Student Perceptions of Agriculture Messages Delivered Using Creative Media

The purpose of this study was determine how communicating authentical agricultural information using an infographic affect millennial and generation z students’ perceptions on the agriculture industry and to determine the perceptions of college students regarding the infographic used to convey agricultural messages. This study used a qualitative and quantitative approach in a questionnaire format through Qualtrics. The questionnaire was designed with five sections including a pre-questionnaire, content presentation, post-questionnaire, infographic perception questionnaire, and demographics section. All questions in the pre- and post- questionnaire were focused on the subjects found in the infographic presented in the content presentation. Overall, participants had increased positive answers and views to all questions after viewing the infographic. The majority of participants also found the infographic appealing and preferred the infographic to a research paper or paragraphs to present the same information. The recommendations based on this research is to utilize infographics to present agricultural messages and to create infographics that are well organized, aesthetically pleasing, and site sources

Student Perceptions of Messages Regarding Genetically Modified Organisms Delivered Using Creative Media

The purpose of this study was to determine how communicating authentic agricultural information using an infographic affects Millennial and Generation Z students’ perceptions of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and to determine the perceptions of college students regarding the infographic used to convey agricultural messages. This study used survey research methods with open- and closed-ended questions administered through Qualtrics. The questionnaire was designed with five sections including a pre-questionnaire, content presentation, post-questionnaire, infographic perception questionnaire, and demographics section. All questions in the pre- and post- questionnaire were focused on the content found in the researcher developed infographic. Overall, participants increased accuracy of their responses and reported more positive perceptions of GMOs after reviewing the infographic. The majority of participants also found the infographic appealing and preferred the infographic to a research paper or paragraphs to present the same information. The recommendations based on this research are to utilize infographics to present GMO messages to Millennials and Generations Z students at the University of Arkansas, further test the accuracy of responses and perceptions of other agricultural topics presented using infographics with this audience, and use well organized, aesthetically pleasing infographics that have sources cited

Stay by thy neighbor? Social organization determines the efficiency of biodiversity markets with spatial incentives

Market-based conservation instruments, such as payments, auctions or tradable permits, are environmental policies that create financial incentives for landowners to engage in voluntary conservation on their land. But what if ecological processes operate across property boundaries and land use decisions on one property influence ecosystem functions on neighboring sites? This paper examines how to account for such spatial externalities when designing market-based conservation instruments. We use an agent-based model to analyze different spatial metrics and their implications on land use decisions in a dynamic cost environment. The model contains a number of alternative submodels which differ in incentive design and social interactions of agents, the latter including coordinating as well as cooperating behavior of agents. We find that incentive design and social interactions have a strong influence on the spatial allocation and the costs of the conservation market.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Replication and exploratory analysis of 24 candidate risk polymorphisms for neural tube defects.

BackgroundNeural tube defects (NTDs), which are among the most common congenital malformations, are influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Low maternal folate is the strongest known contributing factor, making variants in genes in the folate metabolic pathway attractive candidates for NTD risk. Multiple studies have identified nominally significant allelic associations with NTDs. We tested whether associations detected in a large Irish cohort could be replicated in an independent population.MethodsReplication tests of 24 nominally significant NTD associations were performed in racially/ethnically matched populations. Family-based tests of fifteen nominally significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were repeated in a cohort of NTD trios (530 cases and their parents) from the United Kingdom, and case-control tests of nine nominally significant SNPs were repeated in a cohort (190 cases, 941 controls) from New York State (NYS). Secondary hypotheses involved evaluating the latter set of nine SNPs for NTD association using alternate case-control models and NTD groupings in white, African American and Hispanic cohorts from NYS.ResultsOf the 24 SNPs tested for replication, ADA rs452159 and MTR rs10925260 were significantly associated with isolated NTDs. Of the secondary tests performed, ARID1A rs11247593 was associated with NTDs in whites, and ALDH1A2 rs7169289 was associated with isolated NTDs in African Americans.ConclusionsWe report a number of associations between SNP genotypes and neural tube defects. These associations were nominally significant before correction for multiple hypothesis testing. These corrections are highly conservative for association studies of untested hypotheses, and may be too conservative for replication studies. We therefore believe the true effect of these four nominally significant SNPs on NTD risk will be more definitively determined by further study in other populations, and eventual meta-analysis

Concert recording 2019-11-18

[Track 1]. Boutade / Pierre Gabaye -- [Track 2]. Sonata for trumpet and piano, op. 51. III. Finale (Tocatta) / Flor Peeters -- [Track 3]. Concerto [Abridged] / Alexander Artunian -- [Track 4]. Sonata for trumpet and piano. I. Lento, Allegro molto / Eric Ewazen -- [Track 5]. Dance suite from Terpsichore . I. Ballet de Grenoville IV. La Bourre / Michael Praetorius edited and arranged by Allan Dean -- [Track 6]. Quintet no. 1, op. 5. I. Moderato / Victor Ewald -- [Track 7]. Sonata for horn, trumpet and trombone (1922). I. Allegro moderato [Track 8]. II. Andante [Track 9]. III. Rondeau / F. Poulenc

Investigating Genetic Determinants of Plasma Inositol Status in Adult Humans

BACKGROUND: Myo-inositol (MI) is incorporated into numerous biomolecules, including phosphoinositides and inositol phosphates. Disturbance of inositol availability or metabolism is associated with various disorders, including neurological conditions and cancers, while supplemental MI has therapeutic potential in conditions such as depression, polycystic ovary syndrome and congenital anomalies. Inositol status may be influenced by diet, synthesis, transport, utilisation and catabolism. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate potential genetic regulation of circulating MI status and to evaluate correlation of MI concentration with other metabolites. METHODS: Gas chromatography mass spectrometry was used to determine plasma MI concentration of more than 2,000 healthy, young adults (aged 18-28 years) from the Trinity Student Study. Genotyping data was used to test association of plasma MI with SNPs in candidate genes, encoding inositol transporters and synthesising enzymes, and test for genome-wide association. We evaluated potential correlation of plasma MI with D-chiro inositol, glucose and other metabolites by Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: Mean plasma MI showed a small but significant difference between males and females (28.5 and 26.9 µM, respectively). Candidate gene analysis revealed several nominally significant associations with plasma MI, most notably for SLC5A11, encoding a sodium-coupled inositol transporter, also known as SMIT2 (sodium-dependent myo-inositol transporter 2). However, these did not survive correction for multiple testing. Subsequent testing for genome-wide association with plasma MI did not identify associations of genome-wide significance (p < 5 × 10-8). However, 8 SNPs exceeded the threshold for suggestive significant association with plasma MI concentration (p < 1 × 10-5), 3 of which were located within or close to genes: MTDH, LAPTM4B and ZP2. We found significant positive correlation of plasma MI concentration with concentration of D-chiro-inositol and several other biochemicals including glucose, methionine, betaine, sarcosine and tryptophan. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest potential for modulation of plasma MI in young adults by variation in SLC5A11 which is worthy of further investigation

Diversity and Difference Committee Reading List

Reading list of resources compiled by members of the College of Education and Human Development Diversity and Difference Committee to promote reflection and deep thinking...to help us all reflect on what we can do to dismantle white supremacy, in and outside the academy

Diversity and Difference Committee Reading List

Reading list of resources compiled by members of the College of Education and Human Development Diversity and Difference Committee to promote reflection and deep thinking...to help us all reflect on what we can do to dismantle white supremacy, in and outside the academy.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/racial_justice/1130/thumbnail.jp

Concert recording 2019-04-11

[Track 1]. Concert etude / Alexander Goedicke -- [Track 2]. Sonata VIII. I. Prelude: Largo II. Allemande: Allegro / Arcangelo Corelli -- [Track 3]. Oliver\u27s birthday / Bruce Broughton -- [Track 4]. Concerto [abridged] / Alexander Arutunian -- [Track 5]. Aria con variazioni / Georg Frederic Handel -- [Track 6]. Sonata for trumpet and piano. I. Lento, Allegro molto / Eric Ewazen -- [Track 7]. Concerto in E♭. I. Allegro / J.B.G. Neruda -- [Track 8]. Suite. II. Air [Track 9]. I. Prelude / William P. Latham

Promotion of access to essential medicines for Non-Communicable Diseases: Practical implications of the UN Political Declaration

Access to medicines and vaccines to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is unacceptably low worldwide. In the 2011 UN political declaration on the prevention and control of NCDs, heads of government made several commitments related to access to essential medicines, technologies, and vaccines for such diseases. 30 years of experience with policies for essential medicines and 10 years of scaling up of HIV treatment have provided the knowledge needed to address barriers to long-term effective treatment and prevention of NCDs. More medicines can be acquired within existing budgets with efficient selection, procurement, and use of generic medicines. Furthermore, low-income and middle-income countries need to increase mobilisation of domestic resources to cater for the many patients with NCDs who do not have access to treatment. Existing initiatives for HIV treatment offer useful lessons that can enhance access to pharmaceutical management of NCDs and improve adherence to long-term treatment of chronic illness; policy makers should also address unacceptable inequities in access to controlled opioid analgesics. In addition to off-patent medicines, governments can promote access to new and future on-patent medicinal products through coherent and equitable health and trade policies, particularly those for intellectual property. Frequent conflicts of interest need to be identified and managed, and indicators and targets for access to NCD medicines should be used to monitor progress. Only with these approaches can a difference be made to the lives of hundreds of millions of current and future patients with NCDs