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Coal Mining And The Resource Curse In The Eastern United States, Stratford Douglas, Anne Walker

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

We measure the effect of coal resource sector dependence on long run income growth using the natural experiment of coal mining in 409 U.S. counties that are selected for homogeneity. Using a panel data set (1970-2010), we find a one standard deviation increase in resource dependence is associated with an estimated 0.6 percentage point drop in annual growth rates of per capita personal income. We also measure the extent to which the resource curse operates through disincentives to education, and find significant effects, but results indicate that this education channel explains only perhaps 25% of the curse.

The George-Anne, Georgia Southern University

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Socially Deviant Communities Online: How The Pro-Anorexia Movement Utilizes The Anonymity Provided By The Internet To Thrive, Samantha Thomas

Honors Theses

The creation of the internet has produced an environment in which many communities have been able to develop into strong and thriving societies. A large number of communities that are now predominantly online were unable to exist successfully before the establishment of the internet for a variety of reasons. The internet has made it easier for people from different backgrounds and locations to network, form communities, and share information with one another. Unfortunately the internet has also given harmful underground communities the opportunity to develop and thrive as well. Socially deviant communities, groups that support ideas and behaviors deemed unacceptable …

Raman Spectroscopy Applied To The Noninvasive Detection Of Monosodium Urate Crystal Deposits, Declan J. Curran, Laurence Rubin, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An off-the-shelf Raman Spectrometer (RS) was used to noninvasively determine the presence of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals on the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) of a single gout sufferer. The spectrum sourced from the clinically diagnosed gout sufferer was compared to that sourced from an age-matched healthy subject scanned using the same protocol. Minimal signal processing was conducted on both spectra. Peaks characteristic of MSU crystals were evident on the spectrum sourced from the gout sufferer and not on the spectrum from the healthy control.

Osteopathic And Chiropractic: An Examination Of The Patient-Physician Relationship In Their Respective Practices, Cody L. Ward

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Caribou Migration, Subsistence Hunting, And User Group Conflicts In Northwest Alaska: A Traditional Knowledge Perspective, Gabriela Halas

Natural Resources

Alaska Natives of northwest Alaska are highly dependent on barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus) for meeting their nutritional and cultural needs. The Alaska Native village of Noatak borders the Noatak National Preserve (NNP), an area historically and presently used by Iñupiaq for subsistence caribou hunting and other traditional activities. Interactions between local and non-local caribou hunters were analyzed through the lens of common pool resource theory, which I linked to traditional Iñupiaq management of access and use of resources. This study examined changes in caribou migration and its effect on local caribou hunting success, which have been perceived to be the …

Three Essays On Community Supported Agriculture, Anastasia Thayer

Economics

The number of community supported agriculture (CSA) farms has grown considerably since the model was first introduced in the United States nearly 30 years ago. However, current academic literature lacks specific studies that provide an in-depth analysis of a market for CSA shares over time. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the supply and demand for CSA shares in the Tanana Valley through extensive data gathering of local production and farm statistics. The research provides a narrative of how the market has developed and changed over time. Hedonic models provide real estimates of implicit …

Exploring The Relationship Between Diet And Osteoporosis In Medieval Portugal Using Stable Isotope Analysis, Sharla Ann Luxton

Anthropology

This project investigates the relationship between health and diet in medieval Portugal by combining data on the occurrence of osteoporosis with information on past diet derived from stable isotope ratios. The aim of this project is to identify whether different sources of protein influenced the prevalence of osteoporosis in three populations. Individuals from three different regions of Portugal were previously evaluated for bone mineral density at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and bone samples from 91 of these individuals underwent stable isotope analysis at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Collagen suitable for isotopic analysis was extracted from all individuals and …

A Reconstruction Of Steppe Bison Mobility In The Yukon-Tanana Uplands And Implications For Prehistoric Human Behavior, Crystal L. Glassburn

Anthropology

This study seeks to characterize steppe bison (Bison priscus) behavioral ecology in interior Alaska during the Pleistocene for the purpose of understanding how bison may have moved about the landscape on a seasonal basis and how this behavior could have influenced prehistoric human settlement and subsistence patterns. Steppe bison were present in Alaska and other circumpolar regions during the Pleistocene but became extinct during the late Holocene. Archaeological evidence from the Tanana River Basin in interior Alaska indicates that bison were an important component of human subsistence economies for at least 10,000 years, but aspects of steppe bison behavioral ecology …

Ada News - 08/17/2015, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

Fatty Acid Profiles Of Alaskan Arctic Forage Fishes: Evidence Of Regional And Temporal Variation, Julia Dissen

Marine Biology

Fatty acids, the main components of lipids, are crucial for energy storage and other physiological functions in animals and plants. Dietary fatty acids are incorporated and conserved in consumer tissues in predictable patterns and can be analyzed in animal tissues to determine the composition of an individual's diet. This study measured the variation in fatty acid profiles of three abundant Arctic forage fish species, Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida), Canadian Eelpout (Lycodes polaris), and Longear Eelpout (Lycodes seminudus) across multiple years (2010-2013) and geographic locations (Beaufort and Chukchi seas). These fishes are important prey items of marine mammals, sea birds, and …

To Pup Or Not To Pup? Using Physiology And Dive Behavior To Answer The Weddell Seal's Overwinter Question, Michelle R. Shero

Marine Biology

Female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) haul-out on the fast-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent in October and November each year to give birth to and nurse their pups. Breeding follows directly after weaning (December) and the annual molt begins in January-February. Animals reduce foraging efforts during the lactation and molting periods, but very little is known regarding the influence of this reduced activity on physiological condition. After a period of embryonic diapause, the annual molt coincides with embryo attachment and the start of active gestation. Consequently, female physiological condition at this time may influence reproductive success the following year. Overall female …

Blubber And Beyond: The Role Of Lipids In Thermoregulation And Energy Reserves Of Phocid Seals, Linnea E. Pearson

Marine Biology

Phocid seals rely on lipids in the form of a blubber layer as insulation and lipids as energy sources in blubber and muscle. The amount and lipid composition of blubber and other lipid stores vary throughout life within and among species of phocid seals. I hypothesized that this variation in regulation, allocation, and interactions among lipid stores is influenced by species, ontogeny, and tissue-specific thermal regimes in polar phocids: harp (Pagophilus groenlandicus), hooded (Cystophora cristata), and Weddell (Leptonychotes weddellii) seals. I investigated the thermoregulatory strategy of neonatal harp, hooded, and Weddell seals, and throughout the transition to an aquatic environment …

Steller Sea Lion Survivors: A Retrospective On The Impact Of Alternative Research Methods On An Endangered Species, Courtney Shuert

Marine Biology

Two novel research approaches were developed to facilitate access to wild juvenile Steller sea lions. First, the Transient Juvenile Steller sea lion Project (TJ) facilitated numerous studies of physiology, behavior, and nutrition through temporary captivity (branded TJs, n=45) over the past decade. As a complement, a control group was sampled and released during capture events (FRs, n=35). Second, the Life History Tag (LHX) project was implemented within the TJ project to implant individuals (LHX-1, n=35) with internal transmitters to detect potential causes of mortality. Our goal was to evaluate the potential for long-term impacts of these two research programs on …

Program Evaluation Of Clark County Department Of Family Services, Parenting Project, Marissa E. Duke, Emily Elzeftawy, Michael D. Spies

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Clark County Department of Family Services, Parenting Project, hereinafter referred to as Parenting Project, partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Environmental and Public Affairs to participate in a program evaluation. The evaluation will serve as a tool to determine the effectiveness of the services delivered to the community by Parenting Project and to aid them in overall program improvement and implementation. This Program Evaluation focuses on two of the six core parenting classes that are currently offered free to the public, more specifically the Nurturing Parents and Families program and the ABC’s of Parenting. The …

Alpine Thermal Dynamics And Associated Constraints On The Behavior Of Mountain Goats In Southeast Alaska, Jeffrey HéBert Frederick

Biological Sciences

Alpine Caprinae, including mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), have been described to be sensitive to temperature changes within their summer range and consequently may be forced to select habitats that allow for the maintenance of a stable core temperature on warm days. Survival may be inhibited if warm ambient temperatures cause mountain goats to reduce time foraging or if too much time is spent on thermoregulatory habitat selection. I investigated mountain goat behavioral activity budgets across alpine temperature gradients in Southeast Alaska using focal animal sampling and scan sampling techniques. I tested the effects of temperature on mountain goat activity and …

Environmental Drivers Of Deer Population Dynamics And Spatial Selection In Southeast Alaska, Sophie L. Gilbert

Biological Sciences

The coastal temperate rainforest is one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, and a major portion of the global total is found in Southeast Alaska. In this ecosystem, Sitka black-tailed deer are the dominant large herbivore, influencing large carnivores that prey on deer such as wolves and bears, as well as plant species and communities through browsing. In addition, deer play an important economic and cultural role for humans in Southeast Alaska, making up the large majority of terrestrial subsistence protein harvested each year as well as providing the backbone of a thriving tourism industry built around sport hunting. …

The Treatment Of Rib Fractures With Thoracic Epidural Analgesia, Courtney D. Jensen

Doctoral Dissertations

Rib fractures are detected in nearly 300,000 patients admitted to U.S. trauma centers each year. Among these patients, a mortality rate of about 10% can be expected. It is often pain, rather than structural damage, that precipitates the high risk of mortality. Focusing rib fracture care on effective pain management improves treatment outcomes. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of one mode of pain management - thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) - in the treatment of patients with rib fractures. Methods: Four years of patient records were obtained from a Level II trauma center in …

Hypertension Management Through Patient Education, Shaleena Kumar

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hypertension serves as a common diagnosis among Americans, and its management to prevent further cardiovascular complications remains as an organizational goal. To prevent complications, the goal of a Primary Care Provider’s patient panel maintaining a blood pressure less than 140/90 has been established on the organization’s national office. In the Primary Care Clinic, an interdisciplinary team consisting of a Registered Nurse, Clinical Psychologist, and Cardiologist implemented a group education class aimed at a Hypertensive Veteran cohort. The purpose of this project is to improve self-management behaviors in the Veteran population, and to help increase the hypertension performance metric by 2% …

Home Health: The Process Of Assigning An Appropriately Trained Skilled Nurse To Provide Safe Patient Care, Susanne Polos, Msn, Rn, Cnl

Master's Projects and Capstones

The objective of this CNL project was to improve the process of placing an appropriately trained nurse in the client's home to provide safe, quality care. This project is relevant to nursing because of nursing accountability, patient safety, and lack of education of home health nurses. The population included home health patients in the Bay Area of San Francisco of all ages. The project had its base at a home health agency office in Emeryville, California with no actual hands-on patient contact. A CNL was added to the team to ensure appropriate training of the skilled nurse has been completed …

Understanding Place In Fisheries Management: An Examination Of Ecological And Social Communities In The Pribilof Islands, Alaska, Courtney Lyons

Fisheries

Holistic approaches toward fisheries management are widely considered a more sustainable option than standard single-species frameworks. This project uses the holistic frameworks of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) and place-making to examine the ecological and social systems of the Pribilof Islands and the ways in which fisheries management decisions have structured these systems. In Chapter 1, we sought to understand potential ecological constraints of temperature, fish predation, and interactions with a congener (red king crab; Paralithodes camtschaticus) on blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus) recovery. These examinations suggest that blue king crab juveniles switch strategies from predator avoidance to a strategy of …

Beyond The Affordable Care Act’S Premium Tax Credit: Ensuring Access To Safety Net Programs, Mary Pareja

Hamline Law Review

BEYOND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT’S PREMIUM TAX CREDIT: ENSURING ACCESS TO SAFETY NET PROGRAMS

Oil Biosynthesis In A Basal Angiosperm: Transcriptome Analysis Of Persea Americana Mesocarp, Aruna Kilaru, Xia Cao, Parker B. Dabbs, Ha-Jung Sung, Mahbubur Rahman, Nicholas Thrower, Greg Zynda, Ram Podicheti, Enrique Ibarra-Laclette, Luis Herrera-Estrella, Keithanne Mockaitis, John B. Ohlrogge

ETSU Faculty Works

The mechanism by which plants synthesize and store high amounts of triacylglycerols (TAG) in tissues other than seeds is not well understood. The comprehension of controls for carbon partitioning and oil accumulation in nonseed tissues is essential to generate oil-rich biomass in perennial bioenergy crops. Persea americana (avocado), a basal angiosperm with unique features that are ancestral to most flowering plants, stores ~ 70 % TAG per dry weight in its mesocarp, a nonseed tissue. Transcriptome analyses of select pathways, from generation of pyruvate and leading up to TAG accumulation, in mesocarp tissues of avocado was conducted and compared with …

Hedgehog Signaling Regulates Imaginal Cell Differentiation In A Basally Branching Holometabolous Insect, Carla M. Villarreal, Karin Darakananda, Victoria R. Wang, Pooja M. Jayaprakash, Yuichiro Suzuki

Faculty Research and Scholarship

The evolution of imaginal cells, or stem cell-like cells, contributed to the spectacular diversification of holometabolous insects, which undergo complete metamorphosis. The proliferation and differentiation of these imaginal cells is under the control of juvenile hormone (JH), but which patterning genes respond to JH is currently unknown. Here, the role of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling in the development of imaginal cells was investigated. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the components of the Hh signaling pathway showed that Hh is required for the proliferation of polymorphic and imaginal cells in Tribolium castaneum. Hh was also necessary for the regeneration of larval appendages. In …

Comparison Of The Nutrient Content Of Children’S Menu Items At Us Restaurant Chains, 2010–2014, Andrea L. Deierlein, Kay Peat, Luz Claudio

Publications and Research

Objective To determine changes in the nutritional content of children’s menu items at U.S. restaurant chains between 2010 and 2014. Methods The sample consisted of 13 sit down and 16 fast-food restaurant chains ranked within the top 50 US chains in 2009. Nutritional information was accessed in June-July 2010 and 2014. Descriptive statistics were calculated for nutrient content of main dishes and side dishes, as well as for those items that were added, removed, or unchanged during the study period. Results Nutrient content of main dishes did not change significantly between 2010 and 2014. Approximately one-third of main dishes at …

Escherichia Coli Iron Acquisition Paradigms And Host Responses In The Human Urinary Milieu, Robin Reid Shields-Cutler

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are some of the most common bacterial infections worldwide and are increasingly complicated by high antibiotic resistance and recurrence rates. Explanations for the marked individual differences in UTI susceptibility remain incomplete. In this thesis we show that urinary colonization by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) is influenced by urine composition and the activity of an important innate immune protein, siderocalin (SCN; also called lipocalin 2 or neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin/NGAL). During UTI, host factors limit the availability of iron, an essential nutrient for the invading pathogen. In response, UPEC modify the urinary environment with metal binding siderophores, some …

Evolutionary Developmental Leaf Morphology Of The Plant Family Araceae, Claudia Liliana Henriquez

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Studying the evolutionary developmental morphology of leaves using next-generation phylogenetics, a candidate gene approach and comparative developmental studies in the plant family Araceae is the overarching theme of the dissertation.The plant family Araceae is an ancient lineage from the Early Cretaceous and belongs to the monocotyledons. Members of Araceae display striking variation in leaf development; such variation contradicts traditional models of monocot leaf development. Additionally, dissected leaves, which are rare in monocots, seem to have evolved independently multiple times in Araceae by various developmental mechanisms.Despite extensive efforts to elucidate the evolutionary history of Araceae, phylogenetic ambiguity in the backbone of …

A Gnotobiotic Mouse Model For Studying The Effect Of Human Gut Community Ecology On A Pathobiont, Bacteroides Fragilis, Vitas Wagner

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATIONA Gnotobiotic Mouse Model for Studying the Effect of Human Gut Community Ecology on a Pathobiont, Bacteroides fragilisbyVitas WagnerDoctor of Philosophy in Biology and Biomedical SciencesEvolution, Ecology, and Population BiologyWashington University in St. Louis, 2015Professor Jeffrey I. Gordon, ChairChildhood undernutrition represents a pressing global health challenge. Epidemiologic studies have shown that undernutrition is not due to food insecurity alone, but rather represents a complex set of interactions between intra- and intergenerational factors. The gut microbiota has been implicated as one such factor. This thesis tested the hypothesis that enteropathogen burden affects the structure and expressed functions of …

Adaptive Mechanisms Of Niche Remodeling In Streptococcus Pyogenes, Elyse Paluscio

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes is a remarkably successful pathogen, capable of infecting numerous tissue sites within its human host. The ability of S. pyogenes to invade these different niches is, in part, due to the species’ ability to monitor various physical and chemical signals in its environment and alter its transcriptional profile in response to these differential conditions. As a member of the lactic acid bacteria, S. pyogenes has a simple fermentative metabolism and relies exclusively on a combination of homo-lactic and mixed acid fermentation as a means of generating energy in the cell. As a consequence of its …

Influence Of Raisin Starter Syrup Concentrations On The Properties Of Sourdough And Sourdough Bread, Jean-Yu Hwang, Yung-Shin Shyu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The present study evaluates the effects of syrup concentrations of natural raisin microflora culture on the characteristics of sourdough and sourdough bread. The original total titratable acidity (TTA) of the starter solutions were between 10.30 and 10.45 mL, after 96 hours of incubation, the TTA of the starter solution increased to 11.30-11.85 mL. The greatest pH decrease and TTA increase occurred in the RS50 group. The microstructure of the control bread was rougher and contained more ungelatinized starch particles than bread made with sourdough. The overall acceptability and flavor of bread made using sourdough with the 150 g/L syrup solution …