Melanoma Surveillance

According to the CDC, in 2015 the rate of melanoma of the skin was 22.1 per 100 thousand people, the sixth most common cancer. In Vermont this rate was 35.8 per 100 thousand, higher than the national average. In Berlin, VT, it was noted that patients often are concerned about their nevi, but often do not know when it is appropriate to bring them to their physician\u27s attention. A pamphlet was developed to assist physicians in educating patients on the characteristics of melanocytic nevi and encourage patients to speak to their physician when they find moles which meet these characteristics.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1512/thumbnail.jp

The impact of foreign trade of cattle on the U.S. beef industry

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1959 L6

Measurement of Reynolds Stress and Turbulence in Dilute Polymer Solution by Laser Velocimeter

Measurements of Reynolds stress and axial and transverse turbulence intensities have been made in turbulent pipe flow of a dilute solution of high molecular weight polymer and compared to measurements made with pure water. A laser velocimeter capable of measuring these turbulence parameters has been developed and utilized. Axial turbulence intensities are consistent in behavior and magnitude with previous polymer results and the measurements of transverse intensity and Reynolds stress are similarly well behaved and self consistent. Sublayer thickening in drag reducing polymer solution is observed, in consonance with earlier work. New results include demonstration that the turbulent shearing stress is reduced in the turbulent core by an amount proportional to the observed decrease in pressure gradient at the wall, and dramatically reduced near the wall to a thickness of several times that of the viscous sublayer in agreement with observed velocity profiles. Radial turbulence intensities are comparable with water in the turbulent core, but exhibit similar dramatic suppression near the wall region. Possible implications of these measurements toward the phenomenon of turbulent drag reduction are briefly discussed

Predicting Citizen Satisfaction with Government Services in Belize

Assessing the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance and foreign aid has presented a challenge to personnel tasked with these operations. Answering the question are we winning hearts and minds has similarly eluded military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. This research presents a review of humanitarian assistance and foreign aid conducted by the U.S. government and literature on U.S. military doctrine regarding humanitarian assistance and infrastructure investment. The research builds upon expectancy disconfirmation theory to determine the strongest predictors of citizen satisfaction with government services. Case study data was collected in Belize before and after a U.S. military humanitarian and civil assistance construction project was executed, and this data was analyzed using an expectancy theory model. The results indicate that the model using performance, disconfirmation, and an interaction effect of both explains 56% of the variation in citizen satisfaction and proposes a predictive model of citizen satisfaction. This article proposes further research with improvement to the survey methods and instrument; it also discusses how the model may not account for an unmeasured variable. Further research is also suggested to determine the relationship of time and location on a citizen\u27s satisfaction rating when considering the impact of a humanitarian project

Ancient relicts in the limelight :an evolutionary study of diversity and demographic history in species of the broad-leaved temperate forest tree genus Tilia

PhD ThesisTilia L. is a temperate-forest tree genus with a wide northern hemisphere distribution. Several species within the genus are affected by forest fragmentation. Three species were the focus of this study, T. cordata Mill. (small-leaved lime) and T. platyphyllos Scop. (large-leaved lime) from the UK, Austria, Poland, and western Siberia and T. sibirica Bayer (Siberian lime) from southern Siberia. Tilia specific microsatellite markers were used to assess various population genetics indices. Genetic diversity and structure of UK T. cordata and T. platyphyllos populations were estimated. To determine the genetic and demographic history of T. sibirica and T. cordata, Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) analyses were used. An investigation into the clonal architecture of the three species was carried out to assess the level of clonality and the impact of clonal reproduction on genetic diversity. In addition, Next Generation Sequencing of the Tilia leaf transcriptome was carried out using direct RNA sequencing Results confirm that the three species are diploid and outcrossing. Although hybridisation occurs among T. cordata and T. platyphyllos, the two are distinct biological units with high genetic diversity and intra-specific population structure. Significant genetic differentiation was observed between T. sibirica and T. cordata and low genetic diversity in the Siberian lime was revealed. ABC analysis suggests a relatively recent (Early Holocene) divergence between the Siberian lime and the small-leaved lime. The Holocene split coincided with a westerly migration of Tilia genotypes that may have contributed to the recolonization of T. cordata in Europe. Fewer clones were observed in T. platyphyllos than the other two species and range-edge populations experience greater clonality than central European populations. Clonal occurrence does not appear to have had a negative effect on genetic diversity. A method for the de novo assembly and annotation of the leaf transcriptome from T. cordata and T. platyphyllos is provided. Potentially thousands of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) from each species have been identified.RB Cooke Studentship from Newcastle Un

Agricultural policy implications of biotechnology

Advances in genetic engineering involve more than scientific breakthroughs. Potential economic effects - some possibly undesirable - also need to be considered.biotechnology; agricultural commodities; agricultural policy

Generalized Wilson Chain for solving multichannel quantum impurity problems

The Numerical Renormalization Group is used to solve quantum impurity problems, which describe magnetic impurities in metals, nanodevices, and correlated materials within DMFT. Here we present a simple generalization of the Wilson Chain, which improves the scaling of computational cost with the number of channels/bands, bringing new problems within reach. The method is applied to calculate the t-matrix of the three-channel Kondo model at T=0, which shows universal crossovers near non-Fermi liquid critical points. A non-integrable three-impurity problem with three bands is also studied, revealing a rich phase diagram and novel screening/overscreening mechanisms.Comment: 5 pages + 5 pages supplementary materia

Health and Nutrition in Vermont Children

Introduction. The AHA (American Heart Association) supports legislation in Ver- mont ensuring that restaurants’ children’s menu meals meet certain nutritional standards. This study investigated Vermont parents’ attitudes towards both dining at restaurants with their children and potential legislation to improve nutritional standards of restaurant food. Methods. An anonymous 21-question survey for parents with children under age 18 was distributed electronically to local organizations via Facebook groups and email, and as paper questionnaires at the Community Health Center of Burlington. Questions probed parents’ overall attitudes surrounding their children’s health, habits pertaining to eating at restaurants, and attitudes towards legislation to ensure healthier options for kids at restaurants. Results were analyzed to look for dominant themes and determine differences between subgroups. Results. 98% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that their children’s eating habits are important to them. When asked if they would support legislation to set nutrition standards on children’s menu meals in Vermont, 73% agreed or strongly agreed. Most survey participants eat at a restaurant once per week or less (95%). 53% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that there were enough restaurants with healthy kids’ meals in their area. Responses did not differ by county. Conclusion. Vermont parents are concerned about their children’s diets and acknowledge connections between nutrition, obesity, and overall health. Parents favor restaurants providing more nutritional items on children’s menus and support the AHA’s proposed standards. Next steps include investigating any financial impact on restaurants and studying nutritional standards in school cafeterias in Vermont.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1257/thumbnail.jp