Putting Experience to Work: Leveraging Student Attributes and Abilities in the Development of an Adult Learner Professional Readiness Experience Program

The purpose of the project was to provide an opportunity for adult learners at Gardner-Webb University to collectively engage in professional development within their program of study. Specifically, the program was designed to harness an adult learner’s prior knowledge, skills, and life experiences as an enhancement to his or her future professional work. At the beginning of the project, no established professional development program was available for adult learners. The development of the Adult Learner Professional Readiness Experience Program (AL-PREP) allowed the aforementioned purpose to align with Gardner-Webb curriculum. Goals, objectives, and data collection methods were established in order to best discern appropriate avenues forward, which may be reviewed through this executive summary. The conclusion of the project led to the development of a professional development-based course in Human Services as well as a policy proposal for full integration of unified professional development competencies throughout the Degree Completion Program at Gardner-Webb University

Summer Night Breeze, 1976

pages 118-13

Hog1 Controls Global Reallocation of RNA Pol II upon Osmotic Shock in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

When challenged with osmotic shock, Saccharomyces cerevisiae induces hundreds of genes, despite a concurrent reduction in overall transcriptional capacity. The stress-responsive MAP kinase Hog1 activates expression of specific genes through interactions with chromatin remodeling enzymes, transcription factors, and RNA polymerase II. However, it is not clear whether Hog1 is involved more globally in modulating the cell’s transcriptional program during stress, in addition to activating specific genes. Here we show that large-scale redistribution of RNA Pol II from housekeeping to stress genes requires Hog1. We demonstrate that decreased RNA Pol II occupancy is the default outcome for highly expressed genes upon stress and that Hog1 is partially required for this effect. We find that Hog1 and RNA Pol II colocalize to open reading frames that bypass global transcriptional repression. These activation targets are specified by promoter binding of two osmotic stress-responsive transcription factors. The combination of reduced global transcription with a gene-specific override mechanism allows cells to rapidly switch their transcriptional program in response to stress.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog

Macroeconomic Impacts of Water Use in Agriculture

The recent/current recession provides the opportunity to study the effects of the macroeconomic changes on the agricultural production systems in the Great Plains and trace some of its impacts through the system to changes in primary inputs such water resource use. Therefore, the objective of the study reported here was to determine the effects of the changes in macroeconomic conditions driven by the 2008 recession on irrigated crop production in a portion of the Southern Great Plains and its impacts on water use. The approach for the study was to: (1) use the 10-year baseline FAPRI projections, based on changes in macroeconomic conditions, of agricultural commodity prices and input costs between the beginning of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, and (2) apply these different conditions within the Southern High Plains Ogallala Model (OM) in three counties representing different water situations and cropping patterns in the region. Overall results indicate that the 2008 recession likely had a relatively small impact on water use in the Southern Great Plains. Water use within the region is responsive to economic forces only when increased pumping flexibility exists; when water withdrawals are already at or near capacity, macroeconomic changes and changes in pumping costs and commodity prices are not likely to change water use.Ogallala Aquifer, recession, macroeconomic, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Production Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, E00, Q15, Q30, Q31,

The Impact of Spatial Variation in Land Use Patterns and Aquifer Characteristics on the Agricultural Cost of Groundwater Conservation for the Southern Ogallala Aquifer

Land Economics/Use,

Measuring Lead Concentrations of Vacant Lots in the Tree Street Neighborhood of Lewiston, ME

High levels of lead contamination have detrimental health implications for communities, with the most profound impacts of lead poisoning affecting young children. The City of Lewiston, Maine, is home to a disproportionate amount of reported lead poisoning cases as compared to the rest of the state. Within Lewiston, the downtown “Tree Street” neighborhood contains 72% of all reported lead-poisoning cases in the city, signifying a need to identify the source(s) of lead exposure and minimize the impact of lead contamination on Tree Street residents. In collaboration with Healthy Neighborhoods, we identified 19 vacant lots in the Tree Street neighborhood to test for soil lead contamination. With the aim of quantifying and contextualizing the distribution of lead across the vacant lots, we took 9 composite samples from each lot and tested them for lead using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) gun. The XRF gun provided an elemental analysis of each sample in parts per million (ppm). Using this data, we created maps showing the geographic distribution of lead across the neighborhood and each site. We also created graphs showing the concentration distribution across and within sites. The most concerning site (site 17) had an average lead concentration of 634 ppm and a maximum value of 2370 ppm, which surpasses the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) safety threshold of 400ppm for bare soil in play areas. Along with identifying the extent and distribution of lead contamination in the vacant lots, we considered which types of lead remediation are best suitable for minimizing exposure to lead contamination in the Tree Street neighborhood. In this report, we examine the remediation strategies of phytoremediation, soil caps and raised beds, and soil amendments. After a comprehensive discussion of these three strategies in relation to the criteria of cost, feasibility, and effectiveness, we determine which strategies are most suitable for use in the lead-contaminated Tree Street neighborhood vacant lots. We recommend the use of sunflower phytoremediation as our primary remediation technique. We also recommend the use of certain soil amendments as a secondary remediation technique; the use of this strategy, however, is contingent on whether Healthy Neighborhoods and the City of Lewiston have access to the appropriate equipment necessary for the processing of these amendments. Finally, we end our report with recommendations for next steps for Healthy Neighborhoods and the City of Lewiston in continuing the project of creating a lead-free community

The impact of supervisor gender on employee\u27s job satisfaction

It is a commonly held notion that there is gender inequality throughout the workforce. There is factual evidence such as salary differences between men and women that supports this claim. In the past, a misconception had developed that men are better suited for executive, leading roles, which also offers an explanation to the differences in wages. In modern times, we understand these differences in gender do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. Our purpose in this research is to continue to dispel the myth that men are better suited for power positions in the workforce and push for further progress in the fight for gender equality. We questioned workers in the Northwest Georgia area on their job satisfaction as well as their satisfaction with their supervisor. Our results indicate that there is no significant difference between male and female supervisors in relation to job satisfaction scores

Injection Drug Use-Associated Infective Endocarditis

Injection drug use-associated presents is a unique entity. The demographics of those affected and the clinical presentation are markedly different from those with endocarditis due to other causes. This group presents with a high proportion of right sided valve involvement, distinct pathophysiology, and a more varied array of infectious causes. The best management of these patients regarding medications and surgery remain hotly contested. The increased use of oral antibiotics and novel treatment techniques may expand safe and effective treatment for this group of patients

Harvest of the Month Kits for Early Care and Education Settings

Research tells us that a young child’s food preferences develop within the first few years of life as an infant transitions from eating one food to a multitude of foods with varying flavor profiles.1 With the understanding of a young child’s influential years, early care facilities have the ability to target these young years and help influence dietary preferences in a healthy, engaging, and positive way. For my capstone project, four Harvest of the Month (HOTM) Kits will be created to be used in Early Care and Education settings with three-to-five-year-olds. These HOTM Kits will be correlated with Georgia’s Department of Education’s kindergarten through twelfth grade Harvest of the Month resources. Each kit will combine a locally grown Georgia fruit or vegetable, recipe to prepare the seasonal produce, nutritional activity to tie in learning, children’s literature connection, handout to send home, and a local procurement handout. The goal of these kits are to provide a hands-on learning experience to enhance children’s knowledge of fruits and vegetables through activities and literature connections, allow them an opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables through taste testing, and empower them in the kitchen through recipe creations