She Sells Seawalls Down by the Seashore

This Comment argues that a bill similar to Assembly Bill 2943 should be proposed today because there has been a drastic shift towards a general acceptance of global warming since 2002. In addition, new environmental studies support the idea of curbing seawall construction along the California coast. Section I will provide data regarding rising sea levels and the current state of seawall construction along the California coast. It will then explain why seawall construction is not a viable adaptation strategy and delve into its negative social, environmental, and economic impacts. Section II will examine California’s current policies for protecting coastal zones as well as discuss current seawall regulations. It will then expose the weak nature of these regulations and explain how the current interpretation of the Coastal Act works against the legislature’s original intent. Section III will describe how Assembly Bill 2943 intended to curb the overwhelming approval of seawall construction and provide a legislative history of the bill before it died on the Senate floor in 2002. Section IV will argue that a bill similar to Assembly Bill 2943 will have a better chance passing than it did back in 2002 and therefore should be proposed today. This Section will examine California’s current environment policies and describe how they have changed since the denial of AB 2943 back in 2002. In addition, it will address what new environmental studies or reports have taken place since 2002 that support the idea of curbing seawall construction

Changes in body mass index and short-term healthcare expenditures in a Medicare population

Purpose. The main objective of the study was to estimate the short-term changes in healthcare expenditures that result from weight gain or loss in a population of Medicare patients using longitudinal data. Changes in total healthcare expenditures and its components (inpatient, outpatient, prescription, dental and other) by changes in body mass index (BMI) categories were analyzed.;To examine the relationship between BMI changes and expenditures, three specifications of expenditures were used. The primary measure of expenditures was relative changes in expenditures transformed into log-ratio. Under the log-ratio approach positive values indicate increased expenditures, and negative values indicate decreased expenditures. Other measures included logged expenditures (Year 3) derived after BMI changes were measured and relative changes in healthcare expenditures (i.e. percent change in expenditures) grouped into (1) no change; (2) greater than 10% decline; (3) greater than 10% increase and (4) minimal variations.;Results. Only a small fraction of the elderly experienced weight loss as measured by changes in BMI: Of 10,698 individuals, 9% experienced BMI loss (N=982) and 8.2% experienced BMI gain (N=867). Subgroup differences in BMI changes were noted: females were less likely than males to experience BMI loss or BMI gain [AOR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.97; AOR 0.73 95%CI 0.60-0.90 ]. Increased age (80 + years) decreased the likelihood of BMI loss or BMI gain as compared to individuals 65-69 years [AOR 0.57, 95%CI 0.45-0.73; AOR 0.40 95%CI 0.31-0.52]; individuals older than 80 years were the only age group with increased risk of staying underweight/other.;After controlling for all the independent variables measured in this study, results from OLS regression for short-term logged expenditures revealed that compared to persons who stayed in normal BMI group, individuals with BMI loss had outpatient expenditures that were 23% higher. Compared to individuals who belonged to stayed normal BMI group, individuals with BMI gain had total expenditures that were 11% higher, outpatient expenditures that were 25% higher, and other expenditures that were 20% higher (p\u3c0.05).;OLS regressions on log-ratio of expenditures suggested that when compared to individuals who stayed in normal BMI group, individuals who experienced BMI loss had significantly lower inpatient expenditures (beta = -0.54). When compared to individuals who stayed in normal BMI group, individuals with BMI gain significantly higher outpatient expenditures (beta = 0.172). Comorbid mental illness did not substantially alter the magnitude or direction of association between BMI and changes in expenditures in the population studied.;Conclusions/implications. Obesity has become an epidemic affecting all ages including the elderly, and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare expenditures. Previous studies have focused primarily on the effects of weight loss on healthcare expenditures and have several limitations: The current study explored how changes in BMI affect a variety of healthcare expenditures within a Medicare population and additionally how comorbid mental illness impacts this relationship.;The current findings highlight the importance of maintaining normal weight and avoiding weight fluctuations. In light of the increased expenditures due to overweight and obesity, and the positive association between increasing BMI values and healthcare expenditures in the elderly, having a stable BMI is necessary to reduce healthcare costs. Collectively, findings from the current study emphasize the need for preventing overweight and obesity rather than treating these conditions and their negative effects. In this context, weight management and wellness programs that include nutrition and physical activity need to be an integral part of health promotion efforts for all individuals including the elderly. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

The effects of feeding prebiotics, antibiotics, and alternative proteins during the preweaning period to dairy calves on growth, health, and the gastrointestinal microbiota

Maintaining a healthy microbiota in calves leads to less immune disturbances as well as increases feed efficiency for optimal growth and production. Although antibiotics decrease populations of beneficial bacteria, they have been commonly fed to livestock at subtherapeutic levels due to the growth promotion and disease prevention that has been associated with their supplementation. Prebiotics, or non-digestible feed ingredients, have been proposed as feed additives that could accomplish the benefits associated with antibiotics without concerns regarding withdrawal times or the potential for resistance development from pathogenic organisms. Prebiotics help maintain a healthy commensal microbial population in the gastrointestinal tract. There is a very complex relationship between diet, intestinal microbiota, their metabolites, and the host immune system, and the intrinsic immunomodulation induced by different ingredients in the diet that needs to be better understood. Dietary changes affect the commensal microbe populations, but the exact mechanism is not known and has recently it has become a quickly growing area of interest to study. This research represents part of a continuing endeavor to better understand the interactions between the host and the commensal microbiota, as well as ways to affect the bacterial community diversity in a way that improves the health and growth of the animal. It also represents a continuing effort to better understand bioactive feedstuffs and their effects on animals at different ages

That Was Then And This Is Now: The Changing Roles Of Veteran Special Education Teachers As A Result Of Response To Intervention

This study explored how the process of Response to Intervention (RTI) has changed the roles of three veteran special educators. The background knowledge of these teachers that helped make the initiative successful, as well as the building blocks that were present in the initial implementation of RTI models in their settings, were described. The essential components that contributed to successful RTI processes in K-12 settings were described by the participants. In addition, the successes, challenges, and recommendations of these veteran special educators for the future of RTI implementation were explored. The experiences of three veteran special education teachers who participated in successful RTI models, as well as current literature on best practice in Response to Intervention, were described. Recommendations for teacher preparation programs, schools, and future research were presented. Keywords: collaboration, curriculum-based measurement, fidelity, problem solving, progress monitoring, Response to Intervention (RTI), scientifically-based interventions, tiers of support, universal screenin

The effects of feeding fermented soybean meal in calf starter on growth and performance of dairy calves

The use of soybean meal in animal diets is primarily limited to adult animals due to the inefficient digestibility of soy proteins by young animals and the susceptibility of young animals to antinutritional compounds in soybeans that are either not properly processed or undercooked. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of fermented soybean meal for use in dairy calf starter diets in place of soybean meal. Growth rates, weaning age, and health and immunological parameters were obtained to evaluate the effects of feeding fermented soybean meal in place of soybean meal in dairy calf starter diets. The experiment was conducted using 66 dairy bull calves that were randomly assigned to either the control diet, containing soybean meal as the primary source of protein in the starter diet, or the treatment diet, containing fermented soybean meal in place of soybean meal as the primary source of protein in the starter diet. Weekly weight gains, total weight gained, attitude, appetite, and fecal scores, and immunological parameters all showed no significant differences between the calves on the control and treatment diets. Weaning age was older for calves on the fermented soybean meal in comparison to the soybean meal based starter diet (P=0.0422). This data suggests that fermented soybean meal based starter diets are similar to soybean meal based diets and that that fermented soybean meal could replace soybean meal without any adverse affects on growth or digestive processes

Response to White's 'Shadow Scholars and the Rise of the Dissertation Service Industry'

The consideration of the impact of the dissertation services industry on the academy is a welcome piece by Jeffry L. White. White raises interesting questions and calls on educators and researchers to think deeply about the role they play in encouraging or combating the use of this industry by graduate students. In this piece, I respond to White's viewpoint by arguing that stronger language is needed to define this industry and that programs and institutions must be more clear and transparent about their definitions of contract cheating and what kind of assistance they allow their graduate students to use in the writing of their dissertations or theses

Detection and Relative Quantitation of Changes in Gene Expression of HIPPO Proteins in Doxorubicin-Exposed Human Cells by RT-qPCR

The HIPPO signaling pathway plays a key role in cell proliferation and tumor suppression. It consists of serine/threonine kinase cascades, including MST1/2, LATS1/2, YAP, and TAZ. When the HIPPO pathway is activated, gene expression is altered. Dysfunction of the activity of this cascade may contribute to cancer development and chemoresistance. FAT4 is an intracellular protein that may regulate the HIPPO signaling. The purpose of this study is to determine the relative changes of mRNA of the HIPPO pathway members and FAT4 in doxorubicin-treated and vehicle-treated in vitro cell lines

Copper-Based N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes for Catalytic Enantioselective Conjugate Additions of Alkyl-, Aryl- and Vinyl-Based Nucleophiles to Form All-Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Centers

Thesis advisor: Amir H. HoveydaChapter 1 Enantioselective Conjugate Additions of Carbon Nucleophiles to Activated Olefins: Preparation of Enantioenriched Compounds Containing All-Carbon Quaternary Stereogenic Centers. Methods for enantioselective conjugate addition of nucleophiles to activated olefins generating products containing all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers are critically reviewed. Enantioselective conjugate addition has been shown to be a powerful and concise approach to construct carbon-carbon bonds to prepare compounds containing sterically hindered stereogenic centers and has seen great advances in the past several years. Owing to the difficult nature of additions to relatively unreactive conjugate acceptors, compared to additions generating tertiary stereogenic centers, and construction of a sterically-hindered bond, in many cases, new and active catalysts had to be developed. The review discusses the areas where significant advances have been made as well as current limitations and future outlook. Chapter 2 Development of New and Active Catalysts for Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Alkyl- and Arylzinc Reagent. Through development of new chiral catalysts, we have found an active and enantiodiscriminating bidentate, sulfonate-containing NHC-Cu catalyst that effects enantioselective conjugate addition of alkyl- and arylzinc reagents on notoriously difficult trisubstituted cyclic enones. Products are prepared with high levels of selectivity and participate in a variety of further functionalizations. The enantioselective additions are efficient and practical, not requiring rigorously anhydrous or oxygen-free conditions. Chapter 3 Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Alkyl- and Arylaluminum Reagents to Trisubstituted Enones. Outlined in this chapter is the first effective solution for Cu-catalyzed enantioselective addition of alkyl and aryl nucleophiles to trisubstituted cyclopentenones generating products bearing a &beta;-all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center. Products are obtained in up to 97% yield and 99:1 er, only requiring 5 mol % of an in situ generated Cu-NHC catalyst. The methodology was highlighted as one of the key steps in the total synthesis of clavirolide C. Not only five-membered rings, but six- and seven-membered rings serve as proficient partners in the enantioselective process. Moreover, in cases for the enantioselective aryl addition, in situ prepared Me2AlAr can be used without purification, filtration, or isolation, only requiring the corresponding aryl halides. The additions have also been extended to trisubstituted unsaturated lactones and chromones. Chapter 4 Cu-Catalyzed Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Vinylaluminum Reagents to Cyclic Trisubstituted Enones. An enantioselective protocol for the formation of &beta;,&beta;-disubstituted cyclic ketones containing a synthetically versatile vinylsilane is disclosed. Enantioselective conjugate addition of in situ prepared silyl-substituted vinylaluminum reagents to &beta;,&beta;-unsaturated ketones promoted by 5 mol % of chiral Cu-NHC complexes delivers desired products with high efficiency (up to 95% yield after purification) and enantioselectivities (up to >98:<2 er). Several functionalizations utilizing the vinylsilanes, vicinal to an all-carbon quaternary stereogenic center, are shown, including an oxidative rearrangement, vinyl iodide formation and protodesilylation, accessing products not previously attainable. Furthermore, the enantioselective protocol is demonstrated as the key transformation in the total synthesis of riccardiphenol B.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Chemistry