Dockside Shellfish Aquaculture Project, Smith, B

The intent of this project was to train private dock owners and marina personnel how to deploy and maintain “spat collectors” under their docks in an effort to capture commercially important shellfish larvae, scallops and oysters in particular, with a minimum amount of effort and cost. The New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) provided major funding for this phase of the project, with addition funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and the Gulf of Maine Council (GOMC). This year’s effort expands upon the pilot studies that were funded previously by the New Hampshire Coastal Program (NHCP) and the Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation (GPCF). The larvae of most shellfish are free swimming, and can be carried by the tides, currents and wind a great distance. Most of the larvae never survive due to predation and lack of suitable habitat. If it were possible to capture even a small percentage of the larvae within a suitable predator free habitat, the resulting grown out shellfish could be used to enhance the existing beds of wild population shellfish. There are such programs currently being managed, including the Wild Scallop Enhancement Program in Maine and the Oyster Gardening Project on Chesapeake Bay. AERC was able to recruit a number of volunteers, or “Shellfish Stewards”, from the entire seacoast region to join in the project. Although there were challenges, the project was a success. The scallop spat collectors proved to work efficiently with minimal loss over the winter. Lots of shellfish larvae were found growing in the spat bags, with no predators present. Unfortunately, none of the targeted species were found in the bags. The oyster bags did not work as well; only three of the nine bags were covered to date. They may weigh too much, or have fouled too heavily and sank. The bags recovered had lots of shellfish spat growing on them, just no oysters. The next logical step in future efforts with the dockside aquaculture projects would be to consider the options of placing “pre-seeded” collectors onto the sites. AERC attempted to import scallops from the Maine enhancement program last summer as a contingency plan, but the transfer never occurred due to weather and logistical problems encountered at the time. AERC would like to thank our funding agencies for their support and aid in this research. Thanks as well to all of our shellfish stewards who dedicated their dock space, time and effort to help restore an important natural resource. Special thanks to Bill Marshall of the New Castle Conservation Committee, who was instrumental in recruiting our many shellfish stewards in New Castle. Bill also assisted the AERC staff in the deployment phase and was even there to tow us out of the mud during the retrieval operations

Shrouded Sins: An Exploration of Child Sex Trafficking in South Africa

Sex trafficking is a global $32 billion industry that affects hundreds of thousands of lives. A large portion of this industry belongs to child sex trafficking; a growing phenomenon that violates our children\u27s dignity, rights and freedom. Although affecting every nation in the world, this industry has a strong hold in the Republic of South Africa. This country serves as an area of origin, transport, and destination, implicating itself in the broad child trafficking networks that reach nearly every nation, including our own. This paper seeks to explore the many facets of the child sex trafficking industry in South Africa

Lysophosphatidic acid, vitamin D, and p53: a novel signaling axis in cell death and differentiation

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is the simplest of the glycerol lipids and regulates a number of cellular processes such as morphological changes, migration, proliferation, and inhibition of apoptosis. LPA exerts these effects through activation of the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) LPA1-6 and the intracellular fatty acid receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ). The overall goal of this thesis was to determine the mechanisms by which LPA enhances cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis. The project was divided into three studies: 1) to determine the mechanism of LPA-mediated inhibition of p53 in A549 lung carcinoma cells, 2) to investigate the regulation of growth plate chondrocytes by LPA, and 3) to determine the mechanisms of LPA-mediated effects in the growth plate. In the first study, evidence is provided that LPA reduces the cellular abundance of the tumor suppressor p53 in A549 lung carcinoma cells. The LPA effect depends upon increased proteasomal degradation of p53 and it results in a corresponding decrease in p53-mediated transcription. The result of LPA-mediated inhibition of p53 in A549 cells is enhanced resistance to chemotherapeutic-induced apoptosis. In the second study, the role of LPA in resting zone chondrocytes (RC cells) was investigated. RC cells are regulated by 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [24,25(OH)[subscript2]D [subscript 3]] via a phospholipase D-dependent pathway, suggesting downstream phospholipid metabolites are involved. In this study, we showed that 24R,25(OH)[subscript 2]D[subscript 3] stimulates rat costochondral RC cells to release LPA. Additionally, we demonstrated that RC cells respond to LPA with increased proliferation, maturation, and inhibition of apoptosis. In the final study, the mechanism of LPA and 24R,25(OH)[subscript 2]D[subscript 3]-mediated inhibition of chondrocyte apoptosis was further investigated. Our data show that 24R,25(OH)[subscript 2]D[subscript 3] inhibits apoptosis through Ca⁺⁺, PLD, and PLC signaling and through LPA/Gαi/PI[subscript 3]K/mdm2-mediated degradation of p53, resulting in decreased caspase-3 activity. Collectively, our data establish LPA, vitamin D, and p53 as an anti-apoptotic signaling axis.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Barbara D. Boyan; Committee Member: Al Merrill; Committee Member: Harish Radhakrishna; Committee Member: Kirill Lobachev; Committee Member: Nael McCart

Using an e-portfolio to faciliate the self-assessment of both language and intercultural learning in higher education: A case-study approach

The focus of this paper is twofold: first, on the development of an electronic version of a European Language Portfolio (ELP), known as the LOLIPOP (Language On-line Portfolio Project) ELP, and second on its integration into an undergraduate module on Intercultural Communication in an institute of higher education in Ireland. The paper begins by looking at the European Language Portfolio in the wider context of portfolios in education. It then describes the development and key features of the LOLIPOP ELP, in particular the self-assessment of both linguistic and intercultural elements. It continues by explaining how the LOLIPOP ELP was integrated into the module in question. Finally, the paper presents the output from the participants in this study, focussing on their perceptions of the self-assessment process

Mississippi State University Libraries’ Annual E.O. Templeton, Jr. History & Genealogy Fair

Mississippi State University (MSU) Libraries has held an annual Genealogy Fair for the last twelve years as a way to engage the community. The fair, named for E.O. Templeton, Jr. in 2013, features a variety of sessions, workshops, and research opportunities for history and genealogy enthusiasts, including hands-on research help from MSU librarians and archivists. Attendees learn about genealogical resources at the MSU Libraries, improve their genealogical research skills, pick up tips for preserving their family history, and have the opportunity to tour MSU Libraries\u27 museums and exhibits. This poster presents information on how MSU hosts its fair, what it accomplishes in bringing community members to the library to discuss a popular hobby, and how other academic and public libraries in the state could host their own fairs

SENIORS FOR SENIORS: UTILIZING THE ADPIED MODEL TO DESIGN A DENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM AT AN ADULT DAY CARE FACILITY

Research shows that untreated caries and abscesses, periodontal disease, oral cancer, and tooth loss are at epidemic proportions. The need to establish a consistent way to assess and educate the senior adult population is critical. Senior dental hygiene students utilize the ADPIED model (Assessment, Dental Hygiene Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, and Documentation) to identify needs through oral cancer evaluation. A part of the puzzle is to educate as well as determine referral sources for these clients. This session will highlight the specific ways the ADPIED model is utilized in the dental hygiene curriculum through the Community Oral Health Practicum course. This course works through establishing a target population all the way to the evaluation process

Using Family Connections to Create Community Connections: How a Genealogy Fair Can Benefit the Community and the Library

The Mississippi State University Libraries Genealogy Fair was founded to assist Mississippians with developing research skills, to encourage genealogists to use resources held by the Libraries, and to create community connections that would support donations of historical material to the Libraries

A way to communicate: A new signage system for the Mah Meri Indigenous community

Today, designers use a diverse range of alternative media to have a more efficient form of communication. This research is to investigate the potential of traditionally-inspired contemporary communication design to bridge cultural understandings between and among Malaysians of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Specifically, I propose to design a new signage system in the Mah Meri indigenous community in Malaysia. This is in view that despite the development of the latest media alternatives in use today, the Mah Meri community still lags behind in terms of utilization of these new communication facilities. This project aims to improve social interactions between this community and visitors. The signage system that I propose will help outsiders to navigate in and around the Mah Meri settlements easier and faster because the system provides relevant information in a simple and easy to understand method. Without this signage system visitors will have difficulty in finding the right directions. This work also endeavours, through the notion of creating a new signage system to enrich the cultural identity of the Mah Meri community based on their beliefs in the elements of nature. This, in turn, will create a niche for the community to promote the uniqueness of their culture and identity to outsiders

Feline infectious peritonitis: role of the feline coronavirus 3c gene in intestinal tropism and pathogenicity based upon isolates from resident and adopted shelter cats.

Feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) was presumed to arise from mutations in the 3c of a ubiquitous and largely nonpathogenic feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). However, a recent study found that one-third of FIPV isolates have an intact 3c and suggested that it is not solely involved in FIP but is essential for intestinal replication. In order to confirm these assumptions, 27 fecal and 32 FIP coronavirus isolates were obtained from resident or adopted cats from a large metropolitan shelter during 2008-2009 and their 3a-c, E, and M genes sequenced. Forty percent of coronavirus isolates from FIP tissues had an intact 3c gene, while 60% had mutations that truncated the gene product. The 3c genes of fecal isolates from healthy cats were always intact. Coronavirus from FIP diseased tissues consistently induced FIP when given either oronasally or intraperitoneally (i.p.), regardless of the functional status of their 3c genes, thus confirming them to be FIPVs. In contrast, fecal isolates from healthy cats were infectious following oronasal infection and shed at high levels in feces without causing disease, as expected for FECVs. Only one in three cats shed FECV in the feces following i.p. infection, indicating that FECVs can replicate systemically, but with difficulty. FIPVs having a mutated 3c were not shed in the feces following either oronasal or i.p. inoculation, while FIPVs with intact 3c genes were shed in the feces following oronasal but not i.p. inoculation. Therefore, an intact 3c appears to be essential for intestinal replication. Although FIPVs with an intact 3c were shed in the feces following oronasal inoculation, fecal virus from these cats was not infectious for other cats. Attempts to identify potential FIP mutations in the 3a, 3b, E, and M were negative. However, the 3c gene of FIPVs, even though appearing intact, contained many more non-synonymous amino acid changes in the 3' one-third of the 3c protein than FECVs. An attempt to trace FIPV isolates back to enteric strains existing in the shelter was only partially successful due to the large region over which shelter cats and kittens originated, housing conditions prior to acquisition, and rapid movement through the shelter. No evidence could be found to support a recent theory that FIPVs and FECVs are genetically distinct