Digital Commons Network^™

Deconstructing And Reconstructing Rights For Immigrant Children, Erin B. Corcoran

Law Faculty Scholarship

Children rights advocates and scholars alike continue to call for the development of innovative and alternative rights models, which specifically provide for an expansive conceptualization of children’s rights. Central to their calls for reform is a simultaneous recognition that children’s rights must embody agency – a child’s voice (a proxy for autonomy) – free from governmental interference, as well as the establishment of certain fundamental “needs” that place an affirmative obligation on the State to ensure the child has, and affirmatively provide, when necessary. Reimagining children’s rights also requires reforming our laws in such a way that reflects children as …

Impact Of Medical Drugs, Commonly Administered To The Elderly, On Viability And Functionality Of Commercially Available Probiotic Supplements, Desarae Nicole Johnson

Theses

The elderly population is inherently more susceptible to gastrointestinal problems and diseases due to significant age-related gastrointestinal changes experienced in gut physiology, reactivity of the immune system, and/or diet. These factors, coupled with increased occurrence of disease and corresponding medication use, could also modify the composition of gut microbiota. The impact of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the physical gastrointestinal tract has already been shown. However, the impact of these factors on the microbiota inhabiting the GI tract has not been well established. A better understanding of the relationship between medication use and gut microbiota composition may have beneficial implications …

Gsbs News, Spring 2015, Graduate School Of Biomedical Sciences, University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

GSBS News

No abstract provided.

Consumer Inferences Of Corporate Social Responsibility (Csr) Claims On Packaged Foods, Gaeul Kim

Open Access Theses

With the growing public demands in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of the food industry, CSR claims have begun to appear on food packages, as companies started communicating their CSR initiatives to consumers. Although food packages emerged as an important CSR communication tool, consumers' processing of CSR claims and the effects of these claims on product evaluations still remain unknown. In this regard, the present study carries two important research questions. First, do non-health/nutrition-related CSR claims influence consumers' product evaluations, such as perceived health benefits or tastes? If so, how does the effect of CSR claims differ by type of CSR …

Binge Drinking Among College Students: Differences By Gender, Amanda Sawicki

Posters

The purpose of this study is to find out if binge drinking effects behavior in college students based on gender by assessing the behavioral patterns and numbers of male and female partici-pants when engaging in alcoholic beverages. There are three research questions guiding this study: 1.Does binge drinking effect males more than females? 2. Does binge drinking lead to unnecessary injuries? 3. Does binge drinking lead to unsafe sex under the influence? Most research suggests males have more issues with alcohol than females. Surprisingly the statistics for this research project showed female participants outnumbered or ran close to the statistics …

Faculty Achievements, April 2015, Otterbein University

Faculty Achievement Reports

No abstract provided.

Madison Magazine, Vol. 38, No. 2, Spring/Summer 2015 Full Issue

Madison Magazine

No abstract provided.

Do No Harm In Mine Action: Why The Environment Matters, Ursin Hoffman, Pascal Rapillard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosive remnants of war negatively impact the environment and some clearance methods used by mine action organizations can potentially lead to environmental degradation. Mine action organizations need to consider the negative impact potential of their operations and adopt mitigation measures to ensure they do no harm.

Effect Of Females In Leadership Roles On Menstrual Sanitation In Rural Jamkhed, India, Kirsten Hughes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Introduction: Menstruation is integral to puberty and maturation of adolescent girls. Education about menstruation and menstrual hygiene effects a woman’s physical and psychosocial health through the majority of her life.

Purpose: This study seeks to answer the following questions: Who is providing information to girls before or after their first menstruation? Is this information timely, appropriate and accurate? Is the information effective enough to see changes in menstrual practices through a family and community? In answering these questions, the study attempts to determine the pathways of communications regarding menstruation and menstrual health in the Jamkhed area of the Ahmednagar district …

Sorrell V. Ims Health Inc.: Sowing Mischief In Commercial Speech, Edward J. Schoen, J. S. Falchek

Rohrer College of Business Departmental Research

No abstract provided.

The Bates Student - Volume 144 Number 19 - April 1, 2015, Bates College

The Bates Student

No abstract provided.

Exploring Knowledge And Beliefs Of Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Infection And Hpv Vaccination Among U.S. Chinese International Students, Haijuan Gao

Open Access Dissertations

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine provides an effective prevention strategy against HPV infection, cervical cancer, and genital warts. As increasing numbers of Chinese international students (CIS) are living and studying in United States, this specific ethnic group has become the candidate for HPV vaccination promotion. Despite an increased awareness and knowledge of HPV infection and HPV vaccine among U.S. college students, studies focused on CIS as a unique ethnic group regarding HPV vaccine promotion were limited. This project is the first time aimed to examine CIS's awareness, knowledge and beliefs about HPV infection, HPV vaccine, cervical cancer and genital warts. …

Mathematical Approaches To Food Nutrient Content Estimation With A Focus On Phenylalanine, Jieun Kim

Open Access Dissertations

Managing the intake of a certain nutrient can be an effective treatment for some inherited metabolic disorders. An example of such dietary treatments is for phenylketonuria (PKU), for which patients must follow a low-phenylalanine diet for life. Some food databases provide the phenylalanine (Phe) content for a large number of unprocessed foods, and a limited number of composite foods; however, they are not exhaustive. As an attempt to complete this list, we introduce three mathematical approaches to estimate a bound for the Phe content based on the available nutritional information. The first approach is based on the statistical distribution of …

A Website Of Agriculturally Related Activities For Elementary Grade Levels, Bailey M. Kirby

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project is to develop a website containing agriculturally-related activities designed for the elementary classroom, including kindergarten to fifth grade. This website was created in order to bring agriculture into the elementary classroom and introduce the topic to students at an earlier age because the subject is currently only taught at the high school level. Two activities were created for each grade level and fit into the current curriculums for those grade levels. The website was designed in a way that teachers will be able to continually submit activities to be added to the website at any …

Analyses Of Nutrient And E. Coli Contamination Within The Otter Creek Watershed, Madison County, Ky, Nathaniel C. Crockett

Geosciences Undergraduate Theses

The Otter Creek watershed exhibits dissolved nutrient (ammonium, NH⁴¹⁺; nitrate, NO₃^1-; phosphate, PO₄^3-) and Escherichia coli contamination that compromises its water quality. The watershed covers a substantial portion of Madison County (~168 km²) and consists of Lake Reba, Dreaming Creek, and east and west forks, all of which enter the trunk of Otter Creek before flowing into the Kentucky River. Suspected contaminate sources include leaky sewage system pipes, runoff from pasture land, and septic system leachate. We collected 330 water samples on three occasions during summer 2014 to determine the …

Role Of Bacterial-Fungal Interactions On Heavy Metal Phytotoxicity In Serpentine Soil, Mihiri Seneviratne, Gamini Seneviratne, H. M. S. P. Madawala, M.C.M. Iqbal, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Tharanga Bandara, Meththika Vithanage

Biological Sciences

This study was conducted to understand the role of bacterial–fungal interactions on heavy metal uptake by Zea mays plants. A pot experiment was conducted for 90 days with Z. mays in serpentine soil inoculated with a Gram-negative bacterium, fungus (Aspergilllus sp.) and both microbes to determine the effects of inoculation on nickel, manganese, chromium and cobalt concentrations in plant tissue and soil. Soil nutrients and soil enzyme activities were measured to determine the effect of inoculations on soil quality. Inoculation of microorganisms increased shoot and root biomass, and the maximum biomass was in the bacterial–fungal inoculation. This could be …

Calcium : Magnesium Ratio Affects Environmental Stress Sensitivity In The Serpentine-Endemic Alyssum Inflatum (Brassicaceae), Rasoul Ghasemi, Zohreh Zare Chavoshi, Robert S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Plants endemic to serpentine soils are adapted to harsh environmental conditions typical of those soils, particularly, low (<1) calcium (Ca) : magnesium (Mg) ratios. We compared survival of two perennial Alyssum species native to Iran under experimental manipulations of Ca : Mg ratio, including when Ca : Mg ratio was varied under conditions of high ammonium concentration and heat stress. Alyssum inflatum is a serpentine endemic capable of nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulation, whereas A. lanceolatum is found on non-serpentine soils and is not known to hyperaccumulate Ni. We grew plants of both species under four Ca : Mg ratios (0.4, 2, 20, 40) and tested survival when plants were exposed to elevated ammonium …

Longwood Magazine 2015 Spring, Longwood University

Alumni Newsletters & Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Accuracy Of Highly Sexually Active Gay And Bisexual Men’S Predictions Of Their Daily Likelihood Of Anal Sex And Its Relevance For Intermittent Event-Driven Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, Jeffrey T. Parsons, H. Jonathon Rendina, Christian Grov, Ana Ventuneac, Brian Mustanski

Publications and Research

Objective: We sought to examine highly sexually active gay and bisexual men’s accuracy in predicting their sexual behavior for the purposes of informing future research on intermittent, event-driven HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Design: For 30 days, 92 HIV-negative men completed a daily survey about their sexual behavior (n = 1,688 days of data) and indicated their likelihood of having anal sex with a casual male partner the following day.

Method: We utilized multilevel modeling to analyze the association between self-reported likelihood of and subsequent engagement in anal sex.

Results: We found a linear association between men’s reported likelihood …

Intra-Household Wealth Inequality And Economic Development: Evidence From Karnataka, India, Deepak Malghan, Hema Swaminathan

Working Papers

While wealth inequality has attracted attention in the recent inequality literature, such inequalities within the most elementary social unit -- the household -- remain neglected. We develop an empirical framework for measuring intra-household wealth inequality. Using unique individual-level wealth data from Karnataka, India, we report how a third of overall wealth inequality is attributable to inequality within the household. A significant barrier to interpreting intra-household wealth inequalities is the public goods nature of several household assets. We overcome this limitation with a simple normative framework derived from the Atkinson index. While welfare measures are incommensurable across different households, welfare loss …

What Are The Effects Of Circadian Rhythms On The G-Protein Coupled Receptors Involved With Glucose Metabolism?, Mary Skiffey

Senior Honors Projects

Circadian rhythms (CR) are 24-hour cycles that regulate physiological processes of the human body, such as sleep and blood glucose levels. They allow organisms to coordinate behavioral, physiological, and molecular processes with the 24-hour light/dark cycle. CRs influence metabolism through transcriptional-translation mechanisms of time-keeping, which are activated by environmental stimuli. It is known that circadian rhythms influence glucose metabolism through a variety of ways including G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs); however, the extent to which these mechanisms operate are unknown. Disrupted CRs lead to inappropriate GPCR pathway signaling, pancreatic beta-cell failure, and misregulation of gene expression, which results in a predisposition …

Kenya’S Konza Techno City: Utopian Vision Meets Social Reality, Amina Johari

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores Kenya’s ambitious Konza Technology City. In 2008 the Kenyan government unveiled its plan to construct a city from scratch 60 kilometers outside of the nation’s capital, Nairobi. Konza Technology City is a flagship project for Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s development program covering the period 2008 to 2030. The new city is expected to relieve Nairobi of some of its traffic and overcrowding issues, and also support the country’s growing technology sector. Konza City is just one of many proposed city plans all over sub-Saharan Africa reflecting a growing phenomenon. Due to the challenges many African cities …

Dying For A Drink: How The Consumption Of Home Brews Affects Health Within The Kibera Slum Of Nairobi, Kenya, Teaka Jackson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Home-brewed alcohols are inexpensive, thus they are especially consumed by low-income individuals such as those residing in Kibera. This project investigates three alcohols brewed within this area: muratina (mugasha), busaa and chang’aa. With the help of Philip Ndemwa, a nutrition expert from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, I was able to gain insight regarding the process of these alcohols, as well as the sanitation conditions of the production sites of these home brews and how these factors affect the health of the consumer. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were utilized in order to fully understand the health repercussions from …

Herbs, Home Medicine, And Self-Reliance: A Study On The Current Status Of Traditional Home Medicine In Idukki District, Kerala, Richard Gaunt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Home medical knowledge, or knowledge of how one’s surroundings can be used to maintain and restore health, can be an important tool for health self-sufficiency in rural places as well as for the ecological conservation of important plants and natural materials. The Indian state of Kerala has a rich heritage of traditional medicine, found in the historically inter-related forms of codified Ayurveda and folk knowledge. In Idukki district, a region of Kerala nestled in the hills of the Western Ghats, rural households engage in small-scale home-gardening and agroforestry, which in addition to providing nutritionally diverse food is a source of …

Perceptions Of Potable Water In Rajasthan’S Jodhpur And Barmer Districts, Melissa Spross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper looks at differences and similarities in various populations’ perceptions of safe drinking water (SDW) within Rajasthan (RJ), India, developing suggestions for future initiatives addressing the movement for safe drinking water for all. For this study, surveys were used; the survey was conducted in RJ, India, both in urban Jodhpur and in surrounding rural villages. To analyze the data, all the responses were entered into Excel format to discover patterns, themes and trends within four subtopics: access, storage, quality and cultural significance. The responses indicate that while a distinct water culture spans the geographic area, each different population retains …

Soil Total Organic Carbon And Farmers’ Perceptions Associated With Bokashi Application In Cerro Punta, Panama, Emma Searson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable use and maintenance of agricultural soils are important for maintaining long-term agricultural productivity and environmental quality. These issues are especially important in Cerro Punta, known as the breadbasket of Panama, which is experiencing severe erosion. While current practices and agrochemical usage damage soil health and function over time, application of organic material improves soil physic-chemical properties such as nutrient and total organic carbon (TOC) content. Bokashi, a fermented organic soil amendment with effective microorganisms (EM), is thought to be especially beneficial due to its ability to augment populations of soil microbes, which deliver plant-available nutrients to crops and improve …

The Influence Of Instagram On Exercise And Eating Behavior, Bridgette Kosek

Honors Projects in Marketing

The use of social media, specifically Instagram, of 305 Bryant University students ages 18-28 was investigated through student completion of an online survey to examine how following exercise and food related Instagram accounts impacts behavior. Both male and females use Instagram fairly equally, though males are more responsive to food Instagram accounts than females, who have no significant difference in behavior. Both males and females who follow exercise Instagram accounts are significantly more active than those who do not follow exercise Instagram accounts. Given the recent explosive use of Instagram in the population, the implications for this study are enormous, …

The Effects Of Nitrogen Availability And Competition On First Year Perrennial Bunchgrass Growth And Allocation, Jeffrey T. Walker

Masters Theses

Improving seedling survival of perennial bunchgrasses is a key goal of restoration programs in the Intermountain West. Two perennial bunchgrass species commonly used in restoration programs (Agropyron desertorum and Pseudoroegneria spicata) were exposed to two levels of N and competition treatments in a randomized complete block study in a pot study in eastern Oregon. I documented uptake, allocation and resorption of N in plants during the first year of growth. Agropyron desertorum had significantly higher rates of N uptake than P. spicata, but A. desertorum maintained lower tissue N concentrations, suggesting that P. spicata was more likely to …

Sacred Heart University Magazine, Spring 2015, Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University Magazine

The lead article in this issue is about Sacred Heart University's success in the area of enrollment. This issue also includes a feature on Professor Jonas Zdanys, grants to Biology Professor Barbara Pierce to further her research on migratory birds and to the Welch College of Business MBA program from Bank of America. The pages are filled with other exciting news--from President John J. Petillo's foreword.

Uni Grad Student News, V12n4, April 2015, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- Current Student Profile: Somtochukwu Ebede
-- Current Faculty Profile: Kavita Dhanwada
-- Alumni Profile: Shannon McClintock-Miller
-- Public History Student Attends an Academic Conference
-- Graduate Students Represent UNI at Academic Conference in New Mexico
-- Giving and Receiving Writing Criticism
-- Midwestern Psychological Association
-- Multicultural Graduate Student Association Reinstated at UNI
-- Career Spotlight: The Video Interview
-- School Counseling Students Attend Advocacy Event
-- Update Your Resume and CV
-- Graduate College Staff and Contact Information