Examining Juvenile Delinquency Contributors through Life-Course and Strain Theory

For years the causes of juvenile delinquency have drawn a lot of attention from the scientific community and have become a widely studied concept in research literature. Causes of juvenile delinquency have become an important aspect of criminological study because with the knowledge of what contributes to delinquency, the scientific community can possibly slow down the continuous act of offending, also known as continuity, through implementation of prevention strategies. Criminological theory is used to define and help understand why certain contributors are the foundation for juvenile delinquency, along with the continuity of crime for an adolescent but also what factors contribute to a decrease in criminal activity, known as desistance. Some predictors of juvenile delinquency that researchers have focused on are the individual characteristics such as peer influence, family environment, parenting styles, school environment, and community structure (Shreck, Fisher, & Miller, 2004)

PCR Amplification and DNA Sequence Analysis of the 45S Ribosomal DNA Cassette of Chrysaora quinquecirrha

The recent overpopulation of jellyfish occurring in the Barnegat Bay of New Jersey has been of growing concern. One prolific species, Chrysaora quinquecirrha, has been the subject of genetic research to determine the relatedness amongst populations and therefore determine its spread. In this study, a partial nucleotide sequence of the 45S ribosomal DNA cassette from C. quinquecirrha genomic DNA of Barnegat Bay was identified and compared to other cnidarian species. Approximately 44.8% of the cassette was identified, 3465 bp total. A partial 18S rDNA sequence was generated of 1772 bp (96% total). Complete ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, and ITS2 sequences were generated of 284 bp, 158 bp, and 205 bp, respectively. A partial 28S rDNA sequence was identified of 1046 bp long (29% total). It was found that the sequence of the 18S and 28S rDNA in C. quinquecirrha is closest to other Chrysaora species. The ITS regions of C. quinquecirrha of Barnegat Bay proved to be 99% identical to C. quinquecirrha of Navesink River, providing supporting evidence of how related these two populations of species are. A complete cassette can potentially add another element when classifying and identifying organisms. Further studies to complete the 45S rDNA cassette will design specific primer sets to amplify the entire IGS region, the first 42 nucleotides at the 5’ end of 18S rDNA, and the remaining 2560 bp of 28S rDNA. This data can then be utilized to determine the relatedness of other cnidarian populations and determine their spread

Putting a Price On Nature: Does the Increased Protection of Natural Capital Positively Influence GDP?

The philosophy and logistics behind “putting a price on nature” has become an important debate as our global environment undergoes rapid deterioration. With an increased emphasis on natural capital protection, countries question how this will affect their national economy. This paper will examine whether an increased protection of natural capital will positively influence GDP; the study analyzes national GDP in relation to the natural capital protection policies in each country. The wealth and demographics of the country will also be considered, as well as personal consumption, business investments, government spending, and net exporting

Caught in the conundrum: Neoliberalism and education in post-conflict Northern Ireland – Exploring shared education

Northern Ireland (NI) is emerging from a violent period in its troubled history and remains a society characterized by segregation between its two main communities. Nowhere is this more apparent than in education, where for the most part Catholic and Protestant pupils are educated separately. During the last 30 years there has been twofold pressure placed on the education system in NI – at one level to respond to intergroup tensions by promoting reconciliation, and at another, to deal with national policy demands derived from a global neoliberalist economic agenda. With reference to current efforts to promote shared education between separate schools, we explore the uneasy dynamic between a school-based reconciliation programme in a transitioning society and system-wide values that are driven by neoliberalism and its organizational manifestation – new managerialism. We argue that whilst the former seeks to promote social democratic ideals in education that can have a potentially transformative effect at the societal level, neoliberal priorities have the potential to both subvert shared education and also to embed it.</jats:p

Characterising the functional role of rhizosphere fungi in Miscanthus giganteus bioenergy cropping systems

The rhizosphere has a rich fungal microbiome, including parasites, commensals and mutualists. An important group in the rhizosphere are assumed to be the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which live in symbiosis with around 80% of plant species. AMF have been shown to increase plant yield, biomass, disease resistance, and shoot P. Plants exchange carbon in the form of sugars for nutrients assimilated by AMF. There is little known about AMF in association with Miscanthus giganteus, a productive bioenergy crop grown in the UK and abroad. Work was carried out to characterise the abundance, organisation, importance, function and stability over space and time of rhizosphere fungi and AMF in M. giganteus roots. Field samples from Lincolnshire were analysed using staining and molecular techniques, including small subunit rRNA gene terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, clone libraries and amplicon pyrosequencing, and meta-transcriptomics. M. giganteus was also grown in a number of pot experiments, with various treatments including fungal inoculations and fungicide application. A number of fungal phyla were found in the roots, particularly Ascomycota, the composition of which shifted over time and exhibited diurnal patterns of activity. Fungi enhanced plant growth by a third, and were functionally active in the roots in the meta-transcriptome. AMF communities were found at much lower relative abundances in roots, and inoculation with AMF did not enhance M. giganteus growth. The work highlights the importance of the whole root mycobiome to plant growth and health, and the relatively small role Glomeromycota play in M. giganteus comparison with other fungi. The work also demonstrated the dynamic nature of fungal activity over hours, months, and years, and the complex interactions the fungal community has with environmental variables

Implementation of Staff Training Curriculum Aimed at Improving MDS Coding in a Long-Term Care Setting

Minimum Data Set (MDS) is used in long-term care facilities to document resident’s information and assessments and to determine the resident’s eligibility to receive Medicare or Medicaid insurance coverage for treatment expenses while in the LTC facility. When reviewing the MDS, the facility identified inaccurate documentation of the resident’s functional mobility ambulating on the unit. This quality improvement project was undertaken to improve assessments, resident interventions, and documentation regarding functional mobility. Following literature review and chart audits, an educational intervention was implemented for nursing assistants to promote understanding of the MDS coding system when charting functional mobility on the unit. The educational intervention included information on coding for the level of staff assistance and accurate charting of assistance levels. Following the education intervention data was again collected through chart review on MDS coding to determine effectiveness of the intervention. The goal of this project was to create more accurate MDS documentation and ultimately improve resident independence while ambulating on the unit in this long-term care facility

Then and Now: Examining Memories of Pediatric Experiences and Their Influence on Opinions about Healthcare as an Adult

Children use their memories of healthcare experiences to navigate subsequent visits. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine young adults’ (N = 343) memories of childhood medical experiences, how support from parents and the medical team influenced these memories, and how memories of pediatric experiences influence opinions about healthcare as an adult. The participants remembered having mild anxiety about childhood medical visits, feeling parents and the medical team were helpful with coping, and thinking the medical staff were supportive/friendly. Participants remembered having a relationship with their healthcare providers and the healthcare providers communicating with them as a child. The adults reported their current opinion and healthcare use was influenced by childhood healthcare experiences. These findings highlight the importance of parents and the medical team during pediatric healthcare visits. Also, visits during childhood were found to influence use of healthcare as an adult, highlighting the need for positive pediatric experiences, both at the doctor and dentist