Hispanic-Owned businesses in West Michigan

Many vibrant neighborhoods in West Michigan have large, growing Hispanic populations. In fact, Hispanics are one of the fastest growing segments of West Michigan’s population, due to high immigration and birth rates. According to the U.S. Census, over 94,000 Hispanics lived in Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Allegan Counties in 2006 — a little more than 7% of the total population — and that population has doubled since 1994. But the population of Hispanic individuals is not all that is growing. The number and variety of Hispanic-owned or Hispanic-focused businesses in Kent County is also increasing, evidenced by block after block of colorful retail storefronts on south Grandville Avenue (a.k.a. “Cesar E. Chávez Boulevard” for the legendary leader of migrant workers), on the west end of Bridge Street, and on South Division to 44th Street. There you will find an array of stores and services, from accountants and beauty shops to restaurants and supermarkets, most of which appear to be targeted to Spanish-speaking customers

Investigations in seed classification by family characteristics

The need to identify seeds may be encountered by individuals in several fields of biological endeavor. The greatest use of seed taxonomy in botanical and agronomic work is undoubtedly relative to seed analysis. One of the most important functions of the analyst is the recognition and designation of weed seeds occurring incidentally with agricultural seeds. The competent seed analyst must be able to recognize the seeds of a great many more or less common plants and should likewise possess the means of identifying, at least approximately, numerous less common ones. Application of seed taxonomy is not, however, confined solely to the realm of plant science. Zoologists, particularly those investigating the food habits of certain animals, must be equipped to do a certain amount of seed identification. General seed morphology is closely allied with seed taxonomy, furnishing the groundwork of information by which seeds may be distinguished and classified. It would appear, in many cases;, that structural characteristics will elucidate or verify the definition, position or relationships of various taxonomic categories; thus such characters would be of interest to the general systematist. Seed morphology, furthermore, has pertinent reference to seed physiology. To one making an inquiry into the germinative requirements of certain plant species, a knowledge of the structure of the seeds concerned is almost essential. The morphological nature of the seed, particularly that of the seed coat, frequently suggests the proper procedure in inducing seeds to germinate, or it may explain germinative peculiarities or behavior under varied conditions; differences in germinative behavior are frequently correlated with structural divergences

Replacement of Petroleum-based Rubber with Bio-rubber from Vegetable Oils

Recent interest in reducing dependency on oil and transitioning to renewable sources has increased the research in biofeedstock as replacements of oil based products. Our research involves two different methods of producing elastomeric block copolymers using Acrylated Epoxidized Soy Bean Oil (AESO), a renewable biofeedstock as a substitute of the elastic component in modern elastic materials. Butadiene when polymerized forms long linear chains that makes it suitable to be used as an elastic material and is commonly used as the rubbery component in many applications. Acrylated epoxidized soybean oil and styrene were polymerized by two different polymerization techniques, Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) and Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Polymerization. Each technique was able to individually create diblock and triblock copolymers, resulting in polymers that are predominantly non-crosslinked linear or with lightly branched chains. These materials behave as elastomers/rubbers at room temperature but reversibly melt and are susceptible to common processing techniques at elevated temperatures and making them suitable for a broad number of applications, ranging from adhesives to asphalt modifiers

Ada Hayden: A Tribute

Dr. Ada Hayden was a member of the Iowa State College of Botany faculty, 1920-1950. Her floristic studies of the lake region in northern Iowa are possibly the most authoritative for any part of the state. Hayden was curator of the Iowa State herbarium, 1934-1950, and contributed immeasurably to its development. This research facility has recently been named the Ada Hayden Herbarium. In the sense that L. H. Pammel was father of the Iowa State park system, her bequest is the state preserves. After some 25 years as a conservation activist, she published descriptions of 22 prairie areas in ten countries that deserved preservation. That paper remains a reference for current conservationists

Seeds of Iowa noxious weeds

Weeds are one of the most serious problems faced by the American farmer. Losses due to weeds are estimated at 3 billion dollars annually. The. inroads on farm income brought about by reduction in yields resulting from weed infestations, and expenses involved in control measures constitute a major factor in the economical production of crops. The best way to control weeds is to stop them before they reach our farms; this is particularly true of noxious weeds which still have a rather limited distribution. It is much easier and cheaper to prevent these pests from establishing themselves than to eradicate them. The seeds of a few kinds of weeds can be carried long distances by natural means; for instance, dandelion seeds are wind-transported, cockleburs and stickseeds are carried by the hair of animals. However, the seeds of most weeds are spread by human agencies, most commonly in mixtures with agricultural seed. Many individuals can recognize our worst weeds by appearance. If these weeds show up in agricultural fields their presence is soon noted, and the necessary control measures are taken. It would seem even more desirable that the seeds of these weeds be recognized when found in agricultural seed and control be effected before they get into the soil. The identification of weed seeds is admittedly, in many cases, a more difficult job than knowing the. plants themselves and is primarily the responsibility of seed analysts. Nonetheless, many farmers would be benefited by knowing some of these weed seeds, or at least having a general impression of them so that suspicious material might be sent to specialists for examination