A vascular flora of Bendabout Farm, Bradley County, Tennessee and survey of native Castanea Dentata (Marsh) Borkh. (Fagaceae, American chestnut)

The primary goal of this study was to inventory the flora of Bendabout Farm, a 1,467 ha privately-owned farm in Bradley County, Tennessee. A second goal was to conduct a census of the population and distribution of surviving Castanea dentata (Marsh) Borkh. (American chestnut) within the study area. Both natural/semi-natural and altered habitats were described during initial habitat characterization. The study recorded 433 species from 261 genera in 106 families. The study documented 250 new records for Bradley County. Special Concern Species, Panax quinqu efolius L., was vouchered, as were 68 non-native species. C. dentata were located using the sweep census method in the dry oak forest. In total, 330 ha were surveyed and 181 sprouts were documented. Maps displaying location data were generated in ArcGIS 10 to assist property managers in making best land management decisions in regard to protecting C. dentata sprouts on the farm

Understanding boys (dis)engagement with reading for pleasure: Project findings

Why do boys from low-income families appear to read for pleasure far less than other groups of young people? This research project provides new evidence that how reading is taught in schools influences different boys’ orientations to and engagement with reading for pleasure. It offers evidence that boys’ (dis)engagement is not simply a gender issue and that it also involves teacher perceptions of other aspects of boys’ social and learner identities, including ‘ability’, ethnicity and social class. The research was funded by the British Academy and the Leverhulme Foundation

Cross-Product Extensions of the Gene Ontology

The Gene Ontology is being normalized and extended to include computable logical definitions. These definitions are partitioned into mutually exclusive cross-product sets, many of which reference other OBO Foundry ontologies. The results can be used to reason over the ontology, and to make cross-ontology queries

The Influence of Age and a Self-Actualizing Workshop on Adult Self-Actualization Scores

Seeking self-fulfillment is a relevant goal among many adults but one that is often not attained. Existing literature includes research on programs that enhance the well-being of participants but does not teach how core self-actualization attributes are significant in developing self-fulfillment. The main theoretical framework for this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs concentrating on the internal and external schemas of self-actualizing attributes. Using a snowball sample, the total number of qualified participants for this study was 80; the study was a cross-section sample of adults using a between group, single group, pre-/posttest, quantitative design. The 10 items of the core self-actualization factor in the Brief Index of Self-Actualization (BISA), was used to measure if participation in the Self-Actualizing Workshop could influence core self-actualization scores and if age is a factor in the ability to begin to self-actualize. The findings from 3 research questions concluded: (a) an independent t-test results showed no significant difference in pre-BISA core self-actualization scores between age groups, (b) a paired samples t-test results showed a significant difference between the mean values of pretest/posttest scores, and (c) an independent t-test results showed no significant difference in post-BISA core self-actualization scores between age groups. This research contributes to existing literature and reveals the possibility of enhancing individual change by employing the Self-Actualizing Workshop. Enhanced self-actualization provides people with the opportunity for a greater sense of self-fulfillment and purpose

Comparing Carbon Footprints of Two Retail Business Models: Traditional Retail vs. Subscription Ecommerce

Growth in online purchases for apparel is changing the way that customers engage with retail companies, reducing the number of trips they take to the physical store, and increasing the number of packages delivered through curriers. Among the many implications of these changes, these new business models dramatically impact that carbon footprint of the retail industry, including the carbon footprint of transportation, utility use, and the integration of technology into a shopping experience. We examine the carbon footprint of our client, a subscription retailer that ships curated boxes of apparel to customers across the United States and outlying territories. This analysis incorporates methodology from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which focuses on carbon emissions in three scopes of a business or organization. We also look at the implications of apparel retail as it moves online over the coming years and explores answers to questions like “how will the carbon footprint of the retail industry shift in the future?” and, “what are the best ways for us to measure carbon footprints of ecommerce retailers?” We present recommendations for how the client can reduce its carbon footprint, starting with the changes that will make the greatest contribution to this reduction. Finally, we suggest ways that carbon footprinting models may be best adapted given rapid and increasing changes to modern retail business models so that footprinting across brick-and-mortar and ecommerce businesses becomes more consistent and comparable in the future.Master of ScienceSchool for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146726/1/Harris_Amelia_Luu_Paula_Practicum_DO NOT UPLOAD FOR ONE YEAR_OpusForm_LicenseVerification.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146726/4/Harris_Amelia_Luu_Paula_Practicum.pd

Speechreading ability is related to phonological awareness and single-word reading in both deaf and hearing children

Purpose. Speechreading (lipreading) is a correlate of reading ability in both deaf and hearing children. We investigated whether the relationship between speechreading and single-word reading is mediated by phonological awareness in deaf and hearing children. Method. In two separate studies, 66 deaf children and 138 hearing children, aged 5–8 years old, were assessed on measures of speechreading, phonological awareness, and single-word reading. We assessed the concurrent relationships between latent variables measuring speechreading, phonological awareness, and single-word reading. Results. In both deaf and hearing children, there was a strong relationship between speechreading and single-word reading, which was fully mediated by phonological awareness. Conclusions. These results are consistent with ideas from previous studies that visual speech information contributes to the development of phonological representations in both deaf and hearing children, which, in turn, support learning to read. Future longitudinal and training studies are required to establish whether these relationships reflect causal effects

Computerised speechreading training for deaf children: A randomised controlled trial

Purpose: We developed and evaluated in a randomised controlled triala computerised speechreading training programme to determine a) whether it is possible to train speechreading in deaf children and b) whether speechreading training results in improvements in phonological and reading skills.Previous studies indicate a relationship between speechreading and reading skill and further suggest this relationshipmay be mediated by improved phonological representations. This is important since many deaf children find learning to read to be very challenging. Method: Sixty-six deaf 5-7 year olds were randomised into speechreading and maths training arms. Each training programme was comprised of10 minutesessionsa day, 4 days a week for 12 weeks. Children were assessed on a battery of language and literacy measures before training, immediately after training, 3 months and 10 months after training. Results: We found no significant benefits for participants who completed the speechreading training, compared to those who completed the maths training, on the speechreading primary outcome measure. However, significantly greater gains were observed in the speechreading training group on one of the secondary measures of speechreading. There was also some evidence of beneficial effects of the speechreading training on phonological representations, however these effects were weaker. No benefits were seen toword reading. Conclusions: Speechreading skill is trainable in deaf children. However, to support early reading, training may need to be longer or embedded in a broader literacy programme. Nevertheless, a training tool that can improve speechreading is likely to be of great interest to professionals working with deaf children

Sexual learning among East African adolescents in the context of generalized HIV epidemics: A systematic qualitative meta-synthesis

Background AIDS-related illness is the leading cause of mortality for adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Together, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda account for 21% of HIV-infected adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. The United Nations framework for addressing the epidemic among adolescents calls for comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education. These HIV prevention efforts could be informed by a synthesis of existing research about the formal and informal sexual education of adolescents in countries experiencing generalized epidemics. The purpose of this study was to describe the process of sexual learning among East African adolescents living in the context of generalized HIV epidemics. Methods Qualitative metasynthesis, a systematic procedure for integrating the results of multiple qualitative studies addressing a similar phenomenon, was used. Thirty-two research reports met study inclusion criteria. The reports were assessed in a four-step analytic process: appraisal, classification of findings, synthesis of findings, and construction of a framework depicting the process of sexual learning in this population. Results The framework includes three phases of sexual learning: 1) being primed for sex, 2) making sense of sex, and 3) having sexual experiences. Adolescents were primed for sex through gender norms, cultural practices, and economic structures as well as through conversations and formal instruction. They made sense of sex by acquiring information about sexual intercourse, reproduction and pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and relationships and by developing a variety of beliefs and attitudes about these topics. Some adolescents described having sexual experiences that met wants or needs, but many experienced sex that was coerced or violent. Whether sex was wanted, coerced, or violent, adolescents experienced worry about sexually transmitted infections or premarital pregnancy. Conclusions The three phases of sexual learning interact to shape adolescents’ sexual lives and their risk for HIV infection. This framework will contribute to the development of sexual education programs that address HIV risk within the broader context of sexual learning

Allostatic Load Predicts Racial Disparities in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Cognitive Outcomes

A large portion of stroke disparities remains unexplained, even after adjusting for demographic, comorbidity, and health care access variables. There is a critical need to close this knowledge gap by investigating novel factors that may contribute to stroke disparities. Allostatic load (AL) is the lifetime adverse physiologic impact of needing to adjust to socially structured stressors such as racism. AL has been shown to increase health vulnerability and worsen outcomes in marginalized populations. We sought to assess the differential impact of AL on cognitive outcomes post intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) across race-ethnicity. The Intracerebral Hemorrhage Outcomes Project (ICHOP) prospectively collected data from patients presenting to Columbia Medical Center with ICH from 3/2009 to 5/2016. Data included demographics, stroke scores, labs, complications, neuroimaging, medical history, and discharge data. Five markers of AL (HbA1c, WBC, SBP, HR, ALB) were obtained. An AL score was generated by summing the elements in each patient that fell outside normal ranges, with AL score ranging 0–5. A linear regression model, adjusted for stroke severity and ICH volumes, was used to evaluate the relationship between AL and Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-m) at discharge, stratified by race-ethnicity. Among 248 white, 195 black, and 261 Hispanic ICH patients, neither mean AL nor mean TICS differed by race/ethnicity (p = 0.51, p = 0.79 respectively). In the overall cohort AL did not predict TICS at discharge (Beta -1.0, SE 1.1, p = 0.353). In Whites (beta 1.18, SE 2.5, p = 0.646) and Hispanics (beta -0.95, SE 1.6, p = 0.552) AL was not associated with TICS at discharge. In Black patients, higher AL was associated with a decrease in TICS at discharge (beta -3.2, SE 1.5, p = 0.049). AL is an important determinant of post ICH outcomes for certain minority populations. AL may explain some of the unexplained health disparities in stroke populations