THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AGRICULTURE AND AG-RELATED INDUSTRIES ON THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of some Novel Isoindoline-1,3-Dione Derivatives

New phthalimido derivatives incorporated with chalcone, pyrazole,  pyrazoline, and pyrimidine moieties were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against bacterial and fungal strains. 2-{4-[1-Acetyl-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]phenyl} isoindoline-1,3-dione (7) showed broad spectrum antibacterial activity against both G+ and G- bacteria. While, (E)-2-{4-[3-(4-chlorophenyl)acryloyl]phenyl}isoindoline-1,3-dione (4b) showed promising antifungal activity

Educator Perceptions of the Working Environment in Tennessee Elementary Schools that Actively Employ Positive Behavior Supports and Restorative Practices

This phenomenological study captured the experiences of elementary educators with the purpose of gathering their perceptions of the use of restorative practices and positive behavior supports in their schools with a particular focus on how these programs influenced school climate, their professional efficacy, and their job satisfaction. Results of interviews lead to the emergence of seven major themes, which were the importance of understanding the underlying causes of student behavior, change, common practices of positive behavior supports and restorative practices, benefits for students, benefits for educators, struggles with implementation, and suggestions for implementation. These findings led to the identification of seven implications for practice and six recommendations for future research

Comparative Properties of Polymers Guiding the Development of an Abdominal Aorta Model

Hemodynamics, the study of the forces involved in the circulation of blood, is an area that researchers have approached in various manners for many years. The study of how blood flows through arteries and veins as well as the effect of the composition of the blood has been defined and thoroughly characterized in past studies. Although in-depth studies have been performed on the flow characteristics of blood, most often the observations are made as the fluid flows through tubes composed of some rigid material. It is well known that the arteries and veins have a layered histology that show varying viscoelastic characteristics. It is also accepted that the varying geometry of the vessel wall and the taper of the vessel have a significant effect on the flow characteristics of the vascular system. Therefore, a physical model of the vascular system that takes into account the elasticity and varying geometry of the blood vessel would prove extremely valuable in the hemodynamic study of the vascular system. This study approached the task of determining the most suitable material to incorporate into a physical model of the abdominal aorta. The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanical properties of selected materials to those of canine blood vessels in order to choose which of these materials most accurately represents the viscoelasticity seen in large blood vessels such as the aorta. An in-depth approach to choosing a material with similar mechanical properties is defined. There is also a comparison of the time dependency of the vessel properties as well as the differences of the mechanical properties when the testing is performed in different directions. The result of this study was the selection of a base material to which modifications will be made in the future to more accurately represent the mechanical properties of the abdominal aorta. It was determined that the time of storage and direction of testing had no effect on the properties demonstrated by the canine thoracic aortas and therefore did not effect the material selection process. The material selection process led to the conclusion that silicone rubber has the most similar mechanical properties to the blood vessels tested and therefore should be incorporated as the base material in a physical model of the abdominal aorta. The future of this study will include expanded testing that includes a broader range of materials and more in depth testing methods such as biaxial tensile tests and creep tests

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MIGRANT, SEASONAL, AND H-2A FARMWORKERS ON THE VIRGINIA ECONOMY

Labor and Human Capital,

THE STRUGGLE FOR BROADBAND IN RURAL AMERICA

Broadband, Digital Divide, Economic Development, Infrastructure, Rural Development, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, L96, R11, R58,

Factors Impacting Success in Ninth Grade Algebra I for High School Students

The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2013), No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Race to the Top initiative of 2009 has placed a greater emphasis on high stakes testing. A renewed emphasis on math education for all students and their ability to succeed in high school mathematics place new challenges on today’s classroom teachers. Although the belief is that with new standards and best teaching strategies students will improve their test scores, there are multiple factors that can serve as deterrents to the success in mathematics for at-risk high school students (Balfanz, 2009). The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship of at-risk indicators attendance, family composition, socioeconomic status (as measured by free and reduced priced meals), grade retention, special education status, number of discipline referrals, students who are English language learners (ELL), and gender with student performance in high school mathematics. Using archived data from the student management system of a rural county school in Northeast Tennessee, data were gathered for 412 high school freshmen attending the county’s 4 high schools. There were 8 research questions with corresponding null hypotheses. Each research question was analyzed with a series of independent t-tests or Pearson correlation coefficient tests. All data were analyzed at the .05 level of significance. Findings from the data indicated a significant difference in the mean scores on the algebra I end of course (EOC) assessment with 5 at-risk factors. Mean scores for students from two-parent families were higher than students from single-parent families. Mean scores for students not from low socioeconomic status were higher than students from low socioeconomic status. Mean scores for students that had not been retained where higher than students that had been retained. Mean scores for students that did not receive special education services were higher than students that did receive special education services. Mean scores for female students were higher than male students. Findings for the data also indicated negative relationships between the students’ score on the end of course assessment and the number of days absent from school and the number of discipline referrals received