A Test of Simple Ledges for Facilitating Mammal Passage through Inundated Culverts

Culverts under roadways can provide safe crossings for many animal species and are readily available, numbering over 12 million in the United States. In this pre and post construction study, I added a simple wooden ledge to 7 culverts in Saratoga County, New York to investigate their effect on wildlife crossings. A motion sensor camera was used to monitor each culvert for 2 consecutive summers, 2012 summer without a ledge and 2013 with a ledge. Six species of small mammals accounted for the 55 culvert crossings in 2012 and 58 crossings in 2013. The ledges did not increase culvert crossings or species diversity. Raccoons were the only species observed using the ledge, which they did 58% of the time in 2013. Animals appeared to recognize the roads as danger, as we found a nearly significant positive relationship (p= 0.07, r = 0.71) between traffic volume and crossings

Elements of Successful Education Abroad Programs for STEM and Vocational Students: Lessons from the University of Wisconsin – Stout, Polytechnic

In a globalized economy, wherein manufacturing and knowledge trade are international, STEM – science, technology, engineering, math – and vocational degrees lead to international career paths. International experience through education abroad is relevant, therefore, to preparing STEM and vocational students preparing for these international paths. The University of Wisconsin – Stout, Polytechnic (Stout) serves as a case-study for the question: “What elements or structures of an education abroad program should be emphasized to build programs which best serve STEM and vocational students’ unique needs, creating an optimal environment for learning and growth, while preparing them for global careers?” Data collection to address this question includes interviews with the staff of Stout’s Office of International Education (OIE), drawing on all digitally available student records, surveying Stout study abroad student alumni, and follow-up interviews with a number of those students. Findings from each step of this process are analyzed against each other, seeking over-arching trends. Data analysis of program trends match to reported student experiences, and student responses reveal six elements key to programmatic success: academic fit, preparation in academics and mindset, structures which promote growth, location relevance to their field, having a balanced and enjoyable experience, and reflection connecting that experience to their future. These elements suggest application across all education abroad programs of the OIE as well as similar institutions. Beyond these findings, mis-matches between researcher expectations and quantitative and qualitative findings also reveal many opportunities for further investigation into the research question

Ovalbumin sensitization and challenge increases the number of lung cells possessing a mesenchymal stromal cell phenotype

Abstract Background Recent studies have indicated the presence of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in human lung diseases. Excess airway smooth muscle, myofibroblasts and activated fibroblasts have each been noted in asthma, suggesting that mesenchymal progenitor cells play a role in asthma pathogenesis. We therefore sought to determine whether MSCs are present in the lungs of ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized and challenged mice, a model of allergic airways disease. Methods Balb/c mice were sensitized and challenged with PBS or OVA over a 25 day period. Flow cytometry as well as colony forming and differentiation potential were used to analyze the emergence of MSCs along with gene expression studies using immunochemical analyses, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and gene expression beadchips. Results A CD45-negative subset of cells expressed Stro-1, Sca-1, CD73 and CD105. Selection for these markers and negative selection against CD45 yielded a population of cells capable of adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. Lungs from OVA-treated mice demonstrated a greater average colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) than control mice. Sorted cells differed from unsorted lung adherent cells, exhibiting a pattern of gene expression nearly identical to bone marrow-derived sorted cells. Finally, cells isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage of a human asthma patient showed identical patterns of cell surface markers and differentiation potential. Conclusions In summary, allergen sensitization and challenge is accompanied by an increase of MSCs resident in the lungs that may regulate inflammatory and fibrotic responses.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78265/1/1465-9921-11-127.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78265/2/1465-9921-11-127.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78265/3/1465-9921-11-127-S1.DOCPeer Reviewe

Bone Turnover Response to Acute Exercise with Varying Impact Levels: A preliminary investigation

International Journal of Exercise Science 8(2): 154-163, 2015. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there are changes in metabolic markers of bone turnover within the 24-hour period following an acute bout of jogging or water exercise. Ten healthy females (22-30 yr.) underwent three trials with different ground impact forces: jogging, water aerobics and control. For the jogging and water aerobics trials, subjects exercised for 30 min at 60-70% of predicted maximal heart rate in addition to a 5 min warm up and cool down. For the control trial, subjects rested for 40 min, i.e., the total exercise time of the other trials. For each trial, blood samples were collected pre, immediately post, 1 hr. post, and 24 hr. post exercise. All samples were analyzed for levels of osteocalcin, bone specific alkaline phosphatase and cross-linked N telopeptides. A repeated-measure ANOVA was used to determine if there were differences between impact levels or over time. There were no significant differences over time, or between impact levels of exercise. Therefore these results indicate that healthy young women demonstrate no changes in bone turnover within 24 hr. of a single bout of exercise. Due to biochemical markers of bone turnover responding in a similar manner regardless of activity type, these findings suggest that water aerobics can be seen as a beneficial form of exercise for maintenance of bone density

Resolving latent conflict: What happens when latent print examiners enter the cage?

Latent print examination traditionally follows the ACE-V process, in which latent prints are first analyzed to determine whether they are suitable for comparison, and then compared to an exemplar and evaluated for similarities and differences. Despite standard operating procedures and quality controls designed, in part, to mitigate differences between examiners, latent print processing and review are inherently subjective. The ACE-V process addresses subjectivity, and the possibility of error, in the verification stage in which a second examiner repeats the analysis, comparison, and evaluation steps in a given case. Other procedures outside the ACE-V framework, such as consultation and conflict resolution, provide further opportunity to understand how differences between latent print examiners emerge. Despite the growing body of research on latent print examination, questions have emerged about how these procedures work in practice. This study reviews case processing data for two years of casework at the Houston Forensic Science Center (HFSC). We describe these data as cases proceed through each step of the ACE-V process, with a particular focus on verification, consultation, and conflict resolution. We discuss trends in these processes regarding modal types of disagreements, modal outcomes, and roles of the examiners involved. Results reveal implications for improving the practice of latent print examination

A measure of genetic diversity of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) by RAPD analysis

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is a medicinal plant valued for the treatment of sore eyes and mouths. Although cultivation of the plant has helped meet growing demand, goldenseal is still considered a threatened or endangered species throughout much of its range in North America. In an effort to assess possible conservation strategies for goldenseal genetic resources, levels of genetic diversity within and among cultivated and wild populations were quantified. RAPD analysis was used to examine six cultivated and 11 wild populations sampled from North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The average percentage of polymorphic bands in cultivated and wild populations was low (16.8 and 15.5 %, respectively), and geographic range did not predict the level of genetic diversity. Most of the genetic variation (81.2 %) was within populations; only 3.6 % was partitioned between cultivated and wild populations. Our results differed from a previous study which concluded that genetic differences were greater among than within populations. The results of the current study indicate that, although goldenseal grows clonally and in dense patches, a mixed mating system in which both selfing and outcrossing occur is also operating. We therefore suggest that the ex situ conservation of individual plants within populations, chosen carefully to account for clonal propagation in situ, is an appropriate strategy for sustaining the genetic diversity of goldenseal

Improving nutritional status in a pediatric cystic fibrosis center

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111789/1/ppul23128.pd

Comparison of Methods to Assess Adiposity in Middle-to-Older Adult Women

Poster from the 2015 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo. Poster Session: Professional Skills; Nutrition Assessment; Medical Nutrition Therapy

Easy Ways to Obtain NASA Educational Materials

No abstract availabl