Muenster University Center Recycling Program

Actions must be taken one step at a time in organizations in order to ensure proper analysis has been conducted and adequate controls are in place. Although some may say that the University needs to do more, and do more quickly, the University’s new recycling program is an excellent first step towards environmental responsibility. The program will allow USD to adequately judge the impact and evaluate what the next most appropriate action is. With proper planning, the University will come to realize that sustainability is all about integrating environmentally friendly measures into the daily processes which we engage in, without generating an appreciable increase in effort or work, while simultaneously saving money through the consumption of fewer resources. In this plan I will outline the various options available to the University that I have identified through numerous interviews with faculty and experts close to the area of waste and recycling. These options include various contractors which the University can use to dispose of waste as well as several options for the management of the recycling bins in the Muenster University Center. It provides a brief explanation of the current situation the University is facing as well as the Missouri Valley Recycling Center’s situation

The Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids on Gene Expression in Skeletal Muscle: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 53-82, 2023. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) act via androgen receptor (AR) interaction to induce muscle protein synthesis. This process is achieved via altered gene expression via the Notch, Wnt, and Numb pathways and their interactions at the AR, manifesting in key skeletal muscle (SM) phenotypes such as morphology, ion conductance, and functionality. This review aims to report on the effects of AAS administration on gene expression in SM. Peer-reviewed empirical studies evaluating AAS administration on SM phenotypes and gene expression were considered for inclusion. The following databases were searched using a data range of Jan 2000-November 2020: MEDLINE Complete, Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine Source, GreenFILE, and APA PsycArticles. Potential risks of bias were assessed via a modified PEDro Scale. Twenty-nine peer-reviewed titles were included. All studies consisted of either human or rodent subjects and included an AAS dosing protocol, investigated SM phenotypes, and measured gene expression as an outcome variable. Studies investigated the effects of eight AAS compounds across a total of 88 different genes in SM. The most commonly identified genes increased by AAS were IGF, MYOG, and MyoD. There was a general lack of standardized dosing and AAS variety. Future studies should attempt to incorporate multiple AAS compounds and their effects on key SM gene expression

Strawberry cultivars vary in productivity, sugars and phytonutrient content when grown in a greenhouse during the winter

In many areas of the US, fresh locally grown berries are not available during the winter. With this in mind, a research study comprised of three experiments was conducted focused on cultivar selection for berry yield, number, sweetness and phytonutrient content. Using a capillary mat system with under bench heating within a double-layer polyethylene greenhouse, strawberries were grown in the Great Plains Region of the US during the winter. During experiment 1, 12 cultivars were grown; berries were weighed, counted and analyzed for sugars and phytonutrients. “Albion” plants produced a high number/mass of berries, had relatively high sugar content but a lower level of phytonutrients when compared to other cultivars. Sugar and phytonutrients concentrations overlapped across cultivars and thus, one cultivar could not be statistically singled out as best. As all cultivars flowered and fruited, two additional 8-month-long experiments were conducted. It took only 7 weeks from potting of dormant crowns for most cultivars to produce fruit. Certain cultivars fruited more successfully during certain months than others, but this was not associated with response time. For example,” “Albion”, “Chandler”, “Darselect”, “Evie-2” and “Seascape” plants consistently produced fruit October to early January while “AC Wendy”, “Cavendish”, “Honeoye” and “Strawberry Festival” plants mainly produced berries in March/April. Summed over experiment 2, “Albion”, “ Cavendish”, “Chandler”, “ Evie-2”, “Portola” and “Seascape” plants produced the greatest mass of berries. “AC Wendy” and “Darselect” berries contained some of the highest levels of sugars while berries from “Chandler”, “Darselect”, “Evie-2”, “Seascape” and “Strawberry Festival” had some of the highest phytonutrient values. In the third experiment, of the 8 selected cultivars, “Evie-2”, “Evie−2+” and “Portola” plants had the highest total yield and average berry mass/plant. “Seascape” and” Chandler” plants were second in total production. Glucose, fructose and sucrose levels varied across cultivars with “Chandler” and “Seascape” berries possessing the lowest level of total sugars. Phytonutrient values varied among cultivars with some having better flavonoids (“Seascape”), phenols (“Seascape” and “Chandler”) and ant oxidant capacity (“Seascape”, “Evie-2” and “Cavendish”). Measurement of soluble solids concentration varied by week among the cultivars with “Seascape”, “Seascape+”, and “Albion” berries possessing higher levels than other cultivars such as “Cavendish”. Overall, under these winter greenhouse conditions using capillary mat fertigation and an under-bench heat delivery system, strawberries were successfully produced for the off-season market

Crossing the divide between them and us: Using photography to explore the impact organisational space can have on identity and child protection practice

This article aims to explore how visual methods can be employed in social work research as a means of understanding the impact of space and environment in child protection practice. It will draw from the findings of a comparative ethnography, which, alongside the traditional methods of data collection, also involved the use of photography to capture the nature of two very different agencies situated in England and Belgium. The aim of using images was primarily to contextualise the everyday details of both settings and provide the reader with a visual dimension of what both agencies have embodied for the researcher, the participants and the service users. The findings demonstrate just how important the organisational setting can be in developing, or impairing, the way in which relationships are built between professionals and the families they work with

Evaluation of Potential Reference Genes for Relative Quantification by RT-qPCR in Different Porcine Tissues Derived from Feeding Studies

Five potential reference genes for RT-qPCR application, namely histone H3, beta-actin, GAPDH, ubiquitin and 18S rRNA, were evaluated for normalization of gene expression in four selected tissues (liver, kidney, thyroid and abdominal fat). Tissues were derived from fattening pigs exposed to different amounts and type of dietary iodine. Two software applications (geNorm and NormFinder) were used to evaluate the stability of the potential reference genes. All studied genes displayed high expression stability but different stability patterns between the investigated tissues. The results suggest GAPDH and 18S rRNA as reference genes applicable in all tissues investigated. Beta-actin and histone H3 are suitable reference genes for all tissues investigated except fat. In contrast, ubiquitin should be excluded from use as a reference gene in the porcine tissues analyzed due to variations in expression levels, despite the good expression stability

Leaving the Past (Self) Behind: Non-Reporting Rape Survivors' Narratives of Self and Action

Using a symbolic interactionist framework, this study considers the narratives of non-reporting rape survivors. We use interviews to examine the complex processes that inform a survivor’s decision not to report. Rape is not interpreted as an isolated event; it is something that is seen as caused by, connected to, and affecting the survivor’s sense of self and agency. Rape forces the survivor to reconstruct a sense of agency in the aftermath of the traumatic attack. Rather than report the rape, the survivors constructed narratives that direct blame and accountability toward the “old self”. This less visible, yet still agentic strategy, allows the survivors to regain a sense of agency and control. As a result, a more positive, optimistic self can be constructed, while pursuing legal justice would force them to reenact an “old” self that cannot be disentangled from the rape

The ME Bandwagon and other labels: Constructing the authentic case in talk about a controversial illness

This paper examines the discourse of morality surrounding ‘ME’ as a contested illness, looking at how GPs and ME group members differentiate between the category of ‘genuine ME sufferer’ and the ‘bandwagon’. ‘Jumping on the bandwagon’ is a metaphor commonly used to describe the activity of ‘following the crowd’ in order to gain an advantage. This discursive analysis shows how ‘bandwagon’ categories are constructed in contrast to the category of genuine sufferer. People who jump on the bandwagon are accused of matching their symptoms to media stereotypes, adopting trendy illnesses (‘fads’,) or using ‘tickets’ to avoid facing up to psychological illnesses. Both GPs and ME group members construct a differential moral ordering of physical and psychological illness categories, where the latter assumes a lesser status. The paper concludes that against a background of medical uncertainty and controversy, the ‘bandwagon’ and other derogatory labels function as contrast categories that work to establish the existence of ‘ME’ as a genuine illness