Efficacy of Different Pet Treat Formulations to Prevent Infestation by the Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae

The pet food industry is a major part of the high-value processed food market in the USA and worldwide. Pest control associated with pet foods is an important activity. The mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae is a prolific cosmopolitan species that can infests high-value pet treats undetected until the infestations increase to very large numbers. Propylene glycol is a food-safe additive used to prevent mite infestations (Zhang et al., 2018; Abbar et al. 2015). Unfortunately, propylene glycol in certain foods can harm pets, and many companies are changing formulations. Here we conducted forced infestation of mites on three experimental pet treats and compared these to the current product that contains propylene glycol for susceptibility to mite infestation. We confirmed that the current product with propylene glycol did not support any mite population growth after a forced infestation with 20 mites. Two of the test formulations showed promise in preventing mite infestation, but one formulation was clearly susceptible to mites

Governing Computing Proviso of Habitation in the Highland Forest Region: Evidences from Arbagugu Controlled Hunting Area, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

The growing ecological footprint tends to dwindling of ecological resilience. Deforestation and forest degradation, specifically, are unavoidable in any country with virgin forests. For the last ten years, there have been unsuccessful attempts to cease farming in the highland forest of Arbagugu Controlled Hunting Area (ACHA). The ultimate objective of this study was to assess determinants that oversee the ultimatum for habitation in the highland forest region of Arbagugu district. Thus, 244 (50% of them permanently dwell in forest region) household heads were identified using random sampling techniques. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze data. Binary logistic regression model analysis of dependent variable that showed demand to dwell in forest region permanently and own land but not dwell in the forest region. The findings of the study showed that education status, amount of farmland outside of forest region, residence time, expert visit and knowhow of the forest border were significantly contributed to permanently reside in highland forest region at five percent (5%) probability level. Similarly, weak institutions, overridden roles and untapped institutions contributed for fruitless practices of forest management. Marginalization of local communities and imposition of institutional interests were created local communities negligence. Therefore, empowerment of local communities, livelihood diversification, cooperation and collaboration among/between government institutions, and support from NGOs could bring betterment of highland forest management. Keywords: Arbagugu CHA, Forest habitants, Forest management, Institutions, Logistic mode

Recreational Marijuana Legalization, Local Retail Availability, and Alcohol and Marijuana Use and Co-Use Among California High School Students.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether recreational marijuana legalization (RML) and local retail availability were associated with marijuana and alcohol use and co-use among adolescents. METHOD: We investigated associations between RML and past-30-day marijuana and alcohol use and co-use, and moderating effects of retail availability of marijuana and alcohol, using data from the 2010-2011 to 2018-2019 California Healthy Kids Surveys (CHKS) of 9th and 11th grade students in 38 California cities. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were conducted, controlling for secular trends and student and city demographics. Additional analyses examined associations of RML and retail availability with co-use among subgroups of drinkers and marijuana users. RESULTS: For the full sample, RML was inversely associated with alcohol use but was not significantly associated with marijuana use or co-use with alcohol. However, significant interactions between RML and marijuana outlet density showed that there were increases in marijuana and alcohol co-use and alcohol following legalization in cities with higher densities of marijuana outlets. RML was positively associated with co-use among non-heavy and heavy drinkers, but inversely related to co-use among occasional and frequent marijuana users. A significant positive interaction between RML and marijuana outlet density indicated that RML was associated with increases in co-use for occasional marijuana users in cities with higher densities of marijuana outlets. CONCLUSIONS: RML was associated with increases in marijuana and alcohol co-use and alcohol use among California high school students, particularly those in cities with higher densities of retail cannabis stores, although this varied across alcohol and marijuana use subgroups

The Impact of Physician Assisted Suicide on Suicide Rates and Individual Propensities for Suicidal Action

In the past decade, Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) has emerged as a heavily contested policy issue for state governments. A central political argument against PAS claims that access to PAS practices enables terminally ill individuals—who were once statistically unlikely to commit suicide—to develop an increased risk for suicidal action. This study analyzes this claim by examining the relationship between policy and behavior, and assessing whether PAS legislation influences suicide risk. By analyzing annual suicide rates released by state health departments, I find that PAS legislation causes suicide rates to increase. Furthermore, I additionally measured individuals’ propensities for suicidal action by assessing which demographic traits enable an individual to be most at risk of committing suicide, and comparing these traits with traits that increase an individual’s risk of pursuing PAS. I find that some of the risk factors for suicide do not align with the risk factors for PAS, implying that PAS enables certain individuals to develop an increased risk of suicide. Therefore, this study provides two pieces of evidence that PAS ultimately affects suicidal behavior.Bachelor of Art

Equality in Education: Solutions Aimed at Closing the Achievement Gap in Mississippi Public Schools

This thesis attempts to examine solutions aimed at closing the achievement gap in Mississippi public schools. The research questions that are addressed in this thesis include: a) Why is the achievement gap part of policy debates in Mississippi and how have individ-ual school districts and policymakers responded to the gap? b) How is the gap measured and what are the trends since 2001 when the No Child Left Behind Act was adopted? c) How are achievement gap debates reflected in the current policy? d) Have any of the past national education policies been effective in decreasing the achievement gap? The methods used include a quantitative analysis of NAEP data in order to construct a series of time-series graphs as well as a series of interviews with policymakers and school district offi-cials in Mississippi in order to write a policy proposal for the state. The research found that while national education policies have had a positive impact on racial achievement gaps, no policy has worked to close the socioeconomic achievement gap

Classification of Prime Ideals in Integral Group Algebras of Finite Abelian Groups

Let Z[G] be the integral group algebra of the group G. In this thesis, we consider the problem of determining all prime ideals of Z[G] where G is both finite and abelian. Because of Krull dimension arguments, there are only two types of prime ideals in Z[G]. First, we show that we can think of Z[G] as the quotient of a polynomial ring. Using this fact, and some Galois theory, we then classify the minimal prime ideals of our Z[G] where we restrict our group to having one or two generators. Next, we determine the form of the maximal ideals of Z[G] for the same case. However, the maximal ideals in our list need not be distinct. We further explore this issue restricting ourselves to cyclic groups. Using our previous work and cyclotomic field theory we are able to determine the duplication in our previous list

Providing Hope after Trauma: Educating in a Juvenile Residential Center

The field of integrated language arts is an ideal forum for sharing stories, discussing perspectives, expressing emotions in a healthy way, and challenging the systems that govern and shape our lives. Accomplishing this goal in a traditional classroom can sometimes be difficult, but for a moment, consider the physical space of a classroom within a juvenile residential center (JRC). This space brings many obstacles that traditional classrooms, teachers, and students do not have to address. To thrive, students need to be in a safe environment of trust. Trust is both critical and challenging to build in a space with so many limitations. By centering student agency, identity, and awareness of structural barriers, teachers may be able to make a positive difference in the lives of incarcerated students, especially those impacted by trauma. This could help students gain a new perspective on their own recidivism and cycles underneath a systemic context, hopefully forging a path toward freedom and healing. This qualitative case study focuses on two novice teachers’ journeys as they navigate their instructional decisions and practice within a JRC

Verbal responses of institutionalized delinquent and non-delinquent adolescent girls to TAT stimuli under auditory occlusion

The purpose of this study was to explore the verbal accessibility of institutionalized delinquent and non-delinquent adolescent girls to TAT stimuli under auditory occlusion. The study was designed as a companion study to one conducted by Lorenz Villeponteaux (1972) in which he tested verbal responses of delinquent adolescent boys. The problem centered around determining if the two samples differed in their verbal responses under auditory occlusion. Basic assumptions of the study were that both groups of girls would respond similarly to auditory occlusion but the delinquent girls would be less verbal initially, and the effects of auditory occlusion would be greater on the nondelinquents' verbal responses, the latency time, and the impulsivity rating of the verbal responses