivo studies have indicated that arsenic suppresses neurogenesis and myogenesis. The exact mechanism of how arsenic causes these undesired developmental outcomes is poorly understood, however both skeletal muscle and sensory neuron development require the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to initiate the specific differentiation of precursor cells. We were interested in determining the target cell population of arsenic and its metabolites. Arsenic's metabolites were of interest because they have been shown to be more …

The Effects Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid Supplementation On Lipopolysaccharide-Challenged Synoviocytes, Allison Millican

All Theses

Osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of lameness in the athletic horse. Cases of equine osteoarthritis typically present with synovitis, or inflammation of the synovium. This inflammation in the synovium leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids. Although these downstream products can be beneficial, overproduction can lead to degradation of cartilage and joint disease. Opportunities to help mitigate or decrease inflammation within the joint are of current interest to the equine industry. One method being investigated is nutritional supplementation. The anti-inflammatory effects demonstrated by CLA supplementation make it a potential prospect for utilization in mitigating joint inflammation. …

Associations Between Travel Behavior And The Academic Performance Of University Students, Qianying Wu

All Theses

Purpose: Different travel behavior, particularly the choice of commuting modes, will have different impacts on students. On one hand, it has been suggested that active commuting (walking, cycling, and taking transit) will add routine daily exercise. Moreover, health benefits (improved cognitive function and reduced anxiety) from physical activity might increase students' academic performance. Nevertheless, too much physical activity may reduce the time for students to study. Travel time may shorten study time, and study time has been identified as positively contributing to academic performance. Considering that there is limited research examining travel behavior and academic achievement of university students, this …

Relationship Between Peel Force, Opening Force, And Burst Force For A Semi-Rigid Cup And Lid, Pre- And Post-Retort, Raj Navalakha

All Theses

This research determines if there is any relationship between the peel force, the opening force and the burst force for a semi-rigid cup and lid system, for pre- and post-retort conditions. It also compares the relationship (regression lines) between these forces pre- and post-retort. These seal results were studied by varying the sealing parameters of dwell time and temperature while keeping the pressure constant. Polypropylene cups and a peelable barrier retort lidding were used in this study. As compared to past research, a different peel testing technique was used to measure the peel and the opening force. The entire lid …

An Almost Ideal Demand System Analysis Of Orange And Grapefruit Beverage Consumption In The United States, Catrice Taylor

All Theses

This thesis estimates a demand system for natural fruit juices and flavored citrus drinks. Consumption and price data from the Florida Department of Citrus is used to estimate a Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System for natural fruit and fruit juice drink elasticities. The monthly data covers the period from October 2004 to June 2014. Elasticities show orange juice does not have a substitute among the other beverages. 100% orange juice and grapefruit juice are compliments, although other studies have found them to be substitutes.

Determining The Fate Of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli In Dairy Compost During Storage Using The Optimized Detection Method, Hongye Wang

All Theses

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), a member of Enterobacteriaceae family, has been recognized as emerging pathogens. Dairy compost is commonly applied to farmland as a soil amendment. Despite the agricultural benefit of manure-based soil amendment, the inadequately treated compost can contribute to fresh produce contamination on the farm. Moreover, the epidemiological results showed that the non-O157 STEC cases have surpassed those of E. coli O157. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate the behavior of non-O157 STEC strains in the dairy manure-based compost. The objectives of this study were to: 1) optimize a culturing method for detecting non-O157 STEC from dairy …

Pilot Study Of A Budget-Tailored Culinary Nutrition Education Program For Undergraduate Food Science Students, Dorothy Kerrison

All Theses

The primary objective of this pilot study is to provide evidence that a budget-tailored culinary nutrition program is both appropriate and applicable to undergraduate food science students both in everyday life as well as their future health careers. Two validated programs were combined into one program in order to evaluate their combined effects: Cooking With a Chef and Cooking Matters at the Store. The secondary objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the components and reliability of a questionnaire created specifically for this pilot study. A review of past literature was written, which included culinary nutrition as a source …

The New Oral Anticoagulants For The Treatment Of Venous Thromboembolism: A New Paradigm Shift In Antithrombotic Therapy., Taki Galanis, Gina Keiffer, Geno J Merli

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Several novel oral anticoagulants have been studied for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in different patient populations. Clinicians will increasingly encounter scenarios in which they must choose among these and conventional anticoagulants for the treatment of this potentially fatal condition.

OBJECTIVE: To review the results of Phase III clinical trials that investigated the novel oral anticoagulants for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Potential advantages and disadvantages of these anticoagulant agents with respect to each other and conventional therapy will also be explored through a case-based approach.

METHODS: A literature search in PubMed …

Assessing Irrigation Water Quality For Ph, Salts, & Alkalinity, Dara M. Park, Sarah A. White, Nick Menchyk

Journal of Extension

Proper irrigation management is increasingly critical as demand and competition for high quality, potable water grows. Coupled with identifying all potential stressors, accurate interpretation of water quality reports is essential to irrigation managers because management practices affect both soil and plant health. The complex nature of information given in water quality reports makes interpretation and selection and implementation of appropriate management options difficult for many stakeholders. Therefore, an easy-to-follow flow chart was developed for use by Extension agents to aid in consultations with stakeholders' about their water quality reports.

Techniques, Technologies And Politics Of Crisis And Post-Crisis Economics: Anglo-American Macroeconomics And Alternatives, Jeffrey K. Hass

Sociology and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This paper attempts a critical appraisal of one core debate and theories in economics about the 2008 crisis and post-2008 economic growth and stagnation. In addition to examining formal publications, this essay also examines serious blogs by high-profile economists who are core participants in public discourse over economic policy. Drawing on the general logic of economic sociology and political economy — in particular, an appreciation for more complex microfoundations of economic practice (e.g. power and culture) and institutions—this paper addresses three issues about theoretical frameworks and claims about post-crisis growth or lack thereof: 1) Techniques: economists’ discourses focus primarily on …

Microneedle Arrays For Injection Seeding Of Tissue Engineered Scaffolds, Katelyn Michelle Rye

All Theses

Tissue engineered constructs have proven to possess comparable mechanical and physical characteristics to autologous tissues making them suitable replacements fordiseased anatomy when autologous tissue transplants are unavailable. However, difficulty in reseeding the constructs with cells prevents the tissue-engineered scaffoldsfrom becoming an adequate, equivalent replacement for diseased tissues when compared to autologous transplants. Cells adhere to the outer surfaces of scaffolds but are incapable of penetrating the constructs to provide complete cellularization. If cells were able to populate the inner layers of the tissue, then they could likely diffuse into the intimal and external layers of the construct to create a …

Taxation And Inequality: A Case For The Vat., Reuven S. Avi-Yonah

Articles

The author shows that a progressive income tax has had little effect on after-tax income inequality. Social programs, however, do create a more equal society. He proposes a national sales tax—a value-added tax—to finance more such social programs as America's best route to a more equal society.

Heartside Gleaning Initiative Food Waste Survey, Katelyn Kuhl, Sommer Tuttle, Jessica Villarreal

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

Residents of the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids experience a significant amount of poverty and food insecurity. The Heartside Gleaning Initiative is a nonprofit organization that assists Heartside residents by redistributing donated, fresh produce to them. Through survey research, our purpose was to assist the Heartside Gleaning Initiative in finding out what happens to this food once it is distributed; specifically how much food is wasted. Participants included residents that receive food donations as well as nonprofit organizations that receive donations and prepare meals for community members. Through community collaborations, we were able to write a survey, perform the survey, …

Partnerships Between The Heartside Gleaning Initiative And Local Businesses In The Grand Rapids, Mi Area, Kristy Bousquet, Mason Jonker, Brianna Powell, Noah Taylor

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

Many nonprofit organizations are in need of ways to create funding opportunities to maintain the integrity of their operating systems. One way to raise funds is to invite local businesses to participate and provide ways to become involved in the inner workings of the nonprofit organization. By partnering a nonprofit organization and local businesses, ideas and funds can be spread to both partners in order to increase the viability of the overall community.

For one local nonprofit agency, The Heartside Gleaning Initiative, the possibility of partnering with local businesses in the Grand Rapids area is promising. Research regarding various fundraising …

Bringing Fresh Produce To A Heartside Daycare; Heartside Gleaning Initiative Partnership, Averi Doolittle, Wyatt Jones, Chelsea Vanallsburg

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

The Gleaning Initiative is a Non-Profit organization in the Grand Rapids community. Every Saturday afternoon, their team of volunteers collects produce donated by farmers who attend the Downtown and Fulton Street farmers markets in downtown Grand Rapids. After collecting the produce they distribute it throughout the Heartside Community at food pantries and low income housing. While attending the Gleaning Initiative volunteer opportunities as a group we have observed how the Initiative could reach more people in the community.

Throughout our research we found the need for fresh produce in daycare centers located in communities declared as food deserts. Kids are …

The Hungry Games, Timothy Deters, Michael Garnaat, Isabel Gonzales, Megan Kupres, Evelyn Lugo, Ashley Munniksma, Jose Rivera, Nathan Spencer

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

Environmental activist and culture critic, Wendell Berry states in “The Pleasures of Eating,” “When food, in the minds of eaters, is no longer associated with farming and with the land, the eaters are suffering a kinds of cultural amnesia that is misleading and dangerous” (Berry 2) The obesity epidemic, mass hunger, the invasion of overly-processed and GMO-contaminated foods are just a few of the frightful consequences of our society’s overall disconnect with the food system. With so many obvious shortcomings, how does one even begin to tackle the wicked problem of food? According to several culture critics, including Michael Pollan, …

3r- Reach, Recruit, Reform: Working With The Grand Rapids Community To Meet The Volunteer Needs Of The Heartside Gleaning Initiative, Kyle Ramsey, Carly Simpson, Andrew Wallace, Russell Werra

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

The purpose of this project is to address the volunteer needs of the Heartside Gleaning Initiative, a nonprofit organization founded by Grand Valley State University professor Lisa Sisson. The mission of the Heartside Gleaning Initiative is to “empower the Heartside community to become healthier through nutrition education and improving accessibility of healthy foods” (Heartside, 2014). Members of the Heartside Gleaning Initiative are currently working to give people living in the Heartside community of Grand Rapids access to fresh produce. Volunteers glean the produce from local farmers at the Fulton Street Farmers Market and then deliver it to shelters in the …

A Recipe For Healthy Communities, Amanda Foster, Alexis Cornwall, Steven Ergang, Dylan Armstrong

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

In Grand Rapids’ urban areas the ability to gain access to nutritional food is difficult and in some cases, impossible. The purpose of the project is to work with a local non-profit organization be more successful in helping people living in areas known as food deserts. “Food deserts are defined by the USDA as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers” (Gallagher, 2010). Having access to the produce is only the first obstacle. …

The Gleaning Workshop Project; A Workshop Curriculum For The Heartside Gleaning Initiative Of Grand Rapids, Mi, Cody Gallagher, Kelsey Jacques, Kathryn S. Jamesen, Casey Wisely

LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability

The Heartside Gleaning Initiative Project, founded by Grand Valley professor Lisa Sisson, has made incredible strides in its mere one season of operation. The project gathers unsold produce from the two local Grand Rapids farmers markets, and brings it to lower-income residents of the Heartside Neighborhood of the city. These residents don’t have access to this bounty of produce regularly, and the Gleaning Initiative Project has made the possibility of regularly having such fruits and vegetables more of a reality.

While this project has undeniably made great waves of progress in the well-being and nutrition of the Heartside Neighborhood, one …

Training Marriage And Family Therapists In Formal Assessment: Contributions To Students' Familiarity, Attitude, And Confidence, Scott C. Huff, Shayne R. Anderson, Lindsay L. Edwards

Faculty Publications

Studies suggest that few practicing marriage and family therapists use formal assessments and even fewer use systemic assessments. Given the potential value of formal assessment to both clinicians and clients, we surveyed current marriage and family therapy students (N = 91) about their familiarity, attitude, and confidence in training with assessment. Experience using assessments predicted familiarity. Having a supervisor that valued assessments predicted familiarity and confidence in training. The number of courses taken in assessment was not predictive of familiarity, attitude, or confidence. Implications for training and future research are discussed

How Wartime Detention Ends, Deborah N. Pearlstein

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Not Behind Bars, Not A Prisoner: An Analysis Of Guardians, Conservators, And Protection & Advocacy Organizations Under The Prison Litigation Reform Act, Deborah Frisch

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fern Community Reassembly In Secondary Forests Of Puerto Rico: Predictors, Complexity, And Niche Model Assessment, Thomas J. Schmidt

Masters Theses

Approximately 94% of Puerto Rico’s forests were converted into agricultural systems by 1950. Since then, extensive abandonment of agricultural land has resulted in a considerable amount of forest regeneration throughout the main island. Ferns are a major non-woody component of oceanic, tropical island forests comprising up to seventy percent of the flora. Consequently, the composition and community structure of ferns may be indicative of the relative richness of these secondary forests. I used Maximum Entropy (Maxent), a widely-used mathematical tool for distinguishing suitable versus unsuitable fern niche space, along with ENMTools, a tool that assists Maxent with proper model selection, …

An Analysis Of Professional Adult Education Programs In Northwest Arkansas, Skyler Leigh Barry

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Professional adult education (PAE) has been described as structured educational activities that are designed or intended to support the continuing development of professional or career skills, knowledge, competencies, and abilities. Previous research has shown that professional adult education is a vehicle for adult learners to continue their education and gain valuable skills which can aide in career mobility. Given the importance of professional adult education as it relates to further development of adult learners, the purpose for conducting this study was to develop a profile of professional adult education providers and programming offered in Northwest Arkansas. In order to develop …

International Classification Of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification And Procedure Coding System And Clinical Documentation Improvement, Margaret L. Possel

Applied Research Projects

Today, the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification is more than 35 years old and there is a great need for the United States of America to implement the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision has two parts: The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification for diagnosis codes and The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Procedure Coding System for inpatient procedure codes. Both classification systems incorporate greater specificity, clinical data, and information relevant to ambulatory and to managed-care encounters. With the greater specificity, it is imperative for …

Job Security In The Field Of Health Information, Davina Ikponmwosa

Applied Research Projects

The industry of Health Information Management (HIM) has remained a hidden career field for several years, affording employment for a plethora of non-traditional job opportunities. Established in 1928, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has brought some awareness to the field, and over the years has become more aggressive in popularize the field of health information management (AHIMA Workforce, 2005).

Over the past eighty-five years the field of HIM has progressed tremendously, branching out into different sectors such as compliance, information technology and insurance; establishing more jobs under the field’s umbrella. Health information management has gained much of its …

Working Memory, Emotion Regulation, And Effortful Control Levels In Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder., James Rush

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

No abstract provided.

Hand In Hand, Winter 2014

Hand in Hand

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Milwaukee, WI

Hand in Hand Finding Aid

Encouraging And Maintaining Employee Participation In The Erie County Wellness Program, Roxanne Cuebas

Public Administration Master’s Projects

This research focused on how to encourage and maintain participation in employee wellness programs. This is an agency-based project involving the employees of the Erie County Rath Building, located in Buffalo, NY as well as other county employees located outside of the Rath Building . Wellness programs help educate individuals and improve their health. Obesity rates are currently rising and most people are not properly informed on the benefits they receive from exercising and being properly nourished. With the proper incentives and peer-support mechanisms in place, employees and employers greatly benefit from participating. Public sector employees were examined for this …

Philanthropically Funded Heroism Awards For Kidney Donors?, Muriel Niederle, Alvin E. Roth

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.